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

 

The Two Ronnies

Ronnie Corbett

Ronnie Corbett, who died on 31st March, had the Sun in Sagittarius, the sign for comedians.  He was well known for his short stature, despite having Sun in Sagittarius and Ascendant in Leo.  The lack of stature comes from certain Aries features, and Neptune in Virgo in 1st House.  Venus trine Jupiter is one of the keys to success in the field of  humour.  The power of surprise was important for Ronnie, with Uranus exactly trine his Sun, and forming a fire Grand Trine with his showbiz Mars in Leo.

His collaboration with other comedians and particularly his partnership with Ronnie Barker is shown by his Jupiter closely square the Nodal Axis, and conjunct with Pluto in the 11th House of Friendship.

Biography

He was born in Edinburgh, the eldest of 3 children.  His family were not thespians, and in his autobiography, he says: “It wasn’t until I got a part playing the dame in my local church youth club pantomime at 17 that it all burst out of me.”

According to the Guardian Corbett met Barker in days of the Frost Report in 1966/7: “They were two grammar school boys who had not been to University, surrounded by writers and actors who were mostly Oxbridge graduates.”

Sketch from The Frost Report

(courtesy of the Guardian Obituary)

“Corbett played a cloth-capped working-class man literally looking up to Ronnie Barker’s middle-class man (5 ft 8 in) who, in turn, looked up to upper-class John Cleese (6 ft 5 in). ‘I know my place,’ said Corbett. ‘But I don’t look up to him’ – looking at the other Ronnie – ‘as much as I look up to him’ nodding at Cleese.”

In his career, his partnership with Ronnie Barker in the long running series “The Two Ronnies, was a highlight and they achieved great popularity, and the following was their most re-played sketch.

The Four Candles Sketch

(again courtesy of the Guardian)

“Corbett played an ironmonger confounded by barker’s homophonically challenged customer. ‘Four candles,’ demanded the latter.  corbett presented the customer with four candles. ‘No, fork ‘andles, Handles for forks.’ “

Corbett also played Timothy Lumsden, in sitcom “Sorry”, portraying a middle aged librarian living with his mother.  “He was a sort of Walter Mitty – he pretended to be bold and worldly but really he was just a timid mother’s boy” – Neptune in Virgo in 1st House.

Another role in his career was that of his drawn-out armchair monologues, punctuated by “I digress”.  In this, he plays out his Sagittarian Storyteller Archetype.

Marriage

He met his wife Anne Hart at Danny La Rue’s Nightclub, Winston’s. She was 5 ft 8 in, 7 inches taller than him.  They celebrated their Golden wedding anniversary last year.

His descendant (marriage point) was in Aquarius, its ruler Uranus being exactly trine his natal Sun.  Their wedding day was blessed with significant trines and sextiles, a good recipe for a lasting marriage.

He died of motor neurone disease, diagnosed in March 2015, but never lost the Sagittarian positivity:

“I’ve had a very happy life and although I have had tragedy I’ve never suffered from any darkness.”

Ronnie Barker

The two Ronnies were very different in character.  I like to think of them chuckling in their current reunion on the inner planes.  Ronnie Barker had the Sun in Libra, a sign suited to working in partnership.  In his chart, Mercury/Mars was trine closely the Moon – imagination harmoniously allied to a quick witted intellect. Mercury was conjunct the Midheaven in Libra in 11th House of partnerships (with Mars) graphically depicting his partnership with Corbett.  Another feature of his chart which graphically depicts his alliance with Corbett was Jupiter exactly opposite the Ascendant – a major partnership with a Sagittarian.  He had Saturn conjunct Ascendant by 7 degrees in Sagittarius (the Comedy sign), but Saturn was exactly opposite his Moon, making him a prey to depressive emotions (unlike Corbett).  He once said “I’ve always known I haven’t a personality of my own, I have to be someone else to be happy. That’s why I became an actor, I suppose.” His ruling planet Venus was conjunct Neptune, which points to the need to inhabit other characters. Corbett explained that Barker “was a very private man, a quiet man … He found it almost impossible to talk directly, as himself, to an audience.” [Saturn rising perhaps]. Chiron was exactly conjunct the North Node in Taurus in 5th House – a karmic mission healing through his Creativity

As a child, Barker was fond of dressing up, and Astrologer Frank Clifford observed that in his comedy routines he “worked on his characters by developing the make-up and clothes rather than the personality”.  This is very much a Libran trait.

