Citizen Smith, and the Tooting Popular Front, your time has come! Actor Robert Lindsay, who played Wolfie Smith in the TV sitcom back in the 1970s, has (like me) his second Saturn Return this week, and his past role may come back to haunt him (pleasantly I hope). For the Saturn-Uranus opposition which has had us all in a nutcracker grip for some time finally reveals on Tuesday the nut or fruit within, the truth behind the form. We can see this squeeze at work in our lives, in the lives of those around us, and of course in the fascinatingly-staged US Presidential Election. Will Barack Obama be elected, and will Capitalism be brought down in a single stroke? This constitutes the hope, and fear, for many people worldwide (see my earlier blogs on this opposition). Is there anything else happening this week? Well yes, but all other planetary placements pale in comparison, but must be blogged nevertheless. Neptune goes stationary today prior to turning direct, so that will enable us to see things more clearly on a spiritual level. We are all now seeing more of the truth that lies behind the illusion, as more is being revealed esoterically and exoterically. Tomorrow (Monday 3rd) highlights the fact that Venus forms a T-square with the Saturn-Uranus opposition this week as Venus tackles first Saturn then Uranus. Many people will feel out of their comfort zone in contemplating changes that might happen, e.g. if Obama is elected, or if the shares plummet even further. Venus also represents the Arts, and it may represent a turning away from art which is meaningless or superficial, and be the spur for a new artistic trend based on true values. So sell off any dubious Brit Art items you are holding, and make a space for the new Art. Relationships too will be tested for their mettle on Monday. The supporting astrological events for Tuesday (4th) begin with Mercury sextile Pluto in the early hours of the morning (UK time). This is a profound aspect attuning us to deeper ways of thinking, and serious issues requiring our mental attention. No U.S. voter is likely to step into the polling booth lightly! At breakfast-time Mars squares Neptune, giving way and falling prey to last-minute irrational thoughts and paranoias – “what would happen if so-and-so were elected…?” Other planetary tribes may be more focussed on practical issues connected with leaks or flooding which can accompany this aspect. If you are not experiencing a water leak, check out your aura for emotional leaks. Compassion is well-centred, but sympathy can overstretch your emotional boundaries. The Saturn-Uranus opposition itself occurs at lunchtime in the UK, but at the start of the working day in the U.S. Later on around afternoon tea (back to UK time), Mercury enters Scorpio and the mental mood swings from equanimity and seeing both sides (Mercury in Libra) to passionate positionality: “I’ve cast my vote, now I’m going to stick with it!” Wednesday (5th) is of course when the denouement in reality will be known, and Venus sextiles Neptune. That’s an interesting tone for the day after an election: balmy and idealistic, almost serene, like swinging on a hammock. Again, I am sitting firmly on the fence, because it is difficult to categorically tell from their charts which presidential candidate will be swinging on that metaphorical hammock…but there will be an air of dreaming about what is possible, generally. On the art front aspiring and upcoming Artists of the New Age take note, this would be a golden day to start a new art movement. On a more provincial level, you could host a Paint Pod event. Relationships will move to a more spiritual stage. All the agony and empathy of this week could leave you exhausted in the second half, so take care of yourselves. Saturday (8th) sees Chiron squaring the Sun and healing may be needed, or at the very least catching up with yourself, coming back to your own core and centredness after all the outward focus. It’s a new dawn, so take stock of how you are feeling in relation to that.

(“Saturn opposite Uranus – Intro” appeared in September)

