Sinead O’Connor (1966 – 2023)

“I think God saves everybody whether they want to be saved or not. So when we die, we’re all going home … I don’t think God judges anybody. He loves everybody equally.”

~  Sinead O’Connor

Singer, songwriter and activist Sinead O’Connor departed this world last week.  As a rebel, she attracted diverse opinions.  But everyone agreed that her voice on her rendition of Prince’s song was incomparable.

Birth Chart

Her Sun was in Sagittarius, and loosely conjunct Venus, giving rise to The Voice, and songwriting talent.  The Sun was loosely square to Saturn, not an easy path in life.  Sagittarius is all about truth telling and religious and spiritual seeking, and she more than fulfilled that, always insisting on being authentic, and trying out various religious paths. She was in fact a double Sagittarian, having her Ascendant also in that sign.  Emotional wounds are shown in the chart through Venus exactly square Saturn (relationship struggles) and Chiron.  She tried marriage four times.  The close conjunction of Chiron and Saturn, shows some considerable level of wounding, and sits in her 4th House (home background).  Like George Alagiah (see my later blog today) she had the Sun square Pluto, and was always living on the edge.  Her Moon was in musical Libra, exactly sextile the Galactic Centre, which may have given her emotions extra power.  There was an extraordinary contrast in her personality (and singing) between the softly spoken (Moon sextile Venus) and the firebrand (which came from the mid-1960s anarchic conjunction of Uranus and Pluto).  She had a double opposition of Chiron/Saturn to Uranus/Pluto, which with her Venus formed a Mutable T-Square.  But Mercury conjunct Neptune (the channeller’s conjunction) steadies her double opposition to some extent, and adds intelligence.  In the documentary “Nothing Compares” last night, she talked about channelling, and said it was just channelling her own self.  To my mind, she seemed to channel St. Joan of Arc!  Her Mercury in Scorpio tongue could be excoriating, when criticizing an institution, or person that did not live up to her vision of what the world or humankind needed to be.  In countless personal testimonies, the adjective “kind” is frequently used about her.  She had a very complex chart, and other attributes are Mercury closely sextile Uranus (telepathy) and Mercury trine Chiron (problem-solving).  Mars was closely sextile Jupiter – apart from having Sun and Ascendant in Fire, Mars sextile Jupiter gives her energies full expression of her Fire.  Jupiter closely trine the Ascendant, 8th House side, in Leo, also emphasizes Fire, as Jupiter is her Sun and Ascendant ruler. The position of Mars sextile her Ascendant gives rise to The Warrior Archetype, operating from her 10th House of Career and Reputation.  Mars was conjunct the MC – so The Warrior was part of her Career, and her Persona in the World.  She was described by musician Jah Wobble as “a Celtic Female Warrior”. Uranus (The Activist) is also in that sphere of her chart.  Saturn closely opposite Uranus, emphasizes tension between the old and the new, much of what her struggles were about, e.g. the reform of the institution of the Papacy.  She had Saturn exactly trine Neptune, spirituality made manifest somehow.

Life and Career

Sinead was born third of five siblings in a nursing home in Dublin.  Her parents split up when she was eight years old, and she at first lived with her mother, who abused her.  She left her mother to live with her father when she was 13.  She began shoplifting, and was sent to a Magdalene asylum run by the Order of Our Lady of Charity.  There were disturbing experiences, but someone there introduced her to the guitar and encouraged her to sing, which was crucial to her development.  She began to sing with the band In Tua Nua, and thus entered her path to the music industry.  The next band she joined, Ton Ton Macoute, led to her being signed to Ensign Records, and managed by Fachtna O Ceallaigh..

Her mother died in a car accident when she was 18.  The transits for that time show that Mars and Pluto were prominent influences: Mars was trine Sinead’s Ascendant, and transiting her natal I.C. (the foundations of her life), Neptune was square her natal Mars, and Pluto square her natal Jupiter.

She released her first album (the Lion and the Cobra) in 1987, with hit single “Mandinka” and “Troy”.  Her second album (I do not Want what I haven’t Got)  took her into a different league, and was ranked second best album of the year by the New Musical Express.  By then she was committed to the shaved head, a symbol of the fact that she would not be repressed.  The shaved head is also reminiscent of spirituality in some religions, on the grounds of taking a person closer to God.  She was in a strong relationship at the time, with John Reynolds, who has made a career as a music producer.  Their son Jake was born in that year.

Nothing Compares 2 U

Her life was about to change, radically.  Prince had written the song “Nothing Compares 2 U”, which he was fairly lukewarm about, and he produced a recording of it by The Family.  Sinead produced an iconic version of it on her second album.  The synastry between Sinead and Prince reveals why she was able to bring something special to it, but also reveals the clashing of personalities which later became evident:

Their Suns exactly opposite, he was not happy with his own rendition of the song and the Family’s rendition did not do well.  She provided the complementary qualities, her Sagittarian Sun to his Gemini Sun.

Her Jupiter trined his Mercury, a similar effect: she rounded out his mental skill in writing the song.

Their Marses were closely opposite, being another complement to each other.  Her Mars being in tuneful Libra, his in raunchy Aries.  This also describes their later “war”.

Her Venus on his Saturn, he brought a structure for her Voice.  She brought a softness.

Their Saturns were exactly square (just one of the incredible connections, they had).  They had different ways of structuring their experiences.  She brought something completely new to the song.

After he died, she revealed that they had clashed wildly when she had visited him.  In the making of the documentary “Nothing Compares”, which was made as recently as 2022, the estate of Prince refused permission to include the video for the song.  The visual impact of her exquisite features, set against a dark background and her shaven head, with the tears she shed, always come to mind when the song is played.  The song was released on 8th January 1990, a day when the Sun was exactly opposite Pluto, an aspect which has all the drama and ability to move people.  Jupiter was square her natal Libran Midheaven – her career took off, but her life was about to spin out of control.  For Prince, Pluto was transiting his Ascendant – emphasizing the huge Plutonic nature and impact of the song.

Activism

Sinead spoke out authentically on matters of religion, child abuse, mental health, mysogyny, abortion, feminism, sexuality, racism and politics, among other subjects.  She appeared to have no filter, and no regrets.

Her life took on a downward slide when she appeared on Saturday Night Live in the United States on 3rd October 1992.  She performed the song “War” by Bob Marley, and at its conclusion tore up a photograph of the Pope, as a protest about the cover up of abuse in the Catholic church.  This resulted in a huge backlash against her, especially from the Catholic population in the U.S.  In a later appearance on a birthday tribute to Bob Dylan, she was introduced as a courageous woman of integrity by Kris Kristofferson, but she was booed by the audience.  She then retreated from the music business for about ten years.

At the time of her shocking gesture, transiting Uranus was exactly trine her North Node in Virgo:  Her karmic mission was fuelled by rebellion.  Pluto was exactly sextile her natal Pluto, an act of self-empowerment.  And Pluto was trine her natal Chiron, a cathartic, freeing and healing act for her, too.  But sadly the cost was great.

Religion

In 1999, Sinead was ordained as a priest in the Irish Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church, and in 2018 she converted to Islam and changed her name to Shuhada Sadaqat, while retaining her birth name for her music career.  A fellow musician who converted to Islam, Yusef Islam (Cat Stevens) tweeted in tribute:

“Sad to hear of the passing of sister Shuhada Sadaqat, also known as Sinéad O’Connor.  She was a tender soul, may God, Most Merciful, grant her everlasting peace.”

Sinead herself described her conversion as “the natural conclusion of any intelligent theologian’s journey”.

Family

Sinead had four children: Jake, Brigidine Roisin, Shane and Yeshua.  She also had a grandson, from Jake Reynolds.

Her third husband Donal Lunny was awarded custody of their son Shane, and in 2022 Shane went missing while under psychiatric care and was later found to have committed suicide.  Sinead was unable to get over this latest blow in her life.  Among her transits at the time were Neptune on her natal Chiron in 4th, and Pluto square her natal Moon, both referring to a family wound.

Legacy

She had been in the middle of making a promising new album with David Holmes entitled “No Veteran Dies Alone”  Holmes said, about this album:

“I felt deep down in my heart that there was so much she had still yet to achieve…She had the perfect voice to heal and help people get through very difficult times…She’s got one of the purest voices we will ever hear in our lifetime.” [from Guardian article on 29/7/23 by Daniel Dylan Wray]

The cause of her death is as yet unknown, but declared not to be suspicious.  Rest in Peace, Sinead.  You helped a lot of people in the world to come out of oppression.

Oppenheimer

“If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky,
that would be like the splendour of the mighty one”.

~ Bhagavad Gita (XI,12), quoted by Robert Oppenheimer

The film “Oppenheimer” premiered on Friday (21st July), is being bizarrely pitted against the film “Barbie”, reflective of the aspect which occurred that day of Pluto (the bomb) opposite the Sun in Cancer (the female side of life).  J. Robert Oppenheimer was the scientist credited as “the father of the atomic bomb”, and the film features a glittering array of stars*, which include the lead role played by the charismatic Cillian Murphy, who is tipped for an Oscar, opposite Emily Blunt as his wife Kitty.  When I arrived at University in 1968, the big moral scientific dilemma was the creation of nuclear weapons, but since then we have had genetic engineering, man’s creation of climate change, and currently we are debating artificial intelligence and its implications.

Birth Chart

We are lucky enough to have a birth time for Robert Oppenheimer (not so for Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt).  Oppenheimer had the Sun in Taurus trine Uranus, marking him out straight away as an innovator.  The Sun is also exactly sextile the Midheaven in his chart, bringing that brilliance to a successful career.  But his Sun was also square his natal Chiron, showing starkly the Wounded Healer.  He became, in some ways, the victim of his own success.  He had the Moon closely sextile Mercury, a balance between imagination and intellect.  Mercury also squared Saturn, a thorough mind (he oversaw every detail of the Manhattan project, which created the atomic bomb).  Venus closely conjunct Jupiter was sociable, but squared Neptune, so he was often unfaithful in relationships.  This was borne out by Uranus conjunct the Descendant, in his 7th House.  His Mars in Taurus was unaspected, so he was very determined and able to go it alone.  One of the most powerful features of his chart was Saturn exactly trine Pluto, often seen in movers and shakers.  Neptune conjunct Ascendant, rising showed his keen interest in mysticism.  Where is the bomb, in his chart?  Pluto is loosely conjunct his Gemini scientific Ascendant, operating deep within his subconscious 12th House.

Life and Career

Oppenheimer was born in New York on 22nd April, 1904. His father had been born in Prussia, and was a textile importer who became wealthy enough to own a significant art collection whose works included Van Gogh and Picasso.  Robert Oppenheimer’s Sun sign of Taurus is associated with fine art, and he himself collected works by the art masters later in life.

Robert began his academic career with a degree in chemistry from Harvard, then a PhD in physics from the University of Gottingen.  He eventually became a professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley.

In 1924, Oppenheimer applied to work at the Cavendish Laboratory, Christ’s College, Cambridge, under Patrick Blackett (James D’Arcy*).  The relationship with Blackett proved inharmonious, and it is during this phase of his life, that the film begins, with Oppenheimer in a state of anxiety and homesickness.  An AstroCartography map may have picked up an incompatibility with Cambridge, but I digress.  There were two main squares in their Synastry:  Blackett’s Jupiter square Oppenheimer’s Neptune (which may have increased the latter’s paranoia) and Blackett’s Saturn square Oppenheimer’s Midheaven (a hitch in his career).  The film does weave in and out of different time periods of Oppenheimer’s life.

He left Cambridge in 1926 and went to study at the University of Gottingen.  There he befriended scientists who were to become eminent in their fields, such as Enrico Fermi (Danny Deferrari*), Edward Teller (Benny Safdie*) and Werner Heisenberg (Matthias Schwieghhofer*).

He was awarded a fellowship at Caltech (California Institute of Technology) in 1927, where he befriended Linus Pauling, with whom he had an interesting synastry: their Moons were conjunct, and their Ascendants trine.  Subsequently, he shared his time between Caltech and the University of California, Berkeley, which determinedly secured his services.  At Berkeley, he worked with the Nobel scientist Ernest O. Lawrence (Josh Hartnett*).

During the early years of his scientific research, Oppenheimer was not interested in the wider world, being solely focussed on his work.  He did not read newspapers, and only heard of the Wall Street crash six months after it happened.  From 1934 he began to take an interest in politics, and in 1936 (aged 32) cast his first electoral vote.  In the 1930s he began to espouse communist ideas, and support related projects with donations.  He never joined the Communist party, but left himself open to McCarthyism. In 1936 he became involved with a communist, Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh*), romantically, and they had an on-off relationship for some while.  He met his future wife, Kitty (Emily Blunt*) in 1939.  In their synastry, her Uranus trined his Mercury (a good mental rapport) and her Pluto sat on his Ascendant (a deep challenge).  In  1940 he attended a meeting at the home of Haakon Chevalier (Jefferson Hall*), a communist connection which later came under scrutiny.

The Manhattan Project

In 1942, Robert Oppenheimer was invited to work on the Manhattan Project by Major General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon*) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in order to develop the first nuclear weapons. Oppenheimer set up a Laboratory at Los Alamos in New Mexico.  Among others, he worked with scientists Edward Teller, Robert Serber (Michael Angarano*), and Hans Bethe (Gustaf Skarsgard).

