From my Postbag:

“So Lana, tell us about this seemingly gentle man, Pope Francis I. His qi seems very resolute, balanced and deeply spiritual, I hope that is truly who he is. He’s also a Jesuit, first ever, how interesting.

Looking forward to any insight you have to share. Best wishes to the Pope Emeritus, may he enjoy his contemplative life out of the public eye.

Congratulations to all our Catholic friends –

Love,
Dia”

Pope Francis I

I remember clearly at the age of eight, when Pope John XXIII was chosen, being wide-eyed in wonder hearing about the black smoke giving rise to the white smoke above the Vatican.  The event of a new Pope doesn’t come often in one lifetime, and this current choice seems to come with some hope, after the disappointment of the last tenancy.

He is not much younger in years than Pope Benedict, but seems to have more energy and be more present in the world.  Ideologically there is much to indicate that he may not stray far from Benedict’s brief, but there are many who are now giving him the benefit of that doubt and hoping he may make a dent in the entrenched problems of Roman Catholic society, such as its attitude towards women.

“It seems the conclave went to the other side of the world to find a new Pope” were almost his first words as Pope.  Very fitting for a Sagittarian (covering long distances) coming from South America (whose vast spaces are associated with Sagittarius) naming himself after St. Francis of Assisi (also Sagittarian, born 26/11/1182).  St. Francis had North Node conjunct Chiron and Pluto (deep healing), and was especially associated with the animal kingdom (a province of Sagittarius).  He also displayed a touch of Sagittarian humour; there was immediately a contrast in personality from the previous Pope, and indeed all other Popes from living memory.

I have many New Age/Catholic friends…the combination seems to go well, though the fundamentalists wouldn’t approve.  Their minds, hearts and imaginations are often open to other realities in a way which blends well with the teachings of the New Age, acquired through some leanings  of the religion itself.  One of those Roman Catholic friends even shares a birthday with the new Pope, and “thanks God” for the new appointment.  It goes without saying that God and the Goddess love us all, whatever religion we were born into.

In taking a first look at the chart of the new Pope, we are hampered by the lack of a birth time which would yield the Ascendant, so emphasis must go for the time being to the Sun and Moon positions.  Sun in Sagittarius is traditionally the sign for conventional religion, and pontification.  His Sun is close to the galactic centre, so he may be aligned with spiritual realities, and it is conjunct the North Node (karmic mission) which confirms that his path is a true one (for him at least).  He is comfortable with religious power.  There is a down-to-earth quality about him, and if he is of a certain evolutionary level it may be significant in his life and works that Earth is the esoteric ruler of Sagittarius.

His Moon is conjunct Venus (which confirms the gentleness seen by Dia, above).  At Noon this is an exact conjunction, and will diverge if he was born at another time of the day.  The Moon sign is Aquarius, so giving him a social focus and an interest in a fair society, a championship of the underdog.  He has been reported as making statements which maintain the downtrodden status of women in the Papal view, and that may be because Uranus squares his Venus/Moon conjunction, so there is a sense of alienation in his mind towards women at the same time as the fairer qualities.  There is scope here that he may change his mind suddenly (Uranus).

He has a difficult T-square between Chiron in Gemini and Neptune opposing Saturn, and will have learned to balance that to a certain extent by his age of 76.  He does have a much warmer timbre of voice than his predecessor, and Chiron in Gemini could be considered to have healing qualities through the use of the voice.  Fortunately, an exact trine from Mars lifts the Chiron a little from its tension in the T-square, and confers some good healing energy too.

Jupiter is trine Uranus in his chart, so miracles may be ascribed to him; not necessarily high-flown miracles, but placed in earth signs they may be practical miracles, such as shifting some of the poverty in corners of the world.  He has an unusual relationship with money and materiality, as in addition to this aspect his Part of Fortune is in the 2^nd House of Money.  He thinks outside the box in this sphere.

He has been called “divisive” already for various reasons, such as his alienation from his fellow Jesuits.  But he may be able to bring people together, by virtue of his Mars in Libra (the “Peacemaker Archetype”) trine his Chiron (“Inner Healer”) which understands suffering through its position in his T-square.  His election may have been a mental shock (transiting Pluto conjunct his Mercury) but at the same time he understood his responsibility (transiting Saturn sextile his natal Mercury) and the dove of divinity definitely came to settle on his shoulders, with transiting Neptune sextile his natal Jupiter.  He has a huge task ahead of him, and I wish him all the luck of the Sagittarian ruler, Jupiter.

Many of my friends marched in London hoping to prevent the Iraq War, and I did write a letter to Tony Blair which he ignored.  I never bought into the Weapons of Mass Destruction idea!  I have to document the 10^th Anniversary which occurs on Wednesday 20^th, because I believe the Iraq War was a collective wound and we are still suffering collective post-traumatic stress syndrome from it.

The media started to document the anniversary at the beginning of March, and Kirsty Wark brilliantly presented a huge debate on the subject, and a searching interview with Tony Blair.  On 5^th July 2009 I wrote a blog about the two Bushes, Senior and Junior, and now would like to focus on Tony Blair and his role, to balance out the karma of my writing.

I observed then:

“He enlisted the help of the sympathetic U.K. Prime Minister of the time, Tony Blair, through the magnetic attraction of Tony’s Pluto being exactly conjunct with George’s Venus.  The extra karmic and compulsive element was provided by Tony’s Pluto sextile George’s North Node.”

One of George W. Bush’s influences, I argued, was his father.  Here I would like to look at one of Tony Blair’s influences, his wife Cherie.

But first, a basic look at Tony Blair’s own chart:

In case you were in any doubt, Tony Blair does have a Warrior’s chart, with Mars one degree away from the Ascendant in Gemini.  Some Prime Ministers, such as Margaret Thatcher, feel they need to make their mark through a successful war.  If they thought it would not be successful, they wouldn’t try it, of course.  Even now we see Cameron and Hollande pushing for intervention in Syria.  Buoyed up by his success in the Balkans, and his firm alliance with George Bush, Tony Blair’s Sun in Taurus was resolute in 2003 about going to war in Iraq despite a lack of backing from the U.N. and a lack of evidence regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction.

A characteristic of Tony Blair’s policies throughout his period of government, was a lack of psychological depth or understanding, and a tendency not to think things through: with the main spread of his planets being in the early signs of Aries, Taurus and Gemini he needed some more emphasis on the outer planets in order to come from a more spiritual understanding.  He has a Uranian ruled Moon conjunct North Node in Aquarius, which does provide some outer planetary influence – this gave him some flavour of a man of the people, but the conjunction was in his 9^th House of Foreign Lands, so it was channelled more through interests abroad.

Cherie Blair

His wife Cherie has always had money as a priority, having had a desperately poor background.  A successful woman in her own right, she has the conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus (“The Entrepreneur”) on her Ascendant, and has provided a financial drive (her urge for property), which Tony has certainly fulfilled since he left office.  She also brought a Roman Catholic investment and inheritance into their life, and he later converted to Roman Catholicism.  He must have a weighty conscience, so the conversion may have been an attempt to balance his karma.  Kirsty Wark actually asked him if in his role as Middle East peace envoy he was trying to atone.  Cherie has the Warrior Archetype in the form of her North Node (karmic mission) conjunct Mars, and may well have been a strong influence in the direction of war.  She is not likely to have been an influence towards peacemaking, though she does have Mercury in Libra (which is itself conjunct Tony’s serious and heavyweight Saturn-Neptune conjunction).  She channels the Mercury in Libra through her work in the field of Law.

