We are in the middle of a phase of Neptunian transition at the moment, so you may be feeling a little at sea.  This emphasis on Neptune started last Thursday, when the Sun was conjunct Neptune, and indeed we did experience some mist and fog in our weather conditions, typical of Neptune.  Some people may have felt a bit lost or in hibernation that day. On Saturday the Sun entered Pisces, Neptune’s sign, perpetuating that mood.  Tomorrow there are two aspects to Neptune, and Mercury enters Neptune-ruled Pisces.  Later in the week, on Wednesday, Mars also enters Pisces.  So expect a feeling of being at sea at least until Wednesday, after which you may feel re-orientated, and incorporating a wider and deeper range of sensations into your experience.  So it was that in my inbox this morning I found a video of an “internet friend” O’Douce swimming with dolphins, and felt it appropriate to share this in a separate blog.  Really I was playing for time, as I felt at sea about writing the usual blog about the Middle East confusion, another manifestation of a Neptunian phase.  That is a story which will run and run, and is primarily about the release of the human spirit under Jupiter in Aries, and soon to be Uranus in Aries too.  However, there is a sense of “What will happen?”, “What will replace Mubarak’s regime in Egypt?”  and “Which regime will go next?” which reflects this feeling of transition.  And, of course, there won’t be resolution by next Wednesday, but there may be a difference in mood.  This evening (UK time) there is a conjunction between Mercury and Mars, and indeed there may be a critical or analytical quality to your interactions today.  There may also be mental irritation and minor skirmishes.  Let us hope that the regimes in the Middle East who are under attack from people power, refrain from major violence.  The sooner that the Egyptians are able to form a new regime, the clearer the whole outlook will be.  After Wednesday, there is more chance of a clear new step.  In the early hours of tomorrow, first Mercury conjuncts Neptune – mental confusion, but also the possibility of spirituality and channelled information coming through.  Channelled information could mean any quality, depending on whether the Neptunian rays are of illusion or clarity.  By their fruits ye shall know them, or the proof of the pudding is in the eating.  This is followed by Mars conjunct Neptune, which if you like is channelled action, so therefore that can be anything from spiritually-inspired movement such as Tai Chi, to the movement of a crowd in mass consciousness, and again this can be positive or negative.  Certainly if you are working on your own careful personal evolution programme, some sensitive growth can occur now.  When it is combined in a group or a large crowd, the outcome is more unpredictable.  On the same day, Mercury enters Pisces, and issues that seemed clear while Mercury was in Aquarius, may need to be re-evaluated, to take in for instance the needs of all of a group, or a society, or a country.  On Tuesday (22^nd) Mercury forms a conjunction with Chiron, and it is time to focus on healing.  This may be precipitated by a healing crisis, but there is the potential to accept the influx of healing energy.  Mars enters Pisces on Wednesday (23^rd) and the ocean that is Pisces will be full of sea creatures, or dolphins, or planets (symbolically speaking, of course!).  For those who like numbers Mars will be at 0 degrees Pisces, Chiron at 1 degree, Mercury at 3, the Sun at 4, and Uranus at 29.  So Mars/Chiron/Mercury/Sun are in close proximity, producing an intense whirlpool of energy, which you might think twice about entering if you are unsure of what you are getting into and whether you have a handle on it.  Just stand by in compassion, if in doubt.  The intense Neptune phase now starts to wane, and the first aspect which now comes up is Mars conjunct Chiron on Thursday 24^th.  This is about healing wounds, and there may be a focus on the results of some of the violence which is going on in the world, such as the governments firing on crowds.  It is about healing the causes and the results of violence, and becoming clear on these issues.  Again, healing energy will be available, but of a more physical and practical nature than when Mercury was conjunct Chiron on Tuesday, which will have been a cooler mental type of healing energy and conjecture.  The energy on Thursday will be more impassioned.  Beware though of energy which comes in a healing guise and is just projected anger.  On Friday (25^th) the Sun conjuncts Mercury in Pisces and there is an opportunity for reasoned discussion, but taking into account the plight and feelings of victims of financial cuts in the NHS or oppressed populations.  Those who have the skills to understand can make a difference in sharing their ideas.  Later, Mercury is semi-sextile Jupiter, so small groups can report back their findings and feedback to larger groups, so that information can be applied to circumstances which need attention.  Mercury then sextiles Pluto on the same day, and really deep thought and discussion is possible.  Friday therefore becomes a day where people can make a difference, starting with their own thoughts and then communicating with the wider world and then sitting down to discuss harsh realities and how new ideas can be applied.  It is the sort of day that an idea can take hold on Facebook (sadly I do not have a Facebook page though).  For finally on that day Jupiter squares Pluto again, which is quite a crescendo.  My blog on this aspect focuses on the schism between religion and atheism in our society, and the relationship of dark and light.  And certainly one man’s meat is a vegetarian man’s poison, so differences have to be confronted.  But a lot of thought will have been provoked in advance, and a lot of discussion taken place.  And a lot of good will that the will of the people will prevail.  Friday will really be the important day this week, but there are a couple of aspects on Saturday (26^th) when you might be eating leftovers symbolically from the feast the day before, or you may be hungover if you prefer liquids over solids.  The Sun sextiles Pluto, so the light of consciousness enables us to understand the contrasts of light and shade in the issues we are dealing with, not so dramatically as the day before, but nevertheless usefully, and there may be a cold light of day or anti-climactic climate with which to examine issues.  This is followed by another semi-sextile, which is a minor aspect, in the form of Sun semi-sextile Jupiter.  Saturday therefore may act as a light perceived at the end of a tunnel, but certainly the opportunity to get to grips with some of the major issues which occurred at the end of the week, and which followed the transitionary period up to the middle of the week.

