If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to build up your Astrology library or catch up on your reading, Chiron specialist Joyce Mason (the “Radical Virgo”) has just published a blog which could inspire and re-awaken your astrological brain cells.  She has taken a panel of 5 Astrologers (including myself) and amalgamated their favourite books into a top reading list.  It was fun for me to ponder which books I would take with me on a desert island!  Whether you are a beginner or a veteran, you’ll enjoy the list.  There are some titles there I haven’t read for almost 20 years, so I will be returning to those as well as reading titles I haven’t come across.

Here’s the link:

http://radicalvirgo.blogspot.com/2010/01/winter-astrology-reading-five.html

Last week the poor of the world got poorer and the event of the week was the earthquake in Haiti.  Several astrological factors seem to be involved, among them the approach of Saturn’s retrograde turn, and the approach of the Eclipse.  Looking at the 1804 chart for Haiti, there are two transits from Pluto at the time of the earthquake: Pluto conjunct the natal Mars of Haiti, and squaring its natal Saturn.  It seems likely that Pluto was at least partly responsible for knocking down the house of cards.  The Ascendant of the earthquake chart has Sirius rising, which is a puzzle since Sirius has a benevolent reputation.  Where are the Space Brothers when you need them?  Siriusly…It is hard to see a silver lining in this tragedy, but an open mind may reveal one some day.  Meanwhile our prayers go out, hope that the aid reaches its targets quickly, and praise for all those physically helping out there under such difficult conditions.  Jupiter entering Pisces tomorrow (Monday 18th) may bring good news for aid relief as it is a drive for compassionate action and signals a year of renewed vitality for charities.  This may offset some of the flagging support which has resulted from the credit crunch.  Promises, promises, you might say, but fingers crossed that Jupiter will deliver the goods during its stay in Pisces.  It rushes through Pisces over the next six months, then meets Uranus at the beginning of Aries, in a blaze of excitement, then retrogrades back into Pisces, ending the year square the Galactic Centre.  In your own chart it will increase your ability to mine the treasure of your unconscious mind, and this switchover of Jupiter from Aquarius to Pisces will highlight a a different way of dealing with the affairs of the house it falls in.  To give an example, if your Ascendant is Aquarius, it will fall in your first house, and you will notice a deepening of emotion and compassion, as contrasted with the more detached segment of your first house which is composed of Aquarius.   Another planet changes signs tomorrow, and as Jupiter leaves Aquarius Venus arrives there.  The quality of love which is expressed when Venus is in Capricorn is unsentimental but loyal.  Venus entering Aquarius will still be cool and slightly reserved, but will additionally have a humanitarian and idealistic quality, thus again supporting the world response to Haiti and any other natural disasters which may occur during its stay which lasts until 11 February.  It is a week of switchovers, and if you have your Ascendant or Sun particularly at the cusp of two signs, you may feel a shift of gears within yourself.  Wednesday 20th January reveals the third change of sign, that of Sun into Aquarius, by which time such O degree people will have a whole new wardrobe of identities to play around with.  The emphasis turns from straight to quirky, the route of sticking to old solutions transforms into seeking out new ways of doing things, and original ideas for problem-solving.  The first half of the week is markedly a climate of change.  On Friday (22nd) Venus trines Saturn, and this is a marker for honouring and respecting old loves, personal contracts, and expressing yourself with sincerity.  It may also be helpful in stabilizing and pinning down economic resources, including overseas aid.  By the end of the week, you may be better able to answer the question “Who are you?”  And/or the next question, “What do you stand for?”  A man who had to answer searching questions last week was Alistair Campbell at the Chilcot enquiry into the Iraq war.  We know that Tony Blair and George Bush did religion, but it is not yet clear whether Alistair (who quoted psalm 56) does religion.  The North Node, an agent of karmic reckoning, was acting as the presence of God, and trined his Jupiter inviting him to reveal the whole truth.  The search for truth, meaning, and silver linings goes on…

