The main event of this week is that Jupiter turns direct, and the main event of the run up to Christmas and the New Year is the square between Saturn and Pluto in the middle of November, part of the emerging T-square in early Cardinal signs with Uranus.  See the work of Financial Astrologer Raymond Merriman, who has been writing about this for years and calls it the Cardinal Climax.  Early next year we have the final onward-and-upward push from the triple conjunction of Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron.   In regression work, you sometimes need to see a series of lives in order to see one life in context.  Correspondingly, in Astrology, you need to see the bigger picture sometimes in order to put an astrological event in context, and the black-and-white representation of the Yin-Yang symbol is very apt for this bigger picture.  The black contains the seed of the white, and vice versa.  Jupiter, which represents hope, has retreated back as far as it could go at this time, and fear has been taking precedence.  You need to balance the two, if you are not to be engulfed by unrealistic hope, or despair from which there seems no way out.  This week I have heard people literally speaking about their fear of Pluto (Plutophobia).  There is no retreating from the continual research of our own psyche, which Pluto represents.  With Jupiter going direct, this is a shot of hope, a time when hope may start to wax.  To pick up a stitch I missed last week, Mercury is now in early Libra, and we can start to think about balance.  Indeed, the theme of Sound Pod at Felicity Cook’s tonight is balance and we are scouting round for a song to sing about balance, but it seems that not many songwriters have tackled this theme directly over the years.  Late tomorrow (Monday 12th) in the U.K. Mars is sextile Saturn.  This too is a balance of sorts, between action and non-action, so any action undertaken is deliberate, and needs to be meaningful, economic and measured.  Tuesday (13th) is the most significant day, and the day in which you may sense the balance between hope and despair.  Jupiter goes Stationary prior to Direct in the early hours in the U.K., so those living here can reorientate themselves in their dream state.  Australians and Antipodeans can refresh their Jupiter button on waking, and those in the U.S. can re-programme themselves in the hypnagogic state before sleep.  Re-acquaint yourself with the power of hope, if it has been dormant.  Venus conjunct Saturn occurring soon after may trigger an evaluation of what you have recently gained and/or lost in your emotional life, but again the yin-yang symbol shows the balance of the bigger picture.  Feel that conjunction, and it clears the way for you to enjoy the sextile between Venus and Mars which occurs later in the day.  That too is a balance, for Venus and Mars are one of the many pairings of planets, and these two represent love and sexuality, the sextile bringing them into balance.  Continuing on the balance theme, Venus enters Libra the next day (Wednesday 14th) and this promotes an emphasis on the search for harmony in relationships, and on a wider scale the green shoots of olive branches in international diplomatic relations.  In the viscissitudes of the search for balance, there may be an immediate challenge on Thursday (15th) when Venus is squared by Pluto.  Overtures for Peace (by the way I am delighted by Obama’s Nobel Award, and astrologically excited that it comes as Jupiter is on his Ascendant) receive a frosty reception from the intended recipients of the olive branch(es).  The olive branch is met with suspicion and cynicism, and hearts must somehow be prised open.  How did we get ourselves out of the Cold War?  A bit of warmth creeps in on Friday (16th) with the advent of Mars into Leo.  This may not be the answer to the dilemma of Venus squaring Pluto.  It may be more to do with National pride, and displays of self-will, as opposed to concern for global peace.  But the week ends with a glimmer of spiritual understanding on Saturday (17th) with the Sun trine Neptune, and close to a trine with Chiron.  Some of the overtures to the heart may be getting through, and a sense of humanity and healing emerges.  A final note about Jupiter: it stays in 17 degreees Aquarius the whole of this month.  If you have a natal planet or angle in this degree, you will find that the push to change things for the better will work through this planet or angle.  To give a personal example, I have Neptune at 17 degrees Libra in my 6th House, and hope to transform the spiritual nature of my working conditions through the turnaround of Jupiter this week.  Jupiter will probably (though not necessarily) be in the same area or House of your birthchart as at the end of May when the triple conjunction was first in operation in your life.  Any achievements from that time may spur you on in the same field.

