Muhammed Ali (1942 – 2016)

“I am the greatest.  I said that even before I knew I was.”

Boxer Muhammed Ali, formerly Cassius Clay, passed away on Friday evening, from respiratory complications while in hospital on life support.  He was 74.  He ensured his place in the history of professional heavyweight boxing.  But he was a larger than life character, not least in his own estimation, and earned worldwide admiration inside and outside the boxing ring.

His Birth Chart

Some of the strength of Ali comes from a legendary 7 (of 10) planets in Fixed signs: no one is going to deflect him from his course! [Quote: “The will must be stronger than the skill”].  He also has 5 (half) his planets in Earth signs, which is also a great strength.  He has 0 planets in Water, so may not be deflected by emotion.

His Sun was in Capricorn, a strong sign; he managed to live with Parkinson’s Disease for 32 years, a condition which has had many demoralized very quickly, but he bore it with dignity and always managed a humorous quip when in public.  The Pugilist in him comes from a square of Mars to his natal Sun, real fighting spirit, square closely Pluto (violence).  His talent for fighting was further enhanced by a trine to his Mars from the Part of Fortune.

He also had a strong Grand Trine, composed of his Sun in Capricorn, Saturn/Uranus in Taurus, and Neptune in Virgo.  The Saturn/Uranus strength could be devastating to an opponent.  The Sun in his chart was exactly trine his Uranus, so he was very independent and relied on the power of Surprise over his opponents.

His verbal prowess came from Mercury closely conjunct Moon (imaginative language: “The man who has no imagination has no wings”) and Venus (poetic prose) in Aquarius (thought ahead of his time).  The Moon was exactly trine his Jupiter, so his emotions were extremely positive, and he kept himself buoyant by expressing those thoughts about himself: “It is the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief.  And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.”

His Midheaven (careerpoint) was in Taurus (which is associated with boxing) square exactly the Moon in Aquarius.  Mercury too was square his Midheaven.  Chiron was exactly square his Midheaven, too.  On a personal level, he will have had a lot invested in his career, but there was an enforced career break along the way.

Uranus trine his Neptune gave him a higher tactical intelligence; he could see complexities and nuances that perhaps his opponents could not, and devise strategies accordingly (such as wearing them out).

The showman in him came from Leo rising, with Chiron and Pluto also in Leo (in 12th House).

Career

At the age of 18 he made his professional debut, on October 29th 1960, and won against Tunney Hunsaker.  Mars was sextile his natal North Node in his 1st House in Virgo, and Jupiter was square his natal Neptune.

His breakthrough came at the age of 22 when he took the world heavyweight championship from Sonny Liston.  That this was a major watershed in his life is shown by his Progressed Sun  reaching his natal Descendant at the time.

Sonny Liston

The result of his match against Sonny Liston was a major upset in the boxing world.  Cassius Clay as he then was, became the youngest boxer to defeat a reigning heavyweight champion.

Sonny Liston, who was nicknamed “The Big Bear” had Mars conjunct Uranus and Mercury in Aries, and Sun conjunct Chiron in Taurus.  His Mars was exactly square Muhammed’s Sun in Capricorn, and at the time of the fight, Neptune was exactly opposing Sonny’s Neptune, throwing him into confusion.

Muhammed Ali had already established a verbal sparring technique of psychologically taunting his opponents ahead of a match.  For Liston, he had the words: “Liston even smells like a bear. After I beat him I’m going to donate him to the zoo.”

After the match Muhammed Ali declared: “Eat your words!” He added, “I am the greatest! I shook up the world. I’m the prettiest thing that ever lived.”

He had written a poem, stating:

“Who on Earth thought, when they came to the fight,

That they would witness the launching of a human satellite.

Hence the crowd did not dream, when they laid down their money,

That they would see a total eclipse of Sonny.”

At the time of this triumph, Jupiter was exactly trine Clay’s Ascendant, Mars was sextile his Mars, and Pluto was trine his Midheaven.

Boxing was a very high profile sport in the 1960s possibly because of Cassius Clay, and it seemed to me, as a 14-year old in 1964 a barbaric way of expending energy in a leisure pursuit.  I was told wrestling was more humane, as it was more controlled by certain conventions, but I never watched any wrestling.  Cassius Clay was mesmerizing and charismatic, whatever you thought of his choice of profession.  I was to have more admiration for his character as time went on.

I also felt sorry for his opponents, who he would inevitably label as “ugly” while holding up his own “beauty”.  For a teenager, this was very conflicting and shocking.  But his self-esteem was to be applauded, even if it did transcend all boundaries of arrogance and megalomania. He was the first American I remember to have expressed Black Pride, and that was heartwarming to hear, and of great service to many.

Conscientious Objector

How often it seems that warriors turn peacemakers.  Mohammed Ali (as he then became) refused to fight in Vietnam for reasons that he had “no quarrel with them Vietcong.”

Mars was opposite his natal Mars, and Uranus was trine his natal Saturn.  His boxing licence was revoked.

This was quite a sacrifice for Muhammed Ali in the prime of his boxing career, and he was not allowed to fight for nearly four years, from early 1967 to late 1970.  He started to fight again around the time of his Saturn Return in 10th House of Career.  Transiting Neptune was also sextile his natal Sun, and Pluto trine his natal Uranus.

Joe Frazier

His next major opponent was Joe Frazier, their first fight taking place in 1971, a match which Ali lost.  Joe Frazier had a natal conjunction of Pluto and the North Node (a karmic mission to embody the Shadow).  His natal Mars was exactly sextile Ali’s Pluto, his Saturn trine Ali’s Venus and his Uranus sextile Ali’s Pluto, which are strong connections.  Ali went on to win the second and third matches against Frazier, and considered him a fine opponent.  Frazier felt that the verbal sparring was unfair.

George Foreman

George Foreman was Ali’s next opponent, their first meeting being in October 1974, with Neptune square Foreman’s Ascendant.  He admitted that Ali “outthought me and outfought me.”  While Sonny Liston was a Taurean (a traditional sign for a boxer), Muhammed Ali (17th January), Joe Frazier (12th January) and George Foreman (10th January) were all Capricornian.  That’s one for the stats!  Foreman’s Mars was exactly opposite Muhammed’s Pluto, and Foreman’s Jupiter was exactly trine Muhammed’s Midheaven.  These two factors would give Ali a natural advantage.  The South Node on Ali’s Jupiter may have conferred an extra karmic advantage.

Decline

On July 27, 1979, Ali announced his retirement from boxing, but this was to be shortlived as he was enticed back into the ring, with poor results. He was beginning to display the beginnings of Parkinson’s Disease, very likely from head injuries related to boxing, though he is quoted as denying it.  Saturn was square his Jupiter in Gemini in 10th House.  He was formally diagnosed with the syndrome in 1984.

Parkinson’s Syndrome

In a blog of  August 2012 I analysed his condition thus:

” For Muhammed Ali, one of the most relevant features in his birthchart might be Uranus exactly trine with his Sun.  Although this is a favourable aspect, and accounts for his brilliance, there may have been a degree of strain to his nervous system involved.  His Uranus in turn is stressed by a conjunction with Saturn.  Mars squares his natal Pluto by 1 degree, which describes the violence of his profession, but also the strain on the physical body.  It has been thought that his Parkinson’s was caused by repeated trauma to the head during his boxing career.  He also has Pluto conjunct Chiron (extreme suffering) in the 12^th House of chronic conditions.  Also causing difficulty would be Saturn exactly square his Venus.  For the planet I associate with the nervous system, Mercury, there is a trine with Jupiter (he has a way with words) but a close opposition with Chiron (the wounded healer).  A connection between Mercury and Chiron often disrupts the nervous system.

At the time of his diagnosis in 1984 he was undergoing his Uranus Opposition, and Uranus may be a key planet in relation to this disease.  Also in that year Neptune was squaring his natal Neptune, an aspect which may bring confusion and illness.”

Religion

Strong aspects to his Jupiter (two trines and a sextile) testify to his strong religious convictions, and strong aspects to his Neptune (two trines) show the strength of his spirituality.

Muhammed Ali always portrayed Islam as peaceful.  He converted to Sunni Islam in 1975, under his mentor Elijah Muhammed, who led the Nation of Islam movement.  Elijah Muhammed had a natal conjunction of Mercury conjunct Jupiter in Virgo, which may have given him mental positivity.  He also had Uranus conjunct Saturn, like Muhammed Ali, in Scorpio, opposite his conjunction, but with Uranus exactly opposite, offering a unique perspective for Ali, almost a telepathic link.  His Jupiter was trine Ali’s Uranus, and his Saturn/Uranus was exactly sextile Ali’s Sun.  At the time of this conversion, Ali’s Progressed Sun entered Pisces.

Later in life, he converted to Universal Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam, as a follower of Inayat Khan.  Although Khan had died before Ali was born, there was a great affinity in their charts.  Their Marses were in trine, Khan’s Uranus was conjunct Ali’s North Node in Virgo, firing his karmic path, and  Khan’s Pluto was exactly trine Ali’s natal Neptune in Virgo, initiating his mystical power.  At the time of this conversion, Ali’s Progressed Sun entered the sign of Aries.

Boxer turned Peacemaker

Notably, Ali intervened in the Gulf War in 1991, in visiting Saddam Hussein to try to sway him in the matter of the release of American hostages.

Later, in 2002, he travelled to Afghanistan as the “U.N. Messenger of peace” guesting as a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. in Kabul.

Marriage and Children

Muhammed Ali had Venus in 7th House of Marriage, with the sign of Aquarius on the cusp.  He had four marriages.  Sagittarius was on the cusp of his 5th House of Children, which was empty, but its ruler Jupiter was exactly trine Moon (depicting his 7 daughters).  He also had two sons.

His third wife was Veronica Porsche, whose Sun was in his 5th House of children, and their second daughter Laila Ali followed her father into the boxing profession.  Laila is also a Capricorn (30th December), with an exact trine between Chiron and Saturn, exactly bisected by Jupiter forming two sextiles.  She has Mercury, Venus and Sun in his 5th House of Children, and herself has two children (his grandchildren).

Ali’s Mars (fighting spirit) is trine Laila’s Venus and Moon, his Neptune squares her Jupiter (she is not religious), his North Node is exactly sextile her Uranus and his Nodal Axis exactly square her Neptune.  So they have quite a karmic bond, based on inspiration and empathy.

His fourth marriage was on 19th November 1986, to “Lonnie” Williams, with whom he has an adopted son.

Archetypes and Animal Totems

“I’m a poet, I’m a prophet, I’m the resurrector, I’m the savior of the boxing world. If it wasn’t for me, the game would be dead.”

“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”

Death

Ali looked increasingly frail in recent years, and his aspects on Friday evening were mixed.  Mars was sextile his natal Sun, Saturn was sextile his natal Moon/Mercury, Neptune was square his Jupiter as he crossed the veil, Mars opposed his Uranus at his shock departure, and Chiron was sextile his Uranus which may depict a merciful end, to a true individual.

“I’m the champion.  There’ll never be one like me”

Aspects

We have the tail end of the Grand Cross early in the week, and the gentler manifestations of it.  Today begins with a square between Venus square Jupiter, perhaps gauche socially but fairly harmless.  Then a New Moon at 14 degrees Gemini enables a new start in mental projects and ideas.  All forms of communication benefit, so even small talk can have its place.  Today’s words may remain in your mind…

Tomorrow the Sun conjuncts Venus – what’s not to love?  All forms of Love are favoured, as well as the enjoyment of cultural activities such as painting and listening to music.  Some musical greats have passed away this year (e.g. Dave Swarbrick on Friday), so dust down your vinyls, play and reminisce…

On Tuesday (7th) Venus squares the Nodal Axis, and a re-examination of karmic relationships may come up for you, especially in regard to groups.  Look at past patterns, and past-life patterns and causes.

