Pre-Raphaelite Exhibition at Tate Britain

12 September 2012 – 13 January 2013

Previously

I first became interested in the Pre-Raphaelites in 1980, when I read “The French Lieutentant’s Woman” by John Fowles.  So when in 2009 there was a television series entitled “Desperate Romantics” based on the book by Franny Moyle, my interest was re-ignited, and I wrote a blog entitled “The Pre-Raphaelites – A Soul Group”.  I intended to write about all the Pre-Raphaelites, and still do, but going to the Tate Britain Exhibition has at least enabled me to write this second blog on the subject.

Notes from an Exhibition

Oh!  The beauty hits you at the first picture. [“Astarte Syriaca” by Dante Gabriel Rossetti.]

“Mystery: lo! betwixt the sun and moon
Astarte of the Syrians: Venus Queen
Ere Aphrodite was” ~ Dante Gabriel Rossetti

The Exhibition feeds the mind with all sorts of interesting facts – a rich seam of knowledge, sights and experiences.  I especially felt warm and fuzzy in the William Morris room, replete with furnishings and objects in his distinctive style.
It feeds the heart, too: A lot of hugging goes on in their pictures, a heartwarming vibe, though some seem to be cradle the dying…

Of all the artists, on this occasion I particularly noticed the detail and sensitivity of Ford Madox Brown’s work: the wall notes endorsing his “sharp drawing and colours”.  My favourite picture in the exhibition turned out to be painting by Brown, and as it turned out husband Mike’s favourite picture too was painted by Brown, though a different masterpiece.

John Ruskin

I had intended to write about Dante Gabriel Rossetti first, but out of my mind’s eye stepped Ruskin.  Fittingly so, for his vision and patronage are like the drawstring that pulls the group all together.

Ruskin had Sun rising in Aquarius (very creative though inflexible).  He had several sets of conjunctions, which connect together, which may account for his high intelligence and wide-ranging consciousness.  Mercury/Mars/Jupiter sextile Saturn/Pluto/Chiron (a triple sextile) enabling him to make intricate connections in his mind.  However, the Saturn/Pluto/Chiron squares his Uranus/Neptune/Venus, creating a cacophony of clashing vibrations.  The Mercury/Mars/Jupiter combination opposes the Moon/Part of Fortune.

The Critic Archetype

John Ruskin was by trade an art critic, and he has the Critic Archetype in his birthchart, in the form of Mercury conjunct Mars. This faculty is complicated by the hypersensitivity of having an opposition from Moon in Cancer (to the Mars/Mercury).  Having Mercury conjunct Mars sets the nerves on edge, but the opposition is like the equivalent of a female permanently having pre-menstrual tension.  As you’ll see later, his psychopathology is deeper.

In the Thames and Hudson book on the Pre-Raphaelites, Tim Hilton writes of his intensely critical faculty:

“Claude, Poussin, the classical masters of the landscape tradition, the religious painters of the High Renaissance (especially ‘the clear and tasteless poison of the art of Raphael’), the genre painters of the Dutch school were all therefore to be execrated.  In “Modern Painters” [Ruskin’s early published work] they are criticized with some vehemence, not as a man might kick away the curs that snap at his heels, but exhaustively, at great length, with every rhetorical device and every instrument of castigation.  Hardly any of the schools of European painting between the Renaissance and the Romantic era escapes this devastating onslaught.”

North Node and Karmic Mission

Ruskin’s North Node, representing his karmic mission, is in his 3^rd House trine exactly Uranus, indicating that he heads up a brilliant milieu.  In addition, Mercury exactly squares the Nodal Axis, and I find that where a planet squares the Nodes that person acts as a co-ordinator for a group, sometimes the Soul Group.  In this case, the planet being Mercury (which adds to his general nervous tension), enables Ruskin to act in the role of a teacher or mentor to the group.  In my 2009 blog I have written more about the karmic entanglements of the Moon’s Nodes within the group.

Psychopathology

Michael Robinson writes in “The Pre-Raphaelites”: “Ruskin and Oxford were inseparable, even though their relationship was difficult at times.  As an undergraduate, although he had won prestigious prizes for his drawing and poetry, he was always an outsider and had to leave his studies on hold after suffering a mental breakdown when he was only 21.”

In that year, Ruskin will have had Saturn square to his Saturn, though it affects people differently and undoubtedly was instrumental in the stress at that time.

In the book “Touched with Fire” by Psychiatrist Kay Redfield Jamison, she notes that at one time Ruskin was considered to have schizophrenia but she diagnoses bi-polar syndrome:

“Bizarre behaviour, once thought to be much more characteristic of schizophrenia, is now recognized as a frequent component of mania as well.  Many artists and writers described by some earlier biographers as schizophrenic – for example Ruskin, Schumann, Strindberg, Woolf,  Pound, Poe, Artaud, Dadd, and Van Gogh – would not be classified as such today”.

This is borne out astrologically.  He has the mania (Jupiter conjunct Mars) plus the depression (Saturn conjunct Pluto and Chiron in Pisces).  In addition, he has a very highly-strung conjunction of Uranus and Neptune, which sensitizes his nervous system to an acute degree.  These individual features may be present singly in a chart, but to have all of these is high pressure for the holder of one birth chart to maintain balance.

The Loves of John Ruskin

In his birthchart, the closest partner to the planet of love Venus, is Neptune.  This liaison speaks of impossible idealism, a phrase which summed up his relationships.  His first emotional attachment was to Adele Clothilde Domecq, daughter of his father’s business partner.  This love was under-aged (about 15) and unrequited.

The second relationship, which led to marriage but non-consummation, was to Effie Gray.  Their marriage took place on 10/4/48, the date where Franny Moyle’s book takes up the story, in a time period embryonic to the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.  At this time, Pluto was square to Ruskin’s Mars, setting him a psychosexual challenge, which proved impossible for him to meet.

In the Summer of 1853 Effie and John Ruskin took a holiday in Scotland, accompanied by one of Ruskin’s artistic protégés, John Everett Millais.  Effie and John fell in love and were later to marry.

After 6 years of marriage, on 26/4/54 Effie served an annulment on Ruskin.  Uranus was trine her Mars (taking the advantage of a surprise action).  The transiting North Node trine her Uranus (surprise element in her favour).

John Ruskin’s third significant love, Rose La Touche, was 9 when he met her on her birthday, and the age gap always caused consternation in their circles. At this time, Neptune was conjunct the North Node suggesting the impossibility of the relationship, Pluto was conjunct Jupiter, transiting Jupiter was trine Ruskin’s Venus, and transiting Mars was square to his Moon.

Over the course of many years they met, fell in love, fell out, suffered many misunderstandings and dramas, and attempted interventions from friends and relatives.  This was the story of their relationship, Rose ever unattainable to Ruskin, and the emotions messing with his already delicate mind drove him to despair and mental instability.

In October 1863 – at 15 years old Rose herself suffered a nervous breakdown, for she too was delicate of mind.  According to Franny Moyle, she “sank into mental fragility”.

On 3/1/1866, Rose’s 18^th birthday, there was a reunion of sorts, at a family dinner out.  On this occasion, the Sun was conjunct Jupiter, Venus was conjunct Mars (reunions) and  Mars was conjunct Mercury.  Mars was conjunct Ruskin’s Neptune, firing his imagination.

Meetings often revolved around Rose’s birthday.  In January 1866 Ruskin proposed to Rose and was told to ask again in 3 years when she was 21. This pattern went on, and much of the relationship was conducted in the imagination.  Eventually they both suffered greatly through illness.