In writing my last two blogs on the subject of Mercury, I hope to have cleared the ground for this blog and any Mercury references I may make.  Today started with a Full Moon in Aries, and self-will rules.  This Full Moon is saying: “I will do what I want to do”.  Your stroppy teeenager archetype may have caused you to have a lie-in despite household rules, but it’s in order to process your own emotions, and to arrive at a knowledge of what is right for you regardless of what is going on around you.  Mercury also sextiled Mars this morning, more or less a continuum of the last few days of feverish Mercurial activity.  I have detailed this in my Journal blog just now, which concludes with my emails going round in a loop.  Update: the problem is still not fixed.  The smooth emulsion of Mercury going direct from this point becomes more complex because the aspects it now makes (which in last week’s blog were shown to be revisitations of recent aspects) are more difficult.  So that may take the shine off this Mercury direct period (if you have experienced it as shine).  The change comes now because today we have the re-run of Mercury opposite Uranus.  This highlights the connections and differences between these two planets, which rule the lower mind and higher mind respectively, communication and technology respectively.  The trickster aspect of Mercury comes to the fore as it opposes Uranus which is the spanner in the works (both Coyote energy in Native American language) and this could disrupt any newfound awareness or settlements.  But the further ruminations which arise could also result in insight around these processes.  So it is an uncomfortable process which could result in important conclusions.  Tomorrow (Monday 5 October) Mars trines Uranus which is a better day for technology and engineers.  In terms of profundity this aspect is middle of the road, it carries neither the fleetingness of Mercury sextile Mars nor the semi-permanence of Saturn opposite Uranus.  Therefore technological matters may be repaired, but it may turn out to be a temporary fix.  If you are deciding to change your internet provider, to give a random instance, hold fire for a few days to see whether matters do improve or whether the situation really is insoluble.  For there is a test in relation to communication and health matters on Thursday (8 October).  Mercury conjuncts Saturn which is a revisitation of old examinations and tests concerning these issues.  It is a time when, if resolutions are not looking likely, you may decide to cut your losses.  It is certainly a time when you are likely to make decisions, but not necessarily a favourable time to do so unless you are very pragmatic, because you may be doing so for negative reasons.  I would advise holding on if you can, and look at the spirit behind the form.  On Friday 9th Mars in Cancer conjuncts the South Node, and action may be unavoidable, possibly for karmic reasons.  Family issues may come out into the open on that day, due to a family member reacting to overwhelm.  Also on that day Venus opposes Uranus, and that too may disrupt relationships.  In the UK this happens in the evening, so it may be more emotionally charged than if it were happening in the light of day.  If your relationship is already on the blink, it is not a time to put extra pressure on it.  If it is about to pass the point of no return, then look for more enlightened ways to look at or conduct your relationship.  Uranus is the ruler of Aquarius, and Aquarius gives rise to newer forms of relationship.  Saturday (10 October) morning looks more hopeful, with Sun trine Jupiter.  This may join two areas of your life in happy harmony, depending on where they fall in your chart.  You may see a way through a particular problem, or even enjoy a spot of luck if you are a lottery flutterer.  This is not a reason to buy a ticket if you are not in the habit of doing so, as the evening (and results time) brings a square between Mercury and Pluto (another difficult revisitation).  Saturday night out could find you listening to a sob story, and Saturday night in could find you listening to your own.   But if you need to have deep conversations with yourself or others, this is the right time to have them, and all things must pass (including intermediate Mercury aspects).

Tuesday 29 September 2009

13.13 Hrs Mercury goes stationary, prior to direct: I suddenly find myself able to think outside a box my mind has been in for some time, like waking up from a long sleep.  I see my way to catching up with jobs which have been stuck for some time.  Some part of my energy seems linked with Mercury, and not just my mind.  Because the things I had stalled at when Mercury was retrograde, I found I literally did not have the right energy to do, until now.  I’ve always been able to sense the timing of Saturn (Old Father Time), the sense of “the time is not yet right, it needs perfecting” and knowing when it is right to leap in.  I am not a Mercurial type astrologically, neither have I specialized in the study of Mercury, as have those Astrologers who have written books on the subject.  But today I am getting a new sense of Mercury as it connects with the wider mind, in life and psyche.  This may be a by-product of having blogged about it last week, that I am noticing more.  Something else is happening, something nagging at the back of my mind.  Part of my mind which has been clear or inactive suddenly has something tugging, like not having cleared an old desk somewhere, or opening up an old email account and finding an important old email in it.  Talking of email, we are having to change our passwords with our Virgin email accounts today (my hubby and I), and I wonder what will happen tomorrow when they change their email system over to the Google mail platform.  Seems like this is Mercury awareness week, and may have to do a separate blog.

