The Do-Gooder Rock Gods

There’s a trinity of do-gooding rock musicians in the U.K., who are sometimes regarded with cynicism.  This week has seen some aspersions cast on Bob Geldof’s  new version of “Do They Know it’s Christmas”; people wonder what is behind Bono’s dark glasses; and did Sting really save the rainforests?

I thought I would take a look at their charts to see if there is any common ground for the impulse to do good in their charts.

Bob Geldof

In May this year I was writing about Sir Bob in the context of the tragic  death of his daughter Peaches:

“Sir Bob Geldof is an edgy personality, and musical (Libran) but has no planets in the rock god sign of Scorpio, a compelling opposite sign for Paula. With Chiron rising in Sagittarius and Moon exactly trine Jupiter he has a desire to heal the world!”

Just a few months later, we find him organizing a reprise of the 1984 Christmas single, with an added incentive of tackling the Ebola crisis, bringing together the fresh faces of the current pop music scene, including One Direction.  His current initiative has been criticized by some as being “cultural imperialism”.  There have been accusations of self-aggrandisement,  a false portrayal of  Africans, and questions about how much of the money raised actually reaches the intended destination.

Sir Bob is both an optimist (Moon exactly trine Jupiter) and a realist (Mercury exactly conjunct Saturn).  He has the power to change the world in profound ways (Pluto closely trine his Ascendant).  He is an activist (Mars sextile closely his Midheaven/Careerpoint, which bisects a trine between Mars and his Chiron).  He has a karmic mission as a humanitarian (Moon closely square his Nodal Axis).  I didn’t like his anthem for the workers (with the Boomtown Rats) “I Don’t like Mondays”, but I do admire his drive to help.  In his autobiography “Is That It?” he wrote about lying in bed anguishing about Africa, and being presented with a vision of a tunnel and what he must do appearing at the end, which culminated in his work on Live Aid.  Spiritual guidance, indeed.

At the original recording of the Band Aid single in 1984, Chiron was trine his Mercury (a healing work initiative), Pluto was exactly sextile his natal Venus (profound music), Neptune was exactly trine his natal  Mars (spiritual action), Mars and Chiron were exactly trine his natal Saturn (the taking on of responsibilities), Jupiter was  exactly opposite his natal Uranus (a radical enterprise) and Saturn squaring his natal Pluto (beset by the anguish of the world) – that was a lot going on, for one man at one time.

Bono

Bono, Sir Bob’s partner in the Band Aid initiative, had a weekend of ecstasy followed by agony last weekend.  On Saturday he was singing on the new Band Aid single, and on Sunday he had a serious bicycle accident (injuring his arm and an eye) in New York, from which he will need intensive treatment for a long time to come.

Frontman for the band U2, Bono has the Songwriter Archetype in the form of Venus conjunct Mercury in his chart.   His songs include “With or Without You” and “Beautiful Day”.

The eyeshades are not just an affectation of his Midheaven in Scorpio persona, but apparently to alleviate the eye condition of glaucoma.

His Moon conjunct Neptune can be do-gooding and charitable, and is certainly a sign of sensitivity in a chart, on a personal level.   He and his band have been accused of of clocking up too many air miles, and recently upset the music industry by their compulsory downloading of their recent album.

He is both reactionary (Sun trine Saturn) and revolutionary (Sun square Uranus), responsible and liking the trappings of fame, and wanting to change the world.  His Sun trines the North Node (karmic leadership) and his Ascendant, forming a Grand Trine, showing someone who can get things done.  His Moon is sextile exactly his natal Jupiter (echoing Bob’s positive trine between these two planets), and the Moon bisects an exact trine between Pluto and Jupiter (the wielding of power).  The Moon also trines Chirion (the impulse to heal).  He has Mars exactly trine his Midheaven (echoing Sir Bob’s Mars/Midheaven Activist sextile), and Jupiter sextile Chiron (the Will to Heal).

At the time of the historic first Band Aid effort, Pluto was conjunct Bono’s Moon, depicting the deepest emotional process, and  transiting Pluto was also exactly sextile his natal Jupiter (a profound contribution  borne of Good Will) – two very telling transits.

But what was going on for him to produce such a fateful weekend on 15^th/16^th November?.  On the Saturday of the live recording, the Sun was sextile his natal North Node, a karmic nod from the Universe. Venus was conjunct his Midheaven (a musical high in his career), but there is not a lot to distinguish the two days astrologically.  On the Sunday, the date of the accident, Mars and Saturn appear in the picture:  Mars transits his Saturn, and Saturn transits his Midheaven.  The combination of Mars and Saturn can produce a harsh physical scenario, and Saturn approaching his Midheaven can signal a time  of protracted difficulties for his career and life direction.  I hope that he recovers as quickly as possible from this painful trauma in his life.

Sting

Sting rose to fame in his years as lead singer of the Police, with hits such as “Every Breath you Take” and “Roxanne”.  He and his second wife Trudie Styler became self-styled champions of the ecology of the rainforests, and for a time their profile was highly positive.  Sting left the Police to go solo, and “Fields of Gold” was a highly popular song of his own penmanship.  But then, they were ridiculed over their tantric activities and general middle-class smugness, and Trudie was the subject of a court case filed by a former employee, which tarnished her reputation, which had been built up also in her own right as a promoter of peace, patron of the Buddhist Peace garden in London, in association with the Tibetan Foundation.  The garden was opened by the Dalai Lama.  Sting himself is currently working on a show about shipbuilding communities, inspired by his boyhood and the hardship of the North East.

Sir Bob Geldof and Sting are born only three days apart, in the same year (1951), with their Suns in Libra.  So some of the same impulses motivate them  both.    Sir Bob has the global sign Sagittarius rising, and Sting  is a showman, with Leo rising.  Despite a possible air of self-indulgence,  Sting does have a profound thinking conjunction of Pluto and the Part of Fortune in his 1^st House.  He also has the Moon conjunct Neptune (exact in his case)  in common with Bono, that compassionate emotional make up.  Like Bono, too, he has Sun square Uranus, a desire to change the world.  His North Node (karmic mission) too is in the compassionate sign of Pisces.  He has Mars exactly trine Chiron, the desire to heal through action, which Bob Geldof also has but not to the exact degree.  He has Jupiter closely trine his Ascendant, and can be an ambassador for good will.  Pluto trines his Midheaven, so there is a great deal of motivation to do something worthwhile with his life, such as alerting the world to the dangers of deforestation.

He did sing on the original version of “Do They Know it’s Christmas”,  purveyor of  the actual line “the bitter sting of tears”.  He shared some of the same transits as Bob Geldof on that occasion, such as Pluto sextile his Venus, and Chiron trine Saturn.  As you can see, the three of them share a great deal in their natal charts, too, of goodwill and compassion, much as they are also individuals of free will.

Aspects

With most of the aspects occurring in the early hours of the morning in the U.K. it’s a week for Dreamwork.  Take out your dream diary, dust  down and polish it, and use a good pen with free flowing ink to honour the occasion that this week brings.  Symbols are likely to come up in dreams, and where appropriate I will list some.

If you are in the U.S. the events will occur mainly in the evening, and may influence your dream content.  They may be more emotionally focused.

If in Australia, the events will occur mainly in the morning, and may be very practical and active.

In the early hours of this morning, Mercury squared Jupiter, and so your dreams may have seemed outlandish, and choc full of information.  Someone may have given you too much to think about the night before.

Dream Symbols: Bicycles, Globes

You may have a lot of ideas about how you want to spend your day, which may slightly overstretch you so you may have to prioritize.  For instance you may feel torn in more than one direction, having received two invitations.

Chiron stays stationary today, prior to going direct.  It’s an important time to redirect your thoughts in a positive way for healing purposes.  There’s a book by Martin Brofman entitled “Anything Can be Healed” and this title would make a good mantra to take you through the day, or week.

On Wednesday (26^th) in the early hours Mercury is conjunct Saturn.  If you are going to have a nightmare, this may be the time, although it wouldn’t be a night terror, just a mildly depressing scenario such as being stuck or weighed down.

Dream Symbols: Exams, Grooves

You may wake with a lack of enthusiasm for the day’s tasks, the opposite of the Mercury-Jupiter square earlier in the week.  The real task during the day is concentration and application.  You may think “I’d rather be playing Golf”, but you could end up with a real sense of achievement if you stick at things.

On Thursday (27^th) in the early hours first Venus trines Uranus, then the Sun squares Neptune.

With Venus trine Uranus, you may have unusual and vivid dreams, and possibly some interdimensional travel.  You may meet some arresting figures in your dreams.

With Sun square Neptune, you may get lost or have some foggy elements, after the more vivid interactions of Venus-Uranus.  There may also be some sleeplessness, or periods of being half awake, half asleep, neither here nor there.  You may still feel sleepy when you awake, and may need a cup of breakfast coffee or a healthier equivalent.

Dream Symbols: Electrical Wires, Romance; Fog

During the day the influence could still bring interesting meetings, but also complicated interactions, depending how each of these two aspects affects you.  For instance, Venusian (Taurus and Libra) and Sun types (Leos) may be more affected than most.

Later on in the day, Venus squares Chiron, and the Taureans and Librans may feel challenged by a healing conundrum, such as ascertaining the cause of an allergy.

On Friday (28^th) Mercury enters Sagittarius, and you may experience wish-fulfilment dreams.  Snuggled under the covers, you might want to take yourself back into the dream, and assist some lucid or creative dreaming.  You could mentally take yourself through the day in a positive manner, ensuring that you rise in a good mood and can carry that through the day.

Dream Symbols: Magic Carpets, Horses

During the day, you may find it easy to get some momentum going on your plans, especially if they involve travel.  You’ll find it easy to find information you need, whether on Google, or in a plain old fashioned library which is threatened with closure somewhere near you.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – mental or physical travel; healing moves
• Wednesday – concentration
• Thursday – exciting meetings, then complications; healing conundrums
• Friday – optimism

Strictly Come Dancing 2014 – Part 3

Alison Hammond did better than I predicted (I thought she would go out early) and left in the middle of the tournament, last week.  I am missing her already.  Anyone could win now except Judy Murray, who has been popular with the viewing public, and very entertaining, but Andy did say she would be rubbish at dancing, and she has been consistently told that she is wooden.   Here are four more contestants to ponder ~ maybe one of them is your favourite!