Rose died in 1875 in a Dublin nursing home, and Ruskin never recovered, also taking to Spiritualism in an effort to contact her.

Ruskin’s Art

Ruskin himself was a fine painter, and I find his drawings exquisite.  They seem to come more from the refinement and sensibility of his Uranus-Neptune conjunction than from the technical skill of his Mercury conjunct Mars.
His doctrine of fidelity to nature (which in his art theory he called ‘ truth to nature’) inspired much of the work of the Pre-Raphaelites early in the movement. Later some of them changed course towards a cult of beauty, but others continued to adhere to the original ideals.

Giles Fraser (the ex-Canon Chancellor of St. Paul’s Cathedral) wrote an article in the Guardian yesterday, pointing out: “For Ruskin, art was about beauty, and beauty had a higher moral and social purpose”.

The free booklet at the Exhibition informs us: “Around 1860…Beauty came to be valued more highly than truth, as Pre-Raphaelitism slowly metamorphosed into the Aesthetic movement.”

A slight divergence from one of their heroes, the poet John Keats, who had written during the Romantic movement early in the same century in 1819:

“Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” – that is all

Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know”

In Modern Context

The last word goes to Giles Fraser: “Ruskin’s insistence that art might have some higher moral purpose no longer seems to trouble the wealthy aesthetes of the 21^st century.”  Fast forward to the 21^st Century and earlier this week the Guardian ran an article by Jonathan Jones about Damien Hirst’s latest sculpture, claiming about Hirst that he “made modern British art, and has destroyed it.”  How did we get from there, to here?

Further Reading

If you would like to read my earlier blog on the subject “The Pre-Raphaelites – A Soul Group”, here is the link:

http://www.lanawooster.co.uk/blog/2009/09/the-pre-raphaelites-a-soul-group/

 

Debates and Orations

Last week’s North Node conjunction with Mars (Warriorship) was expressed in the debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in the race for the Presidency.  Jonathan Freedland writing in the Guardian, wrote that in the British political arena, as in the U.S. battle, the underdog won this week: “Ed Miliband, meanwhile, won near-universal raves for a conference performance that stunned both his audience and a press corps that had come to believe the Labour leader could not perform his way out of a paper bag.”  Although I had expressed hopes last week that Ed Miliband would make a good speech, I personally was a little disappointed with his slogan of “One Nation” which sounded to me a little hackneyed and empty, but I did sense that he is indeed finding himself more strongly, and hope that will consolidate.

David Cameron

It is David Cameron’s week, in terms of hosting a party Conference, and it is interesting that the Mayor of London Boris Johnson now has a popularity rating much higher than the Prime Minister.  What is also interesting is that Cameron’s governmental U-turns have now been counted to number as many as 30.  And the government policies are proving to be Conservative in the true sense of the word.  Or maybe Retro would be a better word, as Education Minister Gove puts forward examination procedures which hark back to his childhood, and Health Minister Jeremy Hunt has just re-iterated his penchant for putting back abortion rights, advocating the reduction of the time limit for abortions from 24 weeks to 12 weeks – a blow for women’s rights and choices.  The Mars/North Node conjunction when Ed Miliband was making his speech last week was actually working against David Cameron, in that it squared his own Mars.

All political scenarios can turn around, and though Mars means action and confrontation, it can be over quickly and its effects may not be lasting.

Presidential Contest

Jonathan Freedland observed: “Mitt Romney gave Barack Obama such a good hiding in their first TV debate, you half expected the referee to step in and end the bout on compassionate grounds.” That Mars/North Node conjunction during the U.S. Presidential debate was working for Mitt Romney, in that it was conjunct by transit his lucky natal Moon/Jupiter conjunction.  At the same time a square from the Moon to his ruling planet Uranus put Obama unexpectedly out of sorts.  However, I feel the transits for Obama at the time of the actual election next month are marginally more favourable than those for Mitt Romney.  So it is for that reason, and for the fact that I had a dream a few months ago that I was minding my grandchild and a victorious result for Obama came on the television, I remain consistent about predicting a win for Obama!

Last Word from Freedland

I enjoyed the Guardian article so much I will finish with some of Freedland’s closing words: “The president can turn things around with one good debate performance…For Cameron, it will not be so easy.”

Aspects

So what’s in store for this week?  I am pleased to say it looks good to me.

Mars entered Sagittarius early today, so the combative energy of Scorpio gives way to a go-ahead and sporty energy with Mars in Sagittarius.  Energy may be channeled more constructively, in activities such as flying kites, horse-whispering, philosophical debate, and chasing moonbeams.  It reminds me I once regressed a double Sagittarian (Sun and Ascendant in Sagittarius) and her regression was of winning an Archery contest in ancient Rome.  Go for the bull’s eye today.

Tomorrow is far more complicated: Mars squares Neptune and Venus opposes Chiron (rarely do we have a completely straightforward week).  Emotions will be put through the wringer in both aspects.  For Mars squaring Neptune, energy will be sensitized, so that if you expect a clear run for your own desires, you will be forced to take into account another’s pain.  Only if you come from compassion, will the exchange work.  Healing is also possible with the second aspect, Venus opposing Chiron, but again not without seeing the wounding which needs to be expressed, recognized and acknowledged.  The Arts may be cathartic for you tomorrow.

Tuesday (9^th) will reward us for the emoting of the day before, with no less than three trines!  Sun trine Jupiter is the first, and one of the best trines there is to work with.  A small flutter, such as buying a £1 lottery ticket, could result in a small win, such as £10, which is a lot for your outlay.  The second trine, Mercury trine Chiron, is mentally healing.  The mind healing could come through meditation, or counseling, or creative writing: these activities can help to set the mind straight.  Thirdly, Venus trines Pluto, and art can help heal psychologically under that trine, and music can heal the troubled soul.  This third trine is the healing of the feeling nature, which is linked with the emotions.  So the first trine is buoyancy for the Soul, the second is balm for the mind, and the third brings harmony at a deep level.

On Wednesday (10^th) Mercury sextiles Pluto, and that is a consolidation of mental healing.  It is an encouragement to progress forward mentally from the healing of the previous day.  For instance, if you had a mental block about paperwork, Tuesday may identify or heal the block, and Wednesday will allow you to act upon the healing, i.e. start working where you left off when you hit the block.

But Thursday’s the day…There’s a simply marvelous heavy weight helpful Trine on Thursday (11^th)!  The trine is between Saturn (the material struggle) and Neptune (the spiritual heights). If you are hoping to make headway on a major project, today can bring everything together.  If Saturn going into Scorpio has revealed a challenge, this is where you get the assistance you need (earthly or heavenly).  And the nature of this trine is to bring the earthly together harmoniously with the heavenly.  For example, if you feel you have set the spiritual energies right on a project, and need the material side to work with it, you may get them to click on Thursday.  The same applies if your situation is vice-versa.  If you have been wondering how to manage Saturn in Scorpio, the answer could come to you, and be sure to make a note of it.  It’s great to be able to give good news, sometimes, as an Astrologer!

That is the last aspect of the week, and a long lasting one, so that you can continue to work with that vibe profitably until the next set of aspects arrive.