The Time of the War

At the time of the onset of the Iraq War, Saturn was trine Tony Blair’s Saturn (firm resolution) and Pluto was trine his Pluto (self-empowerment), so his state of mind was resolute, firm and determined, just as the impression he gave.  Tony Blair’s serious and heavyweight Saturn-Neptune conjunction sits on the top of the Jupiter of Iraq’s chart, and at the time of the war Pluto was transiting Iraq’s Saturn and opposing its Moon/Venus (way of life).  Tony Blair’s nodal axis connects with Saddam Hussein’s Sun and Moon, so there may be personal karma between them.

The Legacy

Iraq was destroyed, with no planning having been given to its reconstruction.  The way of life, both good and bad, for the Iraqi citizen was destroyed.  The fine antiquities of ancient Mesopotamia were also destroyed.  That is on top of all the lives lost…Tony Blair certainly continued his interests in the Middle East, having a special peace envoy role, and many have wondered what he has done with that.  It is also the second anniversary this week of the Syrian uprising (15^th March), and the Middle East is still in turmoil, with the added threat of Iranian nuclear weapons and the lack of counterbalance to Iran which was formerly provided by Saddam Hussein.  Now of course we face the dilemmas over intervention in Syria, and further afield in Africa.

The Interview

Kirsty Wark challenged him on the issue of intervention:

“…after Iraq do you think that you could ever make a case for moral intervention? I mean you talk about Iran and you talk about Syria…”

One of the fascinating features of the interview with Kirsty Wark was Tony Blair denying that his role in the matter was relevant:

Kirsty: But do you think you’ll be redeemed?

Blair: I’m, I’m, I’m less interested in you know my personal position in this.

That may be a debatable point!

A different viewpoint

In the Big Issue (February 25^th edition) Brendan O’Neill paints a different picture of Tony Blair’s role in relation to George Bush.  He does not see Tony Blair has having been Bush’s “poodle”.

He writes “from the time he was elected in 1997, four years before Bush entered the White House, Blair was devising new forms of military interventionism and warfare that had a huge influence on the neocons around Bush who were then waiting in the wings of American power.”

He sees Blair as an imperialist, and that does chime with Blair’s Moon/North Node karmic mission in Aquarius (“I know what’s good for you!”) in the 9^th House of Foreign Policy.

Related post:

http://www.lanawooster.co.uk/blog/?s=Bush+Senior+and+Junior

Explorer Archetype

The Explorer Archetype relates to our aspect this week of Mercury square Jupiter  (It’s a close relative but distinct from the Pioneer Archetype, which combines Mars and Jupiter).  Jupiter square Mercury relates to physical and mental travel, but being square it can lead to overstretching.  The square can propel into other dimensions, for both Mercury square Jupiter, and its related Mars square Jupiter, but usually only if we are travelling spiritually.  For instance, if you are travelling in regression say, to a lifetime on another star system you might suddenly turn left in a corner of the Universe and find yourself on a distant home star destination.

Ranulph Fiennes, who just recently gave up an expedition to the Antarctic, has the natally robust sextile of Mars and Jupiter (the Pioneer Archetype) but was defeated by transiting Jupiter squaring his natal Mercury, frostbite putting an end to this ambition, overstretching himself being part of the problem.

Marco Polo, the Explorer, combined the two Archetypes successfully: Jupiter trine Mars with Mercury at the midpoint sextile both planets.  Christopher Columbus, another prominent Explorer, also had Jupiter-Mercury in a favourable sextile.

Adventurous minds and visionaries also come under Mercury square Jupiter, and some can be very successful in this field of human endeavour. Mercury-Jupiter of itself does not predispose to higher consciousness necessarily, but does lead to the sharing and exchanging of information, and does favour communication and publicity.

For channeling and interdimensional work there does need to be a significant presence of Neptune or Uranus with Mercury.  However, Mercury and Jupiter in combination do cover a lot of global ground.

Mercury square Jupiter in the Birth chart

The following three examples of people who have Mercury square Jupiter natally have followed its potential for adventures in consciousness and breaking mental barriers to an amazing degree, two of them on the spiritual plane and the third on the mental plane.

Alice Bailey

For 30 years, Alice Bailey served as an amenuensis, a telepathic secretary (a Sun in Gemini skill), to the Ascended Master Djwal Khul, known as “The Tibetan”.  She produced numerous books on esoteric subjects (such as “Esoteric Astrology”) which are revered by many today, and founded the Lucis Trust.  Once could say her mind was overstretched (she used to read or study while ironing) but as a Gemini with Mercury ruling, she may have thrived on the mental stimulation.  She once said that she felt her service in this lifetime was due to having let the Masters down in a previous lifetime.  She has the “channeling” aspect in her chart, the link with Mercury and Neptune being a sextile.

David Spangler

David Spangler is the author of among other works the seminal “Revelation: The Birth of a New Age” and was a significant force in the development of the Findhorn spiritual community in Scotland.  He was open to the experience of other realities from a young age.  Here was an unlimited and liberated mind in the true promise of Mercury square Jupiter.

I have a quote from him on my website’s Light Body page:

“I emerge, a new earth and a new heaven emerge, through the hearts and minds of those who can receive and express them”

~ Limitless Love and Truth through David Spangler

Derren Brown

Derren Brown is an atheist, but has developed the mind and exploited its capacity for illusion to the hilt.  He denies any spiritual element, but has used his charisma and personality to create some daring work.

His autobiographical book “Tricks of the Mind” is revealing in many ways, but does not let you into the heart of the writer!  With Moon conjunct Chiron in Aries, there is an emotional knot, but one perhaps he is not willing to share.  He has the more tortuous link between Mercury and Neptune, of the square, which is indicative of his mastery of illusion – maybe he was compelled to master this difficult aspect, or if not it would have mastered him.

Aspects

Today’s square between Mercury and Jupiter may be felt throughout the week, as it is unchallenged by any other aspect, though we have a new moon tomorrow and a planetary change of sign on Tuesday.

The Mercury-Jupiter square occurred in the early hours of this morning, which is probably why I was tossing and turning, my brain trying to work out several leads on this aspect.  If you are able to get a handle on its challenge of presenting huge swathes of information, you may capitalize on it all week.

Mercury square Jupiter can bring about adventures of the mind, to the point that the mind can be overstretched, there can be a lot of information to take in, possible mental overwhelm, and a lot of questions thrown up. The travel and exploration can be both mental and physical, and there is a danger of overdoing things.

Tomorrow there is a New Moon at 21 degrees Pisces, which is a new start spiritually, depending on which area of your chart it falls in.  In my chart, it falls in the 11^th House of Friendship and Groups, and I will be meeting Sarah for  preparation for Light Pod and Channelling, which implies a larger group when seen in its spiritual context.  You may want to tune in for meditation at 3 pm UK time on Monday 18th March if you are interested in our focus for this Light Pod, which is Children of the World.  Camilla Batmanghelidjh (she of the colourful turbans), founder of Kid’s Company, published a book on her charity on March 7^th, entitled “Mind the Child”.