Pixie Lott

Very much a Capricorn, with Uranus, Neptune, the Sun, Saturn and the North Node in that sign.  The tendency to control (including self-discipline) is further accentuated by Saturn closely conjunct her North Node in Capricorn.  Furthermore, this close conjunction is very tightly trine her natal Mars, so she can put this discipline directly into action and movement.  She also has half her planets (5 out of 10) in Earth signs, so is very grounded, and that must help with the footwork.   Mars is currently conjunct her Neptune, so she may find it difficult to keep her composure, but at the same time may be trying to incorporate new energies and information at a higher level, which could result in some extra genius showing through.  She is doing well in the competition, and will do well, but there are no stand out transits towards the end of the competition, so I do not think she will win, though I will review that nearer the time if appropriate when the exact date of the final is announced.

with Trent Whiddon

Darcy Bussell has said her chemistry with Trent is divine and Craig thinks they make a good partnership.  He is another Earth sign, Virgo, which does give a degree of compatibility.  He is very analytical, with Mercury  conjunct his Sun in Virgo.  There is also a steamy side to him with Venus/Pluto/Moon in Scorpio.  His Mars (movement and energy) in Capricorn mixes nicely with Pixie’s Capricorn planets, particularly her Neptune, the planet of inspiration.  His Sun trines exactly his Mars, so he is himself  a master of movement.  He has an exact T-square between Mercury, Jupiter and Uranus, so can be controversial and exaggerative, sometimes in a fun way.  He may be a bit of a prankster.  Trent currently has a Mars Return exactly trine his natal Sun, so he will be especially fired up this weekend.  He also has two Neptune transits: a square to his natal Saturn, and a trine to his natal Pluto, so it is an important time for him to figure things out spiritually.  At the end of the tournament Neptune will still be trine his Pluto, an important and powerful time for him, but the Nodal Axis will be square his Mars, so  he may have some physical issues.

Frankie Bridge

Frankie Bridge from the Saturdays  has, like Pixie, done very well in the competition, and has a similar background of Capricornian planets: Uranus, Venus, Saturn, Neptune and the Sun, giving her a great solidity.  She has a lucky trine of Jupiter to her Sun, and like Pixie too a Saturnian emphasis to her North Node (karmic mission), but this time Saturn exactly sextile her North Node, which again is disciplined, but perhaps easier to deal with than Pixie’s.  Her current transits support inspired (Neptune sextile her Venus) and energetic (Mars sextile her Pluto) dancing.  The inspiration continues trhough to the end,  joined by the capacity to surprise (Uranus sextile her Mercury) and profound healing (Chiron trine her natal Pluto).  In last night’s show, Pixie had the edge, but Frankie’s transits are better in the long term of the tournament.  The healing power of dance may be important for Frankie, who has battled depression.

with Kevin Clifton

Kevin Clifton made his debut last year, and was a finalist last year with Susanna Reid.  I reported last year that he has “great natural elegance with several planets in Libra”.    There is also great dexterity, with Mercury sextile Uranus.  His chemistry with Frankie is a little more tricky than with Susanna, as her Uranus squares his Mercury, and challenges that dexterity – he has to be even more on the ball.  Her Pluto conjuncts his Jupiter, so there may be a power play between them.  His Saturn squares her Sun, pushing her self-discipline to even further extremes.  Finally, her Mars opposes his Pluto, adding to the tension.  Maybe they are thriving on it, because they are doing exceptionally well.  He has the North Node at the moment sextile his natal Mars, giving him an energetic and active karma.  Chiron trines his Jupiter, providing a type of healing for him, too, through this season.  The karmic benefits and healing hold through to the end of the tournament, so I would expect to see this couple in the final.

Simon Webbe

Simon, a singer from the boyband Blue, struggled to find his dance identity early in the competition, but in recent weeks has found his form and was top of the leaderboard last night.  He has an almost unaspected Sun in his chart, so can take time to integrate the components of a new situation.  But his chart shows great talent for songwriting, with an exact conjunction of Venus and Mercury in Aries, strongly aspected by other planets.  Mars is currently squaring his Pluto, which seems to have galvanized him rather than crushed him – he may be someone who works best under pressure or deadlines.  He does have some supportive transits at the moment as well as that challenge.  At the end of the tournament the main transit is the North Node conjuncting his Pluto in Libra, so there may be a lot of change and reorganization of his life, but that does not look like a winning transit.

With Kristina Rihanoff

With the Sun at the very end of Virgo, Kristina is an exquisite perfectionist.  She has the dexterity aspect of Mercury sextile Uranus, like Kevin Clifton.  She also has the ability to get the best out of her partners, with her Jupiter exactly sextile her Chiron.  Strangely enough, she may also hold the key to Simon being able to negotiate the adverse aspect of Mars squaring his Pluto, as she has Mars square Pluto in her natal chart.  And even more strangely, she has the North Node conjunct Pluto in her chart, so she may be able to help him with that last hurdle of a transit too, towards the end of the competition.  There is no doubt she has been skilled in turning round his fortunes so far.  Her Saturn (discipline) trines exactly his Mercury-Venus conjunction, helping his co-ordination, and possibly supporting his songwriting perhaps when the dancing is over.  She has superb concentration at the moment, with Pluto trine her natal Mercury, but a risk-taking Uranus square her Mars is also around, plus Uranus opposite her Pluto adding more tension and risk.  They both seem to be thriving on tension and risk…!  They certainly, between them, seem to be learning to manage certain difficult aspects, which will stand them in good stead.   By the end of the tournament Kristina will have a lot on her plate psychologically, with Pluto squaring her Pluto, which may refer to her private life, but is not supportive of a win.

Mark Wright

Eager beaver Mark Wright hails from TOWIE (The Only Way is Essex) and also won the title of King of the Jungle in I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.  With his Sun Capricorn-side of the Aquarian cusp, he is the third out of today’s sample of four to be Capricorn.  What is more, he has Saturn in aspect to his North Node like the other two, in this case trine his North Node.    So again, a Master of control.  In exact aspect to his North Node (karmic mission) he has a sextile to  Chiron, so problem-solving  in order to achieve the mountain heights is his speciality.  At this time he has Uranus trine his Venus (ingenuity in artforms) and the North Node sextile his Saturn (steady progress).  The artistic ingenuity remains until the end of the tournament, so he will do well, but I don’t think he will take the prize.

With Karen Hauer

Venezuelan Karen Hauer may give Mark an exotic edge in the Latin section, but astrologically she is a no-nonsense Taurus Sun sign.  She has an extremely feminine conjunction of the Moon and Venus in Pisces, the sign of dance, so can transport the viewer to a world of fantasy (I am sure Bruno would say it better!).  The Moon/Venus conjunction trines her North Node (karmic mission) so she has truly found her métier.  She has Mars exactly sextile Uranus, so perhaps can perform tricky contortions, too.    The chemistry between her and Mark is mixed, but with some notable strong sextiles helping along their performance together.  At this stage of the tournament she may not be reaching her potential, with the North Node transiting her Saturn, and Chiron on her Venus, plus some minor help from Mars: she has yet to work certain things out.  She may still be in this process when the tournament ends, but they may continue to work together to iron things out.  They may have something yet to achieve.

Aspects

After a roller coaster last week, this one looks like a more normal mixed bag, without too much drama.

Today Neptune is stationary, prior to turning direct.  It may have been causing confusion in the House area of your chart it is currently working through, but progress may be made soon in long standing spiritual tasks which the Universe has set for you.

Mercury is sextile Pluto around lunchtime, which again enables progress to be made, in this case around mental blocks to deep understandings.

Venus enters Sagittarius in the early evening, and romantic dreams take on a rosy hue, more open and trusting and less suspicious than the period of Venus transiting Scorpio.  Remember though that rose coloured spectacles do not have an indefinite shelf life.  It is a good time to generally enjoy life though, which is good practice.

Tomorrow (Monday 17^th) Mercury is trine Chiron which favours bringing together conventional and alternative medicine and working out an optimum plan to incorporate them both into your lifestyle if necessary.  The mind turns to healing in a constructive way.  Our Light Pod healing group meets tomorrow, and it would seem to be a good day to meditate on healing and transmit healing energy.

On Tuesday (18^th) the morning brings a conjunction of the Sun and Saturn, time to focus on serious issues, and possibly make long term plans.

On Thursday (20^th) Mars squares the Nodal Axis, so the news may be fraught with stories of warrior karma, from the Middle East or Ukraine.  There may be some group tension below the surface in your own circle, which may be defused by looking at it from a karmic angle.

Venus then squares Neptune, making negotiations tenuous with mistrust (despite Venus being in Sagittarius).  When combined with the karmic angle from Mars, situations could look complex, but some meditation may uncover the spiritual causes and perspective.

There is recovery and greater balance by Friday (21^st) when Mars sextiles Mercury around late lunchtime.  Experiences may be digested, and actions taken to move forward.

The Sun enters Sagittarius on Saturday (22^nd), boosting the mood of optimism and progress, followed by a New Moon at Noon (-ish) at 0 degrees Sagittarius.  You might see more smiley faces as you go about your business, and people will feel there is more to look forward to, whether it is Christmas preparation or other future activities.  Hope springs eternal on Saturday!

The week in bullet points:

• Today – spiritual progress; mental progress; psychological progress; rose tinted specs on
• Tomorrow – healing
• Tuesday – seriousness
• Thursday – karmic complications and entanglements
• Friday – pick yourself up, dust yourself down
• Saturday – hope springs eternal

Liberty

“We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable; that all men are created equal & independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent & inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, & liberty, & the pursuit of happiness;”

~ Thomas Jefferson

Liberty has meant many different things to people over the centuries.  Shami Chakrabarti, a regular on the political television circuit, has just published a book entitled “On Liberty”(doing well in the book charts), offering a re-evaluation of the subject, in an age where the issues are confusing, and often are a double edged sword, dividing opinion.