The Sun then goes on to square the Nodal Axis, so an examination of power is also required, perhaps in relation to groups or subsequent to a realization about relationships.  You may take both squares together.

On Wednesday (8th) Mercury sextiles Chiron, ideal for bringing conventional and unconventional medicine together, in the pursuit of Health.  A good time for the use of affirmations, speech or counselling on the healing path.

Thursday (9th) brings a constructive trine to the North Node from Pluto, so you can resolve deep karmic issues, and come to some worthwhile conclusions about relationships, patterns and power.

By tea-time that day (cue scones and cream) Mercury opposes Mars, so caution is needed while travelling and in speech (cutting speech could have consequences).  Best eat the scones in silence and a sense of quiet communion, and check health and safety. Geminis and Virgos especially incident-prone, and Arians could be irritable.

Despite a slightly frazzled ending to the week, it’s a lot more mellow than last week, which was full on in the eye of the Grand Cross.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – social silliness, and a new start in communication
• Tomorrow – love
• Tuesday – karmic
• Wednesday – healing
• Thursday – profoundly constructive, then slightly frazzled

 

Johnny Depp

Popular actor Johnny Depp was in the headlines this week, being sued for divorce by his new wife Amber Heard, and also facing a restraining order with respect to alleged violence against her.  His new film “Alice Through the Looking Glass” was released this week, and his mother died a few days before the problems erupted between him and his wife.

His Birth Chart

Gemini Johnny has a remarkable 6 planets in the Earth element, so on some level he is a realist, for example he is an atheist in his beliefs.  His Sun trine Saturn reinforces this.  However, with Neptune square his Ascendant and at the beginning of his 4th House, fantasy also plays a big part in his life and roles.

His Ascendant is in showbiz and performing Leo, one of the acting signs; originally he wanted to be a musician, and he still plays in a band.

His Moon is in Capricorn, exactly square Jupiter, showing his exuberant side.  The Moon represents the women in his life, and his 14-year long term partner Vanessa Paradis was a Capricorn.  He had a strong relationship with his mother, and this is reflected in his Moon exactly sextile Neptune, Moon trine Pluto and Moon sextile exactly Chiron.

He has Mercury exactly conjunct Venus in Taurus in 10th House, square Saturn in 7th House, so there may be a conflict between his career expression and his close relationships.  Some of his roles have been described as “iconic loners”, and this could be because in relating he has the isolating Saturn in Aquarius in 7th House of Close Relationships.

Does he have a temper?  His Uranus/Mars/Pluto conjunction is a powder keg of volatile energy, which he is able to channel constructively into roles such as Edward Scissorhands and Captain Jack Sparrow, but there may be times when it is difficult for him to handle, such as under extreme stress.  His Mars in Virgo is trine exactly his Midheaven, indicating a career portraying a certain type of masculine role: it is not a traditional macho role, but there is a sensitivity and delicacy from Virgo, plus the portrayal of vulnerable emotion from his Neptune sextile Moon.

Tim Burton

Film Director Tim Burton has undoubtedly had a major hand in Johnny Depp’s success, bringing him the roles of Edward Scissorhands, Sweeny Todd and the Mad Hatter.

Tim Burton’s Sun conjuncts Depp’s Mars and trines his MC (Midheaven), bringing out the potential of that career-enhancing natal trine; Burton’s Venus squares Depp’s Neptune and conjuncts Depp’s Ascendant, enhancing that fantasy angle of Depp’s chart; Burton’s Uranus trines exactly Depp’s Jupiter (entrepreneurial success for both of them), squares his Neptune (plunging them both into deep fantasy) and conjuncts his Ascendant (an exciting personal dynamic); in addition, Burton’s Neptune sextiles Depp’s natal Mars, sextiles Depp’s natal Uranus and opposes Depp’s natal Midheaven, conjuncting his natal IC (Burton’s sense of vision, imagination and fantasy working powerfully for Depp).

Apparently producer Scott Rudin once said “Basically Johnny Depp is playing Tim Burton in all his movies”, a statement endorsed by Johnny Depp (citing Burton’s inability to communicate as a teenager behind the role of Edward Scissorhands) but denied by Tim Burton.

Tim Burton has Gemini Ascendant (resonating with Johnny’s Sunsign), Sun exactly conjunct Pluto in Virgo, and Moon, like Depp, in Capricorn, giving some affinity in their natures.

Pirates of the Carribean

One of his most successful franchises is that of Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Carribean series of films.  He has owned this role as being a “big part” of himself, and said he modelled it on the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards.  Keith Richards’ Midheaven (Persona) is exactly conjunct Johnny Depp’s Pluto in 1st House, so he can inspire Depp’s dark side.  In addition, Keith Richards has the Sun in Sagittarius (the Swashbuckling Pirate Archetype), as well as having an exact conjunction of North Node and Pluto (a karmic mission to express the Shadow side of human nature).

Vanessa Paradis

For a showbiz relationship, his partnership with Vanessa Paradis was fairly successful, lasting 14 years, and managing to keep family life with their two children out of the public eye.  It may be that he married Amber Heard on the rebound, and has not found himself after the split with Vanessa.  In his synastry with Paradis, her Sun was trine exactly his Uranus, her Mercury trine exactly his Ascendant, her Mars opposed exactly his Mercury (some irritability), her Uranus trine exactly his Saturn and her Uranus square exactly his Nodal Axis (which could point to the eventual karmic separation).  Her Sun is placed in his 5th House of children (which is unoccupied by a planet in his own natal chart) and there is no doubt that having children has meant a great deal to him, giving him “real foundation, a real strong place to stand in life, in work, in everything”.

Amber Heard

It may be that when he looks back on his life, his relationship with Amber Heard may look like a short blip in comparison, though she could make a dent in his fortune through the divorce, without the usual pre-nuptial agreement in Hollywood circles.  She has a strong chart (Sun trine Neptune; Jupiter trine Pluto, among other aspects) but we do not have her birth time.  Her Venus is curiously unaspected, but links up with Johnny’s Venus/Mercury conjunction in Taurus.  She espouses the philosophy of the novelist and thinker Ayn Rand: “I’ve read all of her books. Ever since then, I have been obsessed with her ideals. All I’ve ever needed is myself.”  It is possible that her unaspected Venus has made her self-reliant. Like Vanessa, her Sun trines his Uranus, though from Taurus instead of Capricorn, so it could be he needed the relationship for a while to complete a Grand Trine to his Uranus.

The events of this week

In this turbulent period of losing his mum, allegedly throwing his mobile phone at Amber Heard, being filed for divorce, and Alice Through the Looking Glass premiering, he has (as you would expect) a variety of transits:

Mars is square his Uranus (shock), and Jupiter is trine his Moon.  His mother was ill for some time, so this may have been a release for her, and he may experience the change in his marital status also as a release.  Jupiter is sextile his Neptune (there may emerge a new spiritual outlook), Saturn is trine his Jupiter (giving him some perspective), Saturn is square his Chiron (touching old wounds), Uranus sextile his Saturn (shaking things up for him) and Uranus square his Nodal Axis (shaking up his karma).

For Amber, Jupiter is opposite her Jupiter (a sense of freedom), Uranus trine exactly her Uranus (breaking free), Saturn square her Jupiter (some struggle) and Neptune sextile her Mars (a vulnerable expression of her self-assertion).  Their synastry and their marriage aspects are not too bad, so it is possible they were just not destined to stay long in each other’s lives, and hopefully they will both be able to move on constructively after the dust has settled from the financial wrangles and allegations of domestic violence.  She indicates that he is aggressive when he drinks, so he may need to deal with that issue going forward.  He has Neptune moving slowly toward his natal Chiron (wounded healer) in 8th House (exact in March 2018) when he will need to deal with the complexity of past wounds (including past-life wounds); in preparation for this, when Neptune enters his 8th House in March 2017 his eyes may be more opened to spiritual ideas.

Aspects

In the first half of the week we have two Mercury-friendly trines (a plus especially for Geminis and Virgos), but in the second half of the week we become embroiled in a Grand Cross composed of  oppositions and squares.  So adjust your diaries accordingly.

We start with a trine between Mercury and Pluto on Tuesday (31st), which is good for realistic thought, facing psychological facts, and deep communication.  You may find yourself speaking your truth to a satisfying degree.

On Wednesday (1st) you may be able to follow this up with integrity, through karmic communication, as Mercury trines the North Node.  You can re-state your truth in ways which count, such as putting them into a speech, an article or a book.

Thursday (2nd) brings the first component of the Grand Cross, the Sun squaring Neptune.  It is then that you may start to question again, your version of reality, or someone else’s.  The depth of your knowing earlier in the week may need to be tweaked.  Truth is truth, but truth itself can change and be refined continually according to circumstances, extra information, empathic understanding of another. You will see another facet of truth, and illusion.  You may see that your truth is someone else’s illusion and vice versa.  Don’t panic as the picture unfolds.  Hold what you know, and bear in mind what you suspect might be true, or new vision opening out.

On Friday (3rd) it is the turn of Venus to square Neptune, so there may be more smoke and mirrors but centred around relationship.  Money and artistic issues may also be involved.  You may be offered a piece of Brit Art for a phenomenal price, and question whether it is art…Particularly in the area of romance, you may see another in a different light.  You may wonder about the purpose of the relationship, e.g. the value you had placed on the relationship may need to be changed.  If you had seen someone as always supporting you, you may see that you have a different role in relation to that person.  Different qualities, or weaknesses, may emerge between you.

Then the Sun opposes Saturn, so you can experience a T-square component of the Grand Cross, which began with Sun square Neptune the day before.  This opposition encourages more of a sense of reality, so if you have had unrealistic expectations (uncovered on Thursday) you may be able to see how unrealistic that was.  This may engender some sadness (Saturn), but may be a pre-requisite of letting go (also Saturn) of the earlier viewpoint.

Saturday (4th) reveals more of the Grand Cross, and you may feel yourself to be caught in a large construct, especially if the situation is part of a group interaction.  If you move one way, you brush up against one problem, if you take a step to the other side you encounter a different facet of the problem.  Again, don’t panic, because the larger pattern is usually designed to bring about eventual healing.  You may win some and lose some, but overall the evolution will be towards group healing.

The first aspect of the day is Venus opposite Saturn, and again this involves letting go and some deflation, specifically in connection with relationships, money and artistic developments.

The second aspect of the day, Sun square Jupiter, brings in the fourth component of the mutable Grand Cross (Jupiter in Virgo).  This encourages us, having let go as far as we can, to take heart and expand our consciousness, however uncertain we may feel.  We may not be able to fully trust the situation, but opening our hearts and consciousness will bring new possibilities and ideas for solutions, and encourage goodwill in negotiations.  Whether the Conservative and Labour Parties, the Remains and the Brexiters, will stop tearing each other apart, is unlikely, but the worst hours of the Grand Cross will be over by then, and there will be a New Moon the next day, so we can start to breathe again and regroup.

The week in bullet points:

• Tuesday – useful thought
• Wednesday – useful karmic information
• Thursday – illusion
• Friday – illusion in relationship; deflation
• Saturday – deflation in relationship; hope emerging

 

 

Sinead O’Connor

Singer Sinead O’Connor was lost and found this week.  I thought I would have a look at why she has such a difficult personality and troubled life.

Her Chart

Sinead has the Sun conjunct Venus (Singer Archetype) in the first House in Sagittarius.  She is a double Sagittarian, in that her Ascendant is also in Sagittarius, and Sagittarians, like horses, can be highly strung.