The project was completed successfully, and on 16th July 1945, Oppenheimer was present at the firs testing of the atomic bomb, which he called Trinity. At that time, his transits were spectacular: Chiron was exactly trine his natal Chiron and square to his natal Uranus (healing but destructive); Jupiter was exactly trine his natal Mercury (the fulfilment of his intellectual work); and Neptune square his Neptune (an ethical dilemma, however much he was aware or not aware of it, at that moment).  Observers recalled an air of exultation in him at that point in time.

In August 1945, the reality of the work set in, at the use of the atomic bomb at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  At Hiroshima, Jupiter was square his Ascendant on 4th House cusp, and exactly conjunct his North Node in Virgo in 3rd House (a hugely blown up karmic mission); Neptune was still square his Neptune, emphasizing the ethical dilemma.

The implications of his role and his life’s work did not take long to dawn on Oppenheimer, and he set out to mitigate the wider implications.  In 1947, he chaired the General Advisory Committee of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.  He tried to bring about international control of nuclear power, and tried to block the development of the hydrogen bomb.

However, the FBI were “onto him”, and he was suspected to have put communist and pro-Russian interests before those of his country, something that was never proven.  Nevertheless, he was stripped of his security clearance, and that was the end of this phase of his working life.  At that time,  Neptune was square his natal Uranus (bizarre complication) and trine his natal Chiron (a merciful side to the release).

The Film

Christopher Nolan (Film Director) is a Leo, the bold and creative Sun sign I most associate with this profession, others being Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Sam Mendes, Roman Polanski, John Huston, Cecil B. de Mille, Wim Wenders, Peter Bogdanovich,  and Wes Craven.   Currently aged 52, this must have been his Chiron Return project, a huge one at that (with Chiron natally in Pisces = healing through film).

Cillian Murphy (Lead Role as Robert Oppenheimer) is the heart throb from Peaky Blinders (at one time, the most searched Netflix show), who has had a long association with Christopher Nolan’s work.  He has Sun conjunct Venus and Mercury in Gemini (we do not have a birthtime or Ascendant) and the Sun exactly sextile Mars – the Warrior Archetype, at least on screen!  Some of his power comes from the Sun trine Pluto.  He also has an electric energy (Mars square Uranus), and karmic opportunities (Jupiter conjunct the South Node).

In today’s Observer, Miranda Collinge writes that he has:

“a physical resemblance to Oppenheimer – the slight stature (made slighter, apparently, by a restricted diet), the high cheekbones, the arresting stare” and “the dark planes of his face; his otherworldly blue eyes, conveying glacial deadness in one frame and cosmic awe in another”.

Meanwhile in Film of the Week, Wendy Ide adds glowing references:

“For the most part,, the film is a towering achievement”

“Murphy’s far-seeing ice-chip eyes have never been put to better use”.

The synastry between Cillian Murphy and Robert Oppenheimer is very telling:

Cillian’s Uranus trines Oppenheimer’s Neptune and Oppenheimer’s Midheaven, creating a Grand Trine; and Cillian’s Neptune trines Oppenheimer’s Jupiter/Venus (Cillian is able to bring the vision).

In an article in the Guardian by Charlotte Edwardes on 8/7/23, Cillian says:

 “They put two actors in a room to see if there’s any spark, and have all the producers and director at a table watching. … sometimes you get a chemistry and nobody knows why.”

Emily Blunt (Kitty Oppenheimer)

Piscean Emily has been appearing in films since 2004, and her previous films include The Young Victoria,  Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and Girl on a Train.

She says of Christopher Nolan “I’ve never met anyone as authoritative.  When he walks in, the air changes in the room.”

Her synastry with Cillian Murphy holds many tensions, but her Mars sextile his Venus can provide chemistry.

Chracters/Stars not mentioned in my account, who appear in the film:

Albert Einstein (Tom Conti*)

Niels Bohr (Kenneth Branagh*)

Harry S. Truman (Gary Oldman*)

…to name but a few!

Later…

Oppenheimer and his wife made it a habit to spend portions of the year on the island of Saint John in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

He was nominated for a Nobel Prize three time, but did not win.

He died on 18th February 1987, having suffered ill health through smoking.  His Pluto was square to his Pluto.

A survey in this morning’s Observer showed more people queuing up for “Barbie” (mostly female, and pink-clad) than “Oppenheimer”, but I know which film I would rather see.

“For the most part,, the film is a towering achievement”

~ Wendy Ide, for the Observer

Aspects

It’s a busy day for aspects!  We started in the early hours of the morning with Venus Stationary, prior to turning retrograde at 28 degrees Leo.  This betokens a time of reviewing relationships and finance.  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.

Soon afterwards, at 1.50 a.m. the Sun went into Leo.  My fitbit tells me I woke up at exactly that moment (and took off my fitbit, by some instinct, and I stayed awake for quite a while).  It’s a cause for celebration, but we haven’t had enough of the Sun, and Southern Europe and some other parts of the world have had too much for us to ignore climate change.  For those of you on holiday by the sea, you may be able to enjoy a dip, alternating with lazing on a deckchair under a parasol sipping a pina colada.  Sun in Leo is also about the expression of the human spirit, and that can be enjoyed whatever the weather.  For many schoolchildren and workers, it is the start of holiday season…Have a good time.

We have Pluto square the Nodal Axis today, and may already have grappled with Pluto this weekend, with Friday’s opposition between Pluto and the Sun.  For me, it was researching Oppenheimer, who worked with plutonium, and created the atomic bomb.  this brings up the karma around deep issues, such as the dilemma posed by Oppenheimer’s life and work.

Next, Chiron is Stationary, prior to turning Retrograde (two retrogrades in one day!).  This will see us start to retrace some steps on our healing pathway.  A particular healing issue may crop up today to highlight this; perhaps you have gone as far as you can with a particular line of healing, and may need to revise or go over old ground for a while.  There may be more understanding to be achieved, for instance, about the emotional component of the healing issue.

This evening, Uranus squares Mercury, which is a spanner-in-the-works aspect.  Back up your computer files before bedtime, and consider I.T. loopholes, as this is a time when you may experience glitches in this area.  Your Intuition is your guide to your way through these anomalies.  Set your antennae to a higher frequency! 

Fast forward to Thursday (27th) and we encounter a conjunction between Mercury and Venus.  It may enable a sunburst of ideas to be communicated, discussed, and start the ball rolling towards making practical use of what has come to you.  This conjunction is ideal for socializing, artistic or literary endeavours, or negotiations.  Your communications will have an artistic flair, so it’s a good time to get creative.  I associate this conjunction with Cafe culture, but it has come to my notice that some people prefer pubs, so a pint may be more suitable in that case.  Conversation will flow just as easily… 

Friday (28th) furnishes us with a trine between Mercury and the North Node.  This ensures that information and communication are accurate and karmically relevant.  If you have something important to say, do it.

We finish the survey of the week with Mercury’s entry into Virgo on Friday evening, which is quite early in the yearly round for Mercury.  This signals a more studious change in focus and presaging the next academic term.  We will be thinking ahead, planning for September schedules.  Students and teachers will be trying to plan for the term ahead.  Parents will be stocking up on essentials such as school uniforms and various kits (rumoured to cost more than ever).  Businesses will be hoping for an extra push in efficiency for after the holiday period.  Some services will still be planning strike action.  Parliamentarians will be setting out their policies, trying to balance out popularity with the right direction.  Mental application will be needed all round.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – reviewing relationships; the Sun comes out; psychological ssues in groups; healing revisions; the spanner in the works
• Thursday – Cafe or Pub culture (you choose…)
• Friday – helpful karmic information; knuckling down to work plans

Three By-Elections

With very little astrological data to go on, I will attempt to look at the picture for the three by-elections taking place in England on Thursday, to see how well Labour and the Lib Dems may fare.  The by-elections came about as a result of the resignation as an MP by Boris Johnson after the results of the Partygate enquiry, another over the resignation honours list, and another MP being investigated for taking cocaine (plus misconduct).  The newscasts this last week have not reported much about this story, preferring to focus on other things.

Chart for Thursday 20th July 2023

What does the chart for the day tell us, about its capacity to bring about change?

The Moon is conjunct Venus in Leo – this could favour women candidates.

Pluto squares the Nodal Axis – this indicates complete regime change, destruction of the prevailing order, for karmic reasons.  Makes it unlikely that the Conservatives will gain any of the three seats.

Pluto opposite the Sun – this also favours a rebirth in politics.

Aspects for the day

Taken from the blog below…

At lunchtime, i.e. in the middle of voting:

“Sun trines Neptune: A sparkling time, especially good for receiving creative inspiration.  Expand your consciousness, and allow your imagination to embellish your work, or project in hand.”

Hope springs eternal.

In the evening, when results start to trickle in:

“Mars opposes Saturn.  If you are not careful (but you will be, because you will have read this blog!) it could undo some of the subtler and delicate work of Sun trine Neptune.  It is as if you had fashioned a beautiful sand mandala on the shore, and someone has come along and stomped all over it with hobnail boots.  So you might be forgiven for installing protective measures as you work with the more refined energies earlier in the day.  In the evening, deliberately leave the cloud, and work on the grounding of your achievements, having thought about possible loopholes.  It is possible that you may be pleased with your outcomes, but then face criticism from another who does not understand what you have produced, or the processes you went through.  Your own feeling about your work is what is more important, so don’t be swayed.”

This conveys that there will be some conflict or difficulty, or may betoken delay in counting.  There is a sense of thinking all has gone smoothly during the day, then there is a fly in the ointment, a flaw has been discovered, or a hitch occurs.

Transits for the three main Parties

For Labour

Uranus sextile its natal Mercury (exciting news)

North Node sextile its natal Mars (upsurge of favourable karmic energy)

For Keir Starmer

Mars sextile his Mars (plenty of energy)

Saturn trine his natal Mars (also discipline)

These are reasonable transits, but he may feel a little disappointed or deflated, as though he could have done better.

For Lib Dems – 1988 Chart:

Pluto square its Jupiter (wild swings either way in different places) 6th House

North Node on its Jupiter (favourable karma) 6th House

Jupiter opposite its Pluto (wild swings either way in different places) 12th House

Uranus opp its Ascendant (could be a turning point) 7th House

Seems like wildly differing results all round.

Liberal Party Chart (may not be relevant):

The original Liberal chart is part of the current energy of the party, to some extent.

Pluto on its natal Moon (deep and fervent emotion)

Nodal Axis square its natal Moon (important for its relationship with the public, as represented by the Moon)

Chiron trine its natal Uranus (healing)

Mars trine its natal Neptune (spiritually passionate)

Saturn sextile its natal Neptune (practical results enhancing its spirit)

This set of transits is quite hopeful for the Lib Dems to do well.

For Ed Davey

Davey’s party have taken seats from the Tories in Chesham and Amersham, North Shropshire, and Tiverton and Honiton, since 2021.

Jupiter square his natal Venus (personal popularity)

Jupiter sextile his natal Saturn (may do better than he thinks)

This is a brighter set of transits than Keir’s.  So relative to expectations, they may do better, though in terms of power may still be behind.

For Conservatives

Jupiter sextile its Uranus (may do better than they think)

They probably are in immense fear of the results, at this time.

For Rishi Sunak

Has he impressed?  Will that performance be reflected in the result?

Uranus on his natal Sun (surprise or shock result)

North Node sextile his natal Venus (karma gentler on him than he might think)

Chiron opposite his natal Pluto (some heavy shock, possibly affecting health)

The By-Elections

These are taking place over three very different parts of the country, which is a good overall test for the future general election.

Selby and Ainsty

Labour Candidate: Keir Mather – birth date unavailable

[Note: if any birth charts become available before Thursday, I will write about them under comments]

Lib Dem Candidate: Matt Walker – birth date unavailable

Conservative Candidate: Claire Holmes – birth date unavailable

See what I mean about lack of data…?

The outgoing MP Nigel Adams:

His Resignation transits, over the resignation honours list:

Saturn square his natal Sun (Resignation, literally)

Uranus trine his natal Pluto (a new direction)

Uranus sextile his natal Chiron (sudden relief)

Neptune opposite his natal Mars (uncertainty)

These transits do not affect the outcome of the by-election, but give some background about the circumstances which led to this by-election.

Somerton and Frome

In the 2019 general election, the Liberal Democrats were well ahead of Labour, so they are expected to maintain that ascendancy.

Labour Candidate: Neil Guild – birth date unavailable

Lib Dem Candidate: Sarah Joanne Dyke – birth date unavailable

Conservative Candidate:  Faye Purbrick – birth date unavailable

The outgoing MP David Warburton:

His Resignation transits, due to cocaine and impropriety scandal:

Mars trine his natal Mars (triggered into taking action)

Uxbridge and South Ruislip

This will be a close contest due to the unpopularity of the London Congestion charge and introducing Ulez to improve air quality, brought about through the London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Labour Candidate:  Danny Beales – birth date unavailable (only available data, birth year of 1988)

Lib Dem Candidate:  Blaise Baquiche – birth date unavailable

Conservative Candidate:  Steve Tuckwell – birth date unavailable

The outgoing MP Boris Johnson, ex-PM

Transits For Resignation as MP, due to results of Partygate enquiry:

Neptune square his natal Sun (uncertainty of direction)

Chiron sextile his natal Mercury (a mental solution)

Jupiter sextile his natal Saturn (an opportunity)

Saturn opp his natal Uranus (putting an end to a tricky situation)

We do not yet have the pleasure of a mid-Bedfordshire by-election, as Nadine Dorries is holding out on her resignation.

