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

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

Signs that Saturn in Libra is well under way are former leaders being brought to book (Saturn) for war crimes (against Libra sign of peace).  Tony Blair, who natally has Mars (the mythological God of War) on his Ascendant, is being scrutinized for his part in the Iraq war.  Meanwhile the former Bosnian Radovan Karadzic (bizarrely turned New Age healer, with natally a squaring Sun distorting Chiron the planet of alternative healing) re-starts his trial in the Hague in March 2010.  Saturn during its stay in Libra will transit Tony Blair’s Neptune/Saturn and Radovan’s Neptune and Moon, having already recently transited his Chiron at the end of Virgo earlier this year.  This morning Mercury sextiles Jupiter so theoretically blogs should flow today.  This aspect favours writing, communication and travel of all kinds.  Mercury also sextiles Chiron so add healing to communication and such combined activities should also flow well.  If you can combine writing about travel and healing, you will really be expressing this combination of planets to the max.  Seems like a good time to reveal that I have not worn my glasses for 3 weeks now.  My eyes are much more relaxed and I have lost some of the bags from under my eyes (not all).  I am not sure though that my fellow commuters are comfortable with being stared at so intently, but they haven’t got to put up with it much longer.  Do make the most of the good communication, travel and healing vibes today, because tomorrow (Monday 30th) Mercury squares Uranus.  That means disrupted communication and travel, just when you were hoping to get to work smoothly at the start of the week.  Trains were cancelled on my route last week, and as far as I know the disputes haven’t yet been settled…Watch what comes out of your mouth tomorrow as people may say bizarre things, and sometimes might not realize they are saying them.  The most eventful day of the week, aspect-wise, is Tuesday 1 December, starting with Mercury sextile Neptune.  This may help to resolve and smooth out some of the bizarreness of crazy Monday, but bear in mind that there are tensions building up to the Full Moon on the following day.  Mercury sextile Neptune helps us to express our spiritual needs and insights.  Next up on Tuesday is Uranus standing still before turning direct.  If a techie project of yours has been causing problems lately, this may signal a turning point.  Venus then enters Sagittarius, and the soul-searching period of Venus in Scorpio comes to a close and the party season begins.  Magnanimity flows and Christmas shopping starts in earnest.  The Full Moon occurs on the morning of Wednesday 2 December, a Gemini Moon opposing the Sagittarian Sun.  Again the theme is communication of all kinds.  You will need to see a particular piece of information in its context in order to get the full picture.  Don’t be careless with words, unless you have the full picture, in which case you can throw caution to the winds. But when will you know if you have the full picture?  You probably can’t be sure…It may be best to file the information away for the time being.  Thursday 3rd is an ideal day to file information away, for there are many minor aspects, and it could turn out to be a day when you are busy doing nothing.  Or many small acts contribute to an accomplishment.  If you are looking for commitment this week, Friday 4th could be your day with Venus sextile Saturn.  It is also a good day to clinch that perfect gift you have been after for someone: a gift at the right price, not too frivolous.  I have a gift suggestion for those who are artistically inclined.  It’s the new Mandala Colouring Book by Barry Stevens, available online at his website (the link is on my Contact page).  Socially, we may be opening our hearts this week with Venus in Sagittarius, but mentally we are going to become more discerning next Saturday 5th with the entry of Mercury in Capricorn.  We are likely to be analyzing the true worth of things, and thinking before we act.  Politicians and public servants may be coming under more scrutiny.  Soon we have the final phase of the triple conjunction of Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron in Aquarius, and we are judging the extremes of what we can accept as truth, from the stark realities of Mercury and Pluto in Capricorn to the flights of fantasy and faith offered by the triple conjunction