The Sun in her chart squares a conjunction of Saturn and Chiron, which itself could be melancholic, straining against the exuberance of Sagittarius.  Saturn/Chiron closely opposes Pluto, bringing down her mood sometimes to a great depth, and Pluto also squares her Sun, creating a T-square.

Mercury in Scorpio trines her natal Saturn, so her thoughts are serious in nature, and in her activism she tackles serious subjects.  At the same time, Mercury sextiles Uranus, so in her speech she is a bit of a firebrand, and it is in her speech that her Inner Rebel is expressed.  Mercury, representing the mind, is further complicated by a conjunction with Neptune, so she has a mind which takes imprints like wax (as Astrologer Margaret Hone coined the phrase in the 1950s).  This is also a mediumistic conjunction, so it is not surprising that some of her ideas may seem airy fairy or otherworldly.

Venus in her chart squares Saturn exactly, so in matters of love and relationships (of supreme importance to most people) she is held back and frustrated (she has had four marriages).  Venus is also involved in the T-square configuration with Chiron/Saturn opposite Pluto, so love (Venus) is as complicated a setting as her mind (Mercury).  It is a hurdle to make progress in such matters.

Exuberance she is not short of, with all that Sagittarius, and Jupiter closely sextile her Mars.  Energetically, she is like a pogo stick.  And this sextile keys into her angles (the Ascendant and Midheaven) in such a way that she can use this energy in her physicality, her career and her lifestyle.  Mars conjuncts the Midheaven or Careerpoint, giving her a persona as an Activist.  Religion and feminism have been strong themes of this activism.

While Saturn has a heavy influence on her chart, there is one constructive aspect it makes, in being exactly trine her Neptune.  This enables her to express sensitivity and despair in its truest sense.  As a species we are currently enduring a square between these two planets, manifesting particularly through helplessly looking on the Syrian situation and the migrant crisis.  She has talked about having mental health issues, variously described as bi-polar syndrome and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

In common with many of her peers born in the mid-1960s she has the anarchic and rebellious conjunction of Uranus and Pluto in Virgo.  She also has a compassionate trine between Neptune and Chiron.

Nothing Compares 2 U

Jupiter trines her Ascendant and sextiles her Midheaven, bringing her lucky breaks in her career.  I mentioned her recently, on the death of Prince, for it was quite a gift to her, the song “Nothing Compares 2 U” which he wrote, and she made an outstanding job of singing it, thus establishing herself as an artist.  This song was released in January 1990, and the chart of the song itself has a conjunction of Sun and Saturn in Capricorn (a very sad song!).  At the time, Mars and Jupiter were working on her behalf: Mars was exactly on her Sun, and Jupiter was exactly square her Midheaven.  The connections between Prince and Sinead are very close, with the easiest connection being his Jupiter sextile her Venus, which may account for him giving her a lucky break in her singing career.  He may also have given her a hand in expressing her melancholy, with his Saturn being conjunct her Venus and square her own Saturn!  With her poignantly shaved head, the video accompanying this song has been described as iconic.

Lost and Found

Sinead was reported missing after going for a bike ride in Chicago at 6 a.m. on Sunday 15th May, and eventually found in a motel room.  She was apparently unsettled about family issues regarding her children.  In looking at her state of mind at the time, the strongest transit is Uranus in Aries in 5th House of Children trine her natal Venus in the first House (her own feelings).  She has a desire to shake things up on a personal level at the moment, which with the T-square to her natal Venus is not a feeling unfamiliar to her or those around her.

The age of 49 is also the age of the Chiron Return, the emergence of the Inner Healer ideally.  Her Wounded Healer is exceptionally confrontational in her chart this year, as it not only conjuncts her natal Chiron, but also conjuncts her natal Saturn, squares her Venus and opposes her Pluto/Uranus.  That is a lot of stress and crisis, and she needs our prayers or healing thoughts, of whatever religious persuasion, to resolve this transit to her natal T-square.  She needs somehow to bring it all together meaningfully in order to move forward, and this week’s disappearance was a cry for help.

Aspects

Today starts with a hot-headed opposition between the Sun and Mars, not a peaceful vibe.  Staying out of trouble, or helping to resolve disputes, is the best way to go today.

On another front, though, you could be winning, as Mercury stations prior to turning direct.  So if you have had communication turbulence in the last three weeks, you can begin to make progress.  Travel, in Astrology, comes under the communication banner, so there is a possibility of progress in negotiations about travel disputes.

On Tuesday (24th) Venus enters Gemini, and communication combines with love.  This is stimulating for art and literature.  I am giving a talk in Hertfordshire that day, and hoping to communicate my love of Astrology, Regression and Future Life Progression!

The next day, Wednesday (25th) could see overheated passions, with Venus opposing Mars.  In relationships, for instance, there may be jealousy.  If a criticism is raised, jealousy may be at the heart of it.

Thursday (26th), however, is the most important day of the week, aspect-wise.  It brings a square between those planetary giants, Jupiter and Saturn.  There may be a difficulty in moving forward due to conflicting impulses: the desire to expand (Jupiter) and the desire to control (Saturn).  This may bring indecision in an individual, or a stand-off between individuals or corporations.

A conflict between Jupiter and Saturn is often seen in the charts of those with bi-polar syndrome (formerly known as manic-depression), with Jupiter representing the highs and Saturn the lows.  In Sinead O’Connor’s chart, she has an emphasis on Jupiter (Sun, Venus and Ascendant in Sagittarius) and is also pulled back by Saturn (which conjuncts Chiron in Pisces, opposes Pluto/Uranus and squares Venus.  But her later diagnosis of PTSD is also compelling in the light of her chart, because Chiron is caught up in a heavy T-square.

So  you could witness mood swings or conflicts of mood in society that day.  For example, two news headlines, a positive and a negative one, could vie for domination.  Or two sides of an argument may seem equally compelling, such as the pro-Europe and anti-Europe cases.

By Friday (27th) you’ll be ready for new battles, or even old battles, as Mars moves in retrograde motion back to Scorpio from Sagittarius.  Perhaps the Jupiter/Saturn square may have galvanized your thinking, and where you were sitting on the fence, you may decide to come off it, and say campaign on behalf of a cause.  The stagnation of Jupiter square Saturn may have brought the feeling that it is better to move than to stay still (though that may not be the ultimate wisdom).  You may be motivated by a disappointment earlier in the week, though do examine whether anger or any other negative emotion is a good reason for your actions.  The best position for Jupiter/Saturn engagement is balance.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – strife, and forward communication
• Tuesday – communicating with Love
• Wednesday – overheated passions
• Thursday – impasse
• Friday – a shift in motivation

 

Eurovision Song Contest 2016

What a dramatic contest we had last night!  On the face of things, it was the same as usual: Ukraine and Sweden did well, and the United Kingdom came near the bottom of the scoreboard.  But the scoring was a roller coaster not for the faint-hearted.

We are an especially divided household on Eurovision night.  I have watched Eurovision since it was first televised, and only missed 2010 when we were in Venice.  Hubby avoids it like the plague, except for one year we were invited to a dinner party: he thought he was safe until the hosts asked us if we minded having it on in the background.

Are any of the results reflected in the Astrological charts and transits of the countries?

Toast to Terry Wogan

Graham Norton does a good job.  Nobody could purport to replace Terry Wogan, who was part of the fabric and the enjoyment of the song contest for so long.  But Graham does the dry humour quite well.  So at song number 9 he explained that Terry advised him never to start drinking before that point, and we all raised a glass to Terry.  I had some slightly salted popcorn, and just nipped to the kitchen for some sparkling mineral water to go with that.  Ah, dear Terry.  His enthusiasm and patience started to wane when the Eastern European bloc kept trading their votes.  Other sections of Europe had their alliances, but other than Ireland and Malta, we seemed alone and left out of the cold for years.  Malta did award us 12 points last night.  Ireland had been knocked out in the semi-finals.  This was a shock, as it was deemed to be a decent song by Nicky Byrne of Westlife.  On Thursday night, he had Uranus (upset) opposite his Mercury (mind), and Pluto squaring his Pluto, both difficult aspects, though Jupiter was trying to keep his fighting spirits up with a sextile to his natal Mars.  Ireland itself, going through weightier problems politically at the moment, had a serious trine from Saturn to its natal Pluto.

While on the subject of Irishmen, what does it take to produce a real Eurovision success?  It may be a digression, but my favourite was Johnny Logan, who won Eurovision for Ireland twice, and wrote the songs.  He was Taurean (a singing sign) with a loose double trine of Mercury/Sun in late Taurus trine North Node/Chiron in Capricorn.

Half Time Conference

My Eurovision buddies, Nita and Nina, and I managed a three way conference at half time, which filled that spot nicely.  I had already phoned my 87-year old mother who said the Russian entry stood out for her.  I told her it was the favourite, and she seemed pleased.  Nita somehow managed to hook the three of us up in a phone conference.  She had the technology – she always was a whizz in the office.

We agreed the U.K. entry was the best we had had for ages, and the Russian entry and performance was the best.  We marvelled at the fact that Australia was in the contest (though there are other countries involved which are patently not European).  Apparently if Australia had won, a real European country would have had to host next year. We also agreed that the Ukrainian entry was nothing to write home about.  What do we know?

Voting

They decided to spice up the voting this time.  They announced that it was going to be more exciting, but little did we know it was going to be more harrowing too, especially for the United Kingdom.  They went through the usual rigmarole of inviting each country to announce the votes of their jury.

Our spirits rose!  Our lovely boys Jake and Joe were doing nicely, respectably even.  Nowhere near the top of the scoreboard, admittedly, but much better than usual.  Australia looked like the clear winner – who would volunteer to host next year, I wondered.  They must have been pleased.  Then at the end they added the votes gained from the public on their phones.  The scoreboard started to look very different.  I think my mother was very confused, and judging by friends’ text messages, so were they.  Hubby popped in to the room and asked “What’s going on?”  “Shh!” I replied, “I’ll tell you later”.

The countries at the bottom of the scoreboard received a few paltry crumbs, except for Poland which seemed destined to receive a larger share of the vote.  The chunks of votes became larger and larger, until the top few were in the hundreds.  This included Poland, which rose from the bottom of the leaderboard to nearly the top.  This was a song which divided our Conference group, too:  strange, but for some compelling.  Poland must have been having the same level of euphoria, as the United Kingdom was in despair.  Poor Graham struggled to make a quip.

Ukraine, Crimea and Russia

In the end, Russia and Ukraine were slugging it out for top place.  If this truly was a political battle between the two countries and representing their dispute, it was fairly evenly matched.  The Ukrainian singer had sung a heartfelt song about members of her family being killed in 1944 when Stalin was in power.  She was from the Crimea, and though it is not permitted to sing of current political struggles, the metaphor was obvious.  She triumphed.  I cannot remember the tune, and would not be able to hum it, and I am probably not alone.

Jupiter was trine Russia’s Uranus, but Neptune was square its Mercury (high expectations and a veiled outcome), and Neptune trumps Jupiter.  Pluto (the ultimate power) sextiled the Ukrainian Pluto (self-empowerment), but crucially the karmic factor won: the North Node (karmic justice) was exactly sextile the Ukrainian Pluto.  Some have said Russia would have been embarrassed to win and have to hold the contest in their country next year.

