You may feel that you were losing the plot last week, or that events in the world were going round in circles.  Has there been any progress in Libya, you might have wondered?  And what is going on in Japan?  In the UK, the government announced that they would not immediately be implementing their new NHS policies, to give time to “pause, listen, reflect and improve” them, playing for more time in order to “explain to the public”.  At the same time, UK nuclear plans were delayed, by at least three months, because of the lessons thrown up by the Japanese situation.  In the U.S. a federal government shutdown was narrowly averted.  In a week where the main astrological features were Neptune entering Pisces and Pluto going retrograde, the nature of events was hidden or appearing to tread water.  The conglomeration of planets in fire sign Aries did have an effect on UK weather.  We had a heatwave (the previous hottest April being in 1949 when there was also a satellitium in Aries – coincidence?) and on the irresistible TV programme “Lambing Live” the lambs came out to play and basked in the sunshine.  That was the week that was: I originally planned a separate blog on this, but I lost the plot and went round in circles with it.

All the action this week comes in a 7-hour time frame, which in the UK is 20.41 Hrs Monday (11^th) to 3.59 a.m. Tuesday (12^th).  The nature of the events will be similar around the world, but different times of day may give rise to different scenarios.

Coming up to the Mars-Uranus conjunction a week ago, we had a wave of action: in the Ivory Coast (now in stalemate), the Middle East (now in stalemate), Afghanistan protest against Koran burning in the U.S. and a peaceful PC killed in Northern Ireland.  For Monday night’s square between Mars and Pluto I would give similar advice: “If you are skilled at handling explosive energy, e.g. if you have been trained to dismantle the results, then you can let off the sparklers, but otherwise handle with caution.”

The Tuesday morning aspect is kinder and promises upbeat communication (Mercury conjunct Jupiter, at 17 degrees Aries), and if it can be dealt with separately from the earlier aspect, better results will ensue.  But by their proximity, the two events may merge into one.  So bearing in mind that you need to be fully present in order to create the optimum experience in that 7 hour period, here is a round the world tour:

UK Monday night, Tuesday morning:  You arrive home from work exhausted, and a bit touchy.  You force yourself to have a meditation, knowing that the peaceful vibes may be able to dispel any conflict or confrontation over who has the upper hand with the TV remote control.  You congratulate yourself that a major incident has been averted. Then you retire to try and sleep, but your mind is very active (Mercury conjunct Jupiter) and you find the best way to move through this situation is to read a volume of Encyclopaedia Britannica on your Kindle.  If you should fall asleep, a vision of Utopia may be presented in your dreams.

US Monday afternoon/tea-time (U.S. readers I am sure you don’t call it tea-time, please correct me):  At the office, there is a major conflict of interest, and two sides may polarize, over which brand of water to use in the water-cooler.  Whether it is better to use the more ecological brand, or the cheaper brand bearing in mind the economic stringencies of our times.  Of course the U.S. version of The Office is not the same as the original Ricky Gervais version, but is just as true to life.  For those staying a little late in the Office to smooth things over, you will find that useful discussions can take place during the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction, and deeper layers of understanding about the earlier Mars-Pluto skirmish can be understood and debated.

Australia Monday morning/lunchtime: You wake with a burst of energy, but realize that unfocussed or if not properly channeled, the energy may clash with others who are also bursting to express their raw energy.  A barbie on the beach may be one way to focus the energy, but there may be better, cooler ways.  You could find yourself defending the underdog, or protecting the environment, or just taking a cool dip in non-crocodile-infested waters.  Spiritually, you can practice forgiveness, towards ignorant foreign bloggers promoting stereotypes.  Surviving the Mars-Pluto square, you can then focus your mind constructively on the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction and your brilliant piece of writing for your local newspaper,  reporting what you observed in your neighbourhood earlier in the morning, or your insights as you performed the Salute to the Sun in your early morning yoga routine.

Libya On Monday evening the Moon conjuncts Gaddafi’s Mars, stimulating his emotions (over and above the Mars-Pluto square) and the Nodal Axis squares his natal Neptune, producing a sense of isolation and confusion in his bunker for that time.  For his P.R. son Saif, Venus will be square his Moon, and his personal life may feel uneasy, but Saturn will be trine his Saturn and he may be feeling more in control than usual.

Japan on Monday morning will still be feeling a sense of being uninformed (Moon squaring natal Neptune, confused emotion) but Pluto (planet of long-term and deep change) is trine the Ascendant of the Japan natal chart, and trine the Sun which enables them to carry on nobly bearing their environmental and emotional trials.  Pluto in favourable aspect by transit in this way mitigates to some extent the harsher aspects of the Mars-Pluto square and enables them to apply some of their philosophy in a constructive way.  Trust is not quite the right word, in the post-traumatic state they find themselves in, and acceptance may be a better word,  but at least there may be a deeper understanding for some.  Later in the morning or early afternoon, Mercury conjunct Jupiter may reveal some information which had been withheld, and which is useful, and may be better than they expected.

And the rest of the week

There are no major aspects for the rest of the week, and you may profitably spend the rest of the week digesting the Monday night/Tuesday morning scenarios.  If you find you have caught up, you can do some advance homework, working on the upcoming Full Moon of next Monday (18^th April) at 27 degrees Libra.  The best work you can do is to harmonize the polarity of Aries and Libra within yourself, which is your own needs (Sun in Aries) balanced with those of close partners (Moon in Libra).  So that might entail more meditation to connect with what is necessary for you, and more discussion and communication with partners to understand how the assertion of your own needs affects them, and how far you can support them in their own quest.

