Wimbledon 2017 – Week 1

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

Ladies Singles

Angelique Kerber – No. 1 Seed

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

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

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

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

Simona Halep – No.2  Seed

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

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

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

Karolina Pliskova – No. 3 Seed

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

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

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

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

Elina Svitolina – No. 4 Seed

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

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

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

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

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

Mens Singles

Andy Murray – No. 1 Seed

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

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

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

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

Novak Djokovic – No. 2 Seed

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

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

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

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

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

Roger Federer  – No. 3 Seed

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

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

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

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

Rafael Nadal  – No. 4 Seed

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

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

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

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

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

Aspects

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The week in bullet points:

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

Childbirth Educators

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

~ Frederick Leboyer

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

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

Frederick Leboyer (1918 – 2017)

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

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

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

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

Arthur Janov (born 1924)

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

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

I wanted you, you didn’t want me”.

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

Sheila Kitzinger (1929 – 2015)

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

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

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

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

Michel Odent (born  1930)

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

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

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

Thomas Verny (born 1936)

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

Leonard Orr (born 1937)

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

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

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

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

~ Fredric Lehrman

Ina May Gaskin (born 1940)

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

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

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

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

Carol Lorente wrote of her book:

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

Conclusion

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

Bibliography:

“Pour Une Naissance Sans Violence” – Frederick Leboyer

“The Feeling Child” – Arthur Janov

“The Experience of Childbirth” – Sheila Kitzinger

“Birth Reborn” – Michel Odent

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

“Birth and Relationships” – Sondra Ray and Bob Mandel

“Spiritual Midwifery” – Ina May Gaskin

Aspects

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The week in bullet points:

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

Grenfell Tower – Emotional Responses

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

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

Chart of the Fire

On the morning of the disaster, I wrote:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Community Responses

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

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

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

Theresa May response

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

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

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

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

Jeremy Corbyn response

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

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

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

Sadiq Khan response

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

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

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

The Queen’s response

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

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

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

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

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

Aspects

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The week in bullet points:

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

Theresa May alliance with the D.U.P

This has been a long week in politics, and few have foreseen the karmic drama resulting from this election: the ringing endorsement of Jeremy Corbyn, and a hung parliament being managed by a diminished Theresa May, self-sabotaged, allying with a regressive Irish party.  I would have loved to change the subject this week, but the soap opera continues…

A Review of her transits

How do her transits stand today, in the middle of trying to achieve a very unpopular and precarious alliance?

Saturn is trine her Venus, set to peak in the next few days.  Who knows how long she can stay as leader of the Conservative Party?  The next couple of days are crucial.  As I mentioned last week, Saturn trine natal Venus is the transit which took Ed Balls out of politics.  But this transit could nevertheless be constructive in finding herself a perch for continuing in her role.

Neptune is conjunct her Mars.  In calling the election, she was following her gut instincts, and this transit represents that.  But, as we have seen, this has also carried a massive miscalculation or delusion about how the public see her.  Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

D.U.P.

The Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland were projected to receive 8 seats in the exit polls on Thursday night.  If they had received fewer seats, the course of history may have been different.  As it is, they obtained 10 seats, 2 more than projected, and have now become the kingmakers for the Conservative Party.  However, their outlook and values are looked upon in horror by many: opposition to gay marriage, anti-abortion stance, and climate denial. Therefore there is a groundswell of opinion which sees the very existence of this alliance as amoral.  And who knows what cost will be extracted by the D.U.P. in return for this life-saving act?

Their current leader, Arlene Foster, was recently implicated in an overspending scandal in connection with the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme.  But for the moment she is the woman Theresa May is dealing with.  She is a Cancerian, born on a New Moon in Cancer, so very patriotic.  Additionally, she has Mercury and Mars in that sign.  She has half her planets in Water, so is very emotional.  She has a worryingly difficult Uranus, making her unpredictable and rebellious: Uranus square to the Sun, Moon and Mercury, and opposite Chiron.  This would make her very unreliable as one to do business with.  Pluto trine Saturn gives her strength and power.

The Synastry with Theresa May, however much Theresa wants to portray them as a natural friendship, is not carefree.  Theresa May’s Saturn is conjunct Arlene Foster’s Neptune, so there could be much unspoken distrust and paranoia between them.  Arlene’s Neptune sextiles Theresa’s Mercury, so Theresa’s practical mental issues may sometimes coincide with Arlene’s ideals.  They both want to press ahead with Brexit, for instance.

What transits have propelled Arlene into this situation? Pluto is trine her natal Saturn at the moment, strengthening that powerful natal Pluto-Saturn trine.  Mars is square to her natal Uranus, so the turn of events may have taken her as much by surprise as anyone.  The Nodal Axis is square her Neptune, putting a karmic focus on her spiritual values.  Chiron trines her natal Neptune, challenging her to bring out some refinement in her outlook.  Saturn squares her Pluto, bringing some serious responsibilities and decisions.

Brexit

Theresa cannot afford to drop the ball and lose the momentum of Brexit, having triggered Article 50 in March.  She means Brexit.  The talks were due to start 11 days after the election.

Theresa’s transits on 20th June reveal the approach of retrograde Pluto to her natal Jupiter, which peaks on 17th July.  If she can overcome her current hurdles, she may revisit some of her former power around that time (17th July), and her Brexit plans may come more into focus.  However, this retrograde revisiting may not necessarily work in her favour, and she may even have left office by then.

However, if we look upon the triggering of Brexit as the Brexit chart, the transits to that chart around 20th June are favourable to some momentum: Uranus on its Mercury, North Node trine its Mercury, Neptune sextile its Mars, Uranus trine its Saturn, North Node trine its Saturn, and Saturn trine its Uranus.  A power tussle is revealed though, in the shape of Pluto square its Jupiter.

The transits to the 1922 U.K. chart on 20th June are not particularly encouraging: Neptune square its Sun (Uncertainty), the South Node on its Mars (karmic conflict), and Pluto square its Saturn (more struggle).  But there is some dynamism: Uranus sextile its Mars (movement) and Mars trine its Uranus (more movement).

Is Boris waiting to take over?

George Osborne said on the Andrew Marr couch this morning that Boris was always rumoured to be wanting to prepare a coup, and no more now than usual.  The rumours will persist.  His current transits show Uranus sextile his Sun (definitely a taking-over mentality!), Chiron square his Venus (going through personal changes), and Mars trine Saturn (readiness for action).  But this may remain all on the mental plane.  Many consider him too undiplomatic (despite remaining as Foreign Secretary) to head a government responsible for processing Brexit.

A review of Jeremy’s transits

I was hoping for a hung parliament, and though Jeremy Corbyn’s transits did not indicate a win, he has done well, and won over some of his detractors.  Chiron is currently square his Uranus, and Jupiter is on his Neptune.  I wrote on 23rd April:

“Going forward to the big Election day, Pluto is still trine Corbyn’s Mars (he will give his all), but Chiron will be square his Uranus (ultimate solutions may be lacking), though Jupiter will be on his Neptune (he will feel he has been true to himself).”

Looking at this with the benefit of hindsight, the Pluto trine to his Mars showed up in his strength and stamina, and Jupiter on his Neptune gave him that extra faith and optimism.  I have never seen him as chipper as in the Andrew Marr hotseat this morning!

The Pluto trine to his Mars comes back in full force on 22nd January (could there be another election at that time?).  The troublesome Chiron square to his Neptune comes into full force at the beginning of April 2018 – will he be trying to steer Brexit by then?

Aspects

The first aspect occurs on Tuesday (13th), and a bright and breezy one it is: Mercury trine Jupiter.  It enables an expansive mental outlook, a broadening of philosophy and enjoyable journeys.  You can afford to let your mind roam to the possibilities of summer holidays, university courses, and hopes for the future.

The following day, Wednesday 14th, may reveal loopholes or illusions in your thinking, with Mercury square Neptune.  It is still important to dream big on Tuesday, so that you have more to work with on Wednesday, and don’t get too bogged down on what doesn’t seem possible.  Journeys could be complicated, however.

Thursday (15th) could bring a sense of defeatism however, with Sun opposite Saturn.  Again, I emphasize the importance of dreaming big on Tuesday, so that you can still see the higher picture if you encounter obstacles on Thursday.  Always look on the bright side of life.

There may be more complications on Friday (16th), when Neptune is stationary prior to turning retrograde.  You may think that a spiritual path is settled, when something shows you the merits of another philosophy, which may be equal and opposite.  You may need to incorporate more angles of the truth into your view of life.  Perhaps you need to look more compassionately towards those you have been criticizing.