Libra

We have settled our slippers comfortably into the sign of Libra now (although reminded of life’s realities by Saturn’s entry into the waters of Scorpio), and thanks to all those (including the milkman) who helped to deliver the Libran Guide to Relationships, posted earlier today.  If relationships are a current preoccupation for you, you may find some handy hints from a Libran well qualified to represent her sign, Sue Hudson.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – Go Ahead!
• Tomorrow – It’s complicated…
• Tuesday  – The World’s your Oyster
• Wednesday – Evidence of Healing
• Thursday – Lasting Gains

Libra New Moon Mandala painted by Sarah Berry
Line Mandala from Mandala Colouring Book by Barry Stevens
available at http://www.mandalas.freeserve.co.uk/colouringinbook.html

This is the tenth piece in an occasional series written about the expertise of each Sun Sign. I may still be looking for the Capricorn (I am not sure if I have one or not) who can write a guide to Ambition, but at long last I have found a Libran who has written the guide to Relationships. If you think you might be the Capricorn I am looking for, please get in touch.  Or alternatively if you should know the ideal person.  I have got my eye on someone, but haven’t got the courage to ask yet.  The articles will be found under the category “Zodiac Masterclass” so that eventually there will be 12 such articles, e.g. “The Libran Guide to Relationships”, “The Capricorn Guide to Ambition”,”The Pisces Guide to Compassion” etc. Each article will be written by someone who has the Sun Sign in question.

Please meet Sue Hudson. I have only got to know her recently. She first caught my attention about 15 years ago in a queue at a parents evening. We must have only exchanged a few words but I was arrested by her one-liners. She is a lovely Libran and she and her Leo husband make a vibrant couple. Fast forward to July this year and I had a Eureka lightbulb moment (more in the sense of how many astrologers does it take to change one, than Archimedes running dripping in the street from his bath). I had been looking for 9 months for a Libran to write the Masterclass for this sign and here was the perfect person! Not only was she classically Libran, but she had been with her Leo since they were young. Imagine my surprise when I asked her (still trembling from the aforementioned Eureka lightbulb moment) if she would do it and she told me she  actually teaches relationships!

A word about the mandala: I use the colour blue for the sign of Libra, coming as it does between the green of Virgo and the indigo of Scorpio, and fortuitously Sarah’s mandala is blue.

RELATIONSHIPS LIBRAN AND LEO STYLE

By Sue Hudson

We enter into the world of social relationships from birth; and in Psychology the primary debate argued would be: are we the product of our genes or our environment?  Psychologists would argue that it is this very early relationship with our primary carer which acts as a blueprint for all later social and romantic relationships.  Being a Libran and having been married for the past 29 years one wonders why this marriage has survived when according to statistics one in four fail to!  Without being complacent, this piece will give some insight into why I feel that it has.  Whilst accepting that relationships are important and necessary for social beings, it’s also accepted that at times they are not easy!  Therefore, it is considered impossible to offer anyone guidance in making a relationship work especially when, if as psychologists argue, the early attachment figure does indeed have an affect on all other future relationships.  Arguably Psychology has much to offer with regards to helping couples having difficulties in relationships, and the first observation into why relationships work or fail is that relationship therapists sometimes make a great deal of money out of arguing couples, not by advising them on how to make their relationship work, but by encouraging communication.  Therefore, being an individual who never has any trouble expressing their feelings, perhaps this relationship has survived 29 years because of that.

Having accomplished something that seems for many very difficult, this will give written testimony into how this Libran has managed to survive in what has been at best a very heartfelt and supportive relationship, whilst at worst it has been turbulent!  Astrologers write that Librans are lovers of beauty, harmony and balance, and it is without doubt that this is true in the case of this Libran.  However, beauty comes in many forms and being respected, listened to and being made to laugh have been the important variables within this relationship, not material things.  I do, however, wear my heart on my sleeve and have never had any concerns about communicating my feelings, both positive and negative, and at times with too much honesty!

Perhaps in our society today many expect too much, and couples have swallowed what some might perceive as the American Dream, that all that glitters is gold; therefore if something loses its sparkle then abandon it!  Perhaps couples have to struggle sometimes to really appreciate what they have got.  This relationship has survived struggling financially and emotionally, mainly because we were a married couple for such a short period of time before we had our first child.  During the 1980s I felt that marriage and having children were all I wanted, and this may have stemmed from the fact that at 11 years old I lost a parent, and for me ‘family’ was never really quite the same again.  It was because of this I feel that, at times of difficulty within our relationship, the children would always have been put first, and if things went wrong it was never as easy as just ending the relationship – mainly because what we both realized was that we had security and a happy family atmosphere for the children, and in hindsight this was obtained sometimes at detriment to our own feelings.

It could be argued that perhaps we both forgot for a time that we were a young couple too; we concentrated on looking after the children and in working to support the family, through a very difficult time financially in the 1980s.  Perhaps there were times when we both made no effort at tall to tell each other how special they were.  However, looking back, I think we both knew instinctively that we cared, and although hearts and flowers would have been nice, they’re not particularly important when finances are tight.  I often think about spending time in Cheshire with an uncle of mine when the children were small – it happened to be my husband’s birthday and I failed to give him a gift!  I remember my uncle saying that in all the times he was married to my aunt they never failed to give a gift to each other, no matter how small!  I remember feeling really mean, and in a way accepted that he was right: gifts don’t need to be large expensive gestures – it’s the thought that counts!  Whilst in Cheshire my husband and I took the children into the town, and I remember buying him a tool for his toolbox and he was more than happy with it; he wasn’t at all worried that he had to choose his gift, in fact considering our lack of finances it was the most sensible option.   However, neither of us has ever not bothered to get a gift again since!  On that holiday I can also remember laughing a lot, buying a blow up giraffe for my daughter and singing a very silly song on the way home in the car.  So in the early days of our relationship the focus was on being good parents and role models, and this is what kept the relationship going.

By the end of the 1990s the children were becoming settled and much more independent, and our roles as parents were changing; we wanted them to experience life and encouraged them to do the things we had never been given the chance to do.  I felt I lost my identity for a while, and felt I didn’t have a role any more.  So I decided to go back to education and enrolled on a degree course.  Through the three years of studying I was always supported and encouraged, variables which I feel further contributed to a lasting relationship.

Finally, where are we now nearly 30 years later?  Both working, too hard I sometimes feel, and with very different types of stresses to deal with.  We have things now which we couldn’t afford then, in fact things we didn’t even think about then.  We’re both still very family orientated and for us this will remain constant.  We will celebrate our 30^th wedding anniversary next year, and also the marriage of our eldest child.  We are also finding ourselves being a couple again, and enjoying doing things together as such.  In conclusion, then, it is felt that Librans are the thoughtful, balanced sign of the Zodiac who do appreciate beauty, adoration and honesty, but who also accept that these come in many different forms.  Librans also love harmony, but are also not frightened of conflict as long as this brings resolution, and with a lion on side, who could go wrong?