Sometimes it seems to be that Human Rights is a dirty word (or phrase) here in the U.K. so entwined has it become with the membership of the European Union, and seeming inequalities being caused by the promoting of one right over another.  Admittedly there does need to be some priority in the system, such as not promoting criminal rights over the rights of a victim, but patently human rights are generally a good thing.  Home Secretary Theresa May threatens to pull out of the Human Rights Act, which Shami regards as throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Shami Chakrabarti

Shami Chakrabarti has a unique life path, and stands out in the world of human rights and liberty.  She is sure of her convictions, and a brave warrior when it comes to expressing the inalienable right of human liberty.

Her life was marked by an amazing act of destiny when on 10^th September 2001 she left a longstanding position as legal adviser in the U.K. Home Office to work at the institution known as “Liberty”, a post which was so much the antithesis of the previous one that she delayed joining Liberty in order to obtain the right endorsement from her previous employer.  The very next day was the assault on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, commonly known as 9/11.  That sometimes causes confusion in the U.K. because we would know it as 11/9.  Strangely enough, I find myself writing now on 9^th November…there may be a numerological nuance in that.

Shami’s Chart and Transits

Shami has Sun in Gemini, so she is quite an intellectual thinker, and Moon in Cancer, so she has empathy and  emotional sensitivity.  We do not have her Ascendant, and do not know the shape of her chart.

She has three interesting sets of conjunctions:

Mars loosely conjunct Neptune, which is a physical sensitivity to suffering

Venus conjunct Saturn, which is a sensitivity to repression, and the depression of feeling that comes with incarceration, plus a sense of responsibility and commitment to those issues

Pluto/Jupiter/Uranus in conjunction.  Jupiter conjunct Uranus gives entrepreneurship, so she is a good flagship for her cause.  Jupiter conjunct Pluto is an innate understanding of issues around power, both the positive aspects, and the pitfalls.  Pluto and Uranus together are the rebel, the freedom at all costs, almost anarchic side to the mix.  A very powerful triple conjunction, all told – one which she has used for the common good, without the abrasiveness of some who have taken similar roles in society.

Her North Node  (karmic mission) is in Pisces, signifying that her spiritual path is to work towards a more compassionate society.  The powerful triple conjunction lies at the South Node, depicting past lives learning to understand the uses and misuses of power.  Her Sun exactly squares the Nodal Axis, so she takes a central role of leadership in the groups which work along these lines.

Jupiter exactly sextiles her Neptune, so she is absolutely on point when it comes to religion and spirituality, and understanding the part that they play in war, peace and terrorism and the human psyche.  She says: “The idea of walking in another’s shoes and doing to others as we would have done to us is universal in all cultures of the world”.

On the day she left the Home Office to work at Liberty the day before 9/11, Chiron was opposite her natal Sun, so there would have been some crisis or shock factor in the process, but a working towards healing.  She does describe the change of workplace as a culture shock, but acknowledges the significance of the timing certainly in relation to world affairs.  She realizes that the world changed at that time, and with it the demands and nuances of human rights, e.g. the greater emphasis on issues of security, fighting terrorism, and the detaining of suspects at Guantanamo Bay without evidence.  It seems as though the Universe moved Shami to Liberty on that day as a secret weapon for human rights.  It does not seem overly dramatic to say that.

Neptune was also squaring her Saturn at that time, increasing her sensitivity to the suffering of physical and spiritual incarceration.

She went on to become Director of Liberty in 2003, about a year after she gave birth to her son.  She writes:  ”My work at Liberty been second only to motherhood as the joy and privilege of my life.”  Motherhood  brought out the very protective nature of her Moon in Cancer – she says that it intensified her feelings about those who are vulnerable and changed her as a person.  Her progressed Sun was sextile with her natal Uranus (revolution) during this period.

In her book, Shami writes thought-provokingly about terrorism, movingly about extradition and authoritatively takes us through the moral maze that is Liberty.

Liberty’s Chart

The organization Liberty was founded in January 1934.  The  issues of the time were scarring from the 1st World War and economic hardship from the Depression.  The chart of the organization has one of the same conjunctions as Shami Chakrabarti, Venus conjunct Saturn which I described earlier as: “A sensitivity to repression, and the depression of feeling that comes with incarceration, plus a sense of responsibility and commitment to those issues”.  While Shami has Jupiter/Pluto/Uranus in a conjunction and this empowers her to heal divisions, the challenging nature of the time when Liberty was founded has these planets in a more difficult tension:  A T-square composed of Jupiter opposite Uranus and Pluto square to them both.  Liberty celebrated its 80^th birthday this year.

John Stuart Mill

The 19^th Century saw the first book entitled “On Liberty”, written by philosopher and eminent scholar and social theorist John Stuart Mill, who promoted the ideas of Utilitarianism (the “greatest good for the greatest number”).  I thought it would be interesting to look at the portrayal of this theme for his day.  His book of the same title was published in 1859, when he was 53.  His chart has an iconoclastic exact conjunction between Uranus and Saturn, which I think of as “The Groundbreaker”, the conjunction which coincided with the fall of the Berlin Wall.  He wrote the book “On Liberty” when married to Harriet Taylor, who died just before the book was published.  He did not alter a word of the book after she died, as it was as much her work in terms of ideas.  For Mill, liberty was an essential counterbalance to state influence.  He slightly softened his stance on Utilitarianism for this book, and emphasized the role of the inward journey to freedom for the individual.  Much of the focus of Harriet’s work was centred around feminism, and the book promotes the idea of votes for women, an idea well ahead of its time.  Their relationship seems to have been a distinctive and specific Soul Contract, with his Chiron trine exactly her Sun (he was able to fulfil her life’s work) and his North Node (karmic mission) exactly sextile her Uranus (desire to change society).

“The only freedom which deserves the name is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it. Each is the proper guardian of his own health, whether bodily, or mental or spiritual. Mankind are greater gainers by suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves, than by compelling each to live as seems good to the rest.”

~ John Stuart Mill

Aspects

Hold on to your hats this week – there’s a bumpy ride ahead!Turn away now if you would rather not engage with this in a conscious way…

There are bright spots, however, and today’s square between Venus and Jupiter (the two “benificents”) is not likely to do too much damage, if any.  There may be a casual tactless remark, or a faux pas, which niggles.  Otherwise, any humour is likely to be just plain silly.  It may be good to get your laughs where you can today.

Tomorrow (Monday 10^th) Mars conjuncts Pluto.  It is just as well that police services in the U.K. claim to have foiled a terrorist plot for Remembrance Sunday, as that is uncomfortably close to tomorrow’s potentially destructive conjunction.  Another potentiality is that of mould breaking, so have a look at your moulds and coolly decide what can or needs to be broken, and how to do that in the safest possible way, without harm to humans or animals.  The mould breaking may occur in the realm of ideas, so have a look at your fixed beliefs and see if you can throw any of them out.  They may be outmoded.

On Wednesday (12^th) Mercury trines Neptune, and you may experience an oasis of serenity.  You may be able to look at any early dramas of the week from a spiritual angle.  If beliefs were challenged, you may segue smoothly into new ones.  Health issues, too, may seem easier.

Mars also sextiles Chiron, so body and mind will be more co-ordinated and open to healing methods.

On Thursday (13^th), Venus conjuncts Saturn, the aspect contained in the chart of both Shami Chakrabarti and the organization Liberty.  An injustice may spur you on to greater responsibility and commitment.  Especially if it concerns someone being repressed or psychologically chained.

Hard on the heels of this difficult aspect, Mars squares Uranus, inducing breakaway actions and random acts of rebelliousness.  The combination of the two aspects may need careful monitoring: Venus conjunct Saturn is depressing and Mars square Uranus rash and reckless.  If you have any loose cannons in your vicinity watch them carefully.  Sedate the Mars square Uranus elements (if they are not channeling their energy constructively), and uplift the depressive elements to a point where they can deal with things, and wait for the aspects to subside.  Of course you may not have any control whatsoever over what anyone else is doing, and may need to just attend to your own process.

Friday (14^th) brings another square, the Sun square Jupiter, which is not as unpredictable as Mars square Uranus, but not as genteel as Venus square Jupiter (which occurs today).   It is a day when people can go over the top in their enthusiasms, and in some cases in their actions.  If you yourself are bursting with enthusiasm, you can put that energy into something creative.  Not everyone may feel as you do about that particular issue, but they may have their own passions to pursue.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – silliness
• Tomorrow – confrontation
• Wednesday – soothing balm, and healing
• Thursday – challenges
• Friday – the fire of enthusiasm

Joseph Mallord William Turner

A film premiered this week, entitled “Mr. Turner” featuring the combined geniuses of the painter J.M.W. Turner, the film director Mike Leigh and the actor Timothy Spall.

Personal View

When I was in the third year at University I signed up for a course on 20^th Century art, but changed my mind at the last minute to 19^th Century art, on the grounds that I did not enjoy 20^th Century art.  I was very glad that I did – it is still my favourite period of art.  It has always given me a warm fuzzy feeling of security that the National Gallery houses such a full-bodied collection of his paintings, representing British art at its best.

If I had been writing in the 19^th Century, I would have said that his work was highly original, even within the movements of the (late 18^th and) 19^th Century, and that his work evoked a high state of spirituality, in particular his studies of the play of light and mist in his skyscapes.  I would have said that his work was futuristic, but I would have been wrong about the trajectory of art, which took the abstract path, and culminated in late 20^th and early 21^st Century movements such as Brit Art.  Perhaps Turner took his unique genre as far as he could.

The only negative associations I have with his work was that during the 1970s “The Fighting Temeraire” got overexposed: nearly every home had a block mounted edition of this painting, and every magazine used to sport an advertisement encouraging you to have your own print.  So much so, that I couldn’t look at it for several years.

His Chart

I have taken his chart from Astrodatabank, a huge collection of charts from the late Astrologer Lois Rodden, but the birth time and even the date are not firmly known.