Jamala’s Birth Chart

As luck would have it, the birth date of the winning singer Jamala from the Crimea is available.  She has the mark of a singer in her Sun conjunct Venus.  Though a modest Virgo Sun sign, she has 6 of her 10 planets in fire signs, so is more feisty than the textbook Virgoan.  She has a complex T-square composed of Chiron opposite Jupiter/Uranus (the Entrepreneur) squared by Sun/Venus.  She knew she was taking a risk with this type of song, but she has the chart of a risk-taker.  The seriousness of the song is reflected in the Saturn/Pluto conjunction in her chart.  The song had to be serious to be meaningful, and worthwhile.  She has Venus exactly sextile her natal Saturn, which is at 0 degrees Scorpio. This proved a real contrast to the average Eurovision song with its reputation for superficiality.  Just when you think a chirpy, catchy song will win it, the opposite happens.  Europe took her and her cause to their hearts.  She wore one of the colours of Pluto/Scorpio, Indigo, and performed against a dark blue background.  She writes her own material (Jupiter sextile exactly Mercury in her birth chart).  For her win, she had transiting Saturn sextile her natal Jupiter, and Jupiter trine her natal Neptune (success through inspiration).

European Referendum

One of the things we discussed in our Conference was the effect before and after of the European Referendum.  Were Europeans put off by our threat to leave?  Could people be persuaded to stay in Europe so that we could continue to participate in Eurovision (at that point the full horror of our placement was not even suspected).  More questions were brought up by the result. In doing so badly, would it drive more people to vote for Brexit?  How do people now feel about being European, and how do Europeans feel about us?  As a keen Europhile, I am very upset on many counts.

Joe and Jake

Let’s hear it for our brave duo from the United Kingdom!  It must get harder and harder to participate in the contest.  Joe and Jake make a perfect partnership, with their Suns exactly opposite, in Sagittarius and Gemini.  They should stick together.  Their harmonies were good, showing that deep connection. Karmically the cards were stacked against Joe, with the Nodal Axis squaring his natal Sun/Mercury conjunction.  Maybe they are not quite ready.  For Jake, the confusion would have been particularly strong, with Neptune squaring his natal Mercury on the night.  Chiron too was blocking his progress, sitting on his natal Saturn.  They are young yet, and they are popular in the United Kingdom.  I wish them every success in the future.

As for the United Kingdom itself, Saturn is sitting on its Sun/Mercury at the moment, and Pluto is square its Saturn.  You could say we were a little down on the luck factor.  Uranus also squares its Moon.  The European question is dividing us, and our main two political parties have internal battles raging.  I will look at the European question again next month, when the planets will have moved a little, and before the Referendum itself.

Aspects

Not a very busy week, as aspects go…

Today, Venus in Taurus trines the North Node in Virgo.  The karmic tone brings a loving approach, and an acknowledgement of what our nearest and dearest mean to us.  It supports efforts in connection with the environment, or cultivating one’s own garden, too.  The Sun is shining in the U.K., and beckoning us outside.  The lilacs are in full bloom, giving out an intoxicating and powerful aroma.  That’s a promising start to the week, and its comforting background atmosphere may sustain us until the next aspect on Thursday.

Thursday (19th) brings another spiritually based aspect in the shape of Venus in Taurus sextile Chiron in Pisces.  Here, homeopathy, herbs and herbal remedies are emphasized, so grow your own comfrey.  This Venus in Taurus links harmoniously and constructively with the Inner Healer (Chiron) and healing initiatives, so enhancing the healing potential of herbs for instance, or flower essences.  The Sun is aligned around this time with the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters cluster in Taurus, and those of your who are of an extra-terrestrial bent may get mileage from tuning in.

The Sun enters Gemini on Friday (20th) so if you have had your fill of gardening and the plant world this week, there is a change to a more mental focus at the end of the week.  With Mercury about to go direct, communications will again be a preoccupation, and you can at least get ready to make more progress on that front.  If you don’t quite trust Mercury, you can wait a few more days, but at least have your papers ready and in order to present your case.

Some tension may be around, for the Moon is going to be Full on Saturday (21st) evening (21.14 Hrs. in the U.K.).  It is a Sagittarian Moon, opposing a Gemini Sun, so the battleground may be around communications, or some verbal sparring.  Choose your words carefully.  A phrase you often hear on a Full Moon is “things are coming to a head”, so try to stay cool until the confrontation has passed.  Then assess whether the issue is important enough to pursue.  Some do not experience any tension or conflict at the Full Moon, resolving the opposition within themselves, e.g. through meditation.  If you are Sagittarian or Geminian (like Jake and Joe) you may be more involved than most.  Learn to discern what is coming from your own emotions, and what is being exacerbated by the reactions of others.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – karmic harmony
• Thursday – love and healing
• Friday – mental avenues
• Saturday – communication

 

Jonathan Cainer (1957 – 2016)

‘We’re not here for long. So make the most of every moment’

~ his Sagittarian forecast on the day he died

Another obituary, this time it is Jonathan Cainer, Astrologer to the Daily Mail, who died this week.  He was Britain’s most popular newspaper Sun Sign Astrologer, and his appeal lay in being able to connect in such a way with his readership that they felt he was talking to them personally.  Both my mother and my mother-in-law (in their late 80s) are fans, and my mother doesn’t even like Astrology!

Birth Chart

Jonathan had an incredibly Jupiterian birthchart.  His Sun at 26 degrees Sagittarius was exactly conjunct the powerhouse of the Galactic Centre.  It was exactly sextile the ruling planet of Sagittarius, Jupiter at 26 degrees Libra, and Mars lay at their midpoint, at 26 degrees Scorpio.  This represented a huge resource of energy, with Mars enabling him to make the most use of his Sun-Jupiter sextile.  His Ascendant was also in Sagittarius (thus he was a double Sagittarian), and 1 degree away from the Sun.  A Jupiterian powerhouse of a chart.  Two of the principles associated with Jupiter and Sagittarius are expansion, and luck. As well as being the ruler of his Sun sign and Ascendant, Jupiter was also conjunct his Midheaven (Careerpoint) bringing him lucky opportunities.

There are many wonderful stories about Jonathan swirling round, and my difficult task has been to decide what I can leave out!

Philosopher Archetype

Jonathan practised Transcendental Meditation, and his style of forecasting was primarily through Philosophy.  He would write a philosophical piece for each sign based on the psychology of the sign, and people often identified with it.  Jupiter and Sagittarius are associated with Philosophy.

Mercury was sextile the North Node in his chart, so he had an understanding of the workings of karma.  Mercury was Retrograde in Capricorn in his 1st House, and he is quoted as saying of Mercury in Capricorn that it “blesses you with the ability to sound like you know what you’re talking about even when you’re spouting rubbish”.  Pluto in 9th House also lent depth to his readings.

He was an optimist, and that buoyed up his readership.  Any eclipse or special transit was always treated as the best thing since sliced bread, and he always put a positive spin on it.

Religion and Mysticism

With Sagittarians, religion is often a big deal, and apparently Jonathan used to disappear to India from time to time to replenish his spiritual energy.  Jupiter was conjunct Neptune in his chart, so he combined the religious and the mystic elements in his personality.  Neptune was conjunct the North Node in his chart by 3 degs, uniting his Midheaven with his North Node so that he was able to combine his karmic mission and his career through the mystical path.  His mother, who was first a medical secretary and then became a spiritual healer, said the spiritual gift came from her father’s side of the family.

Career Path

He took time in the early 1980s to work in Los Angeles.  There, an incident changed the course of his life.  In his own words:  “One night a psychic poet called Charles John Quarto came in and gave me a reading. He told me everything that was going to unfold, that I was going to be a big-time media personality with a column read by millions, big in astrology.”  On his return to England, he studied with the Faculty of Astrological Studies.

He began writing a newspaper column in 1986 at Today newspaper.  In 1992 he moved to the Daily Mail, where, except for a break of a few years at the Express and Mirror, he wrote up until present times.

His relationship with the Daily Mail was interesting.  He was at one time quoted as saying it was “a newspaper dedicated to the subtle propagation of bigotry” but later changed his mind when he returned to that paper.

He also had something interesting to say about his relationship with the Editor:

“Working with Paul Dacre is very interesting.  He’s a living legend and a very shy man.  He’s also incredibly passionate: of all the mystics and intuitives and clairvoyants I’ve come into contact with,  Dacre has a vibe about him of a magician.  He’s got phenomenal instinct and would rather go with intuition than market research figures”.

Love, Marriage and Children

Jonathan Cainer had a complicated love life, with Venus opposite Uranus, square Neptune, conjunct the “wounded healer” Chiron, and square exactly the Nodal Axis.  The sign on his Descendant and the cusp of his 7th House of Close Relationships was Gemini, which often indicates more than one marriage.

He first met Mel, the love of his life, at the age of 15, and married her at 30. The Moon represents the women in his life and he had Moon in Scorpio conjunct Mars, a poignant symbol of the fact that his wife died in a car crash.  Apparently, she had predicted the timing of her own death.  Pluto was conjunct Jonathan’s Moon that year.

At the moment of her death in 1992, he saw her appear in the corner of his kitchen where he was feeding the children, and she told him she was departing.  He continued to communicate with her after death.

In 2014, he married Sue, the long term nanny of his many children (variously reported between 6 and 8 in number).

Friendship

You could describe his packed 11th House of friendship as a recipe for how to win friends and influence people! Contained in this House were Jupiter/MC/Neptune, North Node, and the Part of Fortune conjunct Moon (the gift of propinquity).  In a sense, every reader was his friend.

He had a detractor though in the scientist Richard Dawkins, who stated:

“Astrology may be slightly damaging, but mostly it is just sad.  So sad, that people are ignorant of the true glories of the stars, and of the stupendous distances and times that separate them, while they bother with the frivolous inventions of a charlatan like Jonathan Cainer.”

Money

With Venus conjunct Chiron in 2nd House in Aquarius, money was used in a healing and altruistic way.  He was extremely generous with his money, and lent out his homes to the homeless (a story courtesy of Anne Jirsch, Future Life pioneer, on Facebook).  There is no doubt he had an abundant attitude towards money, and attracted it to himself.  He said: “I earn a lot more than Blair but a lot less than Beckham”.  As well as Jupiterian money luck, he also had the Sun rising, providing Leonine magnanimity.

Death

He had apparently had a heart attack a year ago, before the one responsible for his death.  The Sun is associated with the heart, healthwise, and the Sun is on his Ascendant (the physical).  He was also coming up for his second Saturn Return, and at the time of his death Pluto was exactly semi-sextile his natal Saturn.  Neptune was also exactly sextile his natal Mercury. He was an expansive figure, and in the end his consciousness expanded beyond return, but he really will live on in people’s hearts.

Aspects

A cornucopia of aspects this week, and surprisingly not a square amongst them!  If you found last week beneficial, this set of aspects is even more so.  Certainly the weather in the U.K. has cheered up considerably, and is much more appropriate to its season.

Today, Mercury is trine the North Node: advantageous information may come your way regarding the karmic progress of events.  You yourself may find that you are the messenger, so look at the ethics of what you communicate today, and congratulate yourself if it comes up to your own best standards.  It is a good day to set out your stall in the karmic marketplace: what are you offering the world that the world needs?

Tomorrow Jupiter is stationary, prior to turning direct, and you may experience a sense of relief that events are turning around in what seems to you to be a positive direction.  If you have felt lately that you are working against the grain or uphill, with 5 planets retrograde, one of these blocks being removed could make a difference.  Though it’s not the whole picture, it means a lot to have Jupiter on side and working for us.  Your faith and trust in the processes of life could be restored, if it ever wobbled.

Venus sextile Neptune, also occurring tomorrow, is another restoration of faith, on a subtler level, and involving relationships.  Spiritual understanding is fostered with this aspect, and inspiration received and given out in the Arts.  With Venus in her sign of Taurus, and Neptune in his sign of Pisces, all is harmony.

