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

Ben Whishaw

“As an actor you have total rights to privacy and mystery, whatever your sexuality, whatever you do. I don’t see why that has to be something you discuss openly because you do something in the public eye. I have no understanding of why we turn actors into celebrities.”

^~ Ben Whishaw

One of my favourite actors, Ben Whishaw, triumphed at the BAFTA TV Awards last Sunday evening.  Some celebrities hotfooted it from the Eurovision Song Contest late the night before, to attend the event.  Ben won the award for Leading Actor (for his role in “This is Going to Hurt”), and was part of the “most memorable moment of the year”, which was the voicing of Paddington Bear playing opposite the Queen at tea at her Platinum Jubilee last year.

Birth Chart

We do not have a birth time for Ben Whishaw, so can only analyse his chart from the perspective of Noon on his day of birth.  He was born under the sign of Libra, with Pluto exactly conjunct his Sun in that sign, giving him depth to his performances.  At the same time, Neptune, conjunct his Moon in Sagittarius, brings emotional sensitivity to his performances.  It is no wonder he has won so many awards.  He has Mercury loosely conjunct Uranus, which gives him the intuition to pick up what is required in the moment, so he would be a gift to a director.  He has, himself done some directing work.  His ruling planet Venus trines Chiron, giving him healing qualities.  He has Jupiter conjunct Saturn, so may suffer from the legendary Libran indecisiveness, but also does have the Jupiter sextile Uranus entrepreneurial spirit.

Life and Career

At 42 years of age, he is a mere youngster.  Born in Clifton, Bedforshire, he was one of twin boys.  He started out in Youth Theatre, then graduated from RADA in 2003.  By 2005 he was nominated in awards for his portrayal of Hamlet.  He played Keith Richards in a biopic about Brian Jones, and played Bob Dylan in 2007.  Watching the BAFTA Awards, I was musing how an actor can play so many different roles, so convincingly.  He has half his planets (5) in the Mutable signs (Versatility).  In preparing this blog, I came across the following quote from Ben Whishaw, which provides a clue to the answer:

“For me, it’s important to keep a level of anonymity. As an actor, your job is to persuade people that you’re someone else. So if you’re constantly telling people about yourself, I think you’re shooting yourself in the foot.”

There are three roles which have stood out for me, but many others which he has accomplished with great skill

John Keats

Ben Whishaw first came to my attention, and became my new favourite actor, when he appeared in the film “Bright Star” written and directed by Jane Campion, which screened in 2009.  He played John Keats, who happens to be my favourite poet!  The making of the film and its success will have coincided with his first Saturn Return, and is likely to have been a fulfilment of that.  As mentioned, in the analysis of his birth chart, he has the Pluto/Sun depth and the Moon/Neptune sensitivity for his performances.  In his synastry with Keats, there is plenty of scope to play the poet sympathetically and warmly: Keats’ Moon is exactly opposite Whishaw’s Neptune,  their Venuses are exactly sextile, Keats’ Mars is exactly conjunct Whishaw’s Jupiter, and Keats’ Ascendant is exactly conjunct Whishaw’s Venus.

Paddington 1 and 2

Hubby, with his television next door, has watched the films Paddington 1 and Paddington 2 umpteen times!  I like them, too, especially the dulcet and humble tones of Paddington as enounced by Ben Whishaw!

But his finest hour surely has to be when Paddington took tea with the Queen at the Jubilee last year.  And last Sunday, that took the award for Most Memorable Moment of the Year, deservedly so.  His delivery as the character of one of Britain’s best loved bears (other bears are available) is exquisite.  And it’s a lovely moment to remember the Queen by, as they each produced a marmalade sandwich they kept in handy places.  On that day, 4th June 2022, Ben’s transits were:

Uranus opposite his Mercury (mental excitement for him); Uranus square his Nodal Axis (surprising the nation); Uranus on his Chiron in Taurus (healing through laughter and surprise!); and Pluto trine his Jupiter (a lucky break, of great moment).

Adam Kay

Then last year Ben played doctor Adam Kay in “This is Going to Hurt” in the autobiographical drama written by the latter.  It was fast-paced and entertaining, hilarious in parts, but with a very serious message about the difficulty of working in the NHS, and containing a heart-wrenching twist in the tale.  Again, Ben was utterly believable in this role, and the series itself was brilliant.

The Synastry between Adam Kay and Ben Whishaw is nothing short of extraordinary:

Their Suns are exactly trine, Kay’s Sun exactly trines Whishaw’s Pluto, their Mercuries are exactly trine, Kay’s Mars is sextile Whishaw’s Mercury, Kay’s Saturn squares Whishaw’s Neptune, Kay’s Neptune exactly sextiles Whishaw’s Sun, and their Neptunes are exactly conjunct ( being born the same year, within six months of each other); finally, Kay’s Neptune is exactly sextile Whishaw Pluto.

The transits for last Sunday’s accolade(s) included: Mars sextile Ben’s natal Jupiter in Virgo (a recognition) and Neptune opposite his natal Jupiter in Virgo (charisma).

Does Ben Whishaw pick these iconic roles, or do they pick him (karmically or otherwise)?  And, having picked them, could anyone have played them better?  Could I be more of a fan?

“Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art –

Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night…”

~ John Keats

Aspects

In the early hours of this morning, Pluto was opposing Mars.  It must have been very stimulating, as I didn’t get a wink of sleep, though my fitbit contests that.  It may be that I was over-stimulated by watching a Pet Shop Boys concert well over midnight, the beats thumping through my head all night long.  A Pluto-Mars opposition can bring conflict, tempers, and incident-proneness.  If you slept, you may have contained that energy within a vivid dream.  Or if you are living in other parts of the world, you may have had to deal with this energy during your waking hours.  The good news is that the peak of it has passed, however it manifested, or didn’t manifest, in your life.

The second feature of the day, the Sun’s entry into Gemini, occurred at breakfast time (unless you are one who has a Sunday lie-in).  The earthy preoccupations of Taurus may give way to a need for Communication and lightness of heart.  ‘Tis the season of chatting to the neighbours over the garden fence.  In the month of Sun in Gemini any kind of communication goes, writing your book, dealing with your documentation.  It all aids the general connectivity and circulation, which enables society to flourish.  It brings communities together.

At lunchtime, the Sun trines Pluto, so there may be the sense of an ending.  You may have to make a decision which brings about change.It is time to construct a new psychological mindset: one which is creative but also bears in mind the changes and cycles which are transforming our lives at this time. You may have felt that you haven’t got very far with a goal, but may receive an indication in this period that you have done better than you thought, your patience is rewarded, or that a pipe dream could become a going concern.  You may have cause to remember fondly the dearly departed.

Tomorrow (Monday, 22nd), around 6 a.m., there is a sextile between the Sun and Mars.  Things may seem more straightforward.  You may feel you can get things moving again, if they had stalled.  The energy and fuel is in supply, and the will is there.  This aspect favours the masculine elements of life, e.g. men, cars and dogs.  There may also be an aspect of competitiveness about it.

Tuesday (23rd) also starts early, with a square between Mars and Jupiter.  Excitement may spill over into uncontrolled action.  This combination can produce high jinx, fun and games, or just sheer over the top enthusiasm allied with energy – that’s what I would normally expect.  Emotions may be volatile.  Look for enthusiastic activity and fiery exchanges in your personal environment, and channel the energy constructively.

Venus squares Chiron on Wednesday (24th), which is sensitive for healing and relationship.  If there is an emotional crisis, then healing could be near at hand.  Equally, natural remedies may be readily found for minor physical ailments.  An aspect for care of the self and others.

We end the week with a vibrant sextile between Venus and Uranus, at breakfast time on Friday (26th).  There may be a social sparkle somewhere in your life, even if only on social media.  It’s a good day, for the most part, for socializing and meeting new people.  Meetings are significant with the combination of Venus and Uranus, and sometimes they can be strange and spooky with an air of serendipity.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – confrontational; chatty; psychological transformation
• Tomorrow – go ahead
• Tuesday – over the top
• Wednesday – soreness in relationships; need of healing
• Friday – vibrant socially

Eurovision 2023

It was a dream come true for British Eurovision fans to host, on behalf of Ukraine, the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, in Liverpool.  For many youngsters, it was the first time in their generation, the last time the U.K. hosted being 1998.  It was not, however, a dream come true, for the U.K. entry by Mae Muller to come second from bottom – more back to normal.  How different things were last year when Sam Ryder came second from the top…

Anyway, I would like to look at three charts pertaining to the night’s spectacular and hugely enjoyable event:  first, that of Mae Muller, secondly the winner’s chart belonging to Loreen of Sweden, and thirdly that of one of the hosts, Hannah Waddingham, who took a prominent presenting role.

