Angelologists

Up until the 1990s there were many books about spiritual guides, and then in the early 1990s a plethora of books sprang up about Angels.  One of my favourite books about guides was updated to include Angels.  It’s an uplifting subject for reading, and I began to have a few experiences of my own.  One of the members of my meditation group was able to see Angels, and  used to regale us with detailed descriptions of them.  I have often wondered how the great art masters of yesteryear came to compose their paintings of Angels, and how clearly they saw them in their mind’s eye.

Emanuel Swedenborg

Emanuel Swedenborg was born in 1688 in Sweden, and for a considerable part of his life was a Scientist and inventor, but had a wide range of interests.  In the 1740s his spiritual sight began to open up, and in the mid-1740s he had a major spiritual awakening, and saw hosts of Angels in his visions, also communicating with planets.  Swedenborg was an Aquarian, with his ruling planet Uranus exactly conjunct his Moon (unusual visions).  This conjunction was conjunct his I.C. (Imum Coelum), so he had an unusual foundation for his life, which became more fundamental after his spiritual awakening.  His Neptune (spirituality) was trine his Chiron (healing) and it was soon after his Chiron return in mid life that he was able to access this healing pathway.  His North Node was exactly sextile his natal Neptune, indicating that Angelic communion was part of his karmic mission.  His Mars (physical vision) was trine exactly with his Ascendant.  At the time of his Spiritual Awakening, Uranus was transiting his natal Mercury (the opening up of his mind to higher consciousness) which is a once in a lifetime transit.

Doreen Virtue

Doreen Virtue is a prolific writer on Angels, with CDs and Oracle cards a-plenty In the shops (as well as online).  Another is Diana Cooper (not quite so prolific), but her birth date is not available.  Emanuel Swedenborg was Christian in his focus, but Doreen is non-denomenational, which places her Angel work firmly in the New Age category.  She qualified in Psychology originally, and some of her early books are about diet and eating disorders.  It was on an early taped meditation about Angels that I first heard her refer to her career as an “Angelologist”, not a word I had heard before.  To make Angels the focus of your life’s work must be enjoyable, I thought.  She has a considerable presence on Facebook,  recently including a daily diary.  But the current focus of her work, from her most recent book, is Self-Assertiveness for Earth Angels, which ensures that none of us gets trampled upon.  When I first saw Doreen’s birth chart many years ago, I looked at her triple conjunction of Jupiter, North Node and Neptune conjunction, and thought: “There goes the chart signature of an Angelologist!”  However, I do know others born around the Spring of 1958 who have the conjunction, and have chosen to do other things for a living.  It is still rare to be an Angelologist.  She has Mars (physical vision) trine her North Node and Neptune (karmic mission plus Angels).

Lorna Byrne

By the time Lorna Byrne’s first book came out in 2008, I felt I had read enough books about Angels and considered I had the t-shirt.  I was wrong, but I resisted reading her books until recently.  Lorna is an Irish mystic from birth, who saw Angels from the time she was a baby.  For someone like myself who does not see Angels, her detailed descriptions of them are a treat, and make you feel as though you are seeing them.  She brings them to life more vividly than other writers. It would be wonderful if she or someone else produced a book of illustrations of her visions.  She has a particular emphasis on Guardian Angels:

“I am continually amazed at the number of people who doubt they have a guardian angel.  Many are happy to accept that other people might have a guardian angel, but doubt that they have one themselves.”

Her third book, brought out in the middle of the era of the Uranus-Pluto square, focuses on the need to recognize the Angel of Hope, who she describes thus:

“The Angel of Hope doesn’t look like any other Angel I have ever seen.  He looks like a massive flame.  Within this very bright flame I am shown a faint human appearance, which is masculine, and a beautiful dazzling emerald green colour, holding a torch – like an Olympic flame.  The brightness of the Angel of Hope looks different to any other Angel; I think this is because it’s a light within a light.”

Lorna came from an Irish Catholic background, and because she was withdrawn as a child, always seeing and communicating with Angels,  she was considered to be “retarded”, and left school at 14.  She married and had four children, but her husband Joe was dogged with ill health and died young, leaving her to bring up her children as a single parent.  It was revealed to her when young that she would one day write books about her experiences, but for the most part needed to keep silent about what she saw.

Lorna’s Sun and Mercury in Aries (the sign of physical vision) are largely unaspected, pointing to a highly individual path and vision.  Her Sun does however exactly sextile the asteroid Chiron (healing) and squares by three degrees the Nodal Axis  – again marking out her karmic path singularly.

Her fourth book “Love from Heaven” is due to be published on 24^th April, just after the Cosmic Cross which includes the next square of Uranus and Pluto, so it will be most timely.  I have pre-ordered a copy.

Conclusion

All three of these Angelologists have Neptune (Angels) aspected to their North Node (karmic mission).  Swedenborg had Neptune exactly sextile his  North Node,  Doreen Virtue has Neptune two degrees away from her North Node, and Lorna Byrne has Neptune sextile her North Node within 3 degrees.  The healing applications of Chiron are prominent for all three, too.  Emanual Swedenborg had Chiron trine his Neptune, with the North Node sextile both, in between them.  Doreen Virtue has a trine between her Chiron and Jupiter, three degrees apart, and Lorna Byrne has an exact sextile beteen her Sun and Chiron.

Aspects

A splendid first aspect for the week arrives on Wednesday (26^th) when Mercury trines Jupiter.  Sales and business plans are blessed, as is travel, communication and education.  Use any preparations you undertake that day as a launch pad, setting the tone for the rest of the week.

Friday (28^th) has another constructive aspect in the form of Mercury sextile Pluto.  Though Wednesday’s  proceedings would have been informative, Friday’s takes information to a deeper level, perhaps taking into account causation, or psychological motives.  If you sketched out a plan of action on Wednesday, you can connect the dots or colour in the outlines on Friday.

Saturday (29^th) brings another aspect to Mercury, this time a conjunction with Chiron.  Here the focus will be on healing, and solutions should follow on sequentially from any mental crises.

Next Venus trines Mars, which is good for kindling romance, or balancing the male and female sides of the psyche, occurring in the evening (U.K. time).

If you meet an attractive stranger at a party, be aware that only two hours later, with Venus going on to square Saturn, they could break your heart, and disappear leaving only a glass slipper, even before midnight.  In other words, do not set too much store by an early evening attachment, as its loss could be keenly felt all too soon.

It seems like a melancholy way to leave the week, so let’s take a sneak preview at the next day (Sunday 30^th).  There we see a New Moon in Aries: new life, new love, and hope springs eternal…

The week in bullet points:

• Wednesday – freewheeling
• Friday – benefits from a deeper look
• Saturday – healing thoughts, pleasure followed by let down, but tomorrow is a new day

Bob Crow  (1961-2014)

“You don’t get me,  I’m part of the Union”
~  The Strawbs, 1973

In one week we lost two irreplaceable left wing highly individualistic public figures.   I have written a separate blog for Tony Benn, but felt I should write about Bob Crow too.  Both were divisive figures, often demonized, but both have received praise this week from their detractors.