The Sun and Venus are coming up to a conjunction with the North Node tomorrow (Monday 11th) which is an accounting of our emotional lives.  People may be prepared to demonstrate, in acts of kindness or creativity, how much others mean to them.  It is an excellect day for creativity, performers and the Arts, though it may also be a day when art or music bodies may find out how much they are worth or how much the government will fund them.  I watched the new Arlene Phillips show “So you Think you can Dance” yesterday, and was astounded at how much the performers danced their hearts out, and was amazed at what they could do.  This conjunction of North Node/Sun/Venus takes place in Capricorn and represents the expression of our highest potential, often along the lines of our karmic mission.  This is then offered to the world (Capricorn) for valuation.  The valuation may or not match up to the performer’s own valuation of their work.  But it is a marker, and a test, on the pathway of evolving your own work and craft, even if it is not within the arena of the Arts.  What you then take away, and take to heart, will shape your future work.  This will be a theme for the week, because we are working up to an eclipsed New Moon which is also in the sign of Capricorn, and as Politicians are represented by Capricorn they too will be evaluated by the public that elect them.  The question is, in your karmic mission or in the divine plan (North Node in Capricorn) are you putting your heart and soul into what you do, or is some of your energy being diverted by other considerations such as social climbing (a province of Capricorn)?  One of our cats has a Capricorn ascendant and he has definitely been trying to use his charms this week to wheedle favours from us (he is the one that worries about global warming).  What he doesn’t realize, is that he doesn’t need to do that, he just needs to be himself.  Wednesday (13th) is another interesting day, which may have the pace of the quickstep.  Uranus provides the quick, and Saturn the slow.  The day starts with Venus sextile Uranus, perhaps an exciting social meeting (which may be unplanned).  Then Saturn goes stationary, prior to turning retrograde.  That might mean more slowing down, and more snow, for the U.K. at least (see my previous blog).  That is more reckoning and accounting, and as Saturn rules Capricorn, the issues again are Capricorn-related, including Institutions such as the Civil Service, Politics and government, as well as electioneering.  Progress may seem to go backwards, e.g. infantile mudslinging across and within political parties.  Then  another burst of quick, with Sun sextile Uranus.  Very quick in fact, so quick that you might do a double-take and wonder what did happen, and whether it did happen.  That could be performance-related, in that someone may use power or charm to perform a Derren Brown style trick, but so deft that you may end up shaking their hand and handing them the competition crown.  Uranus is coming from Pisces the sign of magic, and the Sun from Capricorn meaning that afterwards you need to stand back and evaluate whether you were impressed by the gloss or if the act or performance really means something and is sustainable in its usefulness.  In reaching a considered conclusion, you may then decide to take back the crown.  The important question is whose cause is more worthwhile and more necessary, not who can dazzle best.  Interviewers take note, and interviewers are key people this week (and a lot of interviews and examinations may be taking place).  Friday (15th) is no less important or riveting in terms of planetary activity, with an eclipsed New Moon beginning the day at 25 degrees Capricorn, and Mercury turning direct in the afternoon restoring timetables perhaps.  Now I am not an expert in eclipses, but Astrologers seem agreed that they are Very Significant, and some Astrologers do specialize in them.  Events now may be paired with events last New Year’s Eve, the previous eclipse.  A Capricorn New Moon is an important time for seeking interviews with those in authority,  and looking at your overall life direction and career plans.  It is significant for society in terms of politics and electioneering.  Eclipses are turning points, so there can be an element of coercion, e.g. a re-invention might be forced in political terms, or in your personal life you may have an insight (which you can’t ignore) into how things need to be in your life, and how you can take a step towards that.  It could be a pivotal eclipse: the Ukraine (Uranus/Neptune/North Node and Ascendant in Capricorn plus a climate to match) is holding elections shortly afterwards on 17th which may alter its relations with Moscow and Europe, and Jupiter goes into Pisces on 18th which may bring about more illusion, or greater compassion.  The will of the world is made up of all our individual wills.