P.S. I have created a new category: Mayan Calendar.  As well as the recent guest blog by Asia Haleem about the Babylonians, the Mayan Calendar and the Transit of Venus, O’Douce has now delivered a film of herself giving readings on the Mayan Calendar at a Festival – see the Interview “Swimming with Dolphins”

Links:

Babylonians, Mexicans and the Total Count

http://www.lanawooster.co.uk/blog/2011/03/babylonians-mexicans-and-the-total-count/

Interview Series No. 8 – O’Douce swimming with Dolphins

http://www.lanawooster.co.uk/blog/2011/02/interview-series-8-odouce-swimming-with-dolphins/

Happy Mother’s Day!  I am late to blog today, as I have just got back from visiting my new grandson.  It’s the New Moon today, and of all the New Moons, New Moon in Aries is the newest.  It’s time to celebrate yourself, and life in general.  Feel the earth energy rising up from your garden wellies and the rays of heaven pouring down through your Crown Chakra… (showing my hippie roots here -) “You are a child of the Universe no less than the treasured stars;  You have a right to be here.  And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the Universe is unfolding as it should” (Max Erhmann, “Desiderata”).  What new project are you starting today?  I am hoping to start writing a new feature “That was the week that was”, examining what really did happen in the news and in personal lives.  So often we rush on in our lives (and fail to go placidly amid the noise and the haste) without examining what actually did happen and why.  We are on to the next experience with no time to analyse or learn from history.  I am going to try to make that time, and starting today.  Later today, some excitement bursts forth this evening (UK time) with Mars conjunct Uranus.  If you are skilled at handling explosive energy e.g if you have been trained to dismantle the results, then you can let off the sparklers, but otherwise handle with caution.  Those born with Mars-Uranus aspects or born during a thunderstorm (often the same thing) will know what I mean.  Still later, things could go flat, with Sun opposite Saturn.  What seemed like a good idea, those high jinks, could look very different.  Expectations may have been raised far above capabilities.  The cold light of day could set in just before midnight…Maybe a good night’s sleep will settle things, and there’s hopefully not too much damage done.  It’s an important night to re-align with the Soul, for we start a new 14-year era tomorrow, Monday 4^th.  as Neptune in its own sign of Pisces signals the “Era of the Collective Unconscious”.  Chiron acted as Neptune’s herald, entering Pisces earlier this year, and you may have noticed you’ve been pushed to address some of your spiritual issues recently.  In the 14-year period while Neptune has been in Aquarius networking on the internet has expanded exponentially.  Some of its applications have had a callous quality of detachment.  But with Neptune in Pisces the involvement will be more emotional and demonstrate the Oneness of the human spirit.  Compassion will have to enter the picture.  Collectively we will laugh, and collectively we will cry.  Sales of Kleenex will rise.  The emotional web that connects us will be more keenly felt.  This means that we need to learn to define our personal boundaries more firmly.  But it does mean that those of hard heart may turn round and have compassion for their victims.  You may see this early on in Neptune’s reign of its own sign (for an event may symbolize this, and effects are most easily seen initially), but come back to this blog in 14 years’ time and you may see that the process of softening has happened gradually.  It is part of the plan for the Golden Age of Aquarius for hearts to open.  I do love it when a planet goes into its home territory.  There will be a moment of feeling a rightness about it, which some may notice.  On Wednesday (6^th) the Sun conjuncts Jupiter at 16 degrees of Aries.  You may be jumping up and down with enthusiasm about something, possibly about a project you started on the New Moon.  Saturday (9^th) may see a reversal or pulling back psychologically or practically, with Pluto going stationary prior to turning retrograde.  Have no fear, for a planet’s got to do what a planet’s got to do.  It is part of its motion from time to time, a taking stock.  But it would be helpful to notice what is going on for you psychologically, and see how it may be connected to this event.  For example, if you are in psychoanalysis, you may be literally covering old ground again.  There is a very helpful aspect later in the day, Sun conjunct Mercury in Aries, where thoughts crystallize and you may have a moment of true insight.  So you will start to feel it is worth re-hashing old ground again.  And the North Node is transiting the Galactic Centre this week and next.  From recent research, I have realized that in our lives important spiritual shifts occur when something is transiting the Galactic Centre.  And as the North Node relates to karmic mission, both personal and collectively, it can mean a karmic shift.  Meanwhile, I have re-posted a blog originally hosted elsewhere, about the Nodal Axis and more specifically the South Node.  Though it was posted on 1^st April, it is not intended as an April Fool’s joke.

Here is a blog I wrote recently, which first appeared in an illustrated version on U.S. Astrologer Joyce Mason’s website The Radical Virgo as a guest blog on 14 March 2011.  It is being reproduced here for my own readers, for new readers, and  as a resource and reference under my Karmic and Archive categories.

For 21 years, I have combined Past Life Therapy and Astrology. I realize there is more I don’t know about karma than I do!  But working in both mediums enables me to get past conjecture.  In some cases, too, I have the privilege of seeing karma working out or dissolving.

A word about Karma: It is time to view the subject with less terror than viewed in other centuries and cultures.  It is an automatic system of justice, and we all love justice.

We can work to mitigate it, first, by not incurring more, i.e. through non-violence and harmlessness, but also by being proactive, authentic and not allowing ourselves victimhood.

I picked up my first book on Astrology in 1970, before modern psychological astrology had taken hold and  before computerized research was possible. Many of the books at the time were still very fatalistic in their approach.  Back then, the interpretation of the North Node was where “the Lord giveth” and the fear-inducing South Node where “the Lord taketh away.”  I did not find this very appealing, and left the Nodes out of the equation until 20 years later when I came upon the Karmic Astrology of Martin Schulman, and the revelatory interpretations of regression therapist Judy Hall.  Here were approaches I could work with.  My view now is that the Nodal Axis is a continuum, and while some sources indicate abandoning the past-life habits of the South Node, I see the axis as a path to wholeness.