Latest Polling

In the Guardian/Observer group last month, a poll showed that Labour had a clear lead over the Tories in more than 100 battleground seats.  The Party enjoyed a 10% swing from the Tories in 144 key constituences.  This effect is most enhanced in the Midlands.

On “Peston” recently Anushka Asthana showed a report which revealed that people are most concerned about the NHS and least about the small boats, of the top few issues.  This implies that Rishi Sunak and his government may not have a realistic impression of what matters to the voters.

One of the clues in the chart of the day, was that women candidates could do well (Moon conjunct Venus in Leo).  In Selby and Ainsty, the Tory candidate is a woman, but that is the best likely seat for Labour.

In Somerton and From, Lib Dems and Conservatives have a female candidate, and Lib Dems look likely to gain that seat.

In Uxbridge and Ruislip, the Lib Dems are putting up a female candidate, and that is a slim hope for Labour (the vote may be very split, there).

In all three cases, Lib Dems are  putting up female candidates, so that may enhance their chances.

It looks likeliest that Labour will have the best victory at Selby and Ainsty

Labour may scrape through in Uxbridge

The Lib Dems are likely to take Somerton

Could it be goodbye to the Tories? (excuse the pun)

Aspects

We start with a square between Mercury and Jupiter tomorrow (Monday 17th) around midday.  This will stimulate us mentally, almost to the point of too much information!  There may be travel involved or planned.  It would be a good day to be out in nature, taking a good stroll, and picking up information.  Mercury square Jupiter is a refreshing aspect, if not a little over-stretching to manage, so you may find yourself travelling a little bit further than your comfort zone.

At teatime, there is a New Moon at 24 degrees Cancer.  It’s a pure and simple chance to get back to basics with our home, family, roots, locality, emotions and ancestry.  Where it falls in your chart can give you extra clues about placing your intentionality, your hopes and wishes.

Later still, the True North Node moves from Taurus to Aries, retrograding as it does. When the North Node moved into Taurus, Russia was threatening Ukraine over territory (Taurus representing the land).  The North Node takes approximately 18 month to move through a sign and represents the collective karma.  Its entry into Aries is even more confrontational, if anything.  However, at the same time, it could be more decisive, and may achieve more.  In your personal life, all forms of personal development are emphasized, so physical progress will tie in with emotional, mental and spiritual progress.  The physical may be the trigger, e.g. you may need to keep fit for health reasons, and eat more healthily, and that may impact on your consciousness.

Thursday (20th) lunchtime bestows a trine between the Sun and Neptune.  This is a sparkling time, especially good for receiving creative inspiration.  Expand your consciousness, and allow your imagination to embellish your work, or project in hand.  Hope springs eternal.

In the evening, Mars opposes Saturn.  If you are not careful (but you will be, because you will have read this blog!) it could undo some of the subtler and delicate work of Sun trine Neptune.  It is as if you had created a beautiful sand mandala on the shore, and someone has come along and stomped all over it with hobnail boots.  So you might be forgiven for installing protective measures as you work with the more refined energies earlier in the day.  In the evening, deliberately leave the cloud, and work on the grounding of your achievements, having thought about possible loopholes.  It is possible that you may be pleased with your outcomes, but then face criticism from another who does not understand what you have produced, or the processes you went through.  Your own feeling about your work is what is more important, so don’t be swayed. There is a sense of thinking all has gone smoothly during the day, then there is a fly in the ointment, a flaw has been discovered, or a hitch occurs.

If you think you have read all this before…you have!

On Saturday (22nd) Pluto opposes the Sun in the early hours.  The day suits sober reflection and unearthing the deep psychological significance behind events.  Of course, there is a lot going on in our lives, both personally and globally, and our minds may go to issues which affect us more immediately.  Being an opposition, there is a requirement to balance two opposing forces, and possibly blend them or transcend the polarity.

That sets the tone of the day, but there are two more aspects bringing greater nuance.  The Sun squares the Nodal Axis, which may bring power issues within groups to the fore.  The positioning of the Nodal Axis will ensure karmic justice within the structure of projects and power balances, though there may be a few personality clashes.  You may need to glimpse a more multi-dimensional picture than just the here and now.

Then Mercury trines Chiron, which may bring some healing balm to close the week.  This aspect describes healing on a mental level (positive thinking, writing and affirmations), and helps to combine conventional and alternative or complementary healing approaches.  This is a problem-solving aspect.

The week in bullet points:

• Tomorrow – mental stimulation; long journeys; new beginning; karmic decisiveness
• Thursday – sparkling consciousness; blocks and hitches
• Saturday – psychological depth required; power issues in groups; subtle nuances; healing balm

Wimbledon 2023 – Week 2

What a roller coaster last week turned out to be at Wimbledon!  Rain stopped play, then the heat came on.  The British men’s contingent did well, then were wiped out on one day (Friday).  Katie Boulter lost in the women’s contest last night, to the No. 3 Seed.  As usual, I will carry on writing about the next four women’s and men’s Seeds, and hope to provide more information under comments as we watch in the week.

Women’s Seeds

As far as I know, the first four women’s Seeds are still in play.

Apology: when I started writing this piece, Caroline Garcia was still in play.  She was since beaten by Bouzkova.  How time flies, when you are blogging Wimbledon!

No. 5 – Caroline Garcia

I wrote in 2017:

“Interestingly, she has 0 Fire planets, and 0 Mutable planets,5 Fixed and 5 Cardinal.  Her Sun is in Libra and conjunct closely Jupiter, so she may have a lucky touch.  Her Sun is also exactly trine Saturn, with Saturn exactly trine Jupiter, so she has good and balanced judgement. Her Capricorn Uranus/Neptune conjunction is exact, and Mars is exactly sextile this conjunction, so she can use this understanding of complexity in her physical prowess.  Her chart is not without difficulties, as she has an exact square between the two difficult planets Saturn and Pluto.  So there is a lot of contrast in her chart and psyche.  She also has Chiron exactly square the Nodal Axis.”

I have now obtained a birth time for her, and she has an Ascendant in Libra conjunct Jupiter, a happy go lucky combination, and a cluster of planets in her 1st House of Personality, which stamps her character emphatically.

Transits for the beginning of this week

Saturn trine her Moon rising (a steady transit emotionally, but not setting fire to the tournament)

Finishing Transits

She still has Saturn trine her Moon (this would not be enough to propel her into the final)

No. 6 – Ons Jabeur

I wrote in 2021:

“Ons Jabeur has half her planets (5) in Earth signs, so they are both very grounded.  Ons has Sun in Virgo sextile Mars, so good energy for athleticism.  Sun opposite Saturn may see her struggle at certain times, e.g. during significant Saturn transits.  She has Mercury trine Uranus/Neptune, so an inventive mind, capable of outwitting an opponent and tackling complexity, also bringing in inspiration – she calls these “crazy shots”  Mercury exactly sextile her North Node suggest she will do very well as a trainer later in her career, and Mercury’s conjunction with Chiron is mentally tense, but capable of breathtaking problem-solving.  She has a Grand Trine in Water consisting of Mars/Saturn/Jupiter, which can give her a great deal of power and presence on court.  Neptune sextile her North Node may also make her a spiritual leader, so her growth in life will be very interesting.”

The Wimbledon pundits describe her as a popular and fun character on and off the court. She had a tense and evenly matched contest last night against Bianca Andreescu, which she did win.

Transits for the beginning of this week

Chiron opposite her natal Venus (tricky emotions at the moment)

Saturn trine her natal Mars (excellent control)

Uranus trine her natal Uranus (the power of surprise)

Chiron square her natal Uranus (possibility of injury)

A mixed bag

Finishing Transits

She will still have Uranus trine Uranus, and

Chiron will square her natal Neptune

Mediocre finishing transits, but could make it to the final.

No. 9 – Petra Kvitova

In 2011 I correctly predicted that she would win the title.

I wrote about Kvitova in 2015:

“She is an imaginative Pisces, and can access the level of genius in her play.  Her natal Mercury and Uranus are in exact sextile to each other, which amplifies the Piscean ability to use all parts of the brain and human capacity, and her Mercury closely trines her Chiron so she has great problem-solving ability.  Her natal Sun exactly trines her Pluto, so there is an oceanic depths to her nature, which enables her to access her soul qualities.”

She particularly enjoys playing on grass, and is playing well this year.

Transits for the beginning of this week

Neptune sextiles her natal Mars  (inspired play)

North Node sextile her natal Jupiter (excellent karmically)

Uranus trine her natal Saturn (innovative play)

A very good set of transits, indeed!

Finishing Transits

Neptune sextile her natal Mars (exact to the day – inspirational!)

Uranus still trine her natal Saturn (innovative play)

Still very strong transits.  Her karmic aspect waning, but these could be enough to get her to the final, and possibly we may be looking at the winner!

No. 13 – Beatriz Haddad Maia

I have not looked at her chart before.  She has had some knee problems recently.

Brazilian Beatriz has the Sun in Gemini, and a quickfire mind-body coordination in an exact conjunction of Mercury and Mars.  She has an emotionally focussed Moon in Scorpio, and a loose conjunction of Chiron with her North Node in Libra, so may be skilled in relationship counselling.

Transit for the beginning of this week

Neptune sextile her Neptune (Spiritually centred)

Finishing Transits

Will still have Neptune sextile her natal Neptune (will enjoy the fortnight)

A pleasant transit, but not a winning one.

I was not overly impressed with the transits for the top three Seeds last week, but out of these following four, I favour Petra Kvitova’s the most.

Men’s Seeds

Of the top four, No. 4 Casper Ruud has gone out, beaten by Brit Liam Broady.  His transit(s) looked the most promising.  While a fair few women’s Seeds have been decimated, we still have Seeds 5 – 8 for the men.

No. 5 – Stefanos Tsitsipas

Of course, Stefanos is fresh in our memory for despatching our Andy Murray from the tournament last week, a close contest.  His match with Thiem was very tight, ending on a tie breaker in the fifth set.  He played really strongly last night against Dere, winning in straight sets.

In 2021, I wrote:

“Tsitsipas is a young Greek Lion (Leo), born in 1998 ….  With four planets in the Fire Element, including Moon in Aries, he may have fiery traits!  He also has a fair deal of Water, with Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Chiron in that element.  Perhaps his water may put out his fire, sometimes.  Venus/Mars trine Jupiter makes him very sociable.”

Transits for the beginning of this week

Chiron trines his natal Sun (healing power)

Uranus squares his natal Mercury (mental tension)

Pluto opposes his Venus (Emotional difficulty)

Neptune on his Jupiter (inspiration on top of optimism)

Jupiter square his Uranus (inclined to take risks)

Pluto on his Neptune (complex psychology)

Nodal Axis square his Neptune (spiritual reckoning)

Phew! He has a lot going on…

Finishing Transits

Chiron still trine his natal Sun

Uranus still square his natal Mercury

Pluto still opposing his natal Venus

Nodal Axis square his natal Venus (relationship testing)

Neptune still on his natal Jupiter

Mars exactly trine his natal Saturn to the day (extra vigour)

Nodal Axis still square his Neptune

Still a lot going on.  He may do well under the pressure.

No. 6 – Holger Rune

I wrote last year:

“Holger Rune is a Taurean, with a touch of brilliance from his Sun sextile Uranus.  Mercury is trine his Chiron, so he is good at problem-solving.  His Sun squares Jupiter so his enthusiasm can sometimes be over the top!”

He played an amazing match last night against Fokina, winning at the last minute of a tie-break in the fifth set.

Transits for the beginning of this week

Jupiter close to his natal Sun (this benefit peaked just before Wimbledon)

Chiron trine his natal Pluto (strength and healing)

He may last another round or so.

Finishing Transits

The transits do not stand out.

I therefore feel that he won’t make the final.

No. 7 – Andrey Rublev

I wrote in 2020:

“ He has Sun in Libra (the tennis sign!) and Moon in Sagittarius (no birth time available).  The Sun is largely unaspected, except for a trine with Chiron, so he may be very independent, but with a soothing presence.  Mercury is sextile Venus in his chart, so he may have literary skills.  Mars squares Neptune, so he has sensitive energies, and could be drained sometimes.  But Mars is also closely square Pluto, so there may be days where he finds it hard to control his energies, and they may be aggressive.  Mars exactly sextile Chiron also inclines him to healing.  Jupiter squares Saturn, so again he could be hamstrung at times in his energies, not sure which way to go.  Saturn sextile Pluto gives strength and endurance (when Neptune square Mars is not being draining!)  Uranus sextile closely with the North Node gives the power of surprise, when he is karmically permitted.  I imagine his game would vary quite a lot.”

Transits for the beginning of this week

Neptune sextile his Neptune – same as Beatriz Haddad Maia and Matteo Berrettini (Spiritually centred)

Finishing Transits

Jupiter square his natal Jupiter (in high spirits, but liable to make errors)

Neptune still sextile his Neptune (likely to have enjoyed the tournament) but

Mars square his natal Pluto (injury prone)

Not likely to reach the final, but problematic if he did.

No. 8 – Jannik Sinner

I wrote last year:

“With Mars trine his Sun in Leo, Uranus opposing his Sun and Uranus sextile his Mars, he could be a bit of a maverick and is certainly a ball of energy who can surprise an opponent.  His Chiron also exactly trines his Sun and forms a conjunction with his Mars, so he is a problem-solver too.  Moon conjunct Venus in Cancer suggests he can also play those surprise soft strokes such as drop shots, which sometimes take other players by surprise.  Jupiter conjunct his North Node in Cancer brings him some luck and success down to good karma.”