Mae Muller

Born in 1997, Mae is a Virgoan, and began writing songs at the age of 8, and released her first album at the age of 22.

We do not have a birth time for her, so can only go on her natal aspects (without Ascendant and angles).  The Sun in her chart is almost unaspected and exactly squares Pluto.  Her parents separated when she was six years old, and that may point to a disrupted relationship with her father.  She has a powerfully aspected Venus (singing and songwriting) trine an entrepreneurial conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus.  She also has electrical energy, from a square between Mars and Uranus.

What do her transits tell us?  Her first album was released on 5th April 2019, with Mars square her Sun, Mars opposite her natal Pluto and Saturn square her Saturn.  We may conclude she thrives on challenge and adversity.  Her song “I wrote a song” is a confrontation to someone who “did her wrong”.

When she was announced as the U.K. entry on 9th March this year, Saturn was trine her natal Chiron, but Uranus was squaring her natal Jupiter (a gamble) and Pluto was square her natal Chiron (a huge challenge).

Her transits for last night showed Neptune sextile her Neptune (she felt inspired) but with Pluto still dogging her Chiron.

Her Eurovision entry was an upbeat number, a little repetitive, but that is in the Eurovision tradition.  There were many lacklustre entries, but Mae’s seemed no worse than average, which leaves us wondering if we are back to the political voting going back years and exacerbated by Brexit.  Whatever the merits of the song, she did perform it well.

Loreen

After Johnny Logan of Ireland, Loreen was the second person to have ever won Eurovision twice in its history!  But her country, Sweden, is no stranger to the top spot.  It seems that sporting super long nails (at least two inches in my estimation)  is no clue to go by in determining your position in the ranks.  Loreen had them last night (in her words “made of stone”), and resembled a cat slinking across the stage with her claws; and Mae Muller had them (though displayed them less in her performance), but one performer came top, and the other almost at the bottom of the scoreboard.

I digress.  Loreen also has no recorded birth time, so again there is some guesswork involved in evaluating her chart.  She first won the contest in 2012.  Loreen has the Sun in the songster’s sign of Libra, and it is conjunct Pluto – there is something very primal about her performance.  That may be part of her success (I personally was not bowled over by her song, but she received 177 more votes than her nearest contender, so I suspect I am an old fogey).  She has the sensuality of Venus conjunct Mars.  Born 14 years before Mae Muller, she too has the entrepreneurial conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus (in the lucky sign of Sagittarius).  She also has an expansive energy, in her exact square between Mars and Jupiter, and like Mae, electrical energy from the square of Mars to Uranus.  The depth of her performance may owe much to her conjunction of Saturn and Pluto.

Her transits when she was originally chosen to represent Sweden in 2012 were not dissimilar to those of Mae Muller when she was chosen, and equally challenging: She had a Mars Return, Saturn on her Pluto, Neptune square her Chiron and Pluto trine her Mars.  At her first victory, she had Uranus trine her Uranus (the power of surprise).  The second time she was selected, this Spring, her main transit was Pluto square her Pluto, one of the main challenging astrological life cycles, which urges a person to take their own power.  For her second triumph, Saturn squared her Uranus (a sheer effort of will), Neptune squared her Neptune (a daze) and Jupiter opposed her Pluto (an exaggerated use of power) – so defying the astrological odds!

Looking at Johnny Logan’s chart in comparison, it seems that he had the Sun exactly square Pluto, so maybe the intensity and charisma of Pluto can help you in this game.  For Mae, it got her to the contest, at least!

Hannah Waddingham

There has been a lot of fanfare this week surrounding actress Hannah Waddingham, who has earned her place as a top presenter throughout the early heats and in the final of Eurovision in the U.K.   Many of us had not heard of her before, but apparently she was famous for acting in “Ted Lasso”.  She is a statuesque blond, and towered somewhat over the other presenters, in a matter befitting her queenly Sun sign of Leo.  She has half her planets (5) in the leadership quadruplicity, the Cardinal signs, and proved herself able to entertain, perform and ad lib with the best of them.  Certainly someone to watch in the future!  She too has a powerful Pluto, being exactly sextile with her natal Sun.  Mercury exactly trine Jupiter makes her well travelled and good at languages (she certainly proved her verbal proficiency in French, in conversing with Graham Norton).  She also speaks fluent Italian.  Her mother was an opera singer, and she has a four octave vocal range (in case you wondered how well qualified she was as a Eurovision presenter!)

Well, it’s another year over, and what a night!  One which the U.K., and Liverpool, won’t forget.  My favourite entries Switzerland, Australia and Poland, came nowhere near the top of the scoreboard, but the enjoyment of the occasion was undiminished.  For those who have asked, our trip to the Eurovision Song Contest will appear in my trilogy “The Quiet Office”, but not until Volume III (I am currently half way through writing Volume II).

Aspects

It is an important and pivotal week, in many respects, with Jupiter changing signs and entering Taurus, and then squaring Pluto at the beginning of Aquarius.  If you are wanting to turn the steering wheel of your life and effect a major change, you could just do so; the effort may be tiring, but worthwhile.  Putting into play your intentions could help to avoid becoming a victim of change being foisted upon you.  On my Philosophy course, I am currently reading “Anti-fragile” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, which is slowly turning my lifelong Taurean fear of change into an appreciation of other ways of perceiving.

Tomorrow (15th), Mercury is Stationary prior to turning Direct, around breakfast time, which is a help in starting the week and re-starting communications.  You may feel that you can catch up on chores which had been put on the back burner.  If you have been struggling with computers, I.T. and broadband connections, or delays in communications you may feel a sense of relief.  You can certainly pick up momentum on some projects which involve paperwork and documentation, and make some more essential journeys, after the recent train strikes. RMT Union boss Mick Lynch said he had to get the strikes in at that time because of a government policy, but of course the real reason was to make the Mercury Retrograde season deadline!

At lunchtime, Mars trines Neptune which ensures the sensitive use of energies, such as meditative activities.  Yoga, Tai Chi and Qijong all represent this vibe.  Mars represents the use of energy or anger directed (in a trine) in a constructive way, and Neptune represents empathy.

Tuesday (16th) is the day that Jupiter leaves Aries and enters Taurus, around tea time.  Jupiter stays approximately one year in each sign, and the new placement may bring new hope for the efforts to combat climate change, help perhaps for the farming community, and new initiatives for the world of finance and economy. Generally, if you are an April Taurean you will feel the benefit over the next few months, but if you are a May Taurean the benefits may accrue next year.  But for Taureans across the board, take heart, this is Your Year!  Your personal affairs may expand in ways they may not have done for twelve years.  It’s time for you to shine.

A note of caution for Thursday (18th), yes even for Taureans, for Jupiter runs into a square with Pluto in the early hours of the morning (you may sense this pressure the night before).  There may be presented difficult power struggles, either within yourself (e.g. two differing needs vying for attention) or in involvement with others or a group.  In politics, there may be further polarizing, e.g. between those who want Boris Johnson and Donald Trump to return, and those who don’t.  It is a fine balancing act, or near impossible, to please all of the people all of the time.

At breakfast time, there is a more conciliatory note, helpful, though not wiping out the impact of Jupiter square Pluto.  It’s a sweet sextile between the Sun and Neptune, and if you slept well, and dreamt well, you may be in an equable spiritual state to deal with what is on the day’s menu in a balanced way.  This aspect gives you a better chance of creating beauty and inspiration in your life, conferring spiritual harmony.

More practical progress on Friday (19th), with a sextile between Mercury and Saturn.  You have taken in all the facts for dealing with an issue or project, and are ready to put in serious and solid plans based on sober thinking. This aspect favours exacting mental work and documentation.  Progress can be made, including possibly for health related checks.

In the afternoon, there is another opportunity to re-set, with a New Moon at 28 degrees Taurus, aligned with the Pleiades.  This can herald a new beginning for all Taurean-related interests, and a chance to focus your intent on these for the next month.  You may take inspiration from looking at artworks or gardens.  You are helping to build the New Earth, as they say in New Age circles.  It is a fresh start for cooking, gardening, art, music or money.  Make the most of this wishing Moon.

If you are wishing to tune into the Pleiades, here are some encouraging words from “Starlight Elixirs” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld”:

“Alcyone [the primary star of the Seven Sisters] as the most important of these can provide a significantly enhanced ability to channel from extraterrestrials in a balanced way, and to perceive the correct place of contact with entities from other planetary systems…Alcyone can also enhance the ability to perceive spiritual truths that may be shared and understood as universal principles.”