With a minimum of aspects this last week the U.K. ground to a halt because of snow.  For every statement, there is an equal and opposite statement, and the Guardian this morning disagrees, saying “a glance at motorway webcams yesterday showed the roads running freely” so it does depend on your perspective and your mode of transport.  But, schools and factories closed.  Earnings were lost.  Travel was severely restricted.  However, in some ways the less is happening the more is happening.  It is forcing us to go within and re-examine our needs and values and what we can do without, stockpiling notwithstanding.  And often we find inner resources we didn’t know we had.  While Jupiter in Aquarius this last year has been a theme of networking, especially internationally, the forthcoming transit of Jupiter in Pisces will mean the mining of our inner resources.  With less than 2 weeks to go before that event we are getting a taster of being thrown on our inner resources by this weather pattern.  My elderly mother-in-law has been marooned in an icy and ungritted estate for 3 weeks, unable to walk out of the door, and reviving her old survival skills, thriftiness and make-do-and-mend of war time, in her own company.  She was full of praise for online supermarket shopping this week!  Meanwhile, our local organic veg box man made it valiantly to our doorstep at ten o’clock at night.  With Jupiter on the cusp of Pisces and Aquarius we are experiencing very intensely that mixture of the old (Pisces) and new (Aquarius) associated with the cusp of these two ages and making our choices where we can, and becoming more conscious of why.  And what was the single most useful item this week?  My vote goes to the trusty old hot water bottle, followed in second place by the more recent invention of the sleeping bag.  Aquarius and Pisces are both collective signs in certain ways: Aquarius represents group consciousness and purpose; Pisces, while an introverted and often isolated sign,  connects with others through empathy and the collective unconscious.  When Jupiter moves into Aries later this year (it normally occupies roughly a sign per year) it will be more a case of back to basics, simplicity and individuality.  But for the time being we are to be deep sea diving creatures (our inner Porpoise) finding our buried treasure, coming up for air and sharing what we have found or learned for our common evolution.  My favourite Astrologer Alan Oken wrote on the cutting edge in 1975: “Perhaps the present energy crises will provide a way for people to slow down, focus their energy, and where possible repair their circuits for the next phase of life” – that is strangely apt, 35 years on.  More recently, another Astrologer Richard Tarnas wrote about the Uranus-Neptune conjunction (the ruling planets of Aquarius and Pisces respectively) that they represent “a new recognition of the psychological importance of healing the split between inner and outer, reconnecting psyche and world, recovering the anima mundi, mediating ‘the return of the soul to the world’. ” In transitioning between the World Age of Pisces to the World Age of Aquarius and now at a junction between the lesser ages of Jupiter in Aquarius and Jupiter in Pisces (going the other way round) we are almost suspended back and forth hovering between the two signs until we get the message.  When Jupiter was last at this point 12 years ago, many technologies available to us now were not in common use.  The message may be for us to be adaptable and open to both the possibilities of the old and the new in combination or merging, and sometimes exclusively one or the other.

The post-eclipse New Year dawned here in sunshine and snow, but the New Year is not an astrological marker, more of a collective and individual psychological one.  As such, it is a powerful time.  So in a way it is nice to note that there are only two aspects this week, both minor ones, so this blog may be short (something I always aspire to).  It gives us a chance to clear our mental decks and get into our own stride, and start the New Year in more thoughtful mode, without hassle from the more challenging aspects (unless for instance you are in the midst of a personal Pluto transit).  Does it mean there will be no news this week?  We shall soon enough find out.  So it may be a quiet start to the year, but it won’t be a quiet year.  It will be a year of extremes (again) with Jupiter conjunct Uranus in one corner, and Saturn square Pluto in another corner…The two aspects we have both involve the Retrograde Mercury, so it will be a chance to examine how Mercury Retrograde affects the two individual conjunctions, whether there is indeed a retro effect (e.g. harking back to the past).  Tomorrow (Monday 4th) the Sun is conjunct Mercury.  Certainly, those arriving fresh from a break to the coal face of the Office will be greeted with a backlog of paperwork, or just work if the Office is paperless.  The Sun and Mercury seem in a rush to collide as today the Sun is at 12 degrees Capricorn, and Mercury at 16 degrees moving backwards, and travel at twice their normal speed to meet this rendezvous tomorrow at 14 degrees.  What’s the rush?  There may be hastily arranged meetings tomorrow, working lunches, coffee breaks missed, brainstorming and information overload.  If you have an extra day off, it may be important to try to clear your thoughts, meditate, and write, broadcast or blog.  I once wrote 12 zodiac poems on a Sun conjunct Mercury in Capricorn.  Capricorn can organize a lot of thought into one system, so interesting work could be achieved tomorrow.  Writing is the theme of this week, and any babies born this week could have a gift for writing or oratory.  For the second aspect which occurs is Mercury conjunct Venus at 13 degrees Capricorn on Tuesday (5th).  Mercury conjunct Venus  in a birth chart is often the mark of a writer  who writes (Mercury) with feeling (Venus).  Arthur Miller, F. Scott Fitzgerald and J.K. Rowling all have this conjunction natally.  So if one of your New Year’s resolutions was to start your novel that you always knew you had in you, give it a go on Tuesday.  But it is also a good time to catch up on reading, if you don’t feel it is quite time yet.  Also this week make the most of social connections, while Jupiter is still in Aquarius, for it will soon move to Pisces (18 January) where its influence will be more subtle and inward-looking.  I am hosting a dinner party (inspired by back-to-back episodes of “Come Dine with Me”), hoping to bring back the art of conversation and bring together friends old and new.  The strange thing about Jupiter this year is that it will zip through Pisces in double-quick time to arrive for a rendezvous with Uranus at the beginning of Aries in the summer.  Make a move to snatch some quality time with friends this week or next, between novels.