Transits for the beginning of this week

Chiron trines his natal Mars (health and vigour)

Saturn trines his natal Jupiter (disciplined enthusiasm)

Uranus square his Uranus (unpredictability, some errors)

A mixed picture.

Finishing Transits

Mars on his Mercury (intense mental and physical activity)

Chiron still trine his natal Mars

Saturn still trine his natal Jupiter

Uranus still square his natal Uranus

Not a bad picture for him overall.  Could make at least the semi-final.

Of these four, I am most enthusiastic about Tsitsipas’ chances.

Note: for an analysis of Matteo Berrettini’s prospects see comments under last week’s blog.

I am looking forward to the coming week’s play.  I didn’t manage it last week, so must fit in the strawberries, plant-based cream and Pimms somewhere this week…

Aspects

Tonight, just before midnight, Mercury trines Neptune.  Things may fall into place spiritually, perhaps as you are dropping off to sleep, or in your dream experience. This may result in an increased readiness to talk about a sensitive subject.  This trine brings mental inspiration, transcendent wisdom, higher harmony, spiritual journeys, and insight.  A kind astrological note to start the week.

Tomorrow (Monday 10th) Mars enters the sign of Virgo, and energies pass from the hedonism of Mars in Leo through to a more purposeful,  nose to the grindstone shoulder to the wheel application.  At the same time, we find ways to be economical and resourceful with our energy.

The evening is more challenging, with an opposition between Mercury and Pluto, which can bring mental storm clouds as well as inclement weather.  Watch your mental processes carefully, and be mindful in conversation.  Travel too could be problematic.  Something could appear to be a minor snag on the surface, but may give you pause for deeper thought, leading to more psychological awareness.  Don’t skirt over it.  Examine the issue carefully, and the resulting insight could be a gift.

In the early hours of Tuesday (11th), Mercury enters Leo, so if it’s holiday atmosphere you want (lost the day before with Mars exiting Leo) spirits can be recovered.  This enlivens communication and debate and applying the mind to summer hedonism.  Enjoy this trend, which lasts until 28th July.

Mercury also squares the Nodal Axis that day.  Karmic information may come into your awareness, and communication in groups will be important.  Past life exploration may beckon, for some!  A good day for group reunions.

Then Mars trines the North Node, another karmic aspect.  We might be more galvanized to action, especially from a karmic standpoint.  You may feel there is something you must do, or right a wrong, put something straight.  Dogs, cars and men are ruled by Mars, and these may be involved in the karmic interaction or be triggers, hopefully in a constructive way.  The first karmic aspect (Nodal Axis square Mercury), highlighting discussion, is the theory.  This second karmic aspect (Mars trine North Node) is the practice.

The Sun squares Chiron on Wednesday (12th), which may pose a dilemma, 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.

The best aspect of the week is saved for last: Sun sextile Uranus in the last hour of Friday (14th).  This aspect supports us and adds a sparkle of ingenuity and inventiveness. Make headway with your various projects, assisted with some telepathy and higher consciousness, or liaising with a constructive group.  The sparkle may spill over into Saturday.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – mental inspiration
• Monday – resourceful energy; mental storm clouds
• Tuesday – some high spirits; karmic information; karmic action
• Wednesday – healing challenge
• Friday – sparkle

 

Wimbledon 2023 – Week 1

Here we are again!  Looking forward to a fortnight of high level tennis, strawberries and cream.  Will Novak Djokovic scale new heights?  Or will Alcaraz maintain his supremacy?  As usual, I will start with the top 4 Women’s and Men’s Seeds, but will be adding new commentaries as I watch.

Women’s Seeds

No. 1 – Iga Swiatek

I wrote previously about Swiatek:

“Youngster Swiatek hails from Poland, and has an unusual Element pattern in her chart: 7 planets in Air (Intellect), 0 in Earth and 0 in Water.  With Sun in the adaptable sign of Gemini, she also has 6 planets in Mutable (adaptable) signs – and by all accounts she likes to bring variety into her game.  Her Sun is conjunct Saturn, and so she also has an element of caution and planning in her game; apparently she “constructs points carefully”.”

She has been a visible supporter of Ukraine.

Starting Transits

Mars trine her natal Mars (good energy)

Chiron sextile her natal Jupiter (health and strength good)

Mars opposite her natal Uranus (initial possibility of injury)

Finishing Transits

North Node sextile her natal Mercury (karma just fitting)

Chiron still sextile her natal Jupiter (health and strength still good)

Apart from the Mars transit at the beginning of the tournament, Chiron should sustain her through it, but the finishing transits at the finals are not sparkling, so she may not win.

No. 2 – Aryna Sabalenka

I wrote about her in 2021:

“Six foot tall, and born in Belarus, she has Sun/Mars in Taurus, which could provide stamina, drive and strong will (apparently she has an aggressive style of play).  The high powered conjunction is square to Uranus, an erratic and electrical energy which could catch out her opponents in its unpredictability, and interrupt their flow.  With Venus exactly sextile Neptune she may be very artistic or musical.  Mars sextile Jupiter brings energy allied with enthusiasm.  Mars exactly opposite Chiron forming a square with Uranus may make her prone to injury.  Pluto exactly square the Nodal Axis could bring drama in her life from time to time.  She has chosen the Tiger as her animal totem, sporting a tattoo of the animal on her left arm.”

She has been supportive of Ukraine, but coming from Belarus the politics is tricky.

Starting Transits

Mars trine her natal Saturn (some steady play)

Saturn square her natal Pluto (a lot of difficulty in her life generally)

Finishing Transits

Jupiter square her natal Uranus (a willingness to take chances)

Saturn still square her natal Pluto (life still difficult)

These are not promising transits, and she may go out in an early round.

No. 3 – Elena Rybakina

I wrote in 2021:

“She has 5 planets in the Fixed signs, showing strong will.  Her Sun is exactly trine Mars, making her a Warrior (she is an “aggressive baseliner”).  With Sun sextile Jupiter she is sporting and positive, and her energy and enthusiasm are sometimes over the top due to Mars opposing Jupiter.  She has the Moon/North Node/Venus in competitive Leo and has enormous self-belief.  This triple conjunction opposes Uranus, so she can be emotionally unpredictable.”

Her health has not been too strong, recently.

Starting Transits

Mars sextile natal Sun (a very energetic start)

Mars sextile natal Mars (a super energetic start, with extra speed)

Finishing Transits

Jupiter square her natal Venus (she will enjoy the social side of things)

Again, it does not look as though she will make a great splash of this event, apart from the beginning.

No. 4 – Jessica Pegula

I wrote last year:

“The emphasis in Jessica’s chart is on the signs Aquarius and Pisces, so she could appear otherworldly.  She would be fiercely competitive, with the Moon in Leo in an emotional way (with half her planets in Water signs, too).  She has a serious nature, with the Sun conjunct Saturn.  She is strong willed and stubborn, with half her planets in Fixed Signs.  With the Sun exactly opposite Chiron, she may at times have healing crises, but may also be good at problem-solving.  Mercury conjunct Mars gives her very quick mental reactions.  She can handle complexity, with Uranus conjunct Neptune (a feature of her birth year, 1994).  And last but not least, she has a profound karmic mission, with Pluto exactly conjunct her North Node in Scorpio.”

Starting Transits

Uranus square her natal Mars (injury prone)

Uranus trine her natal Neptune (able to perform complex moves)

Finishing Transits

Saturn on her natal Sun (disappointment)

Uranus still square her natal Mars (still injury prone)

Mars opposite her natal Saturn (physically awkward)

Uranus still trine her natal Neptune (complex moves, and looking at the bigger picture)

Neptune trine her natal Pluto (a major shift in her psychology)

There is a lot for Jessica to overcome.  Winning unlikely, but if she overcomes the psychological challenges, not impossible.

None of the four look like the outright winner.  Will look at other contestants soon.  But of the four, Swiatek has the best transit (Chiron sextile her natal Jupiter).

Men’s Seeds

No. 1 – Carlos Alcaraz

I did manage to watch some of his winning final at Queens last month, and it’s good to have a new winner on the block, after the years of the “older” stars.  For his Queens win, Jupiter was square his natal Mars, Neptune was trine his natal Midheaven, and Pluto was trine his natal North Node – so Pluto came through for him.  I only wrote about him for the first time last year:

“Looking at his chart for the first time, he has half his planets in the Fixed signs, and is therefore strong willed and stubborn.  He is a Taurean (a sign of great stamina), with his Sun caught in a T-square with an opposition between Mars and Jupiter.  He has plenty of energy and enthusiasm, but may struggle to balance them sometimes.  Saturn trine Uranus gives him strength and some adaptablity to counteract the Fixity.”

Since then, I have acquired a birth time for him, giving him an Aquarian Ascendant, with Jupiter exactly opposite his Ascendant.

Starting Transits

Jupiter square his Jupiter (drunk with success)

Mars sextile his natal Saturn (fired up)

Chiron trine his natal Pluto (powerful healing)

Jupiter square his Ascendant (drunk with success)

Finishing Transits

Chiron still trines his natal Pluto (powerful healing)

Could that Chiron transit be powerful enough to see him through the whole tournament, and win it?  Not impossible.

No. 2 – Novak Djokovic

Riding high on his spectacular record-breaking achievement at Roland Garros, his transits reflect that glory.  On 11th June he had Jupiter on his natal Venus (personal best); Saturn sextile natal Neptune, trine natal Pluto and sextile natal Midheaven (a cementing of his career); plus Pluto trine his natal Sun (Pluto also coming through for him powerfully).

Starting Transits 

Pluto sextile his natal Moon (emotional depth)

North Node sextile his natal Mars (karmic honour)

Mars exactly trine his natal Uranus, exact to the day (excitement and surprise)

Saturn sextile his natal Neptune, which contributed to his Roland Garros win

Saturn trine his natal Pluto, which contributed to his Roland Garros win

These are superb starting transits for him.

Finishing Transits 

Pluto still sextile his natal Moon

Saturn sextile his natal Venus (emotionally steady)

The finishing transits for him are not spectacular.  That may leave room for someone else!

No. 3 – Daniil Medvedev

I wrote in 2019:

“What makes him an absolute high flyer?  He is a leader (Sun conjunct Mars trine his North Node).  Mercury conjunct Uranus gives him a brilliant brain, and Mercury exactly conjunct Neptune gives him the ability to channel inspiration.  Venus in his chart is exactly trine Pluto, so he has great personal magnetism.  And he has a conjunction between his Chiron and North Node in Libra (the sign I associate with tennis), so it is absolutely his game.”

Starting Transits

Uranus square his natal Sun (sounds like an upset)

Finishing Transits

Uranus square his natal Sun (still upsetting)

Uranus sextile his natal Saturn (starting to stabilize and adjust)

Mars square his natal Pluto (danger of injury)

This doesn’t look like a good picture, I am afraid.

No. 4 – Casper Ruud

I previously wrote about Casper Ruud:

“Caspar Ruud is a Capricorn, with Mercury conjunct Pluto in Sagittarius (a deep thinker).  Also Moon conjunct Uranus in Aquarius (a vivid imagination, and intuitive).”

Historically, he is the highest ever ranked Norwegian tennis player, and grew up idolizing Rafael Nadal, who has taken him under his wing.”

Starting Transits

North Node trine his natal Sun (he may feel this is his year)

North Node square his natal Neptune (at the same time, he may have self-doubt!)

Finishing Transits

Pluto sextile his natal Chiron (a powerfully healing transit)

He may not have many transits going for him, but the one Pluto transit may swing it.

Again, none of the men’s finishing points are striking, but Casper Ruud’s is the most hopeful.

I look forward to looking at more of the charts involved, in the hope of finding a really star set of final astrological transits!  The winner is out there…

Aspects

This afternoon Uranus squares Venus, and there may be twists and turn in relationships, with this square.  There may be a quirky end to a relationship or money saga, slightly out of your comfort zone.  Your plans may have to be modified at the last minute.  The way through is to use your intuition, and stay one step ahead.

Tomorrow (Monday 3rd July) we have a Full Moon in Capricorn, which is also an extra bright Supermoon. You may sense some emotional tension building from early morning.  Even if you are making an early start on your plans for the day, you may still be feeling some tension.  This Moon represents the pull between authority and individual needs.  There are questions about society, such as how far can authority be accountable for an individual’s fate, and how much can the individual expect from authorities – where does the balance of responsibility lie?

With no further aspects until Friday 7th, I have picked out a major Fixed Star for Thursday (6th) which aligns with our Sun, plus an extra one for good measure.  Sirius (from the constellation Canis Major) is the brightest star in our night sky, closely followed by Canopus.  According to “Starlight Elixirs” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld:

“The proximity of this star and the brightness of it are both symbolic to tell people that the transformation of the physical body is of great importance at this time.  The physical vehicle is the place to begin is the underlying message, and its brightness is then simply to remind you of this.  On the highest level of such work there is energy for the ability of the person to shift vibration – to change the vibration of the physical body to match better that of the spirit, to be able to change the vibration to higher dimensional levels.”

This interpretation is mirrored by M.C. Cooke in “Tapestry”:

“This star is excellent for anyone actually suffering some physical affliction, for its curative vibrations are able to penetrate all of the various bodies of the human being”

So the message is pretty clear!

