Last Tuesday evening we could not help but be moved by a news report from a woman in an eye patch in Syria, telling us of a baby who died that day. As always when watching these foreign correspondents, we marvelled at their bravery. Tragically, it was to prove her swan song, whilst also ensuring that no one forgets what she was highlighting: the unspeakable cruelty of the Syrian regime.  The world took note.  It seems to me that Marie Colvin’s death brought about a surge in rescue efforts and international deliberations, at least in the short term.  With the Sun in Capricorn, Marie Colvin had an acute sense of responsibility, and Kate Adie this morning called her a “serious journalist”.  The Guardian obituary stated:  “She was not interested in the politics, strategy or weaponry; only the effects on the people she regarded as innocents. ‘These are people who have no voice,’ she said. ‘ I feel I have a moral responsibility towards them, that it would be cowardly to ignore them.’ ”  She had a very interesting chart, and her extraordinary courage is shown natally by Jupiter/Pluto squaring Mars/Saturn.  At the time she lost her eye in Sri Lanka in 2001, Pluto was transiting her natal North Node.

[Well my printer did a strange thing just now.  It printed a copy of Marie Colvin’s chart without my involvement or intention!]

Where was I?  Marie Colvin’s karmic mission is represented by her North Node in Sagittarius (representing the Foreign Correspondent) and Pluto transiting that point not only represented the losing of the eye (also transiting Saturn opposing her Mars = eye) but the choice of whether to go on, and she chose to go on.  The current question is why are Russia, China and Iran supporting the terrors of the Syrian regime, and how can the rest of the world put a stop to the suffering of the Syrian people?  And Turkey seems to have a key moderating position.  But that’s another blog, maybe for a specialist Mundane Astrologer to figure out…

The aspects this week are few and far between.  They start on Tuesday (28^th February) with the Sun sextile Pluto.  We will be asking ourselves serious questions, and possibly receiving serious answers.  So it is a good day to meet up with your local think tank in a coffee shop, and brainstorm.  It is also a good day to get clear on issues around nuclear power (the television programme this week on the Fukushima nuclear plant was most illuminating) and if you have decided that you would not like such an event on our British island, then perhaps link up with Greenpeace or Friends of the Earth.  The following day (29^th) is Leap Day, and any brave maiden who decides to pop the question in the time honoured tradition will have to go it alone without the support of a Venus-friendly aspect, or any major aspect at all.  There is an emotionally uneasy semi-square between the Moon and Venus near midnight, which is no help at all.  So hats off to your romantic bravery, if you are about to take the leap and you are reading this!  I saw this week a 1978 performance by Steve Forbert of his song “It isn’t gonna be that way” which might be worth seeing if it doesn’t go your way, but good luck because your own personal birthchart may support your move.  Mercury enters Aries on Friday (2^nd March) which may add to mental tensions, partly because your inner Mercury sensor will know that it’s about to meet Uranus in the near future. But your inner sensor may be relieved to find that Mercury will stop short and start returning before it reaches a square with Pluto.  But there is a certain amount of vigour and renewal about Mercury’s ingress to Aries, and an atmosphere of “Let’s get on with it”!  Make a list, even if like me you are not a list person, and resolve to at least honour the first item on the list, or at least talk about it (you never know the ripple effect that could have).  Mercury at the beginning of Aries is like striking a match, and that can precede all sorts of action, such as singing Happy Birthday to a special Piscean.  Mercury at the beginning of Aries is a special announcement of intention, so it’s good to mark it.  It’s a hot Saturday (3^rd) with the fiery planets Sun and Mars in opposition.  They cannot fully express their fire, because Mars is in an Earth sign (Virgo) and the Sun is in Water (Pisces), so there may be some passive aggression shown or hidden.  Psychological homework: keep control of your own Inner Warriors, and let others do the same.  It is not likely to be the day of the hoped-for breakthrough in diplomatic relations with Syria’s leader, and indeed may be a day of escalation of tensions, so work to minimize fall out once you have maintained control of your Inner Warrior.  Think of the efforts of the Red Cross, especially that day.

Book Review

On a lighter note, fortunate enough to be in line for a review copy of “Lobsters for Leos, Cookies for Capricorns” I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived in the post (from Thomas Dunne Books, New York) and on looking inside I found a fresh approach to cooking astrologically.  The book is written by Sabra Ricci, astrological chef to the stars of the Hollywood variety (Jim Carrey: “Sabra is an alchemist.  She cares deeply about everything she creates and lives in service to all of us – breakfast, lunch and dinner).  The premise of this book is one of  healthy foods assigned to each sign of the zodiac, and  selected on the basis of the health weakness of each sign.  So for Gemini the foods assist easier breathing (e.g. cantaloupe melon), and for Scorpio the foods are aphrodisiac (with the proviso that you don’t eat them all at once).  As a Sagittarian, I should be eating beetroots and avocados to cleanse my liver (the bodily organ associated with Saggies and those who like alcohol, sometimes both).  In that chapter, there is information about what I am like in the kitchen (“You will soon think your friend has lost track of the recipe, but not to worry, he doesn’t use one, but cooks from a place of intuition”), and what Sagittarian guests are like (“Archers are the heart and soul of a dinner party as they long for all things social”).  Each chapter also suggests optimum ways of serving (whether on the floor, or more formal styles) and gives a clear breakdown of what is contained in the selected foods that benefits us (like luteolin in artichokes which inhibits brain inflammation for Aries).  Then we are presented with recipes which combine these ingredients, and which Sabra has tested on her celebrities.  Some of the ingredients are unknown to me, or have different names here.  As with television programmes, I have to translate them into vegetarian recipes in my head.  But there is at least one vegetarian recipe per sign (the Sagittarian one being “Warm baby beet salad over grilled portobellos with brie”, which sounds appetizing and lovely, and appropriate for me when I am not trying to occasionally veer towards veganism).  All in all, I find Sabra’s approach to combining medical astrology and cooking very refreshing, a useful addition to my bookshelf, and a fun approach to dinner partying.

The Week in Bullet Points:

• Tuesday – Profound
• Friday – A vigorous mental approach
• Saturday – Explosive; try damage limitation

Further to last week…Falklands Blog 2

 Scene 1 – Tea-Time in Argentina

[Enter Sean Penn]

In his capacity as Ambassador for Haiti (?) he meets Cristina Kirchner, President of Argentina.  She makes an impression on him, having Pluto on his Uranus and Neptune sextile his Jupiter.  They both have Jupiter rising.

Kirchner: “I wonder how my appeal to the U.N. is getting on.  You couldn’t put in a good word, could you?”

Penn: “”I know I came in a very sensitive moment in terms of diplomacy between Argentina and the UK over the Malvinas islands. And I hope that diplomats can establish true dialogue in order to solve the conflict as the world is not going to tolerate any kind of ludicrous and archaic commitment to colonialist ideology. The way of dialogue is the only way to achieve a better solution for both nations.”

Kirchner: “That will do nicely.”

Penn:  “Had you thought of inviting Prince William to tea?”

Kirchner: “Don’t push your luck.”