Wednesday 30 September 2009

Dream: I have two karmic astrology clients, a man and a woman.  Was able to tell them a bit about their past lives connected with Earth healing.

9.00 Hrs: Going back to this tugging at the back of my mind, I am intuiting that it feels like the reptilian brain (not as in David Icke, but as in Chris Griscom who defines it as: “animalistic part of ourselves that warns us of danger, such as radiation or chemical poisoning in the environment”).  It is different from the intuition itself, which arrives in the Crown chakra from above, and which I equate with Uranus and Neptune.  And it’s different from gut instinct which comes from the Solar Plexus.  I must consult with a Neuro-anatomist.  I have also realized that this surfacing or resurfacing of the reptilian brain is connected with the tsunami(s) and earthquake(s) happening yesterday and today in the Pacific Ring of Fire.  No email function today…having to explain (until I wonder if I protest too much and am in denial) to enquirers who ask why it is happening when Mercury has gone direct, that this reorganization by Virgin is a classic manifestation of the  current Saturn-Uranus opposition.  Mercury rules the act of communication in general and the old fashioned forms especially, while it is Uranus that represents technology, IT and TV (today all Freeview owners are having to re-tune to receive their digital channels, that also is creating havoc).  As I blogged last year, Richard Branson has been in his Second Saturn-in-Virgo Return year.  But I wonder if someone told him it would be all right to go ahead with this re-organization when Mercury was direct…

Thursday 1 October 2009

An old friend of mine said it had been a weird day for phone calls – she had received two phone calls from people she hadn’t spoken to in years.  Still no emails today.  Hubby has them back, but he is the primary account holder.  He spent two hours on the phone to Virgin tonight, while I was doing astrological consultation.

Friday 2 October 2009

Human Design blogger Kim Gould writes today on her blog (I can hardly believe this):

“The Gate of Oppression (Mercury is there now) is a place where our “mind” connects with our reptilian brain and says…These are the things I know about struggling to survive on this planet.”

In the evening went to see Joan Baez in Concert in Cambridge, legendary balladeer, still in beautiful voice.  We were completely transported back to the 1960s.  Being transported back in memory is more a process of Moon and Neptune, but in defence of this digression, the link of my mind (Mercury) took me there.  All I had to do was close my eyes.  No planet functions in complete isolation.

Saturday 3 October 2009

Dream: An Aquarian friend said: “It’s about time we had a chat.  Tell me what’s going on in the heavens.”  I replied: “If we don’t embrace the joy (the Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron conjunction) as well as the need for change (Pluto in Capricorn, Saturn opposite Uranus) then we would not be able to keep hope alive”

Hmm…spoken like a Sagittarian

9.15 Hrs: After another phonecall to Virgin, hubby reports back: “No hope this morning.  They say all secondary account holders are not able to access their accounts.  They have just looked at yours, and it is going round in a loop…”