The two Ronnies each had their own strands of work, and Ronnie Barker notably built up a great following through the sitcoms “Open All Hours” which still survives, in an updated remake with David Jason, and “Porridge” in which he plays a prisoner named Fletcher.  Much of his humour was based on double-entendres and innuendo.  Dennis Baker of the Guardian analysed this: “He ‘preferred innuendo over the crudely explicit, a restraint that demanded some imagination from the audience and was the essence of his comedy.’ ”  Ronnie Barker himself said of his motivation in comedy: “I think it’s better to make people laugh than cry.”

Ronnie Barker died in 2005 of heart failure.

Synastry

Ronnie Barker had 5 planets in Air, so complemented Corbett, who had 0 planets in Air.  And Barker’s Ascendant was in Sagittarius, to match Corbett’s Sun sign.

Barker said of their partnership “People refuse to believe that we don’t have rows, tensions, private wars. It’s a strange thing after so many years but we never have. Actually, it’s even more amicable than a marriage – wedlock without the bad patches. Our sense of humour and perception of what’s good and what’s rubbish are uncommonly in tune.”

Other strengths of their partnership include Ronnie Barker’s Mars/Mercury being sextile exactly Corbett’s Ascendant, and his Jupiter sextile Corbett’s Mars. His Pluto was conjunct exactly Ronnie Corbett’s Jupiter (a conjunction Ronnie had in his natal chart), which may account for the power of their work.  In addition, their Venuses were exactly trine, perfectly in sync.  Ronnie Corbett’s Jupiter trined Barker’s Chiron, boosting his healing.

Barker’s Mars was also conjunct Ronnie Corbett’s South Node, an indication of warrior lives together in previous existences.

Aspects

Tuesday (5th) is a day when you can stabilize your affairs utilizing the Sun-Saturn trine which dominates the day.  However, you will at the same time need to be adaptable, as two planets are changing signs.

Venus enters Aries, from Pisces.  Mystery and intrigue in love and relationships give way to a refreshing new outlook, direct, open and demonstrative.  There will be a greater willingness to talk.

Then Mercury enters Taurus, from Aries.  Logical and calculated thought give way to a more mellow, artistic way of thinking, more in tune with nature and more leisurely in pace.  Out with the Accountant, and in with the Gardener.

Wednesday (6th) could be difficult, with the Pluto squaring the Sun.  It is a day of endings rather than beginnings, drama rather than harmony.  Employ your favourite de-stressing techniques (massage and pampering perhaps) in order to deal with any distress, unless you have to stay and face the music at the coal face, in which case honesty will count for a great deal.

Luckily, there’s a rebirth the next day Thursday (7th), with a New Moon in Aries.  It’s a good time to reinvent yourself, and specifically in the House area in which this falls in your birth chart (its position is 18 degrees Aries).

We complete the week on Saturday (9th) with a conjunction between the Sun and Uranus, bringing the power of surprise.  There may be some late entries for April Fool’s Day that day, so be on your guard if you don’t like to be on the receiving end of surprises!  Equally, be kind, if you like to be the perpetrator of surprises.  The Universe, of course, may have its own agenda.

The week in bullet points:

• Tuesday – stable in some respects, some switching of moods
• Wednesday – difficult
• Thursday – rebirth
• Saturday – surprise

 

Brussels Bombing

The European wave of terrorism from ISIS, which started with the two episodes in Paris last year, has shifted to Brussels, the centre of the European Union.  This week Belgium was put under enormous stress with the attack in Brussels on Tuesday 22nd March, and there but for the grace of God go the rest of Europe (not forgetting terrorist attacks in other parts of the world).  The continuing anxiety about these attacks has led some proponents of Brexit to claim that the U.K. would be safer out of Europe (not my view).