Bob Crow, leader of the RMT (National  Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers), had such a dynamic  birth chart, it is no wonder that he was successful in his chosen profession of union leader.  He did say if he had not been a union leader he would have been a footballer (Sun sextile Mars)  or a weather man (New Moon in Gemini).  As it was, he utilized to a fine art his Negotiator Archetype (Venus  sextile Mercury).  The brilliance of his leadership is shown by Sun exactly sextile his Uranus.

The karmic balance of overly powerful unions was “dealt with” by Margaret Thatcher, and we do not need to fear “Reds under the beds” now.  I think it is time to honour the role of the unions as protectors of the working man now, and in his unique role Bob Crow is irreplaceable.

Yes he did call strikes, but the “gun to the head” was the draconian measure of removing all of the underground’s ticket offices, not to mention the scary prospect of driverless trains.  As Owen Jones argued forcefully against Andrew Neil on “This Week” we no longer need fear the “militancy” of the trade unions.

Downham Market

Downham Market railway station ( my local) has a wonderful ticket office (under threat) and a helpful station master (I will spare his blushes by not naming him) who ensures the best deal for your journey.

Downham Market, a sleepy town in Norfolk, itself was in the national news this week, its fire station having burnt down in the early hours of the same morning Bob Crow died.  Apparently, the fire station lacked a set of sprinklers…

The assistant fire officer commented in the “Lynn News”: “We usually  go to other people’s disasters and clear up the rubble. Fire happens to other people and for it to happen to us is difficult to deal with. But it is not the fire station which goes out to people’s fires, it is the engine. This is not the end of fire cover in Downham.”

Aspects

It is the Full Moon in Virgo today, and emotions are running high. There is something niggling that you may be trying to get right, and which may be causing anguish.

Tomorrow Mercury enters Pisces, and the start of the week may  be muddly or chaotic – you may have forgotten where you put things in the office on Friday, and forget where you left off.  On the plus side, you may have greater imagination, may see things differently, and have a new vision of how the office could look.

Tuesday (18th) has the best aspect of the week, Venus sextile Uranus, which holds all sorts of exciting possibilities:  dynamic meetings, exhilarating romance, financial bonuses, cohesive group interaction, and telepathy, among them.

Thursday (20th) brings the Spring Equinox, the ingress of the Sun into Aries; the birth of the astrological year.  You may feel like a new born lamb emerged from its mother’s womb. New energy and initiatives are possible.

Saturday (22nd) culminates with a conjunction between Mercury and Neptune. This aspect can result in the sublime or the ridiculous: a blissed out meditative state, or confusion and clutter. Focus on the divine as you ask for the path to clarity.

You may at the end of the week feel that you have come full circle with the theme of mental focus and expansion beginning and ending the week.  You will need spiritual bi-focals .

The week in bullet points:

• Today – emotional high tide
• Tomorrow – fog
• Tuesday – exciting
• Thursday – new energy
• Friday – seeing through the fog

Sun in Aries can be very individualistic and authentic, which left wing politician Tony Benn, who died this week, undeniably was. However, he would not have wanted to be pigeon-holed or categorised by astrology or anything else. His was the freedom to think and act as he pleased, with the prerogative to change his mind. In early photos of Benn, you can really see the Aries glint in his eyes.

Within the dynasty of his family setting, he was an individual, and changed the course of the family direction. His father was a liberal politician, and his son Hilary is a much more conventional and mainstream Labour politician. That Tony Benn broke the mould by renouncing the peerage status of his family is shown by his Mars squaring his father’s karmic Nodal Axis. His Ascendant was also conjunct his father’s South Node, further emphasizing this. He fought all his life against privilege and for fairness and justice in society.  At the time when he renounced his peerage the transiting North Node was sextile his Pluto (a deep seated karmic change). Jupiter was also trine his Ascendant, so he will have experienced a real sense of triumph.

His mother Margaret had Mars conjunct his North Node, which will have instilled courage for his karmic mission, to do what he came here to do. She was very highly principled in her Christianity and that too affected his resolve. Their Neptunes were sextile (spiritual harmony) and her Pluto was sextile his Sun (again installing a deep courage).

Tony Benn’s early career was divisive to the Labour Party, but he mellowed and later became a “national treasure”.  Nowadays the integrity of his character is much hailed.

I have read his diaries, and luckily for astrologers, he slips in the time of his birth within these pages. An Aries Sun often takes a lot of colour from the Ascendant in a chart, and in his case the ascendant is Virgo, which gave him a pedantic mind and a great deal of perfectionism, plus a predilection for diary writing.  The warriorship he displayed came from his Aries Sun, and Mars at the top of his chart – warriorship in action in his career and persona out in the world.

Mars bisects an exact trine between his Moon and Venus, which made him a warrior for peace, such as in C.N.D. and his presidency of the “Stop The War” coalition.

He made a good marriage, with his American wife Caroline, who shared his political views, and they had a large family of four children (Jupiter in his 5th House).

It is generally recognised that he did not succeed in his dearest wish to change society to the fairness and justice of his vision, but he did succeed in always being true to himself.

At his death the finality of transiting Pluto exactly square his natal sun was being played out.

The Observer leader today sums up his worth nicely: “He had the facility to reach across the generations and to re-energise the debate about what should and should not constitute the common good”.

Malaysian Airlines Flight 370

Given the safety of air travel nowadays, the disappearance of this flight is a total mystery.  The safety record of that airline (Boeing 777) is excellent.  There was no warning of messages from the crew, and it was a sudden event.  Oil slicks were found in the Gulf of Thailand, but who knows if they are linked?  Several countries have taken up the search, and a current theory is that terrorism is involved, with the discovery that two passengers were travelling under stolen passports.  There were 277 passengers on board, and 12 crew members.  Venus was still exactly square the Nodes on the day it happened, suggesting a collective karma requiring co-operation of several nations to help to solve the mystery.

Flight Takng Off

The plane took off from Kuala Lumpur airport just after midnight in the early hours of 8 March 2014 (local date).  The chart shows Neptune at the foot of the chart (shaky foundations).  On any given day there always such possible “wobbly” moments, but most of them do not result in dramatic events.  What emphasized and amplified this was an exact conjunction of Neptune and the I.C. (Imum Coelum, nadir).  Neptune also emphasizes that there is a mystery involved.

