Sir Bruce Forsyth (1928 – 2017)

Sir Bruce Forsyth, who made the Guinness Book of Records for the longest television career for a male entertainer, died this week, surrounded by his family.  He began his television career in 1954, and began hosting Sunday Night at the London Palladium in 1958, a year after my family had our first television, so he has always been on our screens.  This big break coincided with Jupiter and Neptune trine his natal Sun, and Uranus sextile his North Node.  I remember games such as Beat the Clock, and a game rearranging well known phrases or sayings, novelties at the time but pre-cursors of later game shows.

Pisces, take a bow!  Sir Bruce had a birth chart dominated by this sign, which usually has a genius level talent.  In his case, he was multi-talented, with Sun/Moon/Mercury in Pisces in the 3rd House of Broadcasting and Presenting.  Pisces’ ruler Neptune was  opposite his Sun and trine his Ascendant.  He possessed one of the talents traditionally associated with Pisces, that of dance (specifically tap dance).  His other talents included ad-libbing, being able to handle the public, piano playing, crooning and acting.

With the Moon conjunct Mercury, he was able to engage the left and right brain together, and combine mental acuity and wit with imagination.  He also had the entrepreneurial conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus.  Saturn was conjunct a Sagittarian comic Ascendant by 3 degrees, adding the angular features distinctive to his facial physique, and contributing to his longevity.

Career

He modelled himself on Sammy Davis Jr, a friend and fellow Sagittarian 3 years his senior.  Sammy Davis had Neptune exactly sextile Bruce Midheaven, crystallizing his own vision of his career (his own Neptune was 2 degrees away from an exact sextile to his Midheaven)

After the London Palladium, the next great highlight of his career was The Generation Game (2nd October 1971), and gave rise to some of his famous catchphrases, such as “Nice to see you, to see you nice” and “didn’t he do well?”.  Notably, Pluto from his 10th House of Career was trine his natal Venus in Capricorn in 2nd House of Earnings.

His later success was as host of Strictly Come Dancing (2004), which endeared him to a new generation of television viewers, and came at a time when Neptune (dance) was exactly trine his North Node (karmic mission) in Gemini (broadcasting) in 6th House of working conditions.  Asked which living person she most admired and why, his co-host Tess Daly from that programme answered: “Bruce Forsyth, because not only is he the most talented showman, he is the most generous individual.”  There was a karmic link between them, with his Venus exactly sextile her North Node.

Marriage

He was married 3 times, Gemini on cusp of 7th House, traditionally being a sign of more than one marriage.  Wife number one, Penny Calvert, was unhappy with his philandering and sold stories to the newspapers.  Wife number two, Anthea Redfern (she of “give us a twirl”) had the Sun square his Mars and her Sun on his I.C.  Wife number three, and the most enduring, was Wilnelia Merced, and with her Neptune exactly trine his Sun, the relationship was much closer to perfection.  He had 6 children, and 9 grandchildren.

Death

He suffered increasingly poor health from 2014, and this week, having just passed his third Saturn Return, and with Saturn on his Ascendant, it was his time to leave, after a full life and career, and a full expression of his talents.

Aspects

Waking up to a bright and sunny morning in Norfolk, it is difficult to imagine that there will be an eclipse later today, and that North America will be in total darkness at some point, but that is the prospect for today.

For the record, yesterday, Sunday (20th) started with a bright note of Mars sextile Jupiter, ramping up energy and enthusiasm, and with it the ability to cope with any demands or stresses which may be perceived.  So it is was a good day to get things done, and to formulate positive philosophical attitudes.  We spent the day covering long distances travelling, but stopping for some tea and mirth with old friends.

This morning, Monday (21st) also started with a bright note: that of Sun trine Uranus, a happy day for innovation and creative originality, new ideas and technological advances, and possible technological solutions.  As this aspect took place at 6.22 a.m. in the U.K. it operated late last night (Sunday) in the U.S., nicely setting up curiosity for the eclipse.

The Solar Eclipse takes place at 18.30 Hrs in the U.K. and the Sun and Moon are conjunct at 28 degrees 53 minutes of the sign of Leo.  Effectively it is a heightened turning point, and the New Moon in Leo is usually the most creative New Moon of the year.  Set your intentions and your attitude, and may a good time be had by all.  Remember that events around the eclipse may not always seem significant at the time, but can affect the course of things for up to six months.  Thus a subtle event, such as a change of attitude or mindset, may determine events differently for some time to come.

Tomorrow, Tuesday 22nd, brings a trine between Mars and Saturn, a time of practical action, possibly based on your conclusions about life from the eclipse.  It is a day of reconstruction, applying yourself to your goals, and a renewed sense of purpose.

In the evening, the Sun enters Virgo, and you may begin to apply yourself to preparing for Autumn working schedules and tax returns.  Part of you will still be in holiday mode, but part of you will be working on future work initiatives.

Venus trines Chiron on Thursday (24th), an aspect which gives us the opportunity to learn lessons of love, such as practising keeping the heart open under all circumstances, or fostering unconditional love.  It reminds us of the healing power of love.

Later in the early evening, we will be tested on that practice or lesson, because Venus will then square Uranus, catching us on the hop socially.  We might meet someone we were not expecting to meet, e.g. not the people we were rehearsing about earlier in the day.  So we might be challenged to be our best selves, in the face for instance of someone who might have criticized us.

Friday (25th) sees Saturn stationary prior to turning direct, which is always a welcome way of things.  You might cease to feel that you are swimming against the tide, and in practical matters some projects may run more smoothly.

Saturday (26th) is a day that you can let your hair down.  There is a return to pleasurable, holiday-style activities with Venus entering Leo.  I will be going to a one day local workshop on colouring in the style of Monet.  But Venus in Leo particularly favours the performing arts, so bring out your inner Bruce Forsyth.

The evening vibe is altogether quieter and more studious, with a painstaking conjunction of Sun and Mercury at 4 degrees Virgo.  That can be extremely focussed, so if you are having a quiet night in, you can bring out a challenging project you have put off and tackle it.  If that sounds too prosaic, and you planned to paint the town red, then you may enjoy your planned activities on an intellectual level and take in some useful information.  It’s a great conjunction for nerds, geeks and anoraks celebrating their passions.

The week in bullet points:

• Sunday – energy with enthusiasm
• Monday – Innovation and turning points
• Tuesday – practical action; useful work
• Thursday – focussed on relationships; healing and challenges
• Friday – the prospect of progress
• Saturday – performing arts, and focussed concentration

 

Solar Eclipse of 21st August 2017

“The challenge posed by the North Korean regime’s nuclear weapons programme had been festering for more than a decade, but it was Donald Trump who turned it into a global emergency with a few words” ~ Julian Borger, writing in the Observer today

I can’t remember a Solar Eclipse which has had more hype than this coming one for Monday 21st August 2017.  The Sun and Moon are conjunct at 28 degrees 53 minutes Leo, and in the U.K. it takes place at 18.30 Hrs.  In North America total darkness will be experienced, so it will not escape anyone’s notice.

Meanwhile the international stage seems to be reaching crisis point, with Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un trading warnings, and China urging them both to simmer down.

We all know by now that the Eclipse falls on Donald Trump’s Ascendant/Mars at the end of Leo.  Mars also trines his Moon at the time, inciting his emotions.  Saturn conjuncts his Moon, so he may also be feeling quite negative.  Pluto squares his Jupiter, which can bring uncontrolled and exaggerative behaviour, which we are already experiencing.  Neptune trines the U.S. chart (indicating sensitivity), the South Node transits the U.S. Moon (indicating population karma), Saturn opposes the U.S. Mars (the possibility of some harsh action), and Uranus squares the U.S. Pluto (some shock factor).  Chiron opposes the U.S. Ascendant (a healing crisis in relationships), but Chiron sextiles Pluto (some healing going on).

Kim Jong Un has two possible birth dates, but the 1984 date seems most likely, from past observation.  The 1983 chart has Pluto at 29 degrees Libra, which is at least in a harmonious sextile to the Eclipse.  Neptune at 27 degrees Sagittarius at the Galactic Centre is trine (also harmonious) with the Eclipse.  In the 1984 chart, Mars occupies 28 degrees Libra, Neptune is still at 27 degrees Sagittarius, and in addition Chiron is at 27 degrees Taurus, squaring the Eclipse (healing crisis).  Uranus opposes his Mars (inflammatory) but trines his Jupiter (giving him the capacity to surprise), Neptune squares his Nodal Axis (spiritually dodgy), and as has been mentioned before Pluto (nuclear) is right on his Sun.  For the North Korean Chart, Pluto (the nuclear factor) is exactly trine its Sun, so it feels empowered.  Mars trines its Jupiter (it feels enthused), Jupiter sextiles its Jupiter (it feels lucky), Uranus trines its Saturn (it feels strong)…These are not discouraging transits for Kim Jong Un, sadly.

Can China make anybody see sense?  The president Xi Jinping has fostered relations with both sides, and must feel like a very uncomfortable go-between at the moment.  He said this week: “At present, the relevant parties must maintain restraint and avoid words and deeds that would exacerbate the tension on the Korean peninsula.”  He has a lot of transits during the Eclipse. Mars sextiles his Mercury and Jupiter trines his Mercury, so his words may be true and carry weight.  Mars sextiles his Mars, so he is involved and active.  Saturn opposes his Mars (as with the U.S. Chart, indicating harsh action) but Mars sextiles his Saturn.  Jupiter conjuncts his Saturn, possibly enabling some mitigating action and lifting of the situation, and Saturn sextiles his Saturn (serious but balanced judgement).  Pluto opposes his Uranus (some shock factor), Saturn sextiles his Neptune (realism), Mars conjuncts his Pluto (negotiating a dangerous situation), Jupiter sextiles his Pluto (wise use of power), and finally Saturn trines his Pluto (great strength).  It would seem that Xi Jinping has the most constructive manner and astrological influences, and may be the key to solving the problem.  For the chart of China, Jupiter squares its Sun, which is upbeat though exaggerative.  Neptune sextiles its Jupiter, which is spiritually balanced, Uranus sextiles its Uranus (the power of surprise) but Chiron squares its Uranus (it may need to use shock tactics).

Getting on with our own lives

And then there are our own lives…have you noticed stirrings of change arising, whether solicited or unsolicited?

I tend to play such things down, but I am beginning to wonder what these events are leading up to.  It may be that we have cause to pause, or may undergo a shift.

Life, and eclipses, are to an extent what you make of them.  For example, if you are a sabre-rattling war-mongerer, you are going to attract the like.  Your approach to life and eclipses may make all the difference to what is created and manifested.  This is above all a time to examine your approach to life and what you are communicating and creating, and to be mindful.

With that in mind, I am taking a brief look at the possible approach of each of the Zodiac signs:

Aries

Aries are the Warriors, and as such may inflame issues, so you may need to cultivate the conscious peaceful warrior within.  If you were born at the end of Aries (roughly between 17th and 19th April) you may benefit or profit from a trine to your Sun from the Eclipse.  In some situations, there are winners and losers, and you could be a winner.

Taurus

Taurus is the Rock for many people, and a calming influence, with a long fuse.  As such, you may help to keep events on an even keel.  If you were born at the end of Taurus (roughly between 18th and 20th May) you may feel a little stressed as the Eclipse squares your Sun.  You may need to put yourself first for a change, and stay centred.

Gemini

Gemini will be the great Commentators of the occasion, keeping a running commentary going and ensuring that communication is happening, despite the fact that their ruling planet Mercury will be retrograde at the time.  Everyone needs to be kept informed!  If you were born at the end of Gemini (roughly between the 18th and 20th June) your Sun will be sextile the Eclipse, bringing mild benefits to you, though you do need to ensure you don’t over-activate your nervous system – keep meditating!

Cancer

Cancerians are the Nurturers of the Zodiac, and will keep everyone supplied with Chicken Soup or your best vegetarian equivalent.  They will keep things cosy and possibly try to block out the world outside, and shelter their loved ones.  If you were born at the end of Cancer (roughly between 19th and 22nd July) your natal Sun will be semi-sextile with the Eclipse, which is mildly uncomfortable, but not enough to disturb the nest hopefully.

Leo

Leo will be right at the Centre of things, which is where they like to be.  So they will be comfortable with the role of leadership which the Eclipse brings.  They need to think clearly about the use of power that comes with it.  If you were born at the end of Leo (roughly between the 20th and 22nd August) yours will be the power and the glory, and the responsibility.  We are all looking to you.

Virgo

Virgos will look after the detail for us, make up the spreadsheet, monitor and record what goes on, and take care of health and safety.  Thank you, Virgos!  If you were born at the end of Virgo (roughly between the 20th and 22nd September) you will have a special role to play, especially if you are linked with a certain Leo in a supportive role.  You will help to keep the lifestyle ticking over smoothly.

Libra

Libra represents the Peacemaker, much needed at this time.  You may have been rehearsing to play this role for some time, and will use all your skills in beauty and harmony to make this a pleasant experience for everyone.  If you were born at the end of Libra (roughly between 20th and 22nd October) your Sun will be sextile the Eclipse, bringing mild benefits to you, though you do need to ensure you look after your own well-being in the process.

Scorpio

Scorpio can look the drama in the face and see through it, but can others hear your message?  No sugar coating with you, but a deep level of reality.  We need your wisdom, though we may sometimes run from it.  Thanks for being you.  If you were born at the end of Scorpio (roughly between 19th and 21st November) you may feel a little stressed as the Eclipse squares your Sun.  Keep calm and carry on!

Sagittarius

Sagittarius (unless you have a preponderance of Scorpio or Capricorn planets) will keep the Optimism flag flying, offering philosophical phrases to rise about the situation.  They could annoy people who are taking the matter more seriously.  If you were born at the end of Sagittarius (roughly between 19th and 21st December) which is also closely aligned with the Galactic Centre, you’ll be fully plugged into the Cosmos and may benefit or profit from a trine to your Sun from the Eclipse.  If this is the case, you’ll either be super-uplifting, or super-annoying.

Capricorn

Capricorn will leave no fear unexamined, no loophole closed, and may play devil’s advocate.  They will remind you of the bottom line, remind you to make sure your insurance policies are up-to-date, and know all the rules.  More frivolous signs may need to take heed.  Once they have accomplished their mission, they can relax and hope for the best.  If you were born at the end of Capricorn (roughly between 17th to 19th January) your Sun will be quincunx the Eclipse, which is a mild unease, not enough to deter your persevering nature.

Aquarius

Aquarians will see the Future Vision and possibly the bigger plan behind events and where they are going.  This will give them a leadership role (second only to Leos!)  They may even be able to balance out the Leo energy, so that it is not all about the Leo.  If you were born at the end of Aquarius (roughly between 15th and 17th February) your Sun will be opposed by the Eclipse, so you won’t be able to avoid its glare, or lack of glare.  You will know what you have to do or say, and in some ways will hold up a mirror to events.