Ed Milliband

Just a short preamble this morning on this week’s leader of the political party Conference (I have used up some of my blogging juice on the challenge of writing about Saturn’s entry into Scorpio).  Having watched Ed Milliband (whose position in the polls is on the rise) this morning on the Andrew Marr show, he scrubbed up very well morale-wise in comparison to poor Nick Clegg last week on the Andrew Marr show prior to his Lib Dem conference.  Last week on the couch Nick Clegg’s forehead worry lines were in themselves very worrying.  The political pundits viewed his conference speeches as lack lustre.  In contrast, Ed Milliband suddenly seems to know who he is (we’ll find out more this week at the Labour Party Conference).  As someone (one of my blog commenters) texted me this morning “He’s got Andrew over a barrel in the debate”.  Ed Milliband’s closest transit at this time is Neptune (spirituality) trine his Jupiter (philosophy), so he is coming into his stride in terms of being sure of his ground philosophically.  I think when he first took over as leader of the Labour Party he had some successful but heavy duty and demanding transits (Pluto transiting his Sun, and transiting Uranus trine his Neptune).  He was wondering how he got from promising politician and beloved brother to the post of leader of the Opposition and flailing Labour Party.  Now he feels ready to lead the Labour Party, and I would watch the Conference with interest, but I will be travelling.  So I will look out for some interesting soundbites on my i Phone app.  Interestingly, a statement of intent he has made this weekend, a threat to break up and reform the banks if they do not mend their ways, is right in the spirit of the era of Saturn in Pluto, so that could be a visionary aim (stemming from the inspiration of transiting Neptune trine his Jupiter).

 

Aspects

Mars dominates the beginning and the end of this week.  On Tuesday (2^nd) Mars conjuncts the North Node – re-introducing the Inner Warrior who is in no mood for messin’, with this conjunction now taking place in Scorpio (remember we are now karmically evolving more courageously with the North Node newly placed in this sign).

Caroline Myss says of this Archetype:

“The spiritual Warrior pioneered by Dan Millman, Chogyam Trungpa, and others directs you to use the classic Warrior virtues of heroism, stoicism, and self-sacrifice for conquering the ego and gaining control of the inner realm.”

Wednesday (3^rd)  may be a notable but perplexing day for Venusians (Taureans, Librans and those with Venus rising). It begins with Venus sextile Saturn. They are both in the 29th degree of their signs (Leo and Libra respectively) and as Libra’s ruler Venus may assist Saturn in leave a parting gift with you from his time in Libra: the gift may be in the realm of relationships, art or music, if you have been consciously working on such a related issue over the last two and a half years.  See my October 2009 blog Saturn in Libra – Karmic Dilemmas

http://www.lanawooster.co.uk/blog/2009/10/saturn-in-libra-karmic-dilemmas/

which may help you to a clearer idea of what it might be. Globally there may be a diplomatic breakthrough, mid-week, for instance.  You may have resolution or closure in a relationship, on the personal front.

Venus then enters Virgo and changes her tune from magnanimous (Leo) to choosy (Virgo). This will happen literally overnight. Make sure you register for and claim the free gift before she does so, even if it in the form of a dream. If you work in the Arts sector it’s now time to get to work on the design or planning stage for the next season.

Venus linking with exacting Saturn and then changing signs may be all too much for some, and by the evening there may be confusion or meltdown. What may have seemed set earlier on will feel like an overwhelming state of flux by the evening, e.g. Opening your creative channels may have unleashed a torrent of ideas from which you can’t make sense or order . Welcome to the phantasmagorical world of Venus opposite Neptune.

Jupiter goes Stationary on Thursday (4th) prior to turning retrograde at 16 degrees Gemini. Sagittarians especially may be forced into U-turns. Whilst Margaret Thatcher wasn’t for turning, David Cameron has undertaken more U-turns than he has eaten West Cornish pasties. Educational changes are a feature of Jupiter’s current passage through Gemini, and Education Minister Michael Gove seems determined to make his mark by recreating the schooling of his childhood. The retrograde Jupiter in Gemini may help him achieve this retrograde step. I have been amazed the policy has got this far. That is not to say sense may not prevail when Jupiter next goes forwards next year – there is still a chance that it can.

On Friday (5th) Mercury conjuncts Saturn and there may be further depressing news, e.g. about education plans. If Education is not an interest or concern of yours, then it is a day to try to focus on work or studies, though that may not be easy. Try to lighten up occasionally by taking coffee breaks in unusual ways or locations, e.g.  If you work near a zoo, go and watch the monkeys. Otherwise, under leaden skies and the new yet-to-be named cloud formation (let us hope for no more floods this week), you may find it harder to locate yourself at the end of the working day.

Friday is as much Mercury’s day as Wednesday was Venusian. Therefore, Geminis and Virgos may go through as many quick changes as Venusians did then. The next change up is Mercury leaving calm and collected Libra and entering incisive and smouldering Scorpio. No longer content with surface niceties we will be impatient to get to the deeper truths. You may register the moment of this switch around 10.35 a.m. in the U.K…

Saturn in Scorpio

…But this will be nothing in comparison to the shift you might feel later in the day when Saturn himself moves into Scorpio (20.34 Hrs in the U.K.).  Pause to consider the gliding of Saturn through Libra since October 2009…then deepen that, for Saturn now enters more challenging waters. If you managed to produce balance in your relationships or art, you will now be challenged to bring in deeper truth, honesty and integrity. What was good enough for Libra won’t reach the benchmark for Scorpio.

As I say in this morning’s “Saturn in Scorpio” blog,

http://www.lanawooster.co.uk/blog/2012/09/saturn-in-scorpio-in-the-deep/

be ready for life to hand you a challenge (or project), perhaps as early as the time of Saturn’s ingress (entrance) into Scorpio.

Onwards and Upwards

At 22.06 hrs Mercury trines Neptune. This is a helpful aspect for us to balance the entry of Saturn into Scorpio. The lower mind will be able to accept, receive and process inspiration from higher realms.  Problems of sensory overload from Wednesday may now be more easily digested and organized mentally.

Questions

Mars ends the week on Saturday (6th) in the last degree of Scorpio, preparing to leave that battleground and to put its energy into higher aspiration, or sports such as Quidditch. On its last days in Scorpio review the state of your inner warrior and its evolution over the last 6 weeks or so while Mars has been in that sign. Has it evolved into the peaceful warrior of idealism? Have you taken the opportunities to stand up for yourself or state your boundaries? Is your Inner Warrior fit for purpose for its next stage…?

The week in bullet points:

• Tuesday – the Karmic Inner Warrior re-engages
• Wednesday – A Parting but sensible Gift, a sign of progress, and a new work focus.

Later, confusion and overwhelmed feelings

• Thursday – A U-Turn
• Friday – a battle for the mind; issues shift into deeper psychological waters;

A new Challenge or Project; resolution of mental challenges incorporating the Spiritual perspective

• Saturday – review the Inner Warrior and its imminent shift or new evolvement

5 October 2012, 20.34 Hrs in the U.K.

“He who would valiant be ’gainst all disaster,
Let him in constancy follow the Master.
There’s no discouragement shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent to be a pilgrim.”

~ John Bunyan

My choice of quotation for Saturn in Scorpio may seem a bit stark, retro and religious for this day and age, but it sets the psychological tone and has persisted in my mind these last few days.  It is about not giving up, and standing firm in your integrity.

Review of Saturn in Libra

In October 2009, when Saturn went into Libra, I wrote a blog entitled “Saturn in Libra – Karmic Dilemmas” about what it might mean for us personally and globally.  This has proved a very popular and much-read blog, and you may want to review it at this point, to see if it has been relevant at all to your experience of the last three years.

Here’s the link:

http://www.lanawooster.co.uk/blog/2009/10/saturn-in-libra-karmic-dilemmas/

On the subject of international affairs I wrote:

“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.”

This seems very relevant in the ensuing period, with the diplomatic efforts of Kofi Annan and Lakhdar Brahimi in Syria, and the perceived threat of Iran’s nuclear capability, both issues we are going to take with us into the Saturn in Scorpio era.