I am offering here 12 possible Archetypal South Node portraits or vignettes, built up from different sources and partly from the experiences of clients but told in such a way as to avoid revealing their intensely personal stories.  There is nothing subtle about the following vignettes. Indeed they are often one-dimensional, so you may or may not resonate with them, but at least may find them thought-provoking.  They may reconnect you with your South Node, if you are at the second stage of your journey, for many people cut off their South Node mode of being when they step towards their North Node karmic mission at a specific point in early adulthood. They may not be able to carry the South Node ways of being, and it is simpler to drop them.  Some consciously dismantle their South Node Archetype, or feel it would hold them back. Not everyone is destined in this lifetime to attempt the third stage, which is to combine the North and South Node in wholeness.  The journey starts with the South Node (Stage 1), and babies display the characteristics of the South Node more purely, before their karmic path has started. We can scoop up our past-life talents (Stage 1) and draw upon them as we venture forth to perfect the qualities of our North Node (Stage 2) and bring the two ends of the axis together (Stage 3).

Developing the North Node and planets located near the North Node are subjects for future writing.

How to Read the Portraits for Personal Application

1. If you have a planet conjunct your South Node find that, e.g  Mars conjunct South Node under Aries.
2. If you do not have a planet conjunct your South Node, read the sign of your South Node.
3. If you have a planet square to your Nodal Axis, you will find a description under the sign ruled by that planet.
4. If you do not know your South Node sign read your Sun sign, i.e. read South Node in Aries if you are Sun sign Aries.

 

South Node in Aries

Mars conjunct South Node

Archetype:  The Warrior

Place:  England

Time:  A.D. 61

I am Bodicea and it has fallen to me to stand up for my tribe.  I have to protect and defend my people and when the invaders are in the way I have to assert our rights and deal with them.  I live in the moment – it’s the only way to get things done!  None of this past-life nonsense for me.

The past life gift I bring with me is to be my authentic self.

Mars square to the Nodes: This signifies the need to integrate the warrior aspect harmoniously into life.

North Node in Libra: The karmic mission is to promote peace, to harmonize with another in close relationship, marriage or business partnership.

Integrated Nodal Axis of Aries and Libra: This entails knowing when to assert yourself, when to be peaceful, when to be selfish and when to yield.

 

South Node in Taurus

Venus conjunct South Node

Archetype:  The Artist

Place:  Lemuria

Time: 60,000 BC

I am Croar and I live close to the earth and nature and am inspired by its beauty.  I reflect that love by creating pots and tools, making them as fine as I can using the natural materials around me.  I love my family and our animals but my connection with the Earth is stronger than anything.  I’m a troglodyte, engraving  petroglyphs,  and dodging pterodactyls!

The gift I bring with me from my past life is an appreciation of the beauty in nature, and an ability to express this through art forms.

Venus square to the Nodes in Fixed or Mutable Signs: This creates a greater challenge to express relationship and Art in a wider way which takes into account the needs of a group.

North Node in Scorpio: My karmic mission is to face the transformative nature of life, including my own fears, and to search for the hero within.

Integrated Nodal Axis of Taurus and Scorpio: Balance between the material and non-material worlds and to understand when it is time for new beginnings, when forms in life are to be sustained and supported, and to know when the time is right for endings.

 

South Node in Gemini

Mercury conjunct South Node

Archetype:  The Teacher

Place:  America

Time: 1920s

I am a born teacher.  My name is Carina and I live in Chicago in 1920s.  I am stimulated by all the exchange of views going on here, and the inspiring architecture.  My friends discuss the evolutionary theory of Darwin and the new science of Psychology as developed by Sigmund Freud.  Very interesting in theory, but I wouldn’t actually want to go to see an Analyst! I love knowledge, and I love my subject, and that’s what motivates me.

The gift I bring with from this past life is the ability to focus the mind and the mental agility to communicate my knowledge to people.

Mercury square to the Nodes in Mutable Signs: The drive to communicate can sometimes be taken to extremes or be inappropriate, or result in losing sight of other more instinctual needs.

North Node in Sagittarius: My karmic mission is to widen my area of consciousness and to explore mentally, if not also physically.

Integrated Nodal Axis of Gemini and Sagittarius: To master the principle of communication and understand at what point in the continuum information needs to be placed.

 

South Node in Cancer

Moon conjunct the South Node

Archetype: The Parent

Country: Africa

Time:  1875 A.D.

My name is Ndola.  I live in a roundhouse, as part of a community and tribe.  I am an elder, right now devoted to my grandson, the newest member of our tribe!  I am happy as long as the milk is flowing for our babies.  Mother Earth sustains us, and we collectively honour her, in ritual and ceremony.  We also use her special plants and herbs for our healing.  Whenever I hear our drumbeats, I attune to her rhythms. Our tribe lives and moves as one, trance dancing to the patterns of the bright star Sirius.

The gift I bring with me from my past life is the ability to bring my tribe together.

Moon square to the Nodes: A need to build constructively the power of nurturing in your life.

North Node in Capricorn: To understand the need for structures in society, which can serve the needs and emotions of the people.

Integrated Nodal Axis of Cancer and Capricorn: To balance responsibility and nurturing in a supportive lifestyle for yourself and your loved ones.

 

South Node in Leo

Sun conjunct South Node

Archetype:  Royalty

Place: Egypt

Time: 44 BC

My name is Cleopatra and I am Queen of Egypt.  Don’t you believe me?  I know, you’ve heard it all before.  Everybody wants to be me or thinks they are me!  But I am really the Queen.  Can you not tell I have the taste, and the breeding?  I want to express myself and be creative and joyful, and in order to do that I need to be in control of my world and all the subjects in it.  My Soul Group is working on divine rights (or diva rights).  My leading man Mark Anthony and I, we’ve have had our ups and downs, but you’d expect a little drama in the life of a Queen.