Turner had his North Node at 0 degrees Virgo conjunct Mars in Leo in 8^th House straightaway revealing the Warrior Archetype, and he was by all accounts a prickly character (for instance in his rivalry with Constable).  The North Node also trines closely his Sun, adding an immense creativity and leadership in his field.  Uranus exactly square the Nodal Axis accentuates the alienation from society, and a leadership role.

His Venus conjuncts Uranus in his 5^th House of creativity, giving him an  unusual relationship with society as well as the originality contained in  this placement.

His Moon was exactly sextile Mercury, providing a harmonious alliance between the imagination and the intellect.

An article in the Guardian yesterday points out a dissonance between the handsome fellow he saw himself as, particularly in youth, and the “gargoyle” of a figure as portrayed later in life in the film.  Both could be true, but Jupiter/Venus/Uranus in 5^th House would portray a healthy self-image at least.

His work is imbued with an elevated sense of beauty, in an era which produced much attractive and beautiful work under the movements of Romanticism, but works of his time often tended to still aim at achieving realism.  Some of Turner’s work went beyond that.

Mike Leigh

Back in 1977 hubby and I sat and watched the original TV production of Abigail’s Party, in the days before we had separate televisions.  It was a mesmerizing play, great fun and  very original for its time.  We did not know it was improvised, and this was our first experience of Mike Leigh’s style.

Since then he has honed his method, which consists of working individually with his actors and then producing a loose plot within which the actors’ own ingenuity and creativity can take over.  Characteristically, the film Mr. Turner was meticulously researched.  Timothy Spall, who plays Turner, took painting lessons, for instance.

Lead researcher Jacqueline Riding is quoting as saying (also in the Guardian): “In the film, you are watching months, years actually,  of preparation and graft, gradually evolved from improvisations, then honed into an elegant, funny and revealing five-minute scene.”

In his chart, Mike Leigh has the Sun opposite his Moon (born on a Full Moon) with his “lights” squared by the groundbreaking conjunction of Saturn and Uranus.  Further quirkiness of working method is revealed by Chiron exactly conjunct his North Node (a karmic mission of healing) in Leo.  He works from the inside out to produce his authenticity.

One of the secrets of his award-winning success in working in such a complex way is an exact trine between his Uranus and Neptune, backed up by an exact sextile between two other big-hitters, Saturn and Pluto.  There is a great strength within these structures, and an ability to follow through on big projects.

He may have had a telepathic connection with Turner in making this film, because his Uranus (telepathy) is exactly conjunct Turner’s own Uranus, and Turner’s Nodal Axis is exactly square Leighr’s Uranus.

In the comparison with Turner’s chart, Mike Leigh’s Sun is exactly conjunct Turner’s South Node – a direct karmic connection!

Timothy Spall

Timothy Spall won Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival this year for his role as Turner in Mike Leigh’s film.  He is known as a character actor, and worked with Mike Leigh on “Secrets and Lies” in 1996.

Thus there is a longstanding association between Leigh and Spall, and they established several years ago the principle of doing the film, but it took many years and much preparation to come to fruition: that smacks of a Saturn process.  Their Suns are 7 degrees apart in Pisces, the sign of envisioning, and working together magnifies the envisioning.

Spall’s Moon is conjunct his Chiron, so through his empathetic emotional body he can relate to the Chironic way in which Mike Leigh works.  He has four planets in Aquarius, making the total of his Fixed Sign planets seven out of ten, a highly unusual figure.  This may give him a fixety of purpose, and a steely determination.  His Uranus closely square Neptune may give him a great deal of internal conflict, but that may have enabled him to play gritty and sometimes hapless roles.  Working with Mike Leigh, who has these two planets in an exact trine, helps to bring out the best in his natal ascpect.

He agreed to play the role of Turner many years ago, but the action of the film takes place later in Turner’s years because Spall himself is no spring chicken.  We do not have birth times / Ascendants for Mike Leigh or Timothy Spall, which limits the insight into their charts.

Among other exact interaspects, Spall has genial Jupiter trine exactly Turner’s Venus, iconoclastic Uranus square exactly Turner’s Sun, and empathetic Neptune exactly opposite Turner’s Moon, ensuring a job well done.

In comparing his chart with Mike Leigh’s they have the excellent working combination of exactly trined Marses.

Premier of Film

The film which premiered this week is a culmination, as I often feel in these circumstances, of collaborations between humans on this earth, and spiritual forces behind the scenes, including Joseph Turner himself.

The chart of the film shows a conjunction of the Sun and Venus (the theme of Art) and Mercury sextile Jupiter (a box office success).  Mars sextiles Neptune, showing the complexity and sensitivity with which it has been made. Venus sextiles Pluto (carrying a profound message), and Mercury conjuncts the North Node (there is an informative element, and historical accuracy has been attended to in great detail).

The aspects to Turner’s own chart at this time are a little uncomfortable, so  his perfectionism may be a little rattled, though I am sure the film overall has his seal of approval (that is the nearest I am going to get to a Halloween comment).  Mike Leigh has currently Saturn exactly trine his natal Venus, so he will feel a sense of accomplishment in his artistic portrayal.  Timothy Spall has Saturn transiting his natal North Node, again a serious achievement.  Note that Leigh and Spall have significant Saturn transits, a measure of the length of time they have taken to bring this project to the big screen.

Aspects

Apart from a non-eclipsed Full Moon which we should be able to take in our stride, this is the third week of mild-mannered or even helpful aspects.  It is therefore a week to count our blessings, because next week we are back to the normal pattern of ups and downs, with some of the more menacing aspects recurring.

Venus trines Chiron tomorrow (Monday 3^rd) which sets a healing tone for the beginning of the week.  Healing through the arts is particularly favoured.  Producing a piece of art or music of your own may prove healing for you.  There may be benefits in relationships and financial affairs, too.

In the evening, the Sun in Scorpio sextiles Pluto, which should set things straight psychologically in a fundamental way.  If you are looking for a re-set button, this may be what you need.

The Sun trines Chiron on Wednesday (5^th), holding the healing which may have begun on Monday, firming it up and possibly creating something more whole.  For instance, if you produced a piece of artwork, you may now see that it is part of a larger opus.  You see the hologram more clearly.

It’s a week for the Night Owls, as much of the action takes place during the  late evenings this week.  If you are not a Night Owl, and function better first thing in the morning, it may be good to consciously adjust your rhythms this week, e.g. getting up later, so that you function at your best for the main events.

Thursday evening (6^th) is a Full Moon at 14 degrees Taurus.  Emotions may swell at that time, perhaps nostalgia too.  With the Sun in Scorpio opposing the Moon, the emotional emphasis is “to have and to hold”, with the realization that releasing and letting go is what is needed;  that there is nothing of substance to have and hold perhaps.

In the late evening of Saturday (8^th) Mercury enters Scorpio, travelling from Libra.  You may have been carefully avoiding verbal conflict, employing tact and diplomacy, but now realize that  the time for truth has arrived.  Pussyfooting is no longer working, eggshells have been trodden to smithereens.  There is no other way left than to examine truth, and express it.  Perhaps someone has ignored your hints, and you need to be a little bolder in your phraseology.

The week in bullet points:

• Tomorrow – healing, and straight psychology
• Wednesday – more healing
• Thursday – full emotion
• Saturday – truth telling

Johann Lamont

The resignation on Friday of the Scottish Labour Leader Johann Lamont has thrown the Labour Party into greater disarray and into an ever deepening crisis.  As if it were not enough that Ed Miliband cannot find his inner Charismatic Leader, and that UKIP are on the rise and rise, that Alan Johnson will not come back out of retirement to lead the party, the struggle to win a sizeable share of the vote in next year’s general election is intensifying.

Eclipse Crises

The Conservative Party also experienced an acute crisis on Friday, both events being close to the eclipse of Thursday evening in David Cameron’s 1st House.  The UK was faced with a bill  of nearly £2 billion from the European Union, which David Cameron responded to with outrage.  That will have intensified the stance of Eurosceptics, and also played into the hands of UKIP.  For Johann Lamont, the emotional intensity of the eclipse may have been the trigger for her decision to put a spanner into the Labour works.

Johann’s Birth Chart

It is interesting to see how the actions of one person  can have such a crucial outcome.  Johann has an interesting chart, in that apart from being born around a Full Moon (no birth time available) she has no other aspects to her Sun and Moon.  She has three children, and as such has a private life, but I often find that people without such personal aspects find their path through public service.  Added to that, the Sun and Moon do make powerful aspects to the North Node (which is not a planet, but a signifier of karma) and as such this can make her an agent of karma.    Her Sun is trine the North Node (Leadership karma) and her Moon is sextile the North Node (service to the people, but also motherhood).  Chiron is exactly square her Nodal Axis, indicating that it was her destiny to wrench her tribe (the Labour Party) through a healing crisis, exposing the wound.  These factors alone may show how she came to take her role as head of Scottish Labour (since 2011) and came to rebel at its treatment as an outpost of Westminster on Friday.  Whether deliberately or by default, Ed Miliband clearly has responsibility in the circumstances which had built up.  In addition to the eclipse, Mars was firing Johann with a trine to her natal Pluto when she resigned.  She stated: ”There is a danger of Scottish politics being between two sets of dinosaurs…, the Nationalists, who can’t accept they were rejected by the people, and some colleagues at Westminster who think nothing has changed.”  The repercussions of the Scottish referendum continue to loom large.

Ed Miliband

The very Mars transit which empowered Johann to make her stand was squaring Ed Miliband’s own Pluto, making him the victim of the act.  With their natal Plutos in semi-sextile to each other, there would always be the potential for a destructive transit between them.  Her Pluto also exactly squares Miliband’s natal Neptune showing the considerable extent of possible damage.  Johann’s relationship with the UK Labour Party is also difficult and significantly, with her Mars exactly opposing its Mars (literally standing up to it), and her Nodal Axis squaring its Mercury which is exactly conjunct her Chiron  (posing a mental challenge and debate).  Ed Miliband was also this week the subject of an attack (again, Mars square his Pluto) from Tony Blair who declared that Labour would not win next year’s election if he were still leader of the party.  Certainly without the bulk of 41 Scottish seats, Labour would be hamstrung.