Psychological Blocks

“The purpose of Saturn is to highlight our blocks, so that we can work on liberating ourselves from them” I wrote in the blithe old days of 2009.

This process becomes a deepening one during the era of Saturn’s sojourn in Scorpio.  In Libra we may have dealt with these blocks on an intellectual or emotional basis, but we now experience them at a deeper psychological level, and at the cellular level which implicates the physical.

Past-life regression has a role to play when accessing and releasing cellular level material and memories, and noted U.S. Psychiatrist Brian Weiss (himself a Scorpio) has brought out a new book on the subject this year entitled “Miracles Happen”, and subtitled “The Transformational Healing Power of Past Life Memories”, co-written by his daughter Amy Weiss.

What Saturn signifies in our Charts

As well as its role in highlighting blocks, I think of the Saturn placement in our charts as indicating how we get through life, e.g. if it is in Sagittarius, that is through humour.  Some of my family have Saturn in Scorpio, but most notably my 86-year old mother-in-law, who displays the Saturn in Scorpio traits in Spades (as in the card suit, which is very Saturn in Scorpio).  Courage and emotional self-discipline are among the traits which have seen her successfully reach this ripe-old age.  Saturn in Scorpio, both in transit as now (a collective experience) and personally in our natal charts, requires us to dig deep, and results in character-building (whether we like it or not).

Challenges

Be ready for life to hand you a challenge (or project), perhaps as early as the time of Saturn’s entrance into Scorpio.

My own philosophy towards challenge in life may be relevant for you.  I am a scaredy-cat, but Sun in Sagittarius gives me an enormous amount of faith.  So my philosophy of life has always been that if life hands me a challenge, providing it does not look impossible and providing my instincts do not say “No way, Jose”, I accept that challenge and assume that I can do whatever it is, and if it is difficult, that I will receive help, earthly or spiritual.

Financial Cuts

In 2009 when Saturn entered Libra, the credit crunch had happened the previous year, but we were still debating how serious it was.  Cuts were in the air, but not yet biting.  Now they are biting, and the jaws of the Scorpion will ensure that we have to deal with them.

The sign of Scorpio and its House (the Eighth) rule money, and in particular other people’s resources in traditional Astrology.  So money is extremely relevant, and becoming more so.  Rather than rising above money spiritually, we need to become immersed in understanding how we manifest, and our own individual relationship with money.  Many spiritual people won’t have anything to do with money (I put my hands up to doing so to some extent), and that is probably avoiding really important spiritual issues.  It is partly why we have such confusion in the world about money and in our personal lives, and why we haven’t yet found the answer to the role of money in society.

This requires us to develop the resourcefulness of  Saturn in Scorpio, developing recycling to an even finer art, for instance.  The whole issue of financial self-sustenance also relates to the unfolding of our talents or inner riches (the true province of Scorpio’s opposite sign Taurus and opposite House, the Second – connecting us with the balance and power of the polarity).

Casting around for examples of people with Saturn in Scorpio and their inner resources of character, Angela Merkel stands out.  Her Saturn in Scorpio is in the 11^th House of large associations, in this case the European Union!  She is known for her strength, and I believe that is down to the qualities of her Saturn in Scorpio.

Bill Gates is another resourceful holder of Saturn in Scorpio, and one who has mastered the substance of money, and the power that it represents.  So if you are working on your money issues during the next two or three years (it first enters Sagittarius in December 2014) look at these examples, or people you know who have Saturn in Scorpio in order to realize the depth of resourcefulness and connection to money.  Of course it is entirely possible that during this period we may evolve a replacement for the monetary system, if the current system becomes untenable.

Art

I am shortly to see the Pre-Raphaelite exhibition at Tate Britain in London, whose fluffy romanticism (I love it) is about as far away as you can get from Saturn in Scorpio.  Two artists who have Saturn in Scorpio, and therefore have something of its style in their work, are Caravaggio (master of the light and shade which is chiaroscuro), and New York painter Alex Grey (whose Scorpio X-Ray eyes paint the spiritual realities behind the form).

Final Word

May the force of Saturn in Scorpio be with you, whatever should unfold.

Uranus square Pluto – Phase 2 – Aftermath

It was a testing week for many, and hopefully you were one of those that passed the test.  Taking a casual survey, it seemed to me that for most people the crisis day was Wednesday, the day of the actual square between Uranus and Pluto, with reverberations on Thursday, and calmer waters on Friday.

The square is still with us until 2015, but the next exact square is not until next year, so there is time to calm down, take a deep breath and release fear.

For those of you who are ahead of the game, and wish to prepare for the next one, go over their lessons and make a plan, the next square will take place on 20^th May 2013.

Muslim Video

By far and away the most important development globally around this square has been the Muslim riots about the American video.  As a commenter put it in relation to my research up to the event:

“The only thing you have left out is the continuing violence supposedly triggered by the American video.”

I realized this as soon as I had posted it, and it was almost a Freudian slip to omit it, because I found it so perplexing, and still do.

Our first awareness that there was a problem, was the killing of Chris Stevens the U.S. Ambassador for Libya, which happened on 11^th September, a clear 8 days before the square, but in the period of rising tension caused by the square.

Chris Stevens was a diplomat and a lawyer, with a powerful  Jupiter exactly trine his Pluto in his natal chart.  He had been highly skilled and successful in his career.  As fate would have it, his death marked the beginning of this whole phenomenon.  We do not have his birth time, and he was born in Grass Valley, California, but there is a strong case for the accuracy of  the noon GMT chart.  In this chart, his Moon is conjunct the U.S. Pluto which is a dramatic link.  Transiting Saturn would have been squaring his natal Moon in 6^th House of working quarters, and transiting Saturn was squaring the U.S. natal Pluto at the time of the event.  This chart would give him a Leo Ascendant, and Venus (diplomacy) at the Midheaven (his Careerpoint).

The chart for the time and place of his death in Benghazi and the eruption of the violence shows Mars quincunx the Ascendant on the 6^th House cusp.  If this chart is active and the situation rumbles on, Mars will transit the North Node of the chart on 6^th October, and the descendant of the chart on 24^th/25^th October, and the Pluto of the chart on 25/26^th November, when there may be further flare ups or repercussions.  There is no way of knowing how long this crisis will last. The chart of the making of the film may show a Neptunian (manipulation) nature and timing, but that is at the moment an unknown quantity.  The initial video clips were uploaded to You Tube in July, the first being on 1^st July, a week after the first Uranus-Pluto square!

An interesting feature which caught my attention is that it was reported that some of the protests around the world about this video were peaceful.  I feel that says something profound.  It has been reported this morning that in Benghazi itself the moderates have driven out the extremists, by peaceful means.  And I hope that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will be able to convince the protesters of their good will and lack of involvement in this film.

Personal Lives

I personally felt the tension of the square last Wednesday as a knot of tension in the stomach, and my digestive system protested that it would only eat Miso soup (I later found out that the Fixed Star aligned with the event, Cor Caroli, works well with miso soup in etheric cleansing and detoxification, from “Starlight Elixirs” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld).  Others found that events were taking them to the limits of their endurance.  Some reported this to me, without knowing about the Uranus-Pluto square (not everyone I know takes an interest in Astrology!).  We heard of the death of a friend, but we also heard in the news of the birth of a celebrity baby on the afternoon of the 18^th: Robbie Williams and his wife Ayda Field brought into the world a baby girl Theodora.  I am not going to analyse her chart now, but just to welcome her into this world and a safe passage throughout her life.