Pisces

Pisces will either be totally immersed, in denial or at worst feeding the paranoia.  Try to make sure your sensitivity does not run riot, and is fed by a constant stream of positive input such as high quality meditational material.  You need to be able to stand your ground as much as anyone.  When you do say something, it may be other-worldy or something that people need to hear but can’t access themselves, like a bridge from other dimensions.  If you were born at the end of Pisces (roughly the 17th to 19th March) your Sun will be quincunx the Eclipse, which is a mild unease, and hopefully you can stay spiritually centred enough to bring the more mystical messages we might need to hear.

If you know what House 28 degrees 53 minutes Leo falls in within your chart, then you may have some idea of the area of its impact.  If events prove not what you would consider in line with your intentions, it is possible that it is chosen on a Soul level, and the reason may still be a mystery to you.  In writing this, I hope that I have not added to fear nor  dodged the reality of the times.

Bring on global nuclear disarmament, please.

Aspects

In the early hours of this morning, while you were asleep or trying to sleep (in the U.K.), Mercury went retrograde (cue the opening bars of Beethoven’s 5th).  Which means that it is retrograde as I write, and you may detect the hallmarks of it in my piece.  Although I tend to sleep very well these days, last night was an exception, and produced a sci-fi time-shifting dream, so this may have been influenced by the turn of the planet.  Whatever your own experience, you know the drill: keep your communications clear until 5th September, don’t panic and stay mindful.   Travel may be disrupted (my usual route to Salisbury via Waterloo is currently undergoing disruption until 28th August, so luckily I have a lift for my visit this month).  You may find yourself taking more scenic routes, literally and metaphorically.

Later, this evening, we have a sensible trine between the Sun and Saturn, which is ideal for planning and laying foundations.  Constructive deliberation is the order of the evening.

If there is going to be some confrontation during the course of this week, it may be contained within the opposition between Venus and Pluto on Tuesday (15th), though it may remain as passive aggressive behaviour.  Either way, it could be psychologically uncomfortable.  Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un may pout at each other.

Wednesday (16th) brings a conjunction between the Sun and the North Node, and this could bring a show of power by someone in your circle.  However, this show of power is firmly subject to the laws of karma, and if you have faith in the justice of that you’re O.K. (aren’t you?)  It could also heighten creativity if you are unattached to the power play of others.

Thursday (17th) offers us a fairly harmless and possibly fun square between Venus and Jupiter.  Laughter may be had, although the ethics may be dubious.  Social life may bring light relief, if you are dwelling on the world situation or eclipse warnings.

An advance portion of Next Week’s Aspects

As I will be away on Sunday (20th) and will write the next blog on Monday (21st) which is the day of the actual eclipse itself, I am briefly covering the first two days of next week, which I will include, modify, re-hash or expand on later.

Sunday (20th) starts with a bright note of Mars sextile Jupiter, ramping up your energy and enthusiasm, and with it the ability to cope with any demands or stresses which may be perceived.  So it is a good day to get things done, and to formulate positive philosophical attitudes, jollying everyone along.  Hockey, anyone?

Monday (21st) also starts with a bright note: that of Sun trine Uranus, a happy day for innovation and creative originality, new ideas and technological advances.  If you have been having any I.T. problems due to Mercury Retrograde, you may find solutions.  As this aspect takes place at 6.22 a.m. in the U.K. it will occur late the night before (Sunday) in the U.S.  It will set you up nicely for viewing the eclipse.

As already mentioned, the Solar Eclipse takes place at 18.30 Hrs in the U.K. and the Sun and Moon are conjunct at 28 degrees 53 minutes of the sign of Leo.  Effectively it is a heightened turning point, and the New Moon in Leo is usually the most creative New Moon of the year.  Set your intentions and your attitude, and may a good time be had by all.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – communications hazy; plan forward
• Tuesday – emotional wranglings
• Wednesday – karmic power and creativity
• Thursday – humorous and sociable

Sports Review

With the Athletics World Championships currently pushing my favourite programmes off the screen, and my unwillingness to write a sequel to “Trump’s Worst Week”, I am going to do a rare sports blog.

Mo Farah

Mo was one of the three heroes of the 2012 Olympics who had birthdays on 23rd March (with Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny).  The Aries Sun sign gives great physical energy, and its ruler Mars is associated with sport.  As a child, he wanted to be a footballer or car mechanic, both provinces of Aries.

His choice of running within sport is consistent with his North Node (karmic mission) in Gemini (the runner’s sign) exactly square his natal Mercury (the runner’s planet).

Jupiter conjuncts Uranus in his chart, which I call The Entrepreneur.  Certainly I always think of him when I eat Quorn, and he is a good advert for its physical benefits.  He signed a contract to advertise the product in December 2013.  Uranus was trine his entrepreneurial Jupiter/Uranus conjunction at the time.

He also has a paternal and patriotic Moon in Cancer, and has three children.

He had an anxious time around 2015, his name “being dragged through the mud” in the doping allegations of his coach Albert Salazar.  His blood tests were found to be clear.

Friday’s was to be his last 10,000 metre race, and he came up trumps.  Mars was trine his natal Uranus, giving him a nice push. Uranus trined his natal Neptune, so his nervous system was in good tune.  But Uranus was opposite his Pluto, which may indicate a departure in his way of life.  Venus sextile his Venus smiled personal satisfaction.

Mo was quoted as saying of his wellbeing: “It is just having a brilliant medical team, looking after yourself, understanding what your body can do and being true to yourself”.

Usain Bolt

Usain Bolt, too, had his last race this week, with sadly different results.  He is another highly regarded “good guy” in the Athletics world.  He is possibly the fastest sprinter of all time.

In 2012, I wrote:

“Natally, Usain has Moon conjunct Jupiter (Pisces) in a T-square with Chiron (in Gemini – the sign for sprinting) opposite Uranus in Sagittarius.”

Like Mo, he had a successful Olympics in 2012, and I noted “Mars was exactly sextile his Uranus (enhancing his speed)”.  That is a similar transit to Mo’s  winning Mars trine Uranus this week.

In his chart, Mercury trines Uranus – not only indicating a brilliant mind, but literally depicting the speed (Uranus) of his sprint (Mercury), the “Lightning Bolt”.

Yesterday, on his defeat by Gatlin (Usain came third), though he had some very good transits (Jupiter was sextile his Uranus and Uranus was trine his Sun), Saturn was activating his T-square, squaring his Moon/Jupiter conjunction and opposing his Chiron, holding him back a little.

The coming eclipse on his birthday 21st August indicates a new way of life.

Justin Gatlin

A collective sigh or groan went up as Usain was defeated, except perhaps in the U.S.A., as the clean living Usain Bolt was defeated by an opponent who had been known to use drugs earlier in his career when testing was not as rigorous, but had been allowed to compete in the race despite this.

Sean Ingle described the atmosphere in the Observer: “As a full moon rose over the London Stadium, Justin Gatlin bared his teeth – and shocked the world by defeating Usain Bolt in his final ever 100m race”.

The Sun in Aquarius trine Mars/Saturn/Pluto makes him a very disciplined warrior and at times a formidable opponent.  We do not have his birth time, but the Moon square Neptune at Noon of his day of birth may indicate involvement with drugs and possible deception.  Saturn closely square his Nodal Axis could be indicative of karmic issues to be resolved.

He has a similar natal aspect to Usain Bolt in Mercury sextile Uranus, indicating fast sprinting, but not as strongly highlighted as Usain’s.

He was subject to an 8 year ban on 22nd August 2006.  At that time, Saturn and Neptune were square his natal Chiron. On 3rd August 2010 he returned to the athletics circuit, with Jupiter sextile his natal Mercury (his running liberated) and Neptune trine his natal Pluto.

At his win yesterday,  Saturn was sextile his natal Sun and sextile his natal Saturn (steady), Jupiter was on his Mars (luck and enthusiasm in his energy field).  Thus it looks like a combination of determination (Saturn) and luck (Jupiter) helped his win.

In his relationship with Usain Bolt, there is a karmic square between Gatlin’s Venus and Usain’s Nodal Axis.  Sean Ingle commented: “Bolt’s reaction, however, showed the class of the man.  The first thing he did was hug Gatlin.  Then he told the crowd: ‘It is one of those things’, before describing their reaction to him as ‘wonderful’ ”

Neymar

Brazilian footballer Neymar was also in the sports news this week, being the first footballer to be valued at £200 million, being transferred from Barcelona to Paris St. Germain.

With Mercury exactly conjunct Saturn in Aquarius, he has a special ability to focus.  He has a charismatic conjunction between his North Node (karmic mission) and Venus.  He’s also very ambitious, with North Node/Venus/Uranus/Neptune/Mars, all in Capricorn.  He has his father as adviser.

This week, Jupiter was trine his natal Sun (high self-esteem), but square to his Neptune (is this his real value?).  Neptune sextiles his Venus, adding personal glamour, and Pluto conjunct his Neptune (power to his glamour…).  Many questions have been raised by this event.

Aspects

We have a Full Moon at 15 degrees Aquarius tomorrow, which is also an eclipse.  Several issues are coming to a crescendo on the world stage, but at the same time Theresa May has been in Italy, Jeremy Corbyn was in Dubrovnik, and Donald Trump is to take a 17 day golfing holiday.  Aquarius is the sign of freedom, but it may not be wholly possible to escape their responsibilities under a Full Moon.

Full Moon in Aquarius opposite Sun in Leo brings a push and pull between one’s own self-expression (Leo) and the needs of the collective (Aquarius).  So it is a good time for you to practise balancing those in your life.

It’s all good news from then on, for Thursday (10th) brings a lovely sextile between Mercury and Venus, which is harmonious and communicative in equal parts.  Socializing, writing and broadcasting, and diplomacy all thrive under this aspect.  Someone may appreciate a visit from you, if you have some spare time.

In the evening, there is a beautiful, celebratory sextile between the Sun and Jupiter.  There may be news of a success or breakthrough for someone in  your circle, or some enjoyable travel plans afoot.

Saturday (12th) has a trine between Venus and Neptune, and may be characterized by a subtle sense of poetry.  Venus and Neptune happily combined favour the Arts, music, dance and poetry, and enjoying time at the beach.  You might find yourself affirming that you do like to be beside the seaside.  Socializing will be sensitive and spiritual.

The week in bullet points:

• Tomorrow – high emotions and balancing
• Thursday – a five star day
• Saturday – tantalizingly delightful

Trump’s Worst Week

“Commentators said the past week was the worst endured by any US president in living memory and warned that, as Trump becomes increasingly isolated and volatile, the situation could rapidly deteriorate – especially if he is tested by an international crisis”

~ Observer, 30th July 2017

Re-winding to Friday July 21st, Donald appointed Anthony Scaramucci as Communications Director.  White House staff come and go, under Trump, but this one gave an arresting interview on our British television screens with Emily Maitlis (mentioned last week as one of those who didn’t quite make £100,000 p.a.).  “Can he be for real?” we wondered (in this house, anyway).

Scaramucci is an ambitious Sun in Capricorn, with Mars and Mercury also in that sign.  His flamboyance may be due to a square between his Sun and Jupiter, but also Uranus trine his Sun (so he is not a typical or staid Capricornian).  The power in his chart comes from an almost exact double trine from Sun and Mercury in Capricorn to Pluto and Uranus in Virgo.  Like Trump, he has Venus conjunct Saturn.  Saturn rules Trump’s 6th House of Employees, so the conjunction may reflect his unsentimental ability to dispatch them, and Scaramucci seems to emulate his style in some ways.  The Guardian have called him a Mini-Me.

On Wednesday morning (oh, it seems such a long week already; so much has happened) Donald Trump announced a ban on transgender people working in the military, which did not go down well at home or abroad.  That was the stuff of talk shows all day long on the radio (we were travelling most of the day).  Could our eyebrows rise any higher?  There was a surreal and ironic juxtaposition here with it being the 50 year celebration of homosexuals being decriminalized.  Taking a look at Trump’s transits for midweek, we find Jupiter on his Chiron (he is purging, but does he know what is toxic?), Saturn on his Moon (he is depressed, but does he know it?) and Pluto squares his Jupiter (megalomania running amok).

Meanwhile, Scaramucci was targeting Reince Preibus, Trump’s Chief of Staff of six months, over leaks, calling him a “…paranoid schizophrenic”, a term most people would not use lightly. Priebus was removed, with Jupiter on his Uranus (surprise, surprise) and Pluto square his Uranus (explosive situation).  With Chiron now close to his Sun, this may prove helpful to his sanity.

Republican John McCain has had quite a week or two.  On 14th July he underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain.  On 20th July it was disclosed that he was diagnosed with a brain tumour.  By Thursday 27th July he was back at the Senate voting against the repeal of Obamacare, much to Donald’s chagrin.  On the subject of healthcare legislation, Scaramucci commented this week: “I don’t know if he’s going to get what he wants next week. But he’s going to get what he wants eventually. Because this guy always gets what he wants. OK? What I know about President Trump is that … he’s got very, very good karma.”  It was revealed soon after this that Scaramucci’s wife Dierdre had filed for divorce while 9 months pregnant, which may be a non sequitur, but keeps the soap opera drama going.

Donald Trump’s karma saved the most dramatic for the end of the week, with his North Korean nemesis Kim Jong Un deciding to trial another nuclear missile launch, and declaring that North Korea had the capacity to fire anywhere in the U.S.  As dramas go, this international crisis has to be top in the league of seriousness.  I have two charts for President Kim Jong Un of North Korea.  The first, for 1983, reveals a current transit of Uranus opposite his Pluto, which is destructive enough.  The second, for 1984, shows much more suitable transits for such an event:  Pluto on his Sun (trigger happy), Uranus opposite his Mars (unpredictable) and Chiron square his Neptune (slightly unhinged).  By now, Jupiter was exactly conjunct Trump’s natal Jupiter (a Jupiter Return) in Libra, as well as the aspects reported for midweek.  Donald may be at his most reckless, arrogant and careless.  How will he react, we wonder, to Kim Jong Un’s irrationality…

Meanwhile, in Newsweek, an article was published about the upcoming eclipses in August and how they will affect Donald Trump’s chart.  The eclipse of 21st August falls directly on Donald’s Ascendant/Mars.  Astrologer Wade Caves is reported to have commented on the subject, among others:

 “The effects of the coming eclipse could take time to show up, according to astrologers’ claims. Caves believes the impact will appear over the next two years because the eclipse will take around two hours to cross the continent (for a solar eclipse, astrologers interpret each hour as a year). The result could be “a loss of a leader in some sense,” he says, whether literal or symbolic. ‘It seems to me very possible that by this time next year, we’re looking at the reality of Trump not being in office.’ ”

Astrologically, as in other ways, Donald Trump’s days may be numbered.

Aspects

Today, Venus squares Chiron, so it is a day for looking at our relationship issues, where we might be looking at the source of any emotional wounds, such as separations from the past and longings for reconnection.