In addition, Celia Fenn imparts a deeper wisdom about the upcoming link with Sirius:

“Archangel Michael speaks of the emergence now also of the Galactic Deep Human, who can dive deep into the Earth layers and rise high up to Source, gathering many levels of wisdom. This new ability is why so many of us feel weird and spacey, as our brains are operating on all frequencies from alpha to delta and omega, and all in our waking state. We will learn to integrate this with ‘normal’ life.”

Canopus is the Alpha star in the constellation of Carinae.  “Starlight Elixirs” tells us:

” Canopus is a powerful radiator of the light of generosity.  This light can encourage the interchange of loving acceptance and service between beings.  Beings that have been associated with this star system have helped to seed Earth and many other systems in a direct attempt to create this sense of sharing amongst beings.  It is not a sharing based upon barter or a willingness to receive, but one based on awareness of the principle of giving itself.”

Finally, on Friday (7th) Mercury sextiles Uranus, which is a sparky way to end the week.  This may feel like a breath of fresh air. Telepathy, intuition and the power of surprise are benefits of this aspect.  This aspect can amaze you and help you find that “wow” factor, or unusual ways of articulating your message.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – quirky relationships
• Tomorrow – emotional high tide
• Thursday – physical healing; spiritual awareness; generosity
• Friday – sparky minds

Yevgeny Prigozhin

Russian Yevgeny Prigozhin created turmoil this week, not just in his native land, but around the world, challenging the status quo.  In the UK, he occasioned a COBRA meeting.  Rishi Sunak was in touch with allies, and urged all parties to protect civilians.  The implications of Prigozhin’s mutiny, as head of the fighting force Wagner, were unclear, and remain so.  The events of Friday and Saturday took everyone by surprise, and the outcome was bizarre.  It leaves the Russian government appearing unstable, and may (temporarily at least) affect the invasion of Ukraine.

Birth Chart

Prigozhin has the Sun in Gemini, which is sextile with Mars, giving him the mark of a warrior.  With the Sun also square to Pluto and Chiron in a Mutable T-square, he is no stranger to drama and crisis. He also has a Fixed T-square in the shape of Jupiter, Neptune and Mars (which may be delusional). The strengths in his chart include Sun trine Jupiter (trusts to luck) and Mercury trine Chiron (making him a problem-solver), and three other trines.  He also has a talent for engineering (Mars conjunct Uranus).  He also has a keen mind, with his ruling planet Mercury very well-aspected.  But his sense of feeling may be blunted by a square between Venus and Saturn.

Life and Career

He was born in Leningrad, and his father died when he was young.  In his school years, he trained as a cross-country skier.  In his late teens, he was caught stealing, and eventually imprisoned, serving nine years.  He then became a hot dog salesman, and found success in that venture.  From there he capitalized on his entrepreneurial spirit, and went into the grocery business.  Salesmanship is one of the talents of Gemini.  He moved into the restaurant trade in 1995, and hosted foreign heads of state such as George W. Bush and Jacques Chirac.  He earned the nickname “Putin’s Chef”.  Meanwhile, he was building his fortune in various other ways, and built the mercenary force “Wagner”, also interfering in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election (as he later confessed).  His force fought on behalf of Putin in Syria and in other conflicts in the Middle East and Africa.  By 2012 he and his family were living in a compound in St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad) which included a basketball court and a helicopter pad.  He also owned a private jet and a yacht.

Recent developments

He had for many years denied his links to Wagner, but finally confirmed that he had been its founder on 26th September 2022, after it had been playing a major role on behalf of Putin in his invasion of Ukraine.  At the time, Jupiter was square his natal Mercury, depicting the giving out of information.  He explained that he had founded it in May 2014 to support the war in Donbas.  At that time, Uranus had been trine with his natal Mars, prompting dynamic action, and boosting his “inner warrior”.  For the purposes of fighting in the war against Ukraine, Prigozhin recruited convicts, to boost the numbers, promising them freedom.

This Week

Prigozhin had been criticizing the way the war against Ukraine had been run, particularly by the Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu (another Gemini), but had denied in May that he was intending to stage a coup.  According to the Guardian yesterday:

“Prigozhin …said Russia’s leadership could have avoided the war by negotiating.. ‘When [Volodymyr] Zelensky became president, he was ready for agreements.  All that needed to be done was to get off Mount Olympus and negotiate with him’ “.

He chose his moment, and on Friday took over the town of Rostov-on-Don, the centre of military command.  Significantly, the transiting North Node (karma) was exactly trine his natal North Node.  Transiting Uranus was also squaring his natal Uranus (the ultimate rebellion).  His forces began to move towards Moscow.  He was particularly angry as he believed his troops had been attacked by Shoigu’s forces, resulting in heavy losses.

He was careful not to criticize Putin directly, instead putting it out that Shoigu had tried to “deceive society and the president and tell us how there was crazy aggression from Ukraine and that they were planning to attack us with the whole of NATO.”

Vladimir Putin responded in the strongest possible terms, vowing to punish those behind the mutiny or coup.  Putin and Prigozhin have been strong allies in the past.  Their Suns are trine, and Prigozhin’s Uranus sextiles Putin’s Mercury, very supportive for strategic planning.  But Putin’s Pluto sits on Prigozhin’s Uranus, giving Putin the edge in power.

The Consequence

Russian dynamics are an enigma at the best of times, but overnight on Friday through to Saturday morning, the world was kept guessing as to Prigozhin’s intentions and Putin’s prospective actions.  It was revealed yesterday, that a deal had been brokered, with the help of the leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko.  Prigozhin would move to Belarus, and face no sanction, and the fighters of Wagner would also face no sanction.  Both Putin and Prigozhin announced they wanted to avoid further bloodshed (which is ironic, given their history).  The repercussions of this whole episode are still unclear, and unpredictable, though there has been much conjecture in the media, from various pundits.

What is clear, is that Prigozhin did not have enough political support for a full scale coup, even if he intended one.  It is said that he would be even more ruthless than Putin.  The transits for Ukraine at this time show a double-edged sword:  the North Node trine its Sun (supporting its karma), but also squaring its Saturn (still a tough path). On the Laura Kuenssberg show this morning Marina Litvinenko (the widow of Alexander Litvinenko who was poisoned at the orders of Putin with polonium) whose story was televised this week on ITV, asserted that the whole episode shows that Putin is not in control of anything, and that the regime is unstable.

Aspects

A full schedule of aspects this week!

This evening Neptune squares Mercury.  A week ago the Sun was squared by Neptune (representing the sea, and mysteries).  At that time, the submersible Titan went missing with a crew of five hoping to view the wreck of the Titanic.  The news was dominated in the week with attempts to find the wreckage, and eventually it was concluded that the submersible imploded shortly after it began its journey.  With Mercury squared by Neptune this evening, the emphasis is shifted to the investigation (Mercury) of why the event occurred.  Many more migrants lost their lives at sea this week.  And a swimmer went missing trying to cross the English Channel for charity. There are of course new mysteries preoccupying us too this week: such as what on earth is going on in Russia?  Perhaps you are grappling with a mystery in your own life, too.  Some undefinable snag may be nagging at you.  If so, allow your subconscious to bring it up in its own time, but don’t shut up shop until you have identified the rum note.  Then you can deal with it, move on and let it go.

Tomorrow (Monday, 26th) Uranus squares Mars shortly after breakfast time.  This is a jolting energy or mood.  Something may need to be dealt with urgently, whether it be a mechanical fault or a human fault.  Electrical appliances may be especially tricky.

Mercury enters the sign of Cancer in the very early hours of Tuesday (27th).  Consequently, you may need to attend to family matters in detail, such as documentation related to that area of your life.  The collective mind will be more able to encompass emotion when considering an argument.  For example, if you have set your mind on a belief because it seems logical, you may be presented with a situation which helps you see the need for compassion for the other side of the argument.  The rights and welfare of children, for instance, may be put under the microscope.  Mercury will be moving very quickly and leaves the sign of Cancer on 11th July, so make the most of this particular opportunity.

Mercury immediately connects in a sextile with the North Node the same day, bringing karmic information to light.  Communication is highly significant and imbued with meaning, though subject to differing interpretations according to belief.  It is a good day for writing, teaching, tutoring and revising for forthcoming tests, and possibly for health checks.

Two trines arrive on Thursday (29th), the first of which is the Sun trine Saturn in the early hours of the morning.  This enables the re-establishment of a foothold on reality, if that is what you might need.  It is a solid and productive aspect.  If you are engaged in creativity, it can help ensure that it works on a practical level.  It is also a good aspect for making plans and laying foundations, and counting your chickens.

The second trine may bring healing to the heart: Venus trine Chiron.  The healing power of love may come to the fore.  Try to keep the heart open, and keep the faith.  There may be a real opportunity to re-group your healing energies and feel harmony within your being.

Friday (30th) needs you to be bright and early with productivity from the word go, with Mercury trine Saturn at breakfast time.  Be clear and practical.  Apply your mind to exacting tasks and documentation which may be outstanding.  It favours list-making, planning, and practical productivity.  Constructive serious conversations can also take place under this aspect.

Don’t procrastinate or even leave things till later in the day, for in the evening Neptune is Stationary prior to turning Retrograde, representing some retracing of steps on our spiritual path.  It has been direct since December last year, so you may have been inspired at that time by a new spiritual area opening up. Now is the time to consolidate on what you have learned, put it into practice, and walk your talk.  Neptune goes direct again this December.  This retrograde turn may re-emphasize issues related to the ocean, and ongoing mysteries.

A full day awaits at the end of the week, on Saturday (1st July), starting with a conjunction of the Sun and Mercury at 9 degrees of Cancer at dawn.  Mentally, this may help you see more clearly through the fog of Neptune’s illusion, although as the conjunction takes place in a water sign, you do need to take account of emotions and feelings. You can apply your mind according to the House this conjunction falls in within your chart, and if you don’t know which that is, then apply it to home and family affairs, emotions and women.

By breakfast time, Mercury will be sextile Jupiter, indicating a lovely start to the new month.  It’s a high note!  Some good news may be possible. This aspect favours communication, sales and travel.  Some worries about business may be alleviated.  Higher learning is also a benefit –  this may be encouraging to students anticipating upcoming exam results.  It’s a good time to practice any new language skills, too.

Last but not least, Jupiter graces us with another sextile mid-morning, this time with the Sun.  This is one of the brightest aspects of the year.  Time to embrace hope, or even celebration.  It will certainly be lucky for some.  Focus on what makes you happy, and make more of that.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – underwater or other mysteries
• Tomorrow – tricky electrical energy
• Tuesday – family matters; karmic information
• Thursday – steadying of the ship; heart healing
• Friday – focus on paperwork; revision on spiritual path
• Saturday – emotional focus and clarity; travel and business upbeat; luck and hope

Glenda Jackson (1936 – 2023)

“Any prize was a benign irrelevance for her.  People often say they don’t care about awards: Jackson really did not.  Neither gushing nor contemptuous…”

~ Susannah Clapp, Theatre critic for the Observer

Actor and Politician in equally effective measure, Glenda Jackson died this week, after a short illness, at the age of 87.  Here is a re-posting of a blog from December 2019, followed by some final thoughts:

“Glenda Jackson (blog: 15th December 2019)

Glenda Jackson made a significant appearance on our television screens last Sunday, at the tender age of 83, in a drama production called “Elizabeth is Missing” about an elderly woman gradually suffering from increasing dementia.  This comes towards the end of a lifetime of achievement, starting with a dazzling film career in her youth (think back to “Women in Love” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday”), then as a Labour MP with integrity in her middle years.

Birth Chart

Glenda has half her planets in Earth signs, and that fits with her earthy image, reinforced by a gritty close sextile from Saturn to her Sun.  But the Sun also trines Neptune, ensuring that there is a higher focus to her nature as well.  She has an extreme emotional range: Moon conjunct Jupiter, so emotionally is able to focus positively, and Moon closely square Saturn, so she is able to portray the more negative states of emotion such as depression.  Moon also square Neptune is ideal for being able to portray the emotionally confused state of descending dementia.  And there is an added emotional sensitivity to trauma, from the Moon opposite Chiron.  She will have had a lifetime’s effort to alleviate the wounds of human emotion and suffering in society.  I believe she was an exceptionally sincere politician.  Mercury/Chiron squaring Neptune would show that she can see the nuances of arguments and points of view, sometimes to her own detriment.  Her Venus (ruling planet) conjuncts Uranus so she has a sparkling social side (despite being fundamentally introverted through Sun in Taurus/Ascendant in Cancer), which takes delight in provocation or shocking the established order.  This Venus/Uranus conjunction is sextile her natal Ascendant and trine her North Node, which gives her the charisma and sense of destiny of film star status.  Her Mars sextiles closely Pluto, which provides power and strength, and more grittiness.

Career

Glenda played the character Gudrun in the film Women in Love (adapted from the novel by D.H. Lawrence), released in September 1969.  She was noted by Brian McFarlane for “Her blazing intelligence, sexual challenge and abrasiveness”.  The transits show a sextile of Pluto to her natal Pluto (self-empowerment) as a broad shift in her career, but looking at the detail of her transits we also see Uranus square her Ascendant (the ability to shock), Neptune opposite her Mars and square her natal Midheaven (sensationalism).  Twenty years later she played Gudrun’s mother in the adaptation of a sequel novel by D.H. Lawrence, the film of the Rainbow, also a Ken Russell film.  Other notable films were “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “The Music Lovers”, both films of 1971.