In a complete departure this week I bring you a video of swimming with Dolphins.  I “met” O’Douce on the networking site ipeace a couple of years ago, and she agreed to do the eighth in my interview series, on her subject of the Mayan calendar.  I hadn’t heard from her since, but this morning she sent me the following film of herself swimming and singing with dolphins.  I therefore present you with her words, and the link to her dolphin video.  The Mayan Calendar interview has therefore morphed into an interview with O’Douce underwater with dolphins.  Read my blog later to see why we are in a most Neptunian phase!

Lana

Over to O’Douce:

Aloha Dear Universal Family

Here is a Dream coming true for me

to share with You

Magical  Dance with our Dolphins Family!

As We are in a most auspicious Time

to explore New Space with Wakefulness

I invite you to come and float in the beautiful Water of the Pacific.

I have  kept the editing of theses images at the minimum so you can live  the full experience.

You will hear my voice also

as I sing for the Dolphins and for Water Healing.

Notice that I swim in full respect as I swim far from the shore, starts singing  and wait for the Dolphins to come to me. .

Please share Magical Dance of the Dolphins with your friends and also to  Children!

Dolphins song  is for You!

Dauphins Famille Universelle /  Dolphins, Universal Family

Un rêve?  /  A dream ?

“Viens nager avec Nous  /  Come swim with Us

dans la Nature en Harmonie   /  in Nature’s Harmony

afin de remémorer notre Unité.  /  to remember our Unity

En nage libre,  /  Swim freely

libère tes peurs   /  Release your fears

et flotte dans cette Eau Cristal du Pacifique.  /  And float in this Crystal Water of the Pacific

Accueille la Gairison  /  Embrace Healing

Enfant Intérieur  /  Inner Child

spirale  /  Spiral

en toute liberté!”  /  In full Freedom

DAUPHINS – DOLPHINS 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cI0q63DO3Q