In the afternoon the Sun is conjunct Mercury in Taurus, excellent for concentration and focus on Taurean applications: gardening, art and music, and monetary dealings.  If you have an argument to make, you can do so cogently.  It may prove more potent than a normal Mercury/Sun conjunction, as this particular astronomical event is also known as a “transit of Mercury” across the Sun, an event which only occurs 13 or 14 times in a century.  It is also a type of eclipse, but not dramatic in its appearance as Mercury appears as a tiny dot traversing the Sun.  Nevertheless, don’t try looking at the Sun, it’s just as inadvisable as ever.

More karmic benefits too, accrue from a trine between the Sun and the North Node, a chance to practise creativity and power in an ethical way.  So altogether there is a lot going on tomorrow, and a chance to move projects forward in the right direction.

On Tuesday (10th) Venus trines Jupiter, one of the most positive events in the astrological calendar (it occurs twice a year).  It is a sparkling social aspect, and is often marked by celebrations such as engagements.  So it is a good excuse to throw a party, if you have a reason to do so.  If you are socializing, you’ll find the company congenial and jovial.  Some memorable humour and punchlines could emerge for dining out on later, so take your joke book and notebook.

Friday (13th) brings a sober but powerful and constructive trine between Mercury and Pluto.  It is excellent for meaningful dialogue, whether in the board room or the coffee shop.  You’ll straightaway get down to the nitty gritty and approach the heart of the matter.

Later, in the evening, Mercury is conjunct Venus, and it is a good time to make something creative out of the constructive dialogue earlier in the day.  Mercury conjunct Venus particularly favours diplomacy and negotiation, writing, and combining written communication with the Arts.  You can bring all the good influences gathered in the week into a tangible form.

Saturday (14th) is also constructive, but with slightly different emphases.  Venus trines Pluto, so relationships are blessed at a profound level.  Emotional communication is heartfelt, intimate and honest.  Monetary concerns may also benefit.

Then the Sun sextiles Chiron, so healing is to the fore, whether literal physical healing, mental health, or the healing of problems or issues from the point of crisis.  You may be led to think outside the box, bringing relief where there has been suffering.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – karmic information
• Tomorrow – favourable turnaround, spiritual relationships, concentration and karmic rewards
• Tuesday – celebration
• Friday – constructive thought, and creative writing
• Saturday – Warm relationships and healing

London Mayor Elections

 Voters go to the polls this Thursday to elect the next Mayor of London. Here I look at some of the candidates, and past and present Mayoral charts.

 Sadiq Khan

 I first looked at Sadiq Khan’s chart during the election for a Labour candidate.  Since then, he has been much more high profile, and has been seen to conduct a cleaner and fairer campaign it seems than Zac Goldsmith.  Sadiq seems to understand in particular the housing needs of young Londoners, an issue of high priority if services are to continue to be provided in London by nursing staff, cleaners, waiters and waitresses, workers on the Underground, etc.  He comes across as a decent and sincere advocate on behalf of all Londoners.

Here was my assessment of his chart:

 “Sadiq Khan has a powerhouse of energy, from his conjunction of Mars and Pluto, which could be confrontational.  The conjunction takes place in Virgo, so he is able to channel that energy into Health, Community and Environmental concerns, which would be useful for a London Mayor.  His Sun in Libra (he was a Human Rights lawyer) conjuncts Uranus, so he has potential as an innovator.  There is also a loose conjunction between his Venus and Neptune (plus his Mercury sextiles Neptune), so he is capable of sensitivity and inspiration in relationships and the Arts, and subtlety in negotiation which may balance out the overriding will of Mars and Pluto.  His Mercury conjuncts Pluto, so he thinks deeply about issues.  He could be quite personally charismatic, with Venus exactly sextile Mars.  He has no Fire planets, and his Jupiter is unaspected, so sometimes he may come over as lacking enthusiasm.  Mars exactly trine Saturn is an excellent balance of action and measured caution.  Neptune squares closely his Nodal Axis, so in his personal life he may occasionally be confused about his direction… London’s Neptune [is] sextile exactly his natal Jupiter, so spiritually there is a unity.”

This morning, he is reported to be worried that the current dispute about antisemitism in the Labour Party has eroded and reversed his lead in this contest.  On election day, Mars trines his natal Chiron, and Saturn sextiles his natal Sun, which is promising, but he does need the Labour voters to come out and vote, in order to bring about the fairer society in London which he is aiming for.

Zac Goldsmith

 Zac Goldsmith, son of Brexiter James Goldsmith (before the term was coined) and brother of Jemima Khan, earned a good reputation for his work in ecology.  But in this campaign he has been perceived as playing the racist and Islamophobic card against Sadiq Khan, and his privileged background has led to him being accused of being too wrapped up in the inequities of the current London property scene.  He has inherited considerable wealth, and does not seem to take seriously the plight of the ordinary London worker.  If he is elected, the rich in London will undoubtedly gain even further ground.

Goldsmith’s Sun lies in the last degree of Capricorn, an Earth sign, and that may be a clue to his high ideals regarding ecology.  It also may explain why he has a reputation for shyness, and has not been engaging with the public a great deal.  He has Sun square Uranus, so there is a part of him which wants to rebel, indeed he has been called a backbench rebel, and does not always agree with David Cameron on policy.  He has been successful as Editor of Ecology magazine, and has a very strong Writer Archetype (Mercury exactly conjunct Venus in Aquarius), which he tries to use to heal the Earth (Chiron sextile Mercury/Venus).  Robert Booth wrote in the Guardian: “Juniper recalls Goldsmith as a ‘brave but modest’ editor who gave a quasi-academic journal a wider readership”.  He’s capable of balanced judgments (Jupiter trine Saturn), and charismatic leadership (North Node conjunct Neptune and Pluto sextile closely North Node).  His Uranus trines the Jupiter of the London chart, so if elected he would bring a change of some sort, but that may not necessarily be in the right direction for the majority of Londoners.  At the time of the elections, Pluto will be sextile his natal Jupiter (the possibility of power) but Neptune will be square his Neptune (uncertainty), so that is not conclusive in terms of outcome.

Sian Berry

 Green Party candidate Sian Berry actually has more of an emphasis on Water signs than Earth, surprisingly.  She has an upbeat, lucky streak, with Sun exactly trine Jupiter, but could be explosive in speech according to her Mercury exactly square Pluto (I have not heard of any such incidents, I hasten to add).  Saturn on her Mercury may help her to keep such ideas buttoned up, however.  She is very sociable (Venus square Jupiter), and developed good relationships in past lives (Venus conjunct her South Node).  She also has leadership karma (Mars exactly trine her North Node) so may go far in her chosen Party. Dave Hill in the Guardian described her as having “like her party, grown more formidable with experience”. Her Neptune sextiles the London Mars, so she has sensitivity to its needs.  She was born 6 months before Zac Goldsmith and shares the transit of Pluto sextile to her natal Jupiter, but Pluto opposes her Sun and Saturn opposes her Venus, so there will be some disappointment.

 Previous Mayors:

 Ken Livingstone

 Ken Livingstone, who was embroiled this week in accusations of anti-semitism, was a fairly successful London Mayor in the newly revived institution.  But his record of anti-semitic comments going back years, and his inability to restrain himself verbally has made him a loose cannon since he was given a role in the Labour Party regarding the nuclear industry.

We have a birth time for him, unlike the previous three.  He has Sun conjunct closely Mercury in Gemini, which combined with Moon conjunct closely Jupiter in Virgo, gives him a slightly mischievous streak – he has a twinkle in his eye as he makes his controversial statements, as though he knows they will get him into trouble – he doesn’t really care.  The Sun/Mercury in Gemini could cause him to over-intellectualize, and together with a slightly curmudgeonly Capricorn Ascendant, he maybe needs a little more of the heart and a little less of the head.  North Node conjunct Saturn reinforces this persona.  Jupiter was square his Uranus this week, causing him to overreach himself more than usual.  His aspects to the chart of London are warm, e.g. his Venus trines its Neptune.

 Boris Johnson

 I wrote in 2013:

“Boris is a highly popular politician (Sun exactly conjunct Venus indicating the lovable component of lovable rogue), and riding high on the success of the Olympics last summer. His chaotic, anarchic side is his Uranus conjunct Pluto.  Sun in Gemini is associated with cycling, and he has promoted a cycling hire scheme in the capital among other accomplishments.”

So both previous Mayors were Geminians, but Boris did have excellent interaspects with the London chart: his Jupiter trine the London Uranus and North Node, and his Neptune sextile the London Uranus and North Node.  In some ways, London was healing for him, resolving his Jupiter-Neptune opposition.  Though he has ambitions to be the next Conservative leader, his position seems to me a little precarious or controversial at present, pending the outcome of the European Referendum.  Some political pundits are saying that a vote in June’s European Referendum to come out of Europe will seal his chances of becoming the next leader of the Conservatives and/or Prime Minister.

Dick Whittington

Legend has it that Dick Whittington was a 14th Century character, who was promised by the ringing of church bells in Holloway one day that he would become Lord Mayor, went from rags to riches and became Lord Mayor.  He had a street cat called Puss in Boots, who was very helpful.  We do not have his birth date.

Aspects

It’s all good, this week: Two trines, a sextile and a New Moon.  Not a cloud in the astrological sky!  You might be one of those rare people who don’t get on with trines…but otherwise you can plough ahead with your plans for this week.

Well, at least the aspects are on your side.  However, there are 5 planets in retrograde motion, so if you are feeling resistance, it will be due to the retrograde motion of Mercury (communication hitches), Mars (energy turbulence), Jupiter (out of luck), Saturn (blocks) and/or Pluto (psychological processing).  Take your pick, if this seems to be happening.

At Noon today the Sun is sextile Neptune, an event which might have sailed smoothly past you if you are reading this later.  But it does oil the wheels in all sorts of ways, spiritually, artistically and inspirationally, and Neptune is not retrograde.  If you executed an inspired move, then you were helped by Neptune.

Tuesday (3rd) brings the happiest aspect: Jupiter trine the Sun.  Note that Leos especially could have a good week, because all the favourable aspects involve their ruler, the Sun.  So if you have the Sun or Ascendant in Leo, you could be moving onwards and upwards incrementally this week.  Jupiter trine the Sun could bring all of us that extra factor of luck that we need to bring a project to fruition, an interview to a successful outcome, a journey to delightful vistas, or a philosophical point to a satisfactory conclusion.

The New Moon is on Friday (6th) evening, at 16 degrees Taurus.  This is a good time for planting in the garden, making money, and musical and artistic events.  It can be a new beginning for you in whichever House it falls in your chart, so if it falls in your 7th House of relationships, there can be an emotional renewal for instance.  As Taurus is a very solid sign, the results can be reliable and practical.

Around lunchtime on Saturday (7th) the Sun trines Pluto, so it is a good day to wrap up your understanding of the week, complete a project, engage meaningfully with life, or help someone in need.  The force is with you.  By the end of the week, you should be able to heave a deep sigh of satisfaction.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – gliding through
• Tuesday – a touch of luck
• Friday – new beginning
• Saturday – deep satisfaction

Victoria Wood (1953 – 2016)

We lose another twinkle in the nation’s eye this week, in the shape of comedienne Victoria Wood, who has left an enormous legacy of work to be replayed on our screens.

With her pudding bowl haircut, and not to be confused with Pam Ayres to whom she often referred, her photo gazes from my newspaper cuttings with an unmistakeable look of compassion shining out of her eyes.  Some said her comedy was cruel, and others said it was kind, but compassion is what I see in her eyes.

Natal Chart

(Note: We do not have the luxury of a birth time and Ascendant for her.)

Her individual blend of quick wit and humour is shown in her chart by a triple conjunction of the Sun in Taurus (the musical bent) conjunct Mercury (quick wit) and Jupiter (humour) in Gemini (her affection for words).