At the end of 2009 we have Venus, Pluto, Sun, Mercury and the North Node in Capricorn.  It’s a sobering sign, but the Sun is always in Capricorn at this time of year, and Mercury and Venus often are.  Pluto and the North Node are additional and heavyweight features in Capricorn, and so we are taking serious note of where our individual and collective lives are heading.  This will inform our New Year’s resolutions, as well as the Saturn-Uranus opposition and the Saturn-Pluto square.  Can anyone still be ungrounded?  The coming year does have a fun factor though, in the shape of Jupiter-Uranus, and I would urge you to work with your Inner Clown to formulate at least one fun-factor resolution.  If you are unaware of what house this falls in natally, then you can see it as a general new bginning in 2010 which you are working towards now.  Astrologers will be blogging about this conjunction, which balances out some of the heavier placements.  There are no aspects today, so yesterday’s Mercury retrograde holds full sway.  However, I must report that travelling back from Christmas yesterday was not too bad, just a short and sticky patch on the M25.  Travel is not always bad when Mercury is retrograde, and it is not always good when Mercury is direct (is it sacreligious to say that?).  If there is a theme to the aspects of this week, I would say it is emotional processing, as it is what all the aspects have in common, starting with Venus conjunct Pluto tomorrow (Monday 28th).  It is possible that the social and family-orientated interaction of the Christmas period have given you much emotional food for thought to process and digest, and there are various aspects this week to help you or prompt you to do just that.  Venus conjunct Pluto digs deep into the psyche, and perhaps someone gave you a thought-provoking book for Christmas to accompany your own personal processing journey: I gave myself “Contented Dementia” by Oliver James (well, no one gave me the Bob Dylan CD…) which is a smoothly-written easy read about a method of coping with Alzheimer’s.  If you are going to read or write about such things, might as well make it palatable and hopeful, I conclude.  Tuesday (29th) brings a conjunction between Mercury and the Mean North Node, which may show up a literal rendering or accounting of karma, for instance you may find yourself returning an exact favour to someone without thinking about it, retrospectively realizing that’s what it was.  It’s also a good time to start a karmic ledger book now, but not for purposes of revenge, just interest (karma has such a dodgy press at the moment, it really needs re-defining).  Venus also squares Saturn, so you may be reminded of who or what was loved and lost in 2009.  It is the letting go part of the emotional processing,  of which the Venus-Pluto conjunction was the intensity of feeling.  And there’s more…tension builds up to the Full Moon, a Lunar Eclipse at 9 degrees Cancer on Thursday 31 December.  Moon in Cancer is one of the most emotional Moons there is, and an Eclipse is a turning point, so it is a high tide of emotion if not for you then for someone close.  If you have been on an emotional roller-coaster throughout the week, or the year, it is time to acknowledge this if you are a pent-up sort, and sit yourself down with a cup of tea and a full box of paper hankies (whilst apologizing to the rainforests).  If you have been processing and emoting throughout freely, then you may by now have emptied out enough to focus on your New Year’s Resolutions.  Yes, it is time to open your copy of “The Secret” or one of Esther and Jerry Hicks’ books (it doesn’t matter which one)…actually, you don’t need to open it, just have it there with you while you make your list of resolutions, and remember to make one for the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction, to express and bring on the lighter side of your life.  Happy New Year!