We also have a sextile between Venus and Uranus, so there is an openness to new forms of relationship, and surprise twists and turns, such as re-meeting old flames or people revealing new sides of their character.

Tomorrow, Venus enters Cancer, and we may collectively reveal our softer side.  Perhaps a story about a child in the headlines brings tears to the hardest of hearts.  Venus stays in Cancer until 26th August, so during that time we may be more prey to sentimentality or even emotional blackmail.  We need to be conscious about our emotional boundaries, and keep clear about distinguishing our own emotions from those of others, or from the collective.

Skip to Thursday (3rd August) and we find that Uranus is stationary, prior to turning retrograde.  The capricious element of the unexpected is capable of surprising us, and we may need to take a U-turn, at least temporarily, in some aspect of our ambitions.  Will Donald Trump effect another hiring and firing on that day?

It will be clear on Thursday that there are stirrings for change in the air, but the capacity for the most dramatic change this week belongs to Friday (4th) with the recurrence of the square between Jupiter and Pluto.  I associate this square with the triggering of Brexit in March this year, and although the TV news and newspapers are still full of this subject, I am disinclined to dwell on it.  Nevertheless, it may be an issue that is hard to ignore on Friday, e.g. there may be some unsettling standoff.  Already prospective candidates for the next leadership of the Conservative Party are being mooted (David Davis, Jacob Rees Mogg!) but the safest option for the Tories still seems to let Theresa May take the flack of Brexit.  Internationally, it may be a day of direct confrontation between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump (i.e. something may be said…let’s keep it to a war of words, gentlemen).

In our own lives, there may be a power struggle or standoff which may be an issue of long standing, but nearer understanding.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – love on the line
• Tomorrow – emotion
• Thursday – U-turns
• Friday – power dramas

BBC and Equality

This week, the BBC was forced to reveal the salaries it pays to its highest earners (£150,000 p.a. and above).  Embarrassingly, the pay varied even within the same presenting roles, and the gender gap was especially noticeable.  In such an unequal society, between rich and poor, the sums (which often exceeded the pay of the Prime Minister) seen vastly over-inflated.  I also did wonder if the huge salaries might have been responsible for some of the biased reporting by the BBC in the elections, some reporters perhaps feeling out of touch with the plight of the poor.  Perhaps that is a little cynical.

It is amazing that the salaries have been kept quiet this long, and it is also amazing that 400 of the BBC’s workers earn less than £20,000.  Not surprisingly, there has been a huge uproar, especially by women presenters, and 40 of the top BBC women have written to Tony Hall, the director general of the BBC, to ask him to remedy the injustice.

BBC Chart

The birth chart of the BBC is dated 14th November 1922 (with a birth time of 18.00 Hrs), which is close in time to one of the charts for the United Kingdom (7th December 1992), a chart I often use.  With its outer planets in similar positions, that enables it to represent a very British institution.  The chart has a very creative set of planets in its 5th House of Creativity (Jupiter/Mercury and the Sun).  Jupiter conjunct Mercury is excellent for communications.  The Ascendant is in Gemini, the sign of Broadcasting, and interestingly exactly opposite the Galactic Centre, with the Nodal Axis exactly square the Ascendant/Descendant axis.  Mercury also trines Uranus exactly, enabling it to be innovative and embrace new technology as that progresses.  Uranus closely trine Pluto befits a grand national institution, in addition.

Current controversy transits

The prevailing transit to the BBC chart this week was Jupiter transiting its Saturn in Libra in 4th House.  Here, Jupiter is forcing a revelation of something stuck in time which needs to be shifted and changed.

Chris Evans

At a salary of £2.2 million, Chris Evans was revealed to be the highest earner at the BBC.  It would be easier to evaluate what marks him out as such a high earner, if we had a birth time, as one of the chief determinants of earning is the condition of the 2nd House, something which can only be revealed with a birth time.  What distinguishing marks in his birth chart show his great individuality?  He has an exact conjunction between Pluto and Uranus in Virgo, the Rebel Archetype to a high degree.  Mercury is exactly conjunct Saturn in Pisces and closely conjunct Chiron, so he has a problem-solving mind, ranging from extreme focus to great expansion, all at one time.  Physically, the carrot hair of his youth (which is now white) is depicted in his chart by the Sun conjunct Mars in Aries (also The Warrior). He does have an exact trine between his Venus (money) and Jupiter (luck and expansion).  Chris’ Neptune conjuncts the Sun of the BBC exactly, and he has some beneficial trine contacts with its chart.

This week, Saturn squared his Mercury exactly, requiring an accountability of sorts, and Saturn also squared his own Saturn/Chiron.  Pluto squared his ruling planet Mars, putting him in a pickle.  He was embarrassed by the revelation and had to go to his 91-year old mother for a retort:

“Tell them that your mum, who’s a nurse for most of her life, always told you after your dad died to try to find a job you loved, just like I love nursing, and earn what you can, when you can, while you can – which you did almost straight away from when you were a paper boy earning £1.50 a week for freezing your bits off and falling off your bike every two minutes, right through until what you’re doing now.”

Claudia Winkleman

Claudia Winkleman was cited as highest paid female, presenting Strictly Come Dancing and formerly the BBC Film programme too, as well as other shows.  She is still way behind Chris Evans, at £450,000.  With Claudia, we also have no birth time or view of her 2nd House, and in her case I think a lot would be revealed by a birth time, as a chart drawn up for Noon of that day does not yield much which is out of the ordinary, and which could account for her being the highest paid female.  She has no Water planets (emotion) and 6 Cardinal planets (leadership and enterprise).  She has an assertive conjunction of Mars and Chiron in Aries, and as we have seen with Chris Evans Aries is a sign which can express individuality to a high degree.  She has Moon (as well as the Sun) in Capricorn, which could be ambitious.  The Moon represents the mother, and in her case her mother is successful fashion writer Eve Pollard.  Like Chris, Claudia has a beneficial relationship between her Venus and Jupiter (in her case a sextile, 3 degrees apart), but perplexingly at the same time has Venus closely square Saturn (which I once noted may be her penchant for wearing black).

This week, Uranus was sextile Claudia’s Venus (a surprise revelation).  The North Node was trine her Jupiter (perhaps she was pleased to know she was the highest earning female).  Pluto was also square her Uranus (some shock publicity).  The BBC Chiron is exactly conjunct her natal Mars in Aries, perhaps enabling her to utilize the potential of her natal conjunction to its fullest capacity.

Emily Maitlis

One of the shock revelations this week was that Emily Maitlis did not make the £150,000 mark.  Her agent accused the BBC of deception over a period of years, and her skilled work as a presenter is way below those doing the same work.  She is a painstaking Virgo, with 0 Fire planets.  Again we have no birthtime for her.  She has a hardworking trine between Mercury and Saturn, which accentuates the calibre of her Virgoan qualities.  She earns well, and that is reflected by favourable aspects to her Venus, but somehow has not earned the commensurate financial recognition.  Could she have been held back by her natal Saturn-Neptune opposition, also reflecting deception from the BBC?

This week’s revelations show in her transits by Neptune exactly opposite her natal Sun (a major deception!) and Mars square her Venus (a gender issue!).  In her relationship with the BBC, she has a conjunction between her Jupiter and its Jupiter.  Her problems with the BBC may stem from a conjunction between her Pluto (deep psychology) and its North Node (karma).

Derek Thompson

The highest paid actor, very surprisingly, is Derek Thompson who has played the popular, kind and modest character nurse Charlie Fairhead since the beginning of Casualty, at the current sum of £250,000.  The actor himself is an Aries Sunsign individual, but he has a solid and dependable North Node and Venus in Taurus (more in keeping with his Casualty persona).  No doubt a birth time would reveal much, such as the persona of the Midheaven, which often describes an actor’s roles.  Derek has a challenging and character-forming triple conjunction of Pluto/Saturn/Mars which is in Leo (the performing arts) but may relate to challenges in his personal life.  His Venus (money) is unaspected and as such may have slipped under the radar of recognition, until now.  His Saturn is exactly square the Nodal Axis, again showing up some possible karmic difficulties in his life.  This week Saturn squared his Mercury, as exactly with Chris Evans (an accountability of sorts).  He has mixed interaspects with the BBC, but a nice sextile between their Saturns, showing long term loyalty on both sides.

New Dr Who

Last Sunday afternoon, just after the men’s final at Wimbledon, the identity of the new Dr. Who was revealed.  This too elicited surprise, as it was a woman.  So the BBC took one step forward in women’s equality this week, and then many steps back.

Jodie Whittaker is a mentally focussed Sun/Mercury in Gemini, with half of her planets in the Air element.  There is some depth contributed by Jupiter and the Moon in Scorpio, and it may  be that her conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter has enabled her to strike a blow for the feminist cause.  Last Sunday Jupiter was on her Saturn, lifting the lid on her achievement.  Jupiter also squared her Nodal Axis, showing a karmic reward.

Old Dr Whos

Jodie’s Pluto (transformation) opposes Peter Capaldi’s Sun.  I have noticed that Pluto is prominent in the transformation between one Dr Who and another.

Peter Capaldi replaced Matt Smith, and Peter’s Jupiter was conjunct Matt Smith’s Pluto.

On 4th April 2010 I wrote:

“Time travel is a regular feature of my work as a past-life therapist, but I couldn’t help being fascinated by the metamorphosis from one Dr Who to another.  I have been fascinated ever since I incidentally saw David Tennant transform into Matt Smith at 9 pm on New Year’s Day…David Tennant at that moment had the North Node on his Moon/Mars and so fate decreed that he relinquish his title.  Matt Smith was of course destined to succeed with Pluto the planet of transformation opposite David Tennant’s Sun.  So when Matt (he of the Scorpio deep-sunken eyes) began his mission on our screens at 6.20 pm last night Saturn (the Lord of Time) was exactly on the Ascendant trine the Part of Fortune on the cusp of the 9^th House (the Joys of Time Travel)…”

So Matt Smith’s Pluto was opposite David Tennant’s Sun, and the planet of regeneration had exactly the same relationship with the incoming and outgoing Dr Who as with Jodie Whittaker and her predecessor.

Aspects

This morning we were blessed with a New Moon in Leo, probably the most creative New Moon of the year.  It took place at 9.46 a.m. so if you are struggling to orientate yourself to a new beginning, and a new sense of intention, think back to what you were doing at that time and whether anything new was naturally occurring for you.

We have a brand new goldfish in our pond, who was introduced to the fish pond last night.  Her name is Ponyo and she belonged to the girlfriend of my nephew.  They brought her over because at 8 years of age she had outgrown her aquarium.  We hope she will be happy here, and safe.  If you may recall, a heron took some of our fish in the spring, and we had had them for a similar length of time.  Ponyo is much smaller than the remaining fish, but is already socializing and swimming happily near them.  The New Moon occurs in my 4th House of Home and Garden, so I feel she symbolizes a new beginning in that area.

Tomorrow we have a difficult opposition, followed by an easier trine.  Venus opposes Saturn, highlighting responsibility in relationships, and also possibly the need to let go.  Someone may disappoint you, but that may be equally a result of your own unrealistic expectations.

Then we have a nifty trine between Mercury and Uranus, bringing originality to our communications, and restoring harmony and bringing breakthroughs in technological areas.  If you have a writing project you want to inject some life into, you may suddenly come up with the ideas to do so.

Tuesday (25th) sees Mercury entering Virgo, an appropriate day to attend to work details and especially documentation or studies.  If you are prevaricating or procrastinating on some area of your paperwork, you might want to bring matters forward and make a start on this day.

Venus sextiles the North Node on Wednesday (26th) and if you have been trying to resolve a karmic issue in a relationship, this may bring balm to the soul.  It may bring the ease of connection you have needed and been waiting for.

Thursday (27th) may be tricky if you like to avoid confrontation, for the Sun conjuncts Mars on that day.  When a planet conjuncts the Sun the phenomenon is called a “combust”, and certainly the Sun and Mars is a fiery combustible combination.  It brings out the warrior (as in Chris Evans’ chart).  If you are sure that you are entirely justified and constructive, then go for what you want (e.g. pay equality).  If you are a peacemaker, then your work may be cut out.  It is not a day to take big risks, for either type of personality.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – new beginning
• Tomorrow – mixed fortunes
• Tuesday – application
• Wednesday – karmic harmony
• Thursday – fiery

Donald Trump – Relations and Relationships

I haven’t written about U.S. President Donald Trump since December 2015, so I thought  I would catch up with him, after two weeks of writing about Wimbledon. There is a great deal of speculation about his psychiatric diagnosis, his possible impeachment, and the effects of the coming 21st August eclipse on his chart.  But what I would like to focus on is his relationships.  He has had a cavalcade of advisors coming in and going out since he took office, and his style is very autocratic (i.e. he is not influenced much by those around him), so maybe his relationships don’t matter so much.  But I would like to take a peek at some of his family relationships and a few of the relationships with other leaders around the world.

The Entrepreneur

First, his relationship with himself: his fierce individuality is shown by a triple conjunction of Uranus/North Node and Sun in Gemini in 10th House of Career, Ambition and Politics. He is the embodiment of the Entrepreneur Archetype, and his chart expresses this to an unbelievable degree: Jupiter in Libra in 2nd House of Money exactly trine Uranus in Gemini in 10th House of Career.  He is the ultimate in the astrological textbook of entrepreneurship.  Richard Branson also has Jupiter exactly trine Uranus, but in Water signs.

Melania Trump

Melania Trump is the trophy wife, born under the supportive and artistic sign of Taurus.  She has a very grounded chart, with an electrical or magnetic energy from an exact trine between Mars and Uranus.  Mars is one of the two planets describing the men in her life, and emphasizes the Uranian nature of her husband.  It is always intriguing to wonder what she actually thinks of him.  Her Mars is exactly trine his Neptune, which indicates an attraction possibly based on glamour on both sides.  This is reinforced by her Neptune exactly square his Ascendant.  With her Jupiter exactly sextile his Ascendant, it is possible for her to aid his success.  Her Pluto is exactly sextile his Venus, indicating some genuine deep feelings in the relationship.  And her Pluto trines his Midheaven, so she is intrinsically bound up with his career and life path.  We do not have her birth time, so we do not know how the angles of her chart fit with his planets.

Ivanka Trump

Ivanka Trump is Donald’s daughter by his first wife Ivana Trump, and he has given Ivanka a not inconsiderable share of responsibility (though he has not been listening to her concerns about climate change).  She has an intensely Libran chart (though a Scorpio Sun), with an exact conjunction of Jupiter and Pluto in Libra, showing an interesting relationship to power, and this is square to her Nodal Axis making the power connection karmic.  She inherits this conjunction of Jupiter and Pluto directly from Donald, though his is two degrees apart.  She also has an interesting relationship with healing, as her Chiron is unaspected.  I do not know the reason why this is, but it is something to watch.  There is also an exact conjunction between Venus and Neptune, indicating a subtle artistry.