[Exit Penn]

 Scene 2 – The U.K. At the Houses of Parliament

Tory MP Patrick Mercer O.B.E.: “What on earth has this got to do with Sean Penn? He’s neither British nor Argentine and seems to know nothing about the situation judging by this moronic statement.”

Ben Fogle: “Here Here!”

Scene 3 – Uruguay – Tea with President Jose Mujica

Mujica:  “Well, you know Sean.  We South American States like to stick together.  More tea?”

Penn:  “Thank you for your opinion.  I will make another statement.”

Mujica: “How did I get involved in this anyway?” [Mars is squaring his Mercury]

Penn: “It’s unthinkable that the United Kingdom can make a conscious decision to deploy a prince [William] within the military to the Malvinas, knowing the great emotional sensitivity both of mothers and fathers in the United Kingdom and  in Argentina who lost sons and daughters in a war of islands with a population of so few….”

[The South Node (past life karma) is currently transiting Penn’s Mars in Gemini representing his warriorship, and Uranus is currently transiting Penn’s I.C. which is unsettling his sense of security about the world]

The Sun enters Pisces early today, and you may rise in a befuddled state.  If you have a chance, go back to bed and have a lie in until you are feeling clearer.  However, this is not likely to happen, and you may be having a generally foggy day because by the evening the Sun conjuncts Neptune.  If you found the similar aspects with Mercury last week befuddling, then you may go through a parallel scenario today, but less mentally-focussed and more soul-focussed, i.e. a reorientation on that level, aligning the personality with the Soul, or attempting to.  You may be finding it hard, for instance, deciding what you think about a particular issue, even though you may be pressed to make your mind up.  My advice is: If in doubt, don’t.  Give yourself an extra day or so if you can, to be absolutely sure of where you stand, if you have the luxury to do so.  Tuesday (21^st) is much more suitable for aligning the Soul and personality, and deciding where you stand on an issue.  For Tuesday brings a New Moon at 2 degrees Pisces, a chance for a real spiritual re-orientation, and an evaluation of complex personal and global issues. Thursday (23^rd) is more confrontational, with Mercury opposing Mars.  A war of words, or at the very least carelessness, are on the cards.  Sean Penn may make another statement about the U.K. and the Falkland Islands.  If you feel like getting involved in a conflict, check whether it is in fact your conflict – that’ll give you a chance to pull out, and fewer people may get hurt. We have a happy ending on Saturday (25^th) with Sun sextile Jupiter, optimal positive thinking, possibly yielding successful results.  All smiles.

If you are up before 10 a.m. you might catch Flick and I in the studio audience of The Big Questions in Cambridge, televised on BBC1.

The Week in Bullet Points:

• Today – Fog
• Tuesday – New Spiritual Order
• Thursday – Confrontation
• Saturday – Smiles

Those born around 19^th February have, as was mentioned in a recent blog, a great deal of confusion going on at the moment.  An example of this is the President of Argentina, Cristina Kirchner, who has Neptune transiting her Sun at 0 degrees Pisces right now.  Astrologically her state of mind would be described as confused, although she may not think so.  It certainly seems to have a touch of Neptunian paranoia…She has gained ground politically in recent times, with Neptune and Chiron forming trines to her Neptune and Saturn in the last decanate of Libra.  As well as her Neptunian process, she also has Pluto squaring her Mars at the moment, firing up her desire to act, which is resulting in the current move to rekindle the Falkland conflict.  The original conflict in 1982 was a vehicle for Margaret Thatcher’s Inner Warrior because she was experiencing a Mars Return at the time!  This Mars Return was exactly trine the U.K. Ascendant. Cristina Kirchner followed her husband Nestor Kirchner into power as President.  During his term of office, he managed to turn the Argentinian economy round from its parlous state.  He then became Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations.  The South American States (including Brazil and Chile) are now behind Cristina in her endeavours.  Nestor Kirchner died of a heart attack in 2010 but some say his wife is an even more powerful political force.  This week she announced that she would appeal to the U.N. over the matter.  Certain points of the zodiac are particularly sensitive in connection with the Falklands conflict, though I do not have a chart for the Falklands themselves.  Karmic involvement is shown by the Sun/Mercury of the U.K. chart being conjunct the South Node of the Argentine chart.  Individual entanglements include Margaret Thatcher’s Nodal Axis square exactly the Argentine Jupiter, and certain aspects to Prince William’s chart.    People in the U.K. tend to feel passionately one way or the other on the issue of whether we should keep the Falklands: I remember arguments with friends 30 years ago on the subject, and indeed this household is currently split on the issue!  But in a poetic twist Prince William has been cast as the knight  in shining armour, flying to defend the area, and incredibly his natal Mars is exactly in the same position as Margaret Thatcher’s, and therefore in the same relationship to the U.K. chart.  However, he has more harmonious natural links with Argentina.  And at this point in time Neptune is forming a Grand Trine with his natal Jupiter trine Sun (very apt for connecting with foreign islands).  So hopefully his presence there might prove more constructive than it looks.  It would be good if President Kirchner invited him to tea and found him to be a nice boy.

Tomorrow a trine between Mercury and Saturn which occurs at tea time favours ventures which have been well planned or thought through.  So if you’re reading this today, Sunday, if you haven’t already done so get yourself a plan! And if you already have a plan, think it through.  It’s a good day for serious and realistic communication, so if you are sitting face to face in discussion, have your bullet points ready and don’t waste each other’s time. This marker of the story so far and where you’re at is especially vital and poignant in relation to events and aspects later in the week which complicate matters.  For in the early hours of Valentine’s Day Tuesday (14th) Mercury enters Pisces.  The collective mindset will change more radically than on the usual annual ingress of Mercury to that sign around this time of year, because Neptune ruler of Pisces is at that early stage of the sign.  Usually, it would indicate a change from crisp, progressive thought, to a more mystical and imaginative understanding. Instead we find ourselves going from mental flights to being plunged into depths of emotion which are then to be processed through our mental equipment, and some might have difficulty with that.  Unless you have insomnia this is likely to take place during hours of sleep and may infiltrate through dream symbolism, e.g. flying and swimming dreams…Then, unless you are an early riser, just as your consciousness is surfacing for the new day Mercury conjuncts Neptune, and intensifies the new process.  No longer are you in a transition, with access to the previous mode of thought – instead, you are fully immersed and merged in the world of the emotions and imagination.  Again, some might find this overwhelming, but stick with it.  The third feature to note on Valentine’s Day is Jupiter sextile Chiron.  This lifts the vibration to an extent.  It brings about a focus on healing, miracles and manifestation.  If you are considering Valentine gifts for a loved one, I would recommend preparing two gifts, a material one on waking and a spiritual surprise one later in the day.