Mars enters Leo on Saturday (20th) which will bring energy to your self-expression, or you may observe displays of power.  Mars will stay in Leo until 10th July, so will especially energize the affairs of those born under the sign of Leo.  If you are making hay, you could feel Mars supporting you with extra oomph and bravery.  Drama and theatre also receive a boost.  And sporting interests generally will thrive.  Those who thrive on competition and holidaymaking will be having their season.

The week in bullet points:

• Tomorrow – restarting communication; reconnecting body and soul
• Tuesday – hope for environmentalism
• Thursday – significant power play; some spiritual input
• Friday – serious progress; new beginning; cosmic influences
• Saturday – vigour and holiday plans

King Charles III

Coronation 6th May 2023

The crowning of King Charles yesterday was a unique event in our time, and a rich spectacle of British tradition, in a bleak era in terms of our economy and world reputation.  It was a gathering of the great and the good from all round the world, and inclusive of all religions, while defending the nation’s faith of Christianity.  I was able to watch two hours of the ceremony yesterday, and especially enjoyed the people-watching, the costumes and the music.  A highlight of mine, and so it seems also for social media (such as Tik Tok), was Penny Mordaunt’s heroic sustained carrying of the sword, a role which she had to physically train for – and she would be up there for best costume, too.  Her physical challenge shows up in her transits as Mars squaring her natal Uranus.

Birth Chart

Strangely, I have never in all my 22 and a half years of blogging devoted a whole blog to His Majesty.  He has appeared in numerous blogs about the royal family, but never had a blog of his own!  I hope to remedy that, while keeping it short and sweet.  Taking a look at his original birth chart, as someone born to be King, there are clues to this destiny, such as Leo (royalty) rising.  His North Node (karma) conjoins the Moon (his mother) at the beginning of Taurus, conjunct the Queen’s own Sun and Part of Fortune. An intense karmic connection for them both.  His sporting interests, especially in early life (such as Polo) are shown by Mars conjunct Jupiter in Sagittarius in his 5th House of Sport.  He has the Sun in Scorpio square Pluto, so is a deep thinker, something we have seen evidence of all his life, in his refusal to clam up about the things that mattered to him.  I was dismayed when Liz Truss prevented him from attending the Climate Conference last year.  His complicated love life is seen in Venus conjunct Neptune (the search for ideal love) in Libra.  His chosen one, Camilla Parker Bowles, now crowned Queen, has her Sun closely trine his Sun in the Water element: which if Linda Goodman’s “Love Signs” is anything to go by, makes them soul mates.

Kingship

He inherited the throne when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away.  At that moment of time, Jupiter was exactly trine his Ascendant, from the 9th House cusp, a huge forward step in his life.  Saturn (loss and responsibility) was also exactly sextile his natal Mars in his 5th House, highlighting his energy and will.

His transits for the Coronation yesterday have some interesting transit features.  The chart of the Coronation itself has Leo rising with the Sun (regality) right at the top of the chart.  The rising degree of the chart is conjunct Charles’ own Pluto (his ruling planet, and his deepest challenge).  In Charles’ birth chart he has Mercury sextile Saturn (a serious sense of judgement), and this locks into the Coronation chart in a stunning way.  The Coronation chart itself has Mercury sextile Saturn, and that sextile locks into his own original Mercury/Saturn sextile.  The Mercury of each chart opposes the Mercury of the other, and ditto for the Saturn: the Saturn of each chart opposes the Saturn of the other.  This speaks of many solemn oaths being taken!  Also, Charles has an exact Nodal Return, in that this weekend’s North Node at 3 degrees Taurus is exactly conjunct with Charles’ natal North Node at 3 degrees Taurus.  It means the end of one karmic cycle and the beginning of another, and also speaks of the fulfilment of his destiny from birth.  How amazing is that timing?  He also has his Saturn Opposition, a significant astrological cycle, and one of taking on responsibility.

Playing the Long Game

Having a long lived “mama” meant that he had to wait most of his life for a chance to show his own style of leadership.  I have always admired his support for environmental causes (even from his talking to plants in the 1970s).  I have also been warmed by his universal outlook on religions, though yesterday’s service was undoubtedly Christian (and influenced by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the dictates of his office).  Charles tried to make the day as inclusive as possible.  It was sweet, for instance, that the Chief Rabbi was allowed to stay at Clarence House overnight the night before, so that he could walk to the Abbey and not break his sabbath law.

Ever since the early 1970s I had heard prognostications, mainly from New Agers, that Charles would never make it to the throne.  And even when he acceded, on the death of his mother, prognosticators were saying he would not make it to the Coronation.  Well, I am glad to say, he defied them all.  Long live the King!

Aspects

Today, Venus enters Cancer in the early afternoon, which boosts family life and feelings, and applies more love and care towards other members of the family.  There could be memorable and sentimental occasions arising (Venus stays in Cancer until 5th June) such as family get togethers.  We need to be conscious about our emotional boundaries during this period.  But it bodes well for the sense of community today, when many street parties are taking place, and for this evening’s coronation music concert (where Venus = music and Cancer = rhythm).

The Sun conjoins with Uranus on Tuesday (9th).  Expect the unexpected.  It is a good day to demonstrate your originality and inventiveness, and in your leisure time begin a project which is highly creative or benefits society.  You may decide to join a group activity along those lines.  If you are feeling more contemplative in mood, new ideas can flash into your consciousness during meditation.  The evening’s television or film viewing (Netflix or whatever) could provide heightened interest.

Friday (12th) brings a sextile between Retrograde Mercury and Saturn.  Thoughts and feelings can be channelled and harnessed into constructive plans and ideas.  Mental foundations can be laid.  The aspect favours documentation and knuckling down to form-filling etc.  Geminis and Virgos have the chance to regain their balance.  Bear in mind this natal sextile in Charles’ chart (a serious sense of judgement), and that in the Coronation chart (the taking of solemn oaths)!

Saturday (13th) brings us two more positive astrological showings.  In the early hours Mercury will be sextile with Venus.  This is a smooth flowing sextile which favours socializing and conversing, and creative forms which combine art and writing.  There is potential for negotiation in diplomatic efforts, and harmony and agreement between kindred spirits. This of course is mainly extravert activity for the daytime itself, but you may acquire ideas in dreamtime which you can implement later.

At breakfast-time (in the U.K.) we will have a trine between Venus and Saturn, bringing extra balm.  It’s an aspect of practical compassion.  It can brings hope, of people coming together with more commitment and loyalty.  Venus can provide a softening role to a hard line stance.  It is conciliatory, which may be just what is needed.  Relationships may need serious resolving, and this aspect can help, whether on a personal level, or between the schisms in our society.

But, come Saturday evening, Europe at least will come together for the annual spectacle and extravaganza of the Eurovision Song Contest, of which I have been a lifelong enthusiast.  The Venus/Saturn element in this is the poignancy of the fact that the U.K. is hosting it on behalf of Ukraine (the Venus/Saturn loyalty meaning stand by your invaded friend nation).

The week in bullet points:

• Today – a sense of belonging; music
• Tuesday – surprise
• Friday – serious judgement and oath-taking
• Saturday – cultural ideas; love and loyalty; more music

Len Goodman (1944 – 2023)

“Seven!”

~ Len Goodman

The top judge on the top show – it doesn’t get much better than that…the much loved Len Goodman passed away last week, at the age of 78.  His life seems to have been mapped out for a trajectory of dancing success in the ballroom.

Birth Chart

Len had the Sun in Taurus, the same sign as Fred Astaire, a musical sign.  It is also the sign of the programme Strictly Come Dancing, a supremely successful format which no one would have predicted, and which was copied worldwide, including in the U.S. as Dancing with the Stars (for which Len Goodman was also Head Judge).  Looking at the events of his life, they do look choreographed (if you’ll excuse the pun), and that makes sense of his square between the Sun in his chart and the karmic Nodal Axis, and also the conjunction of his North Node with Pluto.  The “Inner Healer” asteroid Chiron seems to have been a key feature of his life, judging (if you’ll excuse the pun) by the transits of key events in his life.  These become even important to look at when there is no precious birth time to focus the chart.  So, he had the Sun trine Chiron in Virgo, which enabled him to be a healer of sorts.  From accounts of his humour, it is likely his mode of healing was through bringing cheer.  His upbeat wit may have come from his conjunction of the Moon and Uranus in Gemini, though without a birth time we do not know exactly how close that was.  The Moon at Noon on the day of his birth was trine Neptune, the planet of Dance, and that is likely to have been a strong factor in his career path.  Mercury closely sextile Mars gave him quick physical and mental reactions, and Mercury square Jupiter accounts for his transatlantic lifestyle for many years.  In addition, Mercury trine Chiron provided a problem-solving, “can do” mentality.  His Venus in Aries squaring Mars may account for some colourful language, such as about “pickling walnuts” and the like.  Venus closely trine Jupiter spelled social success and charm, and  Neptune exactly sextile North Node added more than a dusting of ballroom excellence as part of his karmic mission.