No prizes for guessing that I will be writing about Egypt again this week.  I ought to be looking at the charts for Algeria, Jordan, and the Yemen by now, but I can’t keep up…!  Before we sign off Mubarak, I will take a last look at his chart.  He came to power on 14^th October 1981, when Mars was transiting his Neptune (we don’t know what house that is in).  This may describe how he came to power, which was as a result of the assassination of Anwar Sadat eight days before.  Uranus was square to Sadat’s Saturn at the time, but you may not be interested in going back that far in Egypt’s history.  However, Mubarak was the beneficiary at that time because transiting Neptune was trine Mubarak’s Jupiter, and Pluto also opposed his Jupiter giving him the opportunity to exercise his love of power.  The chart of Mubarak’s leavetaking, which is the beginning of Egypt’s future, shows decisive links with the chart of Egypt:  Mars is trine its Saturn (decisive action), Mars is trine its Neptune (a new spiritual impetus), Mars is opposite its Pluto (the military force to take over) and Saturn squares its Uranus (the challenge to rebuild from the aftermath of revolution).  Let us hope that their way ahead is as promising as their method of revolution, and can serve as a constructive model for other dictatorships in the region.  It is also worth mentioning that his regime is ending within 3 degrees of its Saturn Return.  Meanwhile we have other more frivolous matters to attend to, such as St. Valentine’s Day tomorrow.  How is it looking?  Will you receive the Valentine’s card you crave for?  Mercury trines Saturn tomorrow (14^th) and while that is not going to light your candle significantly, it won’t quite disappoint either.  It isn’t very romantic, but it is very practical, e.g. you might receive a gift token for B & Q as a hint to DIY.  Any documents you need to deal with you can do so practically and efficiently, in office mode.  The Mean North Node also changes sign tomorrow, so a karmic shift is on the cards, and that may also impinge on your romantic life.  It moves from Capricorn to Sagittarius (always retrograde) so your view of karma itself may soften.  The last 18 months has had a tough karmic flavour, and the next 18 months our view of karma might be slightly rosier or more philosophical.  Certainly many will be buoyed up by the Egyptian example of people power triumphing, and what might be possible to achieve.  The True North Node will move into Sagittarius in early March, when there will be the same sort of effect, but possibly on a more spiritual level.  On Thursday (17^th) the Sun conjuncts Neptune, and this is where doubt or disillusionment could kick in.  The people want results, and they want them now, and they cannot see how to get from here to there.  Kenneth Clarke’s warning yesterday that the Middle Classes don’t know what they are in for regarding the cuts, is the type of fog swathing us on Thursday. “Where are we really?” is the question we’ll be asking ourselves.  Are we on an idealistic path on the way to Utopia, or are we being heavily fooled by those with temporal and fiscal power?  But truth, as we see from all the exposures lately about MP expenses, and leaks, and Julian Assange, will out – and that is an inexorable path as much for outer life as inner psyche.  Uranus also semi-sextiles the Sun that day, so there’s a possibility of more surprise information coming out.  It’s a minor aspect, but may tip the balance in our understanding of where we are.  Friday 18^th brings a Full Moon in Leo, or rather we bring it on ourselves, with our emotions laid bare and the resulting consequences.  You can’t or won’t hide under a Moon in Leo, so more truth being revealed.  Venus also squares Saturn, so you won’t be faking it in relationships either.  Either your feelings will be real, or flattened to the point that you can’t be bothered.  It is a good thing that this aspect didn’t turn up on Monday, to ruin our St. Valentine’s dreams.  On Saturday (19^th) the Sun enters Pisces, leaving behind idealistic Aquarius and taking on the dreaminess of Pisces.  On that cusp, there is a fine line between idealism and dreaminess, so on that day you can co-ordinate your mental ideals (Aquarius) with your heart’s desires (Pisces) to formulate your intent for the next month.  Take advantage of the blur of that cusp.  Finally, the Sun conjuncts Chiron, so health may be very much on your mind, and mental health in particular, so working on healing, your own and other’s, is an optimum project on that day.  (Hmm…that last apostrophe looks a bit dodgy – Lynne, help me out here!).

The big question of the week seems to have been whether or not the President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak would stay or go, and if he would go, when.  Wider than the personal fortune of a dictator, there is also the nail-biting question of whether Egypt can do what no other country in the Middle East has so far done – created a democracy out of the ashes of a dictatorship.  These questions, and more, will not be answered in this blog.  But Mubarak’s natal chart is very strong, particularly in the condition of his Pluto (power).  His Pluto is sextile his Sun/Mercury, so he is able to utilize power to the hilt and express his personality through power.  Pluto is also trine his Mars, so he is able to use force and aggression, and that includes the military forces of his country.  Egypt’s military is a highly respected institution, and there was a moment this last week when I caught my breath because there had been no violence, and I wondered was this the perfect handling of such a situation by such an institution (I am always on the lookout for displays of non-violence).  Unfortunately, the situation did get a little out of hand after that, but by and large their restraint was exemplary.  It is also being pointed out that the Egyptian population is (also by and large) well-educated and well-informed, and this may make a difference in their being able to make the transition required to a land of democracy.  Hosni Mubarak’s chart makes two aspects from his Mars (his Self-Assertion) to the chart of Egypt.  His Mars is opposite Egypt’s Moon (People Power) and therefore the interests of his will oppose that of the people.  His Mars trines the Mercury of Egypt (supporting the development of an educated people). This year Pluto is square to his Uranus (sudden change in fortunes) but trine with his Chiron (bringing about an opportunity for him to learn about healing).  Back to the week in hand:  Today the Sun/Mars conjunction (high energy) trines Saturn (discipline) so deliberate action and planned creativity can forge ahead.  Venus also squares Jupiter so people may go all out to socialize, even where it is inappropriate, e.g. a dejeuner sur l’herbe in a cold blustery woodland area in an effort to draw attention to the government’s proposal to sell off our forests.  All harmless fun though, because by and large (my favourite phrase this week) Venus squaring Jupiter cannot do a lot of harm (Venus and Jupiter being known as the lesser and greater benefics).  Hearts may be slightly broken, but only on the surface…On Tuesday (8^th) Mercury is semi-sextile Pluto, a minor aspect, but I seem to be getting into semi-sextiles these days.  The fine print is under discussion, and should not be ignored because you never know what will become significant.  People skirt around serious issues, possibly finding it difficult to confront them directly, but just seeing how much they can take in, and mull over.  We do not want to overtax the mind and the emotions, but will dip our toes in just a little further because we need to keep going and growing.  Chiron also re-enters Pisces, so mental health issues are re-opened and the importance of this field begins to be recognized.  On Thursday (10^th) Venus conjuncts Pluto and we possibly realize why we needed to know what we needed to know earlier in the week.  Because in seeking to open our hearts, and recognizing the power of love,  we also need to know what  information and experiences can be discarded through being outworn, to leave our hearts clearer, to exercise the intelligence of the heart (the heart having a brain of course) and to feel more deeply than before.  What is left in terms of priorities at the end of the week, therefore, is truer than your previous truth.