On Tuesday (12^th) Mars enters Aries, so there may be an element of Spring energy, and it would certainly be a good day for springcleaning.  Strangely enough, I already had that earmarked in my diary for that purpose.  You may notice spring is in the air, lambs are gamboling, spring flowers  arresting your attention, and sap rising generally.  You may be toying with your Inner Pioneer or Inner Warrior today – have a look and see what you’ve got in your dressing up box.

It’s a week to keep your eyes, ears and hearts open, and you could go beyond your usual mental, spiritual, time and space frontiers.

Mantra:  “Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha”

The week in bullet points:

• Today – travelling beyond your usual boundaries
• Tomorrow – a new spiritual beginning
• Tuesday  –  new physical energy

Saturn sextile Pluto

Nick Clegg, leader of the Lib Dems and Deputy Prime Minister, must have been feeling very confused last week.

At the beginning  of the week he couldn’t remember what he did know about rumours of sexual misconduct concerning Lib Dem Chief Executive Lord Rennard.  Pluto had been conjunct his natal Mercury…

…Then in the middle of the week, it emerged that he had heard a little innuendo, but no detail.  We were confused by his story, and there was yet another question mark over his integrity.

Just when he must have been beginning to despair of his situation, on Friday morning his party did well to retain the seat at Eastleigh vacated by Chris Huhne (who was fighting a speeding allegation from 10 years earlier and after years of denial finally admitted recently that he persuaded his wife to take the penalty).  Nick Clegg had to adjust his mindset from defeat to victory.

The main aspect of last week was the trine of the Sun to Saturn and its sextile to Pluto, on the day the by-election result was announced.  Was this double-surprise what was divinely intended?  One, that the Lib Dems, whose star looked on the wane, should keep Eastleigh.  Two, that the UKIP party, headed by the unique Nigel Farage, who nearly lost his life on the day of the last general election, should take second place.  Three surprises if you count separately that the Conservatives failed to take second place, and were beaten by UKIP into third place position.  Four surprises if you forgot that Labour were even a leading party in this country, and took fourth place.

Saturn sextile Pluto was being highlighted that day by the Sun’s glare, and next Friday the sextile becomes exact.  For some reason, the current order is important, and there may have been new realities to face in your life last Friday, which will be understood more clearly next Friday.

Nick Clegg had Mars opposite Pluto last week, so he was certainly under fire.  If he was born at Noon, he will also have had Uranus trine his natal Moon, indicating surprises.  Nigel Farage currently has Saturn sextile his natal Pluto, a serious step forward for him.  His survival of the plane crash in 2010 occurred under a sextile from Uranus (surprise and accidents) to his natal Venus.  The chart for the United Kingdom at this time has Pluto opposite its natal Pluto (thus linking in with the Saturn-Pluto sextile), which indicates an overthrow of the natural order.  Admittedly, this is only a by-election, but the order of the four parties is unusual.

Saturn sextile Pluto in your life may be throwing up an odd sequence of events which is contrary to the usual order of things, and forcing you took look at issues in a different way, such as the value of things you have taken for granted.  There may be some incredulity too, as in the case of the election – how could the anti-European party UKIP have so strongly captured the public mood?  Food for thought.

The Aspects

Tomorrow the Sun conjuncts Mercury – on a good meditation day, with Sun/Mercury conjunct in Pisces, you can experience crystal clear vision, right to the heart of things. It is a good week for aspects with only a tiny cloud in the blue sky.

This meditational aspect occurs at 12.58 pm, and just less than an hour later, at 13.52 Hrs Venus squares Jupiter, so a 56-minute mediation window then gives way to the blip of the week.

The glitch comes when you try to translate your meditation all insights into a socially acceptable form , for soon afterwards there is the square between Venus and Jupiter, and it might be best to confine your impressions in the form of a poem, for the time being. Venus squaring Jupiter is usually fairly harmless but can evoke inappropriate behaviour which can be misconstrued.

So let’s say you experience unconditional love in your meditation, then feel evangelical about it on your return to the room or your chair…you might want to tell the first person you see (the unsuspecting newbie in the meditation group perhaps) or even demonstrate the wonders of unconditional love.

“Whoa!” Is the reaction from the unprepared recipient. Maybe it’s the milkman-

“Hold on. You haven’t paid your bill for weeks. How dare you”.

Back to your poetry notebook for an apologia style poem…

For the meditator, rising above it all, the responses from the wider world may seem petty.  But in this post-Saville world there are some fine lines around personal boundaries, and attention has recently been focused on inappropriate touching, whistleblowers have been damaged.  So there may be some serious issues under the microscope during this usually well-meaning and fairly harmless aspect.  Julie Miller, A blogger on I Peace, a networking site, recently described her practice, on retiring at night, to ask for forgiveness for any unintended hurts she may have caused during the day.  Her actual words were “I make a point of asking for forgiveness every night even for things I may be unaware of”.

Tuesday (5^th) holds a conjunction between Venus and Chiron, a healing space for relationships, and forgiveness being one element of that.

Thursday (7th) is a busy day for relationships (Venus) but it’s all good.  By then you may have come down slightly from your unconditional high and begin to see how your new perspective can mesh with ordinary reality and existing relationship patterns.  There are three such aspects to process:

First, Venus sextiles Pluto. This may be helpful financially, and helps convey deep feelings in relationships.

Secondly, Venus trines Saturn and the virtues of commitment and loyalty can be comfortably demonstrated.

Thirdly, Mercury conjuncts Venus at 11 degrees Pisces, which enables you to write and broadcast it.

Curiously, I know three people who are scheduled to have neck (Venus) operations in this month (March).  One of them takes place on Friday (8^th) at the time of the Saturn-Pluto sextile, an aspect of major reconstruction.  This is a major aspect, and lays broad foundations.  It was highlighted last week in different ways, but crystallizes at the end of this week.  On Friday it may especially be applied to relationships.

Saturday (9^th) sees a conjunction between Mercury and Chiron, so health (as conventional and unconventionally treated) is emphasized, and perhaps even a forced co-operation between the allopathic and the natural forms of medicine, some shared consciousness between the two.  The surgery may have been necessary, but the aftercare can be shared hopefully.

The week in bullet points:

• Tomorrow – crystal clear thought; dodgy social performance
• Tuesday – relationship crisis and healing
• Thursday – all good on the relationship front
• Friday – the new order confirmed
• Saturday – radical thinking

From my Postbag:

“Oscar Pistorius…Does anything in his natal chart or his chart at the time of the murder connect to the South African chart and if so, how?”

Oscar Pistorius

Oscar Pistorius is currently on bail pending a charge of murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.  He is due to appear in court again on 4^th June.  Only Oscar himself knows the truth of what happened on Valentine’s Day, as Reeva’s father implies, in stating that Oscar must “live with his conscience.“  Can Astrology help us to look inside his mind?

Early Childhood

Oscar Pistorius was born with a congenital defect, an absence of the fibula in both legs.  A physical problem which is congenital usually (but not always) involves a karmic carryover from another lifetime, a problem which needs to be solved in this lifetime.  Whether it has any bearing on his current crisis, is at this point in time unknowable, unless you have a fine access to the akashic records.

The area of the body where this problem is situated is of interest to medical astrology.  At the age of 11 months, his legs were amputated halfway between the knee and the ankles.  Aquarius represents the area between the knee and the ankle, and his Ascendant in Aquarius is almost exactly halfway through the sign, at 12 degrees Aquarius.  Mars is in his 1^st House, and Mars represents surgery (as well as many other attributes he has such as courage, speed and determination).