Life and Career

Len Goodman was born in Farnborough, but his distinctively cheeky chappy East End persona and accent came from his upbringing in Bethnal Green.  He left school at 15 (his headmaster had told him he would be a failure), and began working as a welder in Woolwich.  The first twist of fate came at the age of 19, when after a foot injury a doctor (strangely?) recommended dancing as therapy.

Enter the next twist of fate.  He started learning dance at Henry Kingston’s Erith Studio, and dancing was to be his path in life.  There he met Henry Kingston’s daughter Cherry, who became his dance partner.  Together with Cherry, he won a Pontins dance competition, proceeding to win the final at the Royal Albert Hall.  They went professional and became Kent professional champions in 1969.  They married in 1972, and Len took over the studio when Henry Kingston died, opening his own Goodman Dance Academy in Dartford in 1973.  In his late 20s (around the time of his Saturn Return in Gemini) he won the British Championships at Blackpool, and announced his retirement from competition.

Marriage

He and Cherry divorced in 1987, and Len developed a long-term relationship with a woman called Lesley Pine, which resulted in the birth of a son James on 26th January 1981.  When that relationship came to an end, James went to live with his mother in the Isle of Wight.  The distance in the relationship between father and son is shown in their synastry through Len’s Pluto opposite James’ Sun, and Len’s Uranus trine James’ Sun, both heavyweight outer planets in difficult aspect having a disruptive effect.  But they must have resumed a closeness later in life, as in 2012 James went to Len’s school to learn dance.  His second marriage, to dance teacher at his school Sue Barrett, took place on 30th December 2012.

In 2011, he took part in “Who Do You Think You Are?”.  On finding out he had Polish ancestry, he commented:

“I feel no different, I look no different, I am no different and yet I’m not what I thought I was. I thought that I was truly an Anglo-Saxon, English through and through.”

Strictly Come Dancing

A later twist of fate occurred when he was 60, and out of the blue he was asked to complete the original panel for a new show, Strictly Come Dancing.  He was invited to take part because the other three panellists (Craig Revel Horwood, Arlene Phillips and Bruno Tonioli) did not have expertise in ballroom dance, and was made Head Judge.  The programme was a risky venture at the time, but he described the effect of the show thus:

“It’s dispelled the preconception about what dance classes or schools are like.  The programme has changed things in dancing schools like  you can’t imagine.”

The date was 15th May 2004, airing on a dynamic close trine between Mars and Uranus.  The following year Len was invited to be Head Judge on the U.S. edition, Dancing with the Stars.  He became known for various catchphrases, such as “It’s a ten from Len!” and some quite fruity language, never mincing his words, and was from the beginning highly popular with the viewers.  It seemed inconceivable that he would ever leave, but leave he did, although he carried on with the U.S. version for a few more years.  On 9th May 2017 it was announced that Shirley Ballas would take his place, someone he had known for years: in fact she had known him since she was 9 years old.  His final appearance on the show was on the Christmas Day Special that year.  He did not finally hang up his hat in the U.S. version until 14th November 2022 – with Uranus on his natal Mercury in Taurus, Uranus square his natal Jupiter in Leo and Neptune square his natal Saturn in Gemini, this represented a break with the past.  He said he wanted to spend more time with his family.  Poignantly, he had about five months of his life to do that.

Len Goodman was well loved by the public, and especially by the world of dance.  The tributes to him are full of affection.  A life not only well lived, but seeming to fulfil his destiny to the letter.

“A kind and brilliant man. Full of twinkle, warmth and wit. Sending so much love to his family and friends. We love you Len xx.”

~ Claudia Winkleman

“I have been like this all day, a disaster. My old pal, Lord Len Goodman. We love you, Len.”

~ Anton Du Beke

Aspects

A mixed picture this week, starting on Monday (1st May) with Pluto Stationary prior to turning Retrograde, in the afternoon.  This may give you a fresh set of preoccupations, or remind you of earlier ones.  You may recognize a psychological theme where you have been making headway, but now need to revise your steps, perhaps look further into the past.  If you’ve been knitting, you may need to unravel a few rows, for instance.  Eventually, you will recoup your ground and be stronger, richer and truer for it.

In the late evening, there will be a conjunction of the Sun and Mercury at 11 degrees Taurus.  The evening may therefore bring an opportunity to apply your mind with clarity,  concentrate and focus,  and make important statements.  The focus may be on Taurean occupations such as cooking, gardening, painting or making money.  Mentally you may be able to see things clearly in terms of your values, and how they determine your choices.

Thursday May 4th, also known as council election day,  presents us with a square between Venus and Neptune, which could be socially confusing.  You may get paranoid about how other people are voting, for instance!  There may be a a sense of intrigue, involving relationship or money.  Maybe another political scandal…You need to look behind the illusion.  There could be uncertainty in the Arts or the world of Music.  You could experience frustrating flaws in creative works. Tread softly.

The early hours of Friday (5th) morning sees one of the brightest aspects of the year, Venus sextile Jupiter.  This bodes well for the pre-party atmosphere and anticipation on the eve of Coronation day.  It’s one of the highlights in a year, conducive to socializing, celebrating partying, and romancing.  This sextile combines luck and love.  Enjoy!

The atmosphere may become feverish as we approach the Full Moon and Eclipse at 14 degrees Scorpio in the afternoon.  This is the most emotionally intense Full Moon of the year.  A conversation could set you on a profound journey.  You will need to be in touch with your deepest emotions and be constructively authentic.  There may be a focus on shared finances and an attempt to balance material resources and needs between two people.  With the Moon opposite the Sun in Taurus, values and shared values may be the current issue on your mind.

Enjoy Coronation Saturday itself (6th May)!  I have already had a try out at making the Coronation quiche (not bad).  I’ll be back on Sunday 7th…

The week in bullet points:

• Monday – psychological revision; clarity of thought
• Thursday – socially confusing
• Friday – early party atmosphere; emotional high tide

Barry Humphries (1934 – 2023)

“Both Gifted and a Gift”

~ Anthony Albanese, Australian prime minister

Barry Humphries, otherwise known as his alter ego Dame Edna Everage, died yesterday at the age of 89, peacefully after complications from hip surgery. Adopted in the U.K. from his native Australia, he became a national treasure here.  We seem to have lost a few national treasures in recent months.

Birth Chart

We are fortunate to have a birthtime for Humphries, and though his Sun in Aquarius sextile Uranus liked to shock, there was a more genteel side, shown by his Piscean Ascendant.  We didn’t tend to see  the genteel side in his various alter egos, but accounts of his friendships in his private life reveal a more courteous side in that context.  Both Esther Rantzen and Joan Bakewell have said they will miss his friendship greatly. That he found fame abroad may be down to his trine between the Sun and Jupiter (foreign lands).  He had the Sun, Saturn/North Node and Venus in his 12th House, indicating the existence and expression of  shadow alter egos.  The Sun square his Midheaven may give rise to the description of Dame Edna as an “egomaniac”.  The Moon trine his Midheaven may give rise to the prominence of the female persona in shaping his career, and Venus sextile both the Moon and Midheaven meant he was comfortable with the female mode of expression.

Mercury conjunct Mars in his chart shows his scathing, acerbic, and cutting wit; while he allowed Edna’s speech (described as “acid-tongued” and “vituperative”), to go even more extreme.  Last week’s blog subject, Mary Quant also had Mercury conjunct Mars, and I wrote of her: “She had a quick and incisive mind, from a conjunction of Mercury and Mars,” and described her cutting material…Where Barry Humphries upped the ante for shock value, was in his Uranus sextile the Sun in Aquarius, plus a close square between Uranus and Pluto.  Mercury opposing Neptune meant that he enjoyed pulling the wool over people’s eyes, and the position of Neptune opposite his Ascendant showed the love of glamour and the deceptiveness in the way he related to the public.

Mars rising in Pisces in his chart is complicated by an opposition from Neptune.  On the one hand, it gives expression to his “priapic” alter ego Les Patterson, but on the other hand Neptune and Pisces soften the warrior.  He wrote in an interview only last month in the Observer: “I’ve always thought of myself as quite cowardly.  The sound of a cricket bat hitting a ball causes me to duck.”  His Jupiter also presents contradictions.  On the one hand Jupiter trine Saturn indicates balanced judgement, while his Jupiter closely opposite Uranus describes the Chancer Archetype.  Possibly even more significantly, he had Jupiter exactly square Pluto (in a T-square with Uranus), which brought power issues (which maybe he used his alter ego to play out).  And finally, Jupiter trine his North Node (karmic mission) may have ensured success.