I don’t have the facilities for sound on this website, but if I was playing a song to accompany this update on Saturn’s opposition to Uranus and its dismantling of structures, it would be “Something’s gotta Give” sung by Frank Sinatra, which starts: “When an irresistable force such as you…” Please hum along as you read. The Saturn-Uranus opposition arrives on Tuesday 4th November, and the next two or three days we have left is a space for plea-bargaining with the Universe. For the Saturn side of the equation is that which we can take control of, and the Uranus part is the force beyond our control. You know what the Universe might allow you to get away with and where you are on dodgy ground. It’s not easy for any of us, this point in time. Do what you can about what is under your control, and accept that which is not. As you look at this astrological event on Tuesday, coinciding with the US Presidential Election, you may look upon it in a variety of ways. Some may think everything is totally beyond their control. Others will see where there is a fault line in their affairs, where if they were just to touch or tweak in a certain place things could fall apart (Somethin’s gotta give). Still others may be able to look at the total picture and see their own part in its creation, and even marvel at it. This event is at work on all levels, even to the Global level, as witness the contest in America and the denouement which will occur this week. Looking at some of the levels, you could start with the physical. Where might you have been going to excess, and where could you pull back? e.g. if you have been consuming too much salt, cut down and drink more water. Or where a crack or lesion may be developing – are you overloading yourself with too much emotional or physical baggage? Carry less, and allow the skeleton to heal naturally. Physical problems now can be caused by rigidity and long-standing patterns. Looking at partnerships, where you share energies with another, do you have a shared weakness which your relationship magnifies? I am thinking of Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross here – they have just gone on ahead with pushing the Saturn-Uranus envelope. Still on relationship, perhaps in a shared parenting situation if you both work one of you may need to stay at home for a while either from employment cutbacks or because your child is in need of more quality attention. In a group, are you going to push the weakest link beyond his or her limits? It’s your choice whether to do that, or whether instead each component could send that person extra strength. It is also a time when a group may decide to ditch the old style of working and raise its level of light. Looking at this transit is like looking at an inevitable change and wondering how far a calculated approach can succeed and how much the forces of nature will take over. In the US Election scenario it is a hair-line decision, but the outcome will be one of both shock (Uranus) and resignation (Saturn) in equal measure throughout the nation. Frank sings on: “So, en garde, who knows what the fates might have in store? From their vast mysterious sky?” He wasn’t just a great voice, he also conveyed energies beyond himself. But in the end after wrestling with the issue, in frustration he gives up and ends the song “Aww, let’s tear it up!” I say expand your perceptions, and do the best you can.

After a couple of heavy weeks planetarywise, I will try to trip lightly through this coming week, as it does look less weighty. It starts on Sunday 26th with a trine between Mercury and Chiron, which is good for addressing diet and health regimes, and making the connection between mental beliefs and physical health. Tip of the week: instead of your annual flu jab, why not memorize Louise L. Hay’s affirmation for influenza, which is “I am beyond group beliefs and the calendar. I am free from all congestion and influence.” It works for me… At Sunday lunch (UK time) though you may be bombarded by too many questions or too much information with Mercury squaring Jupiter. So you may be lunching with your food guru and he or she may give you too much to digest. I advise lunching alone if possible, and being your own food guru. Monday (27th) is a turnaround of Sunday, because Jupiter has a helpful sextile with Mars, while Chiron has an awkward square with Mars. You will end up more mentally and physically nimble however, after the combination of the aspects for these two days: Jupiter sextile Mars boosts your energy levels, and balances your adrenals, protecting you from burn-out at the gym. But at the same time Chiron squaring Mars could make you incident-prone. If you encounter an incident (on the way to or from the gym) something is being shown to you in a graphic way about your use of energy, specifically your healing energy. For instance, if you’re a spiritual healer, sensing, fine-tuning or aligning energy. With all this mental and physical activity, you may hardly have time to work on your New Moon wishes in advance. Your New Moon projections will have to be spontaneous and based on who you are in the moment, rather than the more premeditated and cogitated versions of self. This New Moon occurs in the last hour of Tuesday 28th (UK time) at 5 degrees Scorpio. If it is your birthday, you may find the energies exceptionally invigorating and your year ahead may be characterized by new ventures, new ways of being, or recapturing the passion(s) of youth. It is close in time to a trine between Mercury and Neptune, which occurs at daybreak on Wednesday (29th) and some part of you may be dancing with the blissful combination of these two events. Channelling is also blessed with this aspect, as well as trance-dancing. Time to buy those sparkly dancing shoes you’ve had your eye on. Lightness and subtlety are the name of the game now. Good practice for Halloween on Friday (31st) when the thinning of the veils between heaven and earth may bring co-operation and messages between the two. Mars sextiles Saturn too on that day, so practical action, earthing and grounding also work well. Much can be accomplished this week and especially on Friday, which is rounded off by a trine between Mars and Uranus, electrical energy with a positive application which can bring certain types of healing, and mechanical repairs. You may also solve I.T. problems under this influence. And then we’re back round to Saturday which with no aspects to watch, just leaves X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing.