31 lives were lost, and 340 people injured: a large scale disaster, and the worst in Belgium’s history. 40 different nationalities were involved.

Belgium Chart

We do not have a time for the chart of Belgium (4 October 1830) but the chart has a definite emphasis on the Venusian signs of Libra and Taurus (its Moonsign).  The Sun is in Libra, which seems a balanced sign for hosting a conglomerate such as the European Union.  In earlier centuries, Belgium was a significant centre for art and culture, which are Venus ruled.

Transits

The attacks took place first at the airport, and then in the Metro about an hour later, so there are two charts available.  Uranus is exactly square the Belgium Neptune at the moment, which indicates great confusion.  The chart of the first bombing, at Zaventem airport, shows Pluto (bombing) exactly at the Midheaven.  The attacks occurred close to Wednesday’s Jupiter-Saturn square (impasse) and lunar eclipse.

Second Paris Bombing

The spotlight first moved to Brussels at the time of the second Paris shootings last November.  It was established that the perpetrators had made their base in a quarter of Brussels called Molenbeek.

Salem Abdeslam

Efforts to find the mastermind behind the second Paris attacks, Salem Abdeslam, culminated in his arrest on 18th March.

Salem Abdeslam’s chart has a negative triple conjunction of Uranus/Saturn/Neptune in Capricorn.  He has the Warrior Archetype, in Mars conjunct the Sun.  His exact square of Mercury and Neptune may give him skewed mental ideals, and Jupiter opposing Neptune confusion about religion and spirituality.

The Brussels bombings, four days after his arrest, may have been a direct reprisal from ISIS.

Terrorists

Two suicide bombers were identified: the El Bakraoui brothers, both of whose birth dates we have.  Ibrahim, the elder brother, had a brooding mentality of Mercury conjunct closely Pluto in Scorpio, with Uranus the Rebel trine his North Node (karmic mission) and opposing his Chiron.  Ibrahim’s suicide note stated he was stressed out and afraid of ever-lasting eternity.  At the time of the bombing, Uranus was exactly trine his Uranus, emphasizing again that Uranus was important in his chart not only natally but by transit (we do not have his birth time).

Khalid, the younger brother, has a chart which is heavily dominated by Capricorn, with Venus exactly conjunct Uranus (unusual social ideas) in that sign, plus Saturn, Neptune and the Sun.  Like Salem Abdeslam, he has the triple conjunction of Uranus/Saturn/Neptune in Capricorn.  The exact Venus/Uranus conjunction exactly opposes Chiron (so he is at the wounding rather than the healing stage with his Chiron).  At the time he perpetrated the bombing Chiron was exactly sextile his natal Sun, emphasizing just that.

The third bomber may be Faycal Cheffou, an independent journalist, for whom we do not have a birth date.

Victims

David Dixon, the British victim, let his family know he had survived the airport bombing, only to die tragically in the Metro bombing.  We do not have his birth date.

A Belgian diplomat (retired) Andre Adam was killed in the bombings, shielding his wife.  He had Sun conjunct Neptune in Virgo in his natal chart, which indicates a character who could sacrifice himself.  At the time he died, Pluto (death) was exactly trine his Sun, and Uranus was exactly trine his natal Mars, Saturn was exactly conjunct his Jupiter, Jupiter exactly conjunct his Neptune, Saturn exactly square his Neptune, and Pluto exactly trine his Neptune.  That is a lot of major aspects!  I feel that for whatever reason his Soul had contracted to leave at this time.

It is likely that we have not heard the last of ISIS in Europe.  Like the Parisians, the population of Brussels are inclined to carry on their lives without being cowed by threats.  So meanwhile we go on asking the same questions: why do the perpetrators find violence necessary, what can we do to bring peace to the Middle East, and when will that happen?