She had a quirky mind, with Mercury closely trine Chiron, but often under stress with Mercury closely square Pluto.

She had the depressive Saturn/Neptune exact conjunction in Libra of 1953, with Venus opposing the conjunction, and squaring Uranus, bringing some sadness in her love life.  Venus was trine closely with Pluto at the same time, offsetting some of the difficulties, but a square from Chiron completed a Grand Cross.  No doubt there were aspects of her life which were so difficult she could not or would not speak of them.

Her Mars was in Gemini, giving a very mental quality to her energy, and Mars and Jupiter were trine her North Node (her karmic mission) in Aquarius, giving her great mental drive and enthusiasm to reform society.  She was a great Ambassador for Northern England.

1953 was not an easy year to be born, and in addition she had a T square between Saturn-Neptune, and Uranus opp Chiron.

Background

Born in Bury, Lancashire (her trademark accent very much a part of her charm), she may well have inherited a chunk of talent from her father, who wrote songs for the Christmas parties at the insurance company he worked for, spent a great deal of time writing plays, and later wrote scripts for Coronation Street.

Her father bought her a piano for her 15th birthday, an essential tool for her future creative expression.  Mars was trine her North Node at the time (as at birth), firing up her karmic mission, while Pluto was trine her Chiron, giving energy to her Inner Healer.  She was also facing her blocks at the time with challenging transits from Saturn, but she now had one of the major building bricks for her talent, and the opportunity to let that energy flow.  What she did with that piano, of course, is legendary.  Women’s Weekly, a magazine I once worked for, will never be the same again after her oft quoted lyric for “Let’s do it!”

Joyce Grenfell

Joyce Grenfell was an early influence for Victoria, both for her monologue style, and as a pioneer in female comedy.  She was aged 6 when she saw her, and recalled “It was the first time I’d seen anyone stand on their own on stage.  I didn’t realise that there were jobs like that before – that one could stand on stage and speak, with no props except for a nice frock and people would die laughing”.  Her synastry with Joyce is important and profound, and includes an exact trine between Joyce’s Uranus (dazzling stimulation) and Victoria’s Mercury (mind).

Early Career

She appeared in the talent show New Faces in the mid-1970s, then landed a role playing the piano and singing on Esther Rantzen’s show “That’s Life”.

Julie Walters

Her stand out collaboration was with Julie Walters, who she met at college in Manchester in 1970.  I think it is fair to say that Julie became her Muse, although both had successful careers outside the comedy partnership.

In a television interview, Victoria said that the summer of 1978 was a crucial moment for their comedy.  Somehow the chemistry between them sparked a new level of humour, and a new era of television work was launched.  Victoria’s Jupiter was sparking success by transiting her natal Uranus.

In their synastry, Julie Walters’ Venus was exactly trine Victoria’s Jupiter, a very comic connection.  And Julie’s Moon was square Victoria’s Nodal Axis, a very karmic connection.  Emphasizing the karmic connection, Julie’s Ascendant was exactly conjunct Victoria’s South Node, indicating past lives spent together.

Geoffrey Durham

She married The Great Soprendo, magician Geoffrey Durham, he of the “Pif Paf Poof!”  Their Suns were closely sextile, Durham’s Jupiter was closely trine Victoria’s Sun, and his Neptune exactly trine Victoria’s Mars.  They had two children, Henry and Grace.  Henry’s birth chart shows his Venus and Moon (his female planets) in Victoria’s Sun sign of Taurus. Victoria and Geoffrey attended Quaker meetings together.  On this subject, she was quoted as saying: “As I’ve got older, I am more interested in having a belief,” she said. “If you don’t it makes everything seem pointless. To only think ‘you’re alive, you have acne and then you die’ makes you wonder what it’s all for.”

They separated in October 2002 after 22 years of marriage.  Uranus was squaring her Sun at the time, showing the separation, but Saturn was trine her natal Saturn/Neptune conjunction and sextile her Pluto, suggesting there was some sense of control over the situation.

Celia Imre

Another good friend, who appeared in Dinnerladies and Acorn Antiques, was Celia Imre.  There was a good rapport within their personal planets, and a special spark of humour created by Celia’s Jupiter sextile exactly Victoria’s Uranus.

Dinnerladies

Dinnerladies, and food in general, is a very Taurean theme!  She said “I was also addicted to sugar, which makes you depressed,” she added. “So I think I was always slightly depressed as a child and a teenager.”  Sugar addiction is associated with Venus, ruler of Taurus.

The sitcom Dinnerladies, which she wrote and starred in, debuted in 1998, and also featured Celia Imre, Julie Walters, Maxine Peake, Thelma Barlow, Shobna Gulati, Duncan Preston and Anne Reid, a considerable investment of acting talent.  It ran for two years, two series and 16 episodes.

Acorn Antiques

Another huge success for Victoria was a comic soap opera Acorn Antiques, in which Walters, Imre and Preston co-starred.  Julie Walters’ charlady character (“Mrs. Overall”) produced one of Victoria’s most treasured scenes from all her writing, when she hobbled precariously to the lunch table bearing “two soups”, spilling most of it on the way.

Death

Victoria died after a six month battle with cancer, which was unknown to some of her friends.  Her family were around her, and she was making jokes until the end.  Uranus was opposite her natal Saturn/Neptune, and square her natal Chiron, but trine her natal Pluto.

Clive James sums up her talent well: “As a TV dramatist alone, she is on a par with Alan Bennett, while as a creator of comedy programmes she changed the field for women and indeed for everybody, because very few of the men were trying hard enough as writers before she came on the scene and showed them what penetrating social humour should actually sound like.”

And A.L. Kennedy wrote in a worthwhile piece yesterday in the Guardian:

“She could be real without dragging humanity in the gutter, she could be angry without bullying, she could be serious without being smug.”

Pleiades

Her Sun is also aligned with one of the most important cluster of stars in our sky, the Pleiades.  Maybe some of her sense of fun and inspiration comes from there.

Aspects

We are in effect aspectless this week.  The planets are leaving us to our own devices!

One planet turns retrograde, and another changes signs, that’s all.  And those are not aspects.

Maybe it will prove to be a week of being, and not doing.

Mercury turns retrograde at 17.20 Hrs on Thursday (28th).  You know the drill: keep your communications clear, be present mentally, and above all, don’t panic!

On Saturday (30th) at 00.36 a.m. in the U.K. Venus enters Taurus, much to the relief of Venus.  She will be able to go at her own sedate pace once again, without the pressure of Mars/Aries.  You can plunge happily into Venus-in-Taurus related activities, as long as they are not Mercury-communication linked.  So it is onward and upwards for gardening, painting, making music and making money.

The aspects will be back to normal next week!

Please read my astro-obituary of Prince, below, or click right

The week in bullet points:

• Thursday – communication hitches
• Saturday – love and art

 

The world is reeling from yet another high profile celebrity death, and Prince not even reaching his 60s.

The Birthchart

His was a high energy chart, with Sun in Gemini (mental energy; he could play an indeterminate number of musical instruments), Ascendant in Scorpio (emotional drive) and Mars at 0 degrees Aries (primal physical energy). Mercury was sextile Mars, lending extra vigour to his mind and mental expression.

His Moon was trine exactly Neptune, conferring an exquisite emotional sensitivity.  The Moon was also opposite Pluto, giving a dark side to his emotions too.

With Pluto as his Ascendant ruler, the Midheaven exactly conjunct Pluto in his 10th House of Career carries an extraordinary amount of weight and emphasis in his chart.  He was deliberately enigmatic, and not so much in a Neptunian way, but in the sense of the Pluto journey, plumbing the depths of the psyche, on a journey that was sometimes dark.  Pluto in that position also points to the theme of reinvention and rebirth on his life path.  The Pluto/Midheaven conjunction (his Persona) is at the very end of Leo, signifying a dramatic completion of a creative cycle: an ultimate performer.

Terryn Hall, writing in the Observer this morning, says: “he was always looming in the back of my  musical memory as something dark and unknowable….his music exposed me to a masculine sensuality that allowed a space for vulnerability, ambiguity and fluidity.”

Early Days

He was born in Minneapolis, and established his home and studio there (Paisley Park, Chanhassen) in later life. Both his parents were involved with music, but especially his father John Lewis Nelson, whose birth date we have.  It reveals a very strong bond between father and son, with 5 exact trines between their planets.  His father is quoted as saying: “”I named my son Prince because I wanted him to do everything I wanted to do”.

The Moon is conjunct the I.C. in his 4th House, showing the importance of his family roots.  His parents separated when he was 10, and he lived with each alternately.

Much has been made of his androgyny, which is one of the qualities of Gemini (the other sign associated with androgyny, but even more so, is Aquarius).  His attitude to love relationships was bound to be complicated, with Venus exactly square Uranus (the ruler of Aquarius) and opposite Neptune.

Jupiter sextile exactly Saturn was a useful aspect in order to balance his many activities, and enable him to make quick decisions which were true for him.  Saturn trine Pluto in addition gave him great strength, and enabled him to wrestle control over his career (Saturn trine Midheaven).

His karmic mission, as depicted by Jupiter/North Node/Neptune conjunct in the private 12th House, is both spiritual and religious in nature.  Pluto sextile exactly North Node magnified the power of this, and contributed to his status as an icon.

Career

He released his first album on 7th April 1978, when he was 20.  Jupiter was exactly contacting his potent Midheaven/Pluto/North Node patter: it was sextile exactly his natal Pluto and Midheaven, and trine exactly his natal North Node.  He had found his career and his karmic mission, at the same time, with Jupiter boosting success.

In 1982 he looked to the Millennium for inspiration and came up with the album 1999:

“{Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you
I only want you to have some fun}

I was dreamin’ when I wrote this, forgive me if it goes astray
But when I woke up this mornin’, could’ve sworn it was judgment day
The sky was all purple, there were people runnin’ everywhere
Tryin’ to run from the destruction, you know I didn’t even care

Say say two thousand zero zero party over, oops, out of time
So tonight I’m gonna party like it’s nineteen ninety-nine”

Apparently, the song was about nuclear proliferation.

In 1984, he produced the record “Purple Rain”, possibly his most powerful song of all.  The colour was henceforth to be associated with him.  Perhaps he picked up the baton from Jimi Hendrix, who sang “Purple Haze”, and Prince’s guitar playing has often been compared to the work and technique of Hendrix.  Purple is one of the colours associated with Scorpio, Pluto and death and transformation.

The lyrics echo those of 1999, but the emotional power of the song and melody is deeper:

“I never meant to cause you any sorrow
I never meant to cause you any pain
I only wanted one time to see you laughing
I only want to see you laughing in the purple rain

Purple rain Purple rain
Purple rain Purple rain
Purple rain Purple rain

I only want to see you bathing in the purple rain”

Regeneration

Partly as an effort to free himself from the slavery of his record company, he changed his name in 1993 to the symbol, which represented his sexual balancing and fusion.  His Progressed Sun a the time was at the end of the 8th House square natal Jupiter in the 12th House of Privacy.

In a 1997 interview by Susie Boone, only today released by the Observer, he reveals some of his process:

“The reason I changed my name was because I heard a voice telling me to. Was it god’s voice? Who knows. It may have been some higher self, maybe god, or maybe someone within me. It was a very frightening time. I was thinking, if I accept this voice, what will it mean? But slowly, gradually, I started to get the answers. And the answer was, this is who I should be.”

 “I know my life changed from that point. That’s why I am now happy. It was at that time, when I changed my name, that I started to understand how to master happiness”

The Astrology of the time shows Pluto opposing his Saturn, forcing transformation, but Jupiter sextile his natal Chiron and Saturn trine his natal Chiron, urging him towards a healing wholeness.