The Sun also sextiles the North Node on Friday, which is a happier prospect, and enough to lift the end of the week.  You can give expression to your creativity in your newly balanced spiritual outlook, having dealt with some illusions.  Power will be more balanced, too.  Perhaps there may be some resolution for the government in their search for allies who will help them endure a little longer.

The week in bullet points:

• Tuesday – very buoyant
• Wednesday – woolly-headed
• Thursday – slow
• Friday – spiritual challenges, but karmic progress

London Bridge Terrorism Attack

It is another heavy hearted day for the U.K. and our capital London.  At 10.08 pm last night, a white van drove over London Bridge, killing and maiming pedestrians.  Then three men from the van made their way to nearby Borough Market, and wove their way in and out of coffee bars and pubs, stabbing innocent people on a night out in London.  In all so far, 7 people have been killed and 48 injured.  It is so heartbreaking and unfathomable: no matter how many times politicians make speeches about the “cowards” who do these things, and their aims of creating division and hatred, we still do not really understand the psychology of the perpetrators.  What we do understand, as we learned again only just recently in the Manchester bombing, is the capacity for people to come together and help each other in these circumstances, and the bravery and efficiency and selflessness of the emergency services that respond.  Awesomely, we are told that within 8 minutes of this latest attack being reported, not only had the emergency services begun their work in earnest, but the three terrorists had been shot dead.

On a personal note, I was unfamiliar with this part of London, but a year and a half ago we took a trip there with some dear friends, had a meal in the Shard, then wandered around Borough Market and Southwark Cathedral.  It was so beautiful there, and we had such a lovely day, it seems unbelievable to contemplate what has happened there.

This election week (see earlier blog) is sobering enough, without this catastrophe, and I will only take a very brief look at its astrological picture.  With the uncovering of this new network of individuals, hard on the heels of that of the Manchester incident and its arrests, more astrological information may emerge.

At the time of the attack, we were just emerging from a birthday celebration in Norfolk, and looked up at the sky to see the beautiful conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter.  Minutes later, the tragedy was reported on the news.  It seems so unlikely that something like that would happen under such a touching celestial picture.

But Saturn was on an Ascendant in Sagittarius at the Galactic Centre, which did indicate the serious nature of that event.  Mars was opposing the Ascendant and Saturn.  Venus was conjunct Uranus in 5th House, depicting the people socializing in their cafes and pubs.  Could it be, I wonder that the proximity of this conjunction to the destructive asteroid Eris was the deciding astrological factor?  Also, Friday’s exact square of Mars and Chiron was on the angles of this chart, highlighting pain and crisis.

I’m just looking at the transits to the charts of the UK and London, and I have three charts for each.  For London (1824) Saturn squares its Sun (sorrow), and Pluto trines its Saturn (a sobering event).  For London (1965) Neptune opposes its Pluto (chaos), Pluto sextiles its Neptune (deep sensitivity) and Pluto sextiles its Chiron (potential for healing).  For London (1215) Mars squares its Uranus (violence) and Pluto trines its Sun (soul searching).

For the UK Chart (1922) Jupiter opposes its Chiron (a healing crisis and challenge), Saturn square its Nodal Axis (a very karmic indication), Uranus sextiles its Mars (the unexpected) and Neptune squares its Sun (confusion). For UK Chart (1801) Jupiter on its South Node highlights past karma, and Pluto sextiles its Neptune (deep sensitivity).  There is no discernible effect on the 1066 chart.

The response to the Manchester tragedy depended a great deal on its cohesion and identity as a City, and that was quite a responsibility for the leadership of the newly elected Mayor Andy Burnham.  His main transit for the Manchester Arena bombing was Neptune on his South Node (past karma and compassion) requiring great sensitivity from him.  Manchester have pulled together magnificently, and tonight are holding a charity concert to honour the victims.  Ariana Grande herself is taking part.  Some have criticized her, saying it is too soon, but I think it is a courageous way to fight back after such a tragedy.  She visited young victims in hospital yesterday.

London is a vaster entity, and the Mayor Sadiq Khan has had two similar incidents within a few months, the Westminster Bridge attack having occurred in March.  Again, I feel he has been a great Mayor, much more hands on than his predecessors, and inclusive of all races and religions in his approach.  He is made of the statesmanlike material so many politicians are lacking these days.  At the time of the Westminster attack Mars was opposite his Jupiter (a threat), Saturn was square his Pluto (responsibility in a tragedy).  Last night Chiron was trine his natal Neptune (a crisis in healing and sensitivity), and he was in evidence straightaway appealing for calm and vigilance.

Aspects

This afternoon, Mars enters Cancer, which represents an energetic shift from a mental and analytical mode, to that of feeling and protectiveness.  Mars stays in Cancer until 20th July, so it is a good time to nurture those you love and foster family feeling.

Tomorrow Mercury squares the Nodal Axis, and you’ll be questioning the laws of karma, why things happen, the roles of fate and free will, and the like.  It is an important day for dialogue, but that may include some quarrelling, as people get to grips with the issues of the day.  You may re-visit old friends, in order to understand the past.

Mercury also sextiles Chiron, and this can balance conventional medicine and alternative methods; co-operation may be needed.  Healing solutions will be sought, and to some extent found.

On Tuesday (6th) Uranus trines the North Node, and this can bring unusual karma and ingenious solutions to long standing patterns.  It is a good aspect for group activity, especially where there is a karmic element to the proceedings.

Two more planets change signs that day: Venus enters Taurus, and Mercury enters Gemini.  There may be a sense of ease due to the fact that Venus is entering its own sign, and Mercury is also entering its own sign.  Venus in its home sign allows a slower, more placid pace of life, and cultivates gardening, art, music and financial interests.  Mercury in its home sign allows the intellect to flourish freely, allows a spirit of enquiry, teaching and learning.  It may help students to clear their minds during exams, for instance.

There is a Full Moon in Sagittarius on Friday (9th), around lunchtime.  This may put the emphasis on travel or education, but with some emotional fullness.  Michael Portillo on some exotic train somewhere may be wearing florid colours…Some President somewhere may be doing something outrageous…The challenge with this Full Moon is to think globally, expand your consciousness, and to maintain a positive attitude.

It is of course the day of the results of the UK General Election, and though for some that may be a parochial matter, the Sagittarian Full Moon is about how it affects our international position.

Soon after that, before lunch has been digested, Jupiter is Stationary, prior to turning direct at 13 degrees Libra.  There may be a change of mood, and an attitude of getting on with things.  Progress has to be made, one way or another, regardless on which side of the political divide you stand.  It is a time when we will be taking a deep breath, and moving forward with our lives.

In the afternoon, Venus sextiles Mars, and having campaigned diligently you may turn to the pleasures in life and of the season.  Your heart energy may be renewed in some way, be it in friendship, or in the enjoyment of nature.  It could also be lucky for some lovers.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – feeling and protectiveness
• Tomorrow – questioning the laws of karma, finding healing solutions
• Tuesday – unusual karmic patterns, comfortable in heart and mind
• Friday – high emotion, moving forward, smelling the flowers

“At 21.59 and 59 seconds on 7 May 2015, anything seemed possible.  Outside of opening exam results, or waiting on news from a doctor, there aren’t too many moments in life where your whole future hangs on what you’re about to see or hear… I thought there was a chance I’d be delivering Britain’s next budget. A second later, my political career was over”

~ Ed Balls

Lives will be changed overnight on the 8th and 9th June this year.  Although I wrote about the astrological prospects on 23rd April, the astrological picture has not changed.  But the relative positions of Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn have shifted.  At the time of the council elections, Labour and Jeremy Corbyn’s lack of popularity justified Theresa May’s calling of an election.  But since then, his position has strengthened, the hollowness of Theresa May’s policies and promises have become more transparent, and the heart and conscience of Jeremy Corbyn’s idealism has begun to appeal to more people, especially the younger generation.  Much may depend on their turnout.

The media, newspapers and broadcasters, have continued to play games, and broadly exhibited their right wing bias.  Even the reporting of narrowing polls made more of by the right wing press may be a ploy to frighten people into toeing the line.

Much of what I write as we stand on the brink of our future reality, be it more of the same, worse, or an improvement, is a re-hash of my earlier blog plus an attempt to fine tune the picture of that moment of change.  With 52% of the population having voted for Brexit, and the Conservatives having taken their brief from UKIP, it still seems most likely that the majority will stay with the Tory government.  The most we Remoaners, and those who wish for a fairer society, can hope for is a hung parliament, realistically.  Apologies to those readers who see things from the other side of the fence.