I am hoping to make this blog short and sweet, a reflection of the slick planet Mercury as it moves across our skies this week.  It would be useful to have your diary handy, going back to 7 September, when Mercury went retrograde at 6 degrees Libra.  Because as Mercury goes direct this week (Tuesday 29 September), it will revisit some of those aspects you dealt with over the last few weeks.  This will give you a chance to connect to some of the teachings of those aspects and the opportunity to improve on some of your performances.  How have you found this recent retrograde path of Mercury since 7 Sept?  Easier than you thought, or more difficult?  What do you hope for when Mercury eases your communication path this week?  Just trains being on time (in East Anglia, we had some rail strike action, talks, suspense and then relief as more strike action was called off), post arriving (we had some postal strike action here, and it is estimated that millions of letters have been held up, and some may never reach their destination)… While Mercury direct periods are not free of hold-ups and miscommunication (and sometimes Uranus can play up, interfering with the smooth running of our computers, and people may attribute this to Mercury), Mercury direct periods are times that we can catch up at the very least, and sometimes make headway in plans – otherwise nobody would ever get anything done.  As this week belongs to Mercury, it would be good to focus on definite plans to forge ahead with this week which involve paperwork or communication.  This week and early next week hold the best chance of momentum.  For instance, I have a 12-year backlog of paperwork, which I am determined to start to clear.  Strangely enough, that coincides with the Labour Party having come into power, and they hold their Annual Conference this week.  There is no astrological connection.  However, Mercury’s positive turn may be helpful to them, at least in the short term (about a week).  Mercury squared Pluto on 17 September, which may have brought out health problems or deep mental processes.  This aspect will recur on 10 October as Mercury retraces its path, and you may have learned certain pitfalls of communication, such as failing to say things which would have made a difference.  Mercury was conjunct the Sun on 20 September, which I find helps the crystallization of thought.  It came to my notice on that day that (with my 3-month waiting list) I had been working on charts of babies born with the Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron conjunction and was hearing stories of their being miracle babies, healing parents from the womb, and reviving family fortunes.  Mercury will again become conjunct with the Sun on 5 November, and there may be some inspiration which follows on from the earlier experience of this conjunction.  On 22 September Mercury was conjunct Saturn, which for some entailed some definitive dental work.  I was also trying to seal up matters surrounding my pension, another Saturn-related issue.  When this aspect recurs on 8 October, you may be able to tie up some paperwork in relation to the events of 22 September, if you didn’t let the more dampening mood of Saturn paralyse you into non-action.  If you are having difficulty following the to-and-fro path of this blog, and are handy with graphs, or spreadsheets, then that may help the process.  I am still taking lessons on the basics of Excel.  On 23 September so many people I know were affected by the Mercury opposition to Uranus: either they got something off their chest (sometimes very constructively), or were subjected to someone else doing so.  Even the U.N. was subjected to a lengthy rant, from Colonel Gadaffi.  When this Mercury aspect recurs on 4 October, maybe all the people who ranted will be silent, and listen to those who were on the other side of the fence last time.  That would seem fair when the Sun is in Libra.  I have nearly reached the climax of this convoluted blog…So time for a recap, get going on your filing or whatever you need to catch up on when Mercury goes direct on Tuesday 29.  Then on Thursday 1 October, there is a dynamic aspect of Mercury sextile Mars, which can really get things going for you if you capitalize on the new direction of Mercury.  Teaching also benefits that day, as there is a lively exchange of information.  Make the most of the momentum for the next few days as this aspect hovers, for Mercury sextiles Mars again early on Sunday 4 October and so this period is vital to any success with paperwork or communication in the near future.  If you like to work to a deadline, make that yours.

If you survived last week, you should find this one easier.  Not that it doesn’t have its sticky moments, but it should be a step nearer recovery.  Your best bet is to get a head start early in the week, with a golden bunch of aspects.  We start today with a conjunction of Sun and Mercury, traditionally known as “combust”, overflooding the mind.  But if you keep your mind open, you are open to receive inspiration and clarity, the influx of which can arrange and organize themselves in your head into a coherent phrase or saying.  The trine of this conjunction to the Mean North Node also today brings an excellent opportunity to clear out your karma and fulfil your dharma, and re-establish a new healthy patterning.  Venus also enters Virgo today, bringing about a harvest of some sort in your life.  Whatever you do today establishes a karmic and healing pattern which could extend throughout the autumn.  And then in the early hours of tomorrow morning (Monday 21) Venus trines Pluto, which re-establishes relationships in another dimension.  If a relationship needs to be transformed, this is a good time to re-harmonize at a deeper level, with greater awareness and understanding.  If you are not operating in a relationship context, then it is about recognizing a deeper layer of yourself and integrating that self-knowledge, so that you are expressing more authenticity.  All of these aspects have some connection with Virgo, so health and detoxification may be part of your new regime for yourself and any partnership.  Happy 75th Birthday Leonard Cohen, who is recovering from food poisoning.  Tuesday (22) sees a slight dipping of mood with Mercury conjunct Saturn.  You might say to the Inspector who checks your rail ticket “Good morning!” and get the reply “What’s good about it?”  At which point you may start to wonder, check your Customer Service inbox to find a couple of queries…Have you thrown off all those good vibes already from earlier in the week?  They were supposed to last you the whole Autumn, honestly, you must learn to manage your aspects a bit better.  By all means think in practical terms, but that doesn’t have to be negatively.  The Sun also enters Libra on Tuesday, which is the arrival of the Autumn Equinox and worthy of celebration, so bring your harvest to the dinner table and enjoy.  Use up all the veg from your organic box before it goes off, and buy Nigel Slater’s new cookbook “Tender”.  Come into Autumn on a high.  For on Wednesday (23) you may be excused for thinking you are back in last week with all its psychological wrangles and Saturn-Uranus opposition angst.  Maybe you’ll be having flashbacks, with Sun squaring Pluto (did you have a day of mourning in the office for Patrick Swayze?  If so, you will remember him again).  Then Mercury opposes Uranus, and you may have to sort out some documentation or insurance connected to the events of last week, speak out on behalf of the underdog, or simply voice your most contentious views which have been stored and gathering dust in your voice box, and need an airing.  It’s a day when what is inside has to come out, and the consequences taken.  After Wednesday you can have a rest from aspects if you want to, or follow the path of the Moon while it travels through Sagittarius and go into a philosophical reverie.  For weeks I carried Leonard Cohen’s interview from the Observer round with me, it seemed so profound, an interview originally conducted for the Canadian broadcaster CBC.  Every line is a quotable quote, and makes you think about life, but his zen training locks you into a place where you can’t reach a conclusion.  I can’t decide whether it takes you to enlightened thinking or a cul de sac, but it’s a fascinating exercise.  I leave you with one of the least enigmatic or contentious thoughts from Leonard, who has enigmatic Venus conjunct Neptune in Virgo in 12th House: “I don’t think I’ve had a darkest hour compared to the dark hours that so many people are involved in right now.  Large numbers of people are dodging bombs, having their nails pulled out in dungeons, facing starvation, disease.  I mean large numbers of people.  So I think that we’ve really got to be circumspect about how seriously we take our own anxieties today.”