Malaysia

The chart of Malaysia is involved as the airline was a Malaysian airline, taking off from Kuala Lumpur, so it is probably the most important country involved.  Yet the transits for Malaysia look strong at the moment, with even Pluto trine its natal Pluto (self-empowerment).  The most suspect transit for Malaysia at the moment is Neptune opposing its natal Uranus, a transit which has a sense of the bizarre about it, perhaps even a Bermuda triangle effect, but although close, it is not an exact transit at this time.  There is also a close but not quite exact square between Sun/Chiron and the Malaysian Ascendant.

Flight disappeared

The flight lost contact at 1.22 a.m. and was reported missing some time later.  Current theories indicate that the plane may have even turned back slightly.  So far there is no trace of what happened, and experts say it may be a long time before the truth is known, from previous experience of such incidents.  It is thought that the plane was in the vicinity of the Gulf of Thailand when it disappeared.  At the time the plane lost contact, the Sun/Chiron conjunction (wounding) was at the foot of the chart squaring the Ascendant, and conjunct the Imum Coelum.

Thailand

Thailand is one of the countries searching for the missing plane, and is very much in the spotlight as the territory where the plane may be found.  At the time of the disappearance, Neptune was exactly opposite Thailand’s own natal Neptune – again the bizarre, and mysterious at work.

Oil Slicks

Two oil slicks were found by Vietnamese searchers off the South coast of Vietnam.  These may or may not prove to be linked.  The chart of the disappearance taken for the location of the oil slicks does not have a strong correlation.

Vietnam

The South coast of Vietnam is not too far off from the Gulf of Thailand, and the Midheaven of the disappearance chart is exactly sextile the Moon in the natal chart of Vietnam.  So there is some public interest and relevance here, at least for Vietnam.  The Neptune (mystery) of the disappearance chart also squares the Ascendant of Vietnam.

Destination

Two thirds of the passengers (and therefore two thirds of the grief carried) were from China, and it was scheduled to land in Beijing at 6.30 a.m., a landing which did not take place.  The chart of the hoped for landing,  which tragically did not materialize has the Sun/Chiron wounding conjunction rising, and conjunct the Ascendant.

China

The transits for China shows Neptune (confusion) opposing  its natal Saturn (loss and grief) at this time.  The mystery continues, and in the meantime our hearts go out to all those suffering loss from this event.

Aspects

There are three aspects this week.  Two are trines, and one is a square, so we are winning.  Two involve Mercury, one of each aspect, so Mercury types Geminis and Virgoans will be balancing.  Two aspects involve Saturn, again one of each type of aspect, so Capricornians too will be balancing.  The Sun and Mars will be involved in trines, so Leos and Ariens may be winning.

The square occurs on Tuesday (11^th), and that is Mercury squaring Saturn.  That aspect occurred recently, before Mercury turned direct, and brought the need to pay attention to problems in communication and how they could be solved.  You may by now be fully conversant with the problem, and though Mercury and Saturn are in square, Mercury is at least direct now, so an opportunity may occur to put right what you have known for a while needed addressing.

The good news aspects occur later in the week, first with the Sun trine Saturn on Thursday (13^th).  Sun trine Saturn may not sound very exciting, but is good for achieving the donkey work or laying foundations, or making long term plans.  It may not be the exciting part of progress, but it is the beginning of progress.

Then follows the second trine on Friday 14^th, with Mercury trine Mars, which is no weightier than the first trine, but will seem as though progress is being made, because so often when people are doing things it looks like they are making progress.  So it is a brisker day, and can build on any work or foundations sensibly laid the day before.  If the work has not been done on Thursday, the work may be flimsy, superficial or lightweight.  But the two days together, properly focussed,  can result in work built to last.  So Friday is a day when people will be whizzing around looking busy and some of that will be productive, often depending on how much has been thought through.

Mod Cons

Last week two commenters requested innovations, which I put to the Tech Dept.  These were the facility to alter your comments if you incur a typo, and the facility to be informed if a discussion you participate in is continued by other commenters.  Our Tech Dept has now provided both innovations.  Take a bow, our man behind the scenes!

The week in bullet points:

• Tuesday – seems deflating, but plough on
• Thursday – serious hard work pays off
• Friday – busy doing

 

The Voice

In its 3^rd series, The Voice has come of age.  From a bold and popular start, winning viewers through its emphasis on the contestants’ voices instead of looks, through a downturn when the chair-swivelling ceased and a very shaky second series, now we have a more confident programme which has tried to iron out its weaknesses.  I loved Jessie J and Daniel O’Donoghue in the first two series, but somehow the vibe has been refreshed with the two new judges and mentors: Kylie Minogue and Ricky Wilson.  Even the battle rounds, which used to resemble a boxing ring mentality, has come to be a skilful display of individual expertise combined with genuine harmonies.  I used not to enjoy those, being of a non-competitive disposition, but there were some superb double performances last night.  I suspect a lot went on behind the scenes to try to embody a positive spirit for that process, with some contestants having to work at it more than others.  I think, too, that the standard of the contestants in the current series has been better than ever.  I felt the loss of every contestant who did not get through, both in the early rounds, and in the “battles” phase.  I am not sure when this series ends, but may take a look at the judges’ aspects nearer the time.

Tom Jones

All that hip-swivelling in his early career was too much for me, but from the swaggering stories of who he had performed with in the first series, we now see a much mellower and rather likeable elder statesman of the programme.  The “sex bomb”  image of his career was inevitable with Pluto exactly trine his Midheaven at birth, plus Venus conjunct exactly Mars – what other career could he have had?  Now he relies on twinkling his eyes instead of swivelling his hips, and that’s enough excitement for me.  He is in a process of transformation at the moment, with the Nodal Axis squaring his Pluto, and Pluto opposing his Venus/Mars conjunction.  There is a lot going on under the surface,  but I think he is learning to contain himself.

Will I Am

What a treat that we have grown to know this American superstar these last three years or so.  He has such intelligence, quick wit (Mercury trine Uranus) and energy, and sometimes it is difficult to catch his drift, but it is always worth straining to her what he has got to say.  He is also mischievous and spiritual, so eminently watchable.  I am so glad he stayed on.   He is a typical talented Piscean genius, with a mind that is everywhere.  Not only does he have an expansive and humorous Sun/Jupiter conjunction in Pisces, in a chart with no Earth planets, but he has a rich and intensely creative 5^th House populated by an almost exact conjunction between his Moon and Chiron (using humour to solve emotional  pain) and Venus.