There may be comfort in knowing you have come through the initial Saturn-Pluto square.  For many people, the crises occurred during the week coming up to 15 November.  However, undoubtedly the Saturn-Pluto crisis in the U.K. was experienced in Cumbria a few days after with floods of “biblical” proportions.  The repercussions, as with all flooding, will be worked out over months and years.  I am already being asked about the delights of the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction of next year, but first we have the last phase of the triple conjunction between Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron over the next month or so.  It will be third time lucky for some, understanding and making use of its complex balance.  The key to this I feel is developing a healthy Neptune principle in your psyche and life.  For those on the Mystic path, this will make greater sense and may be easier.  Before I leave these wider themes to focus on the week ahead, I would just like to put in a formula: take your lessons from Pluto square Saturn + your lessons from Saturn opposite Uranus and that will = your future sense of the T-square between Pluto, Saturn and Uranus over the next couple of years (the “Cardinal Climax” as coined by Raymond Merriman).  All that opens up more blogs later…Today the Sun entered Sagittarius, bringing greater zest for physical and mental journeying over the next month and liaising well with Mars currently staying at the luxury hotel of Leo for 8 months.  I travelled back (without glasses) from Wiltshire to Norfolk today reading “A Taste of My Life” by Raymond Blanc, who currently has a series of The Restaurant on BBC2 and who turned 60 a few days ago.  If you like Raymond, food and life I thoroughly recommend reading it.  If you love all three, you’ll need no encouragement.  I did of course have to extract the references to meat from my consciousness (he is not a fan of the raw food way).  His chart is a well-coordinated mixture of Scorpio lights, Capricorn shrewdness and Virgoan pursuit of excellence.  I don’t think I’d have the patience to strain fruit through muslin, when I retire from the day job in December, but I will certainly try the French onion soup.  Tomorrow (Monday 23) Venus squares Jupiter which has some similarity to last Thursday’s Venus square Mars, that of “social gaffes and unlikely pairings”.  This brought the unlikely pairing of Hillary Clinton and David Milliband.  I can’t resist the full-blooded Scorpio quote from Hillary: “Well if you saw him it would be a big crush.  I mean, he is so vibrant, vital, attractive, smart.  He’s a really good guy.  And he’s so young.”  Her Venus conjuncts exactly his Neptune, so if he has charisma she will be mesmerized by it.  On Tuesday (24) Sun sextiles Saturn which echoes and follows through on  the sensible Mercury-Saturn sextile last week, but is more at the creative level where the Mercury aspect was merely at the ideas stage.  Venus is also square to Chiron that day, so if you are trying to recover from an affair of the heart, you may need to retrace your feelings, and find a more holistic healing route.  This course of action (letting go) could be rewarded on Thursday (26), not in clinging of old ways and loves, but in finding new pathways in love and meeting new loves or new forms, with Venus trine Uranus.  Those unconventional pairings which were frowned upon earlier may even get some blessing from the Universe, for a moment of time or on a different level, or prompt new understandings.  Mercury is also trine Mars on Thursday, so with two varied trines on that day, much could be accomplished.  Mercury-Mars combine favourably to bless any active projects and any quick-fire communication, such as texting competitions.  You might find communications crossing over, people are so falling over themselves to get their message across speedily and efficiently.  However, a cautionary note ends the week on Friday (27) as Venus squares Neptune and the illusory side of romantic relationships comes to the fore.   What may have seemed like a breatkthrough on Thursday (Venus trine Uranus) is likely to have some of the gloss removed, and what you have left will be the truth revealed about this relationship now.  The search for love and truth is as eternal as life itself, this week’s wisdom is under the belt, and next week’s wisdom awaits!