Religion

In 2001, inspired by a friend, he officially became a Jehovah’s Witness.  In his natal chart, he has Uranus in his 9th House of religion, which often brings about religious conversion for people who have this placing.  He referred to the event however as a “realization.”

In the 1997 interview, he talks a little about his religious feelings:

” ‘That time has been the most traumatic of my life’ prince acknowledges, ‘but contrary to what has been said about me, I feel very positive. I believe God has a plan. Everything that happens, there’s a reason for it’ “.

His natal Jupiter/North Node/Neptune triple conjunction in 12th House speaks of uniting and reconciling religion and spirituality.  Jupiter was trine this triple conjunction in that year.

Energy and Creativity

The 5th House speaks of Creativity and Children.  He has Mars there, in Aries, which shows the energy of his Creativity.  It also hints at the sexual nature of some of his lyrics, though he said: “People hear the sex in my songs much more than I ever write it”.  He has a link with Jimi Hendrix’ energy, in that Jimi’s Mars was exactly conjunct Prince’s Ascendant in Scorpio.

Mars in his 5th House also represents the one boy child he had, who sadly died very young from Pfeiffer’s syndrome.  Boone asked Prince about this and Prince said “there are so many ways to look at things. And I would never use the words ‘they’re gone’. They will always come back, you see.”

Promotion of Other Singers

Prince wrote many beautiful songs for other artists, for example “Manic Monday” for the Bangles, and “Nothing Compares to You” recorded by Sinead O’Connor.  “Kiss” was very profitably recorded by Tom Jones.  He also promoted Mica Paris and Sheila E, among others.  A Scottish lass named Sheena Easton recorded his song “Sugar Walls” (criticized for its explicit lyrics) and duetted with him on “U Got the Look”.  With positive and powerful links between their charts, she achieved great success and made her home in the U.S.

 Death

 Found slumped in a lift at Paisley Park, his death is still a mystery, pending a post mortem.  He had been suffering from a ‘flu-like illness.  Mars was trine natal Uranus absolutely exact to the minute;  Saturn was opposite his natal Sun, and Uranus from 6th House of Health opposed his natal Jupiter in 12th House. In addition,  Pluto was sextile his natal Ascendant on the 3rd House cusp.

 From another planet?

It has been suggested that he may have derived his inspiration from another planet, or even came from another planet.  His Sun is aligned with the Fixed Star Rigel in the constellation of Orion, but I feel more importantly his Midheaven/Pluto exact conjunction is aligned with Regulus in the constellation of Leo.  Regulus means “Little King” and was associated with royalty in the ancient world.

” ‘A strong spirit transcends rules,’ Prince once said, – and nobody’s spirit was stronger, bolder or more creative.”

~ Barack Obama

Taurus Animal Totems and Archetypes

The Sun enters Taurus on Tuesday 19th April 2016 at 15.29 Hrs in the U.K.  This is the last in the series where I look at some of the animal totems and Archetypes for the various signs. Do you, or someone close to you, have Sun, Ascendant or Moon in Taurus?

Bull

The Bull of course is the traditional animal for this sign.  The Taurean nature is more often associated with placidity, a quality of  the cow, female counterpart of the bull.  Taurus in fact comes under the female signs in Astrology, and is ruled by the planet Venus, associated with the Goddess.  There are contradictions in the Taurean make up and it has long been said that Taureans have a long fuse, and can eventually lose their temper.  This is in contrast to the previous sign Aries which has a short fuse and is of the warrior breed. The symbol of the bull also gives Taurus its reputation for stubbornness and digging its heels in.

Country: The chart of Spain, associated with the tradition of bull fighting, has Ascendant in Taurus with Jupiter rising in that sign, and Chiron also in Taurus.

Cow

The cow is seen as having the patient virtues of this sign, and as the giver of milk, is also seen as a nurturer (also the province of the Cancerian).

Nicholas J. Saunders sums up the high esteem in which they are held in India: “Primitive pastoralists’ reverence for their herds survives in Hinduism, where cows are protected as sacred and revered as nourishers of humanity.”

Taureans are also known for having a talent for growing plants, and cookery.  Here is a list of some well known chefs born under this sign:

Famous Example: Jamie Oliver, Antony Worrall Tompson, Brian Turner, John Burton-Race, Ken Hom, Phil Vickery, Simon Rimmer

Buffalo

Related of course to the cow and the bull, Buffalo “was the major source of sustenance for the plains Indians.  It gave meat for food, hides for clothing, warm and soft buffalo robes for long winters, and hooves for glue.  The medicine of buffalo is prayer, gratitude and praise for that which has been received.  Buffalo medicine is also knowing that Abundance is present when all relations are honoured as sacred.” (Jamie Sams and David Carson).

Money is one of the acquisitions of the acquisitive sign of Taurus, so this is apt, and Nicky Scully echoes this theme: “”White Buffalo woman can work with  you on your issues around manifestation, helping you get over blocks and barriers that keep you from the abundance and joy she represents.”

Elephant

I have long associated Elephant with Taurus, because of the experiences of various Taureans in my life.  Elephants have a reputation for removing obstacles, and having a prodigious memory.  Two zodiac signs are associated with memory: Cancerians through emotional association, and Taureans in the way they store experiences and never forget.

Nicky Scully equates elephants with manifesting goals, and problem solving.  She writes: “With Elephant, you love and celebrate the Earth on which you stand.”

Nicholas J. Saunders points out: “A belief in the wise nature of the elephant is nurtured by its great gentleness despite its size and strength.”

Elephants have an extraordinary social sophistication in the way they organize their society.  Ted Andrews describes this eloquently: “Those who have the elephant as totem will usually find themselves in a position where the opportunity to re-establish powerful family and societal ideals will occur.  Mutual care of the young, respect for the elderly and the sick, being strong in your own self – these are the foundations of a great person or a great society.”

Pig

Many people regard pigs with affection.  Nicholas Saunders puts to bed some negative associations:: “Depictions of the Buddhist wheel of existence show the pig (ignorance) as one of the three animals binding mankind to sensual desires.  Although pigs are certainly hearty eaters, the link with ignorance seems based on nothing more than the pig’s habit of keeping its head low to the ground.”

Walrus

Nicky Scully equates Walrus with our relationship with money: “Walrus is comfortable with the idea of money and views it as one more tool to be brought into balance, both personally and on a planetary level…Walrus can help you with your investments by showing you how to manage your monetary assets properly. He can assist you in negotiating business deals and is very helpful for people managing their own businesses.”

She also addresses the idea that they are normally placid, and only attack humans when they feel threatened.

Slow Creatures

Taureans can be lethargic and sluggish when feeling a little below par.  I hope the following section does not offend those who are Taurean and quick creatures (probably those who have Aries planets), or those who are absolutely incensed by slow creatures.

 The Tortoise and the Snail

 I must confess, through my Ascendant in Taurus (as well as other astrological factors), to having always felt an affinity with snails and tortoises.  I was always known for my slowness, always being last on the school cross country run and the country rambles.  I always had my fair share of eye rolling on this account.  Taureans cannot be rushed, they have to follow their own inner pace.

Sloth

One step slower than the tortoise and the snail, almost at a standstill, comes the Sloth.  In Davina McCall’s recent “Life at the Extreme” wildlife series she communed with and appreciated some sloths close up, in Costa Rica.  I felt a personal sense of gratitude!

There is an ironic postscript to this theme, in that now in later life, with dodgy knees, my mother and my hubby are now able to walk at my pace.

“Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow” – Plato

Bird Totems

Turkey

Angela Wansbury assigns the message of abundance to Turkey, with its association with feast days perhaps.  She assigns the Archetype of Midas to this bird, too (see later).

Jamie Sams and David Carson explain the role of the give-away in North American Indian culture in relation to this bird, and make some comments pertinent to our present dilemma over the rich storing away their wealth in tax free havens:

“A tribal member may gladly give away all he or she owns, and do without in order to help the People.  In present-day urban life, we are taught to acquire and get ahead.  The person with the most toys wins the game.  In some cultures, no one can win the game unless the whole of the People’s needs are met.  A person who claims more than his or her share is looked upon as selfish.”

 Guinea Fowl

The guinea fowl provides a rich and luxurious feast (for meat eaters) and was regarded as a particular luxury by the ancient Egyptians and Romans. For Angela Wansbury the issue for this bird is support and stability, very much Taurean terrain.  Taureans are often referred to as the rock of the family or friendship circle.  She gives “Builder” as the Archetype, and builder is one of the professions for Taurus: “A guinea fowl is asking what areas of your life are not built on solid ground and are, at best, a little bit shaky…  Stability begins with knowing  you can support yourself, no matter what, and with knowing that your life should be built on a stable foundation of positive beliefs and faith”.

Insect:

Bee

Again this totem has been observed over the years in association with Taureans I have known.  The honey which they produce is the sweetness of life, and associated with the ruling planet Venus.  Nicky Scully points out that apparently, “Priestesses of Aphrodite were called melissae, a word meaning ‘bees’.”

She goes on to say “This journey is for people who would like to work with the Earth in a more productive and healing way, utilizing natural processes and giving back to the Earth.”  It was good to hear this week that, in common with tigers, bee numbers are on the rise again.  I have a Taurean friend who is a bee-keeper, a good hobby for Taureans who are not allergic to bee stings.

Religious Deities

 Buddha

 The birthday of the Buddha, the fount of placid wisdom, is usually celebrated during the month when the Sun is in Taurus.

Ganesha

Ganesha the Hindu God has the head of an elephant.

Nicholas J. Saunders says: “Regarded as the god of sagacity, …he is frequently invoked at the beginning of a task since he is believed to remove obstacles.  Ganesha is widely revered as the patron of business people.”

Mythological Creature

Minotaur

 I cannot leave out the Minotaur, subject of the myth of Knossos/Crete.  Taureans are possibly the most centred of the zodiac signs, and  the object of the labyrinth is to find the Centre.  The Minotaur of course was the creature with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man, who dwelt in the centre of the labyrinth. In the Greek myth, Ariadne helped Theseus reach the minotaur with the aid of a ball of string, and he subsequently was able to slay the creature.

Archetypes

Artist

The Artist is one of the most basic of Taurean archetypes.  In my Past Life Archetypes, I go back to the cave paintings of bulls for my Taurean archetype.  That is in itself such a basic image and imbued with such meaning for this sign.

In previous centuries there was a prevalent Archetype of the talented artist starving in a garrett in his lifetime, and possibly gaining success posthumously.  The memory of this may unconsciously hold you back if you are an aspiring artist in this lifetime.

Caroline Myss brings the Archetype much more up to date in her book on the subject.  She observes: “In our society, art is generally regarded as a risky, if not altogether reckless, occupational choice, and any activity that isn’t financially rewarding is automatically classed as a hobby.”

She is very encouraging to the budding artist, and her final thought is: “The Artist/Creative archetype has an inborn calling to contribute to life creatively.  It is a privilege to possess artistic gifts and talents.  Cultivate yours.  To deny them is true suffering.”

Midas/The Moneylender

The Taurus/Scorpio polarity has a cluster of Archetypes around the theme of money.  Taurus generally represents one’s own earnings and possessions, and Scorpio (its opposite) represents dealing with other people’s money, e.g. through banking or insurance.  But of course money has to flow between these two ends of the polarity, and as has already been mentioned the current crisis over the Panama offshore tax havens highlights aspects of this relationship.  Is the rich man hoarding wealth the Midas?  The literary archetype of the moneylender is embodied in Shylock in the Merchant of Venice.  The moneylenders of the Bible have also coloured our perceptions of the profession.  More recently, the banking crisis of 2008 adversely altered the reputation of those who have monetary power.