And the event of the week goes to – Egypt.   But the unravelling started in Tunisia when Mars moved into Aquarius, and just before Jupiter moved into Aries.  How did Tunisia come to occupy that ignitory role?  In its natal chart, its birth being during the year of the Suez crisis, there is a powerful exact conjunction between Jupiter and Pluto in Leo, trine the Galactic Centre.  At the time of its recent uprising, Uranus (revolution) was trine its Saturn (the existing order) which indicates that there is a controlled element to the revolution at some level, but Neptune at the same time was exactly square to its Saturn, creating confusion and chaos to the existing order.  Moving on to Egypt, on the day of its uprising just after Jupiter entered Aries, Uranus (revolution) was exactly square to its Sun, and Saturn was exactly square to its Uranus.  Neptune was also trine its Sun, and (karmically) the Sun was exactly conjunct its North Node.  A nation karmically ripe for change, and pushing to recapture its spirituality (Neptune’s trine).  How does all this momentous activity, a potentially huge geopolitical event,  express Jupiter’s entry into Aries?  I have noticed that in its transiting mode Jupiter can bring up unexpressed anger, but largely Jupiter in Aries is about the full expression of the human spirit, and this spirit of the people could no longer be repressed.  The day to watch this week is Wednesday, 2^nd February, Big Wednesday if you will.  It’s a big fish in a little pond this week, unlike some of the bigger fish we have had recently.  Venus will be sextile Neptune enabling something sublime to happen in human relations, if we allow it in.  Mercury will be semi-sextile Neptune, so there will be mental confusion (“How can this be? Something so sublime…”).  Venus then squares Uranus (“Was it all a Neptunian illusion?  Relationships cannot remain the same…”) and there may be a wrench of parting after experiencing the merging.  Finally, Mercury sextiles Uranus, a new order of thinking, the mind re-sets itself to incorporate a new reality, one based not merely on facts but equally on human relationship and feelings, taking into account the role of Venus and Neptune in the proceedings.  Newness re-establishes itself on Thursday (3^rd) with a New Moon in Aquarius, another mini-dawn in brother and sisterhood.  It feels like it did when Labour won the 1997 election (!), or when the Berlin Wall came down – what happens afterwards, and as a result, is what matters…Mercury then enters Aquarius, to reinforce this.  New thinking, leaving behind the old regimes.  But again, I emphasize these aspects are in themselves small fry against the back drop of Jupiter in Aries which is the real deal.  They merely announce that some things are falling into place, as a result of the bigger picture.  As a reminder not to get too carried away, Venus enters Capricorn on Friday (4^th) reminding us that people and their feelings are important and ideas or facts can sometimes sweep this truth aside.  Don’t for instance, sweep aside the effects on individual people, O Governments, when you are making your economic cuts.  Or on a more mundane level, don’t ignore that elderly neighbour and the chance to chat, as you hurtle along the pavements to get to the supermarket, and get your shopping done, and go about your business.  Venus entering Capricorn is a chance to re-examine your values and priorities, before you give your all to the revolutions taking place inside and outside our psyches.  The Sun conjuncts Mars, too, on that day, so you could really be hurtling along the pavements or in your cars, possibly unthinkingly.  A huge amount of energy could be raised that day, so you might want to consider how you are going to expend it in a useful way.  Without that consideration, it may erupt in angry exchanges or burnout to no constructive end.  Demonstrations, whether about cuts or student fees closer to home, or about despotic  and undemocratic regimes  abroad, are not likely to die down or be quelled under such an aspect.  Where is it all going?  It is too early to tell, or to do any reconstruction work, but in March the True North Node (which always retrogrades) moves from Capricorn to Sagittarius, and that is an important karmic shift in our own lives and on the world stage, hopefully in the spirit of progress.  Events now may be making way for those changes.  We end the week on a nice note, for on Saturday (5^th) we have Mercury sextile Jupiter, a gift for international negotiators, a gift for shifting your personal correspondence or filing (pay attention to the filing, and it’s easier to deal with the bigger documentation).  It’s good for communication and sales, too.  I need to renew my passport, and I’ve been waiting for the perfect moment for weeks.  What perfectly timed moment have you been waiting for?