For this week’s challenging aspects you will need as your manual “Heal Your Life” by Louise L. Hay.  The accompanying song, which I am hoping we will sing at Sound Pod tonight (the theme is Strength) is “Whatever gets you through the night.”  by John Lennon (1974): “Whatever gets you through the night.  It’s alright, s’alright.  It’s your money or your life, It’s alright, s’alright.  Don’t need a sword to cut through flowers, oh no, oh no…”  Venus opposes Chiron tomorrow, Monday 14.  This is looking at the vulnerability in relationship, the holding of each other’s soul, and how healing needs to be achieved.  The major aspect of the week occurs on Tuesday (15) with the third pass of the Saturn-Uranus opposition.  This is the aspect responsible for the dismantling of institutions which first occurred on 4 November last year, then returned on 5 February.  I have blogged on the bigger picture separately, but in your own life what issues were current around those times and how did you deal with them?  The issue now may be a continuation, or it may be a fresh strand to work on.  The good news  is that you will have been feeling the changes for some time, and will have some idea of what is going on for you, and aware of the need to access your intuition.  Know what you need to keep in your life, and why, and what you need to change, and why, and how that can constructively be achieved. “…Whatever gets you through your life, It’s alright, s’alright.  Do it wrong or do it right, It’s alright, s’alright.  Don’t need a watch to waste your time, oh no, oh no…”  Even if you have a handle on Saturn opposing Uranus and lifestyle changes, there are emotional complexities attendant on this day, on top of this, for Venus opposes Neptune.  If you don’t have enough emotional complexity in your life, or you don’t have enough emotional complexity in this lifetime, you can contemplate those in past lives and/or read my blog offering on the Pre-Raphaelites from a couple of days ago.  Slogging (sorry I mean blogging) on this week, the Sun opposes Uranus on Thursday (17) which may bring mini-aftershocks from the main event of the week, or if you are receptive some illumination on the issues.  Mercury also squares Pluto on that day, presenting mental challenges.  Health and ecology are very much on the agenda, plus technology and communication wrangles, and Mother Nature may choose the time to step in and make a statement of her own this week.  Be receptive to the messages of the Universe, and if the messages are negative then you need to firmly dismiss the way of paranoia after politely listening, and ask for more enlightened, all-inclusive and heart-centred ways of thinking, seeing and doing.  Finally, on the same day, the Sun conjuncts Saturn, a dose of reality and a summing up of conclusions regarding the week’s trials and tribulations.  You need to cut your suit according to the current stock of cloth oddments you might have, and get a good night’s sleep for a fresh start in the morning.  No good crying over spilt milk.  Friday (18) dawns with a little hope and possibility, we’re all older and wiser, and Mercury has moved from lyrical Libra temporarily back to prosaic Virgo, when we might be inclined to cut out the poetry (for the time being – some of us can’t live without it) and focus on what needs to be done.  Mercury in Virgo will engage brain with action at least on behalf of the planet, so it will be a good day for recycling and ecological projects.  And later in the day the New Moon in Virgo helps us to realize that in intention at least we are on purpose with our aims of cleaning up the planet, and cleaning up our personal act.  We just need to remember that when we are faced with temptation to excess, such as the row of muffins next to the coffee counter on Cambridge railway station.  You will need your rock chick armour this week, and for Lennon’s last lyric: “Whatever gets you to the light, It’s alright, s’alright.  Out the blue or out of sight, It’s alright, s’alright.  Don’t need a gun to blow your mind, oh no, oh no.”  You really don’t.  All you need is Love…