Venus was square to Uranus this morning, and if your social plans were disrupted last night, this would be the reason.  Perhaps you are in a different location than you’d planned.  Perhaps snow or strikes took matters out of your hands.  So your mind may be holding two realities: the one you had planned, and the actual one you find yourself in.  As we look forward to tomorrow’s much-hailed conjunction of Jupiter and Neptune, we may be confused about how much we have achieved.  We are certainly in confusion about how much has been achieved by the Copenhagen Conference on climate change, which began at the beginning of the third phase of the triple-conjunction of Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron (the planets argued as to who would have top billing and Jupiter won).  We are told that an essential beginning step has been made, and after all it isn’t easy for a whole world to agree on something.  We hear all sorts of scientific arguments about climate change, which baffle those of us who aren’t scientifically savvy.  And we hear that there won’t be another conference for another year.  It does all have an air of confusion, which is an element of the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction.  Let’s hope for clearer information in 2010.  At lunchtime today (UK time) Mars goes retrograde, which could mean more disruption, of a different kind.  If you have been rushing round like a headless chicken trying to complete your pre-Christmas chores you may come skidding to a halt, like a cartoon cat chasing a mouse who has suddenly given him the slip.  You may need to slow down, take the rest of the day off, and re-orientate yourself to your prey (which may be as diverse as the local supermarket Quorn section, or the location of your karmic mission).  It won’t do you any harm.  Enjoy the wintry view from the window.  Give some thought to your plans for the next few days.  Tomorrow (Monday 21st) is the crucial day (apart from Christmas Day itself).  Not only does Jupiter conjunct Neptune on that day but other planetary aspects contribute to making this a productive and important day.  Venus sextiles Jupiter and makes it an excellent time to invite the neighbours round for drinks and nibbles.  Venus sextile Jupiter provides the anticipation and enthusiasm we need to get through this pre-Christmas period.  It can also be the silly season – I bought a lovely pink Christmas hat from the Co-op last week which will go down a treat.  Inject a sense of fun and lightheartedness into your planning – you will be pleased that you did, when the physical and emotional work of Christmas begins.  Those little touches such as the silver party poppers might just make the grumpy old codger in the corner smile…But it’s all part of the journey, and the journey is the goal.  Venus also sextiles Neptune, bringing in the spiritual dimension, and particularly the devotional  element of whichever religion or religions you practise – be it the divine child of Christianity or the bhakti yoga of Hinduism or both if you are a Universalist.  It is kind and gracious of Venus to be the warm-up act for Jupiter and Neptune’s conjunction tomorrow, and adds a touch of human and personal warmth to the event.  This conjunction is the culmination of the triple conjunction activities from May this year, and is the ultimate union of religion (Jupiter) and spirituality (Neptune), a sublime combination which may touch the hearts of agnostics.  Although they may call it something else, humanity or nature.  But it will still mean something to everyone.  The Sun enters Capricorn (Winter Solstice) later tomorrow, so it is also a pagan celebration.  As far as seasonal greetings from the Universe goes, it is exceptional.  There is a strong element of compassion and charity about it, and you may find yourself opening your purse and handing out more than you intended to the Big Issue seller on the street.  It generates random acts of kindness and generosity, and if you are Scroogelike, you can skip to the redeemed and reformed character at the end of the story.  What you do tomorrow can speak volumes, so go the extra mile.  So there you have the spirit of the week, and Christmas Eve (Thursday 24th) begins the letter or practice.  The Sun conjuncts Pluto, and you are bound to be thoughtful on that day.  After all, there are absent friends and relatives to consider, and you know that there have had to be economies, and things are difficult for many people.  You may be contemplating Christmas very differently from even one year ago.  The arrangements you have made may not be ideal, but reflect only what has been possible.  Saturn in Libra squaring Pluto in Capricorn lately has resulted in some difficult choices, and for some losses.  The Sun conjunct Pluto brings a determination to make this a meaningful Christmas, one which brings out the joy of life without belittling the suffering.  Venus enters Capricorn on Christmas Day itself (Friday 25th), which softens and warms this seasonal sign, but at the same time leaves the extravert sign of Sagittarius to contemplate the loneliness of the human condition.  It can be a gregarious time, but the individuality can also make  it a solitary experience.  Each person needs to be acknowledged and honoured for who they are, and in the words of the Gestalt prayer:

“I do my thing and you do your thing…I am not in this world to live up to your expectations, And you are not in this world to live up to mine.  You are you, and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, it’s beautiful.  If not, it can’t be helped.” ~ Fritz Perls