Kylie Minogue

Will I Am crossed the Big Pond to persuade Kylie,who was umm-ing and ah-ing about whether or not to join the Judging panel on The Voice, and  the Producers of the programme must be glad that he did.  From the first bars of “I Should Be So Lucky” I decided that Geminian Kyle would be lightweight, and why wasn’t she just content with an acting career?  But her heart was set on light, upbeat dance balladeering, and that is what she did.  She went on a profound journey in her life though, with romantic and health problems, which pulled at the heartstrings, and which she bore with dignity.  And now she is in a renaissance, with this new role.  She has brought life and sparkle  to the proceedings.  The Geminian element has turned to a great sense of upliftment  at sharing in her joie de vivre.  Geminians can make it look easy, taking life lightly, helped by her Part of Fortune in Leo in the 1st House. Her glamorous image comes from a close trine from Neptune to her Ascendant. Currently, Chiron is squaring her Mars, so she is working something out in connection with male energy  (e.g. an aspect of female emancipation)– and with her natal Mars in 11^th House of judging panels, the three male fellow judges are helping her to work that out.

Ricky Wilson

Ricky Wilson was as unknown to me at the start of this series of the Voice as Danny O’Donoghue was at the start of the first series, but I have grown to like him just as much.  Of course, I had heard of the Kaiser Chiefs, and “I Predict a Riot”  is a powerful song, especially for an astrological blogger.  I have enjoyed his  sense of reserve and subtley, and general lack of swagger.  He proved his mettle in doing some good work in putting together some of the performances last night for “the battles”.  He has a Sun in Capricorn way of standing back and looking at the bigger picture, and his love of song comes from his Venus conjunct the Sun, plus Moon in Taurus.  He also has balance and maturity with a close sextile between Jupiter and Saturn.  His team should be in good hands, with his Chiron trine Saturn.  His band, The Kaiser Chiefs, found time to make a creditable performance on the Andrew Marr show this morning, so I was able to see him in vocal action, which always makes for more informed blogging.

Aspects

Today Saturn is stationary, prior to turning retrograde, so we may have to be patient for longer in resolving certain issues in our lives, particularly since Saturn is one of the planets embroiled in April’s Grand Cross.

Venus squares Mars today, with Mars recently turned retrograde and Venus now direct.  Perhaps you remember some incident around 16^th January when these two last locked horns, which involved inappropriate social behaviour, or unruly passions.

Tomorrow the Sun sextiles Pluto and all can be integrated psychologically.  This aspect can help you with both  unresolved long-term issues, and bring into line unruly passions on a deeper level

The Sun also conjuncts Chiron, which reinforces this.  You may have been wondering what the longstanding issues and unruly passions were, and they will reveal themselves and come bubbling  up to the ocean’s surface for a gasp of healing air and expression

On Tuesday (4^th) Venus squares the Nodal Axis, and any residue of healing needed in relationships will have to go that bit deeper, past your early life, and your birth, into past life awareness of recurring patterns.  This particular issue or set of issues may involve repeated patterns from past lives with a group of people.  One person working on this may unlock the truth for the whole group.

On Wednesday (5^th), encouraged by her deep work on Tuesday, Venus enters Aquarius with a fresh new page: The Future of Relationships.  Having set aside the past (for the moment), and working from the power of the present moment, she looks to the future of relationships and assesses what she sees.  Your Inner Goddess can reshape her vision of future relationships.

Thursday (6^th) brings another change of direction, with Jupiter stationary prior to turning direct.  This may help to balance some of the Saturn retrograde perspective, as the glass which has just been deemed to be half empty, may now be declared at least three quarters full.  Watch out for some playful symbolism occurring in your life to show you this, and allow the Universe to express its humorous side in your life, the cosmic giggle.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – backtracking, and passion
• Tomorrow – psychological resolution, and healing crises
• Tuesday – karmic relationships
• Wednesday – fresh relationship perspectives
• Thursday – cosmic clowning

Ukraine

Events moved very quickly in Independence Square, Kiev, yesterday.  President  Viktor Yanukovych had been forced to declare an election for May 25^th (the balancing trine between Jupiter and Saturn), the previous President Yulia  Tymoshenko was released from prison and urged the rioters to carry on, and  Yanukovych  fled the scene, his whereabouts currently a mystery.  By the time I have written this blog, I will be out of date.

This morning’s Observer leader observed:

“Amid the drama of the last few days, and the whiff of revolution, it is worth voicing caution, however about what the future holds.  Ukraine has witnessed revolutionary scenes before that failed to bring much political stability.  The recent revolutions of the Arab Spring have shown that stormed palaces, packed squares, absent police and and an intoxicating sense of liberation from an old guard do not necessarily deliver better political systems, at least in the short term.”

Ukraine Chart

Ukraine was formed during the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, and is now the largest state in Europe.  It was certainly founded in hope, with the Part of Fortune on its South Node, and Mercury exactly conjunct its Mercury, a conjunction which excels in trade.

Viktor Yanukovych

Victor Yanukovych became President of Ukraine in February 2010, from his post as Prime Minister.    In his chart he has Venus trine Mars/Neptune (love of luxury, and the ability to manoevre mysteriously) bisected by Pluto, which adds force to his personality and actions.

The chart for his Presidency is important because it marks a new  phase for Ukraine.  Another new hope (Sun conjunct Jupiter) but  also the possibility of more corruption (Chiron conjunct Neptune. Mercury conjunct Neptune).

Viktor Yanukovych has a deep karmic bond with the Ukraine from past lives (his Sun conjunct  exactly the Ukraine South Node).  But there is corruption within the very fabric of this relationship, with his Neptune exactly square Ukraine’s Neptune,  and the potential for destructiveness (his Pluto exactly square Ukraine’s natal Pluto).  When he took over the Presidency, the Sun was exactly conjunct his Jupiter and exactly trine his Uranus.  Mars was exactly trine his North Node, granting a karmic favour of leadership and force.  But Pluto was exactly opposing his Uranus, so it would not have been an easy transition to power.

At this time (yesterday’s transits) Pluto was exactly squaring Yanukovych’s Mars (time for forcible ousting).

Yulia Tymoshenko

Yulia Tymoshenko was a previous Prime Minister of the Ukraine, also found to be corrupt, and had been imprisoned during the Presidency of Yanukovych.   During that time she went on hunger strike. Yanukovych’s Pluto squares her Mercury (keeping her incarcerated) but her Pluto opposes his Jupiter (she had the last laugh yesterday).  Yulia has a big power trine of Jupiter and Pluto, bisected by another outer planet, Neptune.  However, her influence may not be enough to play a part in the new (dis-) order, as she has many detractors in the opposition movement, from her days in power and corruption (she has a wide conjunction between Mercury and Npetune, and a difficult opposition between Mars and Saturn).

Still, release must be sweet for her, and was achieved under an exact trine between transitting Mars to her natal Chiron.  That  is the healing element of her liberation, but more classically in terms of luck and liberation transiting Jupiter trines exactly her natal Neptune (her faith restored in life) and Jupiter also sextiles exactly her natal North Node (a karmic reward).  Thus we see the power of her natal Jupiter-Neptune sextile at work in her life.