In Conclusion

I don’t think I have ever known the Labour Party, let alone UK politics, to be in such a parlous state.  This week’s events have posed the intriguing possibility that Gordon Brown may be resurrected in a leading role as possible leader of the Scottish Labour Party, and meanwhile we have another by-election coming up in Rochester, in which UKIP are threatening to do very well indeed.

Gordon Brown paid tribute to the outgoing leader with the words:

“She brought determination, compassion, and a down-to-earth approach to the leadership and deserves great credit for taking on the challenge after 2011”.

Aspects

Mars enters Capricorn today, emphasizing political battles, both in the public arena, and in your private life.  Perhaps you are having to challenge someone in authority, or you have a need to change some rules which infringe your liberties.  Shami Chakrabarti, the director of “Liberty” has just published a book on the subject, which is on my wishlist.

Tomorrow (Monday 27^th) Venus trines Neptune, bringing compassion and artistic inspiration to the fore.  That’s a lovely start to the working week, spreading love and peace amongst co-workers…for as long as it can hold.  Beginning the week with a “Staff Sensitivity Meeting” would be ideal.

On Tuesday (28^th) the mood continues, with the Sun trine Neptune.  Creative outcomes can follow on from the compassionate, sensitive and artistic start to the working week.  Tuesday’s work can become an extension of Monday’s positive and harmonious note.

On Thursday (30^th) Mercury conjuncts the North Node, bringing factual and karmic information to our attention.  You may recall that retrograde Mercury was in the same  relation to the North Node last Monday, and  two long-standing karmic situations reached a point of resolution for me that day.  Perhaps if you look back at your diary, you might find something similar.

More good news at lunchtime on Saturday (1^st November) with a return of Mercury sextile Jupiter (also featured last Monday).    This occurring in the middle of the day could be prime time for market sellers, budding apprentices, entrepreneurs, or travellers.  This aspect could help you make the most of your weekend.

Two aspects occur in the evening:

Venus sextiles Pluto at 23.09 Hrs forging deep links and relationships, which seem enduring.

Close to midnight, at 23.43 Hrs, Mars sextiles Neptune, which is a sublime energy for late evening activity:  whether having a good night’s sleep, or partying through the night.  Whichever you choose, you’ll be in the flow.

So we got through the week continuing the mellifluous theme from Monday, with three marvellous aspects from Neptune maintaining the dance.  Enjoy!

The week in bullet points:

• Today – political action
• Tomorrow – mellifluousness
• Tuesday – creative mellifluousness
• Thursday – karmic information
• Saturday – business boosts; deep relationships and magical energy

The Ebola Virus

It is difficult to write astrologically about such a nebulous subject as the Ebola crisis, which with the Islamic State crisis is unifying global efforts at this time.  Saturn is  racheting fear and terror in the closing stages of its journey through Scorpio, while Uranus is about to  square Pluto for the penultimate time in December, so we remain in a heightened state of tension.  Insidious infectious illnesses such as epidemics and  pandemics are ruled by Neptune, and when Neptune and Chiron (healing crisis) were together in Aquarius, an air sign, we were beset by the problem of SARS or bird flu (with the air connection).  Now Neptune and Chiron are in Pisces (the sign of epidemics and pandemics, and a water sign ) we have an intensified panic arising from the Ebola virus, which is spread by bodily fluids.

Sudan 1976

The first recorded case of Ebola occurred in Sudan on 27 June 1976, under a T-square between Saturn, Uranus and Chiron.  The chart for Sudan itself has Chiron on the Ascendant, and Chiron as “the wounded healer” might be very fitting  in this placement in what might be regarded as the “birthplace” of Ebola.  The chart for Sudan also has some potent squares:  Saturn square Jupiter/Pluto,  and a T-square between Neptune, Uranus, and Chiron indicating great challenges.

Tellingly, this first case of Ebola in the Sudan came at a time when Pluto was squaring its natal Sun, indicating a life and death scenario.  The Nodal Axis was also exactly square the Sudan Venus, adding a karmic flavour to events.  Transiting  Chiron was also creating a T-square with Uranus and Neptune and therefore kicking into touch the  nature of the natal T-square.

Guinea 2013/2014

The current crisis began with the death of a two year old in Guinea on 28^th December 2013.  Again, a potent and destructive T-square was prevailing, that of Mars, Pluto and Uranus.  This also echoes a fundamental issue or problem in the nature of Guinea, which has Mars square Pluto natally.  At the time of this resurgence of Ebola  Uranus was opposite Guinea’s Sun,  the North Node (karma) was exactly conjunct Guinea’s natal Neptune (epidemics) and Jupiter (faith) and Neptune (epidemics) was exactly opposite the Guinea Pluto (a deep challenge).

Sierra Leone and Liberia

Two other countries have significantly succumbed to Ebola since that initial crisis, and it is interesting to look at their vulnerabilities natally.  Sierra Leone has an intensely karmic link with disease, in the shape of Chiron conjunct its South Node, opposed by Pluto/North Node.  The Pluto/North Node will be transited by Jupiter next year, and that may bring a breakthrough in the regional fight against the disease.  The chart for Liberia is very different from the 20^th Century state charts, being founded in 1847 by the American Colonization Society for the resettlement of slaves.  It also has a uniquely difficult and explosive triple conjunction of Pluto/Mars/Uranus, probably the most combustible combination of planets, although we are not looking for combustible for the purposes of this exercise.  However, the natal triple conjunction may lay Liberia open to other struggles.  The chart is hit particularly adversely by the chart of the “birth” of Ebola in 1976: Saturn conjuncts its Sun, while Uranus squares its Sun, and Neptune squares its Saturn (all exact hits).

World Health Organization

The World Health Organization was founded on 7^th April 1948, and itself has a very challenging triple conjunction of Pluto/Saturn/Mars, but challenge is the nature of its game.  It declared a state of emergency regarding the Ebola outbreak on 8^th August 2014. Pluto (deep problems) was exactly square to the WHO Neptune (pandemics) at the time!

Hopes

There has been a sprinkling of Ebola cases of care workers outside West Africa, and one of these, an Englishman William Pooley, survived the outbreak after instnsive nursing at the Royal Free Hospital in London, and also has declared his intention to go back to Africa and help – a rare human!

There is some hope for breakthroughs in getting the pandemic under control next year when Jupiter goes into Virgo next August, the sign of Health, though not of Pandemics! Cautious hope may be given to the Jupiter transits to the affected nations, but they may bring breakthroughs, and are worth recording:

Sierra Leone

13/14^th November 2014: Jupiter transits the Sierra Leone Uranus

2^nd January 2015: As 13/4 Nov, but with Jupiter retrograding

1^st July 2015: The third pass of Jupiter over Uranus, moving forward

25^th/26^th August 2015: Jupiter transits the North Node of Sierra Leone (a karmic turning point)

6th September  2015: Jupiter transits the Pluto of Sierra Leone

4^th/5^th December 2015: Jupiter transits the Moon of Sierra Leone

Guinea

25^th/26^th August 2015: Jupiter transits the Pluto of Guinea, which is within one minute of the position for the North Node of Sierra Leone (a turning point for both, indicated at the same time)

Liberia

18^th November 2014: Jupiter transits the Liberian Mercury (which represents health, though not pandemics); note that its Mercury is conjunct the Sierra Leone Uranus, so it is only a few days later than a possible helpful transit to Sierra Leone’s chart.

29^th December 2014: As 18 Nov, but with Jupiter retrograding

2^nd/3^rd July 2015: The third pass of Jupiter over Mercury, moving forward

11/12^th November 2015: Jupiter transits Liberia’s Venus

Aspects

If you experienced last week as a pleasant one, this week too may be congenial, although not quite as much as last week.  There may be the opportunity to take small steps towards your goals, and steady progress can be made or built on to last week’s.

Tomorrow (Monday 20^th) dawns with a sextile between Venus and Mars, which is great for balancing your inner male and female, and outer relations too.  For instance, you may have been using your female side a great deal recently, and may need to re-introduce her to your male side.  There may be archetypes, sub-personalities or past life selves who need to be introduced to each other, such as your inner male warrior and your medieval woman who is furious at being left behind while the male went to war in the Crusades.  They may need to come to a peaceful resolution.

Working with this, and coming to a happy balance between the two, will enhance your experience of Mercury conjunct the North Node tomorrow.  This aspect may feed you information about karmic matters, such as current dilemmas in society.  Perhaps in discussing this or listening to a discussion you form new ideas of your own and receive new insights based on what you have heard.  This aspect also favours karma with siblings, or neighbours.  The transit of the North Node through Libra continues to help us focus on the karma of our relationships.

In the evening, Mercury sextiles Jupiter, bringing a triumphant finale to the first day of the working week.  It is a good time to close a brilliant deal, complete a scintillating module of study or research, have a good laugh with a friend over the phone, or expand your mind with a new interest.

Late morning on Thursday (23^rd) the Sun enters Scorpio, and life takes on a more uncompromising direction, after the smooth gliding of the Sun through Libra.  Be prepared to stand up for what you believe in, or be left behind by those who practice what they preach.  All our voices need to be heard, when it comes to current social dilemmas and political climates.  Before we know it we will be asked to vote in the 2015 elections and pick the least worst party.  We need to look inwards at what is truly important, and the sign of Scorpio helps us to prioritize at that level.

In the evening Venus follows the Sun into Scorpio, so Love and Creativity will both be singing from the same hymn sheet, the very wholehearted Scorpio theme.

Here’s a short song list:

Onward Christian soldiers

The Power of Love (both the Jennifer Rush version and the Frankie Goes to Hollywood version)

River Deep, Mountain High

An hour later, at 21.57 Hrs, there is an eclipsed New Moon at 0 degrees Scorpio, which will particularly affect those born around this date.  It will still be a good day to begin new ventures, but will have the sense of a turning point, with the emphasis on the unseen.

Early on Saturday (25^th) Venus catches up with the Sun to create a conjunction in early Scorpio.  This can produce an intensity and deep experience of love.  If you do experience this, you may want to share any excess with those who are receiving very little, and seek them out if you can.  There are many human conditions to which love is the answer!  As the Beatles said, Money Can’t Buy You Love (arguably a Scorpio song).  Is there someone you have been neglecting lately, for instance?