This is reinforced by the message of Sun squaring Saturn later on in the day, presents unwrapped and Quorn turkey slices demolished.  There may be a longing in the heart for things to be a different way, but acceptance of what is is the only option.  Boxing Day (Saturday 26th) brings a Mercury retrograde situation.  You can’t expect public transport on Boxing Day anyway, so unless you are travelling by car or on your bike, it’s a case of staying and facing the music.  I am hoping that Bob Dylan’s CD “Christmas in the Heart” is in my Christmas stocking: it has a nice mixture of  elements to contribute to a holistic experience – Christianity, Jewishness, Charity, Nostalgia, Humour and more…

We are currently in the overlap period between the conjunction of Jupiter/Chiron and the forthcoming conjunction of Jupiter/Neptune, and there is a double event this week which reflects this.  The week will contain surprises (in some cases shocks), and some blessings.  Today the Sun is sextile Chiron, highlighting and to some extent creatively  solving healing dilemmas.  This evening Sound Pod (Cambs. U.K.) goes head to head with the X-Factor final.  Will we bravely forgo the X-Factor final, or will we switch on to see if our favourite Joe triumphs?  Healing values and priorities may be the issue today.  Is your lifestyle compatible with your own healing and well being, or is it being skewed by populist and technological activities?  The Sun squares Uranus tomorrow Monday 14th, when life may deliver the surprise verdict for you.  There could be sudden changes in lifestyle.  For instance, you may suddenly find you cannot physically reach for that extra pre-Christmas mince pie as your heartburn level dictates that you have reached saturation point.  It may be a turning point as you may suddenly see clearly what needs to change in your life. [Take note, Elliot from Holby City, we are seriously worried about your doughnut levels, and have been for some time].  In the early hours of Tuesday 15th (and therefore early evening/late afternoon in the U.S.) the Sun is sextile Jupiter.  Interestingly at exactly the same time the next morning (00.17 Hrs in the U.K.) the Sun sextiles Neptune.  Unless you are going for the unconscious option (let your dreamlife deal with it), you may want to stay up for both aspects, to see if there is an interesting resonance.  In both cases, Saturn will be rising, the Ascendant will be late Virgo, the Sun will be in 3rd House, while the triple conjunction will be in the 5th House.  Sun sextile Jupiter on Tuesday is a blossoming and a renaissance of self-expression, creativity and philosophical thought.  The linked event on Wednesday 16th Sun sextile Neptune is a dusting of icing on the cake, inspiration and grace.  Make of it what you will, and make the most of this double rainbow event of the week, which together can have spiritual overtones.  So what an amazing stage is set for the New Moon later on Wednesday 16th at 24 degrees Sagittarius, the Pantomime Fairy wielding a wand (that’s  “baguette magique” in French, I was reminded this week).  If you have global or personal wishes on climate change, or the manifesting of abundance in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds, make them on Wednesday.  It is a day to step out on a new footing, and be large-hearted and magnanimous.  Even if you have no Sagittarius in your chart (but everyone has a Jupiter), you can wear an honorary Sadge badge for the day.  Thursday 17th has a different agenda – high romance, a trine between Venus and Mars.  Mars is persuaded to take a courtly role.  A good day for finding the gift for the love of your life, romantic dinners whispering sweet nothings, and yogically the union between the male and female halves of ourselves, finding the harmony within.  It’s the last aspect of the week, and guarantees a passionate finale for your inner Bruno Tonioni on Saturday evening.  The outer manifestation Bruno, the judge on Strictly Come Dancing, is an excitable Sun in Sagittarius, with a spontaneous human combustion conjunction of Jupiter/Pluto in his chart.  May you have an interesting week.

This week I will be retiring at the age of 60 from the day job, and taking the state pension.  This will mean a change to my astrological services.  I will try to whittle down my 3-month waiting list as soon as possible, and then be free to offer an instant service.  That’s the plan.  The regression work does not have a waiting list, unless linked with astrological work.  I hope to undertake more research on the links between both sides of my work, bringing together the karma with the astrology more comprehensively.  The timing of this event in terms of my own chart is amazingly accurate: the triple conjunction of Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron in my 10th House reaches an exact sextile with my natal Sun (a liberation to pursue my creativity).  At the same time Saturn transits my natal 6th House (loss of the workplace and workmates) squaring my natal Uranus in 3rd House (at the same time losing daily contact with my rail commuter group).  So the emphasis in the blogs will move from paperclips in the office, and wildlife glimpsed from the train and in the train, over to home baking balanced with a love for raw food preparation (are the two compatible?  I hope to find out) and handy tips for managing on a state pension (supplemented by Astrology) in the credit crunch.  There’ll be more blogging about current events, and more researched articles.  Enough about me already.  Let’s look at the week ahead…