With Jupiter jumping ship from Pisces and into the fire of Aries, it is off with the old (3 U.K. resignations – Alan Johnson, Andy Coulson and Brian Cowen) and on with the new:  Ed Balls (with his Venus at the beginning of Aries) and gloriously clutzy Sagittarian Miranda Hart who received 3 trophies at the British Comedy Awards.  Three is the number for Jupiter in numerology, so maybe these patterns are his calling card.  Minor skirmishes before tea today, with Mars semi-sextile Pluto, but shortly afterwards diplomacy may reign with Venus sextile Saturn, enough to be able to sit at table and digest your meal.  Any lessons of diplomacy learned to day can be profitably retained for use later in the week, namely on Wednesday (26^th) as Saturn is stationary prior to turning retrograde, then square to Mercury bringing different lessons, but lessons equally about restraint and limitation.  So soon after trying out our Jupiter in Aries wings?  We have hardly got them off the ground.  Saturn turning retrograde signals that we have reached a certain point in our learnings, and need to do some revision.  We are being pinned down on something to define our truth, and have reached the point where we need to go back and review.   The square with Mercury reflects the need to draw up documents, contracts, plans and schedules, but this may not be an easy time to put that into practice.  Communicating your ideas may be equally fruitless.  It is a good time to make notes, in preparation.  It is a good time to observe what is going on, and to keep your counsel.  Identify your fears, so that you can work with them.  The next day, Jupiter squares the Mean Nodal Axis, and the urge for expression may become irrepressible.  Where a planet squares the North and South Nodes, there is more likely to be karmic interaction on a wider scale than the personal, in that it affects members of a soul group for instance.  So you have Ed Milliband’s hand being forced to allow back into the fold Ed Balls, undoubtedly a force in the current Labour Soul Group, who is already firing his opening salvos at the government economic policy.  With Pluto now sextile his Sun, the regeneration of power is returning to Ed Balls.  He also has Jupiter transiting his Saturn, the overcoming of a personal obstacle.  The duel we have this week between Saturn and Jupiter plays out in our psyche as the duel between fear and courage.  Jupiter in Aries is the courage of our spirit, and Saturn represents our fear and sense of lack and limitation.  You need the enthusiasm and inspiration and illumination of Jupiter in Aries to take you through the experience of your fear and beyond it, recognizing the lessons as speedily as possible, and being at peace with them.  Curiosity is one of the motivators you can use:  the openness and willingness to understand what you need to understand, in order to let life play through you and take out the fear.