In 1992, she completely changed course in her life, opting to become Labour M.P. for Hampstead and Highgate.  Jupiter was trine her natal Venus/Uranus conjunction in Taurus in 11th House, an auspicious start to a political career which lasted 23 years.  Jupiter was also trine her natal North Node, meaning that she was in true alignment with her karmic path.  Thus a Grand Trine was formed, and it often is when there are such good Jupiter transits that a person embarks on something new.  Another indication of a new path was the Uranus/Neptune conjunction of 1992 in Capricorn trine her natal Sun: that conjunction brought the winds of change through many peoples’ lives.  She felt that Thatcherism had destroyed society and she wanted to do all she could to alleviate that.

She served under Tony Blair for two years, but then became a critic of his, most notably over the issue of the Iraq war.  In June 2011 she announced that she would retire at the 2015 election.  She had a decisive transit of Mars sextile her natal Pluto at that point.  Saturn was trine her Mercury, which is more of a calculated type of decision making.  Uranus was square her Ascendant  and Pluto trine her natal Uranus (time for another complete change).  Pluto was transiting her natal North Node in Capricorn in the 7th House (she sensed the necessity of change).  She actually retired around the time of the 2015 election, with a Mars Return (a renewal of her energy), Mars squaring her Midheaven (in charge of her career path), Jupiter sextile her Chiron (new healing space for her), Uranus trine her natal Moon in Sagittarius in her 6th House of Working Conditions,  and Neptune square her natal Mercury (a relaxation of mental work, a new creative and spiritual mental space).

She returned to acting, and as an actress, in the third act of her extraordinary life, she has lost no power.  She took on the extraordinary and demanding role of King Lear, for example.  In her new role in the television drama, the transits show Saturn trine her natal Sun (a serious portrayal of the problems of being elderly).  The Guardian gave the drama five stars for its first episode.  It has been conjectured that in her portrayal of an elderly woman with dementia, she has drawn on her experiences as an MP in her community as well as researching the illness.  Social problems and deprivations were of great concern to her in her time as a politician (and she has criticized the  failings of  recent Tory governments to tackle problems such as poverty and homelessness).  She says dealing with dementia is still down the political ladder of priorities.”

Final Thoughts

Glenda had a strong work ethic, and worked up until the end of her life.  She had just finished working on a film with Michael Caine, “The Great Escaper”, directed by Oliver Parker.  Parker has written of their work together: “They’re both kind of working-class heroes, symbols of a kind of spirit of modernity.  They had a mutual respect and were very supportive of each other.  You felt these were titans carrying a wealth of experience on set with real ease.”

I admired her as both actor and politician.  There was a selflessness about her, a lack of ego, which is described by her natal South Node rising on a Cancerian Ascendant.

“She leaves a space in our cultural and political life that can never be filled.  She played many roles with great distinction, passion and commitment…from award winning ator to campaigner and activist to Labour MP and government minister, Glenda Jackson was always fighting for human rights and social justice.”

~ Keir Starmer

Aspects

Early this morning we had a New Moon in Gemini, which may have kept you mentally active.  This represented a new beginning with a fresh mental focus.  You may have needed to review recent events, to let them go for the new month: mental decluttering. There’s a fresh outlook, new learning and progress in communications.  New initiatives in the travel industry may also be helpful.

Tomorrow (Monday 19th), Neptune squares the Sun, also in the early hours.  That could bring bizarre dreams:

“Bad dreams in the night
They told me I was going to lose the fight
Leave behind my wuthering, wuthering
Wuthering Heights”

~ Kate Bush

Let’s just alter that slightly to “Weird dreams in the night”.  There are new considerations and issues arising, more sensitivity to consider.  You may be feeling a little confused, lost, or even  dizzy.  If you are on a journey tomorrow, take a moment to stop and reflect, over coffee at a service station on the motorway for instance.  It’s a good moment to surrender to the divine, and ask what you are supposed to be learning from the experience, seeking out where the illusion lies.

In the political arena, MPs will be voting for whether they endorse the report of the Privileges Committee who concluded that Boris Johnson misled parliament over breaches of lockdown rules in Downing Street.  Politicians lying is very much a Sun square Neptune province, and so is seeing through that.  As it is his birthday tomorrow, Neptune will also be square to his Sun, symbolic of his being called to account over lying.

Clarity is however possible on the same day, for the afternoon brings an important sextile, between Jupiter and Saturn.  This can bring balanced judgement, and points to a just settlement of the “politician lying” issue.  In your own life, you may be wanting to bring balance and resolution, and this sextile is supportive of this.  Notably it may come after a period of confusion and reflection (Neptune square to the Sun).  There is a chance to balance our actions and wisdom, between caution and adventurousness, realism and optimism.  This aspect may be a godsend to Librans trying to make up their minds, as they have permission to sit on the fence and see both sides of the story with confidence.  As it is such an important aspect, you may feel its influence all through the week.

Early afternoon onWednesday (21st) is the Summer Solstice, the day that the Sun enters the sign of Cancer.  Wring every ounce of enjoyment out of your daylight hours!  The weather forecast is for Sun, so a holiday mood is possible.  You may also be taking stock of your life.  The season just gone was about sowing seeds, and the coming season for watching projects grow and blossom, and keeping them “watered”.  There is an unusually high pollen count this summer, so factor that in.

Mid-afternoon on the same day, the tempo quickens with a sextile between Mercury and Mars.  Physical and mental energies can co-ordinate.  If you are cycling a great deal to keep fit, you may find the wind behind your sails.  You may be able to cycle just that bit faster or longer, and your fitbit may register record stats.  You may also find shortcuts to your usual way of doing things.

That is the last aspect of the week but we have a Fixed Star alignment on Saturday (24th), with Tejat, from the constellation of Gemini.  Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld write in “Starlight Elixirs”:

“This star can gently and easily increase the ability to bring spiritual ideas into clear and expressible form as mental concepts and direct ideas, to be shared with others.  There will also be a stimulation of the seventh and eighth chakras, so these ideas may come when least expected.  There may be greater patience with abilities that do not seem to form patterns in the usual sense.”

The week in bullet points:

• Today – new beginning
• Tomorrow – confusion; then balance
• Wednesday – make hay while the Sun shines; keep busy and productive
• Saturday – higher ideas

Boris Johnson and Donald Trump: A Parallel Journey

There are so many parallels in the lives and characters of Boris Johnson and Donald Trump that I couldn’t not write about them at this juncture, with Boris Johnson having to step down as an M.P. (on Friday) and Donald Trump possibly facing jail, and both claiming to be victims of  “witch hunts”.

Similarities

Both Gemini, but their charts are not remarkably similar

(N.B. the following part of the list does not allude to Gemini traits)

Both blond, with unusual hairstyles

Both suspected of lying all the time

Both womanizers

Both right-wingers (Conservative and Republican)

Both charismatic, with a loyal following

Both facing criminal charges

Both vowing “to be back”

They may both be Narcissistic personalities

Both lack attention to detail

Both trust to luck to get them out of scrapes

Are they Brothers of Destiny?

Donald’s Uranus squares Boris’ Chiron (there is some abrasiveness in their interaction)

Donald’s Ascendant sextiles Boris’ Moon (an emotional affinity)

Donald’s North Node conjuncts Boris’ Mercury (ruling planet), which is a karmic link

As an aside, Donald’s Midheaven is conjunct Algol, traditionally a malefic star

A History in Blogs:

19/4/15

Boris Johnson – Lord Mayor of London

“I must include Boris here, as he is about to step down from his position of Lord Mayor of London, in which he has been fairly successful and popular, and was one of the three cited as possible replacements as Leader of the Party, by the Leader of the Party himself.  He is a flamboyant figure, lightening the political landscape, but is perhaps too wayward and unreliable to be material for the top job.”

13/12/15

Donald Trump

“Donald Trump this week was the subject of a huge petition to keep him out of Britain on account of his racist views (last week calling for a ban on Muslims entering the U.S.).  The Guardian headline yesterday was: “Trump takes some heat – but barely misses a beat.” His words also sparked a debate in the U.K. on how far free speech can be allowed. His bid for the Republican nomination in the U.S. is still holding good, and so we need to take him seriously enough to at least look at his chart!  Fortunately, we have a birth time for him, and we see a belligerent Mars conjunct the Ascendant in Leo: power is an aphrodisiac.  His Mars is exactly trine the Galactic Centre, which may also be a power significator.  He has been very inventive lately with his Leo mane.  His Sun is in Gemini conjunct the North Node (Leadership karma) and Uranus (controversy is his middle name) in the 10th House of Career, ambition, and prominence in the world.

Some of the coldness of his views, e.g. about women, may be down to his Venus conjunct Saturn in Cancer.  He was born on a Full Moon, which makes him a marmite character.

In matters of finance, he has a conjunction of Jupiter and Chiron in his 2nd House of Money, plus Neptune.  Perhaps more crucially, he has the Inner Entrepreneur (Jupiter trine Uranus) exact in his chart…

In his Human Design Chart, according to Chetan Parkyn, he has the money channel 21-45: ‘… to make money happily, you have to differentiate between times when you receive the benefit of allowing others to carry out resourceful work and times when you need to get your hands dirty.  Take US billionaire Donald Trump, who has this channel: he forever has the option of overseeing his empire or micro-managing it.’ ”

At this point in time, the trajectory of their power did not tend to be taken seriously.

2016 

At a toss of a coin, Boris backed Brexit in the run-up to the Referendum, the result of which was that famous percentage set: 52% for and 48% against.

26/6/16

Brexit

“I feel utterly devastated by the result of the European Referendum vote (to leave the EU), and the suffering it is going to cause.  The nation has already been thrown into chaos. I was not so stunned, because in my heart I knew how the country felt.  But astrologically, I was not able to pull together my researches to make that conclusion.

However, looking back, events do make sense of some of my astrological researches, particularly Boris Johnson’s outstandingly success orientated transits, and events unfolding around Jeremy Corbyn this morning make sense of the transit of Uranus to his North Node.  According to the Astrologer Jessica Adams, the dwarf planet Ceres, which represents strong feelings, had an important part to play.”

At the time, Donald was battling against Hillary Clinton for the U.S. Presidency, and in November 2016, he won.

Donald hailed Brexit as a triumph, and congratulated Boris.

20/1/17

Inauguration

“From the Guardian:  ‘From its first moments, the Trump presidency defied normal conventions.  Witnesses reported that the former president George W. Bush left the scene of Donald Trump’s inauguration remarking: “That was some weird shit.”  On the day, Uranus was exactly sextile his [Trump’s] North Node (a weird manifestation of his karmic mission).  Saturn was pulling away from an opposition to his Sun, so the run up to this event may have been stressful to him.  But Jupiter was trine his Sun, and he was trusting his luck. Pluto was squaring his natal Jupiter, hinting at possible mis-use of power.’ ”

28/7/19

New Cabinet

“For his first outing in the Commons, Johnson had gone back to his more familiar default setting. The Fool. The court jester from whom no one expects the truth, so long as they are entertained. “Pifflepafflewifflewaffle,” he began.

~  John Crace

So it is Boris Johnson’s finest hour: he easily achieved 66% of the vote to become our new Prime Minister. From last week:

“Saturn from Capricorn in his natal 4th House of Home trines his natal Jupiter in Taurus in 8th House – could be a prestigious new House move (requiring apparently all new furniture, post divorce).  Uranus from Taurus in his 7th House trines his natal Uranus in Virgo in his 11th House – Successful realization of his long held dream and ambition.”

Now they were both in power, each one in the top job across the pond, firm allies with a strong affinity

In the event that Brexit would be “done”, in the future, Trump promised Johnson a trade deal between their two nations, which included “chlorinated chicken”.

Pandemic

12/1/20

Saturn conjunct Pluto

“As you may know by now, the two great planets Saturn and Pluto make a grand conjunction today, a conjunction which heavily impact our lives, and the world in general.  For ourselves, the conjunction may highlight a challenge which we may already be aware of.  In the world, there are current challenges connected with international relations, climate change (witness the Australian bush fires), and particularly in the U.K. Brexit challenges, and a crisis for the monarchy.”

This conjunction marked the beginning of our awareness of the Coronavirus Pandemic.

All countries dealt with it differently.  Neither Boris nor Donald took it too seriously at first.  Boris failed to attend the early emergency COBRA meetings.  Donald Trump advocated people injecting themselves with bleach.

Despite the fact that Boris was hospitalized with Covid early in April 2020, it seems that throughout the course of the pandemic and lockdowns, he did not seem to observe the necessary rules about social distancing that his government had set.

Coming Unstuck

In November 2020, Donald Trump lost the Presidential election to Joe Biden, a fact that he continually contested, and does so to this very day.

24/11/20

Blog by Alan Oken (1944-2022) re Donald Trump:

“On December 14, 2020, there is a Total Solar Eclipse at 23 Sagittarius eclipsing his natal Lunar Eclipse. As we like to say in the old country, “Bye-Bye!” (By the way, if you want to know what aspect in the natal chart shows chronic distortion of truth, especially re money, just look at Neptune in the 2nd square Mercury in the 11th with Mercury as the ruler of the 2nd–Virgo on the cusp.)”

Prior to Joe Biden’s inaugural date, on 6th January 2021, Donald Trump’s words (allegedly) incited violence into a mob which descended on the Capitol with destructive intent and consequences, such was his denial of the result of the election.  He retired to his estate at Mar-a-Largo in Florida, but has not kept a low profile, constantly vowing to be back.  A recent court case only strengthened his lead in the polls.

7/7/22

Boris Johnson resigned as Prime Minister

Following months of scandals, and mass resignations by his Cabinet and other Conservative MPS, Boris Johnson resigned as Prime Minister.