This week we re-visit the triple conjunction of Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron which has been a feature of this year.  In looking back over the year, you may remember economic stringencies, ecological wrangles and psychological challenges of Pluto in Capricorn.  You’ll also remember the crumbling institutions, erosions of structures and tugs of war of the Saturn opposition with Uranus.  But was there an area in which you excelled and made progress, maybe effortlessly through innate talent?  Go on, admit it – stop me if you’ve heard me say it all before – It may not have been in an area you would have liked, but it would have been evidence of the Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron effect.  Jupiter conjuncts Chiron again tomorrow (Monday 7th) at 22 degrees Aquarius, emphasizing the miraculous.  The recognition and blossoming of Susan Boyle is a classic picture of the hype of this aspect.  No matter that her time and even date of birth have been under contention.  The phenomenon itself is in the nature of, and a clear case of the action of this triple conjunction, and the timing of her entry onto the global stage was at the time of the first meeting of these three planets.  She struggled with working out the healing crisis of Chiron in her life during the second phase, and now as the third phase is beginning she has been crowned with a number one album in the U.K., the U.S. and Australia.  She has been forced to grow (Jupiter) and has been at the mercy (Neptune) of the process.  Among the great Exhibitions of this year (another manifestation of the triple conjunction) is the new Turner Exhibition at Tate Britain.  I visited this “magnificent and hugely ambitious exhibition” (accolade by The Times) yesterday, and was reminded of his mastery of light and colour, nebulosity and luminosity, and of how he lifted early 18th Century British art.  He was a Taurean (one of the birth signs associated with art) but again, his birth date is nebulous, generally thought to be late April 1775.  The Exhibition continues until 31st January 2010.  The third phase of the triple conjunction continues on 21st December when Jupiter conjuncts Neptune, continuing the billowing nebulous theme.  At the beginning of January the triple conjunction will linger, so if there is extra mileage to he had, you need to recognize and honour the opportunities and make the most of them, while also recognizing the pitfalls and the more serious issues prevailing.  The other aspect which occurs tomorrow (Mercury conjunct Pluto) reminds us of the latter.  The weight of the economic and ecological issues are undeniable (though the climate change deniers are having their day).  It is as though on this first day of the week, at 9 o’clock in the morning, the Universe means business.  All the extremes of light and shadow are out on display.  On the one hand all that we have before us in trying to deal with the serious issues, and all the divine light and spiritual resources on the other (if in doubt pick up a self-help book).  Some deny the economic crisis, talking of green shoots, some deny the climate change, and some deny that we have souls and are divine in nature.  It feels more whole to acknowledge them all and to use our spiritual resources to back up our lack of material resources and our efforts to solve our personal and collective problems.  Tomorrow is both a reckoning and a possible launch pad to a new effort.  Mercury as the planet of weather, a component of climate change, is assailed again on Tuesday (8th) by a square from Saturn.  Those who have tried to put forward constructive and enlightening strategies on Monday may be deflated or knocked back and forced to retract slightly on Tuesday.  Their “reach may exceed their grasp” as Browning put it, but the push was necessary to progress.  Mercury squaring Saturn is a reality check, showing you exactly what you have yet to achieve, and highlighting the difficulties of this transition period.  Sometimes in a transition you are needing to do twice the work: implementing the change and propping up the old structures until they can safely be put away.   That applies to our psychological structures, too.  Friday 11th starts with an energetic trine between the Sun and Mars, fire planets in fire signs.  You will have more than enough fuel for the day, if not beyond.  On Saturday 12th Jupiter is semi-sextile Uranus which, though uncomfortable, may show you the potential of next year’s Jupiter-Uranus conjunction.  In showing you in a grand way what is not working, it may provide the Vision you need to power you through next year.  The triple conjunction has been linking with Uranus in this way for most of this year.  And Jupiter and Uranus together are also carrying the seed of working constructively with the T-square of Pluto-Saturn-Uranus over the next two years.  Like Susan Boyle you may have a dream…but your dream needs to encompass the depths as well as the heights of living on this planet at this time.  Shall I compare the triple conjunction to a skyscape by Turner?  On reflection, yes.