As she works so closely with her father, you would expect harmonious interaspects between them, but in fact the relationship does not look easy: Her Venus opposes his Sun, her Jupiter squares his Saturn, her Saturn conjuncts his Chiron, and her Neptune opposes his Sun.

Donald Trump Jr.

Donald Trump Jr. (also a child of Ivana) has recently come into the news because of his revelations about dealings with the Russians.  He is a Capricorn Sun with the Sun  exactly square his Nodal Axis (power karma).  He has a helpful exact trine between Chiron and Saturn, bisected by Jupiter which creates two sextiles: it remains to be seen in what way this benefits him, his father, or international relations.

Like Melania, he has Jupiter exactly sextile Donald’s Ascendant, but while his Jupiter is on Donald’s 11th House cusp of groups, hers is on Donald’s 3rd House cusp of public speaking.  Donald Jr’s helpful Jupiter-Saturn-Chiron configuration undoubtedly is very strategically placed in Donald Sr’s chart for maximum effect, though Junior’s Saturn sits exactly on Senior’s Ascendant, so there are challenges too for Donald Sr. Interestingly, their working relationship began through the younger man joining his father’s real estate company, and Saturn rules real estate. Another link is Trump Jr’s Mercury on Trump Sr’s South Node, indicating a past life connection through a teacher-pupil relationship.  There is also a very explosive exact conjunction of Trump Jr’s Mars to Trump Sr’s Pluto, which is painful for both but enables Trump Sr to pull rank. Their relationship was notoriously stormy when Donald Jr was young, and Donald Sr was very much the absent father.  The Junior’s Neptune sextiles the Senior’s Jupiter, which provides some harmony at least, and Trump Jr’s Pluto conjuncts Trump Sr’s Jupiter, pumping up the power for both.

Ivana Trump

Ivana Trump was Donald (Sr’s) wife at the time he was building his business empire, and I thought it might be interesting to look at this relationship too.  Theirs was an acrimonious divorce (she has Venus opposite Pluto, and Venus rules her 7th House of Marriage), but something must have brought them together and drawn them to create a family.  Ivana is a Piscean Sunsign, and we do have her birth time, which gives her an Ascendant in Scorpio.

In her relationships: With Donald, his Neptune trined her Mercury (a mental affinity), his Venus trined her Jupiter (a social affinity), his Mars sextiled her Uranus (providing excitement for both), his Venus trined her Ascendant, and there are some deeper psychological connections.  His Neptune is on her Chiron (some healing qualities, at least in the prime of their relationship), his Chiron sextiles her Pluto (a deep psychological understanding).  Lifestylewise, his I.C. (sense of security) was conjunct her Ascendant, and their relationship endured for 13 years.

With her son Donald, she has a trine from her Chiron to his Mars, which is strengthening for both, but his Saturn (which conjuncts his father’s Ascendant) opposes her Sun and squares her Moon, providing a great deal of frustration for her and accentuating her natal Sun-Moon square which is difficult in terms of finding her own identity.  She has mixed aspects from his Uranus: a destructive square from his Uranus to her Pluto (mutual agony), but a sextile from his Uranus to her Midheaven (he may have original ideas to help her in her career); his Pluto trines her Venus (a trine of deep feeling which turns up in the relationship between Donald Sr and Melania), and there is a sweet sextile between his Neptune and her Venus.

Between mother and daughter there is a strong tie of Ivana’s Mars trine Ivanka’s Sun (she may have taught her daughter aspects of the female warrior) but Ivana’s Neptune conjuncts Ivanka’s Saturn (providing some discomfort between them).  Ivana’s Pluto sextile Ivanka’s Saturn is a vehicle by which they can give each other great strength.

Theresa May

Who can forget the iconic moment when Theresa and Donald held hands in those heady days when their premierships were in their infancy?  Was Theresa star struck in that moment?  Did she subsequently regret giving her hand so readily?  According to the astrology, their true relationship looks fairly antagonistic.  Her Sun squares his Mercury, her Venus squares his Midheaven, her Jupiter squares his Uranus, her Saturn squares his Ascendant, and her Pluto sits on his Ascendant.  She needs a great deal of self-control not to let any misgivings show.  Meanwhile, he appears to be supportive to Theresa in her Brexit dilemma, and promises much economically for the future for the U.K.  There are two supportive interaspects between them, and they both involve Neptune, the planet of deception:  her Uranus sextiles his Neptune, and her Neptune sextiles his Ascendant.  It is very difficult to see through this relationship.

Vladimir Putin

The issue of how much Vladimir Putin of Russia interfered with the election of Donald Trump remains current.  Again, it is intriguing to know how close they are.  Donald very recently held hours of talks with Putin and they were filmed sitting amicably together.  There is a close tie between Trump’s Chiron conjunct Putin’s Sun, which is very telling. It is a mutually dependant conjunction often found between parents and children, and is quite symbiotic in nature.  There is a mental affinity, from Putin’s Mercury trine Donald’s Sun, but also a defensive square between Putin’s Mercury and Donald’s Saturn.  Their Marses are exactly trine!  So they are both men of action together, and capable of acting together.  Putin’s Saturn is on Trump’s Jupiter, so Putin firmly has his thumb on Trump’s sense of freedom, and Putin’s Saturn also trines Donald’s Uranus, so in that regard Donald does have some freedom in some ways too.  Putin’s Uranus squares Donald’s Jupiter, which means there is an area of risk between them, and ways in which they don’t trust each other.  Putin’s Neptune sextiles Trump’s Moon (spiritual and emotional affinity) and trines Trump’s North Node (a karmic and spiritual harmony).  Finally, Putin’s Pluto sextiles Trump’s Sun, a working together on the issue of power, with Putin allowing Trump a great deal of rope, but deep down they know who holds the greater power.  That relationship holds much more interest astrologically than Donald’s with Theresa.

Emmanuel Macron

Here’s a new relationship on the block, with Emmanual Macron inviting Donald to Bastille Day celebrations and parades.  Emmanuel Macron was born 10 days before Donald Trump Jr. in the same year, so Donald may experience a sense of familiarity about him, and there may be elements in their relationship which are similar.  Macron’s Sun/Mercury trines the Ascendant of Donald Trump (Sr) which is very validating for the latter.  Macron’s Venus conjuncts Donald’s Moon, making for some sympathy between them.  But further down the line it may be seen that there is some combustibility for as with Donald’s son there is a Mars/Pluto conjunction, close but not exact as with the son.  Interestingly, Theresa May’s Pluto is two degrees away from Donald’s Mars (the other way round from the conjunctions with Donald Jr and Macron), so there is some reason for Donald to respect Theresa’s position. Also as with the son, Macron’s Saturn conjuncts Donald’s Ascendant – Donald may find at times that the relationship is like a millstone round his neck.  There is a nicely flowing sextile though between Macron’s Neptune and Trump’s Chiron, which may be helpful when things need to be smoothed over.

I have barely touched such a vast subject here, so may return to it some time soon!

Aspects

We start the week with two squares, and there is a lot more going on than last week aspectwise, so there is a lot to do in terms of working with the planets this week.

Tomorrow Venus squares Neptune, so this highlights the need to look through the nature of relationship and relationships, and see past the illusion or past assumptions which have prevented you from seeing clearly.  In the office, at the beginning of the working week, this may involve you looking at colleagues in their human vulnerability, where perhaps working structures may have set them up as competitors.

Tuesday (18th) introduces the second of the squares, Mars square Uranus.  This may involve mechanical items going wrong, or tempers getting frayed.  There is a sense of urgency about getting things done which actually prevents the smooth running of production.

Fortunately, there may be help at hand in the shape of a later trine between Mars and Chiron, which can assist the matching up of parts in better relation to each other, e.g. in mechanics, production or even relationships.  There may be some macho posturing during the day while things are getting sorted (e.g. “watch and see how it’s done”).  The day’s aspects will certainly sort out the men from the boys.

The evening brings a superb firework display of sociability, in which you may forget any wrangles of the day.  Venus trines Jupiter, which is one of the best aspects in the year, and last surfaced on Christmas Day 2016.  It is not only sociable but also holds romantic promise,  e.g. an idyll on a South Pacific island, or a fly-past marriage proposal, or just a candlelit dinner for two on the riverside.  If you are spending the day alone, spoil yourself and show yourself how much you appreciate yourself.

Wednesday (19th) brings another trine, so everything is on the up…It’s much more prosaic though, and lacking the romanticism of the previous day’s trine.  It is about getting down to the nitty gritty, making lists (such as who to invite to the wedding), and maybe sorting out financial forms such as self-employed tax requirements.  Some solid work can be done under this aspect.

On Thursday (20th) Mars enters Leo, and you may decide to put on some display of pomp and circumstance (both Trump and Macron have Mars in Leo).  This aspect favours the performing arts, e.g. maybe you are putting the finishing touches to your script for the winter pantomime.  It is an ideal influence for the spirit of the Proms and for enjoying this event.  The Proms takes place this year between 14th July and 9th September.  Mars in Leo accompanies this almost exactly, from 20th July to 5th September.  The Edinburgh Festival also falls within this period, from 4th to 28th August.  So if you hear the extra flourish of the cymbals and drums at the Prom, or extra guffaws at the Edinburgh Festival, it is the background sound of Mars in Leo.

There may be some disruption to plans or routines on Friday (21st) with the intervention of a square between the Sun and Uranus.  Creativity may need something extra from outside the box.  Even then, you may need to leave ironing out the creases for another day.  The energy of the emotional Sun at the end of Cancer does not mesh well with the strident needs of Uranus at the end of Aries.  You may have the wrong casting for your pantomime, and solutions may have to wait for the right people to appear or people to accept your outlandish ideas.  Expect the unexpected.

However, after the spanner has gummed up the works, two other interesting aspects enter into the picture, which may enable you to end the day with some satisfaction, if not a completed project.  The Sun trines Chiron, enabling healing initiatives.  And Mercury conjuncts the North Node, bringing karmic information and communication of a subtle but revealing nature.  If you follow these two subtle cues, they may provide added interest to your creativity, and make your pantomime script stand out among all the others.

Our final astrological event of the week is the entry of the Sun into Leo on Saturday (22nd), adding more pomp and circumstance to the display and creativity under way.  Put all your characters into gold costumes with plumes for your parade.  It is time to showcase your talents, and not hide your light.  If you can’t do that when the Sun is in Leo, the world may be missing out on your unique contribution.

The week in bullet points:

• Tomorrow – sensitive relationships
• Tuesday – hasty actions, solutions, and vibrant social atmospheres
• Wednesday – down to work, productively
• Thursday – a love of display
• Friday – the unexpected, then healing and karmic information
• Saturday – creativity and self-expression

Wimbledon 2017 – Week 2

The first week of Wimbledon produced some great tennis (a highlight being Andy Murray’s match with Fognini), and a few upsets.  The first four men’s seeds are still standing, but No. 5 seed Stan Wawrinka went out in the first round.  Petra Kvitova and Karolina Pliskova went out of the women’s tournament.  Here are the next seeds, coming up (again, I will be adding content under comments throughout the week, as there are still players I would like to cover):

Ladies Singles

Caroline Wozniacki – No. 5  Seed

This is from 2015:

“Caroline Wozniacki has 7 out of her 10 planets in Cardinal signs, so is a natural leader.  She has a natural system of checks and balances within her psyche, with a triple conjunction of Chiron/Sun/Jupiter in Cancer opposite her Saturn in Capricorn.  Her Mercury squares Mars, so she can get irritable or suffer from frayed nerves.  Her Sun/Chiron conjunction is exact, so she may have some healing talent.”

In the middle of Wimbledon 2017 Wozniacki has a Solar Return (her birthday is on Tuesday 11th July) and the Sun on her healing Chiron, which is a minor boost.  Mercury is on her South Node, which may pull her back into old patterns.  Uranus squares her Mercury, also producing mental strain.  In addition, Uranus transits her natal Mars, putting her in danger of injury.  Neptune trines her Pluto, so she maintain her serenity in the face of much stress.  But Pluto opposes her Sun/Chiron.  The Mars and Pluto transits are similar to those of Klizan in week 1, who was forced to withdraw from his match with Djokovic due to a left calf injury.

At the time of the final of Wimbledon she has lost the more personal transits, but Uranus still causes mental strain on her Mercury, still transits her Mars (incident prone), still opposes her Sun/Chiron.  Caroline will need great strength if she wants to reach the final.

She has just played a tough 3 set match with Kontaveit, and now faces Coco Vandeweghe (No. 24) in the next round.  In their synastry,Vendeweghe’s Pluto trines Wozniacki’s Jupiter, so they can bring out the best in each other and produce a good match.  Coco’s Jupiter also trines Wozniacki’s Neptune, which also brings out good play in each other.  The play has depth and complexity, with Coco’s Uranus conjunct Caroline’s Neptune and Caroline’s Pluto sextile Coco’s Neptune.

Coco is an outrageously outright Sagittarian, with Mars, the Sun, the Moon (a New Moon) and Mercury in that sign.  The strength of a New Mooner is the ability to always start afresh, and that can be in the middle of a match!  Her Sun squares her Jupiter, so she could be relentlessly optimistic, sometimes unrealistically so.  Her Mercury is square to Jupiter, so she may not always be able to focus, and sometimes overstretches herself.  Mars sextiles Saturn, which is nicely controlled in action.  Her ruling planet Jupiter is trine closely Uranus/Neptune, making her enterprising and giving her the capacity to surprise, as well as great faith in herself and in the force being with her.  Jupiter also trines her North Node, adding luck and extra good karma.  Uranus is closely conjunct her North Node, and surprise is the game of her karmic mission.  What a live wire of a chart she has!

Transits for Coco on Monday: Mars opposite her Venus could make her accident-prone in a very minor way (scrapes and bruises).  Jupiter squares her Neptune, making her a little more confused than usual, and Neptune opposes her Jupiter returning the compliment and increasing the confusion.  Not a good line up of transits.  This gives Caroline Wozniacki the edge in tomorrow’s match

For the end of Wimbledon, Jupiter is still square her Neptune, but Neptune is square her natal Sun in addition, adding to the confusion, and Neptune is still opposite her Jupiter which does not show an improved picture at all.  I therefore do not think Coco will be a finalist.

Johanna Konta – No. 6 Seed

I have not looked at Johanna’s chart before.  It is the first time she has made it into the second week of Wimbledon.  She’s a very enjoyable player to watch, pulling off some sublime strokes at times.  Her debut at Wimbledon was even in doubt, as she sustained a spinal injury last week, but showed from her play at the outset that she was not unduly affected. She is a stolid Taurean, with an interesting exact conjunction of Mars and Chiron in Cancer, which may be one of the secrets of her success.  It may enable her to assess physical energy very quickly and make adjustments while playing.  This conjunction can have a painful side, but was not involved in her injury the week before Wimbledon.