Aspects

The aspects for this week begin on Wednesday (26^th), a day which should prove optimistic and mind-expanding due to a trine between Mercury and Jupiter.  This will be beneficial for education, information (without necessarily the technology), communication and sales and a tonic for those in recovery from the big square: it will give us something positive to focus on, e.g. there may be good news from the world of celebrity as well as in our own circle.

On Thursday (27^th) Venus squares Mars, which may produce intrigue and social awkwardness, e.g. inappropriate pictures of celebrities may crop up again in elements of the media which think they are appropriate.  In your own life, someone might cross the red line, or invade a boundary you thought was understood.

Saturday (29^th) has a T-square between the Sun, and you-know-who (Uranus and Pluto).  We are tested again, and need to hold our centre, be aware of who we are, and strengthen our individuality.  If necessary, we may need to speak our truth.  The earlier square in the day is the Sun with Uranus, so we may face a rebellion or we may be doing the rebelling.  Later the Sun squares Pluto, and we may face stark choices, or choices that involve a search deep into our Soul.

The undercurrents of this aspect are heightened by the Full Moon in Aries which takes place in the early hours of Sunday morning, so we will need to deal with personal emotional issues in addition to wider issues in society.  Saturday night is not a night to drown your sorrows, as you could be storing up further complications.  Deal with what is presented as honestly as you can, and you will move through any problems more quickly.  You may find that life has been trying to reward you, but that you have been blocking its attempts to do so.

The week in bullet points:

• Wednesday – the only way is up
• Thursday – mild irritations or dubious pleasures
• Saturday – an echo of the Uranus-Pluto square rumbling in the background

By the third week of going back to work, Sharon was becoming well and truly absorbed back into the rat race, in the nicest possible way.

She walked into the waiting room at the Station on the day of the T-square, and Marjorie (an 80 year old who every day swam, then commuted to London to do half a day’s work) said “Have you noticed how everybody is rushing?”

Sharon had known Marjorie for years before she retired, and always marveled at her regime.

“Yes I have” Sharon replied.

Marjorie elaborated: “I have been forcefully brushed past by commuters and nearly knocked over by schoolchildren in their rush to get to work and school”

Sharon sympathized “Mmm…hmm”

“Only I have noticed you don’t rush” Marjorie went on.

Sharon laughed, “I am the slowest person I know”.

“Really?!” said Marjorie

“Oh yes, people have been known to cross the road to avoid walking with me, and my hubby William always walks 10 paces ahead!”

It seems that in the real world everything needs to be done immediately, mused Sharon.  This anxiety had manifested for her as a knot in the stomach consisting of this collective angst.  With her Taurean Ascendant, it was even difficult for the Uranus-Pluto square to shift the immovable object, and she was looking forward to three days of returning to her own pace.

The Uranus-Pluto square

The tone of this week will be dominated by our efforts to get to grips with the second phase of the Uranus-Pluto square (which lasts until 2015).  This square re-occurs on Wednesday, having initially become exact on 24 June this year.  I have written a separate blog about this:

http://www.lanawooster.co.uk/blog/2012/09/uranus-square-pluto-phase-2/

 

Hillsborough

An event this week which bears examination as an example of a Uranus-Pluto type cataclysm, and which is now entering its own phase 2 with deeper complexity, is this week’s clearing of the Hillsborough victim karma.  As we approached Leicester in the car on the day of the report, there was another story of unearthing vying for attention on the radio: the unburying of Richard III (possibly) under a Leicester car park.  This story almost made a complete blog, but that is another story…

So we heard each victim of the Hillsborough disaster named in turn last Wednesday, each one with a story to tell, each one linked to other lives impacted by the event.  The chart of the human crush which took place on 15 April 1989 in the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield contains the same aspect (Saturn conjunct Neptune) which depicted the fall of the Berlin Wall, in November of the same year, but with the negative side of the conjunction operating.

On Wednesday (12^th September) last week the findings in the report of the Hillsborough Independent Panel were made known to the public, absolving the Liverpool fans who had been blamed for their behaviour, and re-directing the blame to “lack of police control”.  In revealing a huge cover-up by the police authorities, there might be a huge switch in public conscience, though I am sure public sympathy will have largely failed to buy the prevailing official story of the previous 23 years.

This event has paved the way for the public who suffered in this tragedy to seek compensation and full justice for the loss of their loved ones, and although the event took place under a Saturn-Neptune pairing, this next long-drawn phase is going to be under the aegis of the Uranus-Pluto square.  Pluto’s position at this moment of time is exactly trine the Mercury (information) of the chart of the Hillsborough disaster, so the uncovering of information is suitably honoured astrologically.  Uranus is also sextile the Jupiter of the original chart, bringing about a success of sorts.  Neptune now conjuncts the North Node (karma) of the original chart, releasing greater compassion, and complexity.

 

Aspects

Without further ado let us zip through the 9 astrological features of this week, lest you lose the will to read, all against the backdrop of the midweek recurrence of the Uranus-Pluto square.  Kicking off the week we had early this morning a New Moon at 23 degrees Virgo, so a productive day can be expected in studies, practical crafts, and health issues.

At the other end of the day we have Mercury moving into Libra from Virgo, so the focus of our minds will change from study to relationships and intra-relationship communication.  There will probably be a huge viewing audience for the new series of Downton Abbey starting on our screens this evening, and with the additional star attraction of Shirley Maclaine (who has been on her third Saturn Return this year, redefining her life).  This programme will air while Mercury is still at 29 degrees Virgo and sextile exactly the North Node at 29 degrees Scorpio, so there will be a huge cathartic mass reaction in the emotional field of the viewers just afterwards.  Sense the mental shift if you can at 11.32 pm an hour after it finishes, when Mercury goes into Libra…ah, the furrowed brows will turn to romantic dreams.  However, in our house hubby will be watching sport, if he can find it.

On Tuesday (18^th) Pluto stands still preparing to turn forwards again.  It will be easier to plough that furrow of your inner landscape, if you have felt difficulty in that respect while Pluto has been retrograde (since 11^th April).  You may be able to look at your own psychology afresh.

Wednesday (19^th) brings the second Uranus Pluto square, the first having occurred on 24^th June.  Centre yourself, while being aware of the structure of events and where they need to be supported, or where something has to go.  It is an important time for individual responsibility, and to see each person’s role in the collective experience. (For further information go to the blog devoted to this).

On the evening of Thursday (20^th) two aspects to Mercury are further destabilizing:  Mercury links into the Uranus Pluto square to create a T-square.  It is what Craig Revel Horwood of Strictly Come Dancing would call “a disaster, darling!”  The mind could be prone to all sorts of paranoia (usually a province of Neptune, but Uranus Pluto can produce its own brand).  It is likely that at rehearsals Jerry Hall will decide that she cannot possibly cope with Anton du Beke’s dance style.  Look at his record in terms of the celebrity ladies…she will feel that it is just not working…despite her own graceful attributes, she cannot overcome his history on the dance competition.  His usual charm will not win her over.  There will be a Dallas-style cliffhanger.

You will have to cut your losses at bedtime and wait until next Saturday’s episode.  Maybe everything will look different in the morning.

For lo and behold! The early hours of Friday (21^st) brings a sextile between Venus and Jupiter.  That is not powerful enough to combat the midweek energies, but it could bring a smile or two, the beginnings of a pick-me-up.  The human spirit survives, and human relations in particular on Friday will be harmonizing and uplifting.