Last night I found myself trying to navigate a driver who also did not know the route, in the pitch dark, with no lighting and signposts. It’s a Scorpionic sort of week coming up, and so that may be a metaphor: negotiating the darkness. We are truly on an unknown path, both with the economic situation, and the US Presidential Election which astrologically has become synonymous with the upcoming Saturn-Uranus opposition. I have been trying to get a handle on the Barack Obama enigma, so far with no success, despite having read both his books a while ago. I have seen him in the media this week referred to as both the returning Christ and his opposite. But the most promising lead came on Thursday night at a fundraiser when he finally revealed his true origins: “I was not born in a manger. I was actually born on Krypton and sent here by my father, Jor-el, to save the Planet Earth”. So I am now on a mission to find an ephemeris for the planet Krypton…Anyway, all this stumbling in the dark is the lead-up to Wednesday’s sextile between the Sun and Pluto. If you’ve done your homework, looked into the Krypton ephemeris, remembered to take your torch and compass, looked at whereabouts in your life births, deaths, rebirths and transformations are being played out, Wednesday (22nd) could bring out the very best that this cycle of manifestation has to offer: acknowledging how far you have grown, and a real insight into what needs to go, and what needs to be built or re-built. Pluto works very much on a depth-psychological level, so ask fundamental questions. Imagine you could meet Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, R.D. Laing and Rufus May at a dinner party – what would you ask them about psychology in general? Not of course about your own psychology which is unique and your own speciality. This aspect is about bringing into wholeness the dark and the light, talking of which the Observer this morning headlines Boris Johnson as “No more Mr. Nice Guy”. Well I would also like to know what happened to Raymond Blanc’s nice guy image. On the last series of The Restaurant I thought “There goes a real gentil homme – a real contrast from all the other TV kitchen dictators”. Now in the current series, he is really cutting with his contestants. Though he, like Richard Branson of last week’s blog, is going through his second Saturn return, he shouldn’t be taking it out on them. That’s not the purpose of a Saturn return. It must be the added strain of Uranus being opposite his Saturn and transiting Saturn, but that’s still no excuse. I will be watching my own behaviour carefully when I have my second Saturn return on the US Election/Saturn opposite Uranus day. On Thursday (23rd) the Sun enters Scorpio, reinforcing the Plutonic theme of the previous day. We leave behind the lightness of Libra, and it seems like soul-searching all the way now – at least until November 4th! Saturday (25th) is significant for Chiron-watchers (failing information about Krypton) for Chiron is stationary prior to turning direct. Chiron has a similar energy to Pluto up to a point. While Pluto is into depth-psychology and letting go of outworn forms, Chiron is about depth-psychology too but with a healing twist. So when you are undergoing a Chiron transit it can feel very much like a Plutonian event and equally transformative at a cellular level, but you reach a point when you can suddenly see the purpose of the event much more easily and turn a crisis into a miracle. The timing of Chiron is also different from that of Pluto. A Pluto problem can take a long time to steal into your life and to resolve. Chiron events are often shorter in duration, often come to notice in a sudden crisis, and be instant in resolution. Chiron turning direct will enable us much more to take advantage of its positive process and healing potential. So to sum up: identify the planet responsible for your current crisis (assuming you have one), and never travel without your inner light.

Freshly energised by Tim Wheater’s cosmic gong, I bravely blog this morning amidst a background of worldwide economic meltdown. Is this, I wonder, the stage being set for the coming of Maitreya? And at this precarious time in the history of capitalism will the rich get poorer and the poor get richer? Again I say unto you, read Raymond Merriman’s fiscal astrology bulletins, if you haven’t already done so. Meanwhile, though I am not an economist, I have had my own lightweight musings on the subject…You see, ever since reading Richard Branson’s autobiography “Losing my Virginity” I have come to see him as a barometer of at least British economic fortunes. He has a most interesting relationship with the Source, as revealed in his autobiog. Virgin also happens to be our internet provider, and Richard is born in the same year as us (me and my hubby, who was also dragged along to see Tim Wheater). This week, starting last Sunday evening, our email service was disrupted. So I was deluged with people also with Virgin asking me what was happening. I realized that Richard’s brand was named after his Saturn sign (Virgo) and that he himself is going through his second Saturn return this year – in fact, it was exact last Sunday night. So if Richard Branson can find his way through the spiritual challenge of his second Saturn return, it may help us all. The main culprits of this current mega-crisis are Pluto’s entry into Capricorn and Saturn’s opposition with Uranus, both of which I have preliminarily blogged, and which occur a few weeks hence. But the North Node is also still conjunct Chiron (also already blogged) and that brings into issue collective karma. Karma can be worked out on a consciousness level very often, but economically it seems it has come right down to the material plane. What collective thoughtforms are we holding that need to be overhauled? What real values will remain when the illusory values collapse? We all have our own star we must follow, and that means developing our talents from our individuality at the Soul level, and that is our true currency. That’s my preamble, and the aspects start on Tuesday (14th) this week. We often do ponder a lot just before a Full Moon, and probably more so at this time. But before the Full Moon in Aries on Tuesday, there is a beautiful trine between the Sun and Neptune, so although there is a sense of anticipation many will take a serene view of “Let’s wait and see what the Divine plan has to offer”. The Full Moon itself occurs in the evening here in the UK, and emotions will peak at this time. But with the Moon being in Aries there may also be a sense of starting afresh, and an ability to rise above the opposite polarities which a Full Moon represents. The big news on Wednesday (15th) is that Mercury turns direct again, and recent communication difficulties may be resolved. And finally, at tea-time on Saturday (18th), Venus moves from Scorpio to Sagittarius, from charity begins at home towards a Dunkirk spirit. For Dunkirk, read the world. I will leave you with some words from the man of the week, Richard Branson, as quoted from a recent Guardian interview: “My general attitude to life is to enjoy every minute of every day. I never do anything with a feeling of ‘Oh God. I’ve got to do this today’ “