Birthchart

Mercury at the top of Oscar’s chart on the cusp of his 10^th House would point to an athletic career as a runner.  Saturn late in the 10^th House may symbolize running into later problems in relation to his reputation.

He has the Warrior Archetype, as shown by the Sun in his 10^th House square closely his Mars in the 1^st House, and indeed his warrior must have been supremely self-motivating throughout the challenges of his life.

Three difficult natal aspects may link particularly with his disability: Mercury conjunct Pluto, Jupiter square Saturn, and Chiron opposite Uranus.

Pluto exactly conjunct the Midheaven would indicate a career and a life path which can swing to extremes in fortune and reputation.

Olympic Success

If I had been writing a blog about Oscar Pistorius last summer, it would have been a very different blog.  Scorpio courage defies the odds in athletic success, and makes his country proud.  Pluto was sextile his Pluto – a psychological triumph and overcoming of deep challenges.  Mars was transiting his South Node, so there was a karmic element in relation to using his past life challenges as a spur to achievement.  His natal North Node is in Aries, so the development of his individuality and potential had reached a marking point.  This may have ended a karmic cycle of the development of his male side.  The Paralympic gold medal shows up as an explosive event, in a transit of Mars to his Pluto/Midheaven.

Dating Reeva

Then began a new phase of his life, post-Olympics.  He began a new relationship, with Reeva Steenkamp, in November.  Jupiter was trine his Ascendant on the cusp of his 5^th House, indicating new love, but square his natal Jupiter which may have brought overconfidence.  Natally he has Moon square Venus, which may indicate that he would take time to mature emotionally, and the new relationship would have tested that, beginning around the time that Saturn was transiting his Venus (relationship).  In their synastry (chart compatibility) her Pluto was trine with his Mars, a very energetic connection which may have been difficult to handle.

The Events of Valentine’s Day

This Valentine’s Day, the day that Reeva died, was close in time to a sextile between Mars and Pluto, which again is very energetic but can be explosive and turn to violence.  Saturn was one degree away from an exact square with Oscar’s Ascendant, which may have been exact if the birth time has been rounded out (10.30 a.m.), cusping his 10^th House of Career and Notoriety.  Mars was exactly trine his Scorpio Midheaven, linking warriorship also with his reputation for that time.  Neptune was exactly square Reeva’s Jupiter, representing complex issues about trust and faith.  If she was born at Noon, Pluto would have been exactly conjunct her Moon, but we do not have a birth time for her.  What happened that day, and how conscious was he of what he was doing in the middle of the night?  How much control did he have over his actions and emotions?  The murder was not premeditated in terms of being a carefully executed plan, with clues hidden and alibis.  He has admitted that he killed her.  Deborah Orr wrote in the Guardian yesterday that “Pistorius’ case is an empty vessel into which all our prejudices can be poured… Reluctance  to take his story at face value is driven not by dispassionate examination of the evidence, but by more general views about the vulnerability of women to violence from their partners.”  I will be circumspect about my own views…if I have not already said too much already.

From my Postbag:

“Oscar Pistorius…Does anything in his natal chart or his chart at the time of the murder connect to the South African chart and if so, how?”

And so to the question in hand (from my Postbag), sometimes you just have to ask the right question.  I chose to use the 1994 chart of Mandela’s inauguration, because of the implied emphasis in the email on the development of the new South African state.  What was revealed was an astonishing link between Pistorius’ chart and that of his nation.  There is an exact square between Oscar’s Saturn and the Saturn of the new state (difficult spurs to mutual development).  There is an exact square between Oscar’s Mars and the Pluto of the new state (pressures of the state triggering Oscar’s energies and efforts).  And there is an exact conjunction between Oscar’s Pluto and the Jupiter of the new state (aggrandizement of Oscar’s deeper energies and psychology by the hope, expectations and aspirations of the state).  The handling of the case has already thrown up issues about policing and court procedures, and is putting the state under the microscope, and through fire.  How Oscar handles himself through what is going to be a long process, and how the state shows its integrity in handling this difficult event, may well be an important period of growth for both.

Aspects

There is a Full Moon in Virgo tomorrow, where we will be torn by looking at the minutiae of our lives and the bigger picture.  The Moon at its full always opposes the Sun, so emotionally we will be focused on details that drive us dotty, but in our wider consciousness we will be attuned to its opposite, the wide sea of Pisces and collective issues.  Later in the day, and operational during the Full Moon itself, Jupiter will be squaring the Sun, so making us away of global events and issues, and how they impact our lives, such as ecology and pollution.

On Tuesday (26^th) Venus enters Pisces, and the general feeling will go from Venus-in-Aquarius-mode which is idealistic in an intellectual and theoretical way about relationships, to a more sentimental and perhaps romantically idealized or even rose-tinted perspective.  Later on, but still early in the day, Mars conjuncts Mercury, and the rose tints may be put under the spotlight and analyzed for a while to see if they can stand scrutiny.  Incident-proneness may be operational, especially in relation to travel.  Irritability for some, productivity for others.

On Wednesday (27^th) Chiron conjuncts the Sun, bringing to emphasis healing initiatives, such as government ideas about what we should eat, and what we should weigh, and how much we should exercise.  However, it is a good day for going within to determine what is right and what is healing for ourselves as individuals.

On Thursday (28^th) Venus conjuncts Neptune and the Fixed Star Fomalhaut at 3 degrees Pisces, at best inspiration in the Arts and creative expression.  This benefits some psychological areas of healing and spirituality, such as tackling the issue of addiction.  There may be some confusion in relationships too, or in monetary arrangements.

Friday 1^st March can be extraordinarily constructive, with first a sextile between the Sun and Pluto at lunchtime, balancing hope and realism, light and shade, in your life.  Then in the evening the Sun trines Saturn, revealing the possibility of constructive plans and ways forward.  The prevailing sextile between Saturn and Pluto is highlighted, which is about constructive ways of handling the current huge challenges that we face personally and collectively.

Winners

I do not have a tendency to win competitions, having Saturn in the 5^th House of Speculation square to my Sun.  However, I received a welcome phonecall out of the blue last week from Cygnus Books http://www.cygnus-books.co.uk informing me that I had won a free book order at random, by virtue of the fact that the previous week had been Random Acts of Kindness Week.  Needless to say I was delighted.  It does remind you that every week needs to be a week of random acts of kindness, both given and received.

Which brings me to the winners of the Richard III competition, to revise the mnemonic for the colours of the rainbow, ROYGBIV (Richard of York Gave Battle In Vain) in the light of his recent change in circumstances.  My decision is to award first place to Daphne (a regular commenter) for the new mnemonic of “Richard of York Goes Beyond Immoral Vengeance”.  And there is a runner-up prize for Sandra (a regular reader) for her entry “Richard the Third – unheard?” which doesn’t exactly fit the brief, but is plaintively evocative.  First prize is a Year Ahead for the winner or someone of her choice, and second prize is a Now for the winner or someone of her choice.

http://www.lanawooster.co.uk/blog/2007/11/the-now/ for explanation.

Don’t forget to claim your prizes, ladies!