A new world order was ushered in on November 4 last year when President Obama was elected by the American people desiring real change, on the very day of the first Saturn-Uranus opposition.  If there is such a thing as a world horoscope, this was a defining moment in relation to it.  There are 5 passes altogether for this stand-off between two planetary giants: a duel between Saturn which holds the structure until the time is right for Uranian liberation.  The second pass of the opposition took place in early February, during the honeymoon period when the freshly-twice-sworn-in President of the United States was establishing his new position.  Saturn-Uranus tussles were happening all over the globe, but what of our own politics in the U.K. in relation to this opposition?  Our Prime Minister Gordon Brown was trying to take the lead (his Ascendant in Aries) on the world economy (a Pluto in Capricorn issue) and climate change (one of the issues of Saturn in Virgo), and convening world leaders to this end (the triple conjunction of Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron in his 11th House).  In this respect he has done better than within home territory.  He has often reacted to internal political crises with the confusion of an introvert in an extrovert role, who has Sun in Pisces in the 12th House of the Unconscious.  Perhaps he has too much emotional baggage from his relationship with Tony Blair to be able to express himself with the freshness and integrity of Barack Obama (representing Uranus, with his Aquarian Ascendant) who had replaced the old order as represented by George Bush Jr. (in the Saturn corner).  American Astrologers are agreed, and rightly so, for it is as plain as day, that the current pass of the Uranus-Saturn opposition represents Obama’s thrust to bring in a new health care system.  It represents the human right to health, without which quality of life cannot be lived, and protection for those in poverty.  For Saturn is in Virgo (the sign of basic physical health and healing, general practice in community health) and Uranus in Pisces (the sign of compassion, mental health, chronic health conditions and palliative care).  There does not need to be a comparison with the National Health Service in the U.K. for that is a national treasure on which we have relied, and often taken for granted, a real responsible and committed Saturn Institution.  The detractors in our Conservative Party who are allied with negative forces in the U.S. should be given short shrift in accordance with their dubious motives.  What Gordon Brown should be concentrating on, as Saturn now re-opposes Uranus on Tuesday 15 September, is bolstering and honouring our National Health Service.  The resources within it are so overstretched, for example in the fact that we need all hands to the pump and yet young doctors are faced with a shortage of job vacancies.  What Obama is trying to create is new and will serve the American people in the 21st Century.  Gordon Brown, on this side of the pond, needs to match that in dignifying our own National Health Service.  And in our own personal lives, the Saturn-Uranus opposition across the Virgo-Pisces polarity highlights the need to look after our own physical and mental well-being.  Put your health first.