I’ve been staring at too many screens lately: television, computers, commuter screens, mobile phone, i-phone and cinema (the wonderful “Bright Star” depiction of the life of John Keats – with Ben Whishaw divinely cast as the archetypal poet)…knowing that all these electrical vibes are interfering with my natural state of being.  Ten years ago I was just fighting a paper war, and this is more detrimental.  Saturn in Pluto today could highlight on a physical level where your environment is out of alignment with your physical body and you may take a radical step in thinking of a solution.  I have stopped wearing glasses this week, and tried to pare down to the minimum my staring into screens.  In the past I have had 5 years’ worth of lessons in the Bates method of natural eyesight, and attended a Meir Schneider workshop and read countless books on natural eyesight, enough to engrain the fact that glasses can distort your (inner and outer) vision.  So now, this week, I am learning to trust my eyes again after nearly 50 years of wearing glasses.  If you spot any typos, please bear with me…The Pluto-Saturn square will not solve your problems overnight, it will merely highlight and define problems, and help you to acknowledge and state them, or face them.  If the problem involves another person, you may acknowledge stalemate and ascertain what level of good will there is to work with so that the next step can be achieved.  On the world stage this morning the powers-that-be acknowledge that there will be no progress before the conference on climate change in Copenhagen in December.  They are therefore considering another summit in the Spring.  This illustrates the Saturn-Pluto stuckness, but all that seemingly can be done is to re-affirm the commitment to the process.  Two other aspects occurring today provide some of the detail, though not the main drama: early on, the Sun trines Uranus, and after the Saturn-Pluto square mid-afternoon in the U.K. (15.20 Hrs), the evening brings a square between the Sun and Neptune (23.11 Hrs).  It seems to follow that if a planet pleases Uranus at the moment it immediately falls out of line with Neptune and vice versa because these two planets have been in semi-sextile relation to each other this year.  There will be a feeling that you can’t please everyone, therefore.  That doesn’t mean you can’t go as far as you can to meeting mutual needs, and it doesn’t mean that you stop caring.  You may agree to differ, but you can still care, and keep that heart expanding.  The harmonious Uranus angle helps certain aspects of communication, while the inharmonious Neptune aspect triggers  glamour and illusion of the sort we will be seeing on our screens (I shouldn’t watch) on X-Factor tonight and next weekend: will Simon Cowell be true to his integrity, will the twins win the nation over despite their better judgement, will Louis Walsh hash up some more rules and regulations to keep up the aggro, and will the right act be eliminated?  Yes or no, it’s the illusion of public power that decides.  Tomorrow (Monday 16) offers the chance of a fresh start, with Mercury entering Sagittarius early on and then in the early evening (early afternoon in the U.S. and early morning in Australia) there is the prospect of the New Moon in Scorpio.  Are you listening to the messages of your body?  Have you come to terms with the X-Factor result?  Can you put behind you the disappointment of the intractability of the climate change situation, in order to start afresh with renewed vigour on the best way to proceed?  Mercury in Sagittarius offers a fresh optimism and a new voice.  Tuesday 17th  offers a  constructive start in a sextile between Mercury and Saturn – the fresh voice of Mercury mediating on behalf of realism.  Thursday 19th could be socially inept with Mars squaring Venus.  Another social gaffe perhaps from Gordon Brown?  Last week’s gaffe (the untidy letter to the mother of a boy killed in Afghanistan) was turned to his advantage, despite any effort he might have been making to shoot himself in the foot.  Andrew Rawnsley writes in the Observer today: “What threatened to be another awful week for Gordon Brown has superficially turned out rather better than it looked at the start because he has attracted sympathy”, but this is not likely to be a new trend, as I think it is nothing more than a passing transit of Mars to his Moon (keywords for which are relationship with the public, mothers, and sympathy).  Thursday’s Mars square Venus is the type of aspect which results in people overstepping their social boundaries, and may result in unlikely pairings, such as that of  Tess Daly and Ronnie Corbett on Strictly Come Dancing.  Did I declare that I am cutting down on my viewing?  Can I do without Strictly Come Dancing…?  We’ll see.  I’ll text ya.