Johanna certainly has the energy to push through her goals, with Mars exactly sextile her Sun.  Mars also trines her North Node, so she is able to use this energy in her karmic mission, and Mars sextiles closely her Chiron (self-healing may be a strength).  Mercury squares her Mars, so she has an irritable side.  And to top up a long list of Mars aspects, Pluto trines Mars, so she has a formidable storehouse of energy at her disposal when she needs it, for a long 3-set match for instance.  This strong Mars may well come from warrior training in past lives, for Mars itself is on her South Node, together with Chiron, suggesting a warrior lineage which incorporates healing (such as some of the oriental disciplines).

If she has a weakness, it’s Jupiter exactly opposite Saturn, which can sometimes make it difficult for her to make decisions, or presents life dilemmas which are hard to reconcile.  She also has the complex Uranus/Neptune conjunction in Capricorn of the early 1990s which can be difficult, but can also make it possible to process complex systems of thought.

The Guardian describes Konta’s attitude to life: “She is uniquely focussed, a quality that can often make her seem cold and robotic in public.  But it helps her to stay in the moment, which is how she prefers it.  She does not worry too much about the future.”

In the middle of Wimbledon, Mars sextiles her Sun, adding strength and energy to her portfolio.  Uranus is on her Mercury (a factor which was involved in her recent injury), which is not easy but does add to her intuition.  She has a Mars Return (more energy!), Neptune sextile her Uranus (more intuition!), and Pluto sextile her Pluto (a factor which was involved in her recent rapid healing) adding psychological strength.  That is looking good for her at the start of this week.

At the end of Wimbledon, Mars squares her Mercury so mentally she may be a little more brittle.  Some of the high energy transits have trailed away.  She still has Neptune sextile her Uranus and Pluto sextile her Pluto, but that, I do not think, is enough to get her into the final.

Konta plays Caroline Garcia on Monday.  Here is another player whose chart I haven’t seen before.  Interestingly, she has 0 Fire planets, and 0 Mutable planets,5 Fixed and 5 Cardinal.  Her Sun is in Libra and conjunct closely Jupiter, so she may have a lucky touch.  Her Sun is also exactly trine Saturn, with Saturn exactly trine Jupiter, so she has good and balanced judgement. Her Capricorn Uranus/Neptune conjunction is exact, and Mars is exactly sextile this conjunction, so she can use this understanding of complexity in her physical prowess.  Her chart is not without difficulties, as she has an exact square between the two difficult planets Saturn and Pluto.  So there is a lot of contrast in her chart and psyche.  She also has Chiron exactly square the Nodal Axis.  Quite an extraordinary chart.  I haven’t seen her play yet, but that looks like an interesting experience.

In her synastry with Konta, Konta’s Mars/Chiron squares her Sun, so Konta could have her rattled.  Konta’s Uranus sextiles her Mars, producing electricity between them, and possibly exciting matches stemming from that.  Garcia’s Saturn squares Konta’s Sun, which can dampen Konta’s game (though not so much this week, as Konta has heightened energy).  Her Uranus/Neptune conjunction sextiles Konta’s Pluto (they understand each other on a generational level).  But while Garcia’s Pluto trines Konta’s Mars (heightening her energy) it also opposes Konta’s Sun, which gives Garcia sometimes a psychological advantage.  It could be a tough match for Konta.

At the centre point of Wimbledon, Mars squares Garcia’s Sun, which could make her incident-prone, but Saturn sextiles her Sun which is steadying.  Pluto sextiles her Mercury, so she will be in good condition mentally and psychologically.  Neptune trines her Mars, so she is sensitively in tune with her body and soul.  Pluto conjuncts her Uranus/Neptune, which is possibly a hazard, and Mars trines her Pluto, lending her an extra helping of energy. At the end of Wimbledon, similar conditions apply for Garcia, plus a nervy square of Mercury to her natal Mercury: a finer point which could tip the balance towards Konta.

I think Konta has the extra push from the Universe tomorrow, and could make the next round.

Svetlana Kuznetsova – No. 7 Seed

I am looking at another chart freshly here.  Kuznetsova has an emotional Sun/Mars in Cancer, with Mercury also in that sign, and half (5) of her planets in Water signs if the Moon is in Scorpio (it may be just in Libra).  Her Moon may also be conjunct Pluto, adding an extra weight of emotion.  Her Sun trine Pluto gives her psychological power.  Mercury trine Saturn helps her concentration, but Pluto squaring her Mercury means that at times her deeper emotions can overwhelm her mental processes.  Jupiter trines her natal Uranus, so she can be enterprising and opportunistic.  But Jupiter squares the Nodal Axis exactly, so there are issues of overconfidence stemming from past lives.

At the mid point of Wimbledon, Jupiter sextiles her Uranus, which is favourable, though there are few other supporting transits. By the very end of Wimbledon though, this favourable transit is at its peak.  She could be blessed with a place in the final!

She plays Agnieszka Radwanska next, on Monday.

Agnieszka Radwanska – No. 9 Seed

I wrote in 2014:

“She has a bouncy, enthusiastic and energetic conjunction of Mars and Jupiter in her chart, which is useful in a sporting life.  But Agnieszka has a natally depressive exact conjunction of Saturn and Neptune…”  She may therefore have contrasting moods – she certainly varies her shots skilfully.

At the mid point of Wimbledon , the Nodal Axis squares her Mars, not so good for looking after the physical body.  But Chiron sextiles her natal Jupiter, so there are some positive vibes and healings going on for her.

By the end of Wimbledon, the Chiron sextile to Jupiter becomes exact, and that is a good sign for her.  Mars sextile her Mars, so it has left the square with her Nodal Axis and her energy is at a peak.  Therefore if she gets through the next round, her prospects improve, and could put her on the way to a place in the final.  She probably has an equal chance of winning as does Kuznetsova, but they meet on Monday.

Their synastry shows Kuznetsova’s Uranus square Radwanska’s Sun (so Kuznetsova can surprise Radwanska).  Kuznesova’s North Node is sextile Radwanska’s Sun, so there is a karmic knowing of each other.  Radwanska’s Saturn opposes Kuznetsova’s Mars, so Radwanska can slow down her progress.  Radwanska’s Uranus opposes Kuznetsova’s Sun (so she can surprise her back!).  That can make for some lively interplay between them!  Radwanska’s Neptune opposes Kuznetsova’s Mars, so Radwanska can overwhelm her.  And, last but not least, Radwanska’s Pluto sits on Kuznetsova’s South Node.  Radwanska can often have the final say, and that is another karmic feature of their synastry.  Thus says the astrology, but in previous meetings Kuznetsova has often had the upper hand.

They seem evenly matched, but if I have to choose for this match I will go for Agnieszka Radwanska.

Men’s Singles

Milos Raonic – No. 6 Seed

Milos Raonic was one of three top players knocked out on the first day at Queen’s (with Murray and Wawrinka).  Recycling my evaluation of his chart from 2014:

 “Milos has 5 planets plus the North Node in the sign of Capricorn- a steadfast line up for a tennis player.  His Venus is exactly trine Pluto, giving him a strong presence on and off the court.  Mars trines his North Node closely, so it is important for him to attain and sustain a peak fitness.  His serve is highly praised in the tennis world, and that may be a product of his Mars-North Node trine. “

At the mid point of Wimbledon: Uranus trines his Mercury, producing original and surprising work on the tennis court, and a heightened intuition.  Neptune sextiles his own Neptune, centring him spiritually, but curiously Jupiter also squares his Neptune which may make him over-confident in some respects.

At the end of Wimbledon, he still has the skills of Uranus trine his Mercury, added to which are the physical prowess and energy of Mars sextile his Mars, so he could be at peak condition.  Neptune still sextiles his Neptune, but he has lost that slightly overbalancing Jupiter square to his Neptune.  These are good transits for him for the end of Wimbledon, and may see him into the final.  They are not better though, I do not think, than Federer or Thiem’s final transits.

Raoinic plays Alexander Zverev (Seed No. 10) on Monday.  Alexander Zverev is the brother of Mikhail, who was just beaten by Federer.  In his synastry with Raonic shows Zverev has Mercury trine Raonic’s Neptune, the ability to tune into each other’s game.  Zverev has Saturn on Raonic’s Uranus, which can cause some disruptive play between them, and Raonic’s Chiron opposes Zverev’s Saturn, increasing that tendency.

Zverev is a new (to me) kid on the block, with a wilder hairstyle than average (from his photos, unless he has just tamed it).  His Sun is right at the beginning of Taurus, and he has 0 Water planets (so may not be so emotional) and half his planets in Earth so is practical.  He is sensitive, though, with Neptune exactly square his Sun, and Chiron exactly opposite his Sun.  He has Mercury conjunct Venus, which may give him writing or diplomatic abilities.  With Mercury exactly square Uranus, he is not afraid to be controversial.  Mars appears unaspected in a chart without a birth time, so his energies may be as wild and free as his hair.  Neptune trines his North Node, so he has a spiritual side.  With Neptune square his Chiron he may be impossibly idealistic (as well as practical).  An intriguing young man.

At the middle of Wimbledon: Chiron steadies his Neptune with a trine, necessary because his natal Neptune is a bit too out there.  But that is not a particularly strong showing, astrologically.  By the end of the week, Pluto trines his Mars, giving him extra strength, energy and depth, which he would need if he were to make the final push.  This doesn’t seem strong enough for the final, but may get him to the semi-final at best.

I believe that Raonic has the stronger astrological showing in this tournament.

Marin Cilic – No. 7 Seed

From 2015:

“Marin Cilic has a very challenging natal chart, containing a Grand Cross in Earth signs, composed of Neptune opposite Chiron and Mars opposite the Sun.  He could struggle at times, especially when a transiting planet is crossing one of those four points.  With Saturn conjunct exactly Uranus, he can sometimes be subject to earthquakes in his life, psychologically at least.  He has chosen a difficult path, but would have the character to match.  There is a modicum of luck, with Sun exactly trine Jupiter, and great enthusiasm (Mars exactly sextile Jupiter).  Mercury is also exactly sextile Uranus (mental brilliance), so he could be a master of precision with all those precise aspects!”

At the mid point of Wimbledon: The North Node sextiles his Mercury (good mental karma), Saturn trine his Venus (loyalty in his personal life), North Node trine his Saturn (fair karma if earned).  These are not exciting transits, but they are fairly supportive.

At the end of Wimbledon: Mars squares his Mercury (he could be fractious or irritable, maybe throw a tantrum?).  He still has the North Node trine his Saturn, but not much else.  I do not think he will make it to the final.

Cilic plays Roberto Bautista-Agut on Monday.  Their synastry shows Cilic’s Sun trine Bautista-Agut’s Mars, and their Marses sextile, so a good flow of energy between them (should make for good rallies!).  Cilic’s Neptune trines Bautista-Agut’s Mars, so Cilic is attuned well to his opponent’s energy and able to read it well, and sympathize with him when off the court.  Cilic’s Pluto is sextile Roberto’s Neptune, so more empathy between them.

Bautista-Agut’s prospects mid-Wimbledon: Pluto squares his Mercury, which may break up his concentration.  This transit becomes exact at the final, so he is not likely to get there.  His transits are overall weaker than Cilic’s, so I would assume from that that Cilic will beat him tomorrow.

Dominic Thiem – No. 8 Seed

For fans of Thiem, I have no extra information at this stage!  But there is some conjecture to be found under last week’s comments from various quarters.

To recap, at the French Open, I wrote:

“Thiem has Sun in Virgo (known as a humble personality) and Moon in Aries (aggressive baseline player), with Ascendant in Cancer (probably very patriotic). Uranus and Neptune are exactly conjunct in Capricorn opposite the Ascendant, early in 7th House. He has the ability to bamboozle an opponent… He has Mars conjunct closely Jupiter, great energy and enthusiasm, in Libra in 3rd House. Mars squares Uranus/Neptune – creating complex electrical energy. With Uranus/Neptune sextile exactly Midheaven (Careerpoint), he could have a brilliant career!”

“The transit of Jupiter on Dominic’s Mars (sporting success) takes place at the beginning of Wimbledon which is late this year (3rd July), so he will make a very good start there …But he has a Jupiter Return close to the Wimbledon Final, which if he stays the course of that tournament could spell great success. The Return takes place 19/20th July, and Wimbledon ends on 16th.”

” I think Thiem could do even better at Wimbledon than he does at Roland-Garros.”

It was then pointed out to me that Thiem would meet Roger Federer in their half of the draw.  I then added:

“My enthusiasm for Thiem’s prospects are based on his Jupiter Return in Libra just after the close of Wimbledon, which occurs in his 4th House.

My enthusiasm for Roger’s prospects are based on ” Jupiter sextile his Sun (an excellent prospect), he still has Pluto strengthening his Venus, Jupiter square his Mars has lifted, Neptune still trines his Mars (you could see some stunning work if he is in the final)”. It is true that he has one or two other disadvantages (notably Saturn on his Neptune, which peaks a few days after Wimbledon), but overall I think this is a strong set of transits.”

So if Thiem were to meet Roger Federer in the semi-final, I think the latter would have the edge.

Thiem plays Tomas Berdych No. 11 Seed on Monday.  Berdych has slipped down one Seed since last year, when I quoted from 2015:

“As a Virgoan, Tomas is very analytical, but he has a sense of showmanship with Venus and Mars in Leo.  We do not have his birth time, so his Moon could be in Libra or Scorpio.  If in Scorpio, that would make him extremely emotionally intense as the Moon would be conjunct with Pluto in that sign.  There is a lot of seriousness overall in his make up, with the Sun exactly sextile Saturn, and Venus exactly square Saturn.  His great energy is coming from Mars closely sextile Pluto.  He has hidden depths, and a very strong will (5 of his 10 planets in Fixed signs).”

In the chemistry between Thiem and Berdych, again there is a good karmic tie of Dominic’s Sun trine Berdych’s North Node.  Berdych’s Uranus and Chiron square Dominic’s Mercury, inducing some mental strain on him.  However, Berdych’s Uranus and Chiron are well aspected with Thiem’s Mars, so physically he is more in harmony with Berdych.  Thiem’s Pluto sits on Berdych’s Saturn, which is difficult for the latter.

For Berdych, transits for the middle of Wimbledon: Mars trine his Saturn, fairly constructive, but Neptune square his Uranus, which is tricky.

Transits for the end of Wimbledon:  He loses the trine, but keeps the tricky square, so it does not look as though he gains ground through the week.

Thiem’s transits are definitely better for this match.

Grigor Dimitrov – No. 13 Seed

Previously, I have written:

“He has two interesting conjunctions in his chart: one is the Uranus-Neptune conjunction in Capricorn of the early 1990s, which at the time I dubbed “the winds of change”. It enables him to deal with complexity and strong energies.  That may describe his role in tennis at the moment, as part of a new vanguard.  The other interesting conjunction is that of Mars and Chiron which is very close, so there is some aspect of his energy (Mars) which has been wounded, and which he may have repaired, to find his Inner Healer. His athleticism shows in his chart as the Sun exactly sextile Mars.”  The Mars/Chiron conjunction may well be turned into a strength (see Johanna Konta, who also has it, and  turned things around very quickly after her injury at Eastbourne).