It gives me great pleasure to announce a fanfare for the opening of the week (Sunday 5th) to the tune of Venus sextile Jupiter. All you socialites out there, the lovely Librans and the vegetarian Sagittarians amongst you, will be in your element. It’s party time! Monday (6th) will be an interesting day, with a challenging but not unpleasing start to the working week which can be turned into fun-filled assignments and krypton-factor style puzzles. This day will benefit Clowns, Academics and Travellers (Sun square Jupiter, Sun conjunct Mercury and Mercury square Jupiter) but in a way which stretches them and their audiences, tutors and travelling companions. Interesting… Tuesday (7th) is not as interesting but more settled and sedate with Venus sextile Saturn, long-term commitments at the forefront of our minds, balanced talks about finances, savings and investments. Dealing without the wheeling. Loving the one you’re with. If you need to know more about the financial astrology of the time, consult Raymond Merriman’s weekly blog analysis. Friday (10th) could be your favourite day this week, with Venus trine Uranus – some of the outlandish antics of Monday could be paying off, and the loyalty of Tuesday also bringing dividends. coming together in a useful social or financial package. It would support unusual artistic or musical events, too. Just a note of caution: stay grounded and look at your ideals through plain glass, because illusion is the predominant influence on Saturday 11th. The gift of the square of Neptune to Venus will reveal which elements of the week were pie in the sky, or overblown ideas, bringing us closer to truth and the correction of our perceptions. You may look back at this week as a jamboree bag, which contained fond moments from Venus, some worthwhile wisdom from Saturn, plus a surprise from Uranus. The mystery prize is from Sun trine Chiron, healing but not necessarily in the form you’d expect.

Internationally acclaimed musician and sound healer Tim Wheater comes to Abington Barn Education Centre, Abington, Cambridge on Friday 10 October 2008, 7.30 pm for an 8 pm start. Be treated to an exclusive live performance, demonstration and insight into the strength and joy of music as a healing and developmental tool. For booking details go to www.inspiralonline.com – Tickets are £10 for pre-bookings, and £15 on the door. See you there!