Many of the aspects this week fall during the sleep period in the U.K., so it could be a fruitful week for dream work and insights in the night here (dream diary is a must).  The aspects will make for a more conscious or active experience in the U.S. (evening experiences for the most part) and in Australia and New Zealand (morning experiences).  Please adjust your body clock accordingly.  Those of you (I know at least one) travelling out of the U.K. to have conscious experiences this week, take note.  If you are in the conscious zones and wish to have a more subconscious experience, you can meditate on the aspects.  If you are in the subconscious zone and wish to have a more conscious experience, then keep yourself up for a few hours on liquorice tea, then take some chamomile tea to catch up on your sleep for the rest of the night.  That is, if you wish to connect with the aspects.  You may be too busy, or you may be preoccupied as some of you are already feeling the effects of next Sunday’s square between Saturn and Pluto.  I should be writing a blog for Saturn square Pluto, but it is manifesting for me as a creative block.  It is a difficult balance, and each person needs to start from where they are, whether on top of things or not on top of things.  If you have the time and energy to do the preparatory work on this square and Saturn in Libra visit the blogs of Pluto expert Donna Cunningham (Sky Writer) and Joyce Mason (The Radical Virgo) whose years of expertise have produced good sets of ideas for working through this square and negotiating Saturn in Libra.  Meanwhile the aspects of the week will keep you busy, though.  Venus entered Scorpio in the early hours of this morning, which may have resulted in an emotional wake-up call for some.  Mercury squares Jupiter in the early afternoon, so it may be difficult to focus on what needs to be said in conversation. There may be so many things which need to be communicated, that you may be too mentally overwhelmed to say the right things.  However, a conversation may be impossible to postpone, and hopefully the gist will come across to both parties.  Tomorrow (Monday 9th) Venus sextiles Pluto.  This is a much better space to have a conversation if it is on an emotional issue.  Again the aspect takes place in the early hours, so your dreams may provide a rehearsal of sorts.  On Tuesday 10th Mercury squares Chiron.  Treat yourself with kid gloves that day, especially if you are trying to resolve a set of issues which seem irreconcilable, perhaps part of your Pluto-Saturn scenario.  Exhaustion will not help your thought processes, so try and find a spot of rest even if you are busy at the office (you are entitled to regular rest breaks, remember!)  It’s especially important to let go of your fears, because you can’t base the rest of your life on them.  In the evening the Sun squares Jupiter, so you may have a euphoric moment as your fears leave you and you suddenly see the Sun through the clouds.  There again, let yourself relax and come into equilibrium – use that natal planet you might have in Libra, or your Venus function (everyone has one).  The 11:11 day on Wednesday brings an enlightening trine between Mercury and Uranus at 11.38 in the morning, which may accompany a flashing forth of intuition, and insights about the war in Afghanistan or about Earth Healing (or beyond).  Higher ways of thinking about the problems you have been grappling with may come to you.  In the early hours of Thursday 12th Mercury squares Neptune, and this can bring about insomnia or absent-mindedness.  Lay on the stocks of those uppers-and-downers liquorice and chamomile tea.  It is as though you have reached one plateau in your thought processes, only to realize you need to start climbing again.  Dialogue with your guides between sips of tea: the tea alone won’t help you process.  You can spend the rest of the week catching up on your sleep where possible, or if you are on top of things preparing your brief for the square of Saturn and Pluto on Sunday (15th).  These two planets will lock together, and if you have worked with each component successfully you may have the makings of a plan.  If not, then the other option (surrendering to the Universe) may hold surprises and produce more options than you thought possible.

Are you experiencing the calm, serene entry of Saturn gliding into Libra?  You may be in the middle of a spiritual retreat, or contemplation based on healing from yesterday’s Venus trine Chiron.  Whatever you are engaged in, stay with it today and get the full benefit, while you can…For tomorrow is full-on and you will need the serenity to carry you through without a glitch.  On the threshold of tomorrow (Monday 2 November) Mercury squares Mars.  Therefore it will be evening in the States, and morning in the Australian territories.  Mercury squaring Mars can bring up health and safety issues.  On the first of the new series of the Restaurant last Thursday night, Raymond Blanc had to eliminate a contestant for handling a knife by the blade instead of the handle, and trying to open a coconut and then a tin and hammering on the handle.  It was an image difficult to eliminate from the memory, and contributed to insomnia.  So it seemed the comedian Harry Hill could not eliminate it from his imagination either, because last night he showed the clip again, then let his imagination run riot.  More insomnia of course ensued…  Anyway, the moral of the story is to be watchful of health and safety issues and to deal with them before they get out of hand.  If you are safely tucked up in bed in the U.K. the health and safety issues may work themselves out through your dream life.  In the States, there may be tensions on the rise (irritability from Mars square Mercury, then emotional fullness leading up to the Full Moon later).  In Australia, there may be the recounting of nightmares over the breakfast table.  The Full Moon in Taurus (10 degrees) arrives at 19.14 Hrs in the U.K. after a day’s work for some.  This may bring up financial issues, such as dilemmas over working hours, taxes, and in my case pensions.  It is about the use of one’s resources, money, time and energy, and balancing those in one’s own life but also in relation to others.  That will be lunchtime in the U.S. and the fairest thing would be to split the bill if you are dining out, or looking out for a meal deal if you are in a hurry and cannot prepare your own from wholesome ingredients.  In Australia, you will most likely be asleep for the Full Moon, in which case your dreams may be full and floridly visual, but may also contain some of the comfort vibes of the sign of Taurus, while accommodating the pull between the Moon and the Sun in Scorpio, wrapping it all up in the wisdom of the Higher Self.  At 23.21 Hrs in the U.K. Venus trines Neptune which does indeed  point to all being resolved on a higher level.  The mental tensions of Mercury square Mars and the emotional tensions of the Full Moon could all ebb away gracefully and a modicum of serenity could return.  Not that you won’t have things to mull over from earlier in the day, but you will have the leisure to absorb and contemplate and integrate things in a calmer atomosphere.  Spiritual love is something else that can steal in with Venus trine Neptune, without anything being forced.  So this delight takes place in the afternoon in the U.S. (perhaps you can down tools early and take advantage of this trine) and in the morning of the next day for Australians (a beaut start to the day, especially if you are on the beach).  Wednesday 4 November brings a sea-change for Neptune, which goes stationary prior to direct.  A good day to actually watch the waves rolling in and out if you live near the sea, experiencing the ebb and flow, and sensing the change in Neptune’s power and expression.  Neptunian issues should improve from Wednesday, and that includes anything of a fluid nature: water, oil, emotion, compassion and overseas aid should all be flowing more easily.  Complex issues should be understood more easily, from a greater listening capacity.  The Sun in Scorpio conjuncts Mercury on Thursday 5 November, enabling great insight at whatever level you are working.  If on the physical level, insight about physical health or the clearing of Autumn leaves in the garden, down on the ground.  If on the emotional level, the emotions you have projected on to others will come home to roost in your own psyche.  If on the mental level, some exquisite writing or communication can be revealed, conveying your best truth so far.  And on the spiritual level, awareness about the eternal soul and its relation to the now.  Don’t forget to work on your Saturn and Pluto issues, for instance by addressing your Victim Archetype, for the event of the square between these two heavenly bodies in the middle of November.