After dating Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, Dimitrov is currently in a relationship with the singer Nicole Scherzinger. They have a romantic conjunction between Dimitrov’s Venus and Nicole’s Sun,  and a dynamic conjunction between Dimitrov’s Mars/Chiron and Nicole’s Mercury.  There is also extra chemistry from his Venus sextile her Mars.

Midway through Wimbledon Dimitrov has a Mars Return, so he won’t be short of energy and fight.  Pluto is sextile his natal Pluto, so he’ll be true to himself at the deepest level.  At the end of Wimbledon the Nodal Axis squares his Sun, so his karma is not easy.  Neptune sextiles his Uranus, so he will be feeling sensitive.  He will be playing Roger Federer tomorrow, who seems unbeatable at the moment, and has good transits for the end of Wimbledon.  I don’t think Dimitrov will beat Federer.

Aspects

At 4.07 this morning, while you were hopefully sleeping, there was a Full Moon at 17 degrees Capricorn.  Perhaps you felt the emotional tension yesterday, or had a sleepless night.  On waking, perhaps the tension may not quite have dispersed, and if so that may be because tomorrow the Sun is opposed by Pluto, and the effects of this may seem similar to the build up of the Full Moon.  So it is a challenging start to the week, and one in which you need to ensure that you treat yourself with kid gloves, and others with tender loving care.  Those with a tendency to create drama may take the stage, but it is best to treat these two days as a damage limitation exercise.  If you are looking for the highest expression of Full Moon in Capricorn, there may be an opportunity for the successful culmination of some administration or organization.  With the Full Moon having occurred overnight, it is also possible that you received some dream guidance along those lines.

Tomorrow’s aspect of Sun opposite Pluto also occurs around the same time, 4.35 a.m.  You may wake with a dream message around that time.  Certainly the message of this aspect is a deep one, and one which may not be easily accessed by the conscious mind.  Again, the day may belong to those who express along more dramatic lines.  There may be more tears to release, and the conversation may revolve around mortality and  health matters (physical or mental health).  Looking inwards may be a profitable exercise, but look out for those who may be struggling with the process.

After tomorrow, the emotion may start to ebb away, and there are no more aspects until Friday (14th), so you can regard this intervening period as a process of regeneration.  You are rewarded for your inner work this week on Friday by a refreshing sextile between Mercury and Jupiter, the light at the end of the tunnel (if there was a tunnel).  You may emerge with new ideas and receive stimulating and positive news.  The aspect is good for sales and business, travel and education.  Literary works and publishing ventures also thrive successfully.  If you’ve been suffering a writer’s block with your novel recently (as I have), there may be a breakthrough.  International or global communications may reach out productively, too – you may find more response in an email from abroad than in your locality.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – conflicting emotions
• Tomorrow – the need to dig deep, but gently
• Friday – green light on communications

Wimbledon 2017 – Week 1

It’s that season again!  May the sun shine on Wimbledon lawns this next fortnight.  I  hope to be on hand to catch every astrological nuance, starting here with the first four seeds in the ladies and men’s game.  Look out for extra information under comments as we go along, and possible extra blogs.

Ladies Singles

Angelique Kerber – No. 1 Seed

The absence of Serena Williams due to pregnancy has helped keep Angelique Kerber at the top of the rankings.  Two key moments for Angelique this last year were 12 September 2016 (when she made it to the top of the rankings) and 17th October 2016 (when Serena Williams pulled out of the WTA Finals in Singapore with a shoulder injury, and left a clear field for Angelique).  On the first date, Uranus was sextile her natal Chiron in Gemini.  On the second date, Uranus was conjunct Angelique’s Jupiter (a lucky break). The picture for Serena was that Chiron (healing crisis) was square her natal Neptune, leaving her vulnerable.  Then of course, Serena realized she was pregnant, again influencing Angelique’s current position.

At the beginning of Wimbledon this year, Jupiter is trine Angelique’s natal Mercury, a wonderful indication of optimism and good co-ordination.  However, at the same time, Saturn opposes her natal Chiron, so she is not fully protected from injury.  Uranus squares her Sun, so there could be upsets.  Uranus trines her Saturn, which does give her some strength.  Uranus trines her Uranus, so she has the capacity to surprise her opponents (even though Uranus square her Sun means that life may also hold surprises for her).  Such a mixture of influences!

By the end of the tournament, Mars opposes her Sun (possible injury), Saturn trines her Jupiter (a more protective transit), Uranus is still squaring her Sun, and Uranus still trines her Uranus, so it may be a tournament of ups and downs, and she may not get to the very end, perhaps semi-finals may be her destination.

Kerber plays Irina Falconi in the first round.  Kerber’s Pluto opposes Falconi’s Mercury, squares her Nodal Axis and trines her Chiron, so Kerber has a natural advantage in the relationship.  At the beginning of Wimbledon, Jupiter squares Falconi’s Neptune (great illusion), but Neptune sextiles her Neptune (some spiritual balance).  I do not anticipate any great problems for Kerber.

Simona Halep – No.2  Seed

Simona started out as No. 5 seed this time last year, so has made good progress.  At the beginning of this Wimbledon season Chiron opposes her Mercury, which is not helpful physically or mentally, but it may be balanced out by Chiron supporting her Saturn with a sextile.  Jupiter will be squaring her Neptune, so she will be trying to be positive, and Neptune sextiles her Neptune so she will have some measure of spiritual balance.  Mars will be trine her Pluto, so a lot of energy and fighting spirit, and last but not least Pluto sextile her natal Pluto, so that ultimate psychological strength may override any problems from Chiron opposing her Mercury.

At the end of the tournament, Chiron still opposes her Mercury (she may not feel 100%), Pluto squares her Mars (a point of danger), Chiron still sextiles her Saturn, Neptune still sextiles her Neptune, and Pluto still sextiles her Pluto.  The Pluto square to her Mars may not affect her Wimbledon tournament, as it peaks at the end of August.  She may lose a little steam by the middle of the first week, as Mars moves away from its trine with her natal Pluto.  I do not think her transits look like winners, but will monitor her progress and look at her transits in relation to others later on.

Simona plays Marina Erikovic in the first round, who has four planets in Capricorn.  The dynamics between them shows up as Halep’s Saturn square Erikovic’s Venus/Jupiter, possibly denting Erikovic’s confidence.  Halep has Uranus bearing down on Erikova’s Mars/Neptune, too, so she can take the latter by surprise.  And Halep has Pluto square Erikova’s Mercury, a psychological advantage.  At the start of Wimbledon Erikovic has no significant transits, so it could be a wash out for her.

Karolina Pliskova – No. 3 Seed

I have not looked at Karolina Pliskova’s chart before.  The 25 year old has the Sun in Aries, largely unaspected, so she is independent and free-spirited.  She has few personal aspects, so may be focussed on wider concerns in the world.  She apparently has an identical twin, which is also unusual and may complicate her psychology.  Jupiter trine closely her North Node means she has an upbeat karmic mission, and may refer to her sporting interest.  She has the complex Uranus-Neptune conjunction in Capricorn of those born in her year, 1992.

At the beginning of Wimbledon, Jupiter trines her Saturn, which is a helpful start.  Pluto however exerts pressure by conjunction on her Uranus/Neptune, so she may feel at times as though she is skating on thin ice.  Mars opposing her Neptune is also unsettling.

At the end of Wimbledon she still has Jupiter trine her Saturn (good), and Pluto is still on her Uranus/Neptune, but the Mars transit has moved on.  Again, I don’t feel these are winning transits, but will review the situation later.

Karolina plays Evgeniya Rodina, who has another very Capricornian chart – the upcoming generation of tennis players often have the conjunction of Uranus and Neptune in Capricorn. These two have an interesting personal synastry, including Pliskova’s Sun sextile Rodina’s Venus and square Rodina’s Chiron.  Rodina’s transits for the beginning of Wimbledon include the Nodal Axis square her Jupiter.  It could be a good match.

Elina Svitolina – No. 4 Seed

Here’s another new name! Elina has Sun in Capricorn conjunct Chiron, with half her planets (5) in the water element.  She has vigour (Mars sextile her Sun), emotion (Water) and sensitivity (Sun closely trine Neptune).  Mercury square Mars in her chart may make her irritable, and combined with a watery chart that may make her moody.  Venus trine her Saturn provides stability, and Mars trine Jupiter great enthusiasm.  But Mars opposite Uranus/Neptune can also be irritable, so she may have to work hard in stabilizing her moods.  There is, however, a strong theme of healing in her chart, with Sun conjunct Chiron, Neptune trine Chiron and the North Node sextile Chiron, so she may move towards healing of some sort later in life.

At the beginning of Wimbledon, Mars sextiles her Sun, providing a strong start.  But she has the Nodal Axis square her Pluto in Scorpio, which is some difficult situation to deal with, possibly in her private life.

By the end of Wimbledon, the Mars connection has passed but the Nodal connection to her Pluto is still very much current, so again we are not likely to be looking at the winner.  If a birth time should turn up for her, that may refine the picture.

21 year old Ashleigh Barty challenges Svitolina in the first round. The chemistry between these two is competitive, possibly karmically so with Elina’s Mars square Ashleigh’s Nodal Axis.  Ashleigh’s transits at the beginning of Wimbledon could be quite dramatic, with Saturn trine her Mars, Pluto on her Jupiter, and Uranus square her Neptune.  She may be overwelmed by the occasion.

The winner of the Ladies’ Singles may not be any of the four top seeds.

Mens Singles

Andy Murray – No. 1 Seed

Andy Murray has swapped places with Djokovic, who was No. 1 seed last year, with Andy Murray 2nd.  Roger Federer is in the No. 3 seed position, as he was last year, and instead of Stan Wawrinka (who was No. 4 last year) we have the return of Rafael Nadal.   Andy was quite philosophical about going out early in the recent Queens tournament, saying it would give him extra preparation time for Wimbledon.  He was beaten by no. 90 seed Jordan Thompson, and curiously on the same day Wawrinka and Cilic also went out.  On that very hot day, Uranus was on Andy’s Venus in Aries in 8th House – the unpredictable, and Neptune was opposite his Ascendant.  He had recently stated that he didn’t think at his age he would be playing much more than a year or two hence, which is difficult to believe.

So a win at Wimbledon this year would be very timely…At the onset of Wimbledon Uranus is still on his Venus, but the North Node sextiles his Mars, which is a vigorous start.  Pluto squares his Jupiter, so there may be some cards stacked against him (he currently has a sore hip, ruled by Jupiter; plus he has a difficult draw).  Neptune still opposes his Ascendant, but the North Node trines his Uranus, so he can still pull some surprises out of the bag.

At the end of the tournament Mars squares his Venus which may make it memorable, Uranus still transits his Venus, North Node still sextiles his Mars, Pluto stills squares his Jupiter, the North Node still trines his Uranus and Neptune still opposes his Ascendant.  It may be that the way he plays on his first day is an indication of his play right the way through.

Murray opens against 20 year old Alexander Bublik from Russia, who has strong ties with Murray’s chart, though that doesn’t guarantee they won’t be ships that pass in the night.  However, the beginning of Wimbledon looks to be an important experience for this young player, with the North Node sextile his Sun.  If Bublik turns out to be a promising player, he may have significant matches with Murray in the future.

Novak Djokovic – No. 2 Seed

Djokovic was born a week apart from Murray in the same year, and though they are Seeds 1 and 2, both of them have experienced some lack of motivation this year.  This may just be a temporary phase.

At the beginning of Wimbledon, Chiron is on Djokovic’s Moon (poignant emotion), Mars squares his Jupiter (uncontrolled enthusiasm), Pluto squares his Jupiter (as with Murray), and North Node trines Uranus (as with Murray).  Both he and Murray seem to have some personal pressures.

At the end of the tournament he is very mentally focussed (Mercury conjunct his Ascendant and sextile his Mercury) and has lost the Mars transit.  But he still has the Chiron transit to his Moon, Pluto square his Jupiter, North Node closely trine his Uranus.  If it’s a Murray-Djokovic final, it could be a close run thing, but this set of transits is not inspiring.

He has a new coach, in Andre Agassi, and they have a strong synastry, some of which is challenging (e.g. Djokovic’s Pluto opposite Agassi’s Sun and Agassi’s Neptune opposite Djokovic’s Sun, but there are a lot of favourable links between them (e.g. Agassi’s Moon sextile Djokovic’s Jupiter and Saturn and Agassi’s Jupiter trine Djokovic’s Mars).  The transits for the end of Wimbledon for Agassi  are not remarkable, but a trine from Chiron to his Neptune may be personally fulfilling for him.

Djokovic meets Martin Klizan in the first round.  In their synastry, Djokovic’s Jupiter squares Klizan’s Sun, and Klizan’s Jupiter opposes Djokovic’s Uranus, so they could induce errors in each other’s game.  Klizan has Mars on his Sun at the beginning of Wimbledon, so he’ll be keen and energetic, but possibly incident-prone.  Pluto also opposes his Sun, so he is under strain.  He does have some upbeat and jovial vibes going on, with Jupiter sextile his Venus and the North Node sextile his Jupiter.  It may be an up and down game.

Roger Federer  – No. 3 Seed

Roger Federer has had a good year, winning the Australian Open, but decided to take a rest during the French Open to give himself a better chance for Wimbledon.  At 35, he is still going strong.

At the beginning of Wimbledon Jupiter is sextile his Mercury, which is good for his spirit and co-ordination, Pluto trines his Venus, which is personally strengthening, Jupiter squares his Mars (a little overconfidence), Neptune trines his Mars (a fine co-operation between his spirituality and his physicality), the Nodal Axis squares his Uranus (a little unpredictability), and Saturn on his Neptune (some anxiety).  So a mixed batch of transits, but mostly favourable.

By the end of Wimbledon, he has Jupiter sextile his Sun (an excellent prospect), he still has Pluto strengthening his Venus, Jupiter square his Mars has lifted, Neptune still trines his Mars (you could see some stunning work if he is in the final), the Nodal Axis still squares his Uranus, Saturn still sits on his Neptune, but in addition Saturn is sextile his Pluto.  That could be a winning combination!

Federer in the first round is up against Alexandr Dolgopolov, a Scorpio (unusual sun sign for a tennis player) with the Sun powerfully trine Pluto.  He is the top ranked Ukrainian male player.  Alexandr’s planets form some tricky aspects to Roger’s, and Alexandr could be on good form at the beginning of Wimbledon with Uranus trine his Uranus.  But because Roger’s transits are so strong for the end of Wimbledon he will probably get through.

Rafael Nadal  – No. 4 Seed

Fresh from the triumph of his 10th win at the French Open, Rafael will be hungry for another Grand Slam win.  For his win in the  final of the French Open he had Jupiter trine his Sun, and Uranus conjunct his natal North Node, plus Neptune square his Chiron.