The week in bullet points:

• Tomorrow – attentions stretched
• Tuesday – rosy dreams, then attention to productivity
• Wednesday – healing focus
• Thursday – idealism
• Friday – getting to grips with problem-solving

Pisces New Moon Mandala painted by Sarah Berry
Line Mandala from Mandala Colouring Book by Barry Stevens
available at http://www.mandalas.freeserve.co.uk/colouringinbook.html

This is one of the culminating articles in an occasional series written about the expertise of each Sun Sign. The articles will be found under the category “Zodiac Masterclass” and eventually there will be 12 such articles, e.g. “The Gemini Guide to Communication”, “The Leo Guide to Leadership”etc. each by someone who has the Sun Sign in question and published in their season. I am still looking for the final piece in the puzzle, the person who can write “The Capricorn Guide to Ambition”…

Here guest blogger and Yoga teacher Alison Charles writes her own story of the Piscean guide to Compassion, which is an archetype for both the sign and its quality, as it interweaves dimensions of truth and poetry and the wisdom of life. Alison is a family member!

This component of the  Zodiac Masterclass has an interesting history: it just missed the deadline for last year, but I am sure you are reading it exactly when it is meant to be read.

A word about the mandala: I often give dusky pink as a colour for Pisces because comes between the Magenta of Aquarius, and softly links the colour spectrum with the Red of Aries.

The Pisces Guide to Compassion

by Alison Charles

‘Seek to know the universe and you will know nothing at all……..seek
to know yourself, and you will know the universe’

‘Seek to know the universe and you will know nothing at all……..seek to know yourself, and you will know the universe’. I first saw this probably ten years ago, and it has resonated more and more as the years have progressed.

For some reason I come with a harsh inner monologue – a lifetime of constant ‘that’s not good enough’, ‘one day you will exposed and humiliated’, ‘you are selfish’ etc, etc. Baffling. Whilst I heard this voice and reacted to it, on one level I had no conscious idea that perhaps it could change and that perhaps there was another way.

I struggled. Life was a puzzle that had to be solved, put right and perfected, and I experienced the world as hostile.

My inner world reflected the outer world and for a long time I was filled with righteous indignation and anger at others. I was an angry child and a very angry teenager. Although this was also coupled with a deep desire to change others, the way they thought, talked, behaved and to relieve their suffering, but really that was only because I found other’s suffering unbearable, I would see another suffer and I genuinely felt that I was suffering too (sometimes even more so!). My desire to help them stop suffering was in order to relieve my pain. Years and years of self-help books and constant frustration ensued.

I had no compassion for myself and I certainly had none for anyone else. I lived a fearful existence, and an ambivalence at my existence at all, almost as if my place on this earth was not secure and really, if I chose to I could leave at any time, if it really became that painful.

The difference today is that I have tools to soothe this anxiety with which I meet the world, and I know that I am not alone; every day I endeavour to tell myself that it is one foot in front of the other and that it’s important that I turn up, and that usually works.

It’s knowing these things about myself, the way my mind works, hearing the now audible inner monologue, that there are days when I can feel devastatingly vulnerable, that make me the human being that I am. The knowledge and experience of my own humanity opens my eyes and my heart
to others.

In 1996 I started the practice of Yoga and soon trained to teach it. Physically able, I grew physically strong, and I associated myself with my physical strength. At the time, my desire was to teach people to bring them to the place where I was. I was not really taking into account anything about them, reluctantly modifying the practice for those less able. It took time, a broken ankle, various back problems and neck problems to cut myself a bit of slack. Through learning to teach people yoga who were debilitated by cancer and the treatment for cancer, I realized that the most powerful thing I could do was to meet someone exactly where they were. That sometimes people cannot be brought back to full health, and that the practice for them was to work on acceptance for where they are, and even more so, that this practice is actually universal. That there as a respect in that, love in that, and with love so very much more is possible.

I began to practice a type of meditation called Antar Mouna – for so long the meditation I would practice would take me to a faraway place, an escape. I was shown that through the practice of Antar Mouna I simply sat and watched, my anger, disappointment, joy, frustration, avoidance and of course the spectrum of all human experience.

In February of 1999 my father died suddenly, from pneumonia, as a result of lung cancer, and just a few weeks later my brother Andrew began to show symptoms of the development of a disease that would lead to his degeneration over the next few months and subsequent death in October 1999. I struggled with accepting Andrew was dying, more so, it would seem, than he did. I read the book “The Tibetan book of Dying” by Sogyal Rimpoche. In it one image stuck with me, that if I were to clutch something tightly in my hand, my fingers would be broken if I was forced to release it. The most loving thing to do was to open my hand and release it. It wasn’t just what I wanted. Again I had to work on my acceptance.

My journey feels like it’s been slow, however I realize that there is a divine timing, and compassion for me today is in action. A realization that every thought, word and deed has a consequence, ripples and repercussions. It really is my desire to make those ripples loving. Being human I will stumble . These days, mostly, the world is a beautiful place. I am surrounded by love.

“We all live in a Yellow Submarine” ~ The Beatles

This week’s blog concentrates on the Pope’s resignation, and the Sun’s conjunction with Neptune, which are closely linked in nature.

From my Postbag:

“I 1der if u will b bloggin re Pope’s abdication? on sun. I do hp sum1 mre enlitened in the ways of the world (ie contraception) will cum along. Perhaps all the paedo scandal in the church was jst 2 mch 4 a v old man!  U always hve so mch wisdom in ure views, I wud b interestd 2 no wat u think. Lv & hugs – jxxx”

(No it’s not Mediaeval Latin)…

Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict’s resignation came as a shock, except to some Astrologers who had predicted it.   8 pm on 28^th February would seem a good choice for a planned retirement, since Uranus (change) will be trine his natal Saturn (planning).  The last Pope to have given up serving before he dropped was Pope Celestine V in 1294, who lasted only a few months.  It is amazing that they continued for 600 years without any Pope giving in.

His Taurean predecessor Pope John Paul II was more cuddly than the Aries Pope Benedict, who also has the Warrior Archetype (North Node conjunct Mars).  His role for many years was as aide, protector and confidant to the previous Pope.  Ariens and Taureans are often found together, but it is usually the Taurean supporting the Aries.  However, this is an example of how it works the other way round.  I suspect that his support to John Paul II was a major part of his karmic mission, being in his prime, and that to be a Pope was not suited to his natural tendency of being an academic (his ruler Mars being in late Gemini).

Pope Benedict has not been known for his modernism, but in one respect he follows the modern approach and breaking with tradition, and that is in the manner of his leaving.  Modern views of compassion for the self (Age of Aquarius), not taken lightly, but going against conditioned thought, as against the Piscean view of self-sacrifice which will have been motive for previous Popes serving to the end.  He must have had many a conversation with God before taking such a step.

The Prophecy of St Malachy from the 12^th Century indicates that the next Pope may be the last.  Ariens and Taureans are not known for their reforming zeal, but an Aquarian Pope may fit that brief, as many feel reform is what is required.  I am looking out for an Aquarian candidate, but no luck so far.

Aspects

On Monday at 12.02 hrs the Sun enters Pisces, and we begin to taste the essence of Pisces. I will be posting the penultimate in the Zodiac Masterclass series, the Piscean Guide to Compassion, by Yoga teacher Alison Charles.  Look out for that!

It is indeed Essence of Piscean Week, more than usually so for this time of the year, with Neptune in its own sign and several (Sun, Neptune, Chiron, Mars and Mercury) planets in Pisces.

The themes are not unrelated to the Pope’s resignation, for Pisces represents aspects of renunciation, surrender and divinity come with this, and the story will be current for the whole of this week and beyond.