“They say it’s the hope that kills you.  And for a long time before the 2015 election campaign, I’d almost deliberately stayed pessimistic about whether it was really possible for Labour to win.”

The moment the result is read out, or sometimes a little before, optimism can give way to despair, or pessimism can give way to elation (sometimes the candidates are given the result just before they go on stage, giving them time to compose themselves).  But there is little variation in the astrological picture, especially in relation to the outer planets.  The movement of the Moon and Mercury may give a slight nuance.  The Moon can represent the mood of the electorate.

In fine-tuning the astrological transit picture, I looked at three readings:

The first one, which I call the Hope picture, is 7.30 a.m. on the morning of the election.  Every candidate, and every voter, will be at their maximum state of optimism, unless they are naturally pessimistic.

“Although it was obvious from the exit poll that it was going to be a terrible result for Labour, I hadn’t really computed the local implications.  I was worried for the party, but not yet for myself.”

My second reading is of Midnight between the two days.  Everything is in a state of flux, some results have come in, but all is still to play for, except for in the most extreme of elections.  Most results are not in by then, so there is still some hope, if you are on the side that looks to be losing.

“When the exit poll emerged, it felt like falling into a big black hole.  It wasn’t just that our hopes were dashed, it was that dreadful feeling that everything we thought we knew was wrong.”

My third reading is broadly the Results as far as they have come in at 7.30 a.m. on the day after the election.  This shows pretty much what the result is.

“We went onstage.  I was conscious of not wanting to give the cameras their picture by looking ashen-faced or annoyed.”

Moments when fortunes change drastically, such as that of Ed Balls in 2015 and memorably Michael Portillo in 1997 (I can still see his face now) traditionally would be thought of as the action of Uranus or possibly Pluto (though Pluto can be slow acting sometimes). At the time of Ed Balls’ enforced retirement from politics, Saturn was trine his Venus, and Neptune was sextile his North Node (a more spiritual change of direction). For Michael Portillo, Pluto was the transition: it was exactly opposite his Sun/Jupiter, bringing about the death of his political career, but as we know it was the start of a whole new career travelling the world on the railways (the fulfilment of his natal Mercury conjunct Sun and Jupiter in Gemini).  Of course, many M.Ps will retain their status quo.

Theresa May

Theresa and the Conservative Party did well in the council elections in May.  She was still regarded as a strong hand on the tiller, in her own words “Strong and Stable” government.

from the 23rd April blog:

“Moving forward to the big Election itself, the following day of results shows a Full Moon (polarizing emotions again), but Jupiter turning direct, showing a new intake of breath and more momentum.

Theresa will have Saturn trine her Venus, which could bring her new commitment, and Neptune still on her Mars (so she will still be drawing on her inner inspiration for her action).

The Conservative Party has Jupiter square its Uranus and opposite its Neptune, so there may be new divisions and battle lines drawn.  Saturn will square its Chiron (new headaches), but Neptune sextiles its Pluto (so there will also be new sources of inspiration).  Pluto will still be sextile its Sun (stronger power, perhaps).  For the U.K. (1922 chart) Jupiter opposes its Chiron, so division will still be rife (the Brexiteer versus Remoaner feelings may still be running high), Saturn will be square its Nodal Axis (a grim task ahead and hard work for the prime minister), Uranus sextile its Mars (momentum) and Neptune square the U.K. Sun (more uncertainty).  As much as the election will solve things for some, there will be more frustration it seems.”

I would add that Saturn trine Venus in Ed Balls’ case was the effective ending of his political career!  But transits can vary a great deal in the way they manifest, and a lot can depend on the person’s relationship with the planet Saturn. This transit peaks a couple of days later, around 11th-12th June. Chiron opposes Theresa’s natal Mercury (literally, a headache) around 15th June: if she is elected, it may be the headache of Brexit, the headache of a hung parliament, or the headache of re-arranging her cabinet.

Jeremy Corbyn

Jeremy Corbyn did worse than expected in the council elections, and his transits for the general election are not better, but his polling is becoming much higher, as mentioned.

From the 23rd April blog:

“Going forward to the big Election day, Pluto is still trine Corbyn’s Mars (he will give his all), but Chiron will be square his Uranus (ultimate solutions may be lacking), though Jupiter will be on his Neptune (he will feel he has been true to himself). For the Labour Party (mark 1) Mars opposes its Saturn (stuckness and abrasiveness), but Uranus sextiles its Jupiter (maybe there will be surprising gains in Scotland), disappointment from Saturn opposing its Neptune, and more confusion with Neptune square its Pluto.  The Nodal Axis squares the Jupiter of the second chart, which could be buoyant, but not enough to ensure the success they need, I feel.   It could be that the Brexit issue will completely dominate the result.”

I would add that he’ll feel bright and breezy on the day of the election, with the Sun on his Mercury (which is his ruling planet), and Mercury trine his natal Jupiter.  That trine from Pluto to his Mars, which has given him great strength, is starting to ebb away, unfortunately.  If he loses the election, this does not necessarily mean he will stand down as leader.  Indeed, there were encouraging signs of his “electability” coming through latterly in the campaign.  Pluto is currently retrograde, and forms the exact trine to his Mars next January 22nd (2018).  This could mean a resurgence of purpose for him at that time, and effectiveness in opposition if appropriate. The Chiron squaring his Uranus becomes more problematic next April.

Tim Farron

The results for Tim Farron and the LibDems were reasonable in the council elections, when you consider how bad they were at the last general election; they at least gained some ground.  He will be popular with Remoaners who still cling on to the hope of avoiding Brexit, with his policy of giving the nation another chance to fine tune their decision.

from the 23rd April blog:

“For the main event on 8th June, Neptune will be sextile Tim Farron’s Mercury, so he will be more focussed than in the local elections, his antennae will be sensitive.  Uranus opposes his Jupiter on that day, which can bring shock or upset, but the North Node sextiles his Jupiter, so in some areas he will have the credit due to him.  Chiron will be trine his Neptune, and so he will be able to rise above the smaller picture in some ways, and may even bring about some healing, e.g. to the reputation of the LibDems.  More disappointment shows up in Saturn squaring his Pluto, which sounds overall as though it bears defeat.  But that of course depends on expectation.”

I would add that the Neptune to Mercury transit, though exact, peaked late May, then with Neptune retrograde and moving again forward returns to the exactness at the beginning of July.  This may refer to a sensitive recalibration of his relationship with his party.  His transits (4 major ones) are remarkably similar to those of Nicola Sturgeon, born two months after him in the same year.  Interestingly, for the special Question Time with David Dimbleby today (Sunday 4th June) the Uranus opposition to Jupiter is exact: an opportunity to showcase his wares, and Nicola Sturgeon/SNP coincidentally appears on the same programme showcasing her wares. The Mean North Node gives him a karmic blessing to his Jupiter on 21st/22nd June, though the True North Node transit peaks just before the election (6/7th June).  Something may boost his morale just before the election. Something triggers excitement around the midnight time frame with Mercury trine his Uranus.  But reality or depression sinks in 12-13th June with Saturn exactly square his Pluto, but Chiron trines his Neptune exactly next April.

[See and compare transits for Nicola Sturgeon]

Paul Nuttall

UKIP fared very badly in the local elections.  With their many changes of leadership, their loss of Nigel Farage, and their main aim fulfilled in the Brexit decision, they have little raison d’etre, but still they try.  They have allowed some negative emotional undercurrents to surface in our society. As with the European referendum, there may be many closet UKIP voters who do not want to admit their leanings, for fear of being seen as racist.  This would apply to a few Tory voters as well, and it means that they are below the radar of the opinion polls.

from 23rd April blog:

“For the main election, Pluto conjuncts his Venus, which could be personally damaging, Neptune squares his Neptune (disillusioning), but on the plus side Jupiter (his ruling planet) sextile his Neptune (keeping his faith) and conjuncts his Pluto (he may get a seat if he chooses his location well – he says he will be selecting a location this week).  The performance of UKIP in the election may be quite complex, with Pluto on its Uranus and Neptune.”

I would add that Paul will start election day in stoical mood, with the Sun sextile his natal Saturn.  Some of his transits peaked during the election campaign, so there may be a feeling of anti-climax, or going off the boil.

Caroline Lucas

from 23rd April blog:

“That stalwart for the environment Caroline Lucas, joint leader of the Green Party, wrote a brilliant account of her first five years in parliament (“Honorable Friends?”) and continues to uphold the need to consider the environment, policies which seem to be low down in the priorities of other parties.