The gift I can bring to my current life is a sense of self-worth (if I can allow it in), keeping the crown jewels of nobility, integrity and self-esteem.

Sun square to the Nodes: May bring the urge to challenge power in others or in society.  Need to foster positive models of power.

North Node in Aquarius: Working towards ways of being in groups without dominating but in an empowered way.

Integrated Nodal Axis of Leo and Aquarius: Ability to stand in own individuality and in a group and contribute in a positive way without overpowering others.

 

South Node in Virgo

Mercury conjunct South Node

Chiron conjunct South Node (Healing skills developed in past lives)

Archetype:  The Craftsperson

Place:  Switzerland

Time:  1850

My name is Hans and I am a specialist precision watchmaker in Zermatt. People don’t try to take the trouble to do a fine job anymore, but here I uphold that tradition and hope it continues in generations to come.  I do not presume to understand the world, but I know my place in it.  I start with a spotless environment–you won’t find any dust in my watches!

The gift I bring with me to this life is the ability to apply myself in my work and attend to detail.  My nervous system remembers the patterns of coordination I used in the past.
Mercury square the Nodal Axis – A need to be more sensitive and alive to varying demands in teaching roles.

Chiron square the Nodal Axis – Very individualistic. Can find unusual solutions to problems.

North Node in Pisces: Subtle ways of being, and of giving service.  Perfecting the spiritual path.

Integration of Nodal Axis of Virgo and Pisces: The ability to give service, in the community and in the world.

 

South Node in Libra

Venus conjunct South Node

Archetype: The Diplomat
Place: Ancient Greece
Time: 421 BC

My name is Demis. I live in Corinth and try to smooth relations between  Athens and Sparta. I can see both their qualities and greatness and feel that I can bring them together.  There are plenty of people practising the art of war, but not enough cultivating the art of peace.  I love justice, too, having been educated in philosophy and law and hope one day that all people will accept the balance it brings. I am proud, too, of the artistic achievements of my country, which I think are outstanding. For beauty is truth and truth beauty, as you can see on this urn that I have before me. Maybe one day a poet will capture that essence.

The gift I bring with me to this life is the ability to bring people together by emphasizing their similarities, and creating harmony.  Deep in my heart, I desire peace.
Venus square the Nodal Axis in Cardinal or Mutable signs The path of true love does not always run smoothly.  Dedicated to working out karmic relationships and to working problems out peacefully.

North Node in Aries: To develop individuality without fear or guilt.  To learn self-assertion.

Integrated Nodal Axis of Aries and Libra: This entails knowing when to assert yourself, when to be peaceful, when to be selfish and when to yield.

 

South Node in Scorpio

Pluto conjunct South Node

Archetype:   The Seafarer

Place: Scandinavia

Time: 1002 A.D.

My name is Erik and I am a Viking.  I have a lot of emotional drive and energy. Weaving through our local waters, I just have to look into the fjords to regenerate myself.  I couldn’t live my life cut off from that source like some lands we have visited.  I like a challenge and don’t necessarily do things the easy way.  The force of the Norse gods is with me!

The gift I bring with me from this past life is to be unafraid of deep water, whether in nature or in one’s own psyche.

Pluto square to the Nodes: To see the challenges of life and society and not to shy away from them.  A bit of a revolutionary.

North Node in Taurus: Working towards a more creative and constructive lifestyle or spiritual path.

Integrated Nodal Axis of Taurus and Scorpio: Balance between the material and non-material worlds and to understand when it is time for new beginnings, when forms in life are to be sustained and supported, and to know when the time is right for endings.

 

South Node in Sagittarius

Jupiter conjunct South Node

Archetype:  The Explorer

Place: South America

Time:  1836 A.D.

I am Rodriguez and I am an explorer. I have been everywhere, searching for…something.  Last year I came across an ancient temple, pyramid-like, resembling something from Babylon. Hidden away behind thickets it was. I’m a Christian but I’ve always been fascinated by the sacred, where man communes with God or the gods. Anyway, you’ll never believe it (why am I telling you this?) but I ran. I ran right away because I couldn’t handle the responsibility!  It’s the thrill of the chase, for me, with temples.

The gift I bring with me from this past life is open-mindedness, especially towards other religions.

Jupiter square to the Nodes: May have the Explorer Archetype in past lives, and may need to balance your restlessness in this lifetime.  There may also be residual religious guilt to release.

North Node in Gemini: The need to focus the mind and develop the Inner Teacher

Integrated Nodal Axis of Gemini and Sagittarius: To master the principle of communication and understand at what point in the continuum information needs to be placed.

 

South Node in Capricorn

Saturn conjunct South Node

Archetype:  The Politician

Place: Russia

Time: 1905

My name is Piotr, and I whisper in the corridors of power. But even the whispering has rules. You speak only when you are spoken to by someone above your rank. You only speak that which is necessary and the bare minimum and for a serious purpose.  Every word is weighed carefully.  And information is classified, on a need-to-know basis.  Sssh!  I cannot tell you anything at the moment.  Sometimes you’d think this was an old Trappist monastery.

The gift I bring with me from this past life is discipline, the ability to be measured and work quietly towards my goal.

Saturn square the Nodal Axis: Being so focused and goal-orientated, there’s a need to remember to keep the heart open.

North Node in Cancer: Family values and parenting nurtured and the strong sense of the tribe and its needs.

Integrated Nodal Axis for Cancer and Capricorn: To balance responsibility and nurturing in a supportive lifestyle for yourself and your loved ones.

 

South Node in Aquarius

Uranus conjunct South Node

Archetype:  The Technician

Place: Atlantis

Time: 50,000 B.C.