The Observer leader this morning quotes Defence Secretary Michael Fallon: “The fact is, across Europe we do have these mechanisms now for sharing flight information, sharing intelligence about terrorists…swapping data.  We should not be leaving international organisations…On the contrary, we should be coming to the aid of our allies and friends rather than walking out on them.”

Aspects

The aspects are concentrated in the middle of the week, with the emphasis on Wednesday.

Tuesday (29th) brings a conjunction between Venus and the South Node, promoting karmic work on relationships.  Are old patterns still intruding on present relationships, for instance?  An old friend could turn up in your life.

Wednesday (30th) may start well, with a trine between Mercury and Saturn.  Constructive for dental work for instance, but also good for mental planning and analysis.

Venus then conjuncts Chiron, and this could bring relationship healing if you have been working on it, but if you have been neglecting a relationship some painful issues could crop up.  One theme for this week then is to pay attention to the state of your relationships.

Then in the early afternoon, Mercury squares Pluto, which is difficult information to compute.  Plans which seemed to be going smoothly may suddenly be confronted with difficult negotiations.  Travel, too, may be affected, as well as Education and Health.  Talk of imminent strikes may cause headaches.

Mercury conjuncts Uranus on Thursday (31st), which can go either way.  It can bring brilliant new ideas into your consciousness, or it can disrupt your concentration and make you irritable.  Meditation at the start of the day would help your neurological harmony, and help you to access extraordinary ideas and make the best of this aspect.  Ditch the Starbucks coffee, and sit on your Yoga mat, and your day will run more smoothly, and could even stand out.

The week in bullet points:

• Tuesday – nostalgic relationships
• Wednesday – some constructive work, more relationship work, and difficult information
• Thursday – brilliant ideas and/or disrupted concentration or travel

 

Aries Animal Totems and Archetypes

The Sun enters Aries (Spring Equinox) on Sunday morning, 20th March 2016 at 4.30 a.m. in the U.K.  This is the eleventh and penultimate 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 Aries?

Ram

Aries the Ram ushers in the beginning of the astrological year.  In the western astrological system, it represents new birth, the heat of fire, and is the first of the masculine signs.  The horns of the ram in ancient cultures represented male potency.  Nicholas J. Saunders tells us: “The ram was one of the first objects of cult worship, as is evident from 10,000-year old Saharan rock paintings which depict humans worshipping a ram with a solar disk between its horns.”  Aries represents energy and action, and the Ram is a fitting symbol.  The ram is often depicted head butting, and Aries people often go literally head first into things, often incurring scrapes, cuts and bruises to the head.

Ted Andrews associates the ram with new beginnings.  Certainly Aries people are very good at initiating projects.  They often lose interest in following through, however.  As a child, my Aries brother used to start a new hobby every week: harmonica, macrame, you name it.  He did however, settle on a solid professional career when he grew up.  It is that newly ignited enthusiasm which Aries represents.

Moose

The Moose represents another quality of Aries: Self Esteem.  Self-esteem can be an underrated quality in our society.  Everyone wants self-confidence, and self-assertion (another Aries trait), but with competitiveness and jealousy, displays of self-esteem can be viewed with suspicion and criticism.  Yet a healthy personality needs a health core self-esteem, and others need to allow self-esteem (as distinct from ego) to flourish and blossom.  We often delight in that quality in children, but feel threatened by it in adults.  Aries self-esteem is the real Mcoy, and when you see it, applaud it I say.  False humility is no substitute for the authenticity of this aspect of being.

Jamie Sams and David Carson say of Moose: “If you have chosen the Moose card, you have reason to feel good about something you have accomplished on your journey…It is a time of feeling harmonious pride, and of recognizing those who aided you in the process.”

I always recommend as presents, buying a child a cuddly toy which represents their animal totem.  Wise was one mum I knew who gave her Aries boy a cuddly Moose from a young age.  He was inseparable from it, and last I heard was growing into a successful adult.  Self-esteem for anyone needs to stay intact.