Diary at the ready – what were you doing the Saturday before last (20th) at 3.21 am (UK time)? Some of you may have been nurturing a talent for writing (especially poetry), with Mercury trine Neptune. I was preparing to go and see Marianne Williamson. Did you have a significant dream, perhaps? Anyway, whatever it was, may re-occur today as Mercury retrograding again makes a trine to Neptune. So there’s a chance to fine-tune the poem, re-evaluate the spiritual philosophy, find more meaning in the dream. While you are flipping back through the pages of your diary, have you perhaps noticed any odd encounters with Scorpio animal totems over the last two weeks, during the period around the square of the Sun to Pluto? They seem to have been coming out of the woodwork for all around me: we’ve had a fox (cunning) in the garden, a friend had a bat (rebirth) in her conservatory, yet another found a black widow spider (shudder) in her supermarket grapes, and lastly another friend had a difficult encounter with a stoat (stealth) which may also qualify (although may be a Piscean creature). So I’m just wondering if these are harbingers of a collective shift in consciousness, possibly connected with the Saturn-Uranus opposition in November. The New Moon tomorrow (Monday 29th) at 6 degrees Libra will benefit relationships and the Arts especially for those with birthdays around this time or who have 6 degrees Libra rising (which seems to me the commonest rising degree of a sign, the least common being 1 degree Pisces). So there will be many out there who can take advantage of this New Moon to re-align harmoniously with their own hopes and for the world. It could also be a help in new peace initiatives. As we move into October on that wave of harmony, we find on Thursday (2nd) another helpful aspect in relation to peace moves, Mars sextile Pluto. It may have been this aspect which the aforementioned Scorpio animal totems were trying to highlight, for it represents a constructive harnessing of the aggressive forces of human nature and nuclear energies. As aspects go it’s not that rare, but it is essential that these forces are used helpfully and are not kicking off destructively. Under such an aspect it is possible to get people working together, and for loose cannons to arrive where they would do least harm. Mars is at the end of Libra too at this time, so we are placing last orders with diplomats and negotiators. The week ends on another Scorpionic note, with Mars entering Scorpio on Saturday (4th), and the message of those creatures may reach a clarion call. What forces are stealing a march into your life, and what needs to change or transform in order to bring about a new birth? I am currently buying stocks of “Communication with All Life” by Joan Ranquet to give as Christmas presents this year.

…As I was saying last week, we are in the midst of three trines to Neptune providing support and upliftment. Last Wednesday you may have discovered artistic talents (Venus trine Neptune), yesterday literary talents (Mercury trine Neptune) and still to come are the unknown talents of the trine between Mars and Neptune. I dragged my hubby along yesterday to a Marianne Williamson workshop, and he was suitably impressed by her wisdom. I found her to be as ever a beacon of faith and hope in our world now. And of course we need that focus now, with it being World Peace Day in a world not at peace, and with having Sun square Pluto to contend with today. It’s apt for us all to be focussing on peace today, with an aspect which dwells on the darkness. As Marianne kept saying yesterday, you have to bring the darkness to the light. Better energies tomorrow (Monday 22nd) which starts with the promised trine between Mars and Neptune, the third trine of the set of three. If you have kept up your Sunday yoga regime and daily meditation practices, you will fully feel the flowing energies of this aspect. If not, you’ll still enjoy activities which seem effortless and enjoyable. You may discover a new talent, or be moved to act in compassion. And if you’ve enjoyed this triad of helpful aspects, you’ll be pleased to know that at the beginning of next week there’s a little reprise or encore, a little more icing on the cake to come. Meanwhile, still on Monday, it’s a mellifluous start to the working week and also to the beginning of Autumn with the Sun entering Libra, so Happy Equinox all round! Get in tune with nature, hug and heal one of those poor Horse Chestnut trees with the fungus-ridden leaves who have taken the fall for our toxic practices. And Monday evening brings an extra blessing in the shape of Venus sextile Pluto. It’s a time when you can open your heart and see connectivity everywhere. You may also have insights about the current economic downturn, and understand the principles of manifestation at a deeper level. It is a good evening (UK time) for lovers, healers and peacemakers. On to Tuesday (23rd) and you can carry through the compassionate action of yesterday, but in a more organized and verbally active way. A dynamic day, and do what you can get done that day, because on Wednesday (24th) Mercury starts to go retrograde, and even if you have got your communications clear someone else might not have. But before that, in the early hours of the morning (our communication is going backwards remember) Venus enters Scorpio. Venus in Libra was an ideal climate to bring out a new peace website, but Venus in Scorpio will challenge us to deliver. For those venturing into weekend weddings, your union will benefit from the icing on the cake aspects of early next week which take place during your honeymoon period. Last words of advice to the happy couple: make your new double-barrelled names interchangeable.

It has been World Peace Week and now it’s World Peace Day and we have a brand new Peace initiative in the form of a website http://ipeace.me whereby we can promote our hopes for peace collectively. As soon as I joined, I felt hugged by the beautiful aura of peace that this website emanates. Inner Peace and Outer Peace are equally important and mutually dependent. So I am hoping that peace is an idea whose time has come.

Andrea Foulkes the celebrity regression therapist is also prominently involved in World Peace Day, and says today “Bring your Love, Friends and Cushion to sit on Chartres Labyrinth” (at Sedona!), but if you can’t get there at such short notice, download the world peace meditation from her website at www.andreafoulkes.co.uk. Om Shantih…