The transits for the General Election are not enormously encouraging for  Sagittarian Caroline, though a friendly sextile from Chiron to her Venus ensures that she is able to uphold her central message about the Earth.”

I would add that on the day of the election, she starts out with the Sun opposite her Sun (and on her Earth), and Mercury opposite her Mercury.  As I believe she is an evolved Soul, she will start out balanced and grounded with these transits.  The sextile of Chiron to her Venus is pretty close right now, but will soon retrograde and return to be in exact aspect late March of next year, when she may make headway on an environmental issue.  Hopefully she will retain her seat in Brighton.

from 23rd April blog:

“For her Co-Leader Jonathan Bartley the North Node will sextile his Mercury, so he will be prominent in campaigning and the public will get to know him better.  But there are no stand out transits for him.”

I would add that the main transit for Jonathan Bartley,  North Node sextile his Mercury, will have just passed (both for the True Node and Mean Node reading), so his main purpose will have been to strengthen the profile of the Green Party during electioneering, in this period.  On 27th June, Uranus opposes his natal Mercury, so he may be prompted to speak out and even be controversial in getting the Green message out.

Nicola Sturgeon

Nicola Sturgeon of the Scottish National Party did reasonably well in the council elections, at least there were no major upsets recorded.

from 23rd April blog:

“Uranus squares her Sun at Election time, which could bring a huge upset, e.g. she may well lose some ground.  Uranus also opposes her Jupiter, so her hopes may also be bruised.  The Nodal Axis squares her Neptune, which is disillusioning, and Saturn squares her Pluto, which is disappointing.  She is a plucky lady, so may pick herself up and dust herself down, but certainly the planets are not very supportive at the crucial time, and she may have a lot of thinking to do.”

As mentioned earlier, her transits are remarkably similar to Tim Farron’s (who was born a couple of months before her in the same year), with slight time variations.  Of course their political positions are different, and the state of their parties.  But Tim was not leader of his party at the last election, so this is a new scenario for him.  By the time of the election, the Uranus square to Nicola’s Sun is starting to ease, so although she will have found campaigning a bit of a strain, the shock value of Uranus may not sting so much at election time.  The Uranus opposition to her Jupiter is also easing, as it occurred two days ago.  The North Node sextile to her Jupiter is approaching more closely (22nd-23rd June, a good time for re-organizations within her party).  Mercury trines her natal Uranus on results day, so there may be some excitement, and some of the surprise results may actually be in her favour.  Mercury will also be squaring her Nodal Axis, so she may have some karmic reckoning to do, such as balancing out input into policies such as education which may have suffered from a concentration on electioneering and the issue of Independence.  The very difficult transit of Saturn squaring her Pluto peaks right before the election, on the evening of 6th.  She may even feel some relief this phase is over, whereas Tim faces this difficult square a few days after the election.

Brexit Leaders

I will briefly look at the fortunes of the Brexit leaders from the Conservative Party (David Davis) and the Labour Party (Keir Starmer):

At the outset of Election Day, David Davis will feel engaged with the issues and the public.  He’ll be in warrior mode with Mars sextile his North Node.  The major transits do not look lifechanging for him, so it could well be business as usual for him.  At the end of June Chiron squares his Uranus, so he may face tough Brexit negotiations.

For rising star Keir Starmer, Labour Brexit spokesman, Saturn sextiles his natal Venus.  He is a steady hand on the tiller, and will approach the election sensibly.  Neither do his transits look lifechanging, so he will probably just continue serving and supporting the causes he believes in, and taking the government to task on the Brexit process.

There is a weird conspiracy theory out there that Theresa May is trying to sabotage her own campaign because Brexit is a poisoned chalice.  But it may be that because this is Conservative karma (Cameron’s fear of UKIP), the Conservatives have to see Brexit through.

Quotations from “Speaking Out” by Ed Balls, 2016

Caitlyn Jenner

 “Secrets of My Life”, written with Buzz Bissinger

 Caitlyn Jenner has written an autobiography, based around her lifelong gender dysphoria, and how she felt she was living a lie for most of her life.  She does not worry about the use of pronouns in referring to her, so I will generally be referring to Bruce Jenner as “he” and Caitlyn as “she”.  Bruce Jenner broke world records in athletics at the Montreal Olympics in 1976, as ironically the epitome of masculine strength.  But even as a young child, he felt himself to be a female in his core, and that led to inner conflict and secretive behaviours throughout his life.  However, he married three times and each marriage produced two children.  In later years, he helped to bring up the four children which Kris Kardashian brought to his third marriage, and took part in the long running television series Keeping up with the Kardashians.  But since 2015 he has finally addressed his gender issues, and transitioned from male to female.  Now writing about her life, Caitlyn emphasizes the role that her parenting has played in her life, and her work in supporting the LGBTQ community.  In past life therapy, gender dysphoria is often a result of a preferred sex, or a run of lifetimes in the opposite sex, though we tend to round out the soul balancing sexual roles.  The sex of the next life is known pre-birth, though it may not be an ideal choice, and other factors may be more important for the soul’s mission.  Or the change of sex may be the main theme of the life, especially in these times when it is becoming much more common.  Neptune exactly conjunct the South Node in the 12th House of secrets describes a major conundrum brought through from a past life.

Birth Chart

The most striking thing about Bruce’s chart at birth is the Sun on the Ascendant in Scorpio, an emphasis on the sexual nature, and also The Sportsman, and the one who loves the limelight.  You can see the deep set of the eyes from Scorpio rising.  The Sun square Moon may indicate a split in the psyche, or a conflict between the male and female sides.  The Sun sextile Mars is clearly The Athlete, and also shows up the love of fast cars.  The Sun trines exactly Uranus, so there is also The Rebel Archetype, one who embraces change.

There was also a lifelong struggle with dyslexia, probably shown in the chart by Mercury conjunct Neptune and the South Node, and square Jupiter.  Thus the book had to be co-written.  Dyslexia too was not well known in the mid-20th Century.  The actress Susan Hampshire was diagnosed in 1967 and was one of the first to publicize the condition.

Though his sexual challenges often drove him to despair (he came close to transitioning in the 1980s, even taking hormone therapy), he describes a basic cheerfulness (“I am optimistic because I am always optimistic”), and this is clearly seen in a triple conjunction of Moon/Jupiter/Part of Fortune in 3rd House of mental attitude.

Biography

The autobiography starts with detailing an early obsession in childhood with his mother’s wardrobe, and goes on to describe a lifetime of cross dressing in secret, usually in hotel rooms.

In 1976 as Bruce he won the Olympic decathlon event at Montreal.  Chiron, the Wounded Healer, was trine exactly his Mars (physical prowess) but square exactly his natal Moon (feelings of femininity), and Uranus (sudden success) was exactly on his Ascendant (physical body).  But his inner conflict was acute almost immediately afterwards, at the irony of his outward success as a man in contrast with his inner feelings as a woman.  The term “gender dysphoria” was a phrase still in its infancy, and he did not feel he could talk to anyone about his condition.  He married his first two wives without giving any hint of his inner conflict.  His father, proud of his Olympic achievement, died long before Bruce officially transitioned to being Caitlyn.

His first wife Chrystie supported him through the Olympic training years and the successful Olympic bid.  On 1st May 1979 he met his second wife, Linda Thompson. She had been the last girlfriend of Elvis Presley.  With Pluto on his South Node and sextile his natal Pluto, he was all set for a new phase of his emotional life.  With some classically compatible interaspects between their charts, such as her Sun trine his Moon and Venuses exactly trine, and her Pluto trine his North Node, he began a new relationship and started to build his second family.  The second marriage also eventually floundered because of his secret cross dressing, but also during this period he began to transition and took hormone therapy, before stopping at the brink of going all the way.

Kris Kardashian

Enter Kris Kardashian, wife number three, an extremely strong character, previously married to the attorney Robert Kardashian, and bringing four children to the marriage.  Theirs was an acrimonious divorce, and Robert’s Saturn was conjunct Kris’ South Node (difficult past karma).  Kris Kardashian, matriarch of the Kardashian empire, has an amazing exact conjunction of Jupiter and Pluto in Leo in 10th House conjunct her Midheaven (Careerpoint).  It is no wonder she carved out such a successful long running television slot.

Her previous husband Robert Kardashian was a friend of O.J. Simpson, and successfully represented him at the murder trial.  Bruce had known O.J. from the sports circuit, and tended to try and avoid him (“I have tried to erase O.J. from my mind”) but they socialized with him and his wife Nicole.  This has the hallmark of a karmic relationship, or part of a soul group situation.