And finally, more help arrives in the evening, when Mercury is stationary, prior to turning direct again.  You may then begin to unravel the complex knots in communication which have taken place in the last three weeks while Mercury has been retrograde.

The week in bullet points:

• Tomorrow – sensuality; karmic information; enterprise for budding apprentices
• Thursday – greater intensity; the greatest intensity for some
• Saturday – unconditional love; communication starts to improve

The Nobel Peace Prize

The Nobel Peace Prize is probably the greatest of all the Nobel Prizes.    It encompasses a wide variety of achievements, and in the past some prizes have been contentious.  This year, and this week, it was awarded jointly to Malala Yousafzai and  Kailash Satyarthi.  Malala had been tipped to win last year, but this is her time.  Are there any astrological signatures for this accolade?

Malala Yousafzai

Each time I see Malala speaking on television, my heart opens more to her incredible maturity, and the essence she gives of the divine feminine, and her inner mother.  Her amazing courage in writing a blog initially in defence of the education of girls, then being shot, then surviving the shooting, then speaking out with even more determination for the cause of female education in countries where it is undervalued and discouraged, is all truly amazing.

I first wrote about Malala when she addressed the U.N. in July 2013.  Here were some thoughts:

“Malala is a Cancerian, and though many Cancerians shun the limelight, others become ambassadors for women’s rights, deliberately or unwittingly.

She has the Part of Fortune in 3^rd House of communication (a passion for Education), and wrote a blog for the BBC under a pseudonym, about female life under the Taliban with a focus on education for females (3^rd House), from age 11.

We do not have a birth time, but it is likely that she has Moon conjunct Mars, warriorship for the female cause, in Libra the sign of Peace.  Mars also trines Uranus, showing immense bravery, in shocking circumstances.

The Sun sextiles the North Node in her chart, giving a karmic mission of the theme of Leadership.  Mercury trines Pluto, making her a deep thinker who looks the truth in the face. Mercury also opposes Uranus exactly, which is controversy in communication, not being afraid to tell the truth no matter what it costs.  With these two aspects to Mercury, she is very strong-minded indeed.  Pluto sextiles Uranus, giving a strong matrix for working in the world.  Jupiter also sextiles Saturn exactly – good balanced judgement: the combination of optimism and realism.

The Moon sextiles Venus – underneath it all, a very loving and gentle person.  At heart, she is working for Peace.  She has been recognized within her own country as holder of the first Youth Peace Prize.  By the time of her attack, she already was a high profile activist for her cause.”

The Award of the Nobel Peace Prize is shown currently in her chart by Jupiter (Awards) transiting exactly by conjunction her natal Venus (Peace).  Her current transits show that it is not an easy time for her right now, though, so the award is a bright spot and recognition for past achievemen, strength of character and her blossoming role in the world.

Kailash Satyarthi

A joint prize implies equal billing, and equal standing, and the achievements of this joint winner are breathtaking.  Kailash Satyarthi is a 60 year old from Delhi, who has sought to remedy the problem of child trafficking and slavery in India throughout his life.

He is quoted in the Observer this morning as saying:

“I am not the most peaceful person and I am angry because of how people can treat children like that.  How they can rob the freedom of human beings and particularly children.”  He goes on to say “There is something wrong in the mindset of people, and we have to change it, sometimes through legal course of action but sometimes through consciousness-raising.”

He is a responsible Sun Sign Capricorn, with a very unusually tight cluster of planets in Capricorn.  Within 8 degrees of that sign, he has Venus, Mercury, the Sun, Chiron and the North Node.  This intensity is all galvanized by an opposition with the humanitarian activist planet of Uranus. He is a Healer, with Chiron as a key planet being closely conjunct his Sun, and his North Node (karmic mission).  I don’t see any obvious comparisons with Malala’s chart.

Uranus is another key planet in his chart (whatever his Ascendant may be – we do not have a birth time) because at this time of the Nobel Peace prize award being announced, transiting  Saturn exactly trines his natal Uranus, which represents his activism and humanitarianism.

Aspects

Mercury Retrograde

Just a reminder that Mercury Retrograde is still ongoing, and liable to cause misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and Chinese whispers going awry.

I had a case in point last week within a chain of people, whereby information was relayed back to me which was point by point erroneous.  One of the people in the chain was an English teacher from abroad, another was an 86 year old who was hard of hearing.  I myself contributed to the situation by omitting to comment on something.  Fortunately, the fourth person in the chain, an enlightened soul who was aware of Mercury Retrograde, had the presence of mind to contact me and enquire: “Que?!  Are you sure?” and I was able to refute all the points fairly quickly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a week of pleasant aspects.  Today the Sun is still conjunct the North Node, so as I previously said:

“…with the Sun conjunct the North Node in Libra, there may be a sense of karmic fairness, either karmic rewards or just desserts. If you are involved in such a scenario, ask yourself what you have contributed. ”

On Tuesday morning (14^th) Venus sextiles Jupiter, which is an aspect of celebration.   If for instance, you are celebrating an anniversary, it could be extra specially romantic.  Love and social benefits are due all along the spectrum, from meeting someone special, to blossoming relationships,  engagements, weddings and anniversaries, plus general party throwing and attending.

On Wednesday (15^th) Venus conjuncts the North Node, so there is a recognition of the parts people play for each other in assisting their karmic missions.  Think about the incredible roles some people play in your life, and how you couldn’t have got this far without them!  Something may automatically draw attention to this, but if the cues are too subtle, you may want to thank others in an Oscar-style speech.

The Sun sextiles Mars that morning, and if you are hoping for resolution over problems with cars, men and dogs, there is some positive activity in relation to them on this day.  The wheels may be set in motion on any stuck energy generally.

On the evening of Thursday (16^th) the Sun conjuncts Mercury, and there may be time to catch up with your paperwork and documentation (bearing in mind Mercury is still retrograde, so it may not be all plain sailing).  However, it may go deeper than that, because once you have gone through the dry factual work exercise, you may go through to a deeper spiritual insight and experience, and produce some creativity in art or music, with the conjunction being in Libra.  Do the maths, then let yourself relax and go with the creative flow, and you may land up with a more encompassing body of work; music or art to accompany your words, for instance.

In the early hours of Friday (17^th) Mercury is sextile Mars, and again the wheels are turning: cars may be going again, bicycles are especially favoured, all motion is zippy.  Minds are alert (that may mean insomnia for some), brain cogs whirring.  Action is also rationalized.

Then on Friday afternoon, Mercury conjuncts Venus, the ideal conjunction for writers, and those who practise café culture.  Time for a trip to your favourite coffee house with a chatty man or woman.  Order your favourite beverage, and set the world to rights.

Not a bad set of aspects, I hope you’ll agree!

The week in bullet points:

• Today – karmic considerations, in a good way
• Tuesday – celebrations and jubilations
• Wednesday – romantic possibilities, and free-flowing energy
• Thursday – concentration
• Friday – wheels keep on turning, and catch up on conversation

Cilla Black and her Soul Group

I have hugely enjoyed the three part TV biopic about Cilla Black.  The actress Sheridan Smith who has portrayed her has drawn superlatives for her performance.  She has completely brought her subject to life, brought out her essence, seeming more Cilla than Cilla herself.

The screenplay was engaging and fast-paced.  When reading Cilla’s autobiography written after her husband Bobby Willis’ death, I did not notice an emphasis on his role and character.  But this is one of the themes which was brought out really well in the biopic. It seems that Bobby was a good songwriter.   The new facts on which this portrayal was formed seemed to come from last year’s show “The One and Only Cilla”.  The other highlights of the screenplay for me were the character of Cilla herself, feisty and ambitious, and the poignant life and death of Brian Epstein.

Cilla was lucky enough to have been at the right place at the right time with the right people.  It seems as though the soul group came into incarnation with the script that Brian Epstein would act as their Svengali.  He had a genius for knowing the direction the careers of his protégés should take.  He managed other acts, but the biopic focuses on Cilla and the Beatles.  Cilla had the courage and faith in herself to take part in the emergence of this rock and roll phenomena, and be one of the prominent female artists of her era,  but she also had a karmic link with the Beatles and Brian Epstein, which is shown in the astrology of their chart comparison.  Cilla provided the female balance for the group, and her advancement was a karmic reward, or a karmic calling in of favours.

Cilla

Cilla has an electrifying exact conjunction of the Sun and Uranus in Gemini, and this conjunction keys into many of the main players in the group.  Notably, her Sun is exactly trine the Sun of Bobby Willis in Aquarius, who was her road manager, and a great support to her, later marrying her.  This would be a true Soul Mate connection, according to Linda Goodman.

Brian Epstein

Sheridan Smith manages to look exactly like Cilla, but the Brian Epstein and Bobby Willis characters were not so well matched.  However, their performances were utterly convincing and very sympathetic.  The script really brought out the struggles of these two men in their lives.

The poignancy of Brian’s emotional life, but also part of his genius and sensitivity to music, is shown in his chart by a conjunction of Venus and Neptune in the 1^st House squaring Chiron.

Karmic Link between Bobby and Brian

There was a lot of interplay and jostling for power over Cilla’s career between Brian Epstein and Bobby Willis as portrayed in this biopic.    One can conclude that this was karmic.  It is shown in their charts by Brian’s North Node conjunct exactly Bobby’s Sun, and trine Cilla’s Sun.

Cilla and Brian

There was obviously a strong bond between Cilla and Brian.  Cilla’s Mercury  (her Sun ruler)was exactly trine Brian Moon, which fostered their mental and emotional communication.  Cilla’s Mars was also  exactly sextile Brian’s Moon, which is a strong emotional connection. Cilla’s Neptune trined exactly Brian’s moon, and she inspired him.  Her Pluto was two degrees away from Brian’s South Node, which is a profound karmic connection.

John Lennon’s relationship with Brian

A feature of the connections within the soul group are exact Sun and Moon links, which are very personal. John  Lennon’s Uranus trined exactly Brian’s Sun, and his Neptune was exactly conjunct Brian’s Sun, also providing inspiration for Brian..