Life and Career

Barry Humphries was born in Kew, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia.  He had a happy childhood, and he enjoyed dressing up.  He became more rebellious in his teens, earning his parents’ disapproval at his “artistic” turn.  He continued dressing up, and created characters for himself, discovering their entertainment value.  It was in 1955 that he introduced Edna Everage to the world.

He moved to London in 1959, at the age of 25, when his progressed Sun was trine Pluto (a time of major transformation), and performed in the West End.  He became friends with Spike Milligan and John Betjeman.

Dame Edna

Barry based Edna on his own mother.  The name Edna was “after an adored nanny, a symbol of my father Eric’s growing prosperity as a builder.  One day, she wasn’t there any more.  Had there been a quarrel?  Had she walked out?  I was told nothing.  But then I’d never even been told her surname.  I was only six or seven at the time – and I minded.”

According to an article in the Observer by Vanessa Thorpe the character was “satirising the stereotypical [Australian] lack of taste that British “pommies” enjoy looking down on.”

In the 1970s the Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam conferred “Dame” status on Edna.  In the 1980s, Edna had her own television show in the U.K., entitled “The Dame Edna Everage Experience”.

It was during that period, that as newsletter editor on the committee of the North Watford Residents’ Association in the late 1980s, I had occasion to see him/her live.  One of our committee members worked at London Weekend television and organized a coach trip!

Barry recalled that after Damehood, Edna glammed up: “I put her in a box after a while.  And then later, when I took her out again, she seemed to have become a bit brighter.  She started to wear diamante glasses and her hair was an implausible mauve colour.”

So we folk of North Watford got to see the full glamour package!

Marriage and Personal Life

He was married four times, and had four children altogether.  His widow Natasha Spender is the daughter of the poet Stephen Spender, and they lived in West Hampstead.  Humphries has been a lover of poetry, art and books, his collection of the latter numbering 25,000.

He suffered with alcoholism, which affected his first two marriages, but he declared last month: “I haven’t touched a drop for 50 years.”  He tried to help Peter Cook with the problem.

Paul O’Grady

It was only three weeks ago that I was writing about Paul O’Grady’s passing.  There are some parallels between them, in that they both had famous female alter egos with whom they made their name.  Other parallels include both having the feminizing sextile between the Moon (both in Aries) and Venus, and both describing indulged childhoods.

But with regard to gender issues, they differed.  According to the BBC Newsdesk, in recent years, Humphries had been criticized for describing transgenderism a “fashion”.  Paul O’Grady had drawn a line between them, explaining that Humphries was “never called a drag act because he’s a heterosexual male. But I’m called one because I’m a gay man. It’s homophobic and it’s wrong as there is nothing remotely sexual about what I do. I dress up as a woman for financial purposes, nothing else.”

His Passing 

The transits for Barry Humphries’ passing were: Jupiter  on his natal Uranus in Aries in his 2nd House (unexpectedness),  Saturn exactly on his Ascendant in Pisces (letting go) and the North Node sextile his Ascendant from the 3rd/2nd House cusp (the completion of a karmic cycle).

Joan Bakewell said yesterday “A world in which I don’t have the friendship of Barry Humphries is really painful. Because he was so resilient and energetic and loving and direct… that’s a great absence in my life now”.

“A true great who inspired me immeasurably.  It was a delight to call him my friend.”

~ Rob Brydon

Aspects

There are four sextiles this week,  providing a generally harmonious atmosphere.

The first sextile is Retrograde Mercury sextile Mars in the early hours of tomorrow morning. This may bring about brisk action, hopefully not wakefulness and insomnia or trips to the loo.  Dreams may be very stimulating.  You may receive ideas to implement into your day.  Your mental reactions may be heightened, and this can lead to enhanced productivity.

The second aspect tomorrow is a conjunction between the Sun and the North Node, and this could bring a show of power by someone in your circle.  However, this show of power is firmly subject to the laws of karma. It could also heighten creativity if you are unattached to the power play of others.

We have two more sextiles on Tuesday (25th), the first of which is a practical and serious minded contact between the Sun and Saturn, late morning.  Duties and commitments are to the fore.  It makes for a good day with regard to laying foundations and establishing rules.  Creativity is firmed up, and decision making may be easier.

Next up is Venus sextile Chiron, which would be suitable for healing through the Arts, such as songwriting.  There’s a hint that relationships can be rescued, too.  It is a good day to engage with creativity which involves and brings about healing.

The fly in the ointment this week is a square between Mars and Chiron on Thursday (27th).  You might feel a bit discumbobulated.  There is a sense of “Well some things are working, but why can’t everything work together?”  It will take some adjustment to obtain complete harmony, both within yourself, in relation to others, and in physical and practical projects.  At the same time, health and safety factors will be important.

Last but not least this week is the fourth sextile, occurring on Saturday (29th), between Mars and Uranus, which promises dynamism for the day.  Engineering especially benefits from this aspect, but that also includes social engineering.  Electricity and Astrology are other areas which can be stimulated by this combination.  Cars, mechanics, mechanical goods and household appliances may receive a boost or a renewal.

The week in bullet points:

• Tomorrow – brisk action; a show of power
• Tuesday – good commitment; art with healing
• Thursday – the square peg in the round hole
• Saturday – dynamism

Mary Quant (1934 – 2023)

“A leader of fashion but also in female entrepreneurship – a visionary who was much more than a great haircut”

~ Alexandra Shulman

The swinging sixties fashion icon, Mary Quant, died this week aged 93.  She was responsible for the slick haircut, the mini-skirt (you had to have the legs), and the daisy motif.  Those were heady days – Twiggy was the clothes peg for that look, and she was born the same year as me.  I remember, aged 16, wearing long dangly black and white clip-on Mary Quant style earrings whenever I took a trip to London!

Birth chart

Mary Quant had Venus, Saturn/North Node and Sun in Aquarius – if that doesn’t speak of fashion innovator, and mover and shaker, I don’t know what does.  She had a quick and incisive mind, from a conjunction of Mercury and Mars.  Jupiter trine Saturn gave her a shrewdly balanced judgement, but a T-square between Uranus, Jupiter and Pluto brought a love of power and a willingness to take risks.

Life and Career

Mary was born in Blackheath, London, and both her parents had obtained firsts at Cardiff University before going on to teach.  She attended Blackheath High School, and went on to study illustration and art at Goldsmith’s College, London.   It was there that she met Alexander Plunkett-Greene whom she saw as “a great wit and a dish”.  She described him at that phase of his life, saying he “swanned around long-haired in his mother’s silk pyjama top, trumpet in one hand and film script in the other”, and subsequently married him.  Initial work in millinery found her ambition understretched, and her desire to design fashion saw her start with simple designs in the 1950s.  She learned dress-pattern cutting at night school to improve her skills. They struggled financially until he inherited £5000 on his 21st birthday, when she set up her shop in the King’s Road, title “Bazaar”.  This was in the year 1955, a year after Coco Chanel re-opened her salon in Paris after the Second World War.  But Mary departed radically from French couture, taking her inspiration instead from the Mod movement.

She popularized the mini-skirt (the inventor is disputed), fashioning it after the Mini car.  It symbolized freedom for her and the young women who were the clientele of her age, another Aquarian theme.  She added pockets to skirts and dresses to her designs, so that young women would not have to carry handbags. Her short shorts became the celebrated hotpants; and she also invented the duvet (Aquarius also being the sign of the Inventor).

Her hairdresser was Vidal Sassoon who says he “cut hair like she cut material.  No fuss, no ornamentation.  Just a neat swinging line.”, and she was great friends with the designer Terence Conran and the photographer David Bailey, who says he will miss her greatly.  In her autobiography Wonderful Tonight, Pattie Boyd wrote about her wedding to George Harrison on 21st January 1966: “I bought a Mary Quant pinky-red shot-silk dress, which came to just above the knee, and wore it with creamy stockings and pointy red shoes.  On top, because it was January and cold, I wore a red fox-fur coat, also by Mary Quant, that George gave me.  She made George a beautiful black Mongolian lamb coat.”