Pause for a moment, the question is: have you enjoyed all the planets being direct?  Did you even notice?  We tend to notice when they go retrograde, and two will do so this week, the first being Saturn later on Monday.  Saturn going retrograde may mean that you may have to retrace your steps on a project.

With planets going retrograde, and the only aspect this week being Sun conjunct Neptune, the tone of the week is quite passive.  Non-action will possibly achieve more than action, so brush up your copy of Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, and follow the natural, organic processes of life.

“When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.” ~ Lao Tzu

Sun conjunct Neptune

On Thursday (21^st) we have the aspect of the week, Sun conjunct Neptune, an aspect which comes once a year.  It represents riddles, mystery and wonder; complexity and possible confusion.  We may reach the centre of the labyrinth.  Our actions may grind to a halt, and we may be forced to go into our inner resources and processes.  This aspect represents the deep reaches of the sea, and coincidentally Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is launching sea ecology projects (with Neptune sextile his Mercury-Venus conjunction).  Immersion under water, or emotion as its psychological counterpart, is the feeling under the influence of this aspect.  This may be reflected in the day’s weather or climate too, but rest assured neither the Boxing Day Tsunami (2004) nor the Japanese Tsunami (2011) took place under this aspect.  It is a pause for thought.  Past-life phobias, such as from drowning, may come up, and addictions may be highlighted.  The conjunction happens be aligned with the star Fomalhaut in Pisces Austrini.  “Starlight Elixirs” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld states:

“This star has an excellent ability to release addictive states by bringing to consciousness the purpose of addictions…The awareness of past-life connections that create the necessity for such addictions also comes to one’s consciousness with repeated use of this star.” 

Sun conjunct Neptune in the birth chart

Paul McKenna

Paul McKenna, who works through hypnosis,  has Sun exactly conjunct Neptune plum in the middle of Scorpio.  It could be that he sometimes feels submerged in the collective unconscious, taking people into the depths of their minds and Unconscious. The deep nature of his work may weigh on him to an extent, and he revealed recently that he has been battling with depression, which is probably linked with his natal Mercury-Saturn square.  At the beginning of his public career, there was an attraction to the glamour and illusion of the game, and stage hypnotism.  Then he gravitated towards using his gifts for healing.  His new book “Hypnotic Gastric Band” takes the success of his “I Can Make You Thin” work a step further.  I have known people who have benefitted from his approach.

John Keats

John Keats also had this aspect in Scorpio, and was among the greatest of the English poets, channelling the depth of his feeling into classical poetry, seeing deeply into nature, and the dilemmas of human existence.

On the sea, he wrote: “It keeps eternal whisperings around desolate shores”, and he penned his own epitaph as “here lies one whose name was writ in water.”  He died 192 years ago this week, on 23rd February.

The current Sun-Neptune conjunction is in Pisces, even more nebulous, mysterious and overwhelming, and in terms of human evolution a more advanced initiation than that of Sun-Neptune in Scorpio.

Mercury Retrograde

On Saturday (23^rd) Mercury goes into Retrograde mode.  What does he think of his latest photo, which has been spiced up from the natural beige tones to blue-green, to look more interesting and to provide us with information on its geography?  It is a beautiful photograph, but will we experience Mercury Retrograde any differently?  It may generate more love for the planet possibly, and that may mitigate some of its usual bad press in relation to communication during its retrograde run.

Competition still open

The competition for the new mnemonic for Richard III to reflect his changed circumstances will be held open for another week.  The prize is a Year Ahead for you or someone of your choice.  ROYGBIV, Richard of York Gave Battle In Vain, used to remember the colours of the rainbow in order, needs to be revamped, and who better than the readers of my blog.  I know that some of you out there have a way with words…!

Here’s the link, in case you missed it the first time round:

http://www.lanawooster.co.uk/blog/2013/02/richard-iii-1452-1485/

The week in bullet points:

• Tomorrow – A good day for swimming, and retracing your steps
• Thursday – Perfect your swimming strokes
• Saturday – A challenge to perfect your communications; love your Mercury

Jupiter in Gemini – A Review

Jupiter has been in Gemini since last June, and will be there for a few more months: time to review its performance, before it goes into the sign of Cancer.  Like the Chinese New Year signs, Jupiter moves one sign per year, and sometimes it coincides with its Chinese animal, and sometimes it doesn’t.  Today is the beginning of the Year of the Snake, and neither Gemini nor Cancer correspond.  The Year of the Snake, animal totem speak wise, would be Jupiter in Scorpio.

Blogging on 10^th June 2012 my hopes were:

Jupiter in Gemini

New ideas will be coming in, though not necessarily of the economic variety just yet, and new ways of thinking.

Communication will also be stimulated, both in your personal life and in the Communications Industry.

Publishing too may have a revival, and initiatives in Education.

If you are a Gemini you can look forward to growth this year, with a special surge when Jupiter transits your actual natal Sun.

The Reality – Jupiter’s Report Card

The reality has brought changes in the areas governed by Gemini, but not as positive as is usual for Jupiter’s influence.

Leveson

Newpapers, media and broadcasting have had to become more aware and responsible, but the Leveson Enquiry and its findings have not yet delivered optimum results.  Jupiter was retrograde, and still has a few more months to run forwards.  That may be an opportunity to deliver some positive change in these areas.  The prevailing view is that there has not been enough government-backed change, and the moral pressure has been left to the self-regulation of the press.  A new campaign backed by Gerry McCann has been reported, to push forward initiatives.

Michael Gove

Michael Gove might be the wrong person at the right time, for he has tried to bring change in this period to Education, the area which Jupiter would benefit now.  But his changes have been retro in nature, not futuristically visionary.  The interesting thing astrologically about this is that he announced his U-turn (about overhauling the GCSE system) just after Jupiter turned direct!  Neptune is currently exactly opposite his Sun this year, so he is confused.  Today’s Observer leader writes “At heart, the problem is that Gove is trying to make an education system fashioned out of his own education experiences”.

Personal Applications

In previous sojourns of Jupiter through my 2^nd House of Finance in Gemini, I was invited to write a magazine column, and had a major influx of work (my day job was always secretarial, a province of Gemini). So far, I have not noticed any major effect on my earning ability, so I am hoping that I can do better before Jupiter leaves this House and sign.  The daughter of some friends took an exam (again, Gemini) when Jupiter transitted her natal Sun at the beginning of Gemini last summer: normally this would indicate a guaranteed success, but she did not pass the exam.  Jupiter is not easily coming up with the goods at this time, for some reason.

Campaign for Supporting Jupiter!

It is possible that Jupiter’s push to achieve its aims socially and personally have been cowed by the Uranus-Pluto square.  But it would be helpful to polish your own Jupiter principle and make headway in the area of your life covered by the sign of Gemini in the next few months.  If you know the House it falls in within your own personal chart, then you can focus more accurately than just upholding the principles of clear communication and progress in education.  Use it, or lose it, I say!

Aspects

With a New Moon in Aquarius today, and the beginning of the Chinese New Year of the Snake, it denotes new beginnings all round.  This website was launched on the Aquarian New Moon of 2006, and the blog followed on a year later.  So what would you like to begin this Aquarian New Moon, bearing in mind that computers and technology have an affinity with Aquarius?