People come to this blog in all sorts of weathers and moods.  If it is raining and I am talking sunshine, that can grate.  If you are up and there’s a deflating aspect, you could resent reading it.  The weather forecasters have told us to expect rain, and it is a sunny morning…Predictions interact with expectations, and interpretations vary.  Sometimes I will write something, and in a reader’s mind it will mean something entirely different from what I intended.  In the past, sometimes, I have written or said something, and it has been replayed to me years later in a completely different form, mythologized and maybe passed on two or three different times in the manner of Chinese whispers, and taken on a life of its own.  And I am astonished to hear it.  I am not sure what I am going to write now, and whether it will make sense, but here goes.  There were floods all over the globe last week: in Australia, Brazil and Sri Lanka, creating unexpected devastation.  I wonder if this presages the entry of Neptune into its own water sign of Pisces in April this year. Neptune is linked with Pisces through a double semi-sextile today, composed of Neptune (the waters) at 27 degrees Aquarius conjunct Chiron at 28 (or 29, Ephemerides may vary) degrees Aquarius semi-sextile Uranus (the unexpected) at 27 degrees Pisces and Jupiter at 28 degrees Pisces.  So there is some underwater and airborne intercommunication going on of a high order.  Time to listen to the dolphins, whales and eagles.  It could be an extraordinary day, so take your camera out for a walk and commune with the elements, or visit a newborn baby or an elderly wise one and look into their eyes.  Tomorrow (Monday 17^th) the Sun joins this complex, and semi-sextiles Neptune, and you may gain further information relating to the state of the Earth, or the state of the Soul, or Evolution in general.  Later in the day the Sun sextiles Uranus, and it’s a chance for all to become clear.  It’s after dark by then in the U.K. but there may be a symbolic parting of the clouds to let the sunshine in, or you can part the curtains and let the stars do the talking.  There is a deepening consciousness building to the middle of the week, and Tuesday (18^th) brings us a conjunction between Mercury and Pluto.  Some issue is trying to grab our attention, and may succeed by then.  Watch out for the signs, a Freudian slip, a grey squirrel crossing your path, two or three synchronous messages, and by the time you wake on Tuesday morning you may just have the truth which has been trying to wing its way to you.  And once you have it, you can run with it, or at least mull it over during the course of Tuesday.  Another message, or a deeper continuation of the same message, will follow with the Full Moon in Cancer on Wednesday (19^th).  It may be a message about water in relation to earth, or about your own family, or about the interconnectedness and sense of belonging of the human species.  In esoteric Astrology, the sign of Cancer is ruled by the planet Neptune.  The Full Moon tends to bring a flood of emotion, both individually and in a group, and this emotion can be harnessed through meditation and re-focussed for healing.  Later on 19^th the Sun sextiles Jupiter, and if you enjoyed the four sextiles last week you may find benefit and buoyancy in this one.  If you were able to release emotion at the peak of the Full Moon, you may be able to look at your life with a fresh eye.  Even if you did not resolve things at the Full Moon, the Sun sextile Jupiter may help you re-charge your batteries until resolution is achieved.  Thursday (20^th) affords another chance to start afresh if you haven’t already done so, for the Sun enters Aquarius, and also begins to come into alignment with the Fixed Star Altair.  If you would like to read more on that subject, I have written a separate blog.  It is a good day to renew and re-resolve your New Year Resolutions.  Now take a deep breath, for if that is not enough of a fresh start, Jupiter re-enters Aries on Saturday 22^nd.  That is a major recharge of energy/energies, enthusiasm, initiation of projects, and change.  Whereas the emphasis up to the Full Moon was on water, the climate change after the Full Moon emphasizes fire, and spirit.  Aries lives for the moment, and Jupiter loves life.  Some of you may have initiated changes in your life since Jupiter conjoined Uranus in Aries last June, and may now be living them.  Later in the year, in March, Uranus also enters Aries, upping the excitement (and volatility).  But for now, play along with Jupiter in his new playground, and master this component of the new energies.