My name is Barbarella. I live in Poseidia, and I am androgynous, but that might change in the future.  I use lasers and crystals in my work, and my group is helping to develop a large crystal we call “the Collider”, which has great potential.  Tremendous intelligence is networked within the group, and I’m excited by all the new developments.  I certainly know the work we do is powerful… sometimes I do wonder about the consequences, but brush any such thoughts aside.  It’ll be fine. I’ll just press this button and….

The gift I have brought into my current life from Atlantis is future vision and a love of progress and technological advancement.  I have the capacity for dispassionate scientific thought.
Uranus square the Nodal Axis: Indicates the need to apply knowledge and inner knowing ethically and safely on behalf of groups and society.  There is a desire to shake up the existing order.

North Node in Leo: The need to develop a stronger relationship with one’s own power, the integration of the personality, and to strengthen self-esteem.

Integration of the Nodal Axis for Leo and Aquarius: Ability to stand in one’s own individuality and in a group and contribute in a positive way without overpowering others.

 

South Node in Pisces

Neptune conjunct the South Node

Archetype:  The Mystic

Place: Polynesian islands

Time: 1200 A.D.

My name is Enui, and I come from Rapa Nui (Easter Island).  Well part of me lives here, but I come from other places, too. We have a mystical consciousness, moving and shape-shifting in and out of different dimensions.  As a fishing race, sea creatures are sacred to us, especially the Turtle.  I have seven parallel lives, including one on the Pleiades.  I can see you find that hard to believe.  Why limit your consciousness?

The gift I have brought forward into my life is multidimensional consciousness, a way of being which is still in the memory banks for access.

Neptune square to the Nodes: Confusing to yourself and others, but at the same time challenging them to open their minds, confusion being part of the transition state.

North Node in Virgo: The karmic mission is to hone your skills, be aware of detail, moving away from scattered thinking and action.

Integration of Nodal Axis for Virgo and Pisces: The ability to give service, in the community and in the world.

© 2011 by Lana Wooster
All Rights Reserved

To see the original illustrated version on The Radical Virgo, click here:

http://radicalvirgo.blogspot.com/2011/03/astrology-and-past-lives.html#more

There seems to be even more going on this week, and I am wondering how to pack it all into one little blog.  Of course I can’t contain it here…Harry Hill may be able to manage the week’s TV viewing in one little TV studio, but even the news broadcasters are having difficulty fitting in follow ups to the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.  They are however following the fate of the Nuclear plants in Japan, and this has sparked much debate in the U.K. about their viability, and given our only Green MP (Sagittarius) Caroline Lucas a platform in the media.  She was on Question Time recently, and debated in the Guardian yesterday with (Aquarian) George Monbiot.  Her argument is that “There are cheaper, faster, safer, more effective ways of getting our emissions down than going nuclear”.  If that is true, what is it that makes our governments gravitate to more self-destructive options?  And why, in the face of the Japanese situation, is George Monbiot turning towards the nuclear option?  Is it a case of denial, or cognitive dissonance, when he says: “As for the dangers, I’m beginning to feel that there’s as much nonsense talked about low-level radiation as there is about the undetectable health impacts that doctors can’t see but homeopaths can”.  Meanwhile, the unrest in the Middle East is growing, with Syria and Yemen protest sprouting fast, seeded from the success in Tunisian and Egyptian, and despite the desperate situation in Libya.  The anti-Gaddafi alliance is trying to pass the baton from the UN to NATO, while the issue of whether or not it is nobler to kill Gaddafi or not remains unresolved.  Our UK newspapers this morning show pictures of our own protests in London, yesterday, about the cuts.  All this is leading to the polarizing “whose side are you on?” aspect of Jupiter opposite Saturn tomorrow, and more of that, later.  Today we focus on love, particularly the idealistic kind, but any will do in the current climate.  We start today with Venus conjunct Neptune, and then Venus enters Pisces which deepens the whole experience.  We need to practice our unconditional and compassionate loving, for Neptune enters its own sign of Pisces next week, and we are all standing on the shore, waiting to plunge into the ocean of the collective unconscious.  Some will be overwhelmed, but many who thought they couldn’t swim will find that they can (more next week).  Talking of Pisceans, I was very moved by the death of Elizabeth Taylor midweek.  So much so, that I spent the second half of the week researching her life to write some sort of astrobiography, which would have to be serialized.  I will probably be diverted next week on to something else, but really hope to fathom some of her unfathomable life.  Pisces and its ruling planet represent charity, and her AIDS work was one of the most enduring of her legacies.  So today’s aspects form a focus on love and what it means to you and what it might mean to you in the future.  Venus is leaving the detached and dispassionate but friendly and collective sign of Aquarius where it has established brotherhood between the oppressed populations, and now enters a sign where emotions are more involved.  Tomorrow, Monday (28^th) we start with a semi-sextile between Venus and Uranus, a nod to the citizen next to you standing up for freedom.  Then the Sun squares Pluto, and the consequences of recent violence may hit home.  The emotional if not the practical results of destruction need to be attended to.  But the most important event of the week also takes place tomorrow – the opposition between Jupiter and Saturn, one which you may have felt coming.  We all have contradictions in our make-up, and it is something that Astrologers, when describing a chart, have to find a way to explain in a way which doesn’t make it look like they are neutralizing their own argument.  If you know which houses in your chart this opposition takes place across, then you will have more idea of the issues involved for you, how to achieve the balance, or what is required.  If not, then you need to look at those areas of your psyche which are opposed to each other, or out of balance.  Societies are tearing themselves apart right now, and we need to be living harmoniously with ourselves.  Identify your opposing Archetypes, perhaps, such as the Economist (Saturn) and the Spendthrift (Jupiter).  Perhaps it is not too late for them to talk to each other, or the more freedom loving one could be getting very restless.  On Tuesday (29^th) Venus conjuncts Chiron in early Pisces, and it is time for you to confront your fears (good preparation for Neptune going into Pisces).  Those of you, like me, who are not natural swimmers, may look at your past-life drowning scenarios, for instance.  If you have fears about the world coming to an end in 2012, read the guest blog by Asia Haleem on why she thinks the Mayan Calendar ends in 2012, heralded by a transit of Venus.  Some have a fear of Mercury Retrograde, and Wednesday (30th) provides an opportunity to get over it.  Yes, it’s come round again, and like Colin Firth in the King’s Speech, if you practice clear communications over and over again, you get better, and you will have fewer problems, despite any Mercury Retrograde periods.  Thursday (31^st) has a semi-square between Jupiter and Neptune, when we will be required to get clear on our views on religion, spirituality and faith. On my census form I put “Universal” for religion, for the record.  I know quite a few people who were debating with themselves less orthodox entries for this question.  On Saturday 2^nd April there is a semi-sextile between Mars and Neptune, a similar debate but perhaps more slanted towards sexual orientation, which mercifully we weren’t asked on the Census.  Later, Mars enters Aries, and the militance turns more strident, and there is more certainty about sexual orientation, too.  Finally, Venus sextiles Pluto, a fittingly solid end to a roller-coaster of a week.  Money and Love issues seem to resolve more harmoniously.  I leave you with a long quotation from Astrologer Linda Goodman in her book “Love Signs” about Elizabeth Taylor, which was written in 1978 so may no longer apply, but you may find intriguing if you are a fan of either of these women:

“When the vibration of Pluto and Neptune rise to an intensely emotional level, the subject of death may enter the periphery of the relationship.  It may touch them closely…or distantly…maybe manifesting simply in an involvement in reincarnational and other  various matters generally pertaining to death.  Only one example (and there are many) is the powerful bond between actress Elizabeth Taylor and actor Richard Burton, in which the death of Elizabeth’s husband, showman Mike Todd, played a major and mystical karmic role of Destiny – a role they have not themselves yet fully realized or comprehended.  I say this, not to invade their privacy, for neither of them has ever tried to keep the pride of their passion and  the passion of their pride…a secret from the public.  A streaking comet cannot hide its blazing path from curious galaxies.  Naturally death, in some form, will eventually touch any human association, not just that of Scorpio and Pisces.  But the essence of death as created through the haunting and haunted blend of Neptune’s and Pluto’s combined pulsations is not an ordinary, but an extraordinary, kind of experience.  It invariably contains an air of the compellingly mysterious and inexplicable.”

Calling All Enthusiasts of Astro-Archaeology!

For my first Guest Blog, Asia Haleem has produced an article on why she thinks the Mayan Calendar ends in 2012, heralded by a transit of Venus.

She was also the subject of an Interview on this website [See Interviews]

I hope you will be as enthralled as I am by her thesis of the tie-in between these two astronomical events, and look forward to your feedback.

~ Lana

Biography: ASIA HALEEM (ASIA SHEPSUT)

Asia started out as an Art Historian (London University) but when embarking on a doctorate to explore its roots in the ancient near east, got sidetracked into writing two books using the factual information she came across about festivals in the ancient world, and real-life priestesses of the time (Year of the Goddess and Journey of the Priestess, both published by HarperCollins and still available as used copies on Amazon)!

On continuing to look further into ancient art she obtained qualifications in Archaeology (London University) and Astrology (Company of Astrologers), realising there was a central core of imagery based on the ancient calendar waiting to be deciphered. This is the point at which she was again sidetracked looking in depth at Babylonian Astronomy so as to understand the core cycle of images she has named The Canon of Ancient Near Eastern Art [CANEA]. During that line of enquiry she found out about the astonishing gift of the Mesopotamians for Divination, Astrology and their theories of correspondences between zodiac, colours, substances, plants and human behaviour – on which the material in www.cosmokrator.com is based.

Thirty years on she is finally in a position to complete the original task she set out to do – to interpret the CANEA – definitely with no more diversions – and is starting to archive her results on www.layish.co.uk.

Babylonians, Mexicans and the Total Count

We live in turbulent times, when abnormal human behavior and alarming Earth disasters can be taken as signs of the Last Days prophesied in most religious traditions  . Many wonder whether the ending in 2012 of the Aztec/Mexican forward-looking Calendar is another such sign. Since 2012 is next year it is worth looking into the possible reasons behind their calculation – and why I come to the conclusion we should take heart that it need not mean the end of humanity on Earth but simply the end of an era – and the beginning of a new one! I am not an expert on Mayan astronomy, but having worked extensively on ancient Mesopotamian astronomy (some references are in the footnotes) I am going to follow a theoretical take on Venus and time counting with you.

The Feathered Rattle Snake Quetzalcoatl, primaeval as a pterodactyl (Diag. 1), to the Aztecs embodied Venus as Morning Star – while they saw his twin brother Xolotl as the evil Evening Star of Venus at night. Quetzalcoatl was said to be so ugly that he wears a wind mask made of serpents writhing round his face – like our Gorgon.

During 2012 the world will see a Transit of Venus/Quetzalcoatl across the Sun on 6 June – a rare occurrence compared to the number of times we observe the Moon crossing the Sun in any decade. Viewable to us in the West, it will be an obvious sign in the sky six months before the ending of 2012 at the Winter Solstice when a further, more invisible, landmark will be reached (see the last paragraph of this article). I believe the impending Transit of Venus was consciously used as a signpost marker by the ancient Mexicans to end their calendar by. Since Venus is very much involved in the counting of time and since we have a lot of relevant evidence, as background I am going to ask you to look with me at some key factors involving Venus in Mesopotamian astronomy – which we can assume were also known by the Aztecs. Starting at a basic level the initial concept for us to take on board is that Mesopotamians dealt with Venus in a triad with Sun and Moon (Diag. 2).