Having got through the astrological schedules for Tuesday, we are faced with a square between Venus and Pluto on Wednesday (15^th).  All that hard work on your relationship on Tuesday, then a depth to plumb on Wednesday (take it slowly).  The mental submergence in emotion of the previous day may leave you vulnerable or depleted for Wednesday’s challenge, unless you have managed to rehabilitate through the Jupiter-Chiron miracle-process.  So really, give yourself TLC on Wednesday, as you can’t give it to anyone else in a depleted state.  And someone may ask you for it, by teatime [Apologies for mealtime fixation on which to hang aspects].  You may feel more confused or overwhelmed than ever.  You feel you’ve done your best, but your relationship(s) and/or your finances (also Venus) don’t look or feel how you’d like them to!  They are as they are, but you need to work a little more on your own process, remembering you can only do what you can to at any given time.

Thursday (16^th) brings the opportunity to look at things in new ways and see more facets of the picture.  Though Mercury is still immersed in Pisces and conjunct with Neptune, it now joins with Chiron in Pisces to look at mental health and psychological issues you may not have considered.  This may initially be challenging or even shocking, but by afternoon tea you have the confidence and mental buoyancy to deal with this new angle, through a sextile between Mercury and Jupiter.

At the end of the week on Saturday (18^th) we have two helpful influences to lift us from the pressure encountered earlier in the week.  In the afternoon, Sun trines Saturn and the plans initiated at the beginning of the week can flourish – you can put your whole heart into them.  Then in the early evening Mercury sextiles Pluto and everything you’ve struggled with over the week can come together in useful and meaningful productivity – the emotional depth combining with constructive communication: while you thought you were drowning, you were learning the tools of success.

If you’ve always admired Aquarians and want to emulate them, please read the latest in the Zodiac Masterclass series:

http://www.lanawooster.co.uk/blog/2012/02/the-aquarian-guide-to-being-ahead-of-the-game/

This morning we are saying goodbye to Whitney Houston, whose health struggles are well-documented in her birthchart.  But my abiding fond memory about her is the song “I will always love you…” which was put on replay very loudly by our next door neighbor for about three months when we first came to live in Norfolk twenty years ago.  It reminds me that she is the champion Valentine balladeer.

This Week in Bullet Points:

• Tomorrow – planning and thinking through
• Tuesday – emotional and mental overwhelm; healing
• Wednesday – new deluge just when you thought you were coming up for air…
• Thursday – new healing perspectives; bright communication
• Saturday – cementing plans; consolidating resources

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

This is the fourth of an occasional series written about the expertise of each Sun Sign. I am still looking for the Libran who can write a guide to Relationships. The articles will be found under the category “Zodiac Masterclass” so that eventually there will be 12 such articles, e.g. “The Taurean Guide to the Inner Artist”, “The Cancerian Guide to Parenting”,”The Aries Guide to the Authenticity” etc. Each article will be written by someone who has the Sun Sign in question.

Here guest blogger Felicity Cook writes about being a futuristic Aquarian. She is no stranger to this website and blog – indeed, she is one of the people in my life without which it would not have come into existence and have kept breathing.

She is a top vocal teacher in the U.K., and is currently in training as a Body Psychotherapist as well as having a huge following on Facebook. I don’t know where she finds the time – she has probably borrowed it from the future!

A word about the mandala: it is one of my very favourites, and somehow conjures up for me an embroidered Tibetan flag or wall hanging (thangka).

The Aquarian Guide to Being Ahead of the Game!

by Felicity Cook

“You just don’t get it do you?” asked a workshop leader of me a very long time ago.
What he didn’t realise and what I was too lacking in confidence to say was that my Aquarian mind was already a few light years ahead, piecing his information together with the material I was already working out for myself about the physiology of the voice and the link with the psyche. I knew I couldn’t make public my thoughts as it was ground breaking work over which he had already implied was nonsense once before, dismissing my ideas verbatim.

We Aquarians are built to be in the kitchen creating Heston Blumenthal sci-fi menus, metaphorically speaking, but don’t ever suggest we get out if it gets too hot because we simply won’t! Could we be aloof? Maybe, but perhaps it’s more that our airy heads (I said airy heads, not air heads, thank you!) that we know we’re on to something. Mess with a Uranian and you could just be tampering with the blue touch paper, so I suggest you step back until invited to light it! The ideas can zoom in from nowhere. For example: 7.30 (or earlier) in the morning when their partner is sleeping, they may suddenly wake up and pose some ethereal philosophical view about the world and or vocalise how unjust it all is. In the meantime, you feel you’ve been run over by a steamroller and on a Sunday morning! Sigh…..

Part of the charm of the Water Carrier, though an air sign, is that they live up, way up in the clouds…. they know what every particle is that makes up that cloud and therefore don’t let any scientist try to challenge them…. the thing is, their cloud is made up of more than small droplets of water or ice crystals that are spread out from each other, they know theirs is the ‘real’ world and have little or no concept that others see it any other way. However, should they realise they or someone else has wronged a fellow traveller, then they would be the first to speak up for justice!

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

~ Martin Luther King

A person with an Aquarian Sun is not a straight forward beautifully transparent individual. Anyone who takes on such a person could well be in for an interesting journey with them….. Eccentric, exuberant and usually outgoing, their other side is often hidden; this is the deeper thinker. This is one reason why it can be quite challenging living with an Aquarian….. their ideas have wings and if they haven’t done much in the way of personal processing, you may find it hard to keep up with them as they will leave you at the starting post! When the personal development work has been done you will find yourself with a considerate (usually… and don’t quote me to your stubborn Aquarian lover!) and compassionate individual who has found a way of being able to fly without having to fight the constraints of the establishment and is also able to be pragmatic about their actions too.

So….. how do you learn from the Aquarian? How do you allow yourself to be ahead of the game?

1. Don’t throw the rebel out of the classroom because she/he doesn’t fit what the establishment want….. LISTEN to them instead. They may have something a bit off the wall to move things forward. YOu could develop that too!
2. Don’t take it to heart if they appear aloof. They are just off on their latest non conformist idea and getting a real buzz from it….. they’ll get a kick out of telling you about it if you can show you don’t reject their eccentricity! What would be so wrong if YOU also allowed your wackiness to come forward and be creative?
3. Do allow the Aquarian space to be an individual as their habit is in the Heavens not hemmed in on the ground…. they could help you fly!
4. If you want to know the direction the fiscal health of the world is going, ask an Aquarian….. they can tell you, so you might want to listen!

That’s all folks …… I have a Light Beam to catch…….

Here’s an interview Felicity did earlier:

http://www.lanawooster.co.uk/blog/2010/02/interview-series-no-2-felicity-the-voice-cook/

The Neptune in Pisces watershed in the U.K. seems to have been marked by a surreal covering of snow.  Rather like at Christmas time, people were coming home early to bunker down, carrying armfuls of supplies from supermarkets on the way.  I was urged by my mother to hurry home from Salisbury to Norfolk before the curfew.  On the way, I left my handbag on the train, then ensued a mad dash to the rail terminal where my handbag was waiting, everything left in it.  An old gentleman had handed it in.  Within an hour, the blizzard had started here.  So as I sit typing here with fingerless gloves, I am still dazzled by how lucky I was (transiting Jupiter is currently square my natal Jupiter).  Yesterday, 4^th February, may have been lucky in a different way for someone who believed in the power of the number 4.  Astrologer Linda Goodman assigned the number four to Uranus, but I wonder if it has a resonance to Neptune, given its current prominence.  In the lottery numbers yesterday, not only did the number 4 come up, but four of the other five numbers were in the forties.  I am making a supreme effort not to make mention of reality TV this week, as one of my customer complaints was about that.  Therefore I will plough straight on with the week’s aspects.