On reading last week’s opener “It’s all good news” someone complained straight away.  Another friend this week turned bad news into good news, in a real water-into-wine achievement.  And my mum says no news is good news any way…So I hope you did indeed have a good week, and are still enjoying yesterday’s aspects.  These are halcyon days, basking in a hammock between yesterday’s Mercury trine Neptune and next Thursday’s Venus trine Jupiter, so enjoy.  But in between we have the entry of Mercury into Scorpio on Wednesday 28.  Transactions that day will be hard nosed and you will be sure that the other party has an agenda equally as serious as your own.  So Thursday 29 will start with a done deal, and preparations for some sort of engagement or commitment party.  If you are doing lunch that day, you may be tempted to finish with cake.  Thursday continues with more good news as Mercury sextiles Pluto: the done deal seems like a win-win situation in that it serves the needs of both parties.  But hovering in the background may be a third party, perhaps an ex, prepared to erupt at the line of  “if any man can show just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter for ever hold his peace”…You may notice someone who rarely displays anger may now do so, and indeed may have started getting edgy towards the end of last week (as Sun squares Mars now).  But nothing can stop the entry of  Saturn into Libra.  Festivities on the evening of 29th (it’ll be a long day) have a  serious purpose in terms of partnership.  I have blogged separately about this event, but do tune in at 17.09 Hrs (UK time) and see what you sense about it, and what your first thoughts are.  I have noticed people are anxious for Saturn to leave Virgo.  So I have a personal confession to make.  Forty years ago I was at University and hit a low patch.  It was then that Astrology landed into my lap, and I discovered Saturn was on my Ascendant at the beginning of Taurus, having entered my first House.  That explained a lot to me, and when a couple of years later Saturn left Taurus, I celebrated by painting a picture entitled “Saturn leaving Taurus” (not “Saturn entering Gemini”, notice!).  But during those two and a half years, Astrology had turned my life around, and I had met my husband.  Did I stop and thank Saturn for this turnaround?  No.  Therefore, I now humbly and belatedly thank Saturn, and hope that Virgos are now doing the same.  Also, that Librans are looking forward to their Saturn experience to come.  Treats in your Halloween goody bag on Saturday 31 are Chiron going Direct, and trining Venus.  Let your inner Saboteur take the brakes off your inner Healer, come to terms with your emotional wounds, and find gentleness in the healing powers of nature, such as in homeopathy and flower essences.  As you read this you may want to review and take stock of the now established position of Pluto in Capricorn in your chart and life.  This will be deep work you have done in response to challenges such as economic stringencies.  It is  important to have this perspective before Saturn moves on into Libra and then squares Pluto in mid-November, to see the constructive aspect of Pluto’s placing, so that you can find the best complexion of the square  when it occurs.  Hopefully, Saturn will be able to fall into line with this in your life and find its level, e.g. Saturn in Libra in your 7th House being a co-operative partnership working in square to Pluto in Capricorn in your 10th House as formulating a more realistic career path.  There is a purpose for each planet in each house, and a higher purpose for them to work together.