The first degree of Aquarius is a breath of fresh air after the stringencies of Capricorn, no disrespect to that honourable sign.  I hope one day to write about one of the Fixed Stars associated with the latter, but am starting with Altair, a Fixed Star which is at one degree of Aquarius, in the constellation of the Eagle.  This degree is topical this month, as Mars enters Aquarius today and the Sun enters Aquarius next week on 20^th January.  If you are new to this topic, you might ask what is a Fixed Star? Fixed Stars are those stars within the bodies of the constellation which form a fairly fixed backdrop in the sky and in our charts, as distinct from the planets, which wander.  I will be meandering in this piece, but start with Bernadette Brady (“Brady’s book of Fixed Stars”) who equates Altair with the quality of boldness,  and Alan Oken (“Complete Astrology”) who emphasizes its connection with Mars and Jupiter (which planets are presently sextile to each other) bestowing courage, generosity and self-assertiveness.  Both Brady and Oken draw from the same traditional sources, and are similar in their conclusions, and Oken’s chapter is a good introduction to the subject, while Brady has made it her speciality.  “Starlight Elixirs & Cosmic Vibrational Healing” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld was written in 1992, and I was guided to this book in early 1993 and have worked with it since.  This work included leading a meditation group which sat once a week for two years in 2000 and 2001. We recorded our impressions of each star in a book with a silver holographic cover, which I have just unearthed.  The picture of Altair painted by Smulkis and Rubenfeld, and obtained through Jon Fox channeling the Master Hilarion, relates to the forces of resistance, potential and flow.  It states: “Saturn can bring a great teaching that takes place in overcoming one’s obstacles and in having the courage to move forward.  Altair can bring a far higher vibrational level of understanding of this into one’s awareness.  The combination of Altair and Saturn elixirs is useful when working with matters that are not only physical but have some spiritual component of resistance.  This may related to deeper understanding of your own patterns or a difficult family situation that has been repeated over and over.  You may then find that there is not only greater encouragement, but deeper awareness of the higher principles involved.”  Saturn is the ruler of Capricorn and the old ruler of Aquarius and is therefore very connected with this cusp.  Resistance is the gap between observing our problem and resolving it or gaining the illumination which enables us to move on from it.  Altair is one of the brightest stars as seen from Earth, and one of the first to be described in “Starlight Elixirs”.  Elixirs are not the only way of working with these stars, direct observation and meditation being other ways, in case you are panicking that you don’t have any in your fridge.  Another book which gives pride of place to the principle of resistance is “Ecstasy is a New Frequency” by Chris Griscom.  One of the cornerstones of the philosophy of this book is the idea that “Where there is no resistance, there is no harm”.  The first paragraph of the first chapter states: “Surrender and resistance are coupled energies.  In linear terms, resistance is first, surrender follows, and ultimately the two precipitate ecstasy.  The moment we embrace any of these energies, the torch of enlightenment is lit”.  When we go into meditation sometimes, we can experience the expanded energies which show us a higher way of seeing things, and this can help us through the resistance, the karma, or the Saturnian obstacle (Saturn having been the prime embodiment of karma in the horoscope before the outer planets were discovered).   One of the fascinating stories about Altair comes from the Paris fashion guru Paco Rabanne, who says he came from this “crystal planet” several thousand years ago.  In pre-Atlantean days, he said “`I travelled to Earth from the planet Altair. I simply came to help organise civilisation on this planet. There is no great mystery to it. Logistically speaking,’ he added, `that trip was simply a matter of applied physics.’  This story appeared in articles from the early 1990s and he has written about it in his books.   Mars entering Aquarius today connects us with the electrical energy we need to move spiritually, and the Sun entering Aquarius next Thursday connects us more holistically with our higher intelligence and the star Altair whatever that should mean for you in your experience, if you should wish to work with some of the ideas it is associated with during the course of this week.  I had written in our star meditation book on stardate 16/1/2001 “We have in our genes a little of all the stars which have in our far past had strong connections with the earth people!”  I have no idea if it is true.

Fine-tuning of the Royal Wedding plans occurred this week, with the announcement of a time of day – 11 a.m. on 29^th April.  This changes slightly earlier comments I have made about the wedding day.  Jupiter conjuncts Mars on the Midheaven of that chart now, denoting a public event backed by a good level of enthusiasm.  The Ascendant (previously calculated for Noon) is still Leo, and therefore Sun-ruled adding to the regal flavour, pomp and circumstance – no holds barred on this.  And the Venus/Mercury conjunction trines the Ascendant – a field day for the media!  The Moon squares the North Node at the Galactic Centre – highlighting emotionally the fact that the North Node will be at the Galactic Centre, which will give the event more karmic significance than might seem on the surface – definitely one for the history books!  The Imum Coelum (astronomically the Nadir of the sky) conjuncts William’s Pluto at that time, which is important for his personal psychological foundations.  He would benefit from the collective well-wishing.  All obvious observations really –  not much surprise there or depth of thought, just a holiday atmosphere, and an excuse for a knees up!  If you have been in a spiritual tiswas lately, tomorrow’s sextile between Mercury and Neptune may soothe your Soul, or enable your Soul to soothe you.  Conversations could be uplifting and surprisingly sensitive in nature.  Among the most delicate and poignant issues of the day is the attempt by impoverished and wartorn Southern Sudan to gain its independence and give birth to a new nation.  The chart of today, when voting starts in a referendum to determine independence, shows Mars conjunct the 12^th House Mercury of the original Sudanese chart, a decisive aspect.  The Moon squares its Nodal Axis, possibly showing power (of choice) to the people, or forcing an acknowledgement of karmic needs.  Here’s hoping this leads to a more peaceful era in this region, and an easier time for its inhabitants and aid work.  As with the original chart, the Sun is now in Capricorn, and in the original chart Chiron is on the Ascendant in Aquarius, which may indicate the internal wound which has led to the need for a new state.  On Tuesday (11^th) Mercury squares Uranus, which leads to a different mindset and a different conclusion from the start of the week.  People may begin to reassess the earlier ideas, and even change their minds.  Some may adopt controversial attitudes, maybe even just for the sake of it.  Not a good time to speak without thinking, because you don’t know if your words will stand up to scrutiny even a day later.  You need to balance the ideas of the head (Uranus) and the heart (Neptune).  Mercury also squares Jupiter on Tuesday creating further imbalance:  your mental horizons may have broadened or expanded, but your judgement may be out of kilter as other parts of you may not have caught up, or may be exaggerated, e.g. your emotional body.  Again, refrain from making judgements at least until Wednesday (12^th) when Mercury sextiles Chiron and a healing balance may be enabled.  Mars also sextiles Uranus on Wednesday, so there are two helpful sextiles.  Mars sextile Uranus does not support restraint, so if you are a man or woman of action you will be disposed to act.  If you are a thinker rather than a doer, you could be fired up with inventive ideas.  If mere being is your thing, you will really be!  On Thursday 13^th Mercury enters Capricorn, and thought becomes more structured and less idealistic, therefore more practical.  It is a good time to take the first steps in putting New Year plans into action, slowly and surely.  The next day, Friday (14^th) favours action in a more dynamic, full-swing way, with Mars sextile Jupiter.  You can really get going on a project, and motivate yourself and others.  It’s an interesting window of action, with Mars being at the very end of practical Capricorn.  For on Saturday (15^th) Mars moves into Aquarius, and there is a new atmosphere of working together and helping each other, and if you are on the same project, it will feel as though it has new energy and its significance has widened socially.  A good day therefore for team work at its best, focussed on love for a common cause.