Click here to read the rest of the article!

Blogging on a Sunday morning ensures that I stay in the now at least once in the week now I am retired and often don’t know what day it is.  When I started this four years ago, I was just writing about the aspects for the week ahead.  But now it has become an exercise in putting the aspects in the wider context of the news and how the aspects from the previous week are playing out.  So I may have to change the title to something like “That was the week that was plus aspects for the week ahead”.  There is so much going on this week that I have a split-screen in my mind of Libya on one side and Japan on the other, and though Libya has overtaken Japan on the news at this moment, there is really a lot more going on in Japan.  However, if you look at Libya as part of what is going on in the Middle East, that scenario has uprising in the Yemen, talks between the government and opposition in Bahrain, and democratic roots starting to be established in Egypt – a lot going on.  Where to start?  A reporter mentioned last night that the new intervention in Libya of a no-fly zone (we now have more idea of what it entails) is happening on the anniversary of the Iraq War of 20/3/11 – there must be some astrological significance in that, even if only a Solar Return!  The United Nations Organization was founded in 1945, the same year that Japan was in such dire straits it is said.  Jupiter is currently trining the Pluto of the UN chart (the wielding of power), but Pluto is squaring its Neptune (the unknown consequences).  As I write, they are still debating the morality of intervention on Sunday morning television, one Professor of Politics advocating the diplomatic intervention of getting both sides together to talk.  Much as I love peacemaking it is difficult now to imagine talking to Colonel Gaddafi.  Jack Straw was speaking this week about how the British Government had to speak to him in order to persuade him to abandon his nuclear weapons, but it would be difficult to imagine that anyone could talk to him now.  I am going to leave the current news scene now, but my heart and thoughts are equally with the Japanese people now for all they have to contend with, opened up to us this week by news reporting of images of the flotsam and jetsam left behind by the tsunami, the heroic attempts to shower the nuclear plants with sea water, and vignettes of personal stories of survivors trying to trace their loved ones.  My brief this week is very brief, as we have few aspects.  Today there is a minor semi-sextile between the Sun and Neptune – a sense of where are we now?  But later in the day we will know exactly where we are – at the beginning of the Astrological New Year with the Sun entering Aries!  It is Spring, and this should register with you on some level; maybe you’ve been planting in the garden, or starting a new project (some of us feel we have new lives, since Jupiter and Uranus entered Aries, and this sense will be reinforced).  Today will have a sense of finishing something and then starting something else.  As if to rubber stamp the new regime, the Sun will conjunct Uranus tomorrow (Monday 21^st) and new growth and new projects may see visible results.  In international affairs, there may be surprises (though we are assured we are not going to have a repeat of shock and awe 2003-style).  There may be some new ideas of hope and assistance for stricken countries.  Where individuals have established new projects, they may be able to join with others in group initiatives.  And that is a new beginning, a fresh start, with no other aspects for the rest of the week, which means just consolidating what you have started.  Just a couple of practical notes for your diary:  Wednesday 23^rd: Post your Census Form…Saturday 26^th: 8.30 pm (international event) Earth Hour, switch off your lights for an hour.  Happy Astrological New Year to you!

Radical Virgo (aka) Joyce Mason caught my eye two years ago with the zany humour and upbeat pics on her website.   I like her style of presenting profound material in a lighthearted way.

She welcomed me into the astrological blogging community, and for that I am eternally grateful.  Reading other blogs is a vital part of learning on the job!

As well as being an expert on Chiron, she has a huge heart and has opened her blog to guests while she works on various projects, including a new book on Chiron based on her research findings.

And if that was not enough, she has now hosted something I’ve recently written:

Astrology and Past Lives

The Nodal Axis: The South Node and Where we Come from

If you want to know more about how my Astrological work intertwines with my Past Life work, click on the following link which will take you to her website.

http://radicalvirgo.blogspot.com/2011/03/astrology-and-past-lives.html#more

She writes:

“Guests broaden the horizons of my blog. They give readers so much more when I can invite other favorite writers to share their passions and posts.”

Thank you, Joyce!