Marriage and Family

Mary Quant declared in her 1996 Autobiography Quant on Quant that “Life…began for me when I first saw Plunket”, although they did have a turbulent relationship and he was rumoured to have been unfaithful.  He died in 1990, but they had one child together, Orlando, born on 4th November 1970.  She wrote in an interview with the Guardian that she was happiest when her son was born.  He had Uranus trine her natal Venus (an exciting relationship), and in his own chart he had an upbeat conjunction of Sun and Jupiter.  He has helped to supervise her collection at the V & A Museum, and supported her in other ways.  She has three grandchildren.  In later life, she developed a relationship with Anthony Rouse.

She died peacefully, with Jupiter sextile her natal Sun.  A high impact, full life, well lived.

“I mostly felt, my God, what a marvellous life you had, you are very fortunate…I think to myself, ‘you lucky woman — how did you have all this fun?'”

~ Mary Quant, 2012 interview

Aspects

It is a week of two halves.  The second half has some intense aspecting going on, while the first half is clear of aspects, but full of connections with the Fixed Stars.  So I will choose a star for each day early in the week to work with.

We can start, today, with Alrisha, the Alpha Star in the constellation of Pisces.  According to “Starlight Elixirs” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld (the text I shall use for all four Fixed stars):

“A balancing of this time transition into Aquarius can take place for many people with use of this star.  People who may be afraid of technology or who do not understand how to work with it will find that some benefits result in utilizing this star as many of these technological things are metallic.    There can be an awareness of how change takes place for people in a way that becomes much more comfortable and much more assimilable, particularly for older individuals.  Individuals who fear the future will find a soothing response from this star.”

Tomorrow, Monday (17th) focus can be trained on Petra, aka Alpherg, another star in the constellation of Pisces, which represents Beingness:

“This star can increase the ability to remember past lives and release sadness associated with them.  This can also be of great benefit with individuals who are suffering from a tendency towards addictive principles.  The unconscious aspects from past lives can be made much clearer, and a willingness to accept these truths and to move forward  with them can be enhanced.”

The next two stars come from Andromeda.  On Tuesday (18th) our Sun is aligned with the deep space spiral galaxy numbered M31 and aka Vertex, which represents Cosmic Consciousness:

“This galaxy’s influence enhances the ability to understand the long term purpose of humanity’s evolution.  This includes the ability to recall one’s past lives as different life forms, such as dinosaurs.  In some cases these remembered lives are extraterrestrial… but primarily incarnations in the mountainous regions of Earth, particularly the Himalayas is increased.  The ability to see the overall picture.”  This may be something you are working towards at the time.

Wednesday (19th) is favourable for tuning in to Mirach, the Beta star in Andromeda, which represents sound healing.  We are told by Smulkis and Rubenfeld:

“The ability to hear, to utilize the voice, and to release difficulties associated with the sounds one hears or speaks is strengthened.  A deeper connection to physicalness and an opening of the root chakra results.  The ability to hear the sounds of nature and the Earth will likely be enhanced as well.”  Bernadette Brady, in her book of the Fixed Stars, affirms the beneficence of this star traditionally: some of the ancient sources equate it with happiness.

So there is some deep food for thought, prior to the main aspects of the week, starting on Thursday (20th) with a Solar Eclipse and New Moon at 29 degrees Aries in the early hours of the day.  This may bring cheer and vigour, and a renewed sense of purpose.  It is a time to look to the future, as much as is possible.  It can certainly be a new beginning for you, even if it is just about re-organizing your lifestyle.  If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well…The New Moon in Aries is one of the brightest of the year in terms of its potential.  However, being an eclipse increases the sense of it being a portent, together with the  square of the Sun-Moon conjunction to Pluto.  It increases the sense of having to let go of something, in order to create the space for what is new to come forth.

Around breakfast time, the Sun will enter Taurus, so more newness to be added, with a slightly different focus.  It betokens a time of the blossoming of the earth.  Gardeners will garden, artists will paint or sculpt, and dancers will dance.  So it is very much a cuspal and switchover day, embedding into a productive Taurean period.

But in the afternoon, the festive atmosphere (if that was experienced) may become more thoughtful and serious, with a square between the Sun and Pluto.  This is a deep soul-searching aspect.  It is the sort of aspect which can be looked upon as a gamechanger, or watershed.  So if you are in integrity, you may be able to influence what side the coin lands on.  Interestingly, at the same square last October, there was turmoil in Westminster when Suella Braverman was sacked, in the shortest Home Office stint since the 1940s.  She was later reinstated by Rishi Sunak, and is now under fire again, so could she be sacked again, I wonder?

Friday (21st) brings us the next round of Mercury stationing prior to turning Retrograde, in Taurus.  Be clear in your communications between these two dates, in order to avoid misunderstandings and loopholes.  Although technology can go awry, it can be a good period to upgrade such devices.  You may have developed your own strategies, according to past experiences.

A cheery note from Yasmin Bolland and Kim Farnell, from their book on Mercury Retrograde, regarding Mercury Retrograde in the Earth signs: “Anything that comes from the earth forms the basis of a great ritual while Mercury is retrograde in an Earth sign.  For example, you could use sacred stones, crystals and flowers to create a beautiful mandala while you ask the heavens to show you what you need to learn.”

The week in bullet points:

• Sunday – healing technophobia
• Monday – beingness
• Tuesday – cosmic consciousness
• Wednesday – sound healing
• Thursday – new beginning; turning point; drama
• Friday – communication glitches

Nigel Lawson (1932 – 2023)

“My golden boy”

~ Margaret Thatcher

Nigel Lawson, famously a Chancellor of the Exchequer in Margaret Thatcher’s government, has died this week at the age of 91.  Many people would quarrel with his values, but  he did not care what others thought.  He was a Piscean, normally a sign that cares too much, but also a sign that can live in a world of their own.

Birth Chart

Nigel had Mars, the Sun, North Node and Mercury in the 12th House (a world of his own).  His Sun in Pisces was exactly trine Pluto, born to take power (in tribute, Keir Starmer called him “a powerhouse”).  Politics and Conservatism are shown in his Capricorn Midheaven (Careerpoint) with Saturn in the 10th House of Career.  But his strongly and strangely individualistic stances are shown in his placement of Uranus in the 1st House.  He was resolute about not following the herd, but enjoyed leadership (Ascendant in Aries).  He helped to shape Thatcherism, and as such the karmic economic path of his day, with the Sun conjunct his North Node.

His aptitude for finance and economics are shown by Mercury in Aries (accountancy) and a conjunction of the Moon and Venus in early Taurus (the financial sign), together with a problem-solving conjunction of Chiron and the Part of Fortune, also in Taurus, in his 2nd House of Finance.  He also had the Entrepreneur Archetype, in the shape of Jupiter trine Uranus.

Life and Career

Nigel was born into a non-Orthodox Jewish family in Hampstead, with his mother coming from a family of stockbrokers, while his paternal grandfather was a merchant from Latvia. From Westminster School, he won a mathematics scholarship to Oxford University, where he obtained a first class degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.

He initially pursued a career in journalism, starting on the Financial Times, and then moving to the Sunday Telegraph, and then to The Spectator.

In 1972 he wrote a book entitled “The Power Game” with Jock Bruce Gardyne, about power and decision-making.  According to the Guardian obituary by Julia Langdon, its conclusion was that “so often it is pure hazard which tips the scale of decision in the end”.

In February1974, he entered parliament as MP for Blaby in Leicestershire, a position he held until 1992 when he retired.

When Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister, she appointed Lawson to the post of Financial Secretary to the Treasury.  In June 1983 she promoted him to Chancellor of the Exchequer, a post he held for the unusual length of six years. In this period of influence, he is said to have helped shaped Thatcherism, which he once defined as a:

“mixture of free markets, financial discipline, firm control over public expenditure, tax cuts, nationalism “Victorian values” (of the Samuel Smiles self-help variety), privatisation and a dash of populism.”

He had a strongly reforming aspect in his birthchart of Uranus square Pluto, and set about privatising British Airways, British Telecom and British Gas, paving the way for numerous other privatisations and deregulation.  He declared “We are seeing the birth of people’s capitalism”.

During his years of tenure, tax rates went down, as did unemployment, so for a time his policies seemed to be working.  In 1986 the City of London financial institutions were deregulated, and Lawson conceded in 2010 that this may have had repercussions in the 2008 financial crash.  Towards the end of his years serving under Margaret Thatcher, she began to favour a different economic approach, from Alan Walters (an advocate of the floating exchange rate) which ran counter to Lawson’s vision.

He resigned in October 1989, this relinquishing of power being shown by the transit of Pluto to square his natal Jupiter.  The Guardian obituary recounts that after his resignation William Whitelaw wrote to him:

“that Thatcher could not bear to be on the losing side of any argument and added: ‘That failing may ditch us all.’.”