6/9/22

A farewell speech on the steps of No. 10 was made by Boris, making way for his successor, Liz Truss.  In it, he said:

“And  I know that Liz Truss and this compassionate Conservative government will do everything we can to get people through this crisis [the war in Ukraine]”

He referred to a historical figure: “And like Cincinnatus I am returning to my plough…”

[A reference to a Roman Statesman who returned, to serve a second term]

It was left to Liz Truss’ successor, Rishi Sunak, to “get Brexit done” and attempt to solve the problem of the Irish protocol, in the shape of the new Windsor framework.

This Week

This week, Boris received the results of the Partygate enquiry (whether he knowingly misled Parliament), and decided to resign on Friday as an MP.  His transits were:

Mars sextile his natal Ascendant (taking action)

Jupiter sextile his natal Saturn (a balanced decision, for him)

Saturn opposite his natal Uranus (an abrupt break)

Neptune square his natal Sun (uncertain where he stands)

Pluto square his natal Moon (a dark mood; he blames others)

He reiterated his intentions yesterday: “It is very sad to be leaving Parliament – at least for now”.

At the same time, Donald faces charges relating to classified documents found at Mar-a-Largo, some of which related to nuclear programmes.  His main transit is:

Mars transiting his natal Pluto (a clear and present danger – of imprisonment?)

Will either of them face imprisonment?  Will either of them return to power?

To be continued…

Aspects

Today, Pluto in retrograde motion re-enters Capricorn from Aquarius.  This highlights the finishing of issues in connection with its occupancy of Capricorn since January 2008, if you can think back to your life since that time.  Dot the i’s and cross the t’s.  In the wider arena, it was about the breaking down of Institutions and Authority.  When Pluto gets fully immersed into Aquarius its purpose will be to replace those outworn and broken down forms with new forms (some might say, The New Earth).  So we are finishing off the process while Pluto re-enters Capricorn.

Relevant here, I feel, is the resignation of the MP with integrity, Caroline Lucas, of the Green Party.  Her book “Honourable Friends?”, written in 2015, lifted the lid on the outworn practices in Parliament.  Whenever she spoke in Parliament, she highlighted the view from the planet.  It is disappointing that we have not made much progress in that respect, but she is standing down as an MP in order to concentrate on green issues.  An article in the Guardian on Friday by Neal Lawson ends with the perfect description of what Caroline has tried to do, and of the decay of the institutions under Pluto in Capricorn and the need for change:

“Everywhere, except Westminster, change is in the air.  The brittle walls of the old politics will tumble.  A better politics of collaboration and putting issues before parties looks like Lucas.  We know what to do.  She has shown us.”

Following on from Pluto’s retrograde into Capricorn, and also this morning, Mercury was trine Pluto, suggesting positive outcomes to deep issues.  Mercury trine Pluto brings deep thought and psychological reflection, and earnest conversations.  Conversations could be life changing: the right word at the right time, striking home in the right place.

Almost in the same moment, Mercury entered Gemini, which will quicken our mentality and curiosity, and stimulate our communications during its short stay in this sign, which lasts until 27th June.

An aspect which occurs this afternoon, is Jupiter square Venus, so you may be confronted with an awkward social situation.  Behaviour may be gauche or a little inappropriate, and that may have consequences.  You may be socializing when you don’t feel like it, or feel that you have to force jollity.  There will be a meaning to it – there always is!  Even if it is one remark which makes you think deeply, or helps you to realize what you don’t need.  Social non-conformists won’t care, but conformists may lament the lack of sticking to the rules.

The next aspect is not until Thursday, so today’s intense mixture of aspects can be followed through during the week.  Meanwhile, our Sun is aligned with Orion’s belt in the middle of the week, so you can also work with the Fixed Stars midweek.  The three stars of Orion’s belt are Mintaka, Alnitak and Alnilam.  Kyle Gray writes about Orion activation in  his “Gateway of Light Activation” cards.  He recommends affirming:

“Great wise ones of Orion, thank you for supporting my recreation and renewal.  I am ready to shine like a star”.

According to “Starlight Elixirs” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld:

“Mintaka can provide for most people a balancing of energies seen to be aggressive or animalistic in nature.  This can enhance physical functioning, but can also be applied where overemphasis of physical functioning is wished to be replaced with deeper attunement to spiritual ideals, spiritual goals, and spiritual development.”

Rebecca Campbell, in her “Starseed” pack of cards, says of Mintaka:

“The Seas of Mintaka card represents this crystalline clarity of potential and possibility. It’s about the ability and choice to see the potential in all people and situations. This could be one of your natural traits, or it could be a sign that what you’re currently doing has great potential. Mintakans are thought to have been a galactic race who saw the light in everything and everyone.”

The second star in Orion’s belt is Alnitak.  “Starlight Elixirs” states:

“Here potential is made more readily available to individuals for higher energies involved with psychic functioning.  These energies can lead to significant vibrational shift in the individual.  Thus, these abilities will be strengthened, as well as more energy will be provided to use these abilities.  These psychic abilities can include remote viewing, translocation, matter duplication, levitation, prescience and vision of the internal organs of the physical body.”

And the third star is Alnilam, of which “Starlight Elixirs” writes:

“The enhancement of the ability to work with responsibility, to understand its correct balance to awareness of opportunity. The shoulder region and musculature in the neck is strengthened and assisted. The ability to perceive shortcuts that bring the purpose of one’s tasks closer, without harm or difficulty, is enhanced.  Assists in more correctly balancing the ends and means and putting them in a proper perspective…Energies are temporarily stored in the shoulder region to be released by movement through the arms.”

That takes us to Thursday (15th), when Saturn squares Mercury.  If there are obstacles or delays in communication, you’ll know why!  Patience may be the key here (e.g. you may have to repeat yourself), and “more haste less speed” may be a useful mantra to follow.

By the end of the week, on Saturday (17th) we are facing a Retrograde, that of Saturn, so that planet will be grinding to a halt, before reorienting itself.  Turning inward for contemplation is one of the requirements of a retrograde period.  That entails going through a period of revision: often with Saturn, it is a lesson all about patience and timing, and one of those lessons is that you can’t rush things.  So that is reinforcing the lessons of Thursday.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – intense and complex: tying up loose ends; deep conversation; mental stimulation; social awkwardness
• Tomorrow – a wider renewal: spiritual orientation; seeing the light
• Tuesday – psychic development
• Wednesday – responsibility; shoulder healing
• Thursday – patience
• Saturday – more patience

Jeremy Paxman

“I’ve been lucky enough to work with an amazing team and to meet some of the swottier brains in the country. It gives me hope for the future.”

~ Jeremy Paxman

Last Monday night, with very little fanfare, Jeremy Paxman let go of his tenure of the role of chief inquisitor on University Challenge, at this year’s final.  He began hosting the show in 1994, so that is nearly 30 years.  We knew it was coming, but somehow missed the moment, and it was briefly mentioned on a news channel.  University Challenge is an important programme in this household, one of the few that hubby and I watch together.  I used to watch it before I went to University, I met hubby at University, and we challenge each other every week during its season.  The only problem is, he beats me about 98% of the time, and on the rare occasion, once or twice a year, that I beat him, I make sure everyone knows about it!  He mops up on the science questions, of which there are always quite a few.

I wrote about Jeremy, on the death of its previous chair Bamber Gascoigne in February 2022:

“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.”

To which I would add the Sun trine Mars in his natal chart shows his impatience “Come on!” and the Moon opposite Mars furthers his irascibility!  He also has the go-getting Entrepreneur Archetype from a close trine between Jupiter and Uranus.

Newsnight

Paxman became a presenter of Newsnight in 1989 and continued in that post until 2014.  He was an institution in that post.  As mentioned above, he was notorious for grilling his subjects, most memorably the encounter with Michael Howard (13th May 1997) in which he was expressing some potent transits involving Pluto, such as.Saturn trine his Pluto and Pluto square his Jupiter and trine his North Node.

He announced he was leaving Newsnight in April 2014.  At the time Jupiter was exactly square his natal Neptune, Saturn was opposite his natal Sun (a decision) and Pluto trine his natal Saturn (again, a decision to change).

The Transits for his last episode of Newsnight were Uranus exactly trine natal Pluto (big change) and Pluto still exactly trine his natal Saturn.

There was more fanfare on that night: he interviewed Peter Mandelson and Boris Johnson (then Mayor of London).  The programme included an appearance by Michael Howard.  And the song finale was “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” by the New Seekers.

He commented: “After 25 years, I should rather like to go to bed at much the same time as most people.”  For the record, in our house, we watch Newsnight every night, then retire for the day.

Autobiography

His autobiography “A Life in Questions” in 2016 revealed a childhood coming from a broken home with abusive parents, childhood beatings, and an adulthood alienated from his family, including his siblings. In his autobiography, he claimed that he had suffered on and off depression all his life, and it is easy to find the seeds of that in his life story.  It is a sad tale, and was published during a Saturn cycle, when Saturn was square his natal Saturn.  He traced his father to Australia, and tried to effect some closure, but the encounter was dismal: “I wanted to see if he was all right and I was slightly concerned in case I was turning into him,”  He hardly mentions his mother in the book.  In recent years, particularly since he left Newsnight, he has grown mellower: the Rottweiler image giving way to a mere hangdog expression, and his friends compared him to Eeyore.  He has been a lot gentler with the contestants on University Challenge!  It was observed by Anthony Andrew in the Observer as long ago as 2011:

“Has the formidable Newsnight anchorman lost his edge, or is he just bored with the show?”

Personal Life

He prefers to keep his personal life private, and separated from his partner of 35 years in 2017.  At the time transiting Uranus was trine his natal Chiron (which suggests a necessity).  They have three children, and the split was amicable.  He apparently enjoys fly fishing as a hobby, which may make sense of his Moon in Pisces!

Health

In May 2021 he revealed the difficult diagnosis that he has Parkinson’s disease, when Neptune was opposing his natal Mars in Virgo (we do not have a birthtime for him).  It was at that time mild, and he carried on his role at University Challenge.  A spokesperson for Parkinson’s UK has said:

“Previously, Jeremy pledged to donate his brain to the Parkinson’s UK Brain Bank which will, one day, help scientists uncover the discoveries that will lead to better treatments and a cure for Parkinson’s.”

Last Programme 

For the last programme On Monday, Mars was trine his natal North Node (a karmic act) and Uranus was transiting his natal Sun in Taurus (a fitting change).

It was recorded last October, when Neptune was opposite his natal Mars, and Pluto trine his natal Mercury (a final word).

Taking over will be Amol Rajan, who was formerly Editor of The Independent, and who interviewed Phillip Schofield this week.  Amol is a Cancerian, but has the Quizmaster Archetype, in the form of a conjunction between Mercury and Mars.  Another quizmaster who has recently taken over Mastermind is Clive Myrie, and he also has the quizmaster showing in his chart, in the form of Mercury exactly sextile Mars.

Wishing him well, this is my fanfare to Jeremy Paxman… 🎼🎺🎷

“I am a political person. But I’m not a party political person. I don’t believe there is a monopoly of wisdom in any one party.”

~ Jeremy Paxman

“What’s sometimes neglected in discussions about Paxman’s style is that he is, or can be, a very astute and incisive interviewer, as well as a skilled and compelling presenter”

~ Anthony Andrew

Aspects

At breakfast time this morning (unless you have a Sunday lie-in), there was a Full Moon in Sagittarius.  This particular emotional high tide concerns the expansive bigger picture (Sagittarius) in your life, your psyche, or the world.  If you are feeling such a maelstrom in your life, then you may need to start by going within to that still small spiritual centre, find peace, then make your responses from that place.

This evening, Mercury will conjoin with Uranus at 20 degrees Taurus.  Mentally it could be off the wall (well, the televised final of Britain’s Got Talent may be described as such).  You’ll be thinking inventively and out of the box.  There may be some interesting synchronicities happening.  Welcome the power of surprise!

Tomorrow (Monday 5th) Venus enters Leo at lunchtime, enabling you to make hay at least at lunchtime – they are at least predicting barbecue weather.  There is an opportunity to get out and about and enjoy the fruits of summer.  You can afford to be bold in seeking entertainment, and also polish up your performance skills.  Let your hair down.  But there is only a short window, before…

…Pluto opposes Venus in the late afternoon, which may end the day on a more dramatic note, especially in terms of relationships, and possibly in relation to money and the Arts.   In negotiations, people may be using negative tactics such as projecting fear. If your struggles are in the realms of art or music, you may have to go back to the drawing board on a creative project, or fundamentally change the values behind what you are creating, taking them to a higher level or a deeper level psychologically.

The next astrological aspect does not occur until Friday, so there is a Fixed Star which can be worked with in the meantime, that of Cursa in the Constellation of Eridanus.  We learn from “Starlight Elixirs” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld:

“This star has a capacity to increase endurance and strengthen the ability to do work of a mental nature with many individuals.  Some enhancement of thinking process will take place.  Physical stamina will be enhanced where concentration or direction of the energy flows in the physical body by the mind are necessary.”

– which sounds helpful!