If you wish to achieve clarity in your thinking about an issue, you have 2 days to mull it over, then turn it over to the conjunction of the Sun and Mercury in Aquarius on Tuesday morning (7th) for crystal clarity to zap your brain and connect your synapses. It would be ideal for you to be up and conscious, e.g. over a breakfast coffee, to be eligible for and open to its benefits. You need to be up in a reasonable time on Tuesday as you have 3 astrological features to attend to during the course of the day. Just after lunch, Saturn is stationary prior to turning retrograde. If you felt a sense of relief that it was leaving Libra, the sign of relationships, you will need yet more patience (it seems an age ago since I wrote the blog ” Saturn in Libra – Karmic Dilemmas”). Saturn just gets to the brink of Scorpio, and turns back. So there is more to learn and negotiate about relationships, it seems…we are now going over old ground in our relationships, including our relationships with ourselves. Creativity and individuality will be the issue at the Full Moon in the evening. Best deal cleanly with the other 2 features of the day before the evening, then you may be able to meditate on the Full Moon at a higher level in the evening, without all the emotional baggage, i.e the mental issue of the morning, and the relationship issue of late lunchtime. The issue of Full Moon in Leo is that of holding your individuality within a group you are a part of ( it can be the family) as the Moon opposes the Sun in Aquarius. The individual and the group both need to be honoured.  At this point, Venus will still be in Pisces, and its unconditional universal love vibration is still available as a prominent resource in your process.  Wednesday (8^th) sees the entry of Venus into Aries, which could be a slightly uncomfortable passage for Taureans and Librans.  Naturally peacemakers, they will need to dust down and brush up their Inner Warrior for a while, which is easier for some than for others (try summoning up your past lives on battlefields, if you’re stuck).  There’s a little test that day to limber up: Venus semi-sextile Neptune – last chance to slough off any baggage resulting from illusion around relationships or a relationship (that maybe is currently high on a pedestal).  By Friday (10^th) you’ll all be ready for a more substantial test: that of Venus conjunct Uranus.  If you’re ready for some excitement and unpredictability in your social encounters, you’ll take to it better than most.  In the Arts, originality will flourish.  And a final test for Venus exam week occurs on Saturday (11^th) with Venus semi-sextile Jupiter, which could bring a pleasant, though maybe superficial interlude of socializing and smiling…which could be just what you need – a good laugh, with no strings attached.

The Week in Bullet Points:

• Tuesday – Mental Gymnastics; Old Relationship Issues; Individuality versus the Group
• Wednesday – Peacemakers out of their Comfort Zone
• Friday – Too Exciting on the Social Front
• Saturday – Light Comedy

David Hockney

The Observer reported “Everybody is coming out with a smile on their face” from the David Hockney exhibition.  Accordingly, we took photos of ourselves before and after, and indeed there was a look of great exhilaration after seeing the grand and colourful landscapes, stunningly portrayed.  Of all British artists of the last century, I would venture to say his works are easiest on the eye, and I have always held the thought that I would be comfortable with Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy on my wall!  David Hockney has Sun conjunct Mercury in Cancer, so he very much processes through his emotions: even his mind processes through his emotions. The colour in his artworks is an attempt to express the emotion he feels.  In the current exhibition, his landscapes and love for his native Yorkshire are on display.  Rosie Bramley, Head of Art at local school Driffields has said: “He’s an incredibly talented observer but when he introduces colour he’s clearly capturing his feeling about a place – and I think that does relate to how we view the Wolds.”  His ruler the Moon, also governing emotion, is trine Saturn, so he is a shrewd operator, and is able to turn his emotion into practical use.  This aspect would also give him proficiency in drawing, and his artworks are very clearly delineated, sometimes almost cartoon-like.  Martin Kettle wrote in the Guardian: “It is a statement about the primacy of skilled drawing and painting in the visual arts and about the challenge of doing them with originality in the 21^st Century.” Venus in sextile to the Moon and Saturn, in between their trine, gives a feel for beauty, and this makes his paintings easier to relate to than the majority of British art arising in the last century (unless you are Charles Saatchi).  Added to this, his Sun exactly sextiles Neptune giving him a precise and intense degree of inspiration.  The trine of Mars to his Sun/Mercury conjunction accounts for his prolific output.  So overall, he has the constructive chart of someone who has been a mainstay of British art.  I am working on a separate blog about the Exhibition (which may stay as a pipe dream), but in the meantime would urge everybody to try to see it!

Aspects

As there are only 4 aspects to mention this week, I can make the U.S. and Australian adjustments to each. If one of these weeks there is only one aspect ( as did happen once) I could expand to other locations… I left my last U.K. blog at a Saturday night party, and further to this on Sunday in the early hours we have a square between mercury and Jupiter. This indicates wild exaggeration about what a business contact can do for you.  You were networking at the party, and one or the other of you made wild claims, raising expectations.  Either you continued the discussion through the night, or when you took these ideas into your dream world they became more fantastical.  Keep the excitement, but also keep your feet on the ground.  This aspect occurs on the evening of the 28^th in the U.S., so becomes more of a conscious interaction, e.g. you may be at a political fundraising event and may get swept away by a candidate’s promises, or have a vision of the future which may seem impossible at this moment in time.  If you’re in Australia it occurs early afternoon (29^th), so on sunny Bondi Beach you may need to apply extra sunscreen, as the temperature may unexpecedly rise and it could be a scorcher, if you’re a Brit on holiday.  If you’re a regular working Aussie in an office, the air conditioner could be playing up.

On Wednesday 1^st February at tea-time in the U.K. Mercury semi-squares Pluto, and you will be forced to fine-tune your business plan, perhaps involving concessions.  “Tea” could be a little tense or terse, with undercurrents, so keep it light, with not too much to digest.  Suggested lite-bite:  rice cake and tahini.  This aspect occurs in the U.S. at lunchtime, so you still need to be cautious about business ventures and calorie intake, though you may be over the original euphoria and into a more sober stage of planning.  Aussies will experience this aspect early in the working day on 2^nd, and that may entail actually calling in the workforce to mend an appliance or system, such as the air conditioning.

Aspect 3 occurs late on 1^st in the U.K., and it’s Venus opposite Mars, a battle between the sexes among other things.  In the U.K. you might be burning the midnight oil again, even though you’d planned a mundane evening of TV viewing, and even though you might have work the next morning.  For some reason, you couldn’t resist an invitation, but excessive indulgence such as drinking ginger wine may tip you over the edge, and unbalance your system.  You may take this out on your other half, or if you don’t have another half, then that means the other half of yourself.  If you need to be functional the next morning, take heed.  Our man or woman in the U.S. will experience this at tea-time, but they may not call it “tea” [please enlighten me, someone!].  So the yin and yang interaction may take place over this meal time.  If you are dining out you may be tempted to send back your meal with the waiter or waitress, as it may not be quite up to scratch.  But at the same time, work on your inner polarity issues.  Where do you feel yourself to be out of kilter?  Too much salt or sugar, not enough water…?  A slight adjustment here or there could make all the difference to the rest of your day.  And the Aussie outlook will take place late morning on 2^nd.    Whether jogging on the beach, or sweltering in the office, it’s a good time to just observe how you are doing with your nearest and dearest, and with your sugar and water levels, and make adjustments accordingly.