Dog

While large dogs are the province of Sagittarius, most dogs come under the banner of Aries and Mars.  This especially pertains to the good old mongrel!  While Aries represents Everyman, it also especially has resonance with the Mongrel dog.  But all breeds do come under this sign.  Dogs carry the Inner Warrior and Protector energy of this sign.  The dog can stand for courage, another outstanding quality of the Aries personality.

Aries make wonderful allies.  Sams and Carson comment: “Reclaim the power of loyalty to self and self truths.  Become like the Dog – your own best friend.”  The sign of Aries is about your relationship with yourself.

The African Wild Dog and the Australian Dingo are efficient hunters, and the pack is organized in such a way that each dog has an individual function.  Many years ago, there was a spellbinding TV documentary about an orphaned African wild dog called Solo.  Her life then took on a surprising turn, as she befriended jackals.

Bear

I have found that Aries people sometimes acquire the nickname Bear.  I have not been able to ascertain which characteristics of Aries are responsible for this phenomenon.  I have concluded that each person with that nickname acquires it for a different reason.  It could be their warmth, or cuddliness (as we associate them with teddy bears).

Nicky Scully writes: “Bear is one of the oldest recorded totemic beings, offering nurturing, strength, protection, and wisdom…Children – and your inner child – will also appreciate playing with Bear.”

Polar bears are much loved and respected, and of course endangered by global warning.  They can also be known for their aggression, as in the Norwegian incident in recent years where a British boy was killed.

In “Starlight Elixirs” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld, polar bears are linked with the star Mintaka in the constellation of Orion.  They say: “On this star system… has come an understanding and appreciation of how aggressive energies could lead to awareness, peace, and understanding.  They saw that in the Earth system was a great difficulty.  The Martian energies which have been associated with Earth thought forms but transferred and created in higher resonant intensities by residual Martian thought forms, the planet Mars itself, and the symbol of Mars have led to certain hostilities, hatreds, angers, and aggressive tendencies with Earth beings.  One of the best ways these beings could show beings on Earth other capacities of happiness would be through the animal life forms, through people’s unconscious, and through ways in which they were reminded of possibilities so that they could make choices about happiness for themselves.”

If you like Polar Bears, there is still time to catch Davina McCall stroking one on her programme on Extreme Climates this week!

Bird Totems

Some of the bright, colourful birds such as the bullfinch, with its rose pink breast, come under Aries.

Hawk

Hawk has traditionally been associated with a keen eye, and Aries and Mars rule the quality of Vision, and physically the eyes.  Nicky Scully equates Hawk with illumination, and the Egyptian Eye of Horus.: “Hawk is a noble helper who sees with great clarity and profound vision.  Through the perspective of Hawk, you can look to the origins of a present problem or plan.”

Andrea Wansbury urges discernment: “ It could be that you want to rush headlong into something without having all the facts, and this might not be the right time to ‘swoop in for the kill’.  In fact, the situation may pass over without any interference being necessary on your part.”

Ted Andrew writes a great deal about the Red Tailed Hawk, and the significance in energy terms of the red tail.  Red is the colour for Aries, and signifies the 1st chakra and primal energy.

Red Kite

The red kite is another popular and powerful bird.  Its theme again is Vision.  Angela Wansbury does not write specifically about the Red Kite, but of the Kite in general she says: “A kite is saying that your energies are too scattered and you need to be more focussed.  Decide on one thing you want to achieve, and focus your attention on accomplishing it.”  That is good advice for the Aries, on following through.

Mythological Creatures

Some Dragons

The dragon is a fabulous beast, seen more as a protagonist, but brings out the hero in us, as in when we slay our own dragons!

There are some dragons more associated with the water or other elements, but the smoke or fire-breathing dragons, such as that slain by St. George, are associated with Aries.  The red dragon, emblem of Wales, also qualifies as an Aries dragon. Legend has it that Uther Pendragon, King Arthur’s father, saw a fire-breathing dragon in the sky, which was a sign he would become king.