The recent TV series has revived an interest in the fascinating group of artists known as the Pre-Raphaelites.  The accompanying biography by Franny Moyle, published by John Murray, and entitled “Desperate Romantics” is as gratifyingly profound as the TV series was superficial (though very watchable).  The book is in fact an Astrologer’s dream, giving dates and times of day for such detail as an annulment, a railway train caught, and episodes of paranoia.  You could happily spend a whole day printing out such charts.  If the Moon’s Nodes are the key to karmic entanglements, then the astrological evidence corroborates the picture of a huge set of triangular relationships within the group (at the last count 8), and that includes triangles of brotherhood as well as menages a trois.  I am hoping to blog about the more individual charts within the group, but for now would like to point out the role of the Nodes in securing the karmic entanglement  of some of the key figures which make up their story.  The lynch pin of the whole movement is Dante Gabriel Rossetti, painter and poet, who initially formed the brotherhood together with close friends John Everett Millais and William Holman Hunt.  Hunt’s Pluto conjunct Millais South Node indicates a profound past-life link, and his North Node trine Rossetti’s Saturn showing a soul contract.  But their success and role in society also depended on the life of the critic and patron John Ruskin, whose own life story and psychology are sensitively explored in the book.  Within just these few central characters there are two triangles, which interlink.  There is the brotherhood formed by the the three painters Rossetti, Hunt and Millais, and there is a love triangle formed by Ruskin, Millais and Effie Gray.  Effie was locked in a difficult marriage for several years with Ruskin, and their natal nodal axes are reversed.  Dante Gabriel Rossetti (reliant for many years on Ruskin’s patronage) and Effie were born within 5 days of each other in the same year, and therefore Dante’s own nodal axis was also reversed with Ruskin’s.  This is the karmic kernel of the wider circle of triangles which notably included Rossetti’s link with William Morris and his wife Jane Burden.  The nature of these nodes may give a clue as to the wider purpose of the group incarnation, the most obvious reason being to promote a renaissance of the romantic philosophy, art and poetry.  Although Rossetti alludes to reincarnation in his poetry, I have never read of any concrete statements about his beliefs along those lines.  Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s North Node stands at 24 degrees 45 minutes Libra, Effie Gray’s at 24 degrees 59 minutes Libra, and Ruskin’s 23 degrees 46 minutes Aries (within a degree of opposition to Rossetti’s).  John Ruskin’s North Node in Aries (development of the individuality) is in his 3rd House, pointing to his career as a critic, and squaring his Mercury/Mars conjunction which again speaks of critique.  His patronage of the Pre-Raphaelites may be shown by his Venus in 11th House.   Rossetti’s North Node in Libra, one of the signs associated with the Arts, lies at the end of his 5th House of Creativity, reflective of his lifetime’s endeavours and achievements, both personal and in relationship to the group he founded.  Effie’s North Node is also in Libra, and she was an artist’s model, while also on a mission to fulfil herself through relationship or marriage (first to Ruskin, and then to Millais).  We do not have her birth time and therefore do not know within which house her North Node expressed itself.  Birth dates are available for most of the principal characters, and birth times are available for some.  Sadly there are no birth dates available for some of the artists’ models, such as Annie Miller and Fanny Cornforth.  However, Franny Moyle’s book yields a wealth of possibility for both astrological study and the study of interrelationship.

Last week belonged to the Moon.  With a dearth of aspects early in the week, she established her power from the beginning, culminating in Friday’s Full Moon.  A visual friend of mine looked up at that Moon, and saw a beautiful fish.  She didn’t know it was the Pisces Full Moon, and hadn’t read my blog.  Just goes to show the special role our Moon plays for us on this planet (and I have a talent for stating the obvious).   The new Japanese first lady is reported to have ridden a triangular shaped U.F.O. to Venus and found it to be beautiful and very green.  You may not need to go that far for your magic.  Meanwhile, we have until 4.44 a.m. tomorrow Monday 7th (in the U.K.) to write our letters, back up our computer files, visit long-lost relatives to say what we need to say, and pre-empt postal and rail strikes, before the next Mercury retrograde comes into operation.   So today’s the day for communication!  That said, when the retrograde period comes into force (it lasts until 29 September) don’t panic.  You’ve done all you could (written to Aunty Mary, put in your Income Tax Self-Assessment form, registered on the Electoral Roll – haven’t you?).  It isn’t the end of the world.  There is nothing more important in Astrology, and to some extent life, than timing.  The timing of events can sometimes be breathtaking in their perfection, and can turn on such little things as a spider crawling across a floor, or an autumn leaf falling on your head.  I am always drawing up charts for such things.  And we often don’t realize the reasons for delays until much later.  Sometimes it depends on the karma of others and their progress towards an event, or spiritual growth (yours or others).  How often have we said about an event “I wouldn’t have been ready, if it had happened earlier”?   So if we are left, during this retrograde period, sitting waiting by the phone, or poised at the letterbox, or pressing send and receive endlessly on our email inbox, take a moment to think about the impeccable timing of the Universe thus far in your life.  I know, you are tempted to ding the Customer Service desk to say “What about the time that so and so arrived too late?”  But the Universe always has reasons, and it is better for us to fall in with the rhythms of nature and the planets and our soul groups where the wider picture lies, than to be focussed on a smaller picture where there is only the drumming of our fingers on our computer desks and wondering where our next wheat-free sandwich is going to come from.  The next aspect occurs on Friday (11th) and is an opposition between Venus and Jupiter.  This highlights uneasy or inappropriate social interactions, such as between artists’ models and poets or vicars (sorry I’ve been over-reading on the Pre-Raphaelites).  There may be enjoyment to be had within the framework of acceptable social roles, too.  But if you are famous and falling out of a taxi in the early hours showing cellulite and cosmetic surgery scars, there will be more than usual exposure in the press.  Seriously though, something more important is happening later on in the day: Pluto is stationary, and beginning to move forward again. Pluto in Capricorn is the bottom line of our reality over the next 14 years or so, and it represents reality.   The triple conjunction of Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron will only be with us until early next year, heavenly though it has been.  Use the gift of inspiration it has given you and the creations it has engendered wisely to see you through.  Pluto moving forward means that in one sense you have gone as far as you can go in re-hashing the past, and will need to decide, before you board your space ship to the future, what you want to do with past baggage, before you move forward.  This applies also to governments, and I am sure that President Obama is deciding right now what to do with his baggage.  Saturn and Neptune make a quincunx on Saturday (12th) which is a staging post for our consciousness, to take stock of how far we have sorted out the reality wheat of Saturn from the illusion chaff of Neptune.  But Neptune also holds inspiration, dreams and hopes, and those are not to be thrown out.  Just be sensible.  It’s good timing, because next week belongs to the Saturn-Uranus opposition.