Last but definitely not least, Neptune enters Pisces on Friday (3^rd) at tea-time in the U.K.  This will be a very different atmosphere from Wednesday’s tea-time.  You will be much less on your guard, much more chilled at the end of the week, and possibly in the mood for a liquid evening: Soup of the day (fish soup for pescatorians) rather than tahini and rice cakes.  Neptune did dip into Pisces last year, but with a 14-year cycle through a sign, it’s a good time to take stock of your emotions, both the personal ones and your empathy regarding world level concerns – how much compassion can you encompass without falling apart through overwhelm?  It may be a fine boundary for some.  In the U.S you’ll be lunching, perhaps on a fish which is not threatened by over-fishing.  Accompany that with a watery cucumber salad dressed with watercress, if you’re feeling really virtuous, and in the spirit of the event.  It truly is a watershed moment, so make a ritual of your lunch and use it for a meditative contemplation, washed down with copious amounts of mineral water.  The questions for this moment are centred around the heart: where would you like to see your personal heart centred over the next 14 years, and where would you like to see your  impersonal heart consciousness centred for this period, or at least for the start of the journey?  If you are born around 19 February, as is the musician Seal (who has split up with his wife of 7 years, Heidi Klum), you may be suffering emotional confusion with Neptune on your Sun at 0 degrees Pisces.  Aussies in the early morning of 4^th could be planning for a barbie on the beach, communing with dolphins…But those in the continental interior may look to other sacred spaces to define this important ingress (change of sign by a planet) and to honour the Earth.  The prayer to Water of Masaru Emoto is as relevant as ever now (see under my Prayers category), and there are populations who do not have access to clean water.  We may pray about the balance of our earth and waters, for past victims of tsunamis, and hope that the effects of future tsunamis be minimized.

Website

If you haven’t looked at my website lately, it has had a bit of a revamp, with some new mandalas and a new page for “Future Lives”.

Here is the link for the main entry:

http://www.lanawooster.co.uk/

I am still working on the “Pay Pal for Dummies” and the wrinkly photo – the current one was taken when the website was first set up, six years ago!  The blog followed a year later.

Dancing on Ice

And I haven’t given up on the Dancing on Ice commentary (my Taurean Ascendant stubbornness ruling here!).  There were some superb performances again last week. Chico had a good choice of song: “You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling” by the Righteous Brothers – it wouldn’t have mattered how he had skated, but he scored well.  I have now found a birth date for him, and he has the Sun conjunct Chiron in Aries square Mars and opposing Uranus, so he’s an oddball who intrigues people, and loves to live on a fast vibration, and to surprise others.  Jupiter was conjunct his Mercury at the beginning of the competition when he had just stepped in for Chesney Hawkes, so he was off to a flying start.

Sam Nixon, presenter friend of Mark Rhodes (I am gradually getting to know them…) was Kung Foo Fighting on the ice.  He is another dare devil Sun in Aries, and currently has Jupiter transiting his natal North Node (good karma), another Aries doing well.  He also has Mars in Sagittarius conjunct Uranus (an electrical energy).  As his presenting partner for his children’s TV show has now gone out of the competition (before I had a chance to blog about him) – that means I will have to make a substitute.

Andy Whyment is a third Aries male, indeed another 2^nd April with Chico!  He has a tight conjunction between Venus/Mars/Sun which is expressive, but Jupiter conjunct Saturn in Libra sometimes holds him back.  His unaspected Uranus may be the reason he keeps surprising the professionals! Jayne Torvill told him “I was shocked how good your skating was” and Katarina Witt followed with the comment “You keep surprising me”.

For our fourth, let’s look at one of the new judges, Katarina Witt herself, who we remember (if we are old enough) as an international ice skating competitor during the heyday of Torvill and Dean (circa 1984).  What a gracious lady!  She always tries to make a constructive comment, and is full of enthusiasm where she has enjoyed a performance.  She has a natal Uranus/Pluto conjunction:  a complex high energy conjunction from one born in the mid-60s, opposed by Saturn/Chiron and squaring her Sun/Mercury conjunction in Sagittarius, forming a T-square which must have been difficult for her to manage. This current opportunity in her career is shown by a trine of transiting Saturn to her Jupiter.  That’s all Folks!

The Week in Bullet Points:

• Today – Keep the enthusiasm, but don’t overdo it!
• Wednesday – Deep thoughts, but lite-bites; later male-female balancing
• Friday – in at the deep end, spiritual swimming

At the time the Costa Concordia ran aground, Uranus was squaring Italy’s Mercury in the 8^th House in Cancer (a shock to its coastline).  Italy suffered a double shock that day, because on the same day, Italy’s credit rating was downgraded by Standard & Poor (the 8^th House also represents financial dealings with others).   When Silvio Berlusconi departed from office last November, Uranus (extreme change) was also squaring Italy’s Mercury (a challenge to its mindset).  The Costa Concordia was originally ordered on 19 January 2004, under a Moon conjunct Pluto trine Mars, which might have raised some Health and Safety issues.  Be careful what aspects you order a sailing vessel under, such as a Royal Yacht.  But ours is still at the discussion stage, I believe, so no astrological chart to be drawn just yet.  On the night that the Costa Concordia ran aground, Venus was on the cusp of Aquarius and Pisces, conjunct with Neptune.  Mercury was also conjunct Pluto – both conjunctions of the deep.  There is a sense of fatefulness when the chart of the disaster is compared to the chart of the ordering of the sea vessel: Pluto was opposing the ship’s Saturn (destruction by grounding).  What of the role of the Captain, Francesco Schettino?  Schettino was born three days before Jonathan Ross in the same year.  Ross has now relaunched himself, after a cavalier prank in 2008.  It could be the role of their Pluto conjunct the North Node to live on the edge.  Of Schettino’s relationship to Italy, his Neptune (carelessness) squares Italy’s Pluto, but it is quite a price to pay for carelessness.  Perhaps we will find out more about his state of mind in due course.