In her relationship with the Ukraine, there seems to be a thread of disruption: her Jupiter opposes exactly its Uranus, and her Uranus squares exactly its Uranus.  Thus she is appearing during the revolution, but may just be s symptom or symbol.

Vladimir Putin

It is interesting that just as he has the Sochi Winter Olympics under his belt, Putin’s influence in the Ukraine via Yanukovych has been disrupted.  Putin must be dismayed at the oment because Pluto is exactly squaring his Sun, which is an intensely difficult transit for him personally.  It is as though the power in the Universe is saying no to his personal hopes.  Transitting Saturn is also exactly squaring his natal Pluto, which is another no from the Universe.

European Union

The European has good trading links with Ukraine:  their Mercuries are exactly trine, Europe’s Mercury is exactly trine Ukraine’s Jupiter, and Europe’s Jupiter exactly sextiles Ukraine’s Venus (the potential for warm relations).

The leader in the Guardian last Thursday  stated that this crisis is deeply significant for Europe, stating: “Ukraine has gone from being a story of trouble in a distant place to being an issue which could profoundly affect all our futures.”   The transits to the European Union at the moment, are reasonably buoyant however, with Neptune trine its Neptune (spiritual alignment) and Uranus trine its Uranus (constructive changes), so maybe the effect will not be as damaging as described.

Barack Obama

The same Guardian leader explains why the current events are important for Barack Obama, and his difficult relationship with Vladimir Putin: “That has implications for arms control and for American diplomacy on Syria and Iran.  Co-operation between America and Russia has slipped badly, but what remains is still a requirement for an orderly world”.

Transits to Obama’s chart at the moment are mixed, but he does seem hamstrung karmically, with the Nodal Axis exactly squaring his natal Jupiter and Mercury

Aspects

The Sun conjuncts Neptune today, so there is a spiritual tone at one end of the spectrum, and a confused tone at the other, and in some cases there may be a fusion of the two.  There may be a focus on alleviating suffering. Water is again the focus, and not forgetting the victims of the UK flooding, and further back in time the Fukushima tsunami in Japan, and its subsequent widespread pollution of the waters.  It is a good time to meditate on water based issues, and to send out healing.

On Tuesday (25^th) around tea-time in the UK, Venus sextiles Saturn so love allies to loyalty.  You can support the potential of existing relationships at this time, such as the care of the elderly.

The same day we have the first of two major aspects: Pluto sextile Chiron.  If you are involved in healing, either as a practitioner or as one who is receiving, and whether physical or mental health is involved, it is a good day to bring everything together holistically.  There is a chance of a shift in understanding, practice and healing results.

Wednesday (26^th) brings the other major aspect, in the shape of Jupiter square Uranus, an aspect of big surprises or big shocks.  There may be more major developments in Independence Square, Kiev, for Jupiter square Uranus likes and fuels a revolution.

On Friday (28^th) Mercury turns direct, which will bring Hallelujas from some quarters.  Learn what you needed to learn from this last bout of retrograde action.  A friend of mine always says it brings an upgrade after glitches.  Certainly events in my life taught me to trust the process more.

Finally on Saturday (1^st March) Jupiter trines the Sun, so there may be another Halleluja, as you may feel luck and help are on their way.

The week ends later that day with Mars stationary prior to turning retrograde, so cars may stall and dogs may refuse to budge.  Then when Mars does turn round, there may be issues to resolve with dogs and cars between now and 20^th May, which is when Mars turns direct again.  Men of course also come from Mars, so we will all be working with integrating male energy, self-assertion, and warrior energy, as well as the car and dog issues for a few weeks to come.  No doubt there will be more to say on the subject, sometime soon.

P.S. There is also a New Moon at 10 degrees Pisces this morning (1st March), to encourage a new beginning for your dreams

The week in bullet points:

• Today – spirituality and confusion
• Tuesday – love and loyalty, physical and psychological healing
• Wednesday – high spirited revolution
• Friday – communication restored
• Saturday – New beginnings, luck, and stalled cars and dogs

George Clooney

I have never been swooney about Clooney, but something he said this week touched my heart…

From  his role as Dr Ross in ER  (the glamour of a Piscean Ascendant trine Neptune) to his role as an Astronaut in the film Gravity co-starring Sandra Bullock, he has captivated audiences.  His Aunt, Rosemary Clooney, also had a Pisces Ascendant, but she found fame as a singer  (Venus conjunct the Part of Fortune in Taurus).

His Chart

George Clooney does not have an easy chart (though hard working), and admits to having experienced financial  hardship in his youth.   He had a strict Roman Catholic upbringing),and was interested in social issues from a young age (Moon conjunct Saturn in 11^th House).  He has a serious karmic mission, which I think is gradually coming to light in the directing of films of a serious purpose (Pluto conjunct North Node in Virgo).  In this purpose, he is not afraid to be controversial (Mercury square Uranus – an aspect which also sometimes reveals dyslexia, which he learned to compensate for by charming his teachers, according to his mother).  His Mars is exactly opposite his Saturn, so everything he does is carefully measured and deliberate.   Uranus in showbiz Leo is closely trine his Midheaven (careerpoint) which has ensured sustained success in his career.

Films

I am not a filmgoer, but I did see George Clooney’s film “Good Night and Good Luck” (2005) actually in the cinema, with my mother.  That film was about the McCarthy witch hunts.  This characterized a trend towards political film making which has expanded. The film in which he stars as an Astronaut with Sandra Bullock, “Gravity”, is up for a BAFTA award tonight, and that is possibly one reason he has been in town giving interviews.  The other is to promote the new film he has directed “The Monuments Men” which is about a group of antiquarians and art experts who hunted for art treasures looted by the Nazis in World War II.

Elgin Marbles

And now to my pet subject, which I have mentioned in past blogs, but no one ever took seriously… This week he spoke out for the return of the Elgin Marbles.  Now I have an ally in George, who knows what could happen?  This is the reason he caught my attention this week.  I was smitten with the Elgin Marbles the first time I saw them in the British Museum, but equal to that passion is my conviction that we should return them to the Parthenon in Athens.  I possibly feel so strongly about this issue because I had lives in Ancient Greece, and have never been able to understand why there is not more of a public outcry about the matter.  I am so glad George sees it the same way.  From his chart, George Clooney has a seriousness of purpose, and in his transits he has Pluto squaring his Venus, which means he is currently addressing issues that matter, even more than usual.  Pluto squaring his Venus means that he is also re-assessing his love life, and there may be a gap there – ladies…?

Aspects

A brisk start to the week today with Mercury trine Mars.  Mind and body are co-ordinated purposefully in active pursuits, or intellectual gymnastics.