Within hours of Uranus entering Aries, a large scale disaster unfolded on our screens coming from Japan: earthquake, followed by tsunami and then nuclear plant meltdown.  The national chart of Japan shows the sword of Damocles which has been present in the form of a Grand Cross between the natal Mercury, Saturn, Uranus and Chiron.  I associate Saturn/Uranus with earthquakes, and Japan has a square between them natally, thus predisposing them to earthquakes.  This earthquake, long expected, occurred as Jupiter activated the Grand Cross by transiting the natal Mercury.  Jupiter comes to that position every 12 years, so what distinguishes this time from other such moments?  The answer may lie in the timings of the eclipses, according to Marjorie Orr on her website.  The Head of Disaster Management for the Red Cross was saying on Radio 5 Live this morning that in terms of unmet humanitarian need the situation in Libya and Tunisia is still more demanding, partly because of the sophisticated level of organization which the Japanese have in place.  The scenes in Japan (brought from mobile phones to satellites to our TVs) have been incredibly graphic and nightmarishly surreal, with especially poignant reports about children being snatched from water or being checked for radiation, and all hearts are with them.  Crossing over to the Libyan situation, we have blotted our copy books with our interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and while the world is agreed that something must be done, we are not morally equipped to save the Libyans from being slaughtered by the man who thinks they love him.   The Arab League however are now declaring the need for a no fly zone, and they certainly have more authority to do so.  Looking at the transits to the chart of the Arab League for this point in time, they may need a little more time to firm up their organization, confidence and thought before significant action can be galvanized, but this week Mars (action) is trine their North Node (karmic mission) and in two weeks time the North Node is sextile their Mars, indicating a theme of karma tied to action.  However the period in between looks tough with Saturn square to their Nodal Axis, and they cannot afford to make things worse.  In the meantime, all power and donations to the Red Cross.  Provided you have got over the shock of Uranus entering Aries yesterday, you can prepare your strategy for Pluto’s square to Mercury today.  Take extra super duper care of your communication equipment today, e.g. don’t put your iphone in the dishwasher.  Communications going haywire today could take a day or so to put right.  On Tuesday (15^th) Venus trines Saturn and loyalty and commitment in relationships is the theme.  Tender loving care is the requirement, though not necessarily what can be given, e.g. because of absence.  If the iphone is still drying out, communication may still be difficult, and you will have to fall back on heart telepathy.  Wednesday (16^th) may restore communications with a conjunction between Mercury and Jupiter at 11 degrees Aries, a special day for people who have their birthdays around 1^st April and who are sick of April Fool’s jokes.  They will be listened to, and their message will be broadcast loud and clear.  Venus will also be semi-sextile with Mars that day, so there is the possibility of mild flirtatiousness mixed in with the improved communication signals, which could be an interesting combination.  But don’t rest on your laurels with caring for your communication equipment, whether it be your ears or something more hi-tech, because on Friday (18^th) we are at the mercy of another Mercury wobble in the shape of an opposition with Saturn.  Communications may reach an impasse on that date, and rail travel might be difficult or delayed.  By Saturday (19^th) we might be nicely primed for the fever pitch of a Full Moon in Virgo which will see us throwing a Virgoan strop if things are not to our liking.  It requires all the laid back signs (Libra, Taurus and Pisces for starters) to throw their weight into the ring and remind us to get our priorities right.  Think about times gone by when we didn’t have mobile phones – however did we get by?

The week starts with three semi-sextiles, a minor aspect which has recently caught my attention as being worthy of depicting the nuances of the week.  Today’s is Mars semi-sextile Jupiter, so people may be getting into a hot lather or overboard with enthusiasm about things which may not in the long term prove too significant.  I’m still shaking my head with disbelief at walking into a restaurant last Wednesday, which I had suggested was Magenta Day, only to find everybody round the table wearing magenta.  You’d have thought it was a set-up, but it was just another entry of Venus into Aquarius, something that happens every year…On Tuesday (8^th) Venus will be semi-sextile Pluto and love, feelings and the affections will be under the microscope for authenticity.  The Ladies Detective Agency will be out in full force, looking for the truth of the heart.  The third semi-sextile of the week is Mercury semi-sextile Neptune occurring on Wednesday (9^th) when small paranoias may reign in your mind and niggle at you until you solve or dissolve them.  Something may distract you later and you might even just forget your paranoia, for there are bigger aspects afoot.  Mercury conjuncts Uranus and this favours original, inventive ideas and flashes of inspiration.  The paranoia can really be put in its place by such bold thoughts.  Mercury then enters Aries, and the mind literally has a fresh start, or starts to notice new growth which is already taking place.  This would be a good time for drawing up new documents or constitutions, or tendering new business initiatives.  If you have been afraid or timid about speaking up while Mercury has been in Pisces, your Inner Orator could surface now.  On Thursday (10^th) Venus sextiles Jupiter and this is the best social day of your calendar this week.  Engagements and partnerships thrive under this aspect, and a celebration may not be out of place.  On the world stage, Saturday (12^th) is the most important day, as Uranus re-enters Aries, joining Jupiter who has been holding up the success of the revolutionaries singlehandedly.  Revolution 21^st Century-style is due to ratchet up its pace.  A television commentator this morning mentioned that what we have seen so far were revolts, not revolutions.  Uranus will be saying: “You ain’t seen nothing yet”.   Last week continued to be dominated by the Libyan uprising.  I took a brief look last week at Gaddafi’s son Saif and found him to be very different from his father, but having a strong element of warriorship and tribal instinct.  This week he seems to have become an interface between his father’s regime and the world media, and so I returned to his chart for a closer look.  His intellectual and social leanings seem to be a reflection of the light and airy Venus placed in Gemini in his natal chart.  A comparison with his father’s chart hints that the relationship is not an easy one, with the father’s Jupiter squaring Saif’s Pluto (a power struggle).  Currently, Uranus is opposing Saif’s Pluto (indicating the need to reform his own psychological outlook, rapidly, to keep up with events).  He has an exact Sun-Jupiter opposition in his natal chart revealing over-optimism or possible arrogance.  When Uranus reaches 3 degrees of Aries in May, it will create a T-square with his Sun-Jupiter opposition, and events may be taken out of his control, certainly an unexpected change in his personal life.  He may not be the main player in the Libyan situation, his birthchart is not central to the fate of his country, and therefore Libyan events may take power from him earlier.  The heartwarming themes arising from the Middle East revolutions are the assistance being given to the Libyans by other regimes such as Tunisia, and the gradual emergence of some re-organization in Egypt and Tunisia.  Henry Porter in the Observer reports from Tunisia that “In Kasbah Square, there are representative groups from all over the country huddling round charcoal fires in tents and it was striking how often those who possessed the clearest political ideas and did the talking for a particular group were the women”…then from Egypt: “I saw a demonstration last Friday where the new prime minister, Essam Sharaf, promised meaningful liberal reforms and the rebuilding of Egypt” but reminds us there is still a long way to go.  Uranus first entered Aries last summer, and you may have noticed an impact on your life then.  With revolution now under way in the Middle East, there may be an area of your own life which is currently being revolutionized, and a huge new injection of energy is on its way to you this coming week for that purpose.  Will you know what to do with it?