It’s all good news this week…which is why it’s a good time to smoothly slip in an advance blog about Saturn’s upcoming entry into Libra.  You should have seen me this morning, ushering in today’s Libran New Moon which was at 5.33 a.m. here in the U.K.  I was a charicature of myself: starting a new journal, taking a homeopathic remedy which had been resisted for 6 weeks, re-framing a mandala, and reading through the Libra section of “Esoteric Astrology” by Alice Bailey.  Insomnia can be fun.  So you may want to change the energy and move some furniture today, while making your Libra New Moon wishes on relationships, art, music and justice.  You may also want to reorganize the Libran parts of your psyche.  If you have Libra emphasized in your chart you will recognize that two Archetypes which are prevalent with Libra are the Rescuer (all too willing to act on behalf of the other, even if it is only becoming what the other wants them to be), and the conditioned aspect of the Inner Child.  This month’s edition of Psychologies Magazine has a useful article about the rescuer within by Sasha Blake.  She writes that “the motives of the selfless rescuer differ hugely from those of the selfish rescuer”.  She quotes Professor Bornstein of Adelphi University in the U.S. in pointing out that “the motive underlying the selfish rescuer’s behaviour is the urge to control through creating indebtedness.  It’s the difference between fostering autonomy, or creating dependency.”  The article distinguishes 4 types of rescuers and recommends (among other wise offerings) “Build independent self-worth, redirect your energies positively to focus on you.”  You have to read it…Meanwhile, Felicity Cook’s recent blog “The Compliant Child” on her voicedbodymind website speaks eloquently for the Libra inner child.  Let’s get further into this week where there isn’t a cloud in the sky…By Tuesday 20th the results of your New Moon rituals will convince you that it’s safe to make a business transaction or two, and that your head can emerge briefly from the credit crunch parapet and take advantage of the day’s Mercury trine Jupiter.  If you have a unique selling point, now is the time to sell it.  On Friday 23rd there is a less material but more health-giving trine of Mercury with Chiron: the homeopathic remedy you took recently will start to kick in, and you may be able to articulate the why and the how.  Also that day the Sun enters Scorpio, and from the point of Libra balance we decide to take on more meaningful challenges.  With Saturn about to enter Libra too, we are starting to re-evaluate what we need from modern art.  A new kind of art and artist may come to the fore.  Pluto is currently opposite Damien Hirst’s Venus, just at the time that his influence seems to have peaked.   Saturday 24 October brings a sextile between Sun and Pluto and a trine between Mercury and Neptune for our entertainment.  Under Sun sextile Pluto we can do some profitable re-evaluation of our lives.  If we are performers, our gigs will be superpowered.  Under Mercury trine Neptune we can allow ourselves to feel impressions more sensitively, and understand more complex mental theories.  Channelling is smoother, too.  The big question of course this week is whether the 18-year old Libra twins will survive X-Factor.   They may not have the X-Factor, but they may have the John Sargeant or Kate Garraway factor, plus a spooky but fascinating karmic mission of North Node sandwiched between Neptune/Uranus.  Next time they are on screen, take a look at their karmic missions.   I do a lot of channel-hopping on a Saturday evening back and forth from Strictly Come Dancing to X-Factor, and am mesmerized by Phil Tufnell’s cheerfulness.  In an effort to discover what he is on, I found three very tight conjunctions in his birth chart: Uranus/Pluto (anarchic punk energy), Chiron/Venus (romantic poignancy) and Mars/Sun (say no more).

“Ahinsa.  Non-injury, or harmlessness.  The chief social virtue in yoga philosophy.”

~ Ernest Wood

Saturn, one of the Lords of Karma, enters Libra the sign of Peace and Harmony on 29 October, and raises a new set of issues for us collectively, a new focus.  The purpose of Saturn is to highlight our blocks, so that we can work on liberating ourselves from them.  Can Libra glide along on niceness alone?  Does that work karmically?  Librans are lovely, but Saturn may require them to change, or become more of who they truly are.  This goes for any of us, to the extent that we have the features of Libra in our birth chart.