On Tuesday (18^th) the True North Node enters Libra, so that will be a good day to take karmic stock and record your impressions.  The Mean North Node (an average measurement) enters Libra on 23^rd March, and you will be able to compare the effects if you have recorded them now.  Usually, the True North Node has a more spiritual effect, and the Mean North Node a more practical effect, but both are karmic factors.  Paying attention can tell you something about your relationships and karma, and your relationship to karma, as well as the nature of karma, which could be fascinating.  I hope to write a blog about this transition in March.

The same day the Sun enters Pisces, and you may have trouble distinguishing the effects of the two reorientations of the day, which are both soft focused, subtle and spiritual.  Sun entering Pisces will be emotionally idealistic, as distinct from the intellectual idealism of the sign it will have left (Aquarius).  Our collective focus over the next month is Compassion.  In the UK we are currently weighed down by the terrible havoc wreaked by the flooding (Neptune in Pisces) and confusion over who is to blame (Neptune in Pisces also), whose responsibility it is and what should be done about it.  One thing that is clarifying is the role of Climate Change, so apology please from all the Climate Change deniers such as Nigel Lawson, who have contributed to inaction.

Wednesday (19^th) brings a dampener of a different sort: Mercury square Saturn (communication slowness).  It needn’t get you down, though.  You can use it to focus on what is needed at this time, whether it is the dredging of a river, the choosing of suitable Wellington boots, or chasing up documentation, or taking time out if you are a workaholic.  This aspect is pointing out something useful, for you to do, or not to do.  If a delay gives you pause for thought, pause and think.

Thank You

Thank you Joyce Mason for your enjoyable visit as guest blogger!  But I also want to say a big thank you to all of you who gave her such a warm welcome and provided the thought-provoking comments!  With a total of 21 comments at the last count, you also provided some worthwhile reading.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – getting things done
• Tuesday – spiritual focus
• Wednesday –taking time out

Universal Heart

Take Heart

Draw from the Universal Heart

When there is an Infinite Supply of Love

Nothing can shake you.

~ Lana

Written 15/7/96, New Moon in Cancer

Valentine Week

As it is Valentine’s week, I thought I would look at Love in its many shades.  Other planets can show Love, but I will focus on Venus in combination with the other planets.  This may have application if you have the combination in your own chart, or in Synastry (comparison and compatibility) with another’s chart.   I have include the 4 Greek versions of Love, Eros, Storge, Philia and Agape.

Ten Shades of Love

Here are 10 planetary shades of Love (seems a bit meagre) with several sub-categories under each which would increase the count to about 50 shades.  I have included types of relationship, and qualities in relating.  We meet all kinds of people throughout our lives: Maybe you have experienced many of these varieties of relationship.

 

Venus in aspect to the SUN:

Love for the Self

In your birthchart: Love for the Self, an essential requirement

Qualities: Warmth of Heart, Magnanimity, Generosity

In Synastry: Shared interest in the Arts and performance, centred on the Beloved; the love and admiration of a Fan

Problematic: Narcissism

 

Venus in aspect to the MOON:

Love of a Parent for a Child

In your birthchart: Love of a Parent for a Child

Qualities: Tenderness, Gentleness, The Divine Feminine, Love of the Goddess

In Synastry: Love of a Parent for a Child; tactile expression such as massage; the Greek Storge (familial love)

Personal: Love of a Grandparent for a Grandchild is another nuance, and I realized (mind-blowingly) while writing this blog that my three year old Grandson has his Venus exactly conjunct my Moon, so our relationship exactly fits the classic description.

 

Venus in aspect to MERCURY:

Brotherly Love / Sisterly Love

In your birthchart:  Communication with Love

In Synastry: Mental companionship; counselling and mentoring; Platonic Love

Special Category: Love for a Pet.  Love for a Pet can also come under Moon with Venus, as often there is a parental fondness as part of the relationship.

 

Venus in aspect to MARS:

The Lover

In your birthchart: Magnetism, Sensuality

Qualities: Balancing male and female sides; Combining Opposites

In Synastry: Flirtation; the Greek Eros (romantic love)

Problematic: Addiction to Love

Famous Example: Giacomo Casanova

 

Venus in aspect to JUPITER:

Unconditional Love

In your birthchart: Love for Humanity, Love of God; inclusive love, loving everybody.

Qualities:  forgiveness; overlooking any shortcomings

In Synastry: The Guru-Disciple relationship; boosting self-esteem and confidence

Colour: According to Linda Clark and Yvonne Martine in their book “Health, Youth and Beauty through Colour Breathing” Salmon Pink is the colour for Universal Love, if you would like to project that.  My poem, above, written in 1996, is on this theme.

 

Venus in aspect to SATURN:

Love of the Child to the Parent

In your birthchart: Commitment; Responsibility; Loyalty

Qualities: Respect; Caring for the Elderly; Loving the apparently unloveable (opposite of the Lookism in our society today)

In Synastry: Looking after each other in old age; Love for one older (or interchangeably for someone younger)

Problematic:  Isolation

 

Venus in aspect to CHIRON

Karmic Love

In your birthchart: The desire to Heal

Qualities: The Miracle of Reunion, e.g. for adoptees

In Synastry:  Past-Life links

Problematic:  The aches and pains of love

Famous Example:  Adele has Venus conjunct Chiron in her birthchart and was able to produce two best-selling albums from the creativity inspired by the pain of Love and a special relationship which touched her deeply.

 

Venus in aspect to URANUS

Friendship

In your birthchart: Friendliness, Networking; unusual or progressive ideas about relationship

Qualities: Magnetism; Charisma

In Synastry: Incredible Meetings; Acquaintanceship; ((( Group Hug )))

Collective bonding of a Group; Feeling the Love in the room; the Greek Philia (friendship)

Problematic: Detachment; aloofness; strangeness; estrangement

 

Venus in aspect to NEPTUNE:

Compassion

In your birthchart: Spiritual Love

Qualities: Transcendence; Charity; Idealism in Love; the Greek Agape (selfless love)

In Synastry: Merging; idealized love; Devotion

Problematic: Lack of boundaries; yearning; love put on a pedestal; co-dependency; secrecy; elusive or unrequited love

Famous Example  The Poet John Keats had the conjunction of Venus and Neptune in Scorpio and pursued an impossible, idealized love he was not able to realize in his lifetime.

 

Venus in aspect to PLUTO:

Eroticism

In your birthchart: Dramatic transformations in relationships

Qualities: Passion; in touch with our deepest Psychology

In Synastry: Soul-engaging; Cosmic Love (in common with Jupiter), which overflows earthly boundaries  (but further afield than Jupiter)

Problematic: Stress through destabilization; marks the intensity of the beginning and the Ending of love affairs; Obsession; Stalking.

Aspects

Mercury trines the North Node on Tuesday (11^th)  which brings some support to our collective karmic mission.  Mental strength  and useful information is available to understand dilemmas we face collectively, such as the current flooding in the U.K.  Individually, it is a good day to look into your past lives, e.g. through regression, or having someone read the Akashic Records.