As for the Year of the Snake, I know nothing, other than its characteristics correspond to the western zodiacal sign of Scorpio, sizzling with mystery.  The main aspect to Scorpio’s ruling planet Pluto this year is the continuing square with Uranus, which adds shock and awe to mystery.  Either way doesn’t make for smooth sailing.

We had some squares yesterday, and the beginning of the week brings another two to contend with, after which it is plainer sailing.  Mars squares Jupiter today, which can bring a flare up of over-the-top enthusiasm, which is OK unless you don’t know when to stop.  If you are a Sagittarian, you may not.  There may be a lot of hot air for the fire signs generally, so the cooler earth and air signs could need to bring out the equipment to fan the flames.

Tomorrow Venus squares Saturn, so if we are going to have emotional disappointments we might as well have them right at the start of the week, so that we can deal with them and put them behind us, and clear our minds for the more constructive aspects to come.

Tuesday’s (12^th) sextile between Mercury and Pluto is important for settling medical and psychological issues.  Scan your body and mind and get to the heart of things.

Mercury also trines Saturn on Tuesday, and that is the formulation of plans based on your researches and findings.

Friday (15^th) is the day of the fly past of asteroid 2012 DA14 at 7.24 pm GMT.  We have been reassured that the asteroid will miss planet Earth by 17,100 miles.  As it is a unique event, we have no way of knowing what impact it will make on our consciousness, but I personally found that Halley’s comet in 1985 and comet Shoemaker-Levy’s collision with Jupiter in 1994 were profoundly felt experiences.  So if you experience anything unusual that day it could be due to the asteroid passing through the aura of our Earth.  Asteroids generally have become high profile in modern astrology, so it is your chance to find out how much power they exert.

But the day’s main aspect Mars sextile Pluto is a very strong and energetic one, so you may have difficulty distinguishing the experiences.  Some serious work can be accomplished, and shifting of energies experienced with Mars engaging with Pluto in this way.  You can knuckle down with others to long term projects, but others may prefer to lock horns.  If Sunday’s cooling equipment is still serviceable, time to bring it out again.

Last but not least, Mars trines Saturn on Saturday (16^th) and on the ground much laying of foundations can be successful, at the end of what looks like a productive week.

Richard III

When I was a student in the History Department of Nottingham University back in 1969, the History Society Christmas party was a cosy fireside chat with our Medieval History lecturer about the Princes in the Tower…Richard III has haunted me for most of the week, and I dare say I am not alone.  So read the blog I posted earlier, to find out why!

The week in bullet points:

• Today – new beginnings, and new enthusiasms
• Monday – letting go in relationships
• Tuesday – examinations of a deep nature, and plans
• Friday – strong energies and shifts
• Saturday – laying foundations

“Now is the winter of our discontent, made glorious summer by this sun of York”

Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain

Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet

Now that we have stared into the reconstruction of Richard III’s face thanks to the finding of his skull, he has become a modern celebrity, and we feel that we know him.

Monday 4^th February was the day of unveiling the DNA results produced from unearthing his bones, and also the matching TV programme.

The television programme was fascinating, especially the role of his advocate, Philippa Langley, of the Richard III Society.  She became intensely involved after reading a biography of Richard III 15 years ago, and while standing in a car park in Leicester identified the spot where he had been buried.  Thus began a chain of events leading up to first his unearthing, and then the confirmation of his identification.I was very moved by her faith in him, and her own faith in her intuition.  She must have a very special karmic link with him.

The identification of the spot in which Richard was buried may have been through the astral emanations on the site, but clearly there was more at work.  Philippa was led to that spot, and that may have involved some telepathic connection with his Soul.

Several issues were raised by the programme, and his disability (scoliosis) was confirmed and highlighted.  According to Louise L. Hay the dis-ease of scoliosis is related to issues of responsibility.  I do not (yet) have a sufficiently extensive set of charts to identify an astrological signature for this, but it does seem to me that his Mercury conjunct Saturn square to his Chiron is a contributory set of aspects.

Another issue arising was his effeminacy.   Rather than having an effeminate chart, I see him as graceful with four planets in the sign of Libra.  The bone expert on the programme actually used the term “gracilis” as an alternative to feminine.

The day he was unearthed last September was a good day in relation to the aspects in his natal chart:  He had Jupiter exactly trine his Mercury, Saturn exactly trine his Jupiter, and the North Node (karma) exactly trine his Uranus (surprise).

Monday’s confirmation of his DNA was also a very good day in relation to the aspects to his natal chart, among which the North Node exactly conjunct his Venus (his feelings honoured by karma)

The next question on the agenda was where he should be laid to rest.  Should he go to York Minster, Leicester Cathedral, or Middleham Castle where he lived peaceably early in life ?  Or even Fotheringay Castle, where he started out that life. There is evidence to suggest that he wished to be buried at York Minster, according to the historian A.J. Pollard. The Soul that was or is Richard may have incarnated in between that lifetime and this, but it is clear that he has literally moved heaven and earth to rescue that portion of his soul which was trapped and restless under the Leicester car park.

I am sure that this event is the beginning of the restoration of his karma, but it has taken centuries to unravel, and could take a while longer.

If you were viewing the event solely on this lifetime, there might be a case for saying it is a cut and dried matter of Leicester getting to keep Richard, having done all the work to unearth him.  They have promised full honours in Leicester Cathedral, but will that be enough to pacify him so that he does not wish to be unearthed again?  It is important to get it right.

But if you believe in reincarnation and karma, you would have to take account what he would have wished, and the sufferings he endured as well as those he gave out.  And factor in that his sufferings in his life during the Wars of the Roses may have been karmic from earlier lifetimes. Whether or not he was responsible for the fate of the Princes, it is not our place to judge and we do not know the whole picture.

The karma directly affected the history of our U.K. royalty, and did not only involve Leicester and York, but Lancaster, and many other places too.  Richard’s story changed the course of history, but Shakespeare may have distorted his account of Richard’s history, perhaps unnecessarily vilifying him

The ensuing storm of where he should go and dispute about his character may seem unsettling, but I feel strongly that the force of his character or the wish of his Soul is that this should happen, for karmic clearing purposes.

The story rattled on through the week, and on Thursday it came to light, after over 11000 people had signed a petition on his behalf to be buried at York Minster, that York did not want him…There was also a petition for him to stay in Leicester.  A new War of the Roses was well under way.  Westminster Abbey was mooted as a possible way of averting confrontation.

Richard III and U.K. Karma

The U.K. chart has powerful links with Richard’s, showing the karmic importance of his life.  The U.K. Jupiter is exactly square his Pluto, depicting the huge symbolism of his (unprecedented) unearthing.  Richard’s Pluto is sextile the U.K. Ascendant, deepening the meaning and significance of his death.

The chart of his death at Bosworth Field takes on a huge significance as being the turning point of the continuation of the royal line (not his).  It is a real what-might-have-been moment.  Fittingly, Pluto at his death was exactly sextile the U.K. Sun, indicating a complete change of course for the royal line (Sun).

Conclusion

For me the process of choosing his final resting place should go to Philippa Langley, who found him.  She clearly has a special connection with  him, and the capacity to find out his true wishes.

With special thanks to Janet Leng and Daphne Charles for some of the information provided

Hilary Mantel wins again

Was Hilary Mantel deserving of a second (or third) prize for her Tudor novels?  Don’t ask me, for I am constitutionally incapable of reading fiction (let alone gargantuan works), but ironically I did manage to finish a work of fiction this week (my first in years): “The Ladies Paradise”, by Emile Zola, a writer favoured in this household.