The Sun sextiles Uranus today: A bright start to a bright day.  Maybe you slept unexpectedly, contrary to your usual insomnia pattern, and feel re-aligned.  The Sun also squares Jupiter, so there is a possibility of overreaching yourself in enthusiastic efforts, e.g. pruning the bushes in the garden.  Just know your own boundaries, and those of your neighbours.  Tomorrow the New Moon occurs in the sign of Aquarius at 2 degrees – Another bright start to another bright day.  A time to launch or relaunch social initiatives, and look at life in a new, and perhaps whackier, way.  Group consciousness is favoured, and mind-melding.  Subsequently, Mercury trines Mars and an energetic trek or fitness drive may be supported by the Universe.  If you have strident words to say, you may find clear but inoffensive ways to say them. This time you can set things precisely right, if you have been awkward in your past efforts.  On Tuesday (24^th) Mars is stationary prior to turning retrograde – having taken two steps forward this week, plans may begin to stall, leaving you only one step forward.  The expert on retrogrades Erin Sullivan says of Mars retrograde: “When transiting Mars stations and turns retrograde, all externalized drive and focused energy reverses its direction.  The daily progress of which one normally takes no note suddenly becomes filled with effort.”  As if to illustrate this, Friday (27^th) brings a square between Mercury and Saturn, which could bring beaurocratic delays to your documentation, rather like a retrograde Mercury action or non-action, but shorter and sharper and more embodied in a particular event.  Plans may take a step backwards but remember if you made the most of the headway early in the week, you are still one step forward from where you were at the beginning of the week, the snakes are now behind you and there are a couple of ladders in sight!  Mercury then goes into Aquarius in the early evening of Friday, bringing a fresher mental outlook, and stimulating discussion if you are socializing.  If you are spending a quiet Friday night in, it is a good time to actively start a new project, rather than sit mesmerized in front of the television (I hope I will be able to walk my talk).  Mentally you can turn things around now, because another boost arrives on Saturday (28^th) in the shape of Mercury sextile Uranus.  Again it’s at tea-time in the U.K., so again more socializing is on the cards, and some of it could be quite electrifying.  If  you are having a traditional tea, it won’t be sedate!  If you are having a housewarming party there could be some welcome surprises.  And if you are attending a reunion, mentally you will be reeling.  Estrangements may be healed.

In your Dancing on Ice update for this week, the stand out surprisingly wonderful performers of last week (Chico and Matthew Wolferton) have proved elusive in the search for birth dates. Maybe these will emerge as the series continues.  Jennifer Ellison, who skated first last Sunday, won the culinary challenge Hell’s Kitchen a few years back in 2004, when Uranus was exactly square to her Uranus.  With Sun/Mars (high energy) opposite natal Jupiter/Uranus, she relishes a challenge and is a risk taker.  She has made a good start, and should do well.

Veteran fitness guru Rosemary Conley (my age bracket) according to the commentator performed a tortilla wrap (I could manage one in the kitchen).  Natally she has Venus conjunct Jupiter, a very sociable feature, and called Dancing on Ice: “The Most Wonderful Show on Earth”, which is a superlative befitting her Venus/Jupiter enthusiasm.  If you’ve ever wondered where she gets her inexhaustible energy from – it’s directly from the Centre of the Galaxy where she has her Sun (she’s a rare creature, and I wish her well in the competition!).  Like Jennifer Ellison and Heidi Range, she has the high energy conjunction between Mars and the Sun (it is not that common!).

Holywood actor Corey Feldman  was lagging behind in training – making 2 films at the same time – and appeared in the skate off, possibly not for the first time.  He has a sensitive chart, with Sun in Cancer square Chiron, and Jupiter conjunct Neptune.  His partner Brooke Castile has Moon conjunct Jupiter and  the Sun, Chiron and Mercury in Gemini.  The pair have their Venuses conjunct, plus his Uranus trines her Sun.  Uranus currently trines Corey’s Neptune, so he may be learning personal and impersonal lessons of sensitivity through his participation in the show, whilst multitasking in his film ventures, Uranus stimulating his ability to take on complexity (Neptune) which may not enable him to stay long in the competition.  It’s a spinning plate he may not be able to maintain.

Sebastien Foucan, a French runner specializing in freerunning and parkour, is someone I was unaware of, not being of a sporty disposition.  But he seems to have taken the contest by storm, with an unusual twist in that his fierce independence (natally Mercury/South Node trine Uranus) created distance between him and his skating partner Brianne Delcourt.  He performed well, and it is intriguing to see whether he takes note of his partner in his next performance.  Philip Schofield said he brought passion to the contest, and this may be his Venus/Chiron conjunction in Aries, but in many ways he has a private chart.  Incidentally, he is a Gemini, and running is the sport most associated with Gemini.  I associate ice dancing with Pisces.

The Week in Bullet Points:

• Today – Bright and enthusiastic (up the ladder)
• Tomorrow – New ventures and energy (up the ladder)
• Tuesday – Take stock (down the snake)
• Friday  – Slow down and assess things carefully early on (down the snake) but later offers a fresher mental outlook (you could have a cat nap in between).  Up the ladder again
• Saturday – Electrifying! (definitely up the social ladder)

It’s time to consider that there may be a contender pitted against Obama in the U.S. Presidential Election in November.  After Sarah Palin bowed out, and Michelle Bachmann has left the scene, and a few others came and went, Mitt Romney emerges as a possibility after his triumph in Iowa and New Hampshire.  I have to say that I still feel that Obama has the stature for the role of President – that he has not performed as well as hoped I feel is because he has not been allowed to by the opposition, in the same way that I feel that in British politics David Cameron has not played fair with Nick Clegg.  Not that Nick Clegg is in the same league as Obama, but that he has been scapegoated and disempowered by a Prime Minister who has not played fair.  If Politicians are continually fighting, nothing helpful ever gets done.  They put the power play before health, education and peace, and rarely do you find a sense of co-operation even for important projects for the good of all. In the Guardian yesterday, Jonathan Freedland talked about the gridlock experienced by the current U.S. administration, calling it “an abuse of the system, a consequence specifically of the march rightward of the republican party“.

So…looking at Mitt Romney’s chart, I am not bowled over, but then, as I say, I am biased!  He has no Earth planets, so could be said to be ungrounded.  He has the past-life Warrior Archetype in the shape of the Nodal Axis square to his Mars, and may be part of a warrior group.  On the plus side, he has the Moon exactly conjunct Jupiter, which is buoyant, and has been labeled “guilelessly optimistic” in the past.  He also has a balanced Jupiter trine Saturn, but a dark Chiron square Pluto.  On the date of the election, neither Romney nor Obama have easy aspects, but Pluto is trine Obama’s Pluto, and if he were to win it would mean he would be coming into his own power, and may have more of a chance to deliver on his original ideals.  Jupiter will be trine the U.S. Saturn, and so there may be a sense of uplift in the mood of the continent.

Nancy’s Blog (see my Contact page for the link) said spookily accurately of Mitt Romney on 2^nd January, before Iowa:

“Mitt Romney does well in Iowa but may share the winnings with Paul and Santorum. He has a very strong win in New Hampshire.  South Carolina and Florida are disappointing, but he remains very aggressive throughout January and February and regains his strong momentum from mid-February onward, winning Super Tuesday (March 6) decisively. May is likely to be his official crowning as nominee.”

This morning Venus sextiles Jupiter, making it an excellent day for socializing, wining and dining.  Tomorrow, Venus conjuncts Chiron and healing hopes could be raised, and in some cases realized.  On Wednesday (18^th) we have a recurrence of Jupiter semi-sextile Uranus, which last occurred on 13^th December, if you can resurrect your old diary.  At that time, I wrote:

“Jupiter from 0 degrees Taurus is semi-sextile Uranus at 0 degrees Aries [they have now reached 1 degree], very fundamental positions being tested against each other.  Some Gandhi-like negotiations might be needed, in order to avoid the collapse of the whole.  In your own life one area may look to be holding up, but faces a challenge from another area of your life which somehow you know could go either way.  Expand your consciousness and see things from a larger perspective, where things are already unified and whole.”