On the same day, the Sun squares Saturn.  You may feel defeated or despondent and need to lift yourself out of victim mode if so.  Don’t beat yourself up; beat the blues by recognizing the causes of it, dust yourself down and find the courage to start all over again.  You may be feeling that progress is slow, but if you look back at your path you will see incremental steps have been taken.

On Thursday (13th) Mercury retrogrades back into Aquarius from Pisces, and you may be able to look coolly again at your current dilemmas.  It is important to both recognize your feelings, and to be able to see the issue from other angles.

For Friday (14th) Happy Valentine’s Day, with a Full Moon in Leo. It will be a highly charged emotional Valentine’s Day, with expectations rising all day, for the Full Moon occurs just before midnight. It’s the sort of Valentine’s where the teasing lover will organize a mystery tour or a treasure hunt lasting all day, and the end gift had better be worth it!

Well it may be worth it, because the early hours of Saturday in U.K. time (16th) has a passionate trine between the Sun and Mars. This is dynamic especially for men, and male bonding.  Girly females may have been astonished to find power tools and football match tickets as their Valentine gifts, though, so maybe not everybody will win.

Saturday will be active and energetically helpful whatever activities you pursue, so it may be a good idea to set your goals at the beginning of the week and arrange them for Saturday.

Saturday evening brings a conjunction between the Sun and Mercury at 27 degrees Aquarius. If you have been busily engaged during the day, you can capitalize on the results in the evening. By then you may have run out of physical steam, but your head will be crystal clear and firing on all cylinders. It’s a good evening for socializing and networking, but also for focussed concentration and creative writing such as Haiku.

Joyce Mason Guest Blog

If you have not yet read Joyce Mason’s marvellous guest blog about her Astrological crime novel “The Crystal Ball”, please find it below or click on the link in the top right hand side of this blog.  It is not too late to record your impressions in a comment, or ask Joyce a question.  I leave my comments box open, and it adds to the information in the archive.

All Love to my readers this week!

The week in bullet points:

• Tuesday – Karmic information; slight despond
• Thursday – comparing the emotional and rational sides of a situation
• Friday – emotional high tide
• Saturday – male bonding; stunning minds

We are honoured to have Astrologer and Author Joyce Mason treating us to a guest blog about her first novel.  As one who has had a novel on the go since university days I experienced a vicarious thrill on holding Joyce’s first novel in my hands. She’s an astrological Janet Evanovich!  The book transports you to the whacky world of Californian new age society, a world I would secretly like to inhabit or at least visit.  What Joyce has is a bubbly humour, and this book had me smiling on every page, so that was one continuous smile from ear to ear and cover to cover ~ Lana

 

Chiron Goes to a Party, Stumbles into a Crime Caper

© 2014 by Joyce Mason

All Rights Reserved

Imagine the mythical centaur Chiron, bigger than life and very tall because of his horse half. He’s dressed up for the costume party of the Millennium.  It’s the Silver Anniversary and New Year’s Eve celebration of the Immortalists on Planet Earth Association. Chiron could easily be a past president of this group, given his immortal nature that kept him stuck in a lingering wound. In this fantasy, he’s alive and well enough to party. The costume party theme is “come as you’ll be in the future.” What do you think he’d be wearing?

After you muse on that for a bit, I’ll confess, that’s not how Chiron comes to the party between the pages of my debut novel, The Crystal Ball: A Micki Michaels Mystery. Instead, Chiron has a starring role in an educational video that’s shown at the gala event, celebrating 25 years of accomplishments by IOPEA (pronounced eye-OH-pea-uh), the non-profit organization of longevity seekers and do-gooders throwing the party.

There’s much more going on. Astrologer Micki Michaels, current president of IOPEA, and her ex-FBI-agent boyfriend, Curt Stern, find themselves mixing their hot chemistry into a beaker of smoking crime-solving solutions. Curt and Micki have honed their creative problem-solving skills from being opposites that attracted each other, now trying to live together and make it work. The results are a laugh a minute.

She solves problems by taking or passing out flower essences. He carries a gun. The Battle of Guns and Roses has just begun, as Micki and Curt prepare to bust an extortionist who wants to steal the “secret” of longevity. The mystery man threatens, in numerous phone calls, to show up and wreak havoc at this heartfelt, milestone event. He has already threatened to kidnap Micki’s young niece—and has done other actual damage. He’s escalating, but who is he and where is he hiding in the masked crowd?

It doesn’t take long to see why Chiron is the informal patron saint of IOPEA and so beloved by its president. Like astrological Chiron, Micki is a bridge between Saturn and Uranus, old and new. She lives in an antique-décor Victorian home in San Francisco built in 1900, but it’s full of futuristic inventions, including the forward-thinking protagonist, invented by the author. Like most IOPEANs, Micki looks twenty years younger than her age of 50. She’s sure having an interesting Chiron Return.

According to astrologer Armand Diaz, The Crystal Ball is one example of an evolving new composite genre he calls Astro-detective fiction. I know you’ll enjoy his article, The Astrologer Did It: A New Kind of Mystery. Again, just as Chiron is a composite being—half-man and half-horse—The Crystal Ball is a composite genre, classified as both mystery and visionary/metaphysical fiction. With more composite themes than a collage—astrology, longevity, relationships, mystery, humor and evolution, to name a few—the next fact probably won’t surprise you, if you didn’t already know. Chiron has been my astrological specialty since I started my practice in 1988.

Mainstreaming Astrology

The Crystal Ball has been unusually long in the making, published in November 2013 more than 24 years after I completed the original manuscript. The Ball and I evolved together over the years. It became much more than the original story with its multiple purposes: sorting out a relationship and conveying information on astrology, metaphysics, and tools for health and happiness. As it finally neared publication, I realized The Crystal Ball and other Astro-detective novels have the potential to be a Chironic bridge once more, this time between people initiated into these more esoteric topics and those who aren’t.

I wasn’t focused, in the beginning, on being an “ambassador for astrology,” a catchphrase adopted by my local NCGR chapter as its abbreviated vision statement. This is a happy side-effect. My hope is that those who already enjoy astrology and “freelance spirituality” have so much fun at The Crystal Ball; they share it with others who have little or no experience on these topics. It stands alone as a fast-paced, humorous mystery, and as Armand Diaz points out in his article, mystery readers are used to books on highly technical topics where the authors educate them as they read. Often, they’re drawn into unique worlds they may have not previously known or thought would interest them till the mystery lured them.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if astrologers and more Uranian thinkers were better received in their communities? Without prejudice and assuming we’re weird, evil, or maybe a little crazy? Prejudice and misinformation are overcome by getting close to real people with the characteristics that aren’t understood from afar. It doesn’t matter whether the “real” people are living or fictional, as long as they are alive on paper, likable, and part of a good story.