Again, the last word goes to Caroline for the description of this Archetype: “Entrepreneurial or creative ability to turn anything to gold.  Delight in sharing life’s riches…look for a pattern of creating wealth and/or confronting how far you’re willing to go to create it; also for a pattern of difficulty sharing wealth”.

Chief Sitting Bull

I asked a close friend who is a Taurean if she identified with any particular archetype. Quick as a flash she came back with Chief Sitting Bull, and the more I thought about it, the more apt I found it. She herself had a past life as a Native American chief (not sitting bull), so the archetype is perfect for her personally. The historical figure must have had the qualities of the bull, as his totem animal. Taureans, as mentioned previously, are like a rock for their immediate friends and family. And Sitting Bull represented the oneness with the land (another Taurean feature) which gave rise to many deep sayings.  The theme of the long fuse of the bull comes up again, for Sitting Bull was a reluctant warrior, goaded by the unjust actions of the white man, into being a defender and protector of his people and his land.

“Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love!” ~ Sitting Bull

Bibliography:

 “The Golden Cauldron” by Nicky Scully

“Medicine Cards” by Jamie Sams and David

 “Animal Speak” by Ted Andrews

 “Archetypes” by Caroline Myss

“Animal Spirits” by Nicholas J. Saunders

“Birds Divine Messengers” by Andrea Wansbury

Aspects

We start this morning with a powerful trine between Mercury and Pluto.  It’s a good day to receive psychological insights and make perceptive observations, as well as to discuss serious in-depth issues.  The clock is ticking on the inner work, because within 24 hours Pluto will be turning retrograde.

Around lunchtime today Mars will be turning retrograde, and this will affect active projects (which may temporarily come to a standstill) and the expression of energy, passion and feelings of anger.  If you did not speak your truth this morning, you might find it more difficult later in the day.  The early bird catches the worm today.

Tomorrow Pluto is stationary prior to turning retrograde (a process which is slower than for Mars).  That means that psychological processes are going to go through a period of further unpicking.  You may have settled for a convenient level of truth on Sunday, which then requires a further period of re-evaluation by Monday morning.  That is not to say Sunday’s insights have gone to waste, because they were needed in order to get to the point of knowing the next stage.

Venus trines Saturn in the afternoon, so it is another serious aspect, but stabilizing for relationships, e.g. there may be professions of commitment and loyalty.  It is a good day to be realistic within a relationship, and to communicate where you are psychologically in relation to the other.

The Sun enters Taurus on Tuesday (19th), and there again your activities may go from manically fit Aries to the more gentle pace (e.g. Tai Chi) of Taurus.  During the month of Aries you may have been intent on getting things done, inspired by the thought of Spring.  Now you may find more artistic expressions for your energy such as music or pottery, but also productive work in the garden.

In the evening (in the U.K.) Venus squares Pluto, and feelings may be running high.  It is important to talk things through with your nearest and dearest earlier in the week, because tensions could become impossibly volatile on Tuesday evening if issues between you have been ignored.  Finances too could suffer under this aspect, and may to some extent be the cause of tension.

Although some tension may ease after this point, a different set of tensions may be building up to the Full Moon on Friday (22nd), more emotion-based rather than feeling-based (you may get the chance to notice the distinction).  This Full Moon is in Scorpio, which is one of the most difficult of the year’s round.  The tension does reflect some of the themes of earlier in the week, and there may even be a tension between feeling (Sun in Taurus) and emotion (Moon in Scorpio), as well as money earned (Taurus) and money shared (Scorpio).  There may be more tax revelations, for instance.

On Friday evening, Venus conjuncts Uranus at 21 degrees Aries, which is sparky for the social side of life, perhaps holding the possibility of unusual meetings.  It is the element of surprise allied to feelings and relationships, and there may be an element of risk (with no guarantees of outcomes).  However, it is probably the most exciting aspect of the week!

The week in bullet points:

• Today – psychological perception, and activities stalled
• Tomorrow – psychological re-evaluation, and loyalty
• Tuesday – congenial activities, and volatile feelings
• Friday – high tide of emotion, and social excitement

Government in Crisis

The last couple of months have not been good for Cameron, Osborne and Co.  How damaging to the Conservative government is the current wave of crises?

European Referendum Campaign

The European Referendum campaign split the Conservative Party in late February.  Up until the European Referendum campaign, the media were hard on the case of the Labour Party, and the various schisms over issues such as Trident.  When the European Referendum campaigns were under way, the schism in the Conservative Party was too obvious to ignore, and attention shifted.

From my blog 28th February 2016:

“Libran David Cameron in his negotiating role finalized his deal with the other EU members …  From the view of his birthchart, it was a positive event: Jupiter from Virgo in his natal 12th House of Unconscious was exactly sextile his natal Neptune in Scorpio in his natal 2nd House of Finance…  He had done his best, and he had done what he set out to do.  The deal looks safe but superficial, harmless enough, and face-saving all round.

The impact of the event on the U.K. natal chart is mixed: Saturn sits on the natal Sun/Mercury, so it is about laying down boundaries.  Mars trines the Moon, so there is much heat of emotion around the event…

The impact of the event on the Conservative Party seems more upbeat astrologically than the political picture looks: Jupiter sextiles its Sun, and Chiron trines its Sun.  The chart is set for noon, and if the foundation of the Party took place at noon, the Ascendant would have been rocked by a square from Uranus.

Saturn sextiles the Venus of the European Union chart at this time, so a testing time but constructive in relationships.”

Iain Duncan Smith, Michael Gove, Chris Grayling and Boris Johnson declared themselves for Brexit, for various individual reasons, and the Conservative Party was at war with itself.

Budget – 16th March 2016

Mid-March saw a controversial budget, and subsequent forced climbdown by the Chancellor, and calls for his resignation.

George Osborne

George Osborne has got away with several Austerity budgets, but this one proved a step too far, and was damaging to his hopes of being the next Prime Minister.  The Teflon coated duo of Cameron and Osborne were beginning to lose their coating.

Iain Duncan Smith

It was straightaway spotted that the budget was patently unfair, giving to the rich in tax cuts, and taking from the poor in more proposed welfare and disability cuts.  But it was not until two days later, when Iain Duncan Smith resigned for these very reasons (having ironically been the perpetrator of much misery and suffering for the poorest in our society) that George Osborne’s financial policies lost all credibility in many more eyes.

At the time of the budget, there were a couple of difficult transits to the United Kingdom chart: Pluto squaring its Saturn, and Neptune on its Uranus.  The Conservative Party was experiencing a Mars Return (a fight on its hands), and Uranus square its natal Ascendant (a schism within the ranks).  In the few days that followed, George Osborne faced calls to resign: Pluto was trine his natal Moon, but he did not resign (of course).

Iain Duncan Smith was having a Geoffrey Howe moment.  When Geoffrey Howe resigned and famously challenged Margaret Thatcher, his Pluto was trine exactly his Pluto, it was an act of self-empowerment.  For Iain Duncan Smith, Uranus was exactly transiting his natal Sun, bringing out his Inner Rebel, so he was freeing himself.  For him, it was all about Uranus, because Uranus was also squaring his Nodal Axis and squaring his own natal Uranus.  It was almost an act of self-alienation, with the exact squares from Uranus, and indeed he was distancing himself from his own past!  But it undoubtedly reflected badly on the Conservative government, and their policies.

Mossack Fonseca

Then this week, the Prime Minister prevaricated about telling the whole truth about his finances, following the revelations of the Panama offshore scheme (a worldwide scandal).

The Panamanian lawfirm Mossack Fonseca and Co. were revealed to have provided tax havens for the rich and famous over a long period of time, names were named, and at least one head has rolled (that of the Icelandic Prime Minister).

The revelation occurred last Sunday, 3rd April, and the impact on the U.K. chart does not at first glance seem too damaging.  Although Pluto is square its Saturn, Neptune is trine its Pluto and Jupiter squares its Sun/Mercury.

There must be many an MP in the House of Commons quaking over its implications, and David Cameron quickly came under question because of shares in an account held by his late father’s Company Blairmore.  Whether his hesitation in giving information this week was, as claimed, due to reverence for his late father’s good name, or stalling for time while he thought of a good story, it was acknowledged that he mishandled the situation, and he has now decided to publish his tax returns.  But there have been calls for him to resign this week.  Today the story is about a £200,000 gift from his mother. Again, the damage does not look overly concerning from the astrological picture: Saturn is sextile his natal Sun, and the North Node sextile his natal Neptune.  But Neptune is on the South Node of the Conservative Party chart, forcing more transparency.

Leafletting Campaign

The government was also under fire this week for announcing that a £9m leafletting campaign for U.K. households was about to  be unleashed on behalf of the government’s stand on staying in the E.U.  A petition against this has raised more than 100,000 signatures. Pluto is now supporting him in a trine to Cameron’s North Node.  It has been mooted that if the public vote for Brexit, David Cameron might have to resign, having also nearly lost the Scottish Independence battle during his time in office.

May 5th Election

The polls indicate that Jeremy Corbyn is currently more popular than David Cameron, but will the forthcoming election reflect that?  Come the beginning of May, Saturn will still be protecting Cameron with a sextile to his Sun, and Pluto will still be protecting him with a trine to his natal North Node.  Jupiter will be sextile the Conservative Party Uranus, which may benefit them too.  Jeremy’s transits are more mixed for that time, and the transits to the Labour Party chart are not too encouraging either, so the public backlash from all these events may not register enough to make a real difference.

June 23rd European Referendum

From my February blog:

“Mars will be trine David Cameron’s Chiron: his desire to heal the nation will be fired up!  Do his opponents’ transits reveal what the fates have in store?

Michael Gove will have Saturn trine his Saturn (stability) and Mars sextile his Uranus (excitement), so he will take the result well.

Iain Duncan Smith will have Mars squaring his Pluto, and may feel crushed to the point of being ready for a career change… [written before his resignation].

On the day of the referendum, the U.K. chart receives a trine from Saturn to its natal Chiron (Cameron fixing broken Britain?) and Jupiter squaring its natal Mercury (again, information overload).

Saturn trines the European Union chart Uranus on the day of the referendum, which implies to me that “plus ca change, plus la meme chose”!  Seriously, it implies that a proposed change may be averted.”

Are Cameron and Osborne finally getting their karmic comeuppance, or is this a storm they will ride through unscathed?  From the Astrological picture, they are not dented enough for this to be a turning point, not yet anyway, but I will be watching for that space and time.

Aspects

There are just three aspects this week, but they’re all good!

We start the week with a sextile between Mercury and Neptune, on Tuesday (12th).  Neptune and Mercury in harmony in this way is a marriage of the mind and the spirit.  It is not always easy to marry the two, except in meditation, yoga, music, and such pursuits, but Tuesday offers an opportunity for this to happen, and for a realignment of your inner knowing.  That’s the morning picture.

The evening picture is a trine between Venus and Mars: Men who are from Mars will get on well with women from Venus, and women from Mars will get on well with men from Venus.  Your own inner female will also harmonize with your inner male, etc.  Those who have this aspect natally can ooze charm.  This is a good aspect for the evening’s socializing.  I will be attending the local Labour party monthly meeting, with my hubby, but I am not yet ready to publish my political diaries.

On Thursday (14th) Mercury trines Jupiter, which is excellent for sales, and the dissemination of information.  Those wishing to get their points across regarding the European referendum may have satisfying results, for instance.  If you are a teacher, or in the travel industry, that day will be particularly good for business.

The week in bullet points:

• Tuesday – sublime and sensuous
• Thursday – sparkling communication