The Uranus rising in his chart had a lot to answer for in some of his later involvements, as a Contrarian.  He campaigned for Brexit (arguably not controversial), and then for the denial of Climate Change (definitely contrarian).  He argued long, hard and passionately for both; they were not fleeting whimsical ideas for him.

He also tackled the issue of weight, Moon conjunct Venus in Taurus being a prominent factor in that necessity, and wrote “The Nigel Lawson Diet Book” in 1996, a book which sold well.

Family

Nigel Lawson had six children altogether, depicted in his chart as Jupiter early in his 5th House of children.

His first marriage was in 1955 to socialite Vanessa Salmon.  They had four children together, including Dominic Lawson, firstborn, who followed his father into journalism (a Sagittarian depicted in Nigel’s chart as Jupiter at the beginning of the 5th House); and the domestic goddess herself Nigella Lawson, known for her unctuous cooking.  I wrote in 2013:

“Nigella was born into a political family: indeed her father Nigel Lawson is graphically portrayed in her chart as Sun in Capricorn (politician father) conjunct Saturn (accentuating the politics).  She did not have a good relationship with her mother, who did not treat her well.  She describes her as depressed, but as she is depicted in Nigella’s chart she comes over as fiery and volatile (Sun in Aries trine Mars and Jupiter)… She has a highly entrepreneurial exact trine between Jupiter and Uranus.” Note that her father handed down that trine.

Nigel had two more children with his second wife Therese Maclear, a marriage which lasted until 2012.  He later formed a relationship with Tina Jennings, a visiting fellow at Oxford University.

He has a unique place in history: hardly palatable to left-leaning climate-upholding remainers, but it was the life of his choice.   We all have that prerogative.

Aspects

In the early hours of Tuesday (11th), Venus enters Gemini.  Although Venus is most at home in the sign it is just leaving (Taurus), there is a lightness and freedom of heart with the new placement.  It brings a more mental focus to relationships, and increasing communication around love, art and money. Your diary is likely to be full of engagements during the period that Venus travels through this sign, which takes us up to 7th May.  We’ll all be social butterflies, deftly spinning plates in social circles!

Mid-morning on the same day, Venus will be trine Pluto in Aquarius.  This aspect can settle your deepest feelings into a more comfortable psychological context.  It helps us through changes and transformations on a human level.  Venus in harmony with Pluto benefits both love and money.

Late on Tuesday brings even more benefit(s), with the Sun conjunct Jupiter, one of the most favourable aspects of the year.  It takes place at 21 degrees Aries.  It is an aspect of hope, or even celebration.  It will certainly be lucky for some.  Focus on what makes you happy, and make more of that.

The mood dips a little towards the end of the week, with the last aspect, on the afternoon of  Friday (14th) being a square between Venus and Saturn.  Perhaps your concerns are about close relationships and money, both of which are ruled by Venus, and under constraint by Saturn.  Maybe you felt let down by someone or you disappointed yourself in some way.  Forgiveness could be a solution, in that case.  We need a great deal of patience in our human interactions, and some may be dealing with rejection or sadness.  We need to acknowledge those feelings before we can move on.  Try and look at things differently.

Something may be salvaged later in the day with a sextile between Saturn and the North Node.  This is a chance to stabilize your karma, or listen to what is required to right things.  The answer may come during a spot of meditation, or while taking a power nap.  Allow your left brain to rest, and allow your right brain to provide the next constructive step on your path.

The week in bullet points:

• Tuesday – lightness of heart; deep feelings and meanings; luck and hope
• Friday – acknowledged sadness; constructive karma

Paul O’Grady (1955 – 2023)

“…funny, fearless, brave, kind and wise”

~ Lorraine Kelly

The nation had many reasons to love Paul O’Grady: from those who loved to be entertained, to dog lovers, to the LGBTQI community.  He died at the age of 67 this week, unexpectedly, but peacefully.

Birth Chart

Paul O’Grady had the Sun in Gemini conjunct Mercury, which accounts for his tremendous versatility: he was a “Jack of all trades” in early working life, with a huge variety of jobs to make ends meet before he hit the big time as an entertainer.  Sun/Mercury in this sign also accounted for his quick wit.  There was also a multidimensional side to Paul: there was more depth to him than at first glance, with the Sun/Mercury conjunction being  trine his Neptune and sextile his Pluto.  He will have been a performer in past lives, with the Sun conjunct his South Node. His North Node was at the Galactic Centre, which is a powerful position for his karmic mission.  His caring side (he worked in several “social work” scenarios before he was famous) came from his Ascendant in Cancer, which was exactly conjunct Uranus (the Activist Archetype, always sticking up for the underdog).  His Moon in Aries ensured he was always straight talking on an emotional level.  His ruling planets Moon and Mercury were square to each other, and coupled with the Gemini emphasis, meant that he had a strong alter ego needing to be expressed, i.e. Lily Savage.  But with the Moon exactly sextile Venus, there was great gentleness and affinity with women, and that was very much expressed in the care work, the observation of female family members, and his work with dogs.  The Moon closely trine Jupiter kept him positive and emotionally buoyant.  Jupiter joined Uranus on the Ascendant, and gave him the Entrepreneur Archetype, which helped his success (trining his Midheaven or Careerpoint), and defined an effervescent personality.  He had Venus exactly sextile Jupiter, a very sociable sextile, with a love of humanity.  Even so, it was often said, that he loved animals more than humans.

Early Life and Career

Neptune was exactly square his Ascendant, on his 4th House cusp, suggesting a secure, cloistered, childhood, which he described thus:

“When I look back on my childhood I have no bad memories. Our family was loving and full of affection. I never knew what divorce was until I moved to London. I was an indulged child and completely protected from anything bad.”

Paul was born near Birkenhead, to an Irish family, the youngest of three.  He left school at 16, and worked at various jobs (including the civil service), before getting involved in Liverpool’s gay scene, at a time when homosexuality was still illegal.  He attended meetings of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality.  While still uncertain of his sexual identity, he fathered a daughter Sharon, who was born on 16th May 1974.  She has her Mars conjunct his, in their synastry.  Among his jobs, he worked in that period in a care home for disabled and abused children. He also lived in London part of the time, and worked for Camden Council as a live in carer for the elderly, and for dysfunctional families.  All the while, he practised the art of performance in working men’s clubs.

Lily Savage

The birth of his alter ego, drag act, Lily Savage, took place on the afternoon of 7th October 1978, inspired by his Aunt Chrissie, and Marylin Monroe.  Virtually the only precedent at the time for his type of act, was Danny La Rue.  His transits at the time included Mars exactly trine his natal Mars (an expression of his sexuality), Jupiter  opposite his natal Chiron in 7th House (his alter ego) and Uranus on his natal Saturn, (a daring act).  Lily Savage herself, in her own chart, had Sun/Pluto in Libra, with Mars/Uranus in Scorpio, two highly charged conjunctions.  When his career progressed, around 2004, he hung up his drag act, around the time of his Chiron Return in 7th House – Lily had achieved the healing for him he had needed, for his life.

He presented various television shows, including Blankety Blank and Blind Date, before landing his own Paul O’Grady show, which ran for several years in different forms.  The show which he was most known for in this decade, was “For the Love of Dogs”, in which he was instrumental in re-homing numerous pooches from Battersea Dogs Home, a role he took on around the time of his Second Saturn Return.  Such was the response of the British affection for Paul and for dogs, that in the few days after his death, Battersea Dogs Home has been overwhelmed with donations.

Death

In the first decade of this century, Paul suffered a couple of heart attacks.  But his death was unexpected.  His partner Andre Portasio described it as peaceful – Paul had six Neptune transits at the time.  Paul had only a couple of days beforehand appeared on stage in the musical “Annie” as Miss Hannigan, enjoying the part with great zest.

“I think I could lie there on my death bed and say, ‘Well, I’ve had a good time and filled a book. I’ve done everything I wanted to do’.”

~ Paul O’Grady, 2017

Aspects

Today promises to be most dynamic, with a sextile between Mars and the North Node.  This is a positive expression of Warrior karma.  You may be able to get your message across directly and actively, in speaking your truth or setting an example.  Lines may be drawn (Mars has a short fuse at times, and is not suited to long-drawn out debate).

Tomorrow (Monday 3rd) sees Mercury enter Taurus, and the quality of the mental energy may become steadier and calmer than the fieriness of the last two weeks or so when Mercury has been in Aries.  This placing is better for negotiation, which is something much needed at the moment in this climate of strikes.  Practical ideas will be the order of the day.  Mercury will stay a while in Taurus, as at some point it will turn retrograde, but enters Gemini on 11th June, so this could be a productive time mentally.