“So this is Christmas

And what have you done

Another year over

And a new one just begun”

~ John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Some have a “to do” list for the New Year, but I am resolved to have a “what not to have to do” list and simplify my life and doings.  Last year I went into meditation to prepare my New Year’s resolutions, and was given just one resolution – to bring fun into my life.  I don’t know what will happen this time around, but I enjoyed that.  Someone asked me last week what the character of this New Year will be.  This last year has been one of complexity due to the T-square between Pluto, Saturn and Uranus.  This year will be less intense, though we come close to a square between Pluto and Uranus in July and need to prepare for the actual square.  But we still have the Jupiter/Uranus conjunction, and it assists us this week in ushering in our year.  But first on Sunday 2^nd January Jupiter is semi-sextile Neptune, which requires us to sort out what we truly believe in, what we have faith in, and what we currently hold as truth.  It is good to have this meditation before actually making your resolutions, which you might want to postpone until Big Tuesday (4^th), so that you are starting from your highest truth.  Big Tuesday holds a treasure chest of goodies to work with, including a double helping of fresh starts working from two different “houses” or areas of your life.

Schedule as per UK time:

8.27 a.m.: Venus square Neptune – Confused?  You may still be.  Trust is an important issue, especially in personal relationships.

9.03 a.m.: Solar Eclipse and New Moon at 13 degrees Capricorn – Fresh Start No. 1.  If you know which house this appears in within your natal chart, you will have a greater idea of its potential in your life.  If you are working with Earth Healing or esoterically, this is an initiation as per the sign of Capricorn.  For all it indicates a turning point of some kind.

12.53 p.m.: Jupiter conjunct Uranus – Fresh Start No. 2, and the main event in my book, though others may feel that the eclipse takes precedence.  Again, if you know which house this appears in within your natal chart, you will be able to work more consciously with it.  To give an example of how it can work, Oprah Winfrey has this conjunction in her 3^rd House of Media, and is starting her own TV network.  The New Moon/Eclipse is in her 1^st House, so she is able to utilize her personality for this innovation in her life.  This is the culmination of a long-held vision for her.  Though we cannot all be Oprah, it would be good to connect with your own vision and to support your own dreams and endeavour to sustain them this year.  Jupiter and Uranus together are innovative, fast-moving and exciting, and this is the third pass of the conjunction which began last summer.  Even if you do not know your Ascendant, you may have a sense of what area of your life has been moving towards this event.  Identify it, and seize the moment!

13.33 Hrs: Venus trines Uranus – Venus adds a touch of artistry to the changes you are making in your life.  Uranus brings about unusual meetings and telepathic contacts.

13.39 Hrs: Venus trines Jupiter – Celebration of the Earth and Humanity is brought about by the contribution of this combo to the whole mix of the day.  Unity and the honouring of all relationships is included in its potential.

So you might want to enter these times into your new diary…Friday (7^th) is another day of note, but not on the same scale.  Venus enters Sagittarius, which would be uplifting and sociable, if it were not followed by a square between the Sun and Saturn.  But some like a challenge, and though this aspect might be a dampener, there is always a purpose to each aspect under heaven.  The position of Venus opens our hearts, and the Capricorn Sun squaring Saturn shows us reality.  A day of balance perhaps, eyes and hearts fully open, as we set foot in the New Year.