In actual fact, I found it to be a buoyant, co-operative and productive day on a personal level and between people, so the contact between Jupiter and Uranus can work well, in such a mildly uneasy aspect.

On Thursday (19^th), there is a square between the Sun and Saturn, and there may be a little nugget of inertia infiltrating your plans, so you may need a little nugget of persistence and optimism to overcome this.   Unless the signals are prohibitive, you should be able to proceed. Friday (20^th) brings a change of Sun Sign, from the sluggish Capricorn to the more dynamic Aquarius.  Overnight, people may have slept on the difficulties of the previous day, and dreamt the solutions, and brought new energy to the table.  For instance, if you baked a Mary Berry recipe the day before and felt disheartened, you might try it again with a new twist on the Friday, surprising everybody.  Later the same day, our positive input will be rewarded by a supportive sextile between Venus and Pluto.  While reviewing events of the day, there is a sense of deep fulfillment, especially when reviewing baking.  People will understand more easily where others have been coming from.

A new series of Dancing on Ice has begun, and anticipating tonight’s show I thought I would look at a random batch of contestants’ charts – there are always a great number at the beginning, and that is twice as many if you look at the charts of the professional skaters too.  The four I have chosen are all female, partly because I hardly know most of the men’s batch, but my interest usually warms up as the series goes on.  Heidi Range was a co-founder of Atomic Kitten with Kerry Katona, many years ago.  She always has a dazzling smile, and performed well with her then partner a few years ago on Mr and Mrs.  In the first show of this series, Heidi was in the skate off, and so we could lose her in an early round.  She currently has her Saturn Return, and in addition Neptune is trine her Saturn, so she feels tested but will find herself through the experience, though she may not stay long in the competition.

Charlene Tilton, who was Lucy Ewing in Dallas in the 1980s, impressed me with a gracefulness that Lucy never showed.  She has a difficult and high energy Grand Cross in her natal chart, but the chart is balanced by some strong trines as well.  She was off to a steady start somewhere in the middle of the leader board, with Mars trine her natal Mars in support, and the North Node conjunct her Venus.

Jorgie Porter from Hollyoaks was enormously popular.  A Christmas Day baby, she has great character as shown by Sun/Mercury/Venus/Neptune in Capricorn, a line-up of great talent.  She has balance (Jupiter trine Saturn), which is always a good quality on ice, inspiration (Neptune close to her personal planets) and a revolutionary spirit (Uranus exactly square her Nodal Axis).  Jupiter is working up to a transit of her Sun, which happens on Sunday 5^th February, so expect a spectacular performance around that time.  There are positive links between her chart and that of her skating partner Matt Evers.

Chemmy Alcott, as expected, has high-energy features in her chart: Mars conjunct Pluto and square the Sun, but they are tempered by the involvement of Saturn.  She impressed the judges last week, but they took into account her brave recovery from a leg injury sustained while ski-ing just over a year ago as a professional Skier.  She has no up close and personal aspects to Chiron (the wounded healer) and so her courageous re-building is even more impressive from an astrological point of view.  Her astrological transits are quite buoyant at the moment, including Uranus (surprise) trine her natal Uranus (risk).  Her professional skating partner Sean Rice has a trine at the moment between transiting Jupiter and his natal Jupiter, which contributed to a good start. There is good co-operation between them as his Saturn trines Chemmy’s Saturn.

The Week in Bullet Points:

Today – Come Dine, or Party Party

Tomorrow – Healing initiatives

Wednesday – Seismic shifts and tectonic plates in the human experience; Possibly buoyant, co-operative and productive day on a personal level and between people

Thursday – slow and steady wins the race

Friday – the tide turns more briskly

Few people could have been unmoved by the dignity of Doreen Lawrence this week, waiting 18 years for justice for her son Stephen Lawrence.  She has been the epitome of the positive strength of Sun in Scorpio.  Her contribution to the justice system has been outstanding – perhaps she will be honoured in the next set of New Year’s honours.  Her husband Neville has also contributed so much during that time, but we do not have his birth date.  The 18-year cycle is very significant karmically, as the North Node (carrier of the karmic records) takes 18 years to travel round the zodiac.  Thus Stephen Lawrence (in her own words to be remembered as a “bright, beautiful” boy) had natally the North Node at 14 degrees Sagittarius, and at his death aged 18 it had exactly returned to this natal position, then 18 years later it was at that degree during the trial, and the True Node was exactly at 14 degrees during the conviction of Dobson and Norris for his murder.  Duwayne Brooks, the friend who was with him at the time and who endured much at the time of the attack, at the hands of the Police, and as a witness in Court, has his North Node close by at 13 degrees Sagittarius.  The United Kingdom has its Sun at 14 degrees Sagittarius (in the 1922 chart) and this is why the case has been so significant for our society.  Sagittarius is one of two signs which represents the law, the other of course being Libra.  Racism is still an issue in our society, being one of the issues which was brought up by the riots last year.  It is a subject which still has a great subconscious charge, hence the Freudian slip by Diane Abbot on Twitter this week, where she appeared to be criticizing white society.  A pupil at Stephen Lawrence’s school (Abolanie Salvador) was quoted in the Guardian yesterday as saying: “I always feel like there’s  a purpose to everyone’s life, and though he did die early I think his death was significant – it made change, and that what he should be remembered for.”