Feisty women are often referred to as dragons, especially if they are effective in the workplace, and it is sometimes used affectionately as a mark of respect for their strength.  Nancy Reagan, who I wrote about in my last blog, had the nickname “the Dragon lady”, and this came from the conjunction of the Sun and Mars in her birthchart.

Archetypes

Inner Warrior

The Inner Warrior Archetype speaks for itself: bold, active and protective.  It comes up in many charts where there is a strong Mars.  We all need to be able to stand up for ourselves.  When linked with the North Node, it represents the fact that the person has trained in the warrior tradition in past lives.  The modern tradition emphasizes the way of the Peaceful Warrior, as expounded by Dan Millman.  Hopefully, we have all had enough of war by now.

Pioneer

The Pioneer refers to the fact that Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, and likes to be first!  It also contains the courage of breaking new ground, going boldly where no one has gone before.

Athlete

Although other signs approach sport from different angles, e.g. the Leo through competition, the Sagittarian via horse riding and archery particularly, and the Aquarian through teamwork, Aries represents the building of the strength of the physical body.  So the modern craze for keep fit and membership of the gym suit the Arien very well.  You see women body building as enthusiastically as men in this 21st Century, although even fifty years ago it was a rarity.  One related Archetypal figure is Tarzan, that raw male, the He-Man, hero of early 20th Century film.

Athlete is one of the modern Archetypes identified by Caroline Myss.  She acknowledges that this archetype was born in the original Greek Olympics.  Her final thought for the athlete is: “this is your time to shine. Through your commitment to your own physical well being and self-care, you are helping to set a new standard of personal health and individual responsibility. In doing so, you are changing the world for the better. ”

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

“Starlight Elixirs” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld

Aspects

It’s an extremely busy week for aspects, so without further ado…

Sunday (20th) is the Spring Equinox, and the Sun enters Aries early in the morning, at 4.30 a.m. in the U.K.  It’s the beginning of the astrological new year, and a renewal of energy.  I hope you feel that Spring has sprung.

In the afternoon, Venus conjuncts Neptune in Pisces, so various facets of Love come to the fore.  This aspect is mainly an influence for the good, encouraging unconditional love, ideal love, chivalry, and sensitivity in relationships.  There can be a flip side, in unrealistic expectations of love, illusion, and even deception.  If you are involved in the Arts in your weekend leisure pursuits, this aspect can bring about a perfect performance or inspired creativity.

Mercury enters Aries on Tuesday (22nd), and the soft and sentimental balance of planets in Pisces is gradually shifting to the more hard headed and logical processes of Aries.  Mercury in Aries favours getting to grips with realistic philosophies, living in the moment, and mathematical problems.  Time to sharpen up your Sudoku pencil!

Wednesday (23rd) is the most important day this week.  Jupiter squares Saturn, and you may be torn by two sets of demands.  “Should I stay or should I go?” you might ask yourself.  Jupiter is expansionistic, and Saturn is restrictive, so you might feel as though you were in the middle of a concertina, or chasing your tail.  In the end, you will have to go inwards and make your decision from your centre.

At Noon there is a Full Moon at 3 degrees Libra, a penumbral lunar eclipse.  Emotions are heightened, but there is an attempt at equilibrium and compromise in relationships.

In the evening, the Sun conjuncts Mercury at 3 degrees Aries, which aids concentration, if you are not feeling emotionally drained from the eclipse.  If you have cleared your head, you can go some way to achieving a personal goal, such as faithfulness to the gym, or working out a 3D Sudoku.

Mercury trines Mars on Thursday (24th) so you can build on any physical gymnastics from the previous day, or mental goals.  Mind and body can work together energetically, and efficiently.

Friday (25th) is a more difficult day.  First, Saturn stations prior to turning retrograde.  You might feel that some progress you have made on an important issue is about to ground to a halt, or take one step back.  Be patient, and try to see why being forced to buy more time may result in a better overall end result.

Venus then opposes Jupiter, not a difficult opposition as oppositions go, but it is still an opposition.  It is more like a couple trying to decide where they are going to go out – will it be a Spring picnic, or a lunch date.  A mild tussle, and the outcome may not