Now on to Friday’s (9th) aspect, which is Mercury sextile Neptune.  This is a time of intense imagination, so it is helpful for creative visualizations..  This aspect will assist you in refining your mindset and remaining mental clutter.  Our minds will be able to receive higher guidance more easily.  Delicate conversations and channelling will also be made easier.  If giving or receiving gifts, be open to non-material gifts.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – emotional high tide; mentally off-the-wall
• Tomorrow – making hay; soul-searching
• Tuesday to Thursday – endurance and stamina
• Friday – intense imagination

Tina Turner (1939 – 2023)

“There’s always been an emotion in my voice because it reached back to the life I was living. Where there were tears in stage, it wasn’t Hollywood, it was real”

~ Tina Turner

No prizes for guessing the subject of today’s blog (nor to guessing which stories I swerved this week).  Tina Turner, who died on Wednesday, was universally loved: for her music, and performance, for her bravery in freeing herself from domestic violence, and for her spirituality. I have never seen her live, but have watched and re-watched her concerts, marvelling at her sheer force of nature.

Birth Chart

I wrote in 2014:

“Tina Turner has Sun trine Pluto within one degree…Her Baptist faith sustained her, and then was added to by a later addition of Buddhism.  She espouses a mixture of both faiths.  I happened to catch an interview with her the other day on the Oprah Winfrey show, where she had turned her life around completely, and was happily married as well.  She was asked about the philosophy that brought her there, and replied that she arrived at a point of desiring nothing.  This echoes the philosophy of St. John of the Cross: “In order to arrive at possessing everything, Desire to possess nothing.”  This was facilitated by her Venus being exactly trine Saturn and exactly square Neptune, not the Sun-Pluto trine.  The qualities shown by the working out of Sun trine Pluto in her life are endurance and regeneration.”

To which I would add:

She was born on a Full Moon, with wide open emotions.  She has the Sun exactly square Mars, that’s her raw energy:

You know that big wheel keep on turning
Proud Mary keep on burning
And we’re rolling, rolling, rolling yeah
Rolling on the river

She also had a truth seeking trine between the Sun (in Sagittarius) and Jupiter.  Mars square her Moon was quick to react emotionally, and Mercury trine Pluto ensured a depth of thought.  Venus square Jupiter was uninhibited, but Venus exactly square Neptune contributed early on in life to a bizarre relationship, but later this square was transmuted into the opportunity to express a more spiritual relationship.  Venus sextile her North Node showed a karmic mission to sing, while Saturn on the South Node revealed responsibility and strife in early life, and in past lives.  She believed in reincarnation, and once revealed she was a reincarnation of Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt.  Jupiter was trine Pluto, giving her Power (with a capital P!).  With Pluto loosely square the Midheaven (careerpoint) and the Nodal Axis (karmic mission), again you can see the switch in life and career she had to make, eventually rising like a Phoenix.  Her Ascendant was in Performing Leo, which was a prominent part of her personality.

Life and Career

Really, Tina deserves a two-part obituary, but I will do my best to cover what was important, not to short-change the viewer, but neither to waffle or keep the viewer either from their Sunday lunch!  Tina (originally Anna Mae Bullock) was born in Tennessee and brought up largely in Nutbush.  “Ever since then, I have spent my entire life fighting my way through a climate of bad karma”.¹

At an early age she picked cotton with her family, but did not enjoy it, as she recalls in “My Love Story”, her autobiography of 2018.  Her mother was largely absent in her childhood, and had not wanted her daughter, and her parents split up when her mother left when Tina was aged 11.  The family strife is shown in the difficult aspects to her Sun and Moon in her birthchart.  Tina and her sisters spent time with her grandparents, the paternal set being strict, and the maternal set easier. Singing at Church was a strong feature of their lives.  Her grandmother died when she was 16, and she went to live with her mother.

With their love of song and dance, she and her remaining sister (one had died in a car crash) began to frequent nightclubs, and Ike Turner came to their attention.  Tina “almost went into a trance” when she saw him.  She managed to persuade him to let her sing with his band, and later he persuaded her to marry him (though he was a patent womanizer).

The synastry between them was palpably telling.  I wrote in 2014:

“She has Saturn on the South Node of past life karma, and her Sun also squares Mars.  Ike’s Mars connected with her Mars and its square to her Sun directly (their Mars’ in square to each other) which brought out the worst karma between them, and violence towards her from Ike.”

I would add, his Neptune exactly square her natal Moon showed gaslighting, paranoia and entrancement.

He groomed her for his own success (she says he could not sing) and named her Tina, adding three Ikettes to the performing group.  She substituted on a demo record for Ike, and when he presented it to his R & B label, the president preferred Tina’s version.  Although Ike realized that Tina was bringing him success, at the same time he treated her badly – she said he treated her worse than the Ikettes.  The abuse was physical as well as verbal.

Tina would stay with Ike for several more years (her Venus-Saturn trine staying loyal), but there was a turning point of sorts when they came to the notice of Phil Spector, who treated her better (but then would go on to commit murder later on in life!).  He apparently could see how controlling Ike was, and in his own control-freak fashion could see exactly how Tina could make the best performance for his new song “River Deep – Mountain High”. He paid Ike 20,000 dollars to stay away.  He put Tina into a new environment, his own studio, complete with his orchestral “wall of sound”.  It was a revelation to her, and Spector invited her to a new way of singing, too, which suited her better.  He allegedly demanded thousands of takes from her!  I well remember when “River Deep – Mountain High” was released in May 1966.  It was an electrifyingly raw sound, very inspiring.  It went straight to number 1 in the U.K., but failed to make an impression in the U.S.  This was because the white stations put it down as an R & B records, and the black stations thought it was too white.  In mid-66, the record itself had Uranus exactly conjunct Pluto in mid-Virgo (15 degrees); it carried all the explosiveness of that conjunction, of that age.

In 1969, Ike & Tina Turner opened for the Rolling Stones in the U.S.  Her friendship with Mick Jagger was lifelong, and she claims she taught him a dance (the “pony”).  But sometimes, when I see her prancing on stage, there seems to me a huge element of Mick Jagger’s movement, too.  Ike and Tina’s biggest hit of 1971 was the fast-paced “Proud Mary”.

Ike had encouraged Tina to write more songs, and in 1973 she had a hit in Europe with “Nutbush City Limits”, one of her finest records.  In the song Tina recalls her home town with fondness.  Neptune was on her Sun (inspiration) and Pluto sextile her Pluto (some sense of self-empowerment).  By this time, she knew she wanted to leave Ike (she had taken an overdose in 1968, but realized that for her, that was not the way out).

Escape

“In the eleventh hour, something always told me when to run, how to survive”¹

The split with Ike occurred in 1976.  Ike was heavily addicted to cocaine, and indeed his death in 2008 was described as a cocaine overdose.  He took Tina to Dallas to sign a new lucrative record deal, but she walked out of the hotel (without a penny to her name, but with her dignity intact, and a new sense of freedom).  Survivors of domestic violence especially relate to her heroism in this.  The transits for this formative moment in her life show Mars sextile her natal North Node (taking her karma into her own hands), Saturn transiting her natal Pluto (she had reached rock bottom, and had nothing to lose.  Time for a complete break from the past); and Uranus square her natal Pluto (an urgent need to transform her life).  They were divorced on 29th March 1978, with Jupiter trine her North Node (an upturn in her karma).  Change was indicated in Ike’s chart, too, with Uranus transiting his Midheaven (a sudden change in his career) and Pluto opposite his natal Uranus (complete, imposed, forced change).

It took Tina a few years to re-establish her career.  She appeared on some American shows, such as those of Donny & Marie, Sonny & Cher, and the Brady Bunch.  By 1977, she had a raunchier new image.  She was encouraged and supported by various artists in the U.K, making collaborations, such as “Hot Legs” with Rod Stewart.  In 1983, with Pluto entering Scorpio, time was ripe for a resurrection.  She released “Let’s Stay Together” and the following year her new album “Private Dancer”, the song of that name being written by Mark Knopfler.  “What’s Love Got to Do With it” was hugely popular.  The song had been offered to Cliff Richard, Donna Summer and Bucks Fizz.  It is my least favourite of her songs, and she herself disliked it initially.  But it was a real fit for her new image, and helped her resurgence.

She and Mick Jagger made an iconic duo on the stage of Live Aid in 1985, singing “It’s Only Rock and Roll”.  During this period of her life she performed with Lionel Ritchie, Eric Clapton and Bryan Adams.  The second Act of her Career was well under way.  In 1986, she released an autobiography “I, Tina”. A new album in 1989 “Foreign Affair” was especially notable for the song “The Best” (my personal favourite of all her records).  Time for another sing-along:

“You’re simply the best
Better than all the rest
Better than anyone
Anyone I’ve ever met
I’m stuck on your heart
I hang on every word you say
Tear us apart
Baby, I would rather be dead”

The song had been offered to Paul Young, and had been recorded by Bonnie Tyler.

A film was made of her autobiography in 1993, entitled “What’s Love Got to Do with It”, starring Angela Bassett.  At the time, Tina’s Progressed Sun was in a sextile with her natal Jupiter, and it was a validation and expose of all she had gone through with Ike Turner.  She performed with Beyonce in 2008, and officially retired in 2009. In 2018, a musical (“Tina”) opened in London, depicting her story.

Second Marriage

Meanwhile, Love and Health had taken over as top priorities in her life.  She met Erwin Bach in 1986 when he came to escort her to Germany, sent by her record company.  She claims it was love-at-first-sight. He was “the man who made me feel dizzy the first time I saw him”.¹  There was a 16 year age gap.  Their Suns were exactly sextile, which can be one indication of a soul mate connection.  His Pluto is also sextile her North Node, showing a deep karmic connection, and probable Soul Contract.

After several years together, he proposed again, and they arranged to marry on 21st July 2013 in Switzerland, where she lived with him.  The wedding itself went like a dream:  Mars, Saturn and Jupiter trine her Mars (the man in her life, and the life in her man), and Pluto was trine her natal Midheaven (a turnaround in her life).  But Neptune (mysterious ailments) was square her Sun and transiting her Mars).  Signs she was not well appeared on that day, and a few months later she had a stroke, followed by kidney failure.  She was persuaded by Erwin to accept one of his kidneys for transplant, an ultimate gift of life.  She regarded the date of the transplant (7th April 2017) as her new birthday.  Mars was on her Uranus,  Jupiter square her Chiron   and sextile her Ascendant,  Saturn was sextile her NN in Libra (kidneys) and Uranus trine her Venus (kidneys).  Pluto was trine her Uranus exact to the day and opposite her Chiron. For him, the Nodal Axis was square his Saturn and the North Node was sextile his Neptune, both indicating karmic sacrifice.  This enabled her to live another ten years.

Spirituality

Tina was introduced to the Japanese Nichiren Buddhism chanting of  “nam-myoho-renge-kyo” by a friend of Ike Turner’s in 1973, and it probably saved her life, and her sanity.  She also credited one of her sons, Ronnie, as recommending the practice to her, suggesting it might help her.  It is the same strand of Buddhism followed by Boy George.  She noticed positive changes in her life, which she attributed to the practice.  She described the effect: “It is a sound and a rhythm and it touches a place inside you”. In later life, she was known to chant for up to four hours a day.  She has released a recording of this chanting.  She also met the Dalai Lama, the head of the Tibetan tradition of Buddhism, on 2nd August 2005.

Illness and Death

Tina suffered with several illnesses in her latter years, but also personal blows when one son committed suicide and another died from Cancer.  She had parented some of Ike’s children early in life, when establishing her career, and enduring an abusive relationship.  At her death, reportedly “after a long illness”,  Mars was on her Pluto in her 12th House of chronic illness, Saturn was square her Moon and Mercury; she had her Uranus Return, and Uranus was sextile her natal Chiron.  The astrological impact for Erwin is intense, including the Nodal Axis squaring his natal Sun, Saturn square his natal Mars, Pluto opposite his Uranus and square his Neptune.   She may at one time have sung “We don’t need another Hero”, but he certainly was one in her life, and it is hard to imagine what it must be like for him, losing the Legend that he lived with.

“But life has taught me that some of my most meaningful and memorable moments happen when I’m in repose, sitting, meditating, contemplating”

~ Tina Turner

Bibliography (1): “My Love Story” (2018) by Tina Turner. Pub: Century

Aspects

This morning Saturn was squaring the Sun, and this may have brought disappointing or deflating news,  delay or frustration.  I certainly can think of some such issues, brought to our attention on Laura Kuenssberg’s Sunday morning news programme.  The Sun-Saturn square is an opportunity to think through what you are doing, and your strategies.  If you are making economies, are they the right ones, based on your optimum values?

Midweek is bereft of aspects, so I will highlight the Fixed Star Aldebaran in the constellation of Taurus, aligned with our Sun on Wednesday (31st).  “Starlight Elixirs” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld advises us:

“There is a loving energy associated with this star that extends back in time…Individuals coming into contact with this compassionate energy find their own inner love and their own inner strength… With use of Aldebaran there are certainly many ways in which the entire grieving process is accelerated and assisted.  As a result of coming into contact with this compassionate energy, individuals can find their own inner love and their own inner strength.”

Friday (June 2nd) bestows upon us a conjunction of Jupiter with the North Node.  This is a hopeful sign for karma, both individual and group.  There is an emphasis on the lighter side of life.  So take heart, and draw from the Universal Heart.  It is the birthday of Chief Commentator to this blog, Sarah, so all happy birthday wishes are welcome!  And gratitude to her for helping to keep this blog alive.  I know she is not the only reader!

The last aspect of the week, also a beneficent one, is Venus trine Neptune that evening. This is a beautiful aspect from a social point of view, enabling spiritual links with people.  Artistically or musically, you can achieve inspirational heights.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – deflating
• Wednesday – letting go
• Friday – star studded