O.J. has the North Node conjunct Mars (Warrior and Athlete karma) and Saturn conjunct Pluto (depressive energy).  Bruce’s planets are certainly entangled with O.J’s: Bruce’s Sun/Ascendant conjuncts O.J’s Chiron, and his Mars squares O.J’s Nodal Axis (awkward karma).  Bruce’s Neptune also squares O.J’s Sun.  Needless to say, Nicole’s death in 1994 and the subsequent trial of O.J. Simpson was a stressful time for Bruce and Kris.

Bruce and Kris

Kris came up with the idea of the reality TV show featuring her family, while watching the Osbornes.  The set up does to some extent remind me of Peter Andre and Katie Price who met while in the Australian jungle for “I’m a Celebrity”, then proceeded to broadcast their life together in a series of reality T.V. shows.  With Midheaven in Leo in 10th House, Bruce himself has exhibitionist tendencies, and after transitioning Caitlyn commanded her own show, “I am Cait”, recording her journey of transition.  In their synastry, Bruce’s Mercury sextile Kris’ North Node, reminiscent of a karmic business arrangement.  They would rock each other’s world, with his Pluto square her Ascendant and her Uranus square his Ascendant.  Again, the enduring meaning for Caitlyn of this partnership is the parental role not only for their own two children, but for the step-children from Kris’s previous marriage.  This is notwithstanding the acknowledgement that his younger children were neglected by him for long periods early in their lives.

Transition

Caitlyn regards her “facial feminization surgery” on 15th March 2015 as a major event of her transition, “Caitlyn steps on to the stage”.  It took 10 hours.  Mars (surgery) was trine natal Pluto, Uranus was conjunct natal North Node (Change with a big C), and Pluto was exactly square the natal Nodal Axis (an ultimate karmic transformation).

The photoshoot for the iconic cover of Vanity Fair was taken on 6th May 2015.  Chiron was square her Venus, an attempt to heal through an image of beauty.  Uranus was trine her Pluto (again, the theme of  extreme transformation).

This memoir was published on 25th April 2017, with the North Node (karma) on his Mars in Virgo in 10th House, setting the record straight for her, and with Jupiter on natal Neptune in Libra in 12th House (revealing the secrets).  She was finally able, after a lifetime living a lie, to be honest, and that was a catharsis and the basis of a happier life.  It’s a story worth reading, a detailed study of an experience which many others currently undergo but is still groundbreaking.

Next Week: Last minute thoughts about the UK Election

Aspects

Mercury sextiles Neptune today, and we can afford to contemplate sensitive issues with our mind, more so than usual.  Perhaps the pace of a Sunday facilitates this process.  Sometimes we are getting on and doing, and at other times we are allowing ourselves to just be.  At such times, inner guidance can seep into our consciousness more easily.  Allow yourself an easy regime today, and make use of the gifts of this aspect.

Tomorrow, Mars opposes Saturn, which is not as easy, or not easy at all.  Two forces may be pushing against each other, and this could prove uncomfortable.  This can mean a conflict in the outer world, or the inner world.  There may be an impasse, such as when an interviewer asks an impossible question over and over again.  A psychological or physical block may be revealed.  Not a good day to push the envelope.

Wednesday (31st) is more dynamic, with a sextile between Mars and Uranus.  This favours engineering projects, and spontaneous action.  Sporting interests can prosper, or mental gymnastics if that is more your sphere.  A definite moving forward.

At lunchtime, Mercury trines Pluto, which deepens mental thought and discussion.  If you had already made headway on the physical plane in the morning, then it may be especially satisfying to add dimension to the mental plane, giving rise to some holistically satisfying engagements.

To add a third boost to the day, Mars then sextiles the North Node, bringing out the positive side of physical and practical actions.  There may be a karmic reward for some, e.g. on account of bravery.  If you need to assert yourself, and know for certain that you have the moral high ground, you can be confident in your course of action.

Thursday (1st June) is altogether gentler, but sound and secure in its vibe, with Venus trine Saturn.  It reaffirms loyalties, and restraint where it is needed.  There may be quiet commitments in relationships, such as the understanding of an engagement of the heart, perhaps unspoken.

Friday (2nd) is a little more awkward.  Mars squares Chiron, which is like the square peg in the round hole.  What may be required is the acknowledgement and acceptance of two different outlooks, and the agreement to co-exist.  Even better, an encouragement of the other’s right to exist.  However, one party may not be able to elevate their outlook, and a minor skirmish may occur. This would be a healing crisis, showing what needs to be healed.  Some things are better revealed than kept hidden, and a coming to terms can begin.

Saturday (3rd) may be exciting socially, and vibrant meetings may occur, some planned but those unplanned more evident.  You may run across an old friend while shopping in the High Street, dip into the nearest coffee shop and discover some amazing coincidences which have taken place since you last connected.  It is a good day for networking, but there may also be a bizarre element, which hopefully you can take in your stride.

Mid-afternoon, the Sun trines Jupiter, one of the happiest aspects of the year.  The Sun may be shining, to match your mood.  The aspect favours broadening your mind, planning foreign travel, expanding your plans, publishing initiatives, having a flutter on the lottery, and much, much more!  Leos and Sagittarians especially will benefit from this aspect.

Last but not least, Venus trines the North Node, bringing some smooth karma.  Relationships, money and the Arts may be the focus of this.  Play your cards right, and a little dose of charm can win the day!

The week in bullet points:

• Today – contemplating sensitive issues successfully
• Tomorrow – uncomfortable
• Wednesday – dynamic; mentally profound; karmic action
• Thursday – gentle commitment
• Friday – awkward
• Saturday – socially exciting; lucky; smooth karma

Ian Brady (1938 – 2017)

Ian Brady, one of the most notorious murderers of 20th Century Britain, died this week.  Together with his accomplice, Myra Hindley, they tortured and killed at least 5 children and buried them on Saddleworth Moor.  The body of one of them, Keith Bennett, has never been found, due to his silence.

As I look at his chart, I wonder if the normal rules of Astrology apply to such a person.  Good aspects can become so perverted, if the soul so chooses the wrong path, that the most negative manifestation can come from a chart seemingly normal.  Describing such a chart might cause the reader to wonder about their own aspects, so I hastily reassure the reader that if your own chart features appear here, I am not casting aspersions on their character.  There are however features of his chart which might have a bearing on the course he took in life.

Birth Chart

First of all, he has 6 (over half) of his 10 planets in Earth signs.  According to the Guardian Obituary (by Peter Stanford) “Brady had been obsessed with bleak, open spaces since his first trip outside Glasgow, aged 9, to Loch Lomond”.  Saddleworth Moor itself, in the Dark Peak area of the Peak District National Park, crossed by the M62, was a special place for him (where he buried the bodies), and he had wanted his ashes scattered there, but this has been denied him.

On the surface of things, his Sun in Capricorn has favourable aspects: a loose conjunction with Mercury/Venus, a sextile with Mars (The Warrior), a trine with Uranus (Independence) and his Ascendant, and a conjunction with his Midheaven.  His individuality held great power.  When turned to negativity, the sign of Capricorn can exhibit coldness.  But, again, I stress that normal human considerations may not apply here: it seems to me that his heart was permanently closed, or unopened.  There should have been a sensitivity to others, as his Moon was closely trine Neptune, but there was not.  Instead, he had a fascination (Neptune) towards children (Moon).  The Moon in Capricorn was conjunct his Midheaven (Career and standing in the world), and he became notorious.  His feelings were further dampened by a square from Saturn to his Venus.  The Sun, Mercury and Venus were in his 8th House, which may have shown a preoccupation with death.

There was no doubting his intelligence, and he had Mercury conjunct exactly Venus in Capricorn (the Writer Archetype) making him well read, and incidentally with neat handwriting.  From a letter presented by Lord Longford, author A.L. Rowse declared that he had a brilliant mind.

Mars squaring his Nodal Axis may imply Warrior Karma stemming from past lives, and Jupiter opposing Pluto can bring misuse of power.  Again, I hasten to detach this interpretation from anyone else with these aspects, as extremes of behaviour don’t necessarily follow.  These are aspects however which could have contributed to his path.  He had also Jupiter square Uranus (The Opportunist).

He had Jupiter sextile closely the North Node – luck, until it ran out, as well as Saturn trine exactly Pluto, great strength (which in his case translates to brutality).  I am intrigued that his Chiron (Wounded Healer) was exactly opposite the Galactic Centre.  That may point to someone out of kilter with universal values.  Chiron was involved in a T-square with Saturn and Neptune.  Perhaps his Pluto trine the North Node was turned from a potential for a valuable contribution, to a karmic path as a murderer.