That brings us to Saturday (22^nd), the end of an exhausting array of aspects, with the Autumn Equinox, which means that the Sun will enter Libra, and not only our thoughts (Mercury) but our hearts and souls (Sun) will turn to a renewal of our personal relationships and Soul Contracts.

Best day to relax: Monday

The week in bullet points:

• Today – renewal of effort on your pet projects; mental shift to relationships
• Tuesday – a shift in psychological experience
• Wednesday – an expansion of consciousness
• Thursday – incomprehensible
• Friday – sweetness and light
• Saturday – even more emphasis on relationships

19 September 2012, 05.57 Hrs in the U.K.

This week we face the second square between Uranus and Pluto square, on Wednesday. The good news is that we have already negotiated the first square, on 24 June this year, and have more idea of how it impacts us and how we respond to it.  Uranus was at 8 degrees 24 minutes of Capricorn and Aries respectively in June, but now both planets have moved backwards and the impact is on 6 degrees 57 minutes of the same two signs.  There was a definitely increased impact where people had natal planets at 8 degrees last time, and so it is to be expected that the same will hold true of people with 6 degree natal planets on this occasion (I have transiting Pluto sitting on my Mercury).  This is the second pass of the square, which will recur several times between now and March 2015.

If you are new to Astrology, or new to awareness of this square, or simply want to refresh your memory, then please read my original piece “Uranus square Pluto – A Guide”:

http://www.lanawooster.co.uk/blog/2012/06/uranus-square-pluto-a-guide/

Take the Test:

The first of these squares took place on June 24^th 2012.

Did you notice a heightening of stress?

Were you able to discern the issues and effects in your life?

Did you know which planet was in which area of your life?

Are you aware of any lessons learned?

Have you no idea what happened?

Can I refresh your memory?

The Global Picture

U.S.

The race for the Presidency is neck and neck, and that is not a happy position for most people.  When we had a similar neck and neck position coming up to our U.K. election in 2010 it was hoped that a coalition would bring fairness and co-operation.  Instead, we have had a government whose misguided forays into ridiculous policies have resulted in U-turns, and any failures have been used to scapegoat the Lib Dem coalition partners.  Not a fair governing for the common good.

U.K.

Fear surrounded the operation of the Olympics and Paralympics this summer – was security tight enough, were the plans sound, would the underground be able to carry all the extra traffic, etc…This operation came under the aegis of the Uranus-Pluto square, and was a resounding success which surprised many people.  There were challenges, but the nation pulled together.  Apart from considerations about whether it was worth the financial strain and spending, there is a new climate and regard for the disabled which is nothing short of a miracle.  This proves that the Uranus-Pluto square isn’t all bad!

USSR

The political situation in the USSR reflects the dictatorship (Pluto in Capricorn) side of the Uranus-Pluto square.  I don’t get the prankster side of Putin’s psyche, but certainly the rebels are coming out (Uranus in Aries).  As in the Arab Spring, the ordinary people are rising up and marching to protest at dictatorship, as thousands took to the streets in Moscow yesterday.

Three Key Areas

In my original analysis, I identified three key areas where the complexity of the Uranus-Pluto square was reaching fever pitch.  It’s time to look at these again.

Finance

Just after the last square, the European Union were cornered into making an agreement on finance, but largely the same issues have rumbled on in the last three months.  The European Summit of June 29^th declared: “Strong, smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, based on sound public finances, structural reforms and investment to boost competitiveness, remains our key priority.”

Astrological financial guru Raymond Merriman wrote in the aftermath of the first Uranus-Pluto square:

‘Where is the right answer?

‘If government spending and credit expansion stops, there will be a Depression on the lines of what happened the last time Uranus squared Plut (1931-1934).  If government debt and the escalation of credit is ramped up again via the creation of more fiat money by the Fed to support more spending by the government, then the day of reckoning will be even worse when it does come due later on (called “kicking the can down the road”).’

I consulted my own financial guru, who observed that only in this last week, with the pressure building to the next Uranus-Pluto square, have some significant events occurred:

On 6^th September provision for unlimited Bond buying was announced by the European Central Bank.

On 12^th September Apple iPhone 5 was unveiled, to be shipped on 21^st September: its estimated launch could add 0.5% to the U.S. GDP.

On 13^th September the Federal Reserve announced it would launch a major new round of bond buying (QE3), as reported in the Guardian.

Some of the background to this has been the downturn in the Chinese economy, as well as the ongoing Euro crisis and the sluggishness of the U.S. economy.

So what will the next phase bring?  If there were more marked links between events around 24 June and the intervening time, I would say that we would have an intensification of the financial crisis this week, but looking at the evidence, there may not be.

Syria

This situation is still intractable, with the killing at an unimaginable high, one peace maker (Kofi Annan) having given up defeated by the Uranus-Pluto square, and a new one (also with excellent credentials) now installed and beginning his mission, and tackling this huge challenge.  Lakhdar Brahimi, who has the karmic mission of a peace envoy in his natal chart (North Node conjunct Venus) met President Al-Assad yesterday, describing his task as “nearly impossible”. He reported back afterwards that the deteriorating crisis was a “threat to the world”.

The Middle East is a series of interconnected problems.  The Iran question may be the next urgent thing.  The nuclear capability of that country has been described as “imminent”, but it has also been reported that a deep breath is being taken to last until the U.S. Presidential election, which may change the focus on any action taken by the U.S. and Israel on this matter.  There may be some brinkmanship around the time of the second phase of the square.  It is a confrontational enough issue.

Climate

Since the first Uranus-Pluto square, we have had a stark reminder that climate change is very real: the level of sea ice in the Arctic has shrunk to an alarming level, depicting accelerated climate change.

There have been unprecedented droughts in America, and in other parts of the world, such as Yemen.  Storms, tornadoes and twisters have caused havoc in New York and parts of the U.K., some at the time of the last square and throughout this period.

Eighteen months after the Fukushima disaster, Japan has just announced that they will close down all their nuclear reactors by 2040 (well beyond the brief of the Uranus-Pluto square!), but it is a climb down from their long-held support for atomic energy.

Personal Stories

Stress Management

The increased stress of this period has either resulted in overwhelm, or found people working at a higher level, with more inventive ways of managing their stress and the complexity of their tasks.  Their inner resources have come up with the goods for working with the extra energy.  Life has presented more challenges, but in many cases the tools have been found to meet those challenges.  Building more space into your life is one such strategy.

Analysis

In some cases in this period circumstances have brought people into a state of shutdown, or meltdown, with the structure of problems increasing in complexity.  Some people moved out of our lives, through the passage of death, both famous and personal.  Some of these transitions were sudden, and some drawn out.  There have been wounds of the heart, and wounds caused by financial hardship.  There have been many such tragedies reported in the news, for example. Such tragedies are always being reported, but the numbers of incidents seem to have escalated e.g. adults and children drowning at home and abroad.

I have canvassed a number of people about their experiences and conclusions, and all reported heightened stress both through specific events at the time of the square and during this ensuing period.