At the beginning of Wimbledon the North Node sextiles Rafa’s Mercury, so his mental faculties may be acute.

By the end of Wimbledon, that transit is still operational. He will also have Jupiter square his Venus, which is enjoyable and could make for some flamboyant artistic moves.  This set of transits is not as powerful as Roger’s.

The Australian John Millman plays Nadal in the first round.  They have squared Jupiters, so it could be an exciting match with spacious use of the court.  Saturn currently opposes Millman’s Sun, so it is not a lucky patch for him, plus Uranus is squaring his Mars, bringing possible injury.  If so, Chiron trine his Mars currently could bring quick recovery.  It does not look as though Millman constitutes a threat to Nadal at this point.

So, for the top four men’s seeds, Roger Federer’s transits look the most promising.  I shall be looking at other competitors throughout the fortnight.

Aspects

Mars opposes Pluto at 12.02 p.m. today.  This may bring a confrontation of sorts, or some discharge of energy.  Tempers may flare, unexpectedly.  If you are reading this blog after that time, you may be out of the woods, but keep a low profile today if you wish to avoid conflict.

Tomorrow holds the prospect of real healing, with Venus sextile Chiron.  If you are engaged in a healing project, you may find the opportunity to heal occurring on more than one level, at least deeply felt and peacefully so.  Art and music may be a vehicle for healing ways, or healing through the voice (such as hypnotherapy).

Venus enters Gemini on Wednesday (5th), and friendship may be extra communicative.  If you are meeting up with an old friend, the conversation will flow. It is a very “Hail fellow well met” sort of vibe.  If you have an artistic or musical idea, you will be able to articulate it easily.  A non-stop chatter day.

Another aspect the same day, Mercury square Uranus, also focuses on communication, but brings controversy to bear.   Even if the communication is amicable, there will be an element of challenge or verbal jousting.  In technology, be prepared for a possible glitch or outage.  In amongst the non-stop chatter there may be a feeling of “this is too much!” or overwhelm, and you may need to take a moment to yourself.

As if that were not enough mental stimulation on Wednesday, there is also a trine between Mercury and Chiron, but that is constructive mentally, and good for putting yourself together after you have had your “moment”.  Later in the day there will be an emphasis on finding solutions to problems.  Expert codebreaker Alan Turing had this aspect in his natal chart, so have faith that you can crack the issue of the day, be it a computer problem or a conversational conundrum.

On Thursday (6th) Mercury enters Leo, and so there may also be a refreshing change in your mental outlook, possibly as a result of all that mental toil on Wednesday.  The mental focus shifts from one that takes into account emotion (Mercury in Cancer) to a more creative and joyful mental outlook.  There may also be a competitive edge, such as the desire to win in a debate.  Your mind may turn to plans around the summer holidays and how you can tweak some of the detail on that.

The Sun also trines Neptune on that day, and that introduces a spiritual element to your creativity, adding inspiration and spiritual power to your endeavours.  All in all, it could be a very uplifting day.

High spirits are also a characteristic of another aspect of the day: Sun square Jupiter.  That can find humour going over the top, or being downright silly (as long as it is not at someone’s expense).  You should get at least one good laugh out of Thursday!

Friday (7th) has a smooth-sailing sextile between Mercury and Venus, which favours diplomacy and writing projects.  Friendship and cafe culture thrive under this aspect, and you may capitalize on earlier conversations this week, and continue discussions and finding common ground.

There may be a little unease towards the end of Saturday (8th), with a Full Moon brewing in Capricorn for the early hours of Sunday morning.  But you may be buoyed up by a week’s interesting communication, and the desire to translate that into practical gains.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – confrontational
• Tomorrow – healing
• Wednesday – verbose, computer glitches, solutions
• Thursday – high spirits
• Friday – writing, and good communication
• Saturday – emotions brewing

Childbirth Educators

“One could almost say that the root of all anguish is an unconscious memory of birth and its terrors”

~ Frederick Leboyer

We are now in the province of the Sun in Cancer, a sign which represents birth, incarnation and parenting.  Its ruling planet the Moon represents the Inner Child in our charts.  With the recent passing of Frederick Leboyer, a pioneer of natural birthing, I thought I would take a look at the way childbirth and awareness of the incoming child has evolved.

Cancer is not the only sign which is associated with birth: Scorpio represents the whole cycle of death and rebirth, and Leo represents creativity and children.

Frederick Leboyer (1918 – 2017)

“The father of non-traumatic births”, Frederick Leboyer, was an Obstetrician who published his seminal work “Pour une Naissance Sans Violence” in 1974.  Prior to his intervention, doctors thought nothing of what now seems barbaric: holding the newborn upside down and slapping its bottom (to stimulate its first breath).  He advocated low lighting to alleviate the shock of bright lighting, a calm and quiet atmosphere, a smooth transition from the watery womb, the importance of immediate bonding with the mother, and brought in the idea of water births (though he did not specifically recommend them; they are more associated with the slightly later work of Michel Odent).  He believed the less interference in birth the better.

With the Sun in Scorpio, 5 planets in Water signs, and Jupiter conjunct Pluto in Cancer (a new and positive outlook on birth), Leboyer’s birth chart seems tailor made for a pioneer in this field.  His Moon was sextile his North Node, implying a child-centred karmic mission.  His Mercury was square Uranus, controversial in communication and thinking outside the box, possibly a necessary quality for a groundbreaker – “Birth Without Violence” caused quite a stir.  Pluto was in the first decanate of Cancer when Leboyer was born, and so he ushered in a revolution in birth practice, followed by several others who had Pluto in Cancer.

His explorations came from his own experience of birth, when his mother was held down for his forceps delivery.  In his travels to India, he saw that poorer Indian women had better deliveries than those able to afford hospital treatment, and took note of the differences.  He also connected with his guru Swami Prajnanpad who taught that the memory of birth is held deep within the psyche.  Leboyer relived and resolved his own birth through dreams and nightmares.

His synastry with Prajnanpad was very exalted: their Venuses were exactly sextile, Swami’s Mars was trine Leboyer’s Neptune, Swami’s Jupiter was sextile Leboyer’s Mars, their Jupiters were conjunct, and Swami’s Saturn squared Leboyer’s Nodal Axis (a disciplined karmic bond).

Arthur Janov (born 1924)

Psychologist Arthur Janov was born 6 years after Leboyer, but published his famous work “The Primal Scream” four years before “Birth Without Violence”.  His Primal Therapy was focussed on reliving the trauma around birth, and was derived from the experience of: “an eerie scream welling up from the depths of a young man lying on the floor”.  The therapy consisted largely of expressing the repressed feelings of the birth trauma.  John Lennon took part both in individual and group sessions of this therapy, and its influence impacted on his songwriting, notably for the album “Plastic Ono Band”.  The lyrics for “Mother” include the plaintive lines:

“Mother, you had me but I never had you,

I wanted you, you didn’t want me”.

Janov is a Leo Sun opposite closely Mars in Aquarius (symbolic of the violence of birth).  He had Venus conjunct Pluto and the I.C. in Cancer (deep feelings and emotions in relation to birth and security) in the 3rd House of Screaming.  Mercury in the 5th House of Birth adds to the theme of vocalization of the experience.  Neptune conjuncts the North Node and the Sun in Leo in 4th House of the Beginnings of Life, increasing the role of sensitivity in this karmic mission.  The Moon squares the Nodal Axis, again depicting his life’s work, in the trauma of birth (as distinct from Leboyer’s more soothing Moon sextile the North Node).  Like Leboyer, he had a controversial link between Mercury and Uranus (the opposition).  Jupiter being unaspected, may have added to the negative angle of his work.  Chiron in Aries too depicts the term “Primal Therapy”.  Like Leboyer, his chart is tailor made for the work he came in for.  His North Node was trine closely Chiron, so therapy was his karmic mission.  In my opinion the book “The Feeling Child” is his best contribution to the understanding of the sensitivity of the newborn and primal pain.

Sheila Kitzinger (1929 – 2015)

Social Anthropologist Sheila Kitzinger the “high priestess of natural childbirth”, was born 5 years after Arthur Janov, but became involved in the cause of natural childbirth processes long before Leboyer and Janov published their famous books.  Here is another watery chart (4 planets in Water, like Janov), though we do not have a birth time.  She had 0 Air planets, relying very much on instinct and emotion for her processing of life’s experiences.  She had Mars and Pluto in the birth related sign of Cancer.  She had a pioneering and innovative chart, with Sun in Aries exactly conjunct Uranus, and the Sun square exactly Mars, and thought of herself as a social revolutionary:

“I don’t think you can prepare girls for growing up for the world in which we live today, a world which needs to be changed, by simply seeing yourself in the mother role. I wanted to have warrior children.”

Like Leboyer and Janov, she had an aspect of the Moon to her North Node, the child within linked with the karmic mission, in her case a conjunction.  With Venus exactly sextile Mars, she contributed an emphasis on the sensuality of birth, and a sense of pleasure (she herself had 5 happy births).  With Venus conjunct Jupiter, she loved people and was popular. Mars sextile exactly Chiron gave her a free flowing healing energy.  Her Jupiter conjunct Chiron was an aspect which can bring success in healing.

Her own mother’s work was involved in family planning, and she felt she was continuing her work (Moon conjunct North Node).  In 1958 she joined the advisory board of the Natural Childbirth Trust, founded two years earlier.  Like Leboyer, she was against the medicalization of childbirth, and additionally was particularly intent on the quality of the experience for the mother.  She advocated women drawing up their birth plans and promoted body awareness.  In 1962 she published her most notable book “The Experience of Childbirth”, and that was still 8 years before Janov’s book, and 12 years before Leboyer’s.  The book was tremendously influential, and among other practices it discouraged the routine use of episiotomies, and encouraged successful breastfeeding.

Michel Odent (born  1930)

Obstetrician Michel Odent is seen as a disciple of Leboyer, and we do not have a birth date for him, only a year.  1930 was the year Pluto was discovered, and it was then found in the sign of Cancer.  This reminds us that one of main significances of Pluto in Cancer is the reform and deeper understanding of birth practices.  He was born one year after Sheila Kitzinger.  Michel Odent was labelled in the Lancet as “one of the last real general surgeons”.

He was interested in the birth environment, and has been associated with the rise in popularity of the water birth, although he did not see it as a requisite, but as an alleviating factor for pain to some extent.  Nowadays, water births are readily available to women.  He was enthusiastic about breastfeeding immediately after birth.

His book “Birth Reborn” was published in 1984, ten years after Leboyer’s main work.

Thomas Verny (born 1936)

Psychiatrist Thomas Verny was born 6 years after Michel Odent, and was responsible for a further deepening and understanding of the developing foetus in his 1981 work (with John Kelly), “The Secret Life of the Unborn Child”.  He introduced new ideas into the mainstream which had not been seriously considered, such as playing music to the unborn child.  Again, we do not have a birth date for him, but he too came under the banner of Pluto in Cancer.  The work he undertook was painstakingly researched, and included examples of how babies and children responded to stimuli after birth which showed recognition of experiences in the womb.  Again, this was a very influential book.

Leonard Orr (born 1937)

“The father of the Rebirthing movement” Leonard Orr was born a year after Verny, and has Sun in Scorpio, like Leboyer, and 3 planets in Water.  He derived his work from remembering his birth experiences while spending hours in the bath, and his therapy took the ideas of Janov to a more constructive and positive level, based on a conscious breathing technique (Sun sextile exactly Jupiter) which enable the repressed memories of birth to surface.  Like Leboyer, he was much influenced by an Indian guru, in this case Babaji, and there was a very spiritual focus in his work (Jupiter trine Neptune).  His Sun sextile closely Neptune brings in a great element of sensitivity and spirituality.  His Moon was strangely unaspected, as was Uranus in his chart, and this may have been freeing psychologically.  Mercury sextile Mars describes his dynamic breathing technique, and Mercury trine Pluto again emphasizes breathing but in depth.  Chiron at 29 degrees Gemini, again puts the emphasis on breathwork.  Leonard Orr developed his work in the 1970s.

Wikipedia says Rebirthing was labelled a cult in 2006.  At some point it evolved into being called a breathwork movement, but I don’t think there was any element of brainwashing about it and found it very interesting and valuable myself.  It was a huge movement at one time with leading lights such as Sondra Ray, Bob Mandel, Phil Laut, Jim Leonard and Jim Morningstar.  One of my mandalas was used on the cover of “Breathe” magazine in 2007, and I still offer a form of Rebirthing in my therapeutic practice.

Like Primal Therapy, Rebirthing is designed to reveal memories of birth and bring insight into its effects on our lives and relationships, and thus to clear issues which are holding us back.

“Unconscious birth memories bar the way as a closed portal on the path back to bliss”

~ Fredric Lehrman

Ina May Gaskin (born 1940)

Midwife Ina May Gaskin “the mother of authentic midwifery” was born 3 years after Leonard Orr, and she is a Piscean born on a New Moon.  She represents the closing of the mission of Pluto in Cancer, as her Pluto is at 0 degrees Leo.  Her Chiron (Inner Healer) is in Cancer.  Like Sheila Kitzinger, she has 0 Air planets, and like Leonard Orr, she has 3 Water planets.  Like Sheila too, she has the Mars-Chiron sextile of free flowing healing energy.

Her book “Spiritual Midwifery” (1977) is a classic, and a must read for anyone pursuing natural childbirth.  Although she is the youngest of these childbirth educators, like so many of them her book was published in the 1970s.  She developed her work as a midwife living in a commune (“The Farm” in Tennessee), but her work and skills came to be appreciated by the wider community.  There is an emphasis on the relationship between the parents in her work, and family and friends are often in attendance.

“The men of The Farm community provided technological assistance and moral support to the midwives and birthing women, but they did not interfere with the ideas, the organization, the customs and ways, and culture that developed among the women.” ~ Ina May Gaskin

As with Leonard Orr’s work, there is quite an emphasis on the spiritual, and the role of intuition in the process of facilitating childbirth.

Carol Lorente wrote of her book:

“Considered a seminal work, it presented pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding from a fresh, natural and spiritual perspective, rather than the standard clinical viewpoint. In homebirth and midwifery circles, it made her a household name, and a widely respected teacher and writer.”

Conclusion

Nowadays, we are educated in the history of midwifery by the television programme “Call The Midwife”.  We are informed graphically about modern hospital practices in the programme “One Born Every Minute”.  We may even be seeing the future experience of birth, in that 5 year olds who were originally born in the programme and who now attend school, have been watching their own births which were recorded on the programme.  They have no need therefore for techniques to reclaim their memory of birth, and may deal with their birth trauma or experience much earlier.