Biography

Ian Brady’s mother was an unmarried waitress, who gave him away at three months.  His father was a reporter on a Glasgow newspaper, by her account.  He was brought up by the Sloans, a couple with an already established family life, but he did not integrate, and kept himself to himself.  His 4th House of Home is empty, providing few clues to this period of his life.

During his teenage years, he led a solitary existence, and became interested in Nazi literature and artefacts.  He read widely, but left school without qualifications. He was arrested by the police occasionally for petty crimes, and at some point was sent back to live with his mother.

Myra Hindley

He met Myra Hindley in the factory where they worked, in 1961.  The Guardian Obituary tells us: “With his cold grey eyes, bony face and aloofness, he quickly had her enthralled.  She was later to describe him as her ‘god’.”  He introduced her to his literary interests.  Myra was a double Cancerian (Sun and Ascendant in that sign), with Jupiter and Mercury also in Cancer.  Although she is generally painted as under his influence, she herself admitted that it was she who enticed the children into the car.  Cancerians of course have an affinity with children, so this is a gross perversion, and again no insult intended for anyone with any planet in Cancer.  She also had the Sun conjunct Pluto, which can mean an obsession with death.  Myra herself came from a brutal home background, depicted in her chart by Mars and Chiron conjunct her I.C.  Malcolm MacCulloch, professor of forensic psychiatry at Cardiff University wrote: ” The relationship with her father brutalised her … She was not only used to violence in the home but rewarded for it outside. When this happens at a young age it can distort a person’s reaction to such situations for life”.

Her Synastry (astrological comparison) with Ian Brady tends to suggest that he had the upper hand in the power struggle between them.  His Saturn was trine her Sun, and his Pluto was on her Sun, his Saturn was square her Venus, for instance.  The most karmically direct aspect was his South Node on her Uranus in her 12th House, bringing out her perversions.  She kept a diary, and for the time of their meeting, Pluto was conjunct her North Node, an invitation to the dark path that proved to be her karmic path.

Ian Brady seems not to have encouraged human connection in his life, but theirs was some sort of relationship, or power trip on his part.  Whether the human heart was involved, is anybody’s guess.  They corresponded for a few years after imprisonment until 1971.

The Murders

The first murder took place on 12 July 1963, their first victim being Pauline Reade, aged 16, a girl known to Myra Hindley.  Mars was conjunct Brady’s Neptune, Uranus trine his Mercury/Venus in the 8th House, and Pluto trine his Uranus in 12th House.  Myra had Saturn on her Midheaven, Uranus square her Uranus (out of control) and Pluto sextile her Jupiter.

His Psychology

Ian Brady’s psychology will probably never be fathomed, though he is broadly seen as a “psychopath”.  He has never shown any remorse for his murders, and has even described his crimes as “petty” when compared to those of politicians and soldiers.

Strangely, he has described what he did as “existential exercises, personal philosophy and interpretation”, and this philosophy is reminiscent of one of his favourite authors Dostoevsky, especially pertinent to the plot of Crime and Punishment.  He wanted to be treated as an ordinary prisoner, but after a trial which examined his mental health, he was kept at Ashworth secure hospital at Maghull on Merseyside.  Psychiatrists attested to him being psychotic, paranoid, and hallucinatory, with a severe narcissistic personality disorder.

In her diary, Myra Hindley had written: “Within months he [Brady] had convinced me that there was no God at all”

Lord Longford

The pair were held in society as the archetype of evil, and apart from threats to kill by one of the mothers of the child victims, Ann West, they were untouchable. However, one eccentric politician, Lord Longford, not only took an interest in them but tried to take steps for Myra Hindley’s release.  Lord Longford was a Sagittarian, with a controversial conjunction of Mercury and Uranus.  He made a career of championing unpopular causes, and Tony Blair said of him: “He was a great man of passionate integrity and humanity and a great reformer committed to modernising the law while also caring deeply for individuals.”

His astrological connections with both the Moors Murderers were close:  with Myra, his Jupiter (his ruling planet) was sextile her Sun, his Neptune conjunct her Jupiter (much of his bond centred around religion – his Christian path and her desire for forgiveness), and his Pluto was trine her Midheaven.  He also had many connections with Brady, including his Jupiter sextile Brady’s Saturn and Pluto and trine Brady’s Chiron.  His controversial Mercury/Uranus was conjunct Brady’s Mercury/Venus.

Deaths

Myra Hindley died in 2002, never having been paroled.  She died after suffering a brain aneurysm, at a time when Uranus was opposite her Mars.  Mars was square Brady’s Moon (female) at the time.

Brady died from restrictive pulmonary disease in Ashworth Hospital on 15th May 2017.  His desire for his ashes to be scattered on Saddleworth Moor has, as has been mentioned, been denied, but at the time of writing he has also been denied Glasgow for his final venue too.

Child Victims

The known victims were Pauline Reade, Keith Bennett, John Kilbride, Lesley Ann Downey and Edward Evans.

Keith Bennett’s body was never found, despite numerous appeals to Ian Brady for its whereabouts.  His mother Winnie Johnson received a letter at the end of 2005 from Brady claiming he could take police to within 20 yards of her son’s body but claiming the authorities would not allow it.  She died in 2012.  Ian Brady, perpetrator of the unspeakable, has now taken his secret to the grave.

Final words go to her, appealing in a letter to Myra Hindley in 1986:

“I am a simple woman, I work in the kitchens of Christie’s Hospital. It has taken me five weeks labour to write this letter because it is so important to me that it is understood by you for what it is, a plea for help. Please, Miss Hindley, help me.”

Aspects

It is a strange week for aspects!  Unusually, all the action takes place on one day: Thursday (25th).  If you need to work with any aspect in the meantime, Saturn trine Uranus from Friday (19th) still applies:

“…a trine between two of the big guns, Saturn and Uranus.  This can be an immensely constructive time, perhaps testing out a big project or structure which you have been building in your life.  This trine is good for combining the old and the new, the innovative and the well-worn, moving forward without throwing the baby out with the bathwater.  It is especially good for engineering projects, as well as social projects.  It is about testing the elements of strength in what you have put into place, and hopefully finding that they hold.”

It is an aspect which favours both tying up loose ends and laying foundations for new projects.

On Thursday (25th),  Venus squares Pluto, which is a time of deep searching in relationships, and perhaps the requirement for release and letting go too.  What is needed is the understanding of one’s relationship, and one’s relationship to oneself being at the core of that.  For many of us, this is an ongoing issue, and one to be worked at especially on that day.  For this time, understand as far as is possible, the nature of relationship in general, the nature of any relationship with a significant other, and most of all your relationship with yourself.  Go easy with your loved ones, and be tender with those around you, for people could be feeling vulnerable.  Stay true to your heart. 

A later feature of that day may take advantage of any clearing that you are able to accomplish from Venus squaring Pluto, for a New Moon at 4 degrees Gemini takes place in the early evening.  To the extent that you have been able to work through Venus square Pluto, your intentions and creative visualizations for the New Moon can bear fruit.  Its presence in Gemini bodes well for communications, and inspires thought and ideas.  Travel is favoured generally, unless in your own chart the issue is entangled with Venus or Pluto, or the residue of events earlier in the day.  May it be a happy new beginning for you and yours.

The week in bullet points:

• Thursday – stormy relationships, followed by the eternal sunshine of the spotless mind

 

Eurovision Song Contest 2017

As you may know, there is a tradition of writing about the Eurovision Song Contest on this blog, and this year is no exception.  So look away now if you are not an enthusiast!

Salvador Sobral

The winner of this year’s contest last night was Salvador Sobral, from Portugal.  It was a sensational win for several reasons.  It was the first win ever for Portugal (in 53 years), he won by a mile (gaining 758 points), and he had been unable to perform the first rehearsals because of a serious heart condition, plus the performance and presentation was stripped down to the basics.

Salvador has 6 of his 10 planets in Capricorn (Uranus, Moon, Sun, Neptune, Saturn and Mercury), and certainly managed to convey the pathos of that sign in his performance.  He was born on a New Moon in that sign.  He has the Rebel Archetype (Sun closely conjunct Uranus), but also great sensitivity and vulnerability (Sun conjunct Neptune).  His heart condition (or at least strain on his heart) shows up in his chart through difficult aspects to his Sun (the heart): oppositions from Jupiter and Chiron, and the complex conjunction with Uranus and Neptune.  His emotional sensitivity, which comes through in his singing, comes from a conjunction of the Moon and Neptune.  His Mercury is unaspected, and I suspect that enables him to bypass the mind when he is singing.  He has Jupiter exactly opposite Uranus, the mark of the Opportunist, who knows when to promote himself.