People have reacted to this stress in various ways, often according to their nature, sometimes successfully and sometimes not (but everybody’s personal journey is valid), and here are some of the patterns I have found:-

1.  A feeling of being blocked has in some cases resulted in a sense of defeat, lying low, staying still, not growing, or refusal to face facts.  That is not to say they will not reach a point where they will start to move again.
2. Some people have reacted to such challenges by putting fight into their situations, giving it all they have got, in some cases putting themselves into a position of danger.  Often, though, this has proved a positive experience for them.
3. Some, particularly those who have a poor memory, have just surrendered to the situation, whether or not buoyed up by the feeling of connection with a higher power.  These people have relied (consciously or unconsciously) in the power of being in the Now. They have simply put down their baggage, and moved on.
4. The Venusian way to negotiate the square is to keep the heart open, ever expanding (which can be painful!) and to practice compassion.  The healing power of forgiveness comes into this sphere.
5. Some have worked in higher ways, particularly on their inner relationship with themselves through psychological (Pluto) or spiritual means.  They have managed to achieve transformation.  Insight produces change which in turn can produce more insight.

 

Success Stories

Some have been able to turn their circumstances around entirely within the space of this first phase of the Uranus-Pluto square.  An elderly lady I know, who had been facing confrontation in many areas of her life and with authorities, met her challenges by centring herself and allowing the higher energies to reveal the truth and arrange for injustice to be seen for what it was.  All areas of her life subsequently rearranged themselves to a healed pattern, but she had been in a very difficult place.

Olympic athletes gave it their all, and inspired others.

In the world of celebrity, Katie Holmes challenged her difficult circumstances at the time of the last square, and emerged with a settlement with Tom Cruise over their daughter and the psychological domination of Scientology.

Andy Murray began this period at the start of Wimbledon (25 June) with another defeat, at the culmination in the final (in July).  This was a turning point in his relationship with himself and with the public.  He then went on to win the Olympic gold medal in tennis, and then the Grand Slam tournament in the U.S.  Prior to this, he needed to accept help from another brilliant tennis player, Ivan Lendl.  Lendl’s brilliance is shown in his chart in his conjunction of Uranus to his Midheaven (Careerpoint), and in their synastry (chart comparison) Lendl’s Uranus/Midheaven conjunction is exactly trine Andy Murray’s Jupiter (success).

Further Reading

Sinhagupta, Director of the East West Sanctuary, is presenting a paper at the  conference of the European Association for Body Psychotherapy taking place now (14^th-17^th September) in Cambridge. She started writing this paper under the Pluto Uranus square, and therefore it is very topical and relevant. The paper tackles the existing power structures in our society and relates them to science and philosophical thought.   If you miss this conference, catch up with her world view on her website (see my Contact page).  Here’s the link for the paper itself:
http://www.eastwestinterconnect.co.uk/editorial-forum/evolutionary-science-and-holonomic-healing/evolutionary-inquiry-and-its-implications-for-psychotherapy.html

Last Thoughts

Embracing life has been a key for many people, and the moral of this story is that if you haven’t turned your life around (if you need to) within this first phase, you can still achieve it.  Change, which is often surprising and unexpected (Uranus) demands constant work, openness and flexibility.  Insights can be fed back into the psyche to produce more insight, e.g. how to meet power in others, and honour your own power (also Pluto issues), and unearthing one’s own freedom (the Uranus part of the equation).

A book which loomed large and helpfully in this period is Anita Moorjani’s book “Dying to be Me” which hands over the key to authenticity and the desperate need for that in one’s life at this time.

On a personal note, I have found it helpful to make karmic peace with each person in my life.  This has come about through cues sent by the Universe, which have encouraged me to let go of my own agendas and see what needs to be cleared between us.  This process may also be partly a function of the recent entry of the North Node into Scorpio.

The Green Party

With David Cameron sidelining Justine Greening and paving the way for a third runway at Heathrow, with the Lib Dems being almost a spent force, and the Labour Party not yet having their act together, eyes may now rest upon the Green Party and particularly focus upon their new leader Natalie Bennett.  In London, the Green Party is now the third largest party, and they are attracting more youth than the Lib Dems.

Caroline Lucas, who has done much to raise the profile of the Green party and green issues, recently decided to step down as the chairperson of the party, concentrate on her role as M.P. in Brighton, and allow new blood to step forward.  Her replacement Natalie Bennett, Australian born with a scientific background, has a very strong chart, and not an entirely easy one, but presumably that has made her stronger.  Her easier path comes from two good trines:  Sun exactly trine Jupiter (immense good will) and Venus in Capricorn (lover of the Earth) trine her North Node (karmic mission).  She has notable squares too, but the other dominating feature of her chart is a double opposition between Pluto/Uranus (exact conjunction) in Virgo (the Rebel on behalf of the Earth) and Saturn/Chiron in Pisces (a sensitivity to suffering).  This double opposition, composed itself of challenging planets, will have forged her character under difficult circumstances.  Her political coming of age may be due to a recent Nodal reversal by transit, highlighting her South Node in Sagittarius (esoterically ruled by the Earth).

Zoe Williams, writing in the Guardian, says: “One [criticism] is that she is too emollient, doesn’t focus enough on attacking the coalition, concentrates instead on talking about her own policies”.  That sounds to me like a virtue.  She has a distinctly non-aggressive Mars (in Pisces, and unaspected save for a loose conjunction with Saturn which tempers it even further).  Could that be a new vision of politics, not attacking your opponents…?

Aspects

Today’s aspect, Mercury square Jupiter, is perfect for long distance travel, and reinforces the slightly daring aspects of the last few days, he who dares (without necessarily the winning).  It’s a mental exercise in risk-taking, seeing how far you can push yourself in terms of faith and positive thinking.  It is also good for thinking outside the box, in terms of pushing the boundaries of your ideas, not necessarily realistic ones, but connecting with your wider imagination so as to allow a greater vision to come in.  So if you have some crazy vision at this time, that you know could not possibly work, it may be paving the way for the right vision to come in through breaking the mould of your outworn paths.  For example, dare to dream that sustainability and climate change might be higher on the agenda in politics.

Tomorrow the Sun is conjunct Mercury at 18 degrees Virgo.  That favours concentration of the mind, especially in practical and earthy matters.  Communication and the written word receive a boost, so publishing and broadcasting ventures are assisted by this conjunction.  If you have done your research, you will do well in getting it across. In the workplace, you will be getting into your stride, for this work-orientated season, and may see how your work links with service and a sense of greater purpose, especially if you have a birthday around now.  In gains made now, you’ll be in a position to appreciate that attending to the minutiae eventually pays off, just as when recycling or conserving energy every little bit helps.

Venus trines Uranus in the fire signs of Leo and Aries on Thursday 13^th.  This has all the dynamic social benefits of Venus sextile Uranus (see my blog on this aspect under the Aspect category) but on a larger scale.  It is more powerful and group-orientated, while Venus sextile Uranus is concentrated on a more personal scale.  With Venus in Leo, everything is bigger and bolder, and possibly competitive, though the accent is on the greater humanitarian good (the higher side of Uranus).  In the world of fashion, there may be originality and inventiveness, and it is a good day to launch initiatives in the Arts in general, as well as social community schemes.  Whatever is born or done at this time will have love at its heart, whether it be love for one’s subject or creation, love of an ideal, or love for humanity.  If you are contemplating a big purchase now’s the time, as intuition and monetary sense can combine.  This fire trine steps out of the comfort zone of the Virgoan prevailing climate, to add a dash of panache among the practicalities of the day.  Like sprinkling a little chilli on a pea soup…

The week in bullet points:

• Today – mind-broadening but be mindful
• Tomorrow – mental focus and quiet progress
• Thursday – a bright splash on the canvas