Bibliography:

“Pour Une Naissance Sans Violence” – Frederick Leboyer

“The Feeling Child” – Arthur Janov

“The Experience of Childbirth” – Sheila Kitzinger

“Birth Reborn” – Michel Odent

“The Secret Life of the Unborn Child” – Thomas Verny and John Kelly

“Birth and Relationships” – Sondra Ray and Bob Mandel

“Spiritual Midwifery” – Ina May Gaskin

Aspects

On Sunday (25th) Jupiter squares Mars, an aspect which is safe in some hands, but not in others!  In a safe pair of hands, it can bring great enthusiasm allied with energy, even untrammelled joy or entry into the consciousness of other dimensions.  In rougher hands, it can bring up anger and a rough expression of emotions. Some would say it brings up the spectre of the Fire element, and I am hoping that after the Grenfell Tower in London, and the Portuguese forest fires, it has already seen its expression in that form.

Mars expresses a kinder and more manageable form of energy on Monday (26th) when it trines Neptune.  Perhaps you can take the energy and experiences of Sunday and transmute them into a more refined and gentler way of working.  In the office, you may have a slight hangover from the weekend, but your nervous system may be recalibrating and recuperating, and suddenly you may see your working practices differently and more sensitively.  Go gently, and you can work some magic.

Tuesday (27th) brings the first of a set of awkward aspects to Mercury, the ruler of Gemini and Virgo, this week.  Mercury squares Jupiter, and we can overstretch ourselves under this aspect, especially through mental activity or travel.  We might overestimate our mental resources for studying, or journeying.  Our communications may be unnecessarily verbose.  We can still be upbeat though, and our Explorer Archetype may be very much to the fore.  The motto for the day may well be ” ‘Tis better to travel hopefully than arrive”, or “The journey is the goal”.

Wednesday (28th) is the best day for Geminis and Virgos (at least early in the day), as their ruler Mercury trines Neptune, and it is one of the best aspects of the week generally.  It is a good aspect for channelling, spiritual inspiration for the mind, undertaking complicated journeys or studies, and if you are working with crafts creating magic with your hands.

In the early evening Mercury conjuncts Mars at 15 degrees Cancer, which for some may produce incisive writing or analytical action.  If the negative side of this aspect manifests, it can bring minor cuts and bruises or a war of words.  This conjunction brings out the Inner Critic, and the age old question of whether the pen is mightier than the sword.  Geminis, Virgos and Ariens may be especially involved in settling this matter.

Tread carefully, and try to be the detached observer for the second half of the week, for Mercury then goes on to form an opposition with Pluto on Friday (30th).  From Wednesday evening, your words are weighed heavily in importance, especially if you are trying to help resolve a dispute, literally every word counts.  In some ways, your choice of words may be unconscious, and if the consequences are not those intended, you cannot do much about that.  But if you bear in mind that right and good communication with positive intent is of the utmost importance during this period, you can set the tone and set an example in a group for instance.  A slip of the tongue, or of the pen, can cost.  Scorpios particularly need to keep their sting tucked in firmly if they are pursuing a path of harmlessness and non-violence.

Looking slightly ahead to Sunday (2nd July) we are heading to an opposition between Mars and Pluto (conflict), so it is really important to watch our words later this week.

The week in bullet points:

• Sunday – enthusiasm
• Monday – sensitive action
• Tuesday – overstretched
• Wednesday – mental inspiration; incisive words
• Friday – the power of the word

Grenfell Tower – Emotional Responses

It has been an intense few weeks in the U.K. and we are recovering from the Manchester bombing, closely followed by the London Bridge terror attack, then an extraordinary election, and now this week the horrifying spectre of the Grenfell Tower, black against the London skyline.  There has been so much emotion around it all, and the emotional responses of public figures especially have been under scrutiny.

There are so many angles and layers to the Grenfell Tower disaster, which will go on being analyzed for a long time to come.  There are so many stories yet to be told, identities of bodies to be unearthed, and responsibilities and blame to be attached.  I was unable to obtain birth dates for the new Labour MP, for the talented upcoming artist who died, the date of the building, and other possible subjects, and so I thought I would look at the emotional responses of key figures.

Chart of the Fire

On the morning of the disaster, I wrote:

“A chart drawn up for 1 a.m. shows the Mercury-Neptune square on the Ascendant and 4th House cusp, and the Sun-Saturn opposition on the Midheaven-I.C. axis, so these two difficult aspects of the week are not to be underestimated. The 1824 chart for London has transiting Saturn square its Sun (loss).”

That time was later reported as 00.54 Hrs, and this gives Uranus exactly opposite the Part of Fortune in 8th House, which is another clue to the devastation.

Looking at the transits for the U.K. charts:

1922 – Neptune is squaring its Sun, bringing confusion and compassion.  Uranus is sextile its Mars – which can be conflagrational.  The South Node is on its Mars, a karmic danger and fire.

1801 – Pluto is sextile its Neptune, very complex and dramatic emotions.  Saturn trine its Ascendant, which ought to be constructive, not destructive.  Not a very convincing set of transits.

1066 – Mars opposite its Mercury – stress and strain, possibly caused by fire.  Uranus trine its Uranus, the unexpected.  North Node trine Uranus, karmic surprise.  Again, not as convincing as the 1922 chart.

This blackened tower block, in the heart of London, will undoubtedly be etched on the national psyche always, and therefore should register on the national chart, and the transits for the 1922 chart are fitting.

Community Responses

The fire brigade brought 40 fire engines and more than 200 firefighters to try to tackle the blaze.  A chief spokesperson London Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton said “I have never experienced anything like this in my career.  However, I have taken enormous strength from the amazing response from all my staff and the response of  the other emergency services who continue to be involved in the response  to the incident.”

The local community mobilized immediately to bring food, shelter and provisions to those affected.  Once again, as in all the previous disasters, heroism and kindness came to the fore.

What was criticized, however, was the government’s response, in terms of providing for those affected, and in terms of providing information for those desperately seeking loved ones.  The government, and the wealthy landlords of the area, were implicated in ignoring repeated health and safety concerns of the residents in the preceding years in order to save money.

Theresa May response

Prime Minister Theresa May has not had a good fortnight, and she must be under enormous strain.  She played a prominent role in David Cameron’s austerity government of the last few years, and cost-cutting was an important causal factor in relation to poor materials and lack of sprinklers etc. in the building contributing to the fire.

In addition, her personal response in visiting the site and not engaging with the public, was heavily criticized, and contributed to rising anger towards her personally.

Her transits at the time of the fire (which will not have moved on much from the poor election result) showed Saturn still trine her Venus (feeling serious), Neptune still on her Mars (lessons about illusion) and Pluto trine her Jupiter (time to learn deep lessons about life and philosophy).

What can we tell about her emotional make up from her chart (without a birth time)?  Sun (the heart) in Libra is about finding balance in this lifetime.  Her Moon (emotional make up) is in Leo (power) or Virgo (administration) and may even be literally cuspal.  Her Venus (capacity to feel) is conjunct Pluto, and there would be deep feeling there, but not necessarily that which is easy to express.  Mars (will) is in emotional Pisces, but again not so easy to express.  Saturn (discipline) conjuncts her North Node, making the Conservative path very much part of her karmic mission.  This event will have brought to her conscious mind things she may not have considered before (such as the effects of austerity).  She is currently held in place politically as the Conservatives have little choice, but will be learning to open the heart, and what the nation requires of her.

Jeremy Corbyn response

With his newly established position in nation’s hearts (not all, for some will never take to him or his message), he further cemented his reputation as a man for all people, by stepping into the community and talking to and hugging the victims.  In the election campaign, too, he was much more accessible than the Prime Minister.  It has been said that he had an advantage in that his presence would be much more welcome, in that he would not be directly blamed.  But certainly, the contrast between the two responses was undeniable, and his response was a natural extension of his general manner.

Again, we do not have a birth time for Jeremy, and do not know for instance if he has something compassionate such as Neptune on the Ascendant to give prominence to this side of his character.  With the Sun, Venus, Mercury and Uranus in Gemini, he is very much a thinker and a teacher, and driven by his ideology.  His Moon is in steadfast Taurus, a quality which has seen him through the testing of his leadership.  His Moon may well be conjunct Mars in Taurus, and if so that would make him a very emotionally responsive person.  With Jupiter in Aquarius, again he is very idealistic, and his social ideals are a great part of his enthusiasm.  He has Chiron in Sagittarius, which heals through philosophical understanding.

His transits too would not have moved much since the election: Pluto trines his Mars (his energies are very powerful at the moment), Chiron square his Uranus (feeling the nature of the disaster), and Jupiter on his Neptune (bringing spiritual uplift).

Sadiq Khan response

Sadiq Khan has had a lot to contend with this year as London’s Mayor: the Westminster and London Bridge terrorist attacks, and the Grenfell Tower blaze.  He has always been straight on the scene, and must have had many interrupted nights.  As Mayor, he has endeavoured to honour all religions and races, and to be positive in thought and deed.  And yet, he has run into criticism from President Trump, in hasty tweets.

He put himself out there, among the angry residents this week, and sad to say he was heckled and had bottles thrown at him.  No one could accuse him of lacking courage.  His courage and energy are shown in his chart (again without a birth time) by Mars conjunct Pluto in Virgo (he does get on with the job).  He has deep feelings (Venus in Scorpio) with a loose conjunction to Neptune, enhancing his compassion for those caught up in tragedy.  His Moon is in Capricorn (which is not so emotional) but trine Mars in Virgo, giving him quick emotional responses and practical action.  His North Node (karmic mission) is at 0 degrees Pisces, the essence of compassion.

His main transit at this time is Chiron trine his natal Neptune, bringing out healing qualities to add to his natural compassion.  He has made himself visible, but I am sure will contribute much in the months to come to the effort of healing this community.

The Queen’s response

Queen Elizabeth II has been a sterling force these last few weeks, visiting patients in hospital who were victims of the London Bridge terrorist attack, and then visiting members of the community this week in Kensington.  In both cases she showed sincerity, compassion and genuine interest.

It was not always thus.  When Lady Diana died, she was criticized, just as Theresa May was criticized this week, for not showing emotion and empathy.  Undoubtedly, she learned a great deal from that, and now has a much different profile.  It shows that people can change.  Her efforts too were much contrasted with Theresa’s output, but there again she would not be facing the hostility or blame attached to Theresa.

The Queen started this life with a very stolid chart: Sun in Taurus, Ascendant in Capricorn, and Saturn on the Midheaven.  For much of her reign she showed quite an austere character, in an austere public role.  But Lady Diana’s involvement with the royal family revealed that more humanness was required, and gradually some of the royal family have become much more engaged with the public, notably Diana’s sons William and Harry.

At the time of Lady Diana’s death, Saturn was exactly squaring the Queen’s Nodal Axis, exactly depicting a time of karmic reckoning and the need for change.  Where the Queen was able to find her compassionate bone, is in her Venus in Pisces, which has the capacity for compassion and service through love.

The Queen’s transits at the moment show Neptune on that Venus in Pisces (a greater opening of that compassion and love), and Jupiter squaring her Pluto (an awareness of the need to be positive in the face of tragedy).  Hence her very apt words: that the country has been “resolute in the face of adversity” and “This year, however, it is difficult to escape a very sombre national mood.”

Aspects

This evening brings two contrasting aspects within 20 minutes of each other.

At 18.47 Hrs Uranus sextiles the Sun.  There is the capacity for brilliant action and ideas of an innovative nature.  Science, invention, networking and group consciousness all benefit.  Leos and Aquarians may well be at the centre of this excitement.

At 19.07 Hrs Saturn opposes Mercury, and may throw in a note of caution, possibly even curtailing the fun.  If both aspects can be combined constructively somehow, then you may retain the brilliance of Uranus sextile the Sun, and also honour the mental discipline of Mercury opposite Saturn.  If you are reading this in advance, you may be able to devise a plan of action accordingly!

Tomorrow the North Node sextiles Mercury, and what you say may have great karmic consequence.  Choose your words mindfully!  This aspect may bring out your Inner Teacher.  As a start to the working week, it reminds you to attend to detail, knowing that anything or everything may have significance.

Chiron also squares the Sun tomorrow, so there may be healing crises or headaches to attend to, problems to solve.  Look for the key to unlock the solution, which may be soulful but simple and direct.  Someone may ask for your help, and you may need to give them the first step to helping themselves.

Tuesday (20th) starts early with two sextiles.  The first is Neptune sextile Venus, a splendid channel for compassion and love, communities coming together, and charity.  In the Arts, it provides spiritual inspiration.

The second sextile is between Mercury and Uranus.  You may be able to pick up on some of your brilliant ideas from Sunday, and put them forward more confidently.  Communication, technology, advertising, and P.R. all benefit from this aspect.  Conversation sparkles.

Seize some momentum early in the day, because a square between Mercury and Chiron follows, and again problems or crises could arise, e.g. in the implementation of new ideas.  You may feel that so far this week you have taken three steps forward and two steps backwards, but your overall progress is assured!  Keep the vision and faith.  You may be able to spot a flaw in someone’s argument (or your own) and help rectify it.  Perhaps the key is the significance of a tiny detail you took note of on Monday.

Wednesday (21st) brings the Summer Solstice, the entry of the Sun into the sign of Cancer, the high point of the light in the year – is it that time already?  If the weather is still sunny, as it is today in the U.K., make the most of it, and celebrate it!  I know many find it uncomfortable, and the UV rays are high, but it does contribute to a holiday atmosphere, especially for those who cannot afford a summer holiday or time away.  Paddling pool in the garden, barbecued aubergines on the go, sparkling mineral water on ice, job done.

Mercury then also enters Cancer, focussing the mind on home and family affairs.  Documentation about home maintenence may feature heavily, and communication with relatives.  Logic has to take account of emotional factors for the duration of Mercury’s stay in this sign, until 6th July.  Certainly you will be more successful if you take into account your own emotions and those of others.

In the afternoon, Mercury catches up with the Sun and forms an exact conjunction at 0 degrees Cancer.  If you have spent the morning and lunchtime mulling over family or home matters, you may be rewarded with an insight of crystal clarity about what you should be doing, what direction you may take, or the origins of a family problem.  It is at any rate a very good aspect for the study or examination of a subject in detail, and for putting emotions under the microscope.

Saturday (24th) brings a refreshing New Moon at 2 degrees Cancer, which benefits new beginnings in home and family affairs, or the affairs of the House in which it falls in your birthchart.  It can bring an emotional renewal.  It favours re-housing for the dispossessed, and may bring new hope in this respect or new initiatives.

On a deeper level, psychological renewal is possible with a trine from Pluto to Venus the same day, which interacting with the New Moon, can augment a sense of hope and new life.  This trine can uncover the depth of human feelings with compassion, and helps in any counselling efforts.  It enables new perspectives for dealing with pain.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – new ideas, some stumbling blocks
• Tomorrow – karmic speech, and healing crises
• Tuesday – love and compassion, mental brilliance; mental overload
• Wednesday – concentration on home and family
• Saturday – renewal on more than one level