You don’t really need to read this until Thursday, as the first aspect of the week (Mercury square Mars) doesn’t appear until then.  And after that, there is only a Full Moon, on Friday.  What does an Astrologer do when there are 6 days on the trot without aspects?  Twiddle her thumbs?  Idly surf Twitter?  Attend to a 3-month waiting list?  Savour the last aspect perhaps: Friday’s sextile between Mercury and Venus…For me, it provides a chance to fill that space with the contemplation of the Fixed Stars associated with this time of year: the Constellation of the Great Bear, and this week homing in on the star Alioth.  I once hosted a Fixed Star meditation group which ran for 2 years, but there is a CD meditation series which works with the stars of the Great Bear along the lines of the Esoteric Astrology of Alice Bailey.  It’s entitled “Transforming with Divine Will” Orin Meditations by Sanaya Roman.  Each of the 7 Rays is aligned with one of the 7 main stars of the Great Bear, starting with Ray 1 (the Will to Initiate).  The Sun at the beginning of this week is aligned with the star Alioth, and if you look on the Great Bear/Big Dipper as the shape of a saucepan, Alioth is towards the beginning of the handle.  Traditional Astrology doesn’t give Alioth a good press, but according to “Starlight Elixirs” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld there are a number of useful areas relevant in meditating with this star: among them aspects of love, counselling those with mental health issues, metabolizing sugar and the absorption of chromium for the body in the diet.  So my text today will come from that source, starting with: “The ability to bring love into people’s hearts is very difficult because of barriers to this that are created by negative forces on Earth, by thought forms, disease structures, pastlife denials, and many other things.”  The two aspects we do have this week could be the source of some tension building up from the beginning of the week, so it is worth chilling out early on and not allowing this build-up.  A friend of mine practised this last week and found it to be beneficial.  Thursday’s (3 September) square between Mercury and Mars is a reprise from last Wednesday.  Normally, Mercury would have broken free and forged ahead, but it is slowing down for next week’s retrograde turn on 7 September, meanwhile enabling Mars to come back for another bout.  It is worth considering whether all contentious issues were addressed from last Wednesday.  For me, the issue that presented itself was animal rights.  Handy tip: one of my Astrology students managed to negotiate the T-square by addressing her own personal Mars issues – now why didn’t I think of that…?  Turning to Starlight Elixirs on Alioth again, with the issue of communication (Mercury) vs anger (Mars) in mind: “Communicating this love between people is hard because there aren’t sufficient techniques and availability in the language itself.  These beings from Alioth just want to assist or help where possible but have found that this energy blocks anything that they would do and makes it very hard for them to assist humanity in its own lessons.”  On to Friday’s (4 September) Full Moon in Pisces, which addresses the helpless in our world and society and our own vulnerability.  To borrow a phrase from A Course in Miracles (lesson 153) “In my defencelessness my safety lies”.  One of the areas of life which Pisces and its corresponding House (the 12th) represents is mental health and the unconscious.  Intriguingly, Alioth can help here too: “The use of this elixir is recommended for counsellors working with individuals with mental difficulties including schizophrenia, manic depression, and other very disturbing psychological states.” However “There will be no direct benefit to the patient; it is to assist the counsellor in the counselling process.” If this interests you and you have difficulty making or obtaining the elixir, then meditating with the star can be helpful.