Cilla Karmic Link with John Lennon

John Lennon Ascendant in Aries was exactly trine Cilla’s North Node – More karma, and lives intertwining.  Moreover, John Lennon’s Jupiter was exactly sextile Cilla’s Moon – he brought her luck!

Close Links between Paul and Brian

Paul McCartney’s Venus was conjunct exactly Brian’s Midheaven/Careerpoint: Paul provided an artistic/musical standard for Brian’s career path.  Paul’s Ascendant was conjunct exactly Brian’s Sun in Virgo: another intensely personal link.

Paul and Cilla

Paul has three exact Sturn links with Cilla’s chart, indicating that Paul may have been more critical in shaping Cilla’s style.

Lennon/McCartney

This songwriting due deserves more than a few lines, but in the context of this theme, I would pick out their Marses exactly sextile, making for a good working relationship, and a laddish culture. Paul’s Ascendant was also trine exactly John’s Uranus, so they were able to spark each other’s brilliance.

George Harrison

In his natal chart, George had North Node exactly conjunct Chiron, a karmic mission of healing through creativity in Leo.  With Brian, George had Moon sextile exactly Brian’s Asceadant, and George’s Uranus was trine exactly with Brian’s Moon, both emotional connections.

George and John

John Lennon’s Uranus was trine exactly George’s Sun, another brilliant Sun-Uranus connection.  Uranus also rules groups, and that is another reason why it figures so strongly in the synastry of the group. George’s Neptune was conjunct exactly Brian’s Sun, another inspirational aspect.

Ringo

Ringo’s Jupiter was trine Brian’s Venus exactly, so Brian may have found Ringo uplifting in some ways,  However. Ringo also had Saturn square exactly Brian’s Mars, so there may also have been a sense of frustration with each other. Ringo’s Ascendant was also opposite exactly Brian’s Sun.  It is interesting that Ringo came into the band later than the other three, and has a different plantetary emphasis.

Brian Epstein Death

Without giving too much away about the biopic for those who have not seen it, it does conclude with the suicide of Brian Epstein, and very heartwrenching it is.  Pluto was exactly trine his Midheaven at the time of death, possibly indicating he had concluded a phase of his work.  There may also have been a sense for him that he was not needed as much as before.

Jupiter at the time was conjunct Cilla’s natal North Node, and she was embarking on a new phase of karma and work, in T.V. which proved to be a medium to which she was ideally suited.

Jupiter was trine exactly Lennon’s Ascendant, so he may have been feeling that his creativity and  life were flowing freely.

In contrast, Saturn was trine exactly Paul’s Chiron, so he would have been feeling a healing crisis, plus with Uranus square his Midheaven, a new career direction may have been forced on him due to the shock event.  It seems to register very strongly in his chart.

Sheridan Smith

Sheridan Smith, the actress who plays Cilla seems to have been born to play her, and her mannerisms and body language were a perfect portrayal.  One would have expected a close connection between her chart and Cilla’s.  The connection is not stunning, so it appears that with a lot of hard work Sheridan has carried out a very skilled work of art. Sheridan’s Mercury is exactly trine Cilla’s Midheaven, and her Mars is conjunct Cilla’s Saturn, but most strikingly her Sun in Cancer is close to Cilla’s Ascendant.

Aspects

Sunday (5^th) begins a week of mixed aspects, but begins on a high of Mars trine Uranus.  This favours electrical goods, engineering and sport (such as cricket on the village green).

The Sun opposes Uranus on Tuesday (7^th) and almost the opposite occurs: electrical goods play up, and sport is incident-prone.

We have an eclipsed Full Moon on Wednesday (8^th) in the sign of Aries.  There will be a tussle between selfish aims and co-operation. Following on from this high tension, Venus squares Pluto, and relationships continue to flounder.  However, by the evening a trine between Mars and Jupiter may bring new energy which saves the day, or part of the day.

Retrograde Mercury re-enters Libra from Scorpio on Friday (10^th) so a softening of words could occur where recently there was abrasiveness.  The same day, the Sun sextiles Jupiter, and you could glimpse and make use of a lucky streak, so look out for this opportunity!

Finally, on Saturday (11^th) Venus opposes Uranus, which brings more testing of relationships, but with the Sun conjunct the North Node in Libra, there may be a sense of karmic fairness, either karmic rewards or just desserts. If you are involved in such a scenario, ask yourself what you have contributed.  It’s only half a week to go before the Great British Bake Off final, and with 20 layers requested for the semi-final, could they ask for more?  What will you be serving as your showstopper?  Next week will be exacting karmically, but fair.

The week in bullet points:

• Sunday – energetic and constructive fireworks
• Tuesday – the spanner in the works
• Wednesday – relationships on the brink, but later new energy arriving
• Friday – soft words, and a stroke of luck
• Saturday – more disruption in relationships, but some karmic balance

Have just got back from a wedding evening reception and wedding breakfast in the refreshing company of a group of thirty somethings, at a stage of life where they have just successfully negotiated their First Saturn Returns, and have their lives mapped out.  One of them jetted into Gatwick on the morning of the wedding, having just climbed Mont Blanc  Others were about to travel to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, having passed over an earlier opportunity for a gap year in favour of starting at Medical School.  Several 30 year olds I know have decided this was the year to get married.  Such is the clarity of that post-Saturn Return age!  We usually clear some hurdle or personal issue with this astrological cycle: for me it was an issue of self-assertiveness.

Weddings

We are still unsure exactly what will transpire at the TV wedding of Sharon and Phil from Eastenders, but we now know that George Clooney finally succumbed to the institution of marriage yesterday evening in Venice.  Hence I find it the least line of resistance to update my astrologicial musings on this formerly sought after bachelor.

George Clooney

Things have turned around quickly for George Clooney.  I wrote about him in February.

Here’s a reprise:

Chart

“George Clooney does not have an easy chart (though hard working), and admits to experiencing financial  hardship in his youth.   He had a strict Roman Catholic upbringing (Moon conjunct Saturn) and was interested in social issues from a young age (Moon conjunct Saturn in 11^th House).  He has a serious karmic mission, which I think is gradually coming to light in the directing of films of a serious purpose (Pluto conjunct North Node in Virgo).  In this purpose, he is not afraid to be controversial (Mercury square Uranus – an aspect which also sometimes reveals dyslexia, which he learned to compensate for by charming his teachers, according to his mother).  His Mars is exactly opposite his Saturn, so everything he does is carefully measured and deliberate.   Uranus in showbiz Leo is closely trine his Midheaven (careerpoint) which has ensured sustained success in his career.”

I did mention that as he had transiting Pluto squaring his natal Venus (which he still has) it was a good time for reviewing his sense of relationship.  He did, in a dramatic Plutonian sense, by meeting a woman with a serious mission in life, an international lawyer for human rights.

What was it in his chart which had made him so single for so long?  Looking at his chart again, he has an unaspected Venus, which can indicate a sense of freedom-seeking in relation to love.  He also has Moon in Capricorn conjunct Saturn, so his emotional life is intensely personal.

Meeting Amal

By May of this year, we the public had been informed that he had met and was planning to marry Amal Alamuddin.  Presumably, she has qualities which no other woman had, and ticks all the boxes for George.

There is a birth date for her on Astrotheme of 3^rd February 1978, but no birth time.  This chart does chime with what we know of her: An interest in  Human Rights (Sun conjunct Venus in Aquarius), a karmic mission of Lawyer (North Node in Libra) and  emotional sensitivity to accompany that (Moon conjunct Neptune) with an international application (Moon in Sagittarius).

The synastry or chart comparison between the two is not so revealing, and may be honed if a birth time comes along.  Amal’s Uranus opposes exactly George’s Sun, and that would explain the suddenness of their meeting and his decision to give up his bachelor status.  Her Mercury  is exactly conjunct his Moon, which shows that the quality of her intellect appeals directly to his emotions, and she finds his emotional make up interesting mentally.

Timing of the Wedding

Does the timing of the wedding tell us more about the relationship?  The Jupiter-Uranus trine which occurred on Thursday, is still close enough to give blessing to this union.

However, the aspects on the day look quite challenging for George.  Jupiter squares his Sun, an indication that he is taking a chance on life and love, but may not be entirely sure.  Saturn opposes his Mercury, suggesting he is putting aside reason.  Neptune opposes his Pluto, and being in the relationship may have thrown up many psychological conundrums.   Neptune is transiting his natal Chiron, so on a spiritual level he may be experiencing some healing at this time, and this may feel sublime.

Her experience is generally more positive, though also mixed.  Transiting Mars is exactly sextile now with her North Node, so karmically she may have met and married the man of her dreams.  He fits the description of her animus.  Jupiter is also opposing exactly her Sun, so she too may feel she is taking a gamble, but  for both of them  it may be an adventure.  And Uranus exactly sextiles her Sun, so she will be excited to feel that her life is taking a sudden turn for the better.

All best wishes to the happy couple!

Aspects

The main aspect this week, which occurs on Saturday, is a difficult square between the Sun and Pluto.  There is also another difficult aspect that day, plus Mercury goes retrograde (everybody’s favourite gripe).

There are two way of tackling this situation:

1.  Just get on with your life this week, and wing it when the day comes
2. Prepare for these astrological  features during the course of the week, and hope for a sense of control on the day

So I will, as usual, describe the aspects, but will also suggest a strategy in case you are wishing to work with the energies of next Saturday in advance.

But first, tomorrow evening (Monday 29^th) Venus will be entering  Libra, which heralds a period favouring relationships, honeymoons, artistic and musical composition, and the law.  So it is a good time to foster such associations in your life, and perhaps spend your week focusing on them, instead of worrying about the square at the end of the week.

Now to Saturday (4^th October).  The Sun squares Pluto in the morning, and plans may have to be re-scheduled.  Dramas may occur, but they may be internal ones.  Doors may be closing, but of course we all know that new windows will open as a result, though we don’t know when.