Fortunately, I do know many people who have read “Wolf Hall” and a few who have read its sequel “Bring up the Bodies” (which may have inspired the disinterring of Richard III last year from a Leicester car park).

Hubby writes:

“Man for All Seasons painted a picture of ‘Saint’ Thomas More, whilst depicting Thomas Cromwell as a nasty villain who only wanted to wield power and totally lacked integrity. Hilary Mantel gave a picture of More as rather cruel, observed as wearing a hair shirt, and alternatively showing Cromwell as loyal to Wolsey and to the King, but with some integrity and acting with good intentions”.

Mantel certainly has turned the Tudor tale on its axis, and turned the current literary scene too.  The Guardian printed an article last week imploring that she didn’t receive the award, and to let someone else have the opportunity!  She won the Man Booker prize for “Wolf Hall” in 2009.  Her second book “Bring up the Bodies” won the 2012 Man Booker prize, and the Costa Book of the Year award last week.

What has interested me about Hilary Mantel since I first set eyes on her is her astrology, and her past lives!  As soon as I saw her on television, I was hooked.  With her round face and big blue eyes, she looked like the textbook Cancerian which she is.  Moreover, she had Cancerian health issues, centring around the female reproductive system (endemetriosis).

These issues may also have stemmed from past life patterns, according to an account she gave of a regression that she had, although she did feel ambivalent about it.  Her friend, the novelist Adam Thorpe (author of “Ulverton”, a work of English rural history) also seems to have an interest in past lives, and may well be a member of her Soul group.

The brilliance of her intuition and spellbinding storytelling is shown in her chart by Sun exactly conjunct Uranus in Cancer (a sign associated with literature and imagination), and her success assisted by an exact sextile of Jupiter to this conjunction.  Her dramatic perception and depiction of the past and historical power play is shown by Pluto on the South Node.  That she can sustain her writing almost in the manner of a Russian novelist, is enabled by an exact sextile between her Mercury and Saturn.

From the beginning, I had thought her level of interest and the detail plus the imagination of her original book “Wolf Hall” must have been written with some level of past-life recall, with an interplay between her conscious and unconscious mind. She may well have observed the material she writes about at close quarters, at the time it was played out.  And that is how I feel about several writers of the historical genre (fiction or non-fiction) who tend to write about and specialize in a particular era.

Hilary Mantel and Regression

Hilary wrote about her “brush” with regression in a Guardian article of January 2010.  She was not comfortable with her practitioner (you do need to choose a practitioner you are comfortable with), but did experience enough to grasp the issues involved and own her feelings about it.  She writes about being aware of her own current life at the same time as experiencing the past life (which is what I aim for when working).

In her own words:

“…I was aware of everything around me…yet I was on board ship, I was in a railway car, I was in an alien land.  I was still inside Sara, or she inside me, when she reached her 70s and her heart failed”.

I am including this post loosely under the category of “Book Review”.  Perhaps any readers who have read the books can provide their impressions under “Comments” in order to actually shape it into a book review!  I say bring on the third in the trilogy, for it’s good to see someone make the most of their astrological potential, and make a fine art of winning literary awards.

Aspects

The aspects start tomorrow, with a conjunction between Mars and Neptune.  Never does action get so complicated than under a conjunction of Mars and Neptune.  It demands that you use every ounce of sensitivity to get it right.  If not, there can be complications, such as hurt feelings, and issues arising seemingly from nowhere which you would never have dreamed of.  Of course, no matter how much thought you could give, you might never encompass all the possible issues, so it may be necessary to go into mystical mode and see things from a larger perspective, where you might pick up some clues to how to handle a situation.

Mercury enters Pisces on Tuesday (5^th), enabling you to sustain a mystical perspective, perhaps informed by the previous day’s tussles.  This may enable you to work further on the activity or issue, and refine your understanding.  Mercury will be going back and forth in Pisces until 13^th April, which is a long stay for quicksilver Mercury.  Therefore, these two months are perfect for establishing a regime of meditation, or working along a spiritual line.  If new to mysticism, you can study the poetry of the famous mystics such as Theresa of Avila and St John of the Cross (Salvador Dali thought he was a reincarnation of St John of the Cross and claimed to have clear memory of his life, so that is an interesting study in itself).  You may already be established in your own spiritual or mystical path, in which case your own Soul will inform the route, but these two months will be good for such contemplation.

Venus sextiles Uranus on Wednesday (6^th), and this is one of two aspects which I have already written blogs about, so I will include them under further reading at the foot of this post.  I associate this aspect with exciting and special meetings.  Although it occurs twice a year, sometimes these meetings can be life-changing.

Late on Wednesday evening, Mercury conjuncts Neptune, so the meditational and mystical thread is strengthened.  It is the sort of aspect where, if you are dropping off to sleep, in that hypnagogic state, you may receive a major insight into a problem you have been turning over, or your guides may drop in some helpful imagery or information.  Even if you are not a channeller, you may find yourself channeling.

Then on Thursday (7^th) Venus trines Jupiter, the second aspect this week which I have written about in a particular blog, and therefore referenced below.  Both these aspects involve Venus, both are extremely positive, and both are very social aspects.  So if you are having any special social arrangements this week, they will feel as though they are meant to be, and are likely to go with a swing.  Venus trine Jupiter is romantic and celebratory, associated with engagements among other affairs of the heart.

Apart from today, which seems to be a day of rest for you and the aspects, there is an aspect every day of the week.  On to Friday (8^th): Mercury conjuncts Mars, and this could be an ideal day to ditch the contemplation and go all out for action, if you are in a positive frame of mind.  If angry or negative, accidents could happen.  If you are working mainly on the intellectual plane, it is a good day to write a critique or review, or a short sharp article for a magazine on a topical subject.  It’s very much a case of how the moment takes you, so keep your thoughts and feelings positive while you work and much can be achieved.  Transport and cycling are zippy too.

And Saturday (9^th) brings two more aspects to work with, of a slightly more challenging hue (both squares).  The first square is between Mercury and Jupiter.  If you were successful and productive yesterday, you might feel you can zip along the same way, but won’t find the same support from the Universe.  Yesterday’s activities may have generated too many interests, and you may find yourself over-stretched, with your mind scattered.  If you are working globally, you may feel (temporarily) that you have taken on too much.  Make sure that what you do tackle, you engage with thoroughly, and prioritize so that you identify components or issues which can wait.

The second square is actually a T-square between the Sun and the Nodal Axis, so you may be working in a group to bring coherence to a project, or trying to adjust power issues.  If working creatively, you may be working on a higher level, and accessing past life connections.  You will at any rate, need to ensure that all karmic requirements are satisfied.  Leos may be at the centre of this interconnection.

Further related reading:

On Venus sextile Uranus

http://www.lanawooster.co.uk/blog/2012/04/aspect-for-the-week-beginning-8-april-2012-venus-sextile-uranus/

On Venus trine Jupiter

http://www.lanawooster.co.uk/blog/2012/11/aspect-for-the-week-beginning-4-november-2012/

The week in bullet points:

• Tomorrow – finely tuned action at best
• Tuesday – a mystical perspective
• Wednesday – special encounters; then mystical attunement or confusion
• Thursday – celebration
• Friday – brisk business
• Saturday – mental overstretching; balance power in groups