Tea-time tomorrow could be stressful mentally, however, as Mercury makes a square to Pluto.  We have a great deal of travel disruption in the U.K., with Easter holiday traffic stuck in queues at Dover.  It is a square which requires you, among other things, to rise above negative thinking, or to get to the root of it.

Some of Monday’s issues may be cleared by Wednesday (5th), with a more user-friendly sextile from Saturn to Mercury.  This practical, studious, and ideal for planning.   This favours exacting mental work and documentation.  Progress can be made, including possibly for health related checks.

If you experience emotional tension on Wednesday evening, this could be due to the advent of the Full Moon at 16 degrees Libra in the early hours of Thursday (6th).  The Libra Full Moon entails a balance between the needs of two people in partnership, and hopefully works towards harmony.  This is the most equable of the 12 Full Moons of the year.

Friday (7th) has a most pleasant sextile, between Venus and Neptune.  It’s a delightful aspect – a beautiful expression of spirituality and the Arts.  New artistic avenues can flourish, ingenious ways for people to share art, music and performance can ensure the Arts are kept alive.

Finally, another sextile on Saturday (8th) this time 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.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – dynamic
• Tomorrow – calm; then stressful
• Wednesday – practical progress
• Thursday – emotional high tide
• Friday – delightful
• Saturday – in sync

Putin Alliance with Jinping

Early this week Vladimir Putin of Russia met with Xi Jinping of China, presenting a chilling prospect to the world in their alliance, and trying to demonstrate they are a superpower to be reckoned with.  They present themselves as a balance against the U.S./European alliance supporting Ukraine, the country being invaded by Russia.  Xi Jinping declared that they were ready to “stand guard over the world order based on international law”.

On Friday 17th an arrest warrant was issued by the international criminal court, for overseeing the abduction of Ukrainian children.  The Guardian editorial stated in evaluation: “For now it is more of an annoyance than a threat or even a serious obstacle to him.”

It is interesting that recent years have brought alternative birth dates for both Putin and Jinping, which complicates the evaluation of their charts.  But I wonder if the new charts have been promoted in order to deflect and confuse Astrologers!  I am working with the original charts.

Vladimir Putin’s Chart

I wrote in 2012: “In his natal chart Putin has the power-hungry aspect of Jupiter square Pluto.  His natal Mars (Inner Warrior) is at the galactic centre, magnifying his power and emphasizing warriorship.  His South Node is in Leo, indicating that he would be accustomed to power in past lives.”

I added in 2015:  “He has Saturn conjunct the Sun natally which could be draining, but has Mars trine Pluto so that would normally keep him energetic”.

I would also add that Mercury sextile exactly Pluto, giving him mental strength and the employment of psychology.

In 2018 a television profile of Putin suggested that world domination might be on his wish list, but I don’t think the 2022 invasion of Ukraine was then on most people’s radar, though those who watched the situation in the Crimea seemed to suspect subsequent events.

The transits operating in Putin’s chart at the time of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 were Mars square his natal Mercury (irritability), Uranus opposite his natal Venus (burning bridges in relationships), Saturn trine his natal Saturn (a deliberate act) and the North Node trine his Ascendant (a karmic act).

Last night, Putin announced an escalation of the conflict in retaliation for Britain’s support for Ukraine, in stationing tactical nuclear weapons in nearby Belarus.  BBC News stated, in evaluating the situation, “US said it did not believe Russia was preparing to use the nuclear weapons after the announcement.”

Putin transits for Meeting

The meeting took place on the Spring Equinox, which favours new ventures!  A conjunction of Venus and the North Node favoured karmic relations, and the Sun sextile Pluto favoured profound discussions.  They picked a good day for it.

Pluto, powerfully, is exactly trine Putin’s Moon, and will be until 11th June, when Pluto turns retrograde without having advanced further than 0 degrees Aquarius.  Putin may be feeling powerful during that time, but Pluto does not return to 0 degrees Aquarius until next year.  Saturn squared Putin’s Moon at the time of the meeting, so there will be some disappointment or constraint in the meeting, probably due to having to keep a power balance with Xi Jinping himself.  Neptune opposed his Ascendant, which may indicate deceit in personal relationships, either in himself or the other, or both.

Xi Jinping Birth Chart

I wrote in 2022: “With Sun conjunct Mars in Gemini, Xi Jinping is a warrior of the mind; he has called his attitude to foreign relations “wolf warrior diplomacy”.  The power and strength of his Sun is shored up by a trine from Saturn, a trine from Neptune and a sextile from Pluto.  We do not have a birth time, but we know that his Moon lies in the powerful sign of Leo, giving him a desire to dominate emotionally.  His mental make-up is more complex, and as Mercury is his ruling planet it carries weight in his chart and his life: Mercury squares Saturn (a serious frame of mind), conjoins Uranus (some brilliance), squares Neptune (an air of mental mystery) and opposes Chiron (having to think quickly to solve problems).  Jupiter trines his North Node (karmic mission) and inclines him to leadership.  Saturn is exactly conjunct Neptune, a difficult conjunction which occurred in 1953 and affects most people born that  year.  The conjunction is squared by the opposition of Uranus and Chiron, forming a T-square.  Uranus squaring Neptune when overcome enables a person to handle complexity.”

Also last year, I wrote:

“In recent years, he has been sabre-rattling against Taiwanese independence, and human rights have been violated against the Uighur population (often described as amounting to “genocide”).  On October 23rd this year, like Putin, seizing advantage and opportunity with transiting Uranus sextile his natal Uranus, he cemented his third term and political longevity.”

and

Relationship with Putin

“Xi Jinping is a long term friend and ally of Putin.  The two of them were born about six months apart, and share positionings of the outer planets. During the early stages of Putin’s war against Ukraine expressed solidarity with Russia.  This stance cooled a little, as it became clear that the consequences affected world trade and world relations, and Jinping’s attitude has become a little more ambiguous.  President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine hopes that China can tip the balance in ending the war, because of his relationship with Putin.  In the meantime, Xi Jinping is keeping us guessing!”

Jinping’s attested purpose for last week’s meeting was to position himself as a potential peacemaker in the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and bringing a proposed plan to the table, to that end.  However, in reporting back from the meeting, it does not seem very much was achieved.

Jinping’s transits for Meeting

Xinping had some high energy transits for that meeting, and the indications are that he had the upper hand overall.  Jupiter was square his natal Mercury (foreign travel), Uranus sextile his natal Mercury (lively discussion), Chiron square his natal Mercury (a headach, requiring problem-solving), Saturn trine his natal Mars (practical action) and Jupiter square his Uranus (taking a chance).

Synastry

Jinping’s Sun is conjunct Putin’s Midheaven – Jinping can strengthen Putin’s career, or world position

Jinping’s Saturn is conjunct Putin’s Neptune – an air of suspicion and mistrust

Jinping’s Uranus square Putin’s Uranus – there could be a schism between them in the future

Neptunes exactly conjunct – there is a spirit of co-operation, to an extent

Jinping’s Pluto is sextile Putin’s Neptune – Jinping can be of considerable help to Putin if he so chooses

My question is, can they trust each other?  They are both strong, ruthless and autocratic, and know what the other is capable of.

Aspects

Did you feel any sort of shift or notice anything symbolic when Pluto went into Aquarius?  Just before the event, I suddenly felt a sense of excitement and freedom, so I think that will be an element of Pluto’s stay in Aquarius.  As I mentioned under comments last week:

“Pluto doesn’t get past 0 degrees Aquarius this year, it moves so slowly, retrograding from the beginning of May. This means that most Aquarians won’t experience the transit to their Sun this year.

But we will feel the vibe from now until the beginning of May, to give us a taste of what to expect.”

This week’s aspects are not so dramatic, after two dramatic weeks, but contain three conjunctions, which are intense spots of planetary interaction.

Today, Mercury conjoins with Chiron, which can produce minor healing crises, but can also pave the way for problem-solving. One area which is especially suited to this conjunction in Aries is finance and economy.  Chancellor Jeremy Hunt may have an important announcement, or there may be a major development concerning banks.

On Tuesday (28th), Mercury conjoins with Jupiter, which favours learning and education, communication and good news, sales and transport.  The enjoyment of mental expansion and philosophical awareness should bring about a major uplift.

We have a trine between Mars and Saturn on Thursday (30th) evening, which favours practical action, and works that are deliberately planned and executed.  Hard work can pay off.

Later still, on Thursday evening, Venus conjoins with Uranus.  It is a vibrant social aspect, which may carry an element of serendipity.  People may question your sanity, however, or you theirs.  And it is not a good time for taking financial risks.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – healing crises and problem-solving
• Tuesday – good news and mental expansion
• Thursday – practical action and social excitement