Sir Alan Sugar, The Apprentice and Entrepreneurs

On the day when the new series of the Apprentice started, I found myself at a business breakfast club, with 60 seconds to pitch my business, and half expected Sir Alan to appear and tell me I was fired, so much a fan of the programme as I am.  I don’t have much of a business head, but I do like to get out and dust down my Inner Entrepreneur from time to time, as it can be fun.

I wrote last year (25^th March):

“Alan is just a textbook Aries, good with figures, straight talking, calling a spade a spade.  He has both the Sun and the Moon in Aries, and his engineering and electrical technology bias are shown in his chart by Mars (his ruling planet) square Uranus.  He is also from that aspect a risk taker, but he also has a cautious practical supportive trine of Saturn to his Sun, ensuring that money doesn’t run away from him.  It is quite clear from his autobiography that his approach to life, sales and invention is one of Aries simplicity and functionality.”

Unfortunately, I do not have any of the contestants’ birth dates to work with.  But has anyone noticed that current contestant Francesca MacDuff-Varley looks exactly like Stella English, winner of 2009 Apprentice, who recently lost a legal battle with Sir Alan?

Alan and Donald

The British version of The Apprentice arose from the success of the original U.S. version starring Donald Trump.  Trump created the programme during 2003, a year when Jupiter was at the midpoint of his natal Jupiter-Urarnus trine.  He and Alan Sugar were born within a year of each other.

In the UK the programme was first shown in 2005, though Alan Sugar was approached in 2004.  On 18 May 2004, Sir Alan Sugar was confirmed as the choice for the role. Pluto (power) was sextile his Venus (money), Jupiter (success) was opposite and stretching his Mercury (sales and business) and Uranus (surprise) was square his Nodal Axis (karma) bringing an unexpected opportunity.

Entrepreneurs

The entrepreneurship manifests differently in the charts of Sir Alan and Donald Trump.  The focus for Sir Alan is his bluntness and practicality (Sun in Aries exactly trine Saturn – making for literally a self-made man) and the Inner Critic (Mercury conjunct Mars, nothing gets past him), whereas in the case of Donald Trump he has the quickness and genius of North Node conjunct Uranus in Gemini (describing his karmic mission), and a talented set of planets in his house of money (Chiron, Jupiter and Neptune).

The conjunction I associate with the Entrepreneur Archetype is Jupiter conjunct Uranus, but Donald has the trine between these two planets which is perhaps more powerful (as does Richard Branson).

Sir Alan Sugar has some feeling of rivalry towards Donald Trump.  In Sir Alan’s autobiography entitled “What you See is what you Get” he describes his initial pitch on being invited to take the role:

“I’ve seen this programme in the USA and, quite frankly, I could carry off Trump’s role  with my eyes closed.  I know you don’t know me from Adam, but it’s a shame you weren’t a fly on the wall at some of my board meetings at Amstrad – if you had been, you’d know you need look no further for the right man.”

Will either of the two men relinquish the role before the format goes stale?

Aspects

The week begins with a square on Monday (20th) between Venus and Chiron, so there may emerge a health issue linked with self-image. Cosmetic surgeons may profit.

The Sun then enters Gemini from Taurus, favouring an intellectual approach to life. Towards midnight (UK time) is the third Uranus-Pluto square in the series  (I have written separately about this, posted 18/5/13)). You may have felt the tension building from last week. Maybe you are embroiled in a complex group problem which is difficult to extricate from, and need to work at your highest level of awareness.

Best aspect of the week occurs in the early hours of Tuesday (21st) morning which brings Mercury into a sextile with Uranus. This enables you to work with the mind (both lower and higher aspects of it) in finding ideas to promote freedom, a content of the Uranus-Pluto struggle. The difficulties of the previous day may have inspired you to seek such solutions, you may open a channel from your intuition or higher mind (Uranus) and bring through some high quality thought. If your karma does not demand that you stay and face the music, you can formulate a plan to escape your Colditz.

By Wednesday (22nd) there may be a crisis of mental confidence with a square to Mercury from Chiron. Some of the brilliant ideas of yesterday may seem awkward or unworkable, but it ain’t necessarily so. Think on it, and you may be able to implement the spirit if not the letter of your plan.

Then on Friday (24th) Mercury and Venus conjoin, and all the ideas and even the problematic elements can form part of your creative cauldron, in writing  (e.g. a whodunnit) or other forms of artistic communication. You may stay up till midnight formulating constructive dialogue.

Through all that there may be a sense of unease, because there’s yet another (pause for thought) eclipse, a Full Moon in Sagittarius. Some found the Full Moon eclipse in Scorpio a month ago quite tough, and the ramifications may continue. A positive focus would be to put what you have learned into philosophical terms (Sagittarius) as a new basis for life.

The week in bullet points:

• Monday – a need to analyse problems
• Tuesday – brilliant solutions may be found
• Wednesday – nervous
• Friday – writing favoured, and adopt-a-philosophy

20 May 2013, 23.02 Hrs in the U.K.

This week we face the third square between Uranus and Pluto, on Monday. The first two phases occurred on 24 June and 19 September 2012.  The square will now occupy the 11^th degree of the signs Aries and Capricorn.  If you have planets or angles in this degree, the square will be more relevant to you, though it affects everyone. The square will recur between now and March 2015.

Globally, dangerous situations seem to be escalating without outside monitoring have much control over the situation, e.g. in North Korea and in Syria.  I focused on some of these issues in earlier blogs, and blogs about the Uranus-Pluto square.

In the U.K. we have the breakdown of benefits to the disabled, and the changes to the NHS which are destructive, and Britain and its political parties tearing itself apart over immigration.

Do you in your life have a stand-off, or an issue of brinkmanship in a group you belong to, or conflicts between different parts of your psyche?  You may be finding that you feel more under pressure than ever, or your fears still have the upper hand in ruling your thoughts and actions.

Transformation Game

Here are some stories of growth or progress in the news which have taken place since the last Uranus-Pluto square, not always obvious in nature, which are relevant to and illustrate the nature of the struggle, and were subjects of earlier blogs:

1.  President Obama managed to get re-elected despite a complex struggle with the Republicans, and the neck-and-neck polls near the election.  He still faces much opposition to his efforts, e.g. the gun laws which failed to materialize.
2.  The Hacked Off group were tired of waiting for the government, the newspapers and the Leveson Inquiry to come up with the goods, and have taken matters in their own hands.
3.  From the agonizing revelations about Jimmy Savile, many victims of sexual abuse who have struggled for decades trying to process their experiences, have found the courage to come forth and report what happened to them.
4.  The tension rose to such a degree that Andrew Marr had a stroke, and he recently divulged that it took place when he had been exercising too vigorously on the rowing machine.  He was overdoing things in his life physically and mentally.  This is something to be observant about during the course of this square.
5.  Richard III managed to emerge after centuries under a car park in Leicester and initiate a continuation of the Wars of the Roses.  That is quite a feat.
6.  The Pope in his 80s courageously solved his inner struggle to cope in his elderly condition with the demands of a centuries-old tradition that a Pope should die in the struggle to continue serving the Papacy.  He decided to try a new twist, and it worked.
7. David Milliband also tried a sidestep from a difficult situation in taking up a post in America, leaving his brother a free hand within the Labour party in the U.K.

Lessons that can be Drawn

1.  Take matters into your own hands, if you are disillusioned with the way authorities are dealing with things.  Combine to form a self-help group.
2. Take a sidestep if you feel that karma allows, or at least step out for a while to create a breathing space for all parties
3. Be strong and centred, if something is of great importance to you, and you feel that it is part of your life purpose.  Circumstances may adjust around you, if you are coming from your highest truth.  Have faith in your life.
4. Don’t buy into the frantic pace of life and the rat race if at all possible.  Try to find ways to connect with your inner rhythms, and listen to your body.
5. Question outmoded traditions, and if necessary be the change you want to see.  You may fear the reactions of others, but they may surprise you in their understanding.
6. If you cannot let go of your karma from past lives, you can use telepathy to communicate to others what you would like to happen, but need to examine your motives.
7. Truth will out eventually anyway.

To Play:

Match the possible lessons to the situations.

See if any of the solutions used might fit a current problem that you have.

Sir Alex Ferguson

About a year ago “bullet man” (a great influence on this blog) quipped that if I wrote about football, this blog would increase its readership.  Well with the announcement of Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, the time has come!

Sir Alex has broken all records in the world English football, including for the length of time (26 years) he has managed that citadel of English football clubs, Manchester United.

The Birthchart

His career path is clearly shown by Midheaven in Aquarius (the sign of teams) sextile Mars (the planet of football) in his 10^th House of Career in Aries, the sign of Football.  A supreme drive to win.

He has the Moon conjunct Jupiter in Gemini , and he is therefore able to be emotionally upbeat to motivate others especially through words.  This conjunction works through his 12^th House – he has inner faith, and the ability to inspire hope.  Jupiter can in some individuals tip the enthusiasm into anger.

Moon exactly trine Venus may be the aspect which shows protectiveness towards his players – he has been mentor to many protégés.

Saturn conjunct Uranus in Taurus constitutes a great deal of inner tension. This aspect represents his rugged, some might say harsh side, working in his 11^th House of teams.  He can cope with complex scenarios in this sphere.

His Sun conjuncts Mercury in Capricorn, which can be a rugged sign, and he was known from early in his career as a strict disciplinarian, determined and calculating.

Uranus squares by 1 degree his Midheaven, so he is a strategist in life, which does not always make things comfortable for others.

The Observer today describes his negative characteristics thus:

“He bullied and swaggered like Clough, glaring at referees, baiting rival managers”.

Manchester United

Alex Ferguson joined Manchester United from Aberdeen when Atkinson lost his job as Manager on 6 November 1986.  Pluto was trine his Ascendant on the cusp of his 5^th House of Sport.  This ensured a deep and meaningful enduring phase of his life in that sphere.

Mark Robins

No man is an island, and Alex Ferguson’s destiny was entwined with other players throughout his life.  Early in his managerial career, footballer Mark Robins scored a significant goal for Manchester United, sealing his success.  Alex Ferguson avoided being sacked before establishing himself.  Mark Robins’ Neptune sextile Ferguson Neptune, so this is a harmonious blending of their lives.  The Sun and Saturn were trine Ferguson North Node in 3^rd in Virgo, assisting his karma, a possible karmic reward. Pluto was also sextile Ferguson’s North Node reinforcing this.  At this stage of his life he did not perhaps need the tactics he came to employ.  Saturn was sextile Robin’s North Node, so he also was playing a karmic role.  Jupiter was exactly trine Robin’s Mars (goal-scoring).

Eric Cantona

Witty Geminian Eric Cantona was destined for a future career in acting.  He had a (football) warrior conjunction of North Node/Mars and a sparky link with Ferguson whose Uranus was conjunct Cantona’s warrior NN/Mars, each able to use each other’s genius.  Cantona also had the rebellious Uranus/Pluto conjunction in Virgo.

David Beckham

David Beckham started out as one of Alex Ferguson’s protégés, making his UEFA Champions League debut on 7 December 1994, and there is no doubt that he was heavily influenced by his Manager.

The astrological chemistry between them includes Beckham’s Uranus trine Alex Ferguson Neptune, Beckham’s Pluto sextile his Neptune and his Moon trine Ferguson’s Neptune.  The difficult aspects include David Beckham’s Pluto squaring Ferguson’s Ascendant, so a challenge to Alex in keeping a lid on his anger.

The incident where Alex Ferguson kicked a boot which hit Beckham gashing his eyebrow throws an interesting light on Ferguson’s chart.  The incident took place on 15 February 2003, and is an example of Alex Ferguson being ingracious in defeat as it came during one such.

Mars was squaring Ferguson’s Nodal Axis – highlighting the Moon square the Nodes in his natal chart.  With Ferguson’s Ascendant in Cancer giving prominence to the Moon and his moods, Mars was triggering this weakness. A  negative Moon can hold grudges, and transitting Mars was also opposing his natal Moon.  This natal aspect (Moon squaring the Nodal Axis) can create or perpetuate karma.

Roy Keane

Roy Keane, another player who was close to but who also tangled with Ferguson, is a Warrior with North Node conjunct Mars (like Cantona).  Alex Ferguson tapped into this with his Moon sextile Roy Keane’s North Node/Mars conjunction.  The liaison was terminated when Keane left Manchester United on 18^th November 2005, with Neptune conjunct Keane’s North Node/Mars Warrior (which was softening due to the influence of Neptune) and sextile Alex Ferguson’s Neptune, thus bringing about a change of focus in both their lives.

His Retirement

I was in a shop on a Station platform buying bottled water at 8.05 am last Wednesday when the news broke.  The shopkeeper punched his hand in the air and said “I’ve been waiting 26 years for this!”  I don’t know what team he supported…

Astrologically, I would have expected Alex Ferguson to retire a year or so ago at the close of the Pluto cycle to his 6^th House.  Maybe he seriously considered it then.  However, he is retiring with Pluto at his Sun, the end of an era, perhaps sapping at his vitality.  His retirement is supported by Jupiter trine his natal Venus and Saturn trine his Ascendant.

David Moyes

His successor David Moyes has enjoyed a warm relationship with Ferguson (his Mars sextile’s Alex’ Jupiter), and was hand picked for the job.  At 50 this is Moyes Chiron Return, where he finds his Inner Healer plus Neptune is sextile his Sun, putting him on his true spiritual path, coming into his spiritual purpose.  I expect him to ease naturally into the role and to grow as a person.  David Moyes Sun squares Alex Ferguson’s Pluto – there is often a Sun/Pluto connection between two people where one takes over in a role from the other. His Pluto trines Fergusons Sun too, emphasizing that. Moyes’ Jupiter also trines  Ferguson’s Pluto, enabling them to work together successfully in the transition and transfer of power.  At Ferguson’s retirement Mars squared Moyes’ Mars, giving rise to somewhat of a wrench for Moyes and an emotional farewell to Everton.

Aspects

Mars conjuncts the South Node tomorrow, revisiting warrior or football karma for some.  Others may just want to avoid disputes.

With the best will in the world, there may be relationship confusion on Monday evening.  Perhaps you are getting to know someone and you find them unfathomable, realizing the more you get to know them the less you know…

On Wednesday (15^th)  in the evening practical thinking (Mercury’s sojourn in Taurus) gives way to more theoretical ideas with Mercury’s entry into Gemini: you may feel like writing an article or blog about the activities you have been involved in recently, summarizing what you have learned.

Saturday (18^th) could start with complicated journeys as Mercury squares Neptune, or ideas that are now confused (they seemed so clear on Wednesday, but extra information may force you to expand and reorganize your viewpoint).

Later in the day, the Arts could be scintillating, and socializing could be exciting, due to Venus sextile Uranus. Bonnie Tyler is representing us at the Eurovision Song Contest, trying her hand at this luckless task.  I shall be watching with my Eurovision Pod Group with whom I travelled to Dusseldorf two years ago for the event.

I love Bonnie Tyler.  Her power comes from a warrior Sun/Mars trine Neptune (so a spiritual warrior), the trine bisected by the powerful planet Pluto.  How come she’s not using her power in politics or football is a mystery to me…only joking!  Sadly I don’t think she will win, on the grounds that Jupiter is square her Pluto so there is a lot of hype around her at the moment, and I don’t think the song is sufficiently strong.  But I would love to be proved wrong.

Uranus-Pluto Square

You may be starting to feel the pinch of this third phase of the square which occurs on Monday next.  I will be revising this issue next week, before the big day.

The week in bullet points:

• Monday – revisiting old arguments, then confused feelings
• Wednesday – revitalized wit
• Saturday – complicated communications, then razzle dazzle

Nigel Farage and the conundrum of UKiP

The face of British politics is said to have changed dramatically this week, with one in four voters plumping for UKIP.  David Cameron has been forced to retract his earlier impression of the party as “fruitcakes and closet racists” modifying his tune to “We need to show respect for people who have taken the choice to support this party”.

What is the demographic of the voting section?  A few 80 year old women I know have found themselves voting for or sympathetic to what the party stands for, and some women find Nigel Farage personally fascinating.  There is no doubt in my mind that UKIP inherits some strands of the National Front, British National Party and EDL philosophies, and targets immigrants as being the source of our society’s ills.

The Observer leader this morning describes its voters:

“The Ukip surge is a warning.  Immediate analysis indicates that two groups, in the main, have been swayed by Farage.  They are the less qualified, working-class, older male and the lower middle class”.

So I will look at the charts of Nigel Farage, UKIP, and the UK to try to assess the astrological factors involved.

As a Sun sign Aries, Nigel Farage cuts an individualistic and almost self-sufficient figure.  On the Andrew Marr show this morning, he was very confident, straight speaking and focussed.  He has leadership qualities through that sign, but also from an exact sextile from Uranus to his North Node (karmic mission).  He has the capacity to surprise.  We do not have his birthtime, but I suspect Pluto is prominent on the angles of his chart, because of the way he rose from the ashes of the plane crash on the day of the last election declaring that he was lucky to be alive.  On that day Pluto squared his Mars (the near death experience), trined his Natal Uranus (surprise survival), and conjuncted his South Node in Capricorn  (karmically facing death).

He has lived to fight another day, and plague Cameron, whose Sun opposes his Sun natally.  The Conservative party have lost a huge proportion of their votes to UKIP, and are under pressure to hold a referendum on our membership of the EU as soon as possible.

On Thursday, the day of the election, Pluto was exactly trine the Sun in the UKIP Party chart, a sign of ultimate power.  It may mean though that this is the height of the power that they reach. Especially if it is subsequently revealed that there is no substance behind their policies, and as has been claimed, that they are a one issue party.

The same holds true astrologically for Nigel Farage, that it may prove to be his finest hour.  For Pluto is exactly trine his natal Pluto now, the Universe giving him a point of empowerment, perhaps as a karmic balancing from the air crash, where Pluto was also prominent by transit.  This reinforces the possibility that Pluto is prominent in the angularity of his natal chart. Pluto seems to pulling the strings in his life, picking him up and putting him down in a stark way.

I have just (almost finishing my blog) located a possible birthtime, attributed to Christina Rose through Marjorie Orr.  This does in fact give Pluto exactly on a Virgo Ascendant, confirming my train of thought, though I am not sure how accurate the source is.

The United Kingdom chart has some difficulties at this time, and notably the current Uranus-Pluto square links in with our natal Pluto.  Pluto currently opposes our natal Pluto, and Uranus squares our natal Pluto.  That may register as a sea-change in our politics, as has been claimed.

One thing is for certain,  many of those who voted UKIP have just had enough of present party politics and disempowerment from the EU and feeling like strangers in their own country.  Not me though, I count myself as an immigrant, having come to England as a 4-year old from Israel, my family having fled the persecution of the Jews in Baghdad.  You might then conclude I was bound to think as I do.  I would like to think one out of four comments to this blog would be from UKIP supporters, educating me about their point of view, that is if the comment count reaches four!

Aspects

This morning Mercury opposes Saturn which puts a block on springing up early as you’d planned, foregoing your Sunday morning lie-in in order to catch up with your paperwork.  Your computer may be on a go-slow, your digestive system may be delicate, and the lie-in may be more healing, in order to pen an Ode to Indolence.  Keats wrote one in the 19^th Century:

…O, for an age so shelter’d from annoy,

    That I may never know how change the moons,

Or hear the voice of busy common-sense!…

I wonder what he would make of the age we live in.  The news may be uninviting – you might switch on the radio, then switch it off again.  But things are likely to improve after Noon.

In the evening, Mars trines Pluto and there’s an opportunity to engage in some energetic enterprise.  Have some constructive structure in mind for the occasion, so that excess energy does not turn wild!

Tuesday (7^th) morning brings a conjunction of the Sun and the South Node.  A karmic issue may be highlighted – a consequence from a past life or earlier in this lifetime.  You may recognize this from an invitation or opportunity handed to you.

Then Mercury trines Pluto – now’s the time to deal with the paperwork!  You’ll find you are extra inspired to fill in the huge box on the form entitled “Any other information that can help your cause”.  If you meet someone for a coffee you’ll be able to express what matters to you.

Wednesday (8^th) brings more interesting possibilities for the mind, starting with Mercury conjunct Mars in the early hours: your dreams may be driven by the Inner Critic and may reveal anxieties.  The characters within the dream may exhibit agitation, but of course as in Jungian dream interpretation may reflect aspects of yourself.  If you wake up rattled with negative chatter, turn the phrases round to create a positive affirmation, unless you feel the dream has a deeper meaning (Mars conjunct Mercury can represent superficial chatter and concerns).

Next Mercury sextile Chiron provides some welcome information about health and healing in combining conventional and alternative medicine harmoniously.  It’s also a good aspect for problem-solving in general.  If there’s a crisis don’t panic, the solution is at hand.

This is followed and reinforced by a sextile between Mars and Chiron.  Healing energy will flow, as in hands-on healing, or healing solutions involving energy or problems connected with energy.  Awkward places can be made smooth, and square pegs may be able to fit in round holes.

On Thursday (9^th) Venus goes into Gemini, which livens up the social life.  You might trust the weather enough to have an early summer barbecue, or a picnic.

Mercury conjunct the South Node could be dictating the karmic scenario however: perhaps karma with brothers, sisters, neighbours or teachers (all represented by Mercury) may be involved.

The eclipsed New Moon at 19 degrees Taurus on Friday (10^th) favours gardening and gardeners, artists and musicians, and turning points in Arts projects.

Finally Saturday (11^th) holds a conjunction between Mercury and the Sun at 20 degrees Taurus, reinforcing what you are trying to achieve in these areas.  19/20 degrees Taurus is a sensitive point around the end of the week, so if you have planets in this degree they may be bolstered by this influence: supportively so if you are willing to work with change, but not so supportive if you are resistant to change.

Contact Email

Earlier editions of this blog contained a message about my email changing.

The email link on my Contact page has now been changed and will work as normal.

The week in bullet points:

• Sunday – a slow start, and a quick finish
• Tuesday – karmic opportunity, and significant work
• Wednesday – a brisk start (apply caution); then healing ways
• Thursday – lighter relationships, and karmic business
• Friday – change in the air and in the earth
• Saturday – focussed and enlivened thought

“Oh I come from Pittsburgh to study Astrology

She said as she stepped on my instep…

Come back to my place I will show you the stars and the signs.”

From “Love Chronicles” by Al Stewart, 1969

40^th Wedding Anniversary

Early in our acquaintance, at University, I found Mike snorting at the astrological poems on my door in halls.  I suppose I should have been grateful he wasn’t snorting anything else.

It is our 40^th Wedding Anniversary today.  We are often asked incredulously how that has happened.  Each relationship is unique, and our model probably wouldn’t work for others.

Synastry

Synastry is the compatibility between charts. You often see a recurring interaspect between two charts: some may be based on the quincunx (tense) or the semi-sextile (a teaching aspect), but ours is an opposition (a balancing and complementary relationship) with Suns, Moons and Ascendants in opposite signs.  Each of the 6 zodiac polarities have a connecting principle, and Communication is the connecting principle for Gemini and Sagittarius.

Bullet Point Presentation:

• As a Sagittarian (me) and a Gemini (Mike) we are opposite signs, and polarized in so many ways.
• He is a Scientist, and I am on the Arts side.
• He favours conventional medicine, and I favour alternative medicine.
• He likes conventional religion, and I like Universal religion.
• We have to have separate televisions, because he likes Sport and I like Reality TV.
• He has a lot of energy, and I don’t (he’s chief hooverer).
• He’s an omnivore, and I’m a vegetarian
• He walks fast; I walk exceptionally slowly, 10 paces behind

Unity

You’d think never the twain shall meet…The working out of an Opposite relationship depends on blending on a higher level, and I was told by Lita de Alberdi’s guide Ortan that Mike and I are from the same Soul group.  When we were first married, it was easy to divide tasks according to our obvious skills and lack of skills.  I think we made some decisions on a Soul level, because there were areas of silent Unity:

1. Bringing up the children – Unity
2. Politics – Unity, with one exception: we differ on the Falklands.
3. Books – we are both overfond of these and the house is well and truly cluttered with them.  So much so that our children were anti-reading until they were studying for A-levels.
4. No arguments – notably we do not argue (unhealthy perhaps?).  I refuse to do so, with my Moon in Libra opposed to Mike’s argumentative Moon in Aries.  The only notable argument we had was before we were married, and it was over the choice of wallpaper!
5. Space – there are no power plays in our relationship, and we each respect and support the other’s ability to be themselves.  We have both been very tolerant!  I would like to thank Mike for his tolerance.
6. University Challenge – we both watched it before we went to University, and it is the one programme we watch together.  I am not competitive, but it is the one spot in the week where I challenge Mike (and I almost always lose!).

Electional Astrology

One of the few times I have chosen a date for myself astrologically was the Wedding Day.  I tend to be non-interventionist usually.  The Wedding Day was chosen mainly on the basis that Jupiter (Success) was transiting my Venus (Love).  Since then I have chosen Wedding Days for other people, and I believe they have all been successful.

Children

We are of the transitional generation between those who stuck together at all costs, and the break-up of the institution of marriage.  Some couples choose not to have children, and put their energy into the relationship itself, but having children (two daughters) has given us a positive focus, and a grandson is the icing on the cake.  We have many shared memories, but tend to remember different things!

The Celebration

We are having a few celebrations around the country, but yesterday we met three sets of old friends who were married around the same time, including three you may have met in the Zodiac Masterclass Series: June – “A Cancerian Experience of Motherhood”, Jeanne – “The Scorpio Guide to Accentuating the Positive” and Georgie “The Taurean Guide to the Inner Artist”, and their respective spouses.  They toasted us in sparkling mineral water.

Another outlook on a long-term pair bond:

“The Libran Guide to Relationship” by Sue Hudson

http://www.lanawooster.co.uk/blog/2012/10/zodiac-masterclass-series-a-libran-guide-to-relationships/

Right to Reply

Mike says:

As a person with an interest in science but several other things, I tend to be sceptical about astrology but respectful towards it.  Being a Scorpio/ Gemini I have inherited all the unhealthy aspects of both and would have perhaps preferred being Aquarian where a dodgy ankle is something I could more easily have coped with. When I am unsure of our anniversary date, i google Bobby Charlton’s last match, because it was at Chelsea, about a quarter of a mile from the registry office. And yes, I would recommend separate TV rooms.

Aspects

If you suffered the emotional sadness of last Monday’s Venus-Saturn opposition you may be sensitive to today’s Sun opposite Saturn, a sense of flatness in relation to your day’s purposes. There may be a dissonance between your reality and your ideology. You need to ascertain whether there is a psychological block, whether it is a spur to perseverance or an invitation to let go!  That may be a fine decision.

On top of that, there is a need to balance karma in relationships today, with Venus at the South Node.

On Wednesday (1^st May) Mars opposes Saturn, and someone could be giving you the cold shoulder, or providing a tussle in the form of a battle of wills.  Certainly there will seem to be a clash of needs.  After this point, the week could become more comfortable, as though your fears have been spent for the time being.

In the afternoon, Mercury enters Taurus, and there’s a change of mind (no better, or worse), logic gives way to aesthetics and you may look at life a little differently.   For instance, you may have bought a new vase intending to display flowers in the hearth, but then discover that the colours of the vase go perfectly in the dining room.

In the late afternoon, the Sun trines Pluto and the week takes an upturn (unless you are not on very friendly terms with Pluto these days), albeit a serious mood: life demands something from you, but also gives back in kind.

On Friday (3^rd) the Sun sextiles Chiron and you may feel you are taking a step towards healing your life.  Perhaps it’s a total left field approach that presents itself to you, but it may give you a new perspective, take you out of yourself, and be the change that is as good as a rest.

Saturday (4^th) brings you on a step further with Mercury sextile Neptune, subtle understanding arrives which is needed for healing.  Words or images may come to you out of the blue, providing higher ways of looking at the detail of your life.  If you are a medium or channel, you may be introduced to a new guide.  The week ends with intriguing new possibilities, glimpsed or captured.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – Anti-climax, and karmic dues revisited
• Wednesday – Frustration, followed by a new outlook
• Friday – Healing through creative avenues
• Saturday – Subtle new cognizance

Global Security

When I embarked on having 10 sessions of Rebirthing in the late 1980s, the very first affirmation I was given went something like:

“I am safe on this planet now and always”

Since then of course safety on this planet has become more complicated and precarious.  It may be time to upgrade the affirmation.

Within ourselves, safety I believe is a 1^st chakra issue, a question of feeling grounded and sensing our environment.  So maybe we need to look at this chakra, and work on getting clearer about it.

Cindi Dale in “New Chakra Healing” describes no less than 32 chakras.  She quotes Gerber’s “Vibrational Medicine” describing the first chakra:

‘Psychologically speaking, the root chakra is linked to the basic survival instincts.  It is connected with primal feelings…and is the prime mover behind the so called fight-or-flight response.’

In Astrology, minor accidents tend to be shown by Mars transits, more serious accidents by Uranus, and larger scale violence by Pluto, especially bombs (both of the smaller variety and the nuclear scale).  Personal security can be a function of the natal Imum Coelum or I.C. and divine protection is related to Jupiter.

With two unstable regimes holding nuclear capability, North Korea and Iran, and threatening to use them, we cannot ignore these threats to countries and states on our planet.  All countries who have the means to use nuclear weapons think they have the right to do so, but are often suspicious of the rights and intentions of others.

I would like to have unilateral disarmament (and was for several years a card-carrying member of CND), but also have always felt that we (especially as a small island nation like Japan) should not entertain nuclear power on our shores.

With the third phase of the Uranus (unexpected)-Pluto (destruction) square due on 20^th May, I felt it was time to look at this issue in relation to North Korea and Iran.  You may have issues closer to home which are more preoccupying.  Do you have a stand off, or an issue of brinkmanship in a group you belong to?  In the U.K. we have the breakdown of benefits to the disabled, and the changes to the NHS which are destructive, and may reach a peak around then.

Last week, the Boston Bombing came out of the blue, a tremendous level of violence, echoing 9/11 in the U.S. and 7/7/ in London.  Thoughts turned to the London Marathon, which is happening today, and safety procedures in place for that.  The Boston events have had an extra psychological effect on the London Marathon. Competitors are wondering whether or not to have their families cheering them on.  The explosion at the Texas fertilizer factory also in the week just gone, took place exactly on the Sun/Mars conjunction.

Boston Bombing

Notably Mars was conjunct the Sun on the day of the bombing, and Saturn is conjunct President Obama’s Neptune, and the Nodal Axis squaring his Ascendant/Descendant axis, affecting him personally.  The Nodal Axis is also exactly square the natal chart of Boston. But this event is surely a part of the overall Uranus square Pluto climate.

North Korea

I have resisted looking too closely up to now, as there is no firm birthdate let alone time for the ruler of North Korea.  The nation chart is a little firmer.  We have a warrior nation chart here, with Pluto (the bomb) on the descendant in the 7th house of relationships also occupied by Saturn, and Mars (the warrior) on the South (karmic) Node in the 9th House of foreign lands.  The chart of Kim Jong Un’s coming to power has the Sun exactly conjunct Pluto.  Uranus was exactly square the North Korean Uranus, an indication that matters were out of control.  At the time of the third Uranus-Pluto square the Nodal Axis will be exactly square to China’s Pluto, China being a key neighbour.  There seem to be several exact squares to aspects of countries prominent in this issue around the time of the third Uranus-Pluto square, suggesting a huge karmic theme being played out.

Iran

The nuclear threat from Iran is being taken seriously by the U.S., and its ally Israel.  In the comparison between the chart of Iran and the U.S. chart, Iran has its Neptune opposing the U.S. Mars, so that it can have a psychological hold of fear and paranoia held over the U.S. decision to act or not.  Iran has this week suffered a very severe earthquake, with Pluto exactly squaring its Sun.  At the time of the third Uranus-Pluto square, the Nodal Axis will be square to Israel’s Saturn, which is conjunct Iran’s Ascendant.  They will both be feeling pressure.  At this time, the onus is with Barack Obama and his Secretary of State John Kerry to conduct the delicate negotiating with North Korea and Iran, but if the United Nations were to be more involved around the time of the forthcoming Uranus-Pluto square, there could be some favourable balance set up, as Pluto will be trine the Uranus of the United Nations chart.

Feeling Safe

With all that is going on, being reported all around the world, there is a sense of sympathy, caring and support being transmitted from people who cannot understand this inhumanity.  Each person needs to stand in their own authenticity, maintain the light in their own area, and ask for divine protection for all.  When you, as a human, feel aligned with your own purpose in being here, you are able to send healing to the planet more strongly, and we have all chosen to be here at this time.  In your relationship with the planet, use all the chakras you have at your disposal.

I would like to conclude this report with a quotation from “Companions in Spirit” by Leah Maggie Garfield:

“We evolve globally as well as individually and regionally. At this point in our global evolution, we are learning magnanimity and absorbing compassion. (Compassion is the emotional component, magnanimity the intellectual component.) Insofar as we’re able to be compassionate and magnanimous, we are all potential magi.”

Aspects

Today we start the week on a note of dissonance with Pluto squaring Mercury. You might perhaps feel that this blog strikes a dissonant tone.  You will be challenged to articulate your ideas clearly and logically, so be prepared to be tested to the limits in this respect. For example, your family may ask you to validate any beliefs which come from your inner black sheep!

Tomorrow Venus opposes Saturn so some emotional flattening may take place. Your inner black sheep may not have done a good job, and unless backed up by your Inner Rebel who does not care, may slope off to the corner of the field to mope!

Wednesday (24th) has three aspects, starting in the early hours of the morning in the U.K. with Mercury sextile Jupiter. You may have worked out for yourself what you needed to re-align in your thinking on Sunday, and are now in a position to sell your ideas. It’s a buoyant day in the market place and for small companies, e.g. struggling astrological businesses. It may be a defining time where local business expands to global.

The other two aspects on Wednesday are equally buoyant, so you can follow through on early gains. In the afternoon Venus trines Pluto. This is healing for any heartache experienced on Monday. Any partings in relationships could be fairly amicable, so it’s a good day for mediation in separations. For existing solid relationships there could be deeper understanding, such as when one party has worked on their growth and communicates it successfully to the other, enabling a joint shift.

The evening brings a sextile between the Sun and Neptune, bringing about a spiritual integration of the day’s gains, possibly through creative activity. Perhaps the day’s events would make a good starting point for a novel or screenplay.

Thursday (25th) starts with Venus sextile Chiron so there is some prospect for balancing and healing of the week’s downs and ups.

Once that is settled you have the space to deal with the emerging tension from the eclipsed Scorpio Full Moon of the early evening. This is likely to highlight a thorny emotional issue, possibly re-awakening the inner black sheep of early week. You may be re-assessing your role in the family, or examining how you are treating someone, shining a light into your own subconscious motives.

The finale of the week on Saturday (27th) is Mars sextile Neptune, a chance to balance action with sensitivity. It is a suitable one to integrate all the ranges of emotion of this week, and to bring together the personal will and divine will in concert.

Take good care of yourselves, and good luck to all of you taking part in the London Marathon and raising money for good causes.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – a little nerve-wracking
• Tomorrow – some sadness
• Wednesday – dynamic
• Thursday – early healing, then another issue builds up
• Saturday – two or more levels of your life balance out

Margaret Thatcher – Personal Life (1925 – 2013)

This is the second of two blogs about Margaret Thatcher, with a more personal slant.  Speaking to people this week, it seems that whatever they thought during the Thatcher years, they still think about her.  Twenty years since we were under her rule we have had a chance to reflect, but we tend still to hold the same opinion.  When she became the leader of the Conservative party, I immediately felt that she was cold hearted.  And nothing she did subsequently changed my view.  I expect to lose half my readership now, on the basis that there is a lot of discord around the subject of her life, character and work.

Looking at her chart, you would expect to see the Warrior Archetype featuring strongly.  This is not what I see (other Astrologers may).  What I see is the strength of the woman: She had Saturn (Discipline) almost exactly conjunct her Ascendant in Scorpio (she meant business), with the power hungry opposition of Jupiter and Pluto almost strategically placed on the 3^rd/9th House cusps supporting the Ascendant/Saturn.  She was therefore a towering figure, with great Vision and conviction, and the ability to follow through.  Saturn exactly trines Pluto and exactly sextiles Jupiter, providing a formidable structure to the life and personality.  Iron Lady indeed.

Other astrological features of note in her birthchart were the Sun/Mercury in 12^th House (living out her inner vision) and the North Node at the first degree of Leo (karmic mission of Leadership).

Her Sun sign and Ascendant reflect her earlier careers before politics claimed her: She was originally a Chemist, specializing at University in X-ray crystallography as a student of Dorothy Hodgkin (Ascendant in Scorpio).  She subsequently became a barrister (Sun in Libra).  In her Libran Sun sign we also see the elegant lady, with a love of fashion and good bone structure.

Family

In 1951 she married Dennis Thatcher, a Sun Sign Taurean, the sign of loyal support, both in morale and money.  There is no doubting that she could not have achieved what she did without his constant presence, and she acknowledged his immense contribution in her life.  At their wedding, Pluto was conjunct Dennis’ South Node and Neptune was trine his North Node, an indication of cosmic responsibility.

Their twins Carol and Mark were born in 1953, and Carol has won a lot of public support in her struggles with her relationship with her mother.  Her astrological compatibility is virtually the same as Mark’s, but Margaret was always closer to her son.  Margaret has Moon square Venus natally, which indicates an uneasy relationship with women, and may explain the unease with her daughter.  Dennis may well have been the mainstay of the family, the glue holding it together – certainly astrology would indicated that he had a beneficial role to play, with his Jupiter trine the twins’ Uranus.  At the same time though his Jupiter squared the twins’ Jupiter and he may have been an idealized figure, and he may not have been as available as they would have wished, with his South Node conjunct their Sun and Pluto.  His North Node was trine their Saturn/Neptune, providing some stability, and his Neptune was trine their Ascendant but square their Moon, one minute there and the next minute vanishing.

Airey Neave

Airey Neave was an early ally, who unfortunately was removed by the Irish National Liberation Army in a car bomb attack, just before she took on the mantle of Prime Minister.  He had led the campaign which had brought her to power as leader of the Conservative Party.  He was a true Soul brother to her, and it is believed that she felt his loss very deeply.  Of all the chart comparisons encountered while researching her life, this one stands out:

His Mercury exactly trined her Sun, his Sun exactly sextiled her Venus, his Neptune exactly trined her Venus, his North Noded exactly trined her Mars, and his Uranus exactly squared her Ascendant.  It may be that his death occurring just before she came to power steeled her heart; often spiritually these losses are meant to open the heart, but sometimes the effect is the opposite.  She had a job to do, and did not have time to grieve for Neave, perhaps.

Her Cabinet Men

She was a woman in a man’s world, rarely seen alongside female leaders or politicians.  She started out with a cabinet of what she called “wets” and then polished her cabinet more to her liking, resulting in a group of “drys”.  Some of the cabinet men from those years are still loyal (e.g. Cecil Parkinson), but some of them are more sheepish about their involvement.  It is surprising that they do not have more pride in their achievements, although some genuinely now see the flaws in the vision and the cracks and loopholes through which sections of society dropped.

Norman Tebbit was one of the most loyal this week, in his tribute hinting regret that he did not support her at her time of need, having left office after the Brighton Bombing, when his wife was very bady injured.  She famously said at the Conference the next day: “This was a day I was not meant to see.”  At the time the Nodal Axis was square her Moon, and Mars was transiting her Jupiter, but she was also experiencing her Second Saturn Return in Scorpio on her Ascendant.  The interaspects between her chart and Norman’s are not easy, however, and most notably in terms of the karma around the bombing, her Pluto was exactly square his Nodal Axis (karma).

There are those too, who were involved in the final removal of Margaret Thatcher, and do not attempt to disguise their role, Kenneth Clarke for example.  Michael Heseltine was prominently waiting to take over at the time, but never did.

Ronald Reagan

Away from home, she forged a memorable alliance with Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, immortalized in the famous poster depicting a clinch from Gone with the Wind.  Ronald was another Soul Mate, but it was not that easy a combination.  Their Suns were in trine, and they had mutually supporting interaspects, but also some challenging ones.

Her Passing

At her death, Uranus was opposing her Mars (the divine will having its say), Neptune was opposing her Midheaven and conjunct her I.C. (a final rest and peace).  The death chart has Uranus exactly conjunct the Midheaven in Aries, announcing a notable passing of a leader.  This is reinforced by the Ascendant of the death chart at 11.28 a.m. being at 2 degrees Leo, conjunct exactly her North Node, which seems to have played a strong role in the astrology of her life.

David Cameron

David Cameron is making the most of this remembrance of a remarkable Tory.  Watch for signs that she might influence him from the next dimension, or that he might be emboldened to further fashion himself in her image.

Aspects

This week four planets change signs, so if like me you have significant placements at 0 degrees, you could be busy and have several changes of focus.

Today Mercury goes into Aries so there is a mental change of focus from woolly-headedness to greater logic.  It is a day for getting down to business.

Tomorrow Venus enters Taurus and art and music can be promoted more easily, in this age of austerity.

On Thursday (18th) Mars conjuncts the Sun at 28 deg Aries. That is a lot of intense energy to process. Try not to be driven, or overdo things. Sometimes high energy can actually make you feel tired, because your bodily systems are trying hard to integrate the energies.

On Friday (19th) Venus sextiles Neptune and inspiration is added to the artistic and musical projects initiated on Monday.

Spring may eventually spring into evidence with the Sun entering Taurus later on Friday. Flowers and blossoms may find they can bloom after the harsh conditions lately in the U.K.

Saturday (20th) brings flashes of mental brilliance added to the new mental focus of Sunday at the beginning of the week.

With Mars also entering Taurus there is a change of physical focus. Energy may become more earthy, practical and determined to follow through.

Uranus square Pluto 3

Advance warning of the third phase of Uranus squaring Pluto coming to planet Earth next May on 20th (in the U.K.) and 21st (in the  U.S.).  Another blog will be due next month on the subject.  We previously saw this square last June and September, if you want to pick up the relevant blogs, and re-assess its role in your current struggles.  It’s a good time now to look at your progress.

Link:

The Thatcher Years (1979-1990) – An Astrological History

http://www.lanawooster.co.uk/blog/2013/04/the-thatcher-years-1979-1990-astrological-history/

The week in bullet points:

• Today – stride forth mentally
• Tomorrow – mellow creativity
• Thursday – activity and heat
• Friday – inspiration added to art; flowers blooming
• Saturday – mental brilliance; earthy energy

The Thatcher Years (1979-1990)

This is the first of two blogs concentrating on Margaret Thatcher who died this week.  Broadly, here I focus on her political career, while the second will focus more on her personal life.

She entered politics as M.P. for Finchley in 1959, and was brought in to Edward Heath’s cabinet in 1970 as Secretary of State for Education and Science, from which position she earned the reputation of “milk snatcher”.  If it had not been for the failures of Edward Heath’s administration, she may not have risen to prominence as she did.  Edward Heath was a shy and introverted Cancerian, and in the same way as Gordon Brown, a shy and introverted Piscean, was not suited to the extrovert role of Prime Minister.  That does not mean all introverted signs are not suited to the highest office, but that these two were particularly introverted and that was part of their problem.  His Saturn (sense of failure) was square to her Sun, and he never rose above the fact that she had usurped him.

She became Leader of the Opposition on  11^th February 1975, to the surprise of many, with Jupiter (success) transiting her Uranus (surprise) in her 5^th House of Self-Expression.  Pluto was conjunct her Mars in 11^th House (taking power in the party).

She became the first female Prime Minister on 4^th May 1979, which is still a remarkable achievement even seen from the hindsight of the 21^st Century, though she was always surrounded with men in her cabinet.  This was a validation and expression of her karmic mission, as transiting Jupiter was exactly conjunct her North Node in Leo, fulfilling her destiny of Leadership.  She would re-define leadership, and Tony Blair styled his leadership after her model.  Other supporting aspects at the time were Jupiter trine her natal Venus and Sun ruler, and Neptune sextile her natal Sun.

In the style of Neptune, she famously began her prime ministry by saying:

“Where there is discord, may we bring harmony,

Where there is error, may we bring truth.

Where there is doubt, may we bring faith.

And where there is despair, may we bring hope.”

~ St. Francis of Assisi

Unfortunately, our society is still debating what she did do.  She ignored the poorest strata of society, declaring there was no such thing as society, and encouraged self-serving.  But there were many changes whereby she wrought transformation, and some of those might be seen less negatively, or be more easily debated.

More memorable words were heard at the Conservative Party Conference of 1980, confirming the Iron Lady title she had been given by the Soviet Union:

“To those waiting with bated breath for that favourite media catchphrase, the ‘U-turn’, I have only one thing to say: ‘You turn (U-turn) if you want to.  The lady’s not for turning.”

She was proud of the badge, and her reputation was magnified and solidified in the public imagination, becoming the archetype of a strong woman.

In her early years of office, she was still struggling to turn around the unrest she had inherited, but a turning point was offered in the Falkland conflict of 1982.  Here was a conflict which could be said astrologically to bring out her Inner Warrior.  The conflict has been echoed recently with Argentina, and I wrote in my blog of 12^th February 2012:

“The original conflict in 1982 was a vehicle for Margaret Thatcher’s Inner Warrior because she was experiencing a Mars Return at the time!  This Mars Return was exactly trine the U.K. Ascendant.”

The success of the war enabled her re-election in 1983 (then going on to win a third term in 1987), and she was able to press on with her economic mission, based on monetarist thinking.  Her policy was to privatize national services and resources, to show a healthier economy, but stopped short of privatizing the NHS and the railways, which would have had even more severely adverse effects.  She encouraged the buying of council houses by council tenants, which many are still grateful for, but did not provide housing to replace them, thus contributing to the current housing shortage.

Miners’ Strike

Where she did clash violently with society and communities, many of which to this day have not recovered or forgotten, were in the mining dispute, and over the community charge tax (later re-named the Poll Tax).  Here we saw at first hand the violent clashes and the result of extreme feelings by those affected, on our television screens.

The fall guy (and some declared foolish) in the  conflict of the Miner’s Strike (1984/5) was Arthur Scargill, leader of the National Union of Mineworkers.  Margaret’s Pluto opposed exactly Scargill’s Venus, but her Jupiter was exactly conjunct his Venus, so her Jupiter-Pluto assertion of power was exercised in this battle of wills.

Many argue that the political stranglehold of the Unions needed to be broken, and it certainly was a success for Margaret, but these days they might do with being a little stronger in order to be able to stand up for the “little man” – perhaps this balance went too far the other way.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Perhaps her greatest achievement, and one worthy of the Libran Sun sign, was to end the Cold War.  She first cemented an alliance and friendship with the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, then brokered an entente between him and the newly emerging President of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev.  She famously said that Gorbachev was a “man she could do business with”.  His Neptune was conjunct her Midheaven, which could be what drew her to him, but his Pluto and Saturn were square to her Sun.  Her intervention really did transform the relationship between the West and the East, but when Gorbachev was removed some of the benefits of the achievement started to slide.

Another overseas ally was Augusto Pinochet of Chile, whose chart comparison reaveals a double whammy of her Venus trine his Neptune and his Neptune trine his Venus.

Resignation

When she was forced to resign, after a first ballot for the leadership election, followed by disappointing interviews with her cabinet colleagues, Jupiter was square to her natal Saturn/Ascendant.  At the time of Geoffrey Howe’s devastating resignation speech a couple of weeks earlier, Pluto was trine his Pluto, a moment of his empowerment for which he had waited a long time.

Legacy

She once humorously declared that Tony Blair, or New Labour, was her legacy.  And she certainly did transform society, but that can be good or bad depending on who you are or what you believe in.  Owen Jones in his book “Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class” (2011) states:

“At the root of the demonization of working-class people is the legacy of a very British class war. Margaret Thatcher’s assumption of power  in 1979 marked the beginning of an all-out assault on the pillars of  working-class Britain.  Its institutions, like trade unions and  council housing, were dismantled;  its industries, from manufacturing  to mining, were trashed; its communities were, in some cases, shattered, never to recover; and its values, like solidarity and collective aspiration, were swept away in favour of rugged individualism.”

But that is no reason to dance on her grave, or anyone’s.  It is a sad reflection when society is ruled by hatred.  I hope we do better in the future, now that we can see her “reign” in black and white.

Further Reading:

http://www.lanawooster.co.uk/blog/2013/04/aspects-for-the-week-beginning-14-april-2013/

The Aspect for today, and for the tone of the week, is Venus conjunct Mars.  Thus various forces represented by Venus and Mars seek to combine, such as peace and war, love and sex, money and spending.

Conjunctions

Some conjunctions are easier to combine, blend and work together than others.  There are planets who naturally team up, such as the Sun and Moon (who also team up this week for a New Moon), Venus and Mars (easier to unite than some), Jupiter and Saturn (opposites, but they have a lot to give each other in terms of balance), and other planets who do not harmonize so well (Mars and Saturn, Uranus and Saturn, Uranus and Pluto, for instance).

Venus conjunct Mars

Venus (sensuality) meets Mars (sexuality) and there is a natural magnetism between these two.  The thrill of the chase may be for the young:

“Bold Lover, neveer canst thou kiss,

Though winning near the goal – Yet, do not grieve;

She cannot fade, though thou has not thy bliss,

For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair!”

~ John Keats

Some chase all their lives; some choose to sublimate, or develop other passions.  Venusian pleasures are vast: food, money, gardening, painting – to name but a few.  So it is a week to develop your passion, wherever it may lie.

Balancing Sexuality

In past life regression, people are often surprised to find themselves in a body of the opposite sex.  In these times, in this incarnation, there are more possibilities and permutations of expression, from androgyny, through heterosexuality and homosexuality to bisexuality.  In previous eras, there were fewer options, and more suppression.  Some people coming into incarnation are in a transitional period, e.g. male after a series of female lifetimes, or vice versa, and this can result in gender dysphoria.  Everyone needs to find their level for this phase of their Soul evolution.  But everyone needs to balance their inner female and inner male, and this is what Venus conjunct Mars is about.  A helpful book in this respect is “Feminine Fusion” by Chris Griscom.

Archetype – “The Lover”

For this Archetype, Caroline Myss gives the following:

“May manifest in anyone who  exhibits great passion and devotion to another, but also to art, music, gardening, nature, or needlepoint…

Shadow lover manifests as an exaggerated or obsessive passion that has a destructive effect on your physical or mental health and self-esteem”

People with Venus conjunct Mars in the birthchart

Miranda Hart – Much of her comedy is centred around her own sexual image

Giacomo Casanova – Who has become himself an Archetype of “The Lover”

Amy Winehouse – Having this conjunction in Leo, she used it in her creativity

Michael Douglas – Back in 1990, Michael Douglas was the first to be “reported” to be a sex addict (long before he met Catherine Zeta Jones).

Bill Clinton – An eye for the ladies could be said to be his downfall…

Emily Bronte – Arguably the most sensual and passionate of the Bronte clan.

Aspects

Today, Venus is conjunct Mars, so follow your passion today, and try to be in balance.  For instance if you are shopping, you may be attracted to items which in the long term may not be very useful to you.  Observe which chakra the desire to spend is coming from.  This aspect may hold sway throughout the week, and  you may hear of a new liaison in the world of celebrity.  The conjunction takes place at 20 degrees of Aries, so if you have a natal planet in that degree you will be able to capitalize on this.

On Wednesday (10^th) there is a New Moon in Aries, enabling a new beginning in self-development, and additional outlets for energy and passion.  What do you feel is the next step for you in your growth, or the next active or physical project?  Wednesday’s New Moon is an opportunity to make a truly fresh start, being the first New Moon of the astrological year.  The New Moon is, like Venus conjoining Mars, a marriage of the male principle (in this case the Sun) and the female principle (Moon).  So there is extra male-female balancing, and it also takes place at 20 degrees of Aries, so if it is your birthday or you have a natal planet at 20 degrees Aries, you will certainly be the centre of attention and at the centre of the action.

Finally, on Friday (12th) Pluto is Stationary, prior to turning retrograde.  All the planets involved in this week’s story (Venus, Mars, Moon, Sun) are very personal to us, but in comparison to Pluto, they are skimming the surface.  So we may have had a pleasant and pleasurable week, we may have made some short term gains, but by Friday we may realize that we have deeper work yet to do.  We shall return to the navel gazing and the deeper study of ourselves (coming from reading  “Bridget Jones’ Diary” early in the week,  to “Pluto” by Jeff Green later in the week). So, summing up, capturing your joie de vivre today and midweek, and then rejoining the journey towards a deeper experience and appreciation of life on Friday.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – amoureuse
• Wednesday – carpe diem
• Friday – back to the psychological grindstone

The Miliband Brothers

This week on the Mars-Pluto square, David Miliband announced that he is taking up a position in New York to work for a charity, the International Rescue Committee.  This is the latest twist in the sibling rivalry saga with his brother Ed.  I thought I would have a look at the family history.

Ralph Miliband

The story begins with their father, Ralph Miliband, whose chart we have (without a birth time); we do not have a chart for their mother Marion Kozak.  The family of Ralph Miliband originally came from the Jewish quarter of Warsaw, but moved to Belgium, where Ralph was born in 1924.  He came to England with his father in 1940 to avoid persecution by the Nazis.

He studied at the London School of Economics, and became a devotee of the philosophy of Karl Marx, and visited his grave in Highgate Cemetery.  At his death in 1994 he was buried there, close to Karl Marx.  In the 1960s he was involved with the movement of the New Left, and published the book Parliamentary Socialism in 1961.

Ralph Miliband had Sun in Capricorn, and Moon conjunct Mercury in Capricorn, the sign associated with politics, and indeed both his sons followed those interests and became politicians, possibly fulfilling some of his aspirations.

David Miliband

David Miliband is the older of the two brothers (born in 1965), Cancerian to Ed’s opposite sign of Capricorn.

In an Observer Profile of the brothers 1/7/07 by Andrew Anthony, at the outset of their Cabinet careers, but long before the leadership contest between them, we are treated to an interesting picture of their upbringing.

“The Miliband house in Primrose Hill in north London was a meeting place of the ‘new left’, the group of intellectuals that formed around the New Left Review, as well as more traditionalist Labourites and communists.  Tariq Ali and Tony Benn, for example, were regular visitors…

“Benn (also) writes in his diaries that Miliband senior, who was a close friend, confided that his sons complained to him about his idealism: ‘Oh, Dad, how would you do that? Would it work? What are your positive proposals?’ “

Both brothers studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford.  Around the time of his Saturn Return, David Miliband became Head of Policy for Tony Blair in 1994, and thus became associated with the development of New Labour leading up to Tony’s election and in this period the father died.  New Labour was going in a completely different direction from Ralph Miliband’s ideals, and Ralph Miliband bowed out of incarnation.  At that point, David Miliband’s Nodal Axis (the direction of his destiny) was squaring his father’s Saturn, and their politics were diverging.  It would be Ed who would carry some semblance of a torch for socialism and Old Labour.

In his new appointment at this time, David is following his destiny.  Natally, he has Jupiter conjunct his North Node in Gemini (a sign often associated with the U.S., and sometimes used as its rising sign), and Jupiter is now conjunct with his North Node, hence the beckoning horizons across the pond.

Hillary and Bill Clinton

When Tony Blair left the office of Prime Minister, and New Labour was beginning to die, the new Prime Minister Gordon Brown appointed David as Foreign Secretary.  His period in the office was not as distinguished as possibly expected in comparison to the potential and hope invested in him, neither was it disastrous.  There were controversies, but no more than average for a Foreign Secretary.

He notably formed a warm friendship with Hillary Clinton, and it is interesting that David’s Neptune is conjunct her Venus.  This is the opposite way round from her conjunction with Bill Clinton: Bill’s Venus being conjunct with Hillary’s Neptune.  It is a conjunction in synastry which can produce fascination, or at least dazzlement in the early stages of a relationship.

Bill Clinton’s comment on David Miliband’s new appointment is “I congratulate the IBC on the appointment of David Miliband as its president.  I have known David almost 20 years.  He is one of the ablest, most creative public servants of our time.”

Ed Miliband

Ed Miliband was born in 1969, and in his relationship comparison with David includes a combustible Uranus-Mars conjunction (Ed’s Uranus conjunct David’s Mars).

When Ed pulled a surprise win in the Labour leadership contest in September 2010, Pluto was conjunct Ed’s natal Sun, and Mars was square to David’s Sun.  It may therefore have been as much of a shock to Ed as it was to David.  It was one of those moments that their mother “couldn’t look”.  Many saw it as a betrayal, that Ed had snatched David’s birthright (not even for a mess of potage), and those who thought New Labour would go forward were disappointed in the direction of the party.

But there is an interesting legacy from father Ralph.  Both Ed Miliband and his father have Sun in Capricorn (politics) square exactly Chiron (their wound) in Aries, so Ed Miliband is carrying an exact astrological gene from his father.

There is a small possibility that Ed could fulfil the true socialist ideals of his father, but with his charisma only marginally appealing to the British population and only incrementally increasing, it remains largely improbable.  Those who hanker after Old Labour know that you cannot bring it back now, any more than you can rehabilitate the beloved NHS in the current political and economic climate, but with Ed’s karmic mission (North Node) conjunct his father’s Uranus (Vision) a glimmer of his father’s light remains in the political domain.

Aspects

Today, Easter Sunday, Venus makes two aspects, a death and a resurrection.  The first is a square with Pluto, the sweeping away of old attachments.  The second is a sextile with Jupiter in the early afternoon: a taking up of enthusiastic new attachments.  So there is the possibility of hearts broken and hearts made today, and they may or may not be the same hearts.

Tomorrow, April Fool’s Day, follows a similar pattern, but substituting the Sun for Venus.  First, in the early hours, the Sun squares Pluto.  The theme of the cycle of birth/death/rebirth is revisited, on a more creative level than the emotional focus of Sunday.

At lunchtime, we have the Sun sextile Jupiter, bringing new enthusiastic energy, life and vitality.  Thus you may have themes of creation/construction/destruction/recycling, with perhaps more to show for it than Sunday which can act as a rehearsal in some respects.  It will be like a twice baked soufflé for this week, or twice baked chips (I have been watching too much of the current series of Masterchef).

On Thursday, Pluto will be sextile Chiron.  This will bring through more healing, and more understanding of the cycle of regeneration.  Pluto (psychological health) will balance with Chiron (spiritual health), and you may be able to produce a much more wholesome Excel spreadsheet  of your physical health, psychological well being, and future goals (or centring in the Now if that is preferred).  The lessons and rollercoaster of the early week will come to fruition in this planetary combination.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – emotional roller coaster
• Tomorrow – creative balancing and understanding
• Thursday – bringing it all together