Writing in The Telegraph, Alice Vincent explains the evocative appeal of the singer and song:

“…his whispery, mouth-of-marbles vocals tugged on heartstrings despite the language barrier. Amar Pelos Dois pays tribute to Portugal’s folk traditions, borrowing from the Fado style, an entire genre that mines mournfulness, and Sobral’s vocals were nearly overshadowed by swooning strings and twinkling keys.”

The transits for his win highlight his physical struggle: Uranus square his Mercury (health interference) and Jupiter square his Saturn (overcoming obstacles).  He seemed to take it all in his stride casually, perhaps as a man who has more important things on his mind, for not only did he have the health struggle, but he is a campaigner on behalf of refugees in the European migrant crisis.

The triumph for Portugal itself is registered in the transits by Pluto exactly sextile its Venus (Song), and Uranus opposite its Uranus (a rebellious, no frills performance).  Salvador’s Jupiter is exactly sextile Portugal’s Moon, and he really brought them luck and success.

The song was called “Amar Pelos Dois” (“To love for the both of us”, in English), and was written by his sister Luisa, who performed it with him after the win had been announced.  She also performed it in the early heat when he was indisposed.  Amazingly, it stood out as one of the few songs which were not performed in English.  The subject of the song is about lost love, and was described by Salvador Sobral as “a sad song”.

The win was as much a triumph for Luisa and their partnership as for Salvador and Portugal.  She is a Virgo, which works very well with Capricorn.  She has Mercury sextile exactly Saturn in her chart, amplifying the Virgo precision and application in her work.  She has Venus exactly conjunct the South Node in musical Libra, and was very likely in her past life or lives a singer and songwriter, as an ingrained way of life; they may have been troubadours in the middle ages.  The poignancy of her love song is seen in her Venus square Neptune, Venus square Chiron, and Mars square Saturn, reminding me of the old line of a song “chagrin d’amour dure toute la vie“.  She has Jupiter trine Uranus (The Entrepreneur) which is even more able to make the most of an opportunity as her brother’s Jupiter opposite Uranus.  Their relationship sparks a lot of energy, with  his Pluto sextile exactly her Mars. As to her transits at the win, the North Node trined exactly her Jupiter, producing a karmic reward!

Lucie Jones

Our United Kingdom entry “Never give up on You”, by Lucie Jones, was not expected to do well, because recently we have been at the bottom of the leaderboard, and it was thought that Brexit would severely affect the result.  The song was not brilliant, but Lucie sang it to the best of her ability and with heartfelt emotion,  it gained 111 points, and came in just under halfway at No. 15, much better than we (or Graham Norton presenting) had imagined.  It was our best result since 2011, despite the fact that our usual stalwart allies Ireland and Malta did not vote for us in the Jury section of the voting.  We seemed to draw support from all over Europe, and gained the top 12 points from Australia.

Lucy has a confident Sun in Aries trine Jupiter (quite lucky), with the Sun also loosely square Mars.  She came to fame in the X-Factor contest in 2009, where she lost out to Jedward in week 5.  At the time of this opportunity, she had Jupiter square her Pluto, Uranus square her Mars and Neptune trine her Mars.  She is of the same generation as Salvador Sobral: he was born in 1989 and she was born in 1991.  They both have the complex Uranus-Neptune conjunction in Capricorn of that time.  At the time of her performance in Eurovision, she had Pluto sextile her Pluto, empowering her to sing from her deepest emotion.

17 year olds

Curiously, three 17-year olds took part in this year’s contest, they all performed well and scored well.  Bulgaria’s Kristian Kostov came second in the entire contest.  He has Venus exactly conjunct Mercury in Pisces, a mellow voice for someone so young.  For the result, Kristian had Neptune sextile his natal Saturn.  Ellie Delvaux for Belgium and  Isaiah Firebrace for Australia both had Saturn trine their natal Jupiter.  Hopefully, it is a good indication of the talent rising up the ranks for future Eurovisions (do I hear groans?).

Aspects

Today Mercury is trine the North Node, and you may hear some karmic information to your advantage.  Hopefully, the results of the cyber attacks worldwide are gradually being dealt with, ready at least for the NHS to re-open its doors tomorrow.  I wrote under comments for last week:

“You might be wondering about yesterday’s cyber hacking of the NHS computers and other systems round the world. Because of Mercury retrograde then direct around the planet Uranus in Aries, the conjunction with all its glories and hazards has been lingering for an unusually long time. Coupled with that, experts on the asteroids assure us that this conjunction is also conjunct asteroid Eris, which represents chaos. I was not 100% convinced about the latter, but this event has made me think.”

So today is about recalibrating mentally, and re-aligning with your original plans and purposes.

On Tuesday (16th) Mercury re-enters Taurus, from Aries, which favours following through on artistic, financial, cookery (perfecting your ice cream quenelles technique) and gardening projects.  Mercury is in Taurus, assisting the mental application to such matters, until 6th June.  If it is your birthday on 16th, you may receive a special influx of mental energy.

Thursday (18th) brings us the gift of a sextile between the Sun in Taurus and Chiron in Pisces.  Any creativity we have fostered during the time that the Sun has been in Taurus, is touched by a healing quality and application.  Not only can you bring healing to your creativity, but healing can benefit from creativity.  Your creations truly heal you, coming from your Soul.

Friday (19th) is the most important day of the week, aspect-wise, bringing as it does a trine between two of the big guns, Saturn and Uranus.  This can be an immensely constructive time, perhaps testing out a big project or structure which you have been building in your life.  This trine is good for combining the old and the new, the innovative and the well-worn, moving forward without throwing the baby out with the bathwater.  It is especially good for engineering projects, as well as social projects.  It is about testing the elements of strength in what you have put into place, and hopefully finding that they hold.

Also on Friday, the Sun squares the Nodal Axis, and power issues within groups could be evident.  The fair distribution of power may come up for you in a situation, or may in some way be implied in issues which come up in the U.K. election campaigns.  This is something not easily achieved, but you may be in a position where you have to tackle its complexity.

In the afternoon, Venus opposes Jupiter, and there may be some light relief in the form of humour, intended or unintended.  It is always good to have a laugh that comes out of the blue, and reminds you of its therapeutic value.  As often though, someone may be the butt of the joke, and if so bear in mind that one man’s joke may be another’s misfortune.  Keep it clean.

The Sun enters Gemini on Saturday (20th), and what we lose in Taurean patience and productiveness, we gain in sparkling mental communication and the enlivening of debate.  In the coming month, the emphasis will be on chat: chatting over the neighbour’s fence, exchanging points of interest on social media, developing mental interests etc.  There may also be initiatives regarding Transport and Education, no doubt promoted by one or other of the political parties promising improvements.  Talk is cheap; look at their record, and where their real interests lie, I would think.  There is communication, and there is communication, and some of what we hear in the course of the day is superficial and passed on undigested.  It is an opportunity to be a mindful, clear channel of information!

The week in bullet points:

• Today – useful information
• Tuesday – mental application in practical tasks
• Thursday – creativity and healing combined
• Friday – strength and progress, power issues, and some laughter
• Saturday – moving onto the mental plane

 

“The Pre-Raphaelites – Lizzie Siddal”

This is the fourth in my series about the Pre-Raphaelites.  In no particular order, the others are:-

^{11/9/2009: “The Pre-Raphaelites – A Soul Group”}

^{14/10/2012: “The Pre-Raphaelites – John Ruskin”}

^{12/1/2013: “The Pre-Raphaelites – Dante Gabriel Rossetti”}

^{As you can see, the last one was four years ago!  But I still intend to write about them all.}

“A most beautiful creature with an air between dignity and sweetness with something that exceeded modest self-respect and partook of disdainful reserve; tall, finely-formed with a lofty neck and regular yet somewhat uncommon features, greenish-blue unsparkling eyes, large perfect eyelids, brilliant complexion and a lavish heavy wealth of coppery golden hair.”