For those of us brought up at school with Mrs. Doasyouwouldbedoneby, a character from “The Water Babies” by Charles Kingsley, then in the hippy era graduated to the concept of “Ahimsa” or harmlessness when we embraced Hinduism along with the Beatles, you may be focussing on the challenge of how to live out these concepts during the forthcoming period of Saturn in Libra.  Some of you will have been born during  earlier transits of Saturn in Libra such as mid-August 1951 to late October 1953, with a further intensity for some of having the Saturn-Neptune conjunction.  Judy Hall identifies this conjunction as a karmic dilemma and labels it as the Mystic/Pragmatist.  In a later generation those born from late September 1980 to late November 1982 also had Saturn in Libra, some of whom took on the conjunction of Saturn/Pluto, which adds truth and psychological depth to the sense of responsibility.  Those of you who have Saturn in Libra natally may have experienced growth through the bonds of relationship, e.g. taken on a challenging partner, and some may have renounced conventional relationship if it was too constricting.  One who found life-long-lasting love was the late Patrick Swayze, and his autobiography (co-written with his wife) is out now.

Libra as the sign of peace can when occupied by Saturn bring passivity to the character, relationship or situation.  The struggle which some Librans have with decision-making can apply to philosophies about taking right action, and karma.  There can be, for instance, a fear of hurting others.  In order to take action, it sometimes needs a combination with a stronger influence, as in the case of oft-cited double Libran Mahatma Gandhi who had the extra spiritual strength and courage of Scorpio planets in his first house.  Another oft-astrologically-cited Libran is John Lennon whose Sun in Libra came with a little help from Mars in Libra, Aries rising (energy, or sometimes aggression) and Moon in Aquarius (inclination to social activism) – all of which resulted in his ultimate gesture of the bed-in on behalf of peace.

Non-violent communication (as promoted in the work and books by Marshall Rosenberg and Kelly Bryson) was a concept I only came across when I joined i-peace a year ago.  The subtitle of Kelly Bryson’s book is “balancing passion for self with compassion for others”.  It would seem logical that communication has its own consequences and karma, and refining this is as important as any other kind of karma, and may head off more concrete conflict.  And sometimes the person you need to stop hurting is yourself.  Be mindful of what you say to yourself.

Issues around bullying, selfishness vs selflessness, self-esteem and self-assertion will be relevant during this time.  We may find that we need a dose of Libra’s opposite Aries in order to balance out extreme capitulation in a relationship.  How are parents to advise, support and protect children who are being bullied in the outside world?  Can or should their parenting be completely free of rules, restrictions and imposing their own values on the child?  Can the soul of a child escape endoctrination?  What would be the consequences of natural parenting as espoused by Rousseau?  I have recently been accused of asking too many questions…

Internationally, there is bullying going on, and peace will become a more insistent need for humanity as a whole during Saturn in Libra, possibly because of the existence of the nuclear capacity within nations who may have tenuous diplomatic links with leading “parental” nations.  But there may be other factors that emerge and make this even more of a necessity.  Such proceedings during Saturn in Libra need the utmost patience from diplomats, and the strength and resolve to keep going.  Let us hope that we see some progress from the Nobel hopeful candidates by next year.  Libra in Saturn represents the sense of responsibiltiy and the seriousness of their task.  It is an idealistic sign, but Saturn brings more practicality and need for compromise.  There is also the delicate balancing going on with Uranus and Pluto demanding their share in a T-square with Saturn.  The collective task for Saturn in Virgo was to work together on climate change, so it is interesting that in these last days of Saturn’s sojourn there we have the question over how far the U.S. will reduce carbon emissions, and protests in the U.K. over this issue.  The Chinese seem to be making more headway than the west, and the Maldives cabinet met under water this week.

For those Librans with worrying furrowing brows, before you think about botox rest assured that in relationships Saturn can bring commitment, maturity and solidity.  Be your own best friend, know yourself, and know your relationship.  Your own relationship with yourself is reflected in every other relationship you have.  If you have Saturn in Libra in your natal chart you will be about to experience your Saturn Return (within the next two or three years).  The blog Astro Harmonia has been a caring resource during my Saturn Return in Virgo and hopes to be able to help the Saturn-Librans.

If it’s fun you want hang around a Virgo now; they will be popping corks and they have a wealth of wisdom gained by the transit of Saturn through their sign.