I hope The Crystal Ball is both an enjoyable read and part of the divine domino effect of helping spread cosmic ideas that help so many of us understand and experience our relationships and lives better. In another article I read recently, PJ ­Swanwick says We Need to Promote Spiritual/Visionary Fiction as a genre. What a wonderful way to heal the world through the pleasure of reading.

I can’t help but believe Chiron is behind this. Not only is transiting Chiron separating from a long-standing conjunction with Neptune, but Chiron’s transit through Pisces has a large component of healing through the arts. I want to be part of it. I hope you do, too.

~~~

Joyce Mason is a writer and astrologer. Her trademark is blending humor with deep insights. Her popular blog is called The Radical Virgo. She’s past president of NCGR-Sacramento Area Astrologers. To learn more about her leap into fiction and all her books and purchase links, visit her website: www.joycemason.com.

 

Joyce will be happy to respond to your Comments on The Crystal Ball or your questions about Chiron, related to this post

Pete Seeger (1919-2014)

“Do you remember ‘if I had a hammer’ ?” asked hubby

“Waddya mean ‘do I remember if I had a hammer?!’ ” I replied,  dropping my usual dulcet tone “We belong to the same generation.”

.oO   thought bubble  Oo.    “where have I been all your life?”

Answer:  Pete Seeger was part of our childhood and early teen age, before we even met…

******************

What a life worthy of living, having worked with Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan, and stood up for things worth standing up for!

Pete Seeger’s father Charles was a musician and a man of pacifist principles.  His mother was also a musician, a concert violinist and teacher.  Theirs was a musical family way of life.

Archetypes

It is easy to pick out the Archetypes in Pete Seeger’s birth chart.

Musician – Sun in Taurus

Singer – Sun in Taurus

Writer – Venus sextile Mercury

Warrior – Sun conjunct Mars

Activist – Sun conjunct Mars; Uranus trine Pluto

Spiritual Teacher – North Node trine Neptune

Healer – Chiron trine Neptune, forming a Grand Trine with the North Node

Wife

Pete Seeger’s wife Toshi Aline Seeger is credited with much of his success and stability.  Theirs was a strong bond, and she died six months before him.  They were married almost 70 years.  On the date of their marriage, Jupiter was exactly sextile Toshi’s North Node (a favourable karmic trajectory) while Pluto was conjunct Seeger’s  natal Neptune (a very profound union).

Woody Guthrie

There is a sense of musicians passing the baton to each other to create progressive movements in the music lineage, and Pete performed with Woody Guthrie early in his career.  Woody’s Jupiter was exactly trine Pete’s Neptune, denoting a spiritual harmony between them and faith in the same things.  Woody’s Jupiter therefore links in with Pete’s Grand Trine and his karmic mission (North Node).

McCarthyism

The exact square in his chart between Chiron and Pluto makes sense in terms of the dark episode of the McCarthy witch-hunts in the U.S.  Along with many others, he was accused of embracing communism, and it hampered his career for a while.  Chiron is the bridge between the inner and outer planets, but contacts between the outer planets often indicate where a person is caught up  in events of the world.  McCarthyism represents Plutonian power, and Chiron represents Seeger’s desire to heal  (the world) which was a principle he would not go back on.  The strength of his Pluto-Uranus trine was helpful to him in staying true to his principles

Bob Dylan

Another musician he is linked with is Bob Dylan.  Tension may have galvanized this partnership, the tension to get things moving in society: with Pete Seeger’s Mars square Dylan’s Moon, Seeger’s Pluto trine Dylan’s Mars and Dylan’s Mars square Seeger’s Nodal Axis.  This tension may have come to a head at the 1964 Newport Festival where Seeger expressed his anger and frustration at Dylan’s use of electric guitar.  Nevertheless, they both recognized each other as a kindred spirit on the road to music’s evolution.

Death

He died in New York at 9.30 pm on 27 January.  Pluto from his 5^th House was exactly trine his Sun in 9^th House: his creative and philosophical brief accomplished.

We Shall Overcome

There are now just as many things we need to overcome as in Pete Seeger’s heyday, and many ways in which we can be inspired by his words and example.  But on an astrological note, we can be inspired by his natal Pluto trine Uranus resilience and way of being to overcome the problems of this current Uranus square Pluto phase, which takes us through to 2015.  Just to hear the strength in his voice the other day when they played him singing “We Shall Overcome” reminded me of that need.

Aspect

The first half of the week we still have Mercury working normally, i.e. Direct.  Press on with your paperwork, especially if you are behind on your tax return.  Do all your running around now, especially sorting appointments and communications.

For on Thursday (6^th) we have the periodical spanner in our communication works of Mercury going Retrograde.  So the second half of the week we will be adjusting to this.  Mind you, I notice plenty of gum in the works when Mercury is not retrograde, e.g. problems on the trains seem to be increasing despite the higher rail fares.  I was travelling on the tube on Friday in the evening rush hour and a drunken group of lads were making merry on the escalator.  One of them slid down the banister and caused the escalator to stop.  As I boarded the next tube, I realized my legs had turned to jelly (Jupiter was opposing Pluto that day, which in my chart was across the travel Houses).

So midweek we have Mercury stationing (watch out for escalators stopping) and the deadline for your documentation is  21.43 Hrs on Thursday in the U.K., which is when Mercury actually goes retrograde.  Mercury going retrograde is not actually an aspect, but it is the only feature in this vacuum of a week.

Golden Rules

Mercury goes direct again on 28^th February, so in the meantime here are my 3 golden rules for surviving Mercury Retrograde:

1. Communicate clearly
2. Allow an extra hour when travelling
3. Have a trusted I.T. expert on tap

Animal Totems

Useful animal totems connected with Mercury, if you like to work with them:

Monkey  (mischievous)
Butterfly  (the roaming mind)
Coyote (the Trickster, also ruled by Uranus)

Purposes

During the retrograde of Mercury we can use the Virgoan trait or strategy of going over details to get them right.  This is one of the purposes of retrograde Mercury.

The challenges you face with Mercury in retrograde motion make you think on your feet and employ the best of the tenet “Necessity is the mother of invention”.

Blog Visit

I am hoping to post a guest blog from Joyce Mason this week.  She is a U.S. Astrologer, Novelist and Blogger (“The Radical Virgo”) who is promoting her book.  She is a specialist on Chiron (“The Wounded Healer”) and I am hoping that regular readers (and irregular readers) will sharpen their pencils for comments, as she has promised to reply to all questions or comments.  Tune in on Wednesday to read about her story.

The week in bullet points:

• Sunday to Wednesday – get all your paperwork up to date
• Thursday to Saturday – employ strategies if communications go awry