^{~ William Michael Rossetti}

Birth Chart

Lizzie was the foremost model for the Pre-Raphaelites, and in particular Dante Gabriel Rossetti.  She had a very creative chart, with Sun/Saturn/Mars and Venus in Leo, but was disposed to depression (Sun conjunct Saturn) and ill health, so although she drew, painted and wrote poetry herself she was not able to fulfil her potential.  With 6 Fire planets and 5 Fixed planets (out of 10), she was fiery and strongwilled.  Her will danced with that of Dante Gabriel Rossetti (Sun in Taurus) in what was a stormy relationship.  With the Sun conjunct Saturn in Leo and loosely trine Pluto, her Leo creativity was on the dramatic side.

Her North Node (karmic mission) was at 1 degree (the essence of) Libra, the sign of beauty, and she was the muse for Dante Gabriel Rossetti as well as others in their group.  Lucinda Hawksley’s biography of Lizzie is subtitled: “The Tragedy of a Pre-Raphaelite Supermodel”.  She also had great charm.

Curiously, Venus (planet of beauty) is largely unaspected in her chart, perhaps leaving her some freedom in this respect, but as we do not have a birth time, it may be prominent on one of her angles in a full chart.

She had Jupiter sextile Uranus, The Entrepreneur Archetype, together with Uranus trine her North Node, and did have two major opportunities in her life: that of becoming the artists’ model, and the opportunity of patronage by Ruskin.  Jupiter was also trine closely Pluto in her chart, giving her great personal power.

Ophelia

She was linked with several of the artists of this group, but was initially introduced to them through Libran Walter Deverell who began to use her as a model.  However, it was sitting (or lying) for the painting “Ophelia” by John Everett Millais which made her famous, and launched him as the most successful of the Pre-Raphaelite painters.

The main events of Lizzie’s life are well-known, but fascinating when looked at in detail.  For the famous scene from Hamlet, Lizzie was required to lie in a bath.  Apparently, Millais’ mother devised a way of heating the bath from underneath using lamps.  Unfortunately, John Millais became so absorbed in his work that he did not notice the lamps going out.  Lizzie subsequently caught a severe cold.  According to Millais’s son (in a biography) she soon recovered, but Lucinda Hawksley notes that it was not long after that when sources reported on her ill health.  The consequence may have led to much of the tragedy of her life: the laudanum addiction, for example.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

In relationship, and in art, Lizzie is primarily linked with Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the founder of the Pre-Raphaelite movement.  His sister Christina Rossetti wrote a poem about her eternal role as his sitter:

“In an Artist’s Studio”:

One face looks out from all his canvases,

One selfsame figure sits or walks or leans:

We found her hidden just behind those screens,

That mirror gave back all her loveliness.

A queen in opal or in ruby dress,

A nameless girl in freshest summer-greens,

A saint, an angel — every canvas means

The same one meaning, neither more nor less.

He feeds upon her face by day and night,

And she with true kind eyes looks back on him,

Fair as the moon and joyful as the light:

Not wan with waiting, not with sorrow dim;

Not as she is, but was when hope shone bright;

Not as she is, but as she fills his dream.

~ Christina Rossetti

The ubiquitous image we have throughout his paintings is of this swan-necked red-headed icon of Pre-Raphaelite beauty.  He was devoted to her, but not faithful to her, and was constantly travelling to be by her side through her numerous health crises.  In their synastry, her Sun was opposite Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s Uranus, showing his need for freedom.  Her Mercury was opposite his Mars, depicting their constant arguments (they couldn’t live with or without each other, there was so much nervous tension between them).  Her Pluto was trine his Saturn – she had a hold on him, and he recognized at some level a need for commitment.  This may have been karmic.  Her Pluto squares his Venus – a heartwrenching element of their relationship.

He did not want to marry her (partly due to the disapproval of his family), though constantly dangled the possibility before her.  Therefore their close relationship needed some sort of respectability, and he took her on ostensibly as a pupil.  She showed promise, and he was able to secure patronage for her from the art critic and philanthropist John Ruskin, champion of the Pre-Raphaelites.  From 1855 he began to provide a regular allowance for her, which he did for several years until her health broke down to the extent that she could not work, and in all honesty could not continue to take his money.  Ruskin was very fond of her, and his mother too was a champion of her art, and keen that Rossetti should marry her.  Lizzie’s work was included in many exhibitions of the time, usually the only woman included.

Eventually, after the severest of her health crises, Rossetti did marry Lizzie, on 23rd May 1860.  Psychologically, this was a big deal for him, with Pluto on his Mercury at the time and opposite his Jupiter.  Saturn was exactly conjunct Lizzie’s Venus at the time, indicating a major relationship commitment.

Her health did settle for a while after marriage, and their relationship did improve.  However, on 2nd May 1861, Elizabeth suffered a stillbirth, well into her pregnancy.  The pregnancy had progressed reasonably well despite her innate delicacy.  Chiron was square to her Jupiter at the time.  Pluto was still on Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s Mercury, indicating intense worry.

Laudanum

For many years, Lizzie had relied on laudanum to help her sleep and ease the pain of her many episodes of ill health.  It was a widespread remedy, the cannabis of its time.  The mental and physical pain of the loss of the baby increased her dependence on it.  That she may have had a predisposition to addiction may be linked with Mercury opposite Neptune (drugs) in her natal chart.

One night, they dined out with the poet Swinburne (a great pal of Lizzie’s).  Like Lizzie, he had red hair (their Marses were exactly conjunct in Leo), and they had the same sense of humour.  Their karmic connection was shown by his Nodal Axis exactly square her Sun (ruling planet). The next morning 11th February 1862, however, she was found dead of an overdose of laudanum, which was probably accidental. Neptune (drugs) was transiting her natal South Node (karma) at the time.

Exhumation of Poems

Rossetti never really recovered from the tragedy of Lizzie’s death.  Grief was mixed with guilt over his infidelity throughout most of their relationship.  In his grief, Rossetti buried a volume of his poetry with Lizzie in her casket.  A few years later in 1869, however, he realized that this poetry ought to be published, and he sought and (amazingly) obtained permission to exhume the casket, and retrieve the book of poetry.  This permission was obtained through a connection with the Home Secretary.  Rossetti’s friend Howell performed the exhumation overnight, and reported (in a possible exaggeration) that Lizzie still looked perfect and her hair had grown voluptuously.

“Severed Selves”

Two separate divided silences,
Which, brought together, would find loving voice;
Two glances which together would rejoice
In love, now lost like stars beyond dark trees;
Two hands apart whose touch alone gives ease;
Two bosoms which, heart-shrined with mutual flame,
Would, meeting in one clasp, be made the same;
Two souls, the shores wave-mocked of sundering seas:—
Such are we now. Ah! may our hope forecast
Indeed one hour again, when on this stream
Of darkened love once more the light shall gleam?—
An hour how slow to come, how quickly past,—
Which blooms and fades, and only leaves at last,
Faint as shed flowers, the attenuated dream.

~ Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Bibliography:

“Lizzie Siddal” by Lucinda Hawksley

“Desperate Romantics” by Franny Moyle

 

Aspects

Tuesday (9th) brings us a trine between the Sun and Pluto, good for settling deep psychological issues.  Creativity thrives through an injection of meaning.

On the same day, the True Node enters Leo, which you may register with a similar effect as on Friday 28th April:

“You may be called to a new creative project, or a leadership role, under this influence.  In international relations, power will be even more of an issue. ”

The North Node will remain in Leo for approximately eighteen months, so plenty of time to practise power issues.

Wednesday (10th) brings again that recent chestnut Mercury conjunct Uranus, by virtue of the fact that Mercury has just turned direct.  Communications should be stunningly clear and crisp.

In the evening, there is a Full Moon in Scorpio, one of the most intense Full Moons of the year.  If you want to avoid entanglements and the glare of emotional intensity, it would be a good time to practise meditation.  Set out your calmest environment for meditation, and apply its soothing qualities to your mindset and if successful to the issues of the wider world.  Don’t overextend yourself, inside or outside meditation, if you feel that you cannot handle the energies.

You may need more meditation on Thursday (11th) when Mars squares Neptune, as you may feel split over the application of your actions and physical energy in relation to your spiritual life and energies.  It may take work for them to come together, and again, meditation could help.

By the evening, you may have more mental clarity to assist you, in the shape of Mercury trine Saturn, and may be able to apply yourself to more demanding mental tasks, such as sorting out documentation.

The week ends on a high, for we have a trine between Mars and Jupiter on Friday (12th) a green light for action and enthusiasm.  Hope and optimism abound!

The week in bullet points:

• Tuesday – profound creativity, satisfying for the soul; possible power issues
• Wednesday – mental innovation, intense emotion
• Thursday – confused energies; later application of mental energy
• Friday – the green light