Preparation:  Meditation for calming the mind will be helpful, a daily practice being most useful.  Maybe I sound like a stuck record in this respect, but I do believe in it!

Letting go and releasing what is not needed in advance or at the time, is also useful.

Surrendering to the Universe at the time may be required.

On a practical level, checking health and safety in relation to your planned activities may be helpful, and checking possible loopholes and making contingency plans (B and C at least may be helpful, and may work).

The next  aspect is Mars square Chiron, which is also incident-prone, and apt to bring up what needs to be healed in a psyche or a situation.

Preparation would be to look at the source of any wounds, such as may lie in childhood or past lives, and working on them gradually and patiently through the week.  If you have firm plans for the weekend, think about the issues that the circumstances may raise.  For instance, if you are meeting a long lost cousin you had issues with, seek to work on the relationship in advance.

Homeopathic remedies may be sought, and flower remedies can be to hand, such as Rescue Remedy.

Finally, by the afternoon, Mercury will be stationary, about to turn retrograde.  This may complicate communications on the day and in the ensuing period up to 26^th October.

Strategies would include tackling your outstanding paperwork and documentation throughout this week in  advance of Mercury’s  turnaround.

Meditation will help too here, in working on a calm mind and clarity of communication and putting it into practice for the three week period.

I hope this helps!  Love and luck to all my readers.

The week in bullet points:

• Tomorrow  – harmonious connections
• Saturday – the sense of an ending, check health and safety, and make communications clear

 International Peace Day

Start the day with a slice of peace, on this internationally recognized marker for peace.  And end the day with thoughts of peace.  In fact, make it a sandwich of peace throughout the day.  How you mark it is up to you, but a meditation of peace is effective even on a local level.  A meditation for peace can ripple out, and prevent an outbreak of strife.

With more wars than ever threatening the lives of millions around the world,  in Africa, the Middle East, and the Ukraine to name but a few areas, and with world leaders as uncertain as ever as to whether to intervene or not, humankind has yet to find a solution to war, or a way to persuading those who would bear arms to lay them down, and find other ways to solve disputes.  More than ever the peacemakers need to make their voices heard, to be able to say “Just, stop”!  The arts of diplomacy, negotiation and non-violent communication need to be even further fine-tuned.  Journalists and humanitarian aid workers risk their lives in war torn areas, but there is no respect shown to such roles and there are no boundaries either for protecting women, children and innocent civilians.

So, whatever the aspects, bring out and nurture your Inner Peacemaker today, and contemplate ways in which it may contribute to the balance of peace in the world.  Call upon the Spirit of Peace which unites and connects all peacemakers.

Strictly Come Dancing 2014 – Part 2

Strictly Come Dancing competitors take to the stage on Friday at 9 pm, and then Saturday at 7 pm on BBC1.  Here’s another portion of participants in this year’s dance fest:

Alison Hammond

I remember Alison Hammond breaking a table in one of the earliest series of Big Brother.  Since then she secured a presenter’s role in This Morning, regularly conducting interviews with the rich and famous, her style being a mixture of lightheartedness (she has a great laugh), intimacy and chutzpah  – good for her!  She apparently was inspired to take part in Strictly Come Dancing by the success of larger lady Lisa Riley in 2012.  Alison is an Aquarian, and therefore relies in her humour on the power of surprise.  She promises to be entertaining on the dance floor.  Her huge energy comes from a square between her Mars and Pluto natally.  Around the start of the tournament Pluto transits her Mars, bearing the possibility of injury.  Her partner Aljaz Skorjanec is an out and out Capricorn with several planets in that sign, but normally fairly lucky with Sun exactly trine Jupiter.  However, he has Uranus square his Mars early in the tournament, also incident-prone, and Saturn square his Sun at the end, which is disappointing.  At that time, Pluto opposes Alison’s Saturn, too.  Though I am looking forward to seeing Alison, we may have to savour the experience, as it could be short and sweet.

Steve Backshall

Wildlife presenter Steve Backshall is in his comfort zone around nature (Sun conjunct Venus in Taurus).  But he is taking a break from his usual habitat in the wild, and entering the world of the ballroom.  He has a couple of handy exact trines in his chart which may stand him in good stead: Mars exactly trine Saturn (disciplined movement) and Mercury trine Neptune (the ability to receive inspiration).  Saturn forms two exact sextiles from the midpoint of the Mars-Saturn trine, so he could find the exercise healing for him, and we might find it healing to watch in some way!  At the start of the tournament, the North Node transits his Uranus, highlighting a complete change for him, and also highlighting his capacity to surprise us.  He partners Ola Jordan, which could be a happy pairing with his North Node exactly sextile her Jupiter.  Steve could have a feeling of satisfaction at the end, with Neptune exactly sextile his Venus.  Ola has a couple of Pluto aspects at the start, one empowering (Pluto exactly trine her Jupiter) and one nerve-wracking (Pluto square her Mercury) so she may be confident, but may also be still dealing with the aftermath of her husband James’ stint in the Big Brother house.  At the finish, Jupiter will be sextile exactly her Saturn: a job well done, but not quite triumphant.

Thom Evans

Thom Evans is the token rugby player in the competition, and is already rumoured to have fallen in love with his professional dance partner, Iveta Lukosiute.   Thom is a fiery and energetic Aries, who may well prove popular with the ladies.  He should start extremely well, with Uranus on his Sun/Venus, certainly producing some excitement.  Transiting Jupiter also trines his Venus, often signalling a new romance.  Unfortunately, we do not know what the astrological chemistry consists of, as I do not have Iveta’s birth date.  He has mixed transits at the end, and could end up with a flourish, or the opposite…

Jennifer Gibney

Jennifer is the real life wife of Brendan O’Carroll, the Mrs. Brown of Mrs. Brown’s Boys, a popular British comedy.  Unfortunately I do not have a birth date for her!  Her real husband and screen father Brendan has Moon conjunct Mars in his natal chart, which may describe his alter ego.  He might have mixed feelings about her new jaunt, as Saturn squares his Jupiter (some of his freedom may be curtailed) but at the same time the North Node sextiles his Jupiter, so he recognizes it as a good opportunity.  The organizers found an Irish partner for Jennifer (who is Irish) so that might provide an initial basis for compatibility.  Tristan, who is new to Strictly Come Dancing, has a Leo Sun, so he is a real performer, with 3 planets in Libra, giving him musicality.  He also has great energy (Mars conjunct Pluto), but that may come with a short fuse, so hopefully she will shape up!  He has Sun exactly trine Uranus, so will be original and inventive in his choreography.  His transits early in the competition are lacklustre, and he has  difficult transits at the end of the tournament, so his debut on the programme may not be as stunning as he might hope, but maybe he will do better next year if he stays in the frame.  Brendon O’Carroll has transiting Pluto exactly trine his Mars at the end of the tournament, so he will be pleased to have his wife back, and may celebrate with a Christmas special!

Aspects

Today, on International Peace Day, we have Venus sextile Saturn to work with, which is very fitting.  It ensures that we work with the principles of peace in a measured and responsible way, taking into account loyalty and other such sterling qualities in human relations.  Certainly it is a day when we are still having to tread carefully in our newly saved Union, as political interests seem to be causing differences in how to proceed to ensure the concerns of the Scottish people are met honourably.  I have noticed the media stoking up the differences with the wording of their headlines, instead of trying to foster a sense of calm.  Rome was not built in a day.  So whether you are meditating for peace, or cooking a Sunday roast over an excitable family dinner table, keep peace in mind.  It is achievable on some level today.

Tomorrow we have the much trickier Mars square Neptune to contend with.  You might want to save some of your peaceful initiative leftovers to dine on tomorrow.  Mars and Neptune together stoke mistrust, and the political dissensions are likely to rumble on, despite Gordon Brown’s best efforts, or any other Brown.  Don’t jump to conclusions, as you may be adding to the paranoia.  Bide your time, and sense what is really going on.  There may be agendas which are not obvious, but may emerge later.

On Tuesday (23^rd) Pluto is stationary, prior to turning direct.  This may enable institutions (as it takes place in Capricorn) to take a big step forward, so some conferring by the political parties may bring about some consensus in terms of constitutional reform and its timetable.  In your private life, a particular psychological struggle may begin to bear fruit, or there is a sense of a turnaround in your greater efforts.

Tuesday is also the day of the Autumn Equinox, although the weather already thinks it is Autumn.  Desmond Tutu is urging us to put climate change top of our list, and it would be a good day to pay attention to Gaia.  The Sun enters Libra, and in the cycle of seasons, we have established our work routines in Virgo, and it is time to turn to bringing a greater creative input to our relationships, as represented by Libra.

There is a New Moon at the beginning of Libra on Wednesday (24^th), and if you gave some thought to your relationships on Tuesday, you may be in a position to make a significant gesture in your primary or secondary relationships for the New Moon.  You may outline new plans for new directions in connection with the home or travel, for instance.  Or you may make a declaration of new commitment, or receive one.  There may be a sense of excitement in the air, because the New Moon almost coincides with the most exciting aspect to occur for some time.

Thursday (25^th) plays host to a trine between Jupiter and Uranus in Fire signs (can’t at this moment think of anything as exciting!)  Plan your most ambitious projects for Thursday day this week!  I will be having a hairdo, for a wedding at the weekend.  My trips to the hairdresser are usually annual, but at best reserved for attendance at weddings, and there was one in May so that makes two this year.  So that is very exciting, indeed, for me.  If you know which Houses these two planets fall in, for your chart, then you can enhance the effect.  It is an entrepreneurial aspect, too, for those of you inclined to Business.  It is also risk-taking, but success is not guaranteed, it’s just a better than usual bet for gamblers.

Finally, on Saturday (27^th) Mercury enters Scorpio.  The time of diplomacy this week is past, and the gloves come off.  Verbal sparring intensifies, and the fine print comes under scrutiny.  To everything there is a season, and mentally you need to knuckle down in some way.  Superficiality will just not work.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – Peace considerations
• Tomorrow – suspicion; look at climate change and relationships
• Wednesday – new beginnings, especially in relationships
• Thursday – dynamic and exciting; a big day
• Saturday – sharpen your wits