Today Mercury enters Capricorn, and we leave behind the frivolity of the holiday period and knuckle down to our New Year purposes.  Mercury trines Jupiter, which broadens our minds, magnifies the benefits of our transactions today, and ensures good movement in business and sales.  Our minds are able to reach out and expand, especially if we are working on serious projects.  But there may be pitfalls, as later on in the day Uranus squares Mercury, and we need to be sure of our intent and aware of possible loopholes.  It is as if the Universe entices us to dream big, then shows us where the failings are in our plans.  We need to be aware of the trees as well as the wood.  Two heads are better than one in this respect, as one person may be able to spot something the other would miss.  Insomnia may occur overnight for that reason, and because there is a Full Moon in Cancer tomorrow – too much to digest mentally and emotionally.  You definitely need to ask your Guides to process some of it for you, until you can encompass it all!  If you are good at emotion, ask them to process the mental stuff tonight, and if you are good at intellectual gymnastics ask them to siphon off some of the emotion for the time being.  If you are always a good sleeper, your Higher Self may process it all effortlessly overnight.  Either way, the focus tomorrow will be on the emotional content of the issues in your life, perhaps family affairs.  It is an emotional high tide.  We have two trines, then two conjunctions, on Friday (13^th) so the struggles of the early part of the week may actually pay off in terms of things falling into place by Friday.  First the Sun trines Mars, and we will be fired up energetically, with the more strident aspects of life to the fore. Plans for the Olympics will be proceeding apace!  The Arab Spring and Occupy movements may take a step forward.  Weather may be warmer.  Then Venus trines Saturn, and in human relations loyalty and support will be easier to give and to receive.  Again, this may relate especially to family life.  It is a good time to examine the heart, and assess whether you are going through the motions,  whether you are undergoing a dry and dutiful exercise, or whether your higher ideals are fuelling efforts to do the best by the recipients of your loyalty and support, without beating yourself up.  It is just a good time to see how things really are in relationships.  This may save you from the pitfalls of a later aspect on Friday which is Mercury conjunct Pluto, where again there is the possibility of mental and emotional overload.  If you have done the soul-searching from the beginning of the week, you may have really deep insights at this time.  If not, you may be on the receiving end of some angst, e.g. someone may tell you exactly what is in their subconscious mind (Diane Abbot may tweet you).  Be ready to engage with life, fully but constructively.  A further conjunction between Venus and Neptune completes the Friday 13^th package, which can go either way.  Idealism or illusionment in love are on the sides of the divide, and again you need to go in there fully conscious.  Therefore meditation between aspects today may help regulate them and derive the best from them.  I would recommend meditating first thing in the morning (the first trine being at 4.46 a.m. in the U.K.) and then again early lunchtime, before the conjunction between Mercury and Pluto at 13.03 p.m.  This could be a tricky exercise at work, e.g. in the Office, as you may have to swop a lunch break time with a workmate, or lobby that your Office provide a meditation room.  You may find yourself expanding your heart and your compassion, especially if you are working with the meditation, and may be able to see things in a heart-centred and compassionate way (Venus conjunct Neptune) while also in a detached and expanded state (Venus at the end of Aquarius and on the cusp with Pisces).  The week’s journey concludes with Venus entering Pisces on Saturday (14^th) and if you feel you have been processing your life through a fine toothed comb throughout the week, you will relax into your emotions on Saturday, into the collective pool of emotion, and this may feel like a release.  If you are not a Piscean, you may worry that this is chaotic, letting go and letting God.  But you may by that time have no choice but to stop struggling and start surrendering.  Some moments are like that.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – a mental work-out
• Tomorrow – an emotional high tide
• Friday – a bonanza of life experience
• Saturday – let go emotionally

Well, we are here – it’s 2012!  What have we in store?  Is it possible to sense the energy of a year from its first moments – I am sure there are people who can.  I had an email this week from my Mayan Calendar friend O’Douce, talking of Oneness, Change, Miracles and flushing out fear.  Another friend Asia Haleem wrote a blog for 2012 last year, taking an astronomical look at events, and coming to a reassuring conclusion (see Mayan Calendar category for further reading).   My mum (who does not subscribe to the Mayan Calendar) remarked that she liked the number 2012, much better than 2011.  From the synaesthetic point of view (and I am not a numerologist) I can go along with that: I saw 2011 as a spiky silver grey, but I see 2012 as a double fuschia pink, which may not mean anything.  But I think it’s important to be able to feel that it is going to be a good year.  It’s important for the hope in your heart to edge past the depressing sets of facts, figures and statistics in the news.  The stand-out events of 2011 (and if you need a reminder, read my retrospective blog) were the Arab Spring/Occupy Movements (Jupiter and Uranus in Aries) and the world-threatening Euro crisis (Uranus square Pluto, ongoing).

But it is the subject of relationships which is grabbing me, blogwise, this morning.  Television scriptwriters brought together two long term relationships  last week:  on Downton Abbey Christmas Day the writer Julian Fellowes brought together Matthew and Mary.  I for one, was relieved, because I had only just started watching it and I have a short fuse for suffering. The chart for 10.59 pm on Christmas night showed this unique television highlight as Virgo rising (emotional holding back, and perfection) close to Mars (desire) trine Moon (heightened emotion).  Pluto (power) was trine Julian Fellowes’ Saturn (restraint) – he may have felt coerced into it.  On 29th Pip and Estella were brought together on Great Expectations, Charles Dickens having produced two possible endings.  The chart for 9.59 pm showed Mars rising in Virgo again, but with an added karmic feature of the Nodal Axis squaring the Ascendant/Descendant axis plus Sun conjunct Pluto (it was a dark drama altogether).  Posthumously, the North Node was transiting Dickens’ Moon/Neptune conjunction (a karmic coercion on his sensibilities) and Pluto was squaring his Mars (more coercion – perhaps the scriptwriters did not consult him, or perhaps his original ending was just plain wrong, I mean give them a break after such difficult lives).  Meanwhile in “real” showbiz life Katherine Jenkins (who has a difficult conjunction between Mars and Saturn natally) split up with Gethin Jones (currently questioning his love life with Neptune transiting his Venus), and Russell Brand (an astrological twin of Angelina Jolie, who is hanging on to Brad Pitt) split up with Katy Perry (a really intensely Scorpionic Scorpio).  Pluto is transiting Katy’s Jupiter, making this a really intensely Scorpionic time for her, and Saturn is squaring Russell’s Venus, bringing a sad sense of emotional loss.  What is the secret of a long term relationship?  I have been married for 38 years but I do not know the answer. I do know that sometimes my hubby and I appear to be living in parallel universes, because his setting on the toaster is fine for him, whereas it burns my toast.  You may recall that on my training in Future Life Progression (much more of that to come this year) he questioned the feasibility of travelling into the future, which is his right, as a Scientist.  The subject came up again this week, and the debate continued, with an old friend of mine telling him that time goes round in a loop…Our routine was disrupted by the festivities this week, and we found ourselves watching  re-runs of Frasier and watching for the first time an American comedy series called “The Big Bang Theory”.  Hubby Mike explained to me that at the time of the big bang, photons were released and these may have created parallel universes.  I will keep you updated on the ongoing debate, but meanwhile re-affirm  my feeling that Future Life Progression contributes to an evolutionary step forward – I am preparing a new website page on this.

Today Mercury squares Mars, a day of mild irritation.  You may not be feeling at your best as a) You drank too much last night, or b) You stayed up too late, and/or c) You were awake all night trying to assess the synaesthetics of the numbers of every year since you were born.  There were fireworks last night, which at some point fizzled out, and similarly any fireworks today will at some point fizzle out.  This is the beginning of 2012 – could it be symbolic?  I think we expect more of the year.  As the beginning of the week, it might also be symbolic of the week, because this aspect goes unchallenged until Saturday (7^th), so work to refine it: its highest potential is sharpness of mind.  On Saturday, Mercury sextiles Saturn, steadying the mind and providing the ability to lay down foundations for those New Year plans and resolutions.  This is later backed up by a sextile between Mercury and Neptune (the inspiration strangely coming after the plans are laid down by the solid foundations – it is as if you need the faith that provides in order to allow the dream to come forth).  There is a window around midday where Mercury is at the midpoint of the trine between Saturn and Neptune, when the vision of perfection can really be seen, at the midpoint of the material and the spiritual.  This vision may be your future life progression for 2012.

Live, Love, Laugh and Be Happy!

The week in bullet points:

• Today – delicate mind, a work in progress
• Saturday – foundations and dreams, seize the vision