John Bercow

John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, has had an eventful week.  On Monday, he courted controversy when he stated that in his opinion Donald Trump should not address the joint Houses on his proposed visit to the U.K., and this morning a video has been released of him revealing that he voted to remain in last year’s European Referendum.  The controversy lies in the fact that he has expressed political opinions, as his post requires him to be absolutely impartial.  A motion of no confidence was launched against him, which may come to nothing.

Birth Chart

John Bercow has the Sun conjunct Mercury across the Capricorn/Aquarius cusp.  The Sun conjuncts closely the  South Node in Capricorn in his chart, suggesting themes of Politics and Power in past lives.  There is a theme of power in his chart: Sun in Capricorn, Sun conjunct the South Node, Mars in Leo and Jupiter opposite Pluto. The office of Speaker holds great powers, and when he was elected Speaker in 2009 it was written in the Guardian that Bercow was “dragged most willingly to perch on his new throne”.

He has a great following in the House of Commons, and equally he has made enemies.  He has sensitivity and emotional depth (Moon in Scorpio conjunct Neptune), but his Venus (social relations) is locked in a T-square with Jupiter/Chiron and Pluto, which can make his relationships quite difficult.  Venus also represents the women in his life, and his wife Sally has not exactly enhanced his reputation, plus their relationship has been quite stormy.

Office of the Speaker

When running for this office, Bercow said: “I wanted it because I felt that there was a task to be undertaken and that’s about strengthening backbench involvement and opportunity in parliament, and helping parliament get off its knees and recognise that it isn’t just there as a rubber-stamping operation for the government of the day, and as necessary and appropriate to contradict and expose the government of the day.”

Looking at his chart, he doesn’t have the obvious hallmarks of impartiality.  A previous outstanding figure in this role was Betty Boothroyd who served from 1992 – 2000.  She had the classic chart you would expect to find, the Sun exactly conjunct Mercury right in the middle of Libra, the sign of impartiality itself.

On the day John Bercow was made Speaker (22nd June 2009), Jupiter was exactly conjunct Chiron, mirroring his own natal conjunction.  It is a role designed to bring unity and heal. Saturn was also sextile his Neptune, so it was undertaken in a spirit of great sincerity and sense of honour.

Events this week

1.  Issue of the Trump visit

On Monday this week, Bercow expressed that he would be strongly opposed to the U.S. President addressing the Houses of Parliament, stating that “opposition to racism and sexism” needed to be considered.

His transits show that Uranus from Aries was exactly trine his natal Mars in Leo, triggering a calculated risk on his part, so if the astrology is right he knew what he was doing, but at the same time may have felt compelled to speak.  After many MPs objected to the prospect of Donald Trump’s being honoured in this way, and a petition signed by 1.8 million members of the public, he may have felt he was speaking for most people, and that it was in the public interest.

This act of impartiality put him in the firing line, especially with his detractors.

2.  Brexit issue today

Today, he was shown in a video telling students that he voted remain in the European Referendum.  Again, he has been denounced by various people, especially his known detractors.

His transits still show Uranus trine Mars, but there are two possibly sinister transits showing up in addition. Neptune opposes his Pluto, which peaks on 5th March, so his position as speaker may be threatened.

Only two days later, Neptune squares his Venus, which peaks on 7th March.  This may be a personal confusion or scandal, possibly involving his wife.

Though he intends to see the Brexit process through, which may take a further two years, his position is a little precarious.

Sally Bercow

The Bercows live at Westminster, as a requirement of the post of Speaker, and that itself must be claustrophobic and frustrating. They have three children, the eldest of whom is autistic.  Though his wife Sally seems like a more frivolous character, their charts show some remarkable similarities, so there is a bond between them.

In her chart, she has the Sun at the end of Scorpio conjunct Mercury at the beginning of Sagittarius, sextile John’s Sun/Mercury conjunction.  Both have a high proportion of Fixed planets, so they may both be stubborn.  With the Sun closely conjunct Neptune in Scorpio, she is deeply emotional and probably finds it hard to express that in political circles.  In his chart his Moon conjunct Neptune reflects the fact that his wife is very emotional.  Whereas he has Venus square Jupiter, she has Venus square Mars which is more indicative of inappropriate behaviour!  She also has Mars trine Uranus, which likes to shock.  In addition to that, her Saturn is unaspected, so that may make her a libertarian.

These traits have got her into hot water.  A fan of popular media, she joined the Big Brother house in August 2011, at a time when Uranus (controversy) was trine her Mercury (media and communication).  Neptune was also square her Sun, which can produce unwise decisions: whatever her hopes from the experience, she was first to be evicted.

Neptune was again square her Sun in November 2012, when she tweeted against Lord McAlpine in an allegation of a scandal; but with in addition the more serious transit of Pluto squaring her Uranus, she was taken to court and lost, having to pay damages for the effect on his reputation.

In her relationship with John Bercow (Synastry), his North Node trines her Sun, so it really is a karmic relationship.  They do have close connections, with his Neptune on her Venus, his Venus sextile her Mars (strong attraction), and his Saturn conjunct her Mars (so he does keep her in line a bit – she has been quieter lately).  In response to her various shenanigans he has been quoted as saying she is “not my chattel”.

On March 7th, when John Bercow has Neptune exactly square his Venus, possibly indicating a problem with the woman in his life, she has Saturn exactly square her Pluto, indicating a very difficult problem for her.

Opinions this morning

On the Andrew Marr show, it was pointed out that John Bercow had not divulged his views before the Referendum.  Tom Watson, on the same programme, praised his work as Speaker, and said he had shown great support of the backbenchers having a voice and getting their views across.  Whatever your views, whether anti-Trump or pro-Trump, Remain or Brexit, John Bercow has been brave to air his views this week, and the Bercows make a colourful couple.

Aspects

There is still time to work with yesterday’s trine between the Sun and Jupiter, especially if you missed it (as I did).

This trine favours expanding your thought and creativity, and seeking new philosophical paths.  There may also be a touch of luck involved.

The first aspect of the week occurs on Tuesday (14th), Valentine’s Day: Sun sextile Saturn.  It’s not the most romantic of aspects, but it’s not a bad aspect either.  In terms of relationship, it is about loyalty and commitment, and the promise to look after each other.  So that is the focus of the day, if you are preparing your sonnet or limerick.  It favours laying down plans and foundations, and that may be applied to relationship.

Thursday (16th) is also highlighted this week, in terms of speedy communication, with a sextile between Mercury and Mars.  If you are travelling, you may be pleasantly surprised that your wheels are working and there are no rail impediments.  The time may whizz by on your journey.  Once you reach your destination, talk will be prolific, efficient and to the point.  It should be a productive day generally, with mind and body in sync.

On Saturday (18th) the Sun enters Pisces.  If you are going in for hi-tech procedures this week, then establish them earlier, as your preoccupations might go more soft-focus on Saturday.  You may be engaged in a sentimental review of an issue, or a relationship, and may need to relax and surrender to that, and take the day or weekend off from watching screens.  Get in touch with your emotions.  Listen in to your loved ones.  Hear the whispers of the Universe…

The week in bullet points:

• Tuesday – solid foundations
• Thursday – let’s get busy
• Saturday – going inward

A Compatibility Guide for Aquarius

Are you an Aquarian, or do you have a friend, relative or partner born under that sign? You must know one – they are among the friendliest in the zodiac!

 Aquarius Sun with Aries Sun

This is a dynamic combination, very active and quick-moving.  Aries moves fast physically, and Aquarius thinks at the speed of light.  They both have leadership qualities, so can initiate projects and get things going, though they may vie for top dog.  Never a dull moment!

Aquarius Sun with Taurus Sun

There could be some dissonance, especially speedwise, with these two.  Aquarians like quick results, and Taureans don’t like to be pushed.  They are both strong willed, so may run into problems if their wills are not flowing in the same direction.  But, as with all squared signs, they can rise above their differences and create something quite progressive and talented between them.

Famous Example: Amal Alamuddin and George Clooney

Aquarius Sun with Gemini Sun****

This is another good combination, with much communication.  There can be a great deal of excitement generated between these two, as well as telepathy.  The Aquarian may tend to lead in the relationship.  These two could conduct much of their relationship online, or at least meet that way!

Famous Example: Christine Bleakley and Frank Lampard

Aquarius Sun with Cancerian Sun

This is not a natural pairing, and these two may struggle to find common ground.  The Cancerian’s natural habitat is emotion and instinct (Water) and the Aquarian lives on a plane of intellect (Air) and intuition (Uranus).  If one of them has the Ascendant in the other’s Sun sign, that can give the relationship some common ground.  Living designs could also be difficult to reconcile, in that Cancerians like to collect or hoard, and Aquarians like to streamline.

Famous Example: Adrian Edmondson and Jennifer Saunders

Aquarius Sun with Leo Sun

These two are opposites, and therefore can be complementary and create a whole.  At a lower level of interaction, there can be tension, but the relationship is worth working at.  Aquarius understands group work, and Leo understands how to maintain individuality within a group, so they may find themselves working in society for the common good.  They have a hotline to each other.  Leo admires the Aquarian cool, and Aquarius admires the Leo flair.

Famous Example: Lisa Faulkner and John Torode

Aquarius Sun with Virgo Sun

These two may not have a great deal in common, but socially they both like to keep a little bit of distance, so will respect each other’s boundaries.  Each can see the other as cool, in different ways.  Aquarius may be regarded as cool, as in hip, and Virgo may admire that.  Virgo can be cool and efficient, and Aquarius may admire that, and see Virgo as a valuable ally.  Both are idealistic signs, in different ways, and in a group or in teamwork their friendship can especially flourish.

Famous Example: Sinead Cusack and Jeremy Irons

Aquarius Sun with Libra Sun****

This is one of those ideal matches, both Air signs, understanding each other through mental communication of the lower mind (rational exchange of ideas) and the higher mind (through telepathy).  These two can be truly in tune with each other.  If in a group of friends, a working group or team mates, the Aquarian may take charge of overall organization and Libra may connect with each member of the group through a one-to-one heart connection, thus both contributing their strengths.  This is a good partnership for setting up groups and workshops together.

Famous Example: Yoko Ono and John Lennon

Aquarius  Sun with Scorpio Sun

Traditionally, as this is a squared relationship, there can be a great deal of tension.  For example, they may both claim that they are always right!  That can create moments or days of stand offs, unless one or both have a more easy going Ascendant or Moon.  On a higher level, however, squared Suns can overcome all odds.

Famous Example: Julia Roberts and Danny Moder

Aquarius Sun with Sagittarius Sun

This can be a lovely combination, with both signs tending to be positive thinkers.  It can be very dynamic, with a great deal of potential and achievement.  It is also a very high energy relationship, which may exhaust others in their company.  Humour may be very prominent in this pairing, and there are always surprises round the corner for these two.

Famous Example: Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero

Aquarius Sun with Capricorn Sun

As neighbouring signs, they may have a great deal in common.  At one time they were both ruled by Saturn, but now Aquarius is ruled by Uranus, and personalities born under Aquarius can be very different and individualistic.  As long as the Aquarian has an understanding of the traditional values of Capricorn, and the worth of some of its enduring values, the partnership may work. It may also require the Capricorn to keep up with technology and social media, to aid communication.

Famous Example: Carla Bruni and Nicholas Sarkozy

Aquarius Sun with Aquarius Sun

As same signs, these two can understand each other perfectly.  Moreover, as Aquarians, they can be super-telepathic between themselves, like twins.  If both are focussed on the future, as is characteristic of Aquarians, they can achieve startling results, and leave others standing.  Their joint lifestyle could be quite unconventional.  Two Aquarians together can lead a new movement, or a humanitarian mission.

Aquarius Sun with Pisces Sun

As neighbouring signs, these two may have planets in each other’s signs, which will assist understanding.  Both are intuitive: Aquarius in a mental way, and Pisces in an emotional empathetic way.  As a union, they can be quite evolved, if they are using their higher faculties, and the potential of their ruling planets Uranus and Neptune.  This can make for a very interesting life together, full of mystery and wonder!

 

A full compatibility analysis details every component of the two birthcharts in relation to each other, not just the Sun sign.  As there is a lot of work involved, it is my most expensive service, at £45.

Competition Results

Many thanks to all of you who submitted entries for the 10-yr anniversary competition! There were 8 entries in all, and I loved them all.

I would have loved to award a prize to them all, and found it difficult to decide between them. I nearly chickened out and put them in a hat.

But in the end, I did make some decisions, and the results are:-

1st prize (the full birth chart including year ahead) goes to Judith Bogner, who was very moved by the David Bowie blog.

The two runner up prizes (a Year Ahead each) go to Sarah Berry and Asia Haleem, for the Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron recipe and the Jupiter-Neptune interplay blog appreciations.

Prizewinners, please let me know who you want the astrological work for, and their details.

Aspects

Tomorrow a tide turns, with Jupiter going retrograde.  Progress in some area of your life may plateau, with a need for reworking or researching some background. Jupiter went retrograde on 8th January last year, if you would like to consult your diary for its effect.  With Jupiter being in Libra, it may concern a relationship in your life.  Perhaps you need to look at your own growth, as a key to the next step in the growth of the relationship.  Jupiter is retrograde until June, so this is a fairly long term process of discovery.

On Tuesday (7th) Mercury enters Aquarius.  It could be that you have gone as far as you can with patient, methodical thought on an issue, and it is time to turn up your thoughts an octave and bring more originality into your thinking.  Mercury will be travelling very rapidly through Aquarius, spending only 18 days there (leaving for Pisces on 25th).  So make the most of this window of mental stimulus, when ideas may come out of the blue and future vision will be more easily accessed.

That capacity for originality and invention is given an extra boost on Thursday (9th) when the Sun in Aquarius sextiles Uranus.  Those scientifically inclined may make some useful discoveries, while if more creatively inclined your own art could surprise you.  This aspect also favours networking, and group consciousness.

Friday (10th) is also an excellent day for socializing, with Mercury sextile Venus.  It’s great for dining out,  philosophizing in cafes, diplomatic meetings, and artistic and literary endeavours, or for combining all of those.  It’s a calm, contented, feelgood vibe.

Towards the end of the day you may be feeling a little of the tension of the upcoming Full Moon in Leo which occurs in the early hours of Saturday (11th), so make hay on Friday and seize the gifts of the day.  The Full Moon is also an Eclipse, so may be more powerful than most: it will stimulate creativity and individuality.

 N.B. The Full Moon occurs on Friday night in the U.S.

Late Addition

The Sun also trines Jupiter this afternoon, Saturday 11th.  You may experience some luck at the end of this week.

I seem to have short changed you this week, but hope to do better tomorrow.

The week in bullet points:

• Tomorrow – some retrospection
• Tuesday – mental refreshment
• Thursday – invention
• Friday – harmonious
• Saturday – emotional

John Hurt (1940 – 2017)

Actor John Hurt died on Friday, he of that beautiful, craggy, vulnerable face which never failed to move me. As an Aquarian, I always felt he had an aura of untouchability too.  His birth chart is very indicative of that exquisite combination of sensitivity and detachment.

Birth Chart

His Sun was at 1 degree Aquarius, the essence of the trailblazer and the groundbreaker, ahead of his time in the roles he undertook.  But Pluto was exactly opposite the Sun in his chart – not an easy life, and he didn’t take on easy roles either.  With Chiron and Pluto in the 12th House of Unconscious, he used the power of his unconscious as a resource to convey the subtlety of his roles.

He had his Ascendant in Leo, which is an actor’s sign, and though he did not meet with encouragement by those around him early in life, he knew that acting was the profession he wanted to pursue.  Uranus was square his Ascendant, giving rise to an unusual appearance.

His Moon was in Cancer, and he was undoubtedly in touch with his feminine side, a quality which was accompanied by the gentleness of Moon trine Venus.

His South Node was exactly conjunct Saturn at the Midheaven in Aries in 9th House and square his Mercury: he applied his intelligence to difficult roles, probably informed by experiences in difficult past lives which he was able to draw upon.  Saturn conjunct his Midheaven as his acting persona, saw him portraying lonely individuals with difficult lives often at odds with society.

But I feel the true genius of his sensitivity is depicted  by Mercury trine Neptune exactly in  his chart – and in at least one case he was able to channel his historical subject.

Richard Rich

In 1966, from school in St. Albans, we went for an outing to the cinema to see the film “A Man for All Seasons”, in which he played the part of the unscrupulous Richard Rich.  As a teenager, I was instantly mesmerized by him, and the event sealed his status in my mind as one of my favourite actors, as he is still to this day.

Comic actor David Schneider has paid tribute to him, saying: “Sad re John Hurt.  I was in a film with him, and he was so mesmerizing I kept forgetting to act and just watched him.  A genius and a lovely man.”  I totally relate to that.

Quentin Crisp

In 1975, John Hurt appeared on our television screens portraying Quentin Crisp in “The Naked Civil Servant”.  The title of this film refers to his earlier days as a life model for art students, and as a family we took a particular interest in Quentin Crisp as my sister, again when we were in St. Albans, sketched the naked civil servant himself during A Level classes.

John Hurt’s performance was sensitive and memorable in capturing the nuances of Quentin Crisp’s character and body language.  He brought out the wonderful personality of his subject, winning a nation’s sympathy.  This did much to raise awareness of homophobia and the plight of the homosexual in society in earlier decades of the 20th Century, in one of John Hurt’s groundbreaking roles.

Quentin Crisp lived to aged 90, and his synastry with John Hurt was very connected: most notably, John Hurt’s Sun was on Quentin Crisp’s Moon, John Hurt Jupiter conjunct Quentin Crisp Saturn (the ability to lift Quentin’s burden), Hurt’s Saturn sextile Quentin’s North Node (bringing a commitment to assisting Quentin’s karmic mission).

Joseph Merrick

In 1980 John Hurt played John Merrick, in the film “The Elephant Man”.  John Merrick was born in Leicester in the 19th Century, and suffered from an unknown complaint which involved growths to his skin, of such severity that his head in particular ballooned in size.  John Hurt wore a prosthetic head throughout the performance, but always made you aware of the human inside. In Merrick’s life, he was both rescued and exploited as a circus act.

Much of the subtlety of this performance rested on the use of John Hurt’s voice, as Peter Bradshaw of the Observer describes:

“…His quaveringly sensitive, refined, yet defiantly insistent voice – ‘Everyone has been very kind…!’ – became much imitated, much parodied.

The synastry between Merrick and Hurt is rather beautiful:  Their Marses were conjunct in Aries, to one degree.  John Hurt’s Mars (Warrior) was trine exactly Joseph Merrick’s Sun. Joseph Merrick’s Mars was exactly trine John Hurt’s Ascendant.  Joseph Merrick’s Jupiter was trine exactly John Hurt’s Mercury.  But the real piece de resistance is a double whammy of each of  their Neptunes being conjunct the other’s Jupiters: almost a mystical merging.  In this role, there was a real possibility that John Hurt’s exact Mercury-Neptune trine came into play in its potential for channelling.

This role too was groundbreaking in arousing sympathy and understanding for an isolated individual.

Other Roles

His career spanned 6 decades, and exhibited great variety and versatility. Peter Bradshaw, Film Critic in the Observer, prizes his role in “Scandal”, about the Profumo affair, above all others.  One role which brought him to the attention of younger viewers was as wand maker Mr. Ollivander in “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”, and author J.K. Rowling was among those paying tribute to a “beloved” actor.

Relationships

John Hurt’s relationships may have  been characterized by his Sun Sign Aquarius, appearing on the cusp of his  7th House of Close Relationships and Marriage, in that he was married four times.  Venus in Pisces appears later in the 7th House, and trine his Moon, showing a sensitive rapport with women.

His longest relationship, which lasted 15 years, was with Marie-Lise Volpeliere-Pierrot, who died on 26 January 1983 in a horse riding accident.  They had planned to marry (Jupiter was square his natal Venus in 7th House at the time) but the relationship was cut short (Saturn was trine his natal Venus).

He married Joan Dalton on 24 January 1990, and they had two sons together, Alexander (born 5th February 1990) and Nick (born 6th February 1993), both Aquarians.

He lived with his fourth wife Anwen Rees-Meyers in Cromer, Norfolk, where he died. She has said:

“John was the most sublime of actors and the most gentlemanly of gentleman with the greatest of hearts and the most generosity of spirit.  He touched all our lives with joy and magic and it will  be a strange world without him.”

Carried on Acting

John was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2015 and declared he would carry on working, which he did.  From diagnosis in June of that year (when Pluto was opposite his natal Chiron), he announced he was in remission in October of that year.

At his death, he had a very dignified set of transits: Saturn trine his Saturn, Saturn trine his  Midheaven, and Pluto trine his Uranus.

The gift he leaves to the filmgoing public is his current role in the acclaimed film “Jackie” with Natalie Portman, where he plays father confessor to the widowed Jackie Kennedy.

Peter Bradshaw describes him eloquently in this role:

“He is gaunt, lined, ascetic, a face redolent of wisdom leavened with a touch of kindly and sympathetic wit.”

He will also be seen in a 2017 film as Neville Chamberlain, so he leaves us with more to look forward to.

 

Competition Still Open

My very first blog was written on 30th January 2007, so this blog is approaching its 10th birthday!  The website was set up one year before that.  Thank you to anyone who has read my blog over the years.

So to celebrate this occasion, I have been setting a competition, for which the closing date will be 30th January 2017, which is tomorrow.

All you have to do to enter is to post under comments either your favourite out of all my blogs in the last 10 years, and the reasons why, or an idea for a future blog.  I will repost the competition next week, in case you need time to think about it.

There will be three prizes:

1st prize – a full astrological analysis, including a year ahead, for yourself or someone of your choice, worth £35

Two runner up prizes of a Year Ahead, worth £17.50

I will close the competition tomorrow at 5 pm, and post the results under comments on 31st January (Tuesday) and again in next week’s blog.

For those who have the stamina, I have earlier posted a history of the blog.  I know not everyone is a fan of history, but there may be some who are prepared to indulge me.

 

Aspects

Tonight we have Mercury conjunct Pluto, which may bring on a taste for the dramatic.  Donald Trump may continue to enrage us with his words and actions…Thought and speech will be serious and profound in nature, and their consequences are likely to be notable.

The next aspect of the week occurs on Wednesday (1st), when Mercury squares Uranus.  Like the conjunction of Mercury and Pluto, this is also mentally challenging.  Mercury conjunct Pluto can challenge health, but with Mercury and Uranus there is more nervous exhaustion involved, so take care of yourselves in the earlier part of the week, get plenty of rest, good quality nutrition and catch up on your sleep, so that you can deal with any stresses with a clear and rested mind.  Uranus square Mercury also courts controversy, so you may find yourself speaking out on subjects that matter to you: you may not be able to contain yourself in that way.

Fortunately, improvement is on the way because on Wednesday there is also a sextile between Mercury and Chiron, so there may be medicinal help available, whether conventional or alternative, or both together.  For example, if you thought you were unable to obtain an appointment with a practitioner, a cancellation may make one available at the last minute.

Thursday (2nd) brings a square between Mercury and Jupiter, which although not great, is easier to deal with than the earlier aspects of the week.  Mercury square Jupiter is mentally adventurous, may overload or overstretch with information or travel, and there may be a tendency to overdo things.  But it is much more mentally buoyant than Mercury conjunct Pluto or Mercury square Uranus, and Mercury square Jupiter describes the Explorer Archetype which may be triggered if this is one of your natal Archetypes.  Notice the great connectivity of Mercury this week: that means Geminis and Virgos will have a lot to do!

Venus enters Aries on Friday (3rd), territory where the planet of peace is not so much at home.  But her motto might be “Who Dares Wins”, and she may feel more gutsy.  So Venus-ruled Taureans and Librans in particular may step out and boldly go out of their comfort zone.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – profound thought
• Wednesday – nervous energy, but some healing available
• Thursday – adventurous
• Friday – less timid

2007

I began this blog on 30th January 2007, so am celebrating tomorrow!  The blogs were very short when they started out, and I only aimed for a brief description of the week’s aspects.  At first, I was not relating the blog to celebrities or world events. I think the humour was on good form that year, because I didn’t think anyone was reading the blog, so it was unselfconscious! I was still working in the Office those days, so there were numerous references to office life sprinkled around.

2008

By 2008, I had started to include some information about celebrities and goings on in the outside world (such as weather patterns).  Also, the length of the  blog was gradually creeping up. I wrote a series of blogs about the triple conjunction of the North Node, Chiron and Neptune during that year, and found that this was being referred to on a forum or two.  It then felt like a proper blog.

On the brink of the election of Barak Obama (19th October), I wrote:

“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.”

And now, of course, we are at the other side of his 8 year Presidency.

2009

In 2009 we had another big triple conjunction, that of Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron. I had an explosion of consciousness and came up with a recipe on 8th March:

“Description: A giant souffle, needing careful preparation

Serves: All humanity, but can be prepared for one, or any number

Time for preparation: until the end of May 2009

Oven temperature: yes it is warming up

Ingredients:

An uncluttered kitchen or workspace

Hope (Jupiter)

Compassion (Neptune)

Openness to healing (Chiron)

Adaptability

Listening skills (to your own needs, to others and to the Universe)

A sense of responsibility (re-read Obama’s inauguration speech)…”

and so on…

By then, I was regularly blogging on world events in relation to Astrology, as well as about celebrities.  I was also connecting with other astro-bloggers around the world.  My first blog about Soul Groups came on 13th September, on the subject of the Pre-Raphaelites:

“The recent TV series has revived an interest in the fascinating group of artists known as the Pre-Raphaelites.  The accompanying biography by Franny Moyle, published by John Murray, and entitled “Desperate Romantics” is as gratifyingly profound as the TV series was superficial (though very watchable).  The book is in fact an Astrologer’s dream, giving dates and times of day for such detail as an annulment, a railway train caught, and episodes of paranoia.  You could happily spend a whole day printing out such charts.  If the Moon’s Nodes are the key to karmic entanglements, then the astrological evidence corroborates the picture of a huge set of triangular relationships within the group (at the last count 8), and that includes triangles of brotherhood as well as menages a trois.”

On 15 November I wrote:

“I’ve been staring at too many screens lately: television, computers, commuter screens, mobile phone, i-phone and cinema (the wonderful “Bright Star” depiction of the life of John Keats – with Ben Whishaw divinely cast as the archetypal poet)…knowing that all these electrical vibes are interfering with my natural state of being.  Ten years ago I was just fighting a paper war, and this is more detrimental.”

Nothing has changed, in that respect. But I retired from my day job on 15 December, so after that there was less of an emphasis on office paper clips, and more about how lack of work expands to fill the time available after retirement.

2010

In February, I began a series of Interviews, mainly of interesting friends.  The first was of my friend Asia Haleem and her creation of the Cosmokrator.  Then followed interviews with Felicity “The Voice” Cook, Laura Dane (Theosophist and Telepath), Barry Stevens (Mandala Man), Sarah Berry (Universal Auntie and Channel), Astrologer cj wright (“Auntie Moon”) and Kim Gould (Love Your Design).  I later added a couple more interviews.

I also took some interest in the run up to the 2010 U.K. General Election, finding astrological evidence for a hung parliament, which resulted in a coalition between the Conservatives and the LibDems.  Attention also turned to the Greek economy, which was destabilizing in Europe.  There were quite a few blog about Europe in those days.  In these times, of course, we find ourselves separating from Europe.  How times change.

My first “Wimbledon Watch” was posted on June 27th:

“As I observed in my radio show with Kim Gould in March (link on my Past Lives page), tennis seems to have come in 3 clear phases astrologically.  The first was before the mid-70s, when the Sun Signs of top players tended to be Cancerian or Libra, both genteel signs responsive to the ebb and flow of the art.  The second phase came in the mid-70s with the advent of the power serve, when the Fire signs were more in evidence; speed, muscle, brawn and athleticism to the fore. Nowadays there is an accentuation of Mercury-ruled signs Virgo and Gemini in the charts of top players, showing that they have added to the responsiveness of the first phase and the athleticism of the second phase, and learned to use the mind and cerebral faculties on top of this.”

Julian Assange was mentioned in several blogs, the leaking of information by Wikileaks having coincided with the Jupiter-Pluto square.  Now, several years on, he is still holed in at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London.  Jupiter is again square Pluto, and there may be movement in his affairs: he was encouraged by Barak Obama’s pardon of Chelsea Manning (formerly Bradley Manning), who had assisted him.

2011

By 2011, the Arab Spring was under way, and very much equated with the ingress of Uranus into Aries.  That occupied quite a bit of blogging space, and the consequences of this phenomenon are still very much in the picture.

At the beginning of April, I posted my blog on the karmic South Nodes, which I had originally written for Joyce Mason’s blog, a Californian astro-blogger and writer.  I have used these Past Life Archetypes subsequently in my work, and am painting cards along these lines to accompany the novel The Quiet Office which I have now been writing since 2006.  I have just submitted the first three chapters to a literary agent.

26 June brought an innovation which has stuck.  “Bullet Man” (who shall remain incognito) complained that he did not like the preamble to the aspects, which he said was mainly about celebrities.  He just wanted me to get on with the business, in order to plan his week at a glance.  So the “Week in Bullet Points” feature was born!

In August, I started a new series, entitled the “Zodiac Masterclass”.  Each sign was represented by someone of the corresponding Sun sign.  The series began with “The Virgoan Guide to Decluttering” by Asia Haleem, who had by that time contributed a Guest Blog on Astro-Archaeology and the Mayan Calendar. It took a couple of years to complete the series, and the signs did not completely follow their sequence.  For the Capricorn Masterclass I scouted worldwide, and eventually a girl called April Jones came forward and declared it was she who was destined to write it.  The Piscean Masterclass was delayed by a year because the writer just missed the deadline (very Piscean). This series was accompanied by Mandalas painted by Sarah Berry from Barry Stevens’ Mandala Colouring book.  Sadly, these images were lost when changes had to be made to the website.

I started a new category that year, in September, when I wrote about Future Lives prior to attending to Anne Jirsch’s workshop to become a certified practitioner in Future Life Progression at the beginning of October.

On 4 December, Bullet Man again intervened in the fate of the blog:

“For those of you who have been following this blog since the summer, you will understand when I say that “Bullet Man” (responsible for the bullet point innovation on the blog) has again expressed an opinion.

This time he has asked for the blog to appear in paragraphs, to make it easier to read.”

He was re-named, or parallel-named, “Paragraph Man”.  As you can see, he has been very influential.  I seem to have been a bit resistant, as the spacing between paragraphs occurred gradually after that point.  But really, when I look at the blogs before that point, they look indigestible, so am very grateful and also apologetic.

2012

I began 2012 by writing about the upcoming U.S. Presidential Election due to take place in November – it was that time already!  By contrast, in the more recent campaign, I wrote one piece in December 2015 about Donald Trump, and then another about Hillary Clinton just before the election. No prizes for guessing why.

Soon after, in February, I was writing about the death of war reporter Marie Colvin in Syria, a tragedy which by now was now fully unfolding.  The Syrian Civil War had begun the year before, in a similar fashion to the other rebellions of the Arab Spring, but with even more disastrous consequences. To this date, no one knows what to do about this conflict, and Vladimir Putin and Barak Obama locked horns over the situation.  Now Donald Trump is President of the United States, he has vowed to do things differently…

That summer’s Wimbledon season saw a growing participation from commenters round the world, enquiring about whether their favourite tennis player would make it to the next round, or better still, win.  I started to collect records and data on the subject in more earnest, and am still trying.

That summer also the beginning of the 7-pronged Uranus-Pluto square, and a rise in violence in the Middle East as well as generally in the world.

On 30 December, I wrote:

“2012 Year of Extremes

2012 was undoubtedly a year of extremes.  Starting with the weather – in the UK alone we went from the driest year to the wettest year, all in one year!  The weather seems to be getting wilder all over the globe, and of course is set to continue that way.”

We continue to have wild statistics, e.g. that we now have the warmest years on record.

2013

The blog in 2013 hopefully became easier to read, not only with bullet points and paragraphs, but actual paragraph headings in colour according to their content (using my synaesthesia to good effect!).  This seems to have been a gradual process which occurred towards the end of December 2012, and my goodness it makes it much easier for me to re-read back over my old work.

In April I wrote a synastry piece about the compatibility between my hubby and I, as it was our 40th wedding anniversary, which was well received by family and friends.  Mike plays a valuable role in checking current affairs and political blogs.

“Bullet/Paragraph Man” again showed his hand in May of that year, when I took to heart his advice that a blog about football would greatly increase the popularity of the blog.  Thus it was I wrote about Alex Ferguson’s retirement. And, yes, the response to that blog was quite good, again proving that the advice from that quarter tends to be sound.

In September that year I wrote a follow up piece recording my progress with Future Life Progression since attending and qualifying at Anne Jirsch’s course.  I hope to write more on that subject in the future!

The Uranus-Pluto square rumbled on, causing mayhem and havoc worldwide…and personal problems for many, which included health issues for me.

One of the most outstanding icons of modern history passed away in December: Nelson Mandela (1918  – 2013), and I made sure his life did not go unrecorded in the blog:

“Today is a day of prayer and reflection, not just in his native South Africa, but around the world.  As a world citizen, he may be unparalleled.  His achievements were many, but all shot through with integrity and consistency.  The courage he bore in his long incarcerated years in Robben Island and the spiritual leadership in demonstrating reconciliation and forgiveness has set an example for world leaders (will they follow?) and an inspiration to all people.”

2014

2014 brought some strange disappearances of aircraft in airspace, the mysteries of which have not yet been completely unravelled.  The first took place on 8 March:

“Malaysian Airlines Flight 370

Given the safety of air travel nowadays, the disappearance of this flight is a total mystery.  The safety record of that airline (Boeing 777) is excellent.  There was no warning of messages from the crew, and it was a sudden event.  Oil slicks were found in the Gulf of Thailand, but who knows if they are linked?  Several countries have taken up the search, and a current theory is that terrorism is involved, with the discovery that two passengers were travelling under stolen passports.  There were 277 passengers on board, and 12 crew members.  Venus was still exactly square the Nodes on the day it happened, suggesting a collective karma requiring co-operation of several nations to help to solve the mystery.”

In September, the Scottish Referendum took centre stage in the blog.  The Scots found their political bone, and the United Kingdom narrowly escaped disunity.  I reported:

‘My own fears chime with those of Will Hutton writing in the Observer:

“Absurdly, there will be two countries on the same small island that have so much in common. If Britain can’t find a way of sticking together, it is the death of the liberal enlightenment before the atavistic forces of nationalism and ethnicity – a dark omen for the 21st century. Britain will cease as an idea. We will all be diminished.”’

That is all very strange to contemplate now.  Gordon Brown stuck his neck out to keep Scotland with us, and the very next day David Cameron diminished the achievement and dishonoured his promises. 2016 was much more of a shock in terms of national disunity, and brought the prospect of Scotland breaking away much nearer.  Brexit inspired Donald Trump, and the rest is history…

2015

11 January saw the blog about the first Paris shootings.  That was shocking enough at the time, but little did we know that more Paris and European shootings were to follow, linked with Islamic State.

There followed a number of blogs beginning in February, leading up to the U.K. General Election in May, about the various political parties.  Another hung parliament was expected, but instead the Conservatives gained a majority.  I was so shocked that, together with Hubby, I joined the Labour Party (before Jeremy Corbyn was a twinkle in the political eye), feeling I had been complacent and needing to do something.

At the end of March, I wrote a long piece about Colour, the Zodiac Signs and Colour Healing, again a subject that as a synaesthete I had been researching for years.  That piece wanted to be mentioned!

In May, I began a new series: Animal Totems and Archetypes, with Gemini as the first one.  This proved fun to research, and the series followed sequentially through to Taurus in April 2016.  I had been researching this topic for years, and I am still adding to this research.

It was a record year for blog comments on the Wimbledon blogs.

The gathering momentum of the Jeremy Corbyn phenomenon was documented in a blog at the end of July.  Again, it is strange to look in hindsight on that journey: his election in the September, then the revolt the following year, followed by another leadership election, and now the state of the Labour Party as a two-party state.

6 September saw an overdue blog on the subject of refugees, which had become a Europewide, if not worldwide, problem.  Many of these refugees were from the desperate conditions of Syria, but some were from North Africa, Libya, Afghanistan and other countries:

“The focal point of this week was a photograph of a 3 year old Syrian boy drowned at sea, but there have also been dramatic scenes in Hungary of packed trains, a woman and baby on a railway line, and refugees marching to the Austrian border, some finally yesterday finding refuge in Germany.

Currently, Jupiter is exactly square Syria’s Mars/Uranus, possibly depicting the sudden mass emigration of its populace, who cannot take any more of ISIL or President Assad.

And Pluto is exactly square Syria’s Ascendant on the 4^th House cusp, maybe the lowest point at which it could sink.”

And still it goes on…

2016

2016 was the year of the Obituary.  As I wrote at the end of the year:

“The Year that Was (2016)

How do we remember 2016?  Let me count the ways:

First of all, we lost so many legends.  I got to write about more than a few of them.  I covered David Bowie,  Alan Rickman, Terry Wogan, Nancy Reagan, Ronnie Corbett, Prince, Victoria Wood, Jonathan Cainer, Muhammed Ali, Jo Cox, Shimon Peres, Leonard Cohen and Fidel Castro.  And of course, there were many, many more I could not cover.  Since 18th December Zsa Zsa Gabor, Rabbi Lionel Blue, Rick Parfitt, George Michael, Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds have passed over.  It did not escape anybody’s notice that this was a year of loss.”

Three of those obituaries were in January: Alan Rickman, David Bowie and Terry Wogan.  The tragedies continued right through the year.

In 2016 we prepared for two major events: the European Referendum, which was to take place in June, and the U.S. Presidential Election.  The former occupied a great deal of blog space.

April was another heavy month of celebrity losses: Ronnie Corbett was first, Prince second and Victoria Wood third.  When asked at the end of the year which loss had affected him the most, Hubby replied Victoria Wood.

In June, I started a new series, about the compatibilities of the signs.  This has not received so much interest – well, you can’t win ’em all!

Then there was the shock of Brexit…

In July, Theresa May became Prime Minister, and I wrote:

“Transits this week

Some have greatness thrust upon them, and this week it was Theresa’s time.

In the aftermath of the European Referendum, when it was clear that she was a strong contender for the leadership, Theresa had a Jupiter Return to its natal position in Virgo.  This is a work related boost, though we do not have her birth time and do not know which House this falls into in her natal chart.”

I was rather fond of my September blog about the TV series “Poldark”, based on the novels of Winston Graham.  Last week, in the National Television Awards the programme lost out to “Call the Midwife” in the Best Drama category.

I wrote about Hillary Clinton at the end of October, and by 9 November we became aware that she had lost the election to Donald Trump, though she had not lost the Popular Vote.  Another twist in world history.

November brought two more obituaries, Leonard Cohen and Fidel Castro.  Leonard Cohen is the figure I most miss from 2016, and that blog was heartfelt. They all are, of course (!), so more than usually so.

Christmas Day fell on a blog day in 2016, and an incredible day for positive aspects.  I had been meaning for some time to write a blog about the interplay of Jupiter (Religion) and Neptune (Spirituality) in the birthchart, and it came together for that day.  Also memorable was a trine between Venus and Jupiter, which I associate with engagements.  Sure enough, an unexpected family proposal was announced by the end of the day.

2017

Who knows what the news will bring up for this year’s blogs?

Thank you to all my readership, and to my commenters who have kindly kept me going all this time!

I hope you have the stamina for more…

Love

       Lana

Women’s March

“I am proud to be one of thousands who will come to Washington to make clear that we will keep working for a democracy in which we are linked as human beings, not ranked by race or gender or class or any other label.”

~ Gloria Steinem

 

The day after Donald Trump was elected, organizers set to work planning a women’s march for the day after his inauguration.  The months of his campaigning had seen him insult women, gays, other races, the disabled and climate protection.  A show of strength was needed, on behalf of human decency.

The Chart

The time and date for the march was set for 10 a.m. on 21st January 2017 in Washington D.C., and this is a chart which speaks volumes about the nature and intent of the Women’s March.

The Moon is in Scorpio, natural home of the power of the feminine in its deepest sense.  The Moon trines Venus, indicating women coming together harmoniously.  Venus conjuncts Chiron, revealing the wound: that for all our progress as a human race, women are still undervalued.  A man has arrived in the White House who, despite having a trophy wife, is clearly a misogynist.

The Part of Fortune exactly conjuncts Pluto in the 10th House – the march is addressing the deepest issues relating to authority with fortitude and inner certainty.

Mars conjuncts the Ascendant from the 12th House – non-violent resistance is the aim, with Neptune, Venus and Chiron in the 12th House in Pisces also backing up the feminine leadership and power.

The Sun has just entered humanitarian Aquarius, showing strength together in sisterhood and brotherhood.  For Donald Trump, his perspective is that he is  bringing change, on his terms, more in line with his Leo Ascendant.  He also regards himself as an agent of change, with Uranus conjunct his North Node in 10th House, and Mars the Warrior on his Ascendant too.  But, for now, he has the temporal power.

Gloria Steinem

Gloria Steinem, an original stalwart of the feminist movement, was an honorary co-chair of the Women’s March, and the keynote speaker of the event.

She has the Warrior Archetype in her Sun conjunct Mars in Aries, and the humanitarian Activist Archetype in her North Node conjunct Venus in Aquarius.  She has her Moon in Scorpio.

She published an autobiography “My Life on the Road” in 2015, which is a very worthwhile, thought-provoking tome which ranges across all her life’s work in time and place.  At 82, she has seen life, and is a most inspiring figure!

She spoke on behalf of all:

“Thank you for understanding that sometimes we must put our bodies where our beliefs are. Sometimes pressing send is not enough. And this also unifies us with the many in this world who do not have computers or electricity or literacy, but do have the same hopes and the same dreams.”

She pointed out that while we lost figures such as Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, we still have the likes Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton fighting for human rights.

Other speakers included Michael Moore, Scarlett Johansson and America Ferrara.

Michael Moore

What a fighter against injustice he has been, and in so many ways!  Just the title of his 2001 book “Stupid White Men” was a real statement, as apt now as ever.  My husband pointed out that in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir which sang at the inauguration, there was not one  black face represented.

Moore of course has a Warrior’s chart: Sun trine Moon/Mars, with the Sun exactly trine Mars.  He was bowled over by the numbers who attended in Washington, and it was an important moment for him (Jupiter is sextile his natal Pluto).  That Donald Trump has chosen to go into denial about the numbers who attended the Women’s March in Washington compared to the numbers who attended his inauguration, despite photographic evidence, speaks volumes about his current priorities.  That he is already repealing Obamacare and taking climate change and gay rights off his agenda speaks volumes about his real attitudes and intentions towards the welfare of his people.

Michael Moore urged people to keep lobbying: “I want you to make this a part of your new daily routine: Call Congress every single day,” he said. “Brush your teeth, make the coffee, walk the dog and call Congress.”

Scarlett Johansson

Film actress Scarlett Johansson is a never-give-up double Sagittarian (Sun and Ascendant in that sign), and like Gloria Steinem has that female power of Moon in Scorpio. “Don’t let the feelings of helplessness make you complacent” she told us.  She likes to guard her private life but acknowledged that in these times “I feel that in the face of this current political climate, it is vital that we all make it our mission to get really, really personal.”

She brought home the implications of this new presidency: “President Trump, I did not vote for you. That said, I respect that you are our President-elect and I want to be able to support you,” she said. “First, I ask that you support me, support my sister, support my mother, support my best friend and all of our girlfriends, support the men and women here today that are anxiously awaiting to see how your next moves may drastically affect their lives.”

America Ferrara

Donald Trump had attacked Muslims and Mexicans in his campaign.  Actress America Ferrara was born of immigrants from Tegucicalpa, Honduras.  She is another Aries Warrior, with her Mars in Scorpio.  In her contribution, she said: “It’s been a heart-wrenching time to be a woman and an immigrant in this country ― a platform of hate and division assumed power yesterday. But the president is not America. … We are America.”

Around the World

Women’s marches took place around the world in resonance, including in London, where Yvette Cooper made a speech honouring Jo Cox who was a victim of the politics of hatred last year.  Yvette (married to that charming dancer Ed Balls, who doesn’t come across as misogynistic) has North Node conjunct Chiron in Aries, a desire to heal via a karmic mission which expresses itself partly through warriorship.

She added her voice to all those around the world prepared to stand up for women’s rights and the rights of all who are oppressed: “We’re standing up to the misogynists, the bullies and the haters who try to intimidate and silence people online, just as for years they tried to intimidate or silence women on the street…For the sake of our children and grandchildren…we are here because we will not let the clock be turned back.”

In these historic times, just to add my penny’s worth as a regression therapist:  The whole battle of the sexes is a nonsense when you see that many of us have had lives as both men and women. Some of those men who are now oppressing women, were once women themselves.  The human race, which should be working together, is fighting its own psyche.

“In truth, we don’t know which of our acts in the present will shape the future. But we have to behave as if everything we do matters. Because it might.”

~ Gloria Steinem

Ongoing Competition

My very first blog was written on 30th January 2007, so this blog is approaching its 10th birthday!  The website was set up one year before that.  Thank you to anyone who has read my blog over the years.

So to celebrate this occasion, I have been setting a competition, for which the closing date will be 30th January 2017.

All you have to do to enter is to post under comments either your favourite out of all my blogs in the last 10 years, and the reasons why, or an idea for a future blog.  I will repost the competition next week, in case you need time to think about it.

There will be three prizes:

1st prize – a full astrological analysis, including a year ahead, for yourself or someone of your choice, worth £35

Two runner up prizes of a Year Ahead, worth £17.50

We already have seven entries.

Aspects

Monday (23rd) brings the best aspect of the week, in Mercury sextile Neptune.  Use it to set the spiritual tone.  Neptune and Mercury brings the mind and spirit together in a harmonious marriage.  Meditation, yoga, and music can more easily achieve this, but if you are in the office and vowing to make a difference this week in the new post-Truth world of Trump, you may receive inspiration on how to do so.

On Wednesday (25th), we have a conjunction between Venus and Chiron at 22 degrees Pisces.  This does pose some possibility of healing, but not without acknowledging the wound, whether it be injustice towards minorities or something more personal.  Venus conjunct Chiron brings a desire to heal, but also looks at the poignancy of love and the pain of loss in the past, such as possible betrayal.  This is the poignancy depicted by Adele, who has Venus conjunct Chiron natally, in her songs.  Healing may involve in some cases the miracle of reunion, but in many cases requires the art of letting go.

More letting go to come on Friday (27th) as Venus squares Saturn.  There may be a sense of realism about the present, sadness about the past, or even an emptying out of feeling, prior to the New Moon in the early hours of the next morning.  In the U.S. the New Moon arrives on Friday evening.

In the U.K. and Australia, the New Moon at 8 degrees Aquarius comes on Saturday (28th).  The U.K. time for this is 00.07 Hrs, so you may not even have retired for the night.  The New Moon in Aquarius is an upbeat herald of change (whether you subscribe to Donald Trump’s vision of change, the Women’s March vision of change, or any other change you want to see or be in the world).  It is a good time to tap into future vision and intent.  Free your spirit to dream and envision.  Programme your subconscious before you sleep, in a positive way, and expect helpful insights in the morning.

Mars also enters Aries on Saturday, ushering in new energy, which you may register physically.  Saturday is a new start, in more ways than one, and Mars may see battles to be fought if you are in Warrior mode.  If your energies are reserved for other things, you may find an injection of new purpose and strength in those directions.  It is a straightforward, take no nonsense, energy, which combined with the intuitive, forward looking Aquarian New Moon energy, can be a great asset to your weekend and beyond.

The week in bullet points:

• Tomorrow – a sublime start
• Wednesday – a poignant middle
• Friday – letting go
• Saturday – new energies

“Medical Medium”

Secrets Behind Chronic and Mystery Illness and How to finally Heal

by Anthony William

Published by Hay  House 2015

Once in a while, as a blogger, I believe you are allowed to evangelize.  And this is my time.  At a time when the performance of the NHS has been allowed to plummet to an all time low by Prime Minister Theresa May, and we are  being urged to take our healing into our own hands, two books are available to us which are utterly inspiring and empowering in this respect.  “Medical Medium” and its sequel “Life Changing Foods” can be your template for diet and health in this New Year of 2017.  In fact, I have just given away a load of books to the charity shop on these subjects, trading them in for these two bibles.

What is so unusual about Anthony William?

Just to read Anthony William’s backstory in the first  book “Medical Medium” is incredible.  But credible in my eyes.  At the age of four he diagnosed his grandmother’s lung cancer.  Later, in his teens, he then developed his sensitivity to the extent that he could not sit in a cinema without diagnosing the illnesses of everyone in the cinema and knowing what  they needed to heal.  He was told by his inner mentor “Spirit” that his level of awareness was so rare that only Edgar Cayce and Padre Pio shared this in the last century. And over the years, he has helped tens of thousands of people through his ability to see into the bodily systems and prescribe natural regimes to overcome their ailments.

Of our time, and beyond

The knowledge Anthony imparts is more relevant to the environmental problems of our time than the work of the earlier healers.  In his first book, he goes into the causes of some of our mystery illnesses, especially so called auto-immune diseases.  He has informative chapters on Fibromyalgia, Diabetes (my own battle), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Migraines and Lyme Disease among many others.  Many of the causes involve toxins such as metals in our environment.  But he leaves no one without hope.  He suggests fruits and vegetables whose purpose it is to heal, and recommends the elimination of foods such as dairy products which hamper our healing. He also recommends certain supplements, some of which I already use such as Hawaiian Organic Spirulina, and some of which I have yet to track down.  As one who has been attracted to the raw food movement, I feel in harmony with this approach, though I have never made a lot of progress on this path despite being a vegetarian.  Some of  the information he reveals flies in the face of current scientific thinking; he explains it is ahead of its time.  But he does include a great deal of scientific explanation, at the same time.  I am hoping that some scientists out there will latch on to some of the directions and avenues which he points to, for their research.  Somehow what he says in this book makes so much sense, that I am newly encouraged to healthier eating.

“Life Changing Foods”

Save Yourself and the Ones You Love with the Hidden Healing Powers of Fruits and Vegetables.

by Anthony William

Published by Hay House 2016

As soon as I started reading “Medical Medium” I ordered its sequel. It is a different book, only currently available in hardback, but well worth the investment.  It also has the added attraction of glossy colour photos of recipes, so is more of a kitchen book.  This book seeks to go into greater detail of the physical, emotional and spiritual benefits of various fruits and vegetables, and it has made me newly fall in love with the edible plant world!

There is also more detailed information about various ailments and environmental factors which influence us, in this era which he (and other spiritual teachers) calls The Quickening.  With this book beside you, you can feel confident of tackling some of the seemingly insurmountable problems that are facing us both personally and collectively. And his spiritual perspectives on each fruit and vegetable are delightful.   I have a couple of months before my next diabetic appointment, so have time to try and test out the information.  I have already tried the celery juice for improving digestion, which has been very sound.  I have upped my consumption of blueberries, but he recommends wild blueberries which is a bit of a conundrum to find in this small town.  The book is dotted with quirky but satisfying information and suggestions, and he is not afraid to use the “M” word: Miracles.

I have selected some foods which seem to match the requirements of the zodiac signs:

Aries – pomegranate for impatience

Taurus – ginger if you are holding back from speaking

Gemini – coriander to deal with distraction

Cancer – sweet potato to make you feel safe and soothed

Leo ­- artichokes for healing the heart

Virgo – celery for healing the digestion

Libra – apples for bringing you back to balance

Scorpio – parsley if you are on an emotional roller coaster

Sagittarius  – nettle leaf for scattered energies

Capricorn – radishes to bring you out of despair

Aquarius – cranberries if you are experiencing alienation

Pisces – cauliflower for combating confusion

My quest continues, with newly infused enthusiasm and inspiration.

Competition

My very first blog was written on 30th January 2007, so this blog is approaching its 10th birthday!  The website was set up one year before that.  Thank you to anyone who has read my blog over the years.

So to celebrate this occasion, I am setting a competition, for which the closing date will be 30th January 2017.

All you have to do to enter is to post under comments either your favourite out of all my blogs in the last 10 years, and the reasons why, or an idea for a future blog.  I will repost the competition the next couple of weeks, in case you need time to think about it.

There will be three prizes:

1st prize – a full astrological analysis, including a year ahead, for yourself or someone of your choice, worth £35

Two runner up prizes of a Year Ahead, worth £17.50

In the event there are more than three entries, I will adjudicate.

Aspects

Tomorrow (Monday 16th) we have a conjunction between Mars and Chiron, which could precipitate a crisis, or a reminder of wounds past which need to be aired and to find solutions.  Someone around you may need some soothing vibes.  Massage may be a good tool, if you are not rubbing salt in the wound.

Tuesday (17th) may bring karmic rewards of information leading to the neutralization of karma, and progress forward, with Mercury trine the North Node.  There may be insights which undeniably strike home in that regard.

Mars squares Saturn on Thursday (19th), which means that energies could be just plain awkward.  There may  be frustration, irritation, mismatching, lack of harmony or inspiration.  Patience is required during the day, as  you may feel you are taking two steps forward, and one step back.

In the evening the Sun enters Aquarius, and there may be a sense of relief, and some lightening of outlook.  Some of the pressure may be taken off the Mars/Saturn rub.  You may feel  you are about to make some progress, and can tune into the immediate future with more confidence.

We end the week with a profound note on Friday 20th.  Venus will be sextile Pluto, which is good for feelings, and finance.  Love and Art will be deep in nature and impact, and this will give some soul satisfaction, maybe regardless of what is going on in the world.

I recommend eating nurturing avocados if you are watching the inauguration of the 45th American President that day. Anthony William says: “For noticeable benefits, eat one avocado a day. For extreme benefits, eat two per day.”

The week in bullet points:

• Monday – sore
• Tuesday – helpful karmic information
• Thursday – just plain awkward, improves later
• Friday – feeling the satisfaction at soul level

A Compatibility Guide for Capricorn

Are you a Capricorn, or do you have a friend, relative or partner born under that sign? How do you relate to the Capricorn in your midst?

Capricorn Sun with Aries Sun

These two signs are in squared relationship to each other, so may not be easy to work out.  Both can be self-centred, and may not put the relationship first.  Capricorn may put up emotional walls, and Aries can be a battering ram.  Factors other than the Sun may help to make the relationship work, such as sympathetic Moons.  Aries can bring warmth to the Capricornian, and Capricorn can bring discipline to the Arien, which may be exactly what the other needs.

Famous Example: Mary Archer and Jeffrey Archer

Capricorn Sun with Taurus Sun ****

This can be a relationship of great mutual support.  Taurus has a tendency to take the supportive role in a relationship, and Capricorn can have a great moral rectitude which provides stability.  They may share an interest in the earth and earth’s treasures, from gardening to pottery to archaeology.  They can also be a very successful partnership on a material level.

Famous Example: Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King

Capricorn Sun with Gemini Sun

These two signs do not easily combine, partly because Earth and Air do not always mix.  In addition, Capricorn may be overly practical and serious for the Gemini.  However, Capricorn is not overly energetic and can absorb some of Gemini’s excess nervous energy in a steadying way.  These two can reinforce each other’s scepticism, Gemini being super-rational, and Capricorn being super-practical.

Famous Example: Simone de Beauvoir and Jean Paul Sartre

Capricorn Sun with Cancerian Sun

These opposite signs make an excellent foundation for home and family, complementing each other’s make up and skills.  They are able to make satisfying arrangements when it comes to the work/life balance, and are both natural parents.  There may be some tension, due to their opposite polarity.

Capricorn Sun with Leo Sun

At first acquaintance, these two may not have very much in common.  Leo is hedonistic, and Capricorn can be quite austere or even ascetic.  So their lifestyles may not suit each other, although they may give each other what the other lacks: Capricorn can bring discipline to the table, and Leo warmth and trust. Capricorn can keep Leo down to earth.

Famous Example: David Bowie and Iman

Capricorn Sun with Virgo Sun ****

Another potentially successful pairing.  Again, these two can work together harmoniously, with Virgo having a strong work ethic, and Capricorn believing in ambition.  Capricorn likes to administer and delegate, and Virgo likes to get on with the job, so when it is that way round, the relationship is easiest.  These two can gel well in a business partnership, or be a formidable alliance in the workplace.

Famous Example: Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall (a classic romance)

Capricorn Sun with Libra Sun

This combination may not be quite so easy, as they are both Cardinal signs (wanting to lead), and this may be difficult for Libra who wants to please, in the face of Capricorn who may want to stamp his or her authority on their plans.  They can be united in working for the same ends, e.g. a large scale project, in which they have their designated areas of expertise. For example, in a small firm where Libra handles the Human Resources, and Capricorn is in charge of general administration.  In family life, they may similarly have to divide their chores.  Capricorn can help shape Libran aspirations, and Librans can help keep Capricorns buoyant.

Famous Example: Linda Kozlowski and Paul Hogan

Capricorn  Sun with Scorpio Sun

This is a good partnership, as both have a quiet emotional reserve, but at the same time an understanding of the serious side of life.  Between them, they can tackle the big issues, and socially help the community.  At least one of them will need a sense of humour, though.

Famous Example: Ludovic Kennedy and Moira Shearer

Capricorn Sun with Sagittarius Sun

As neighbouring signs, these two may share planets in each other’s signs.  This can be a balancing relationship, especially if the Sagittarian is classically optimistic and the Capricorn is classically realistic.  If they have planets in each other’s signs, they may flip from one mode to the other, and hopefully their biorhythms would be such that one is able to raise the other’s mood and thinking if necessary.  There is a slight chance that both would be negative at the same time (aargh!) or both high at the same time.

Capricorn Sun with Capricorn Sun

This can be a great partnership, and they could both be singing from the same hymn sheet, and want the same things out of life.  They may share ambition, social status, and administrative ability, so could head up a corporation or institution together.  They may be quietly confident in their relationship, without being showy or flaunting their success.

Famous Example: Carol Vorderman and Richard Whiteley of Countdown

Capricorn Sun with Aquarius Sun

As neighbouring signs, they may have a great deal in common.  At one time they were both ruled by Saturn, but now Aquarius is ruled by Uranus, and personalities born under Aquarius can be very different and individualistic.  As long as the Aquarian has an understanding of the traditional values of Capricorn, and the worth of some of its enduring values, the partnership may work. It may also require the Capricorn to keep up with technology and social media, to aid communication.

Famous Example: Carla Bruni and Nicholas Sarkozy

Capricorn Sun with Pisces Sun

This relationship is governed by the sextile, a harmonious aspect.  Both signs can  be quiet and gentle, and so this partnership can flow nicely.  They bring qualities to each other in stability (Capricorn) and emotion (Pisces) and so as a unit they have a lot to offer.  Capricorn can help give shape to Piscean dreams, and Pisces can add nuance to Capricorn’s realism.

Famous Example: Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster

 

A full compatibility analysis details every component of the two birthcharts in relation to each other, not just the Sun sign.  As there is a lot of work involved, it is my most expensive service, at £45.

 

Aspects

There’s a special fanfare accompanying Mercury turning direct today, in that it signals a rare period of time where all the planets are in forward motion.  The next planet to turn retrograde will be Jupiter on 6th February.  These next few weeks therefore may be times when progress can be made in a number of areas.  But for today celebrate that communications may start to flow better, and if you have got behind on your paperwork, it’s catch up time.  In the meantime, there has seemed no end in sight for the rail misery on Southern Rail.  Maybe there will be some positive moves afoot, though as I have said before the vagaries of Mercury have come and gone in the last year without any resolution.  Prime Minister Theresa May has espoused a “sharing society” in this New Year, but the National Health Service remains unsupported by the government.  Will she prove herself in this retrograde-free window?

Begin your initiatives now, in your plans for the week, but factor in a possible hiccup on Tuesday (10th), in the shape of Sun square Uranus.  The Sun in Capricorn is very organizational, but Uranus from Aries may throw a spanner in the works.  In your plans, try to anticipate possible loopholes and have contingencies ready.  If you are working in a group, someone may want to break ranks or assert their individuality.

Wednesday (11th) is the day this week for getting things done.  If you have slipped back in your New Year’s resolutions, or want to create new ones, it is time to forge ahead thanks to a sextile between dynamic duo Mars and Pluto.  There is plenty of cosmic energy available, if you can handle it!  Seize the week, or even the year.

There is also a helpful second sextile between the Sun in Capricorn and Chiron in Pisces, ensuring that the steamroller of Mars and Pluto doesn’t ignore central administrative plans or compassionate concerns, and allowing for healing to take place.  The two sextiles do not completely connect, but are about 4 degrees apart in the same signs, so have a working sympathy, and certainly don’t get in each other’s way.  Medical appointments or surgeries have a good chance of a favourable outcome.

Don’t overdo things on Thursday (12th), as you may feel like overstretching or trusting your luck a little more than would be realistic, with the Sun square Jupiter.  You could feel quite chipper, and that all’s right with the world.  But there’s a Full Moon building up, and your emotions may be running away with you.  The Sun is still in Capricorn, and you may still be building castles (whether in the air, or in the sand, it matters not where), but Jupiter may be pulling you off your intended course, and your ideas may outstrip your resources.  Cut your suit to match your cloth.  This aspect is fun loving, but pranks could get out of hand.

With a Full Moon at 22 degrees Cancer also on that day, there are bound to be tears.  The Cancerian Full Moon is one of the most emotional of the year.  Just as you felt you were getting somewhere with your administration, organization, plans and resolutions, someone may be throwing a wobbly.  You may even hear the words, from some quarter: “I can’t do this!”  But they probably can, they just need a little tender loving care to get them through the Full Moon, and then wash away the tears.  The tears may be a hangover from family matters over the Christmas period, and nothing to do with the task you are trying to co-ordinate.

Support may come after the Full Moon (11.34 a.m. in the U.K.) from forward moving Mercury re-entering the sign of Capricorn (at 14.03 Hrs) and bolstering the Capricornian energy and efforts.  The Sun and Pluto are already maintaining serious work ethics in that sign, and Mercury adds mental ingenuity to the projects on hand.  That’s three planets on the same page, and Mercury may swing the element of communication in favour of collective progress this month.

The last aspect of the week (and coming just before Friday 13th, lucky for some) is Venus conjunct Neptune at 10 degrees Pisces, which occurs on Thursday evening.  This is a conjunction of beauty, inspiration and artistry, especially as it occurs in Pisces, a sign touched by genius.  If you are putting on an evening performance in the Arts, this could be a magical experience for you and your audience, despite any collywobbles experienced early in the day’s preparations.  If you are socializing, people may be more than usually attuned to each other, sensitive of each other’s needs, and not treading on each other’s dreams. Poets John Keats and Leonard Cohen had this conjunction natally, so who knows what can be produced creatively at the end of this week?

The week in bullet points:

• Today – catch up with communications
• Tuesday – hiccups
• Wednesday – full steam ahead, and healing
• Thursday – mixed: optimism, emotion, pragmatism and spiritual love (in that order)

A Look Ahead at 2017

The Year that Was (2016)

How do we remember 2016?  Let me count the ways:

First of all, we lost so many legends.  I got to write about more than a few of them.  I covered David Bowie,  Alan Rickman, Terry Wogan, Nancy Reagan, Ronnie Corbett, Prince, Victoria Wood, Jonathan Cainer, Muhammed Ali, Jo Cox, Shimon Peres, Leonard Cohen and Fidel Castro.  And of course, there were many, many more I could not cover.  Since 18th December Zsa Zsa Gabor, Rabbi Lionel Blue, Rick Parfitt, George Michael, Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds have passed over.  It did not escape anybody’s notice that this was a year of loss.

The other incredible phenomenon of this year was that, both sides of the Atlantic, the unthinkable happened.  A huge proportion of the population was shocked by the other slightly larger proportion of the population.  On 23rd June in the U.K. the electorate voted to leave Europe in the Referendum, highlighting a divided nation.  On 8th November in the U.S. their electorate voted to elect Donald Trump as their President, even though Hillary Clinton had won the “popular vote”.  We are still dealing with the consequences of both events, and 2017 will begin to tell how both scenarios will play out.

The prevailing major aspect of 2016 was Saturn square Neptune, which is both depressing and subversive.  I tried to describe it last year:

“Saturn represents the frustration of inaction and Neptune oversensitivity which can also result in paralysis….  But there are hidden agendas which may now emerge: the factors and causes which you may not have suspected, but which have contributed to the current state of affairs, like a slow pollution which has gone unnoticed.”

Of course this does not do it justice.  How I see it in terms of the shocks that came in 2016 is that it represents the underestimation of the disaffection of so many people, which caused them to vote for Brexit and Donald Trump.

Let’s see if we as a human race can collectively do better this year, and what are the planetary prospects for that.

Transits to U.K. Chart, post-Referendum

Some dates to watch:

4th January 2017 – Neptune transits the U.K. Uranus in 10th House: Some bizarre goings on in Westminster, or in connection with our role in Europe

29th January 2017 – Pluto transits the U.K. Part of Fortune in 8th House: Some drama

4th June 2017 – Uranus from Aries in 11th House sextiles natal Mars in 9th House – good for showing some mettle in international relations

12th July 2017 – Jupiter from Libra in 5th House sextiles natal Sun in 7th House: more confidence, especially in society and relationships

20th November 2017 – Jupiter Return in 5th House: Confidence in our image boosted

8/9th December 2017 – North Node transits Neptune in 3rd House – Scandal and misinformation in the Media, with a karmic flavour

Transits to Donald Trump Chart for first year of Presidency

30th December 2016 – Saturn conjunct Donald Trump’s Moon in 4th House: Deflating mood concerning the women in his life

28/29th April – North Node transits natal Ascendant: A karmic reckoning

28/29th June – North Node transits natal Mars in 12th House: possible danger to his person

19th July 2017 – Jupiter transits Donald Trump’s Chiron in 2nd House: favourable news concerning his financial schemes

4th August 2017 – Jupiter Return in 2nd House: good news for his finances

10th October 2017 – Jupiter transits Donald Trump’s 3rd House cusp and sextiles Ascendant – bolder in speech, and more confident in himself

19/20th December 2017 – Saturn transits Donald Trump’s 5th House cusp and trines his Ascendant: more stable in himself, but sharing more responsibilities with a child

Update on the Circular Economy

I wrote in my blog of 3rd May 2015:

“The Yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur, while sailing round the world, thought deeply about sustainability, and has initiated a system which she calls “a circular economy” to use resources differently.”

Some progress was reported over this Christmas period in her enterprise, which fits the Saturn/Uranus trine and can bring hope for us going forward as a species.

It relates to the built-in obsolescence of our material goods in the way we currently manufacture them, and the laboriousness of the current process of recycling. Saturn represents the old, Uranus represents the new, and the process of positive transitions and developments in recycling is represented by Saturn trine Uranus.  A new bicycle prototype has been created, using stainless steel (which doesn’t have to be painted) and can last 50 years.  Furthermore, it is planned to rent out the bicycles for children, so they can be traded in for bigger models as they grow.  How cool is that?  The idea is being considered for other types of manufacturing such as washing machines, and companies such as Google have shown interest in the principle.

Ellen MacArthur is a sea-loving Cancerian with a Virgo Ascendant, which tends to be mindful of sustainability and ecology.  I am not sayin’ Ellen has gone from sailing to saving the world, but her actions are surely a light as to how to proceed, and an example or wayshower to others.  She has one method at least for turning around the economy.

 Dates for your Diary if planning ahead:

Backtracking slightly, the Saturn-Uranus trine which occurred on Christmas Day 2016 will have some bearing as we go forward into 2017, being so close in time.  It is an entirely constructive set of forces, bridging the old and the new, enabling us to take the best of 2016 and bring it into our hopes and plans for 2017.  Maybe you were struck by a good idea over the Christmas period, something you would like to implement in the year ahead.

February

Monday 6th: Jupiter goes Retrograde – progress plateaus, a need for reworking (Jupiter went retrograde on 8th January last year, if you would like to consult your diary for its effect).

Sunday 26th: New Moon and Eclipse at 8 degrees Pisces – A turning point in the collective unconscious

March

Friday 3rd: Jupiter opposite Uranus, as Boxing Day 2016 (may have been linked with the earthquake in Chile) – uneasy surprises

Thursday 30th: Jupiter square Pluto – (As last year 24 November) power struggles and brinkmanship reach a peak

April

Thursday 6th: Saturn turns Retrograde – a setback to progress (occurred 25 March in 2016, if you would like to consult your diary).

May

Friday 19th: Saturn trine Uranus, as Christmas Day 2016 – the process of positive transitions and developments in renewable energy, recycling and sustainable living on the planet

June

Friday 9th: Jupiter goes Direct – full steam ahead (occurred 9 May in 2016, if you would like to consult your diary).

Friday 16th: Neptune goes Retrograde – spiritual backtracking, more illusions surfacing, mental health needs in the spotlight (occurred 13th June last year).

August

Looks to be an important month!

Thursday 3rd: Uranus goes Retrograde – the excitement of progress suddenly turns flat, for a period of re-examination (occurred 29 July 2016).

Friday 4th: Jupiter square Pluto (3rd pass) – more insight into power struggles and brinkmanship

Monday 7th: Full Moon and Eclipse at 15 degrees Aquarius – turning point,  highlighting what needs to change in society

Monday 21st: New Moon and Eclipse at 28 degrees Leo – another turning point, more focussed on new beginnings

Friday 25th: Saturn goes Direct – hard slog starts to pay off (occurred 13 August 2016).

Sunday 27th: finally, after months and months of teasing, Jupiter sextiles Saturn.  One of the best aspects of the year – balance, and constructiveness

September

Looks to  be an important day!

Thursday 28th: Jupiter opposite Uranus (3rd pass) – uneasy surprises

Also Thursday 28th: Pluto goes Direct – Psychological progress, and more cohesion globally over issues that affect nations (occurred 26th September 2016).

October

Thursday 10th: Jupiter moves into Scorpio (for a one year sojourn) – Life-affirming for Scorpios

November

Saturday 11th: Saturn trine Uranus (3rd pass) – a very constructive time for dealing with international problems, or structural problems in society and communities, or long term projects in your own life.  The process of positive transitions and developments in renewable energy, recycling and sustainable living on the planet.  Hopefully, progress made.

Wednesday 22nd: Neptune goes Direct – spiritual progress, and a boost to issues that affect sea life and water management on the planet.  A sense of quiet satisfaction. (occurred 20th November 2016).

December

Sunday 3rd: Jupiter trine Neptune (probably the best aspect this year).  See my Christmas 2016 blog for its full flavour – There is “space” for religion and spirituality to breathe in their own right, and come together in harmony.

Wednesday 20th: Saturn enters Capricorn (for a two and a half year sojourn) – A sober tone, a sense of realism, may bring in authoritarian regimes politically, but in some cases more stability.

Aspects

The week and year start at 6.53 a.m. on Sunday morning 1 January 2017 with a sensitive conjunction between Mars and Neptune at 9 degrees of the ocean that is Pisces.  Plenty of New Year skinny dipping, ducking and diving, perhaps?  Depending on which House this conjunction falls in your chart, you’ll be able to focus on ways to combine the physical and spiritual.  Not so easy if you are very physically orientated, you might feel held back.  But if you are starting from a spiritual viewpoint and working through to the physical, you could be very satisfied.  The best New Year’s resolutions, if they are made on this day, combine the two modes of being.  If you are after more turbo-charged resolutions and new starts (e.g. training for marathons), maybe wait until 11th January when Mars sextiles Pluto.

More sensitivity seeping in on Tuesday (3rd) when Venus enters Pisces at 7.47 a.m. Venus in the previous sign of Aquarius has been socially minded, but there’s a more introspective feel with Venus in Pisces.  Just when you are supposed to be emerging from the seasonal chrysalis and emerge back into the working world, you may feel like retreating.  If you have managed some meditation and retreat over the Christmas and New Year season, then try and bring some of that through to your working regimes. Good will and peace to all workers!  Something may touch your heart that day, and remember that Venus stays in Pisces until 4th February, so if you catch yourself shedding tears of compassion during January, you may be having a Venus in Pisces moment.

Towards the evening, there will be an opportunity to apply your sensitivity and emotion in a mental project, with Mercury sextile Venus.  Verbal and communication skills combine diplomatically with artistic and musical skills, which favour meeting up over coffee, negotiating, or just enjoying discussion.  Creativity too is often stimulated under this sextile. It should make for a friendly and congenial evening.

Late lunchtime on Wednesday (4th) brings a change of mental emphasis, as Mercury while still retrograde re-enters Sagittarius.  You may be able to let go of the seriousness around communication (from Mercury in Capricorn) and introduce some lightheartedness (from Sagittarius), albeit this may come over trivial, frivolous or even klutzy.  But the mood may be more enjoyable, and it may not matter.

Note that Mercury will go direct again on Sunday 8th January, and re-enters Capricorn on Thursday 12th, so you may be having some deja vu sometime soon.

On to Saturday (7th) and early in the morning Sun conjuncts Pluto in Capricorn.  You may wake with a profound dream, or realize you need a plan.  Listen very deeply to your Soul that day, and move forward with the holistic picture in mind.  Someone may be claiming your attention, and you may not be able to fully engage with your own agenda but keep your own vision in mind.

Venus also conjuncts the South Node, bringing relationships under the karmic spotlight, so again you may be called upon to help another, or address a past life issue of your own.  Venus at the South Node reminds us how much can be achieved by Love.

Best wishes to  you all for your hopes and dreams in 2017!

The week in bullet points:

• Sunday – sensitive action, or active sensitivity
• Tuesday – sensitive feelings, and artistic communication
• Wednesday – silly communication
• Saturday – profound experience, and karmic relationships

A Review of 2016

It wasn’t quite all Obituaries.  Selections from the blog…

January

17th:

David Bowie (1947 – 2016)

Rebel Rebel

Bowie’s Ascendant was in whacky, individualistic, rebellious, innovative, revolutionary and androgynous Aquarius – just perfect for what he wanted to do with his life!

So with his Sun and Ascendant, he was a mixture of calculating Capricorn and spontaneous Aquarius.  With the energy and drive of Sun/Mars, he got things done.  His urge for creativity was strong until the end.

February

28th:

European Union Deal and Referendum

First Week

A week is a long time in politics.  And four months is a long time to contemplate and debate whether we should be in or out of the European Union, but the gloves are off in the Conservative Party, and the starting gun has been fired for the In-Out battle…

Project Fear, or Scaremongering, seems to be the main tool of argument on both sides at the moment.  In the country it looks as though the referendum will be close, though polls nearer the time may reveal or conceal more.  Currently the Conservative Party are as much at odds about this issue, as the Labour Party are at odds over Trident.  And there’s a curious mix-and-match quality to politics at the moment, with David Cameron’s hope for Europe being in line with the majority of Labour MPs.

March

27th:

Brussels Bombing

The European wave of terrorism from ISIS, which started with the two episodes in Paris last year, has shifted to Brussels, the centre of the European Union.  This week Belgium was put under enormous stress with the attack in Brussels on Tuesday 22nd March, and there but for the grace of God go the rest of Europe (not forgetting terrorist attacks in other parts of the world).  The continuing anxiety about these attacks has led some proponents of Brexit to claim that the U.K. would be safer out of Europe (not my view).

31 lives were lost, and 340 people injured: a large scale disaster, and the worst in Belgium’s history. 40 different nationalities were involved.

April

24th:

Prince (1958 – 2016)

The world is reeling from yet another high profile celebrity death, and Prince not even reaching his 60s…

With Pluto as his Ascendant ruler, the Midheaven exactly conjunct Pluto in his 10th House of Career carries an extraordinary amount of weight and emphasis in his chart.  He was deliberately enigmatic, and not so much in a Neptunian way, but in the sense of the Pluto journey, plumbing the depths of the psyche, on a journey that was sometimes dark.  Pluto in that position also points to the theme of reinvention and rebirth on his life path.  The Pluto/Midheaven conjunction (his Persona) is at the very end of Leo, signifying a dramatic completion of a creative cycle: an ultimate performer.

May

15th:

Eurovision Song Contest 2016

What a dramatic contest we had last night!  On the face of things, it was the same as usual: Ukraine and Sweden did well, and the United Kingdom came near the bottom of the scoreboard.  But the scoring was a roller coaster not for the faint-hearted.

Toast to Terry Wogan

Graham Norton does a good job.  Nobody could purport to replace Terry Wogan, who was part of the fabric and the enjoyment of the song contest for so long.  But Graham does the dry humour quite well.  So at song number 9 he explained that Terry advised him never to start drinking before that point, and we all raised a glass to Terry.  I had some slightly salted popcorn, and just nipped to the kitchen for some sparkling mineral water to go with that.  Ah, dear Terry.

June

26th:

Reading Guide:

If you are of the 52% who voted for Brexit, you may want to skip this blog altogether

If you are not interested in politics, you may want to skip the following section, and proceed to Aspects, or my Wimbledon blog…

Jo Cox

“We are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us”~ Jo Cox

Basically, Jo Cox died in vain.  Despite all the protestations of how she was loved locally and nationally, her message was not listened to.

July

3rd:

Wimbledon 2016 – Week 2

That first week was quite rain-drenched at Wimbledon, and there is some catching up to do to remain on schedule.  We have had the upset of top Seeds going out (Djokovic at No. 1 and Wawrinka, No. 4 men’s Seeds and Muguruza No. 2 ladies Seed).  Muguruza leaving makes it easier for Serena Williams to come out on top.

August

21st:

Laura Trott and Jason Kenny

Our Golden couple at the Olympics

The Olympics didn’t completely pass me by, and among the snippets which managed to present themselves to me (while passing through the hubby’s television room) was the triumph of Laura Trott (medal tally 4 golds) and Jason Kenny (medal tally 6 golds).

Laura Trott

Cycling as a sport is ruled by Mercury, and that planet is an important focus when looking at her chart, also because she suffered asthma as a child, and a collapsed lung when born prematurely (Mercury related health conditions)…

Jason Kenny

Her fiance broke the records on the same evening, after a third attempt at the Kierin race (the first two races were aborted because of overlapping).  He displayed great patience (he has Sun square Saturn exactly) and calmness throughout the crisis.  When interviewed and asked what was going through his mind he said “Nothing really” – very chilled!

September

4th:

Strictly Come Dancing 2016 – Part 1

It’s back!  The hugely popular Strictly Come Dancing returned yesterday for its launch night.  It is the last year for head judge Len Goodman, who reportedly plans to spend his retirement on the golf course.  This is borne out by his transit picture, which looks remarkably quiet going forward, partly because the structure of his chart shows half the zodiac occupied and the end of several years of excitement.

Ed Balls

I have mentioned Ed Balls a few times over the years, in the context of his political persona, notably just before the last election:

“He is a Pisces, which can bamboozle the public perception of him.  He also has Chiron conjunct Mercury, which can lead to an odd way of thinking, but also a penchant for problem-solving.  Pluto also opposes his natal Mercury, which is challenging – he probably does advanced Sudoku in his sleepless hours!  He is an affable enough type of chap, reaching out to George Osborne on Andrew Marr’s sofa, though there are elements of shyness in his nature (Sun in Pisces, Venus conjunct Saturn).  One of the best features of his chart is an exact trine between Jupiter and Neptune (endless faith) which forms a Grand Trine with Saturn, giving him the ability to translate pie in the sky into concrete reality.”

Enter the new persona: as competitive dance contestant.  Never mind twinkle toes, I always find him to have twinkly eyes.  He has written his political memoirs, but his recent interviews have brought out a different side of him. “You can do politics and be a human being” he has asserted.  He is born under Pisces, the dancing sign, but he claims his dance style is that of a “camp rugby player”.

October

16th:

Bob Dylan

“Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight
An’ for each an’ ev’ry underdog soldier in the night
An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing”

~ Bob Dylan

What took them so long to award Bob Dylan the Nobel prize for literature?  It happened finally, this week on Thursday 13th October.  The expanse of his work is so large, that I will have to look at it with a personal eye in order to confine it into the nutshell of a Sunday morning blog.  His songs are poetic, and in turn political, philosophical and romantic.

In the dime stores and bus stations
People talk of situations
Read books, repeat quotations
Draw conclusions on the wall…

November

13th:

Leonard Cohen (1934 – 2016)

“But let’s not talk of love or chains and things we can’t untie

Your eyes are soft with sorrow
Hey, that’s no way to say goodbye”

Poet and singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen died this week, providing an emotional distraction from the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. Presidency.  Though he died on Monday 7th November, his death was not announced until Thursday 10th, the day after the election results.

Suzanne

“Suzanne” was the song that really made his name, when recorded by Judy Collins.  On his greatest hits album he wrote, “Everything happened just as it was put down. She was the wife of a man I knew. Her hospitality was immaculate”.  She was the first of two Suzannes in his life, the second being the mother of his children (Suzanne Elrod).  The earlier Suzanne was Suzanne Verdal, who was shocked when she discovered he had written a song about their relationship.  Her own verdict was “Ours was a soul connection as far as I was concerned”

December

11th:

Yemen

Yemen was in the news this week from more than one angle.  On Tuesday night’s BBC News it was headlined for reasons of the starvation and devastation of the country: Fergal Keane reported that babies were being born malnourished, medical systems were collapsing and aid was not getting through due to the war situation.  There is a civil war between the Houthis and Al-Islah, and Saudi Arabia has intervened.  This nation is reportedly the poorest in the Middle East…

The Charts

There are three charts for Yemen (1962, 1967 and 1990).  In terms of determining a national character from them, they all three have Sun trine Saturn (a cautious nature), but two of them have its opposite in Jupiter opposite Uranus (risk-taking).  So that is contradictory, but then so is a civil war.

Religion and Spirituality

Christmas Day and Hanukah coincide this year, and so I thought I would put together some thoughts about religion and spirituality in the birth chart.  I try to honour all religions.  God created all people on this earth, regardless of what religion they were born under.  The mystical branches of all religions, based on the direct experience of their founders, are largely united in their perceptions.  And in this day and age, there is a high proportion of atheism, agnosticism and humanism, which I think can be psychologically healthy and independent, providing it is based on a good set of ethics and values.  In past lives, we have partaken in several religions, depending on the time and place of our births.

Religion

Religion in the birth chart is a province of Sagittarius and its ruler Jupiter.  A high degree of this sign and/or planet in the birth chart can indicate a strongly religious outlook, a belief in the power of prayer, and of positive thinking.  Sagittarius is an active sign, and prayer is talking to God.  Sagittarius and Jupiter can be prominent in the charts of those who may not believe in conventional religion, but are instead very philosophically inclined.  The Sagittarian may be a Seeker after Truth, and not necessarily focussed on religion.  Humanity’s experience of religious thought and feeling goes right back to ancient times, in various forms.

Spirituality

Spirituality is something we all have, being the connection with our Soul, and the spiritual world.  Some are more aware of their connection than others, and some have more belief in it, and some have more need of it.  Spirituality in the birth chart is a province of Pisces and its ruler Neptune.  A high degree of this sign and/or planet in the birth chart can indicate a mystical or spiritual outlook, and conjure up past lives in monastic settings or sages in Himalayan caves.   Pisces is a passive sign, and meditation is listening to God.  Neptune and Pisces have rulership of the collective unconscious, and access to all knowledge, hence many Pisceans have a breathtaking level of genius and talent.   Christianity is particularly associated with Pisces (with the symbolism of the fish), and the Age of Pisces.  The New Age vogue for Angelology is distinctly Piscean/Neptunian, connecting as it does with the power of the divine in our lives.  In biblical times, the relation with the Angels was one of passive awe and wonder (Piscean).  In the Aquarian Age, the emphasis is more on working with the Angels (Aquarius is an active sign).

Religion and Spirituality in the Birth Chart

Other factors  in the birth chart help to paint a picture of a person’s inner life.  The 9th House is associated with Sagittarius and Jupiter, and represents religion among other areas of life.  So for example, if Uranus is present in the 9th House there may be a religious conversion at some point in the life, as in the example of Cat Stevens.  The 12th House is associated with Pisces and Neptune, and represents cloistered institutions such as monasteries, and spiritual retreats. Thus a preponderance of planets in the 12th House may indicate a need to withdraw from society for a period of time in order to fully connect with one’s spiritual sources.

The Psyche

The whole of the birth chart represents different areas and interactions of the psyche, e.g. Capricorn can bring strictness and discipline to religious practice. But there is in particular another important area which impinges on religion, spirituality, and mental health.   Psychology in the birth chart is a province of Scorpio and its ruler Pluto, and Psychology in itself is a relatively new science, as birthed by Sigmund Freud, although ancient cultures had their own ways of evaluating character and personality (Astrology being one!).  The planet (or dwarf planet) Pluto was only discovered in 1930, and prior to that Scorpio was ruled by Mars.  I find that the cusp of Scorpio and Sagittarius in the birth chart is an important point, representing as it does the intersection between Psychology (Scorpio) and Philosophy (Jupiter).  How we feel about ourselves, and the meaning of our life (Scorpio/Pluto) is very relevant to how we see life and truth (Sagittarius/Jupiter), and the two together carry a lot of responsibility for our mental outlook and mental health.

Interactions between Jupiter and Neptune

Religion and spirituality constitute a vast subject, and one I find fascinating.  Jupiter is the form of religion, and Neptune the formlessness.  I hope to explore more areas of this in future blogs, but today I will look at the connections between Jupiter and Neptune in the birth chart, which often indicate how comfortable a person is with these areas of the life and Soul.  Not everyone has these two planets connected in their charts, but I will focus on some of these connections, using famous examples as illustrations.  There are so many ways in which religion and spirituality manifest, and I have included some atheists.

Jupiter conjunct Neptune

This combination brings religion and spirituality together like a sacred prayer, and usually denotes success in this field.  However, if your Jupiter or your Neptune awareness is not well developed, there can be confusion in such matters, or over-imagination.  The conjunction occurs roughly every 13 years, and if you were born in 1945, 1958, 1971, 1984, 1997, or 2009 the chances are that you may have it.

Pope John Paul II

This Pope (who held the position between 1978 and 2005) had the conjunction 2 degrees apart in Leo in the 10th House, a very powerful placing.  I  still keep a photo of him with the Dalai Lama on my mantelpiece, as a symbol of universal religious unity.  The two of them met eight times, and John Paul II said of Buddhism:

“In particular I express my highest regard for the followers of Buddhism, the majority religion in Sri Lanka, with its … four great values of … loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity; with its ten transcendental virtues and the joys of the Sangha expressed so beautifully in the Theragathas. I ardently hope that my visit will serve to strengthen the goodwill between us, and that it will reassure everyone of the Catholic Church’s desire for interreligious dialogue and cooperation in building a more just and fraternal world. To everyone I extend the hand of friendship, recalling the splendid words of the Dhammapada ‘Better than a thousand useless words is one single word that gives peace….’ ”

Pope John XXIII

This Sagittarian Pope had the conjunction in Taurus, and became Pope in October 1958 when the conjunction was in the opposite sign from his natal conjunction, Scorpio.

If you would like to delve into the charts of Popes in more detail, Astrologer Peter Morrell’s link here will provide further food for thought:

http://www.homeoint.org/morrell/astrology/popes.htm

Doreen Virtue

Doreen Virtue, whose works adorn every Mind-Body-Spirit section of a bookshop, became an Angelologist after a carjacking in 1995 in which a voice from the Angels saved her life.

She was born in 1958, and has the conjunction across the cusp of two signs.

Ellen DeGeneres

This comedian was one of the first female celebrities to come out as gay in the U.S., and overcame a long period of rejection from the public before her career was rejuvenated.  These days she hosts the very successful Ellen Show, where giveaways (often material goods) are a regular feature, but also recognizing those who do good works.  As well as spreading the joy of comedy, she needed the strength of that Jupiter-Neptune conjunction to become such a social pioneer (Sun in Aquarius).  She was raised as a Christian Scientist, and although it is thought she is probably an atheist, the imprinting from Christian Science can give great strength and mental independence (our war reporter John Simpson was also raised as a Christian Scientist, and he has Jupiter semi-sextile Neptune).

Jupiter trine Neptune

The trine between these two planets is a most positive force, and easier to work with than the conjunction.  There is “space” for religion and spirituality to breathe in their own right, and come together in harmony.

Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King embodies the breadth of vision of this trine.  A proponent of Gandhi’s non-violent resistance, he made some of the greatest speeches ever spoken.  His oratory is shown in his chart by Mercury on the Midheaven in the 9th House of Religion, but it expresses the passion of Jupiter exactly trine Neptune:

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal’…I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Che Guevara

Another iconic figure who had the trine, Che Guevara was an atheist, but he was evangelistic about Marxism.  He believed in mankind, freedom and brotherhood.

Dion Fortune

“A religion without a goddess is halfway to atheism.”

Dion Fortune was an Occultist and British Qabalist, who claimed to work with the Ascended Masters, including the “Master Jesus”.  She established a Fraternity in the Western mystery tradition, but also drew on oriental religions.  After her death, the Fraternity was renamed the Society of the Inner Light.  Her trine was composed of Jupiter in Aquarius and Neptune in Gemini.

Edgar Cayce

The legendary Piscean mystic Edgar Cayce was a devout Christian, whose unconscious mind in trance one day began to give people life readings based on health conditions, and then past life readings.  He also saw into the future.  He was a little conflicted about his gift, as he worried if it contravened his religious beliefs. His trine was composed of Jupiter in Capricorn trine Neptune in Taurus.

St. Francis of Assisi

Patron Saint of Animals, St. Francis of Assisi (1181 – 1226) had the trine in Air signs, with Jupiter in Gemini and Neptune in Aquarius.

Jupiter sextile Neptune

The sextile is also positive and allows religion and spirituality to work together well, but is not quite as powerful as the trine.

Dalai Lama

His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet is one of the most patently spiritual current inhabitants of the planet.  He is said to be an incarnation of Avalokitesvara, and as a young boy picked out some artifacts belonging to his predecessor.  He spreads light, joy and compassion wherever he goes!

“My religion is very simple.  My religion is kindness.”

Caroline Lucas

Sagittarian Caroline Lucas, Co-Leader of the Green Party, is one of the most ethical and conscientious M.P.s serving in the House of Commons.  Her book “Honourable Friends?” exposes the horrors she found there in her first five years as an M.P.  She may not be conventionally religious but her efforts on behalf of the planet reveal an evolved soul.

“Am I religious…? The spiritual dimension of life is very important, but it doesn’t necessarily mean… I like to take bits out of different religions, so I can’t say I am just one religion. I value very much many things from many different religions. I believe in some div­ine organisation which I couldn’t give very much more flesh to, and I think that those aspects of life that can’t be explained but are to do with a spiritual dimension are incredibly important.

I think that green politics is moral, because we care deeply ab­out our impact not only on other people in other parts of the world but also on fut­ure generations; but it’s not a sort of hair-shirt moralism. It’s based on some clear moral principles – and that is one of the things that attract me to it.”

Justin Welby

The current Archbishop of Canterbury has the sextile exact in his chart, and came late to the ministry, after a career in the oil industry (which is ruled by Neptune).  He has spoken out against austerity measures and their effect on the poor, and urged for the understanding of the religious motivation behind Islamic extremism.  He has referred to himself as a “spiritual magpie”.

“If we want to see things changed, it starts with prayer. It starts with a new spirit of prayer, using all the traditions, ancient and modern. When it comes, it will be linked to what has gone before, but it will look different – because it is a new renewal for new times.

Jupiter square Neptune

In the square between these two planets, spirituality and religion may not co-exist comfortably, and again may produce confusion, unless the person is highly evolved.  Alternatively, the dissonance may be so great that religion is rejected entirely.

Anne Frank

Who knows what the adult Anne Frank would have thought about life and religion?  Sadly we only have the thoughts in a diary of a young girl:

“People who have a religion should be glad, for not everyone has the gift of believing in heavenly things. You don’t necessarily even have to be afraid of punishment after death; purgatory, hell, and heaven are things that a lot of people can’t accept, but still a religion, it doesn’t matter which, keeps a person on the right path. It isn’t the fear of God but the upholding of one’s own honor and conscience.”

Chris Griscom

Chris Griscom, founder of the Light Institute at Galisteo, New Mexico, is one of the proponents of the Light Body in the New Age, and I am often quoting her wisdom.  When a square is resolved, the consciousness can enter new dimensions, and Chris wrote her book “Ecstasy is a New Frequency” from such a perspective.  It is one of the books I would take with me if I were on a desert island.

She says: ” It is our great challenge at this time to allow the unmanifest nature of our true beings to be present with our physical realities, so that our form becomes truly the form of God.”

Brian Cox

Piscean Professor Brian Cox, an ever-present cosmologist on our television screens, and one time pop star, also has the square, but in his case the conflict between Jupiter and Neptune has resulted in an outright rejection of religion, believing very strongly in the power of logic.  He is also a harsh critic of Astrology.

“I honestly don’t think about religion until someone asks me about it.”

Vincent van Gogh

In Vincent van Gogh’s psyche, the square between Jupiter and Neptune may have been one of his greatest inner conflicts. He was a Christian, the son of a minister, but had many spiritual crises throughout his life.  He was devout, and experienced spiritual inspiration.

Jupiter opposite Neptune

The opposition of Jupiter and Neptune is also difficult, but easier to negotiate than the square, as they can be combined through the polarity of the signs they inhabit.  They can bring people together, and help mediate between religions.

Margaret Atwood

Novelist Margaret Atwood is a Humanist, which is one way of resolving this opposition.  She has the Writer Archetype (Mercury conjunct Venus) exact in her chart.  She is also a poet (Neptune/Pisces).  Her Sun trines Jupiter and exactly sextiles Neptune.  In 1987 she was named Humanist of the Year.

Andrew White

A remarkable man, who has written autobiographical works about his ministry, Andrew White is known as the Vicar of Baghdad.  He has brought together people of all faiths (including Arabs and Israelis), and spent many years mediating in dangerous conditions (necessitating 35 Iraqi bodyguards).  He was born in 1964, a year when Jupiter was opposite Neptune, though we do not have a birth date for him.  He has headed up the International Centre for Reconciliation.

Dan Brown

Here is another author, who has the opposition.  His themes have been mysticism and Christianity, and include the titles “The Da Vinci Code” and “Angels and Demons”.  It is almost as though he is trying to resolve certain issues through his writing and research.  He describes himself as being on a “constant spiritual journey”.

David Frost

The late David Frost, broadcaster, interviewer and satirist, had the opposition between Jupiter and Neptune.  In his early career he gave the impression of being quite cynical but became more open about his Christian faith as time went on.  After his death, Rory Bremner commented:  “…there was Methodism in his madness: his upbringing meant he hated wasting time. He was struck by a quote from Camus that Bobby Kennedy shared with him – ‘in the last interview before he was assassinated’ – about the need to make a contribution to lessen suffering, ‘for if we do not, then who will?’ It’s the closest he came to religion. Someone once asked Carina if her husband was religious. ‘Absolutely,’ she replied. ‘He thinks he’s God.’ ”

Douglas Adams

Author Douglas Adams created a Cosmology of his own, in his work “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” but was a “devout atheist”.  The idea for his magnum opus came to him while lying drunk in a field in Austria gazing at the stars.  It is classified as comedy science fiction, and describes what his particular imagination came up with from his opposition of Jupiter in Aries and Neptune in Libra. The power of this opposition is enhanced in his chart by a trine between Pluto and Jupiter, and a sextile between Pluto and Neptune.

“Religion… has certain ideas at the heart of it which we call sacred or holy or whatever… If someone votes for a party that you don’t agree with, you’re free to argue about it as much as you like; everybody will have an argument but nobody feels aggrieved by it. If somebody thinks taxes should go up or down you are free to have an argument about it. But on the other hand if somebody says ‘I must [not] move a light switch on a Saturday’, you say, ‘I respect that’… Yet when you look at it rationally there is no reason why those ideas shouldn’t be as open to debate as any other, except that we have agreed somehow between us that they shouldn’t be.”

Do we create God and the Universe in our own image?

David Attenborough

David Attenborough truly is a living legend, and I do hope he goes on making his wonderful films on behalf of the planet.  It is no surprise to find this expansive combination of Jupiter and Neptune in his chart.  He describes himself as agnostic, and maybe he doesn’t need religion as he is well and truly “doing his bit” for the planet.

Giles Fraser

Sagittarian Giles Fraser is an interesting example of Jupiter opposite Neptune at work, having started life as half Jewish, but now writes a weekly column on Christianity in the Guardian.  He rose to fame at the height of the Occupy Movement when he was Canon Chancellor at St. Paul’s Cathedral, and resigned rather than have to turf out the protestors.  His regular column is interesting in that he often tries to draw parallels between Judaism and Christianity, thus trying to resolve the dichotomy between them.  His opposition is exact, with Jupiter in Taurus, and Neptune in Scorpio.

On this special Holy day, I wish you All Love and the presence of the divine in  your lives.

Aspects

There’s a bumper bundle of aspects this week, and four favourable aspects today, Christmas Day, making it extra special!  As there are so many, I will skip lightly through some of them, but there are three very major aspects and I will give them the attention they deserve.

Today (Sunday, 25th December) started at 00.21 Hrs with a trine of great magnitude, Saturn trine Uranus.  You may have benefited from this in the run up to Christmas, seeing a bigger plan at work.  Saturn represents tradition and Uranus represents innovation, so both can be combined with success, and it especially supports big plans.  So this favours the bridging of the old and new generations in the family today, but in your life generally if you are in the middle of a big project, it may all be coming together nicely like an engineering miracle.  You may have felt some real progress in  your work, for instance, right up to the last minute.  A very constructive aspect to start the day, start the week, and begin the Christmas celebrations.  Those in the U.S. will experience this on Christmas Eve, and in Australia the day will be under way with a swing first thing.

Christmas lunch will be a superb affair, with Venus trine Jupiter at 13.23 Hrs in the U.K.  This represents good feasting, good drinking, and song!  A good social atmosphere, and perhaps a special celebration of a recent success. There will be plenty of good humour in the air. It is a good time for romantic proposals, too, in case anyone is wondering whether to pop the question along with the Champagne corks.

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any better, Venus sextile Uranus comes along mid-afternoon (16.35 Hrs in the U.K.).  This brings extra excitement and sparkles to the proceedings.  It brings surprises, the unwrapping of the element of the unexpected.  And there may be unexpected meetings, perhaps a welcome guest turns up uninvited.  Charades may be more enjoyable than usual.

Christmas may be anything you want it to be this year, there are enough aspects to suit every taste.  If you are on your own, maybe you will find the solitude soothing, some do.  But all compassion and hearts go out to those who are lonely or grieving, such as the elderly who may be without relatives.  The final aspect of the day, Venus sextile Saturn, occurs at tea time (18.33 Hrs) though you’ll probably still be too full to tackle turkey or Quorn sandwiches by then.  It is a more sober, but still a positive force.  It speaks of loyalty, memories of absent friends or relatives, and serious but loving reflections on the year, the current state of things, and prospects and plans.  It is an aspect of sincere hugs, and sympathy.

On to Boxing Day, Monday 26th December (in case you are losing your bearings by now…).  The day begins with two karmic aspects: Mars conjunct the South Node, which may bring up conflict, and old warrior karma.  Then the Sun trines the North Node, which is a much brighter prospect, and may bring karmic rewards or late Christmas gifts, and the opportunity to balance karma and bring out your creativity.

Coming up to teatime on Boxing Day, Jupiter opposes Uranus, which is a big aspect, and may be tricky.  The element of the unexpected may not work to your advantage, though there may be a silver lining to be found.  Christmas is not known for being a time for pranks, but this aspect may bring out the prankster in someone in your circle.  Adventurousness and enterprise may not seem entirely appropriate.  Be on your mettle, because this  is not a lightweight aspect.  However, bear in mind that Saturn from Sagittarius is currently sextile with Jupiter in Libra, and that may constitute a steady and balancing background force to any unwanted surprises.

On Tuesday (27th) very early in the morning Mercury sextiles Neptune.  If you are going to have a spiritual moment over the holiday season, this could be it.  You may wake from a numinous dream, glimpsing the meaning of life around 4.19 a.m. …

Then spring up at 8.07 a.m. when the Sun sextiles Mars, ready for action, for whatever you have planned for that day.  It is not a day for lounging, nursing your hangover, or taking it easy – it is real carpe diem stuff.  A day to be seized with gusto!

Wednesday (28th) brings sparkling mental energy, with the Sun conjunct Mercury.  It is a good day to focus on your chosen projects, perhaps a new activity suggested by a surprise gift over Christmas.  As this conjunction occurs in Capricorn, it is also good for planning, making schedules,  lists and strategies.

Mercury sextiles Mars late in the day, injecting even more mental energy.  You may have a late night, inspired by a second wind (no double entendre intended).  Enthusiasm, energy and precision characterize your late night activity.  However, don’t overdo it.

In the early hours of Thursday (29th) the third major aspect arrives: Saturn square Chiron.  This one indicates that health matters need attention, so take good care of yourself, and keep an eye on those who might have been overdoing things yesterday.  If you have elderly relatives for instance, they may be feeling fragile at this time.  For such, it may be a good day for complete rest.

For others, who feel on top of things, it may be a day of renewal with a New Moon at 7 degrees Capricorn occurring at 6.53 a.m.  You will feel the benefit according to which House it falls in your birth chart, but generally it favours politics, administration, and forward planning (such as career initiatives).

The day is enhanced further by Uranus turning direct, so higher consciousness can flow more easily than it has of late.  Technology and electricity, Astrology and telepathy all benefit from the more straightforward transmission of Uranus.  Group work is also heightened.

All this, and one more aspect to round the week off nicely: Sun sextile Neptune, which comes on Friday 30th.  This is another spiritual aspect, inspired and creative.  Icing on the cake.  It occurs late in the day, so the day may pick up on the theme as it progresses.

It’s a full week of cosmic learning to prepare us for the year ahead.

A Merry Christmas to All my Readers, and Non-Readers!

The week in bullet points:

• Today (Christmas Day) – full on gifts from the Universe
• Tomorrow (Boxing Day) – karmic and tricky
• Tuesday – spiritual and active
• Wednesday – mentally focussed and energized
• Thursday – some difficulty, new beginnings and turnarounds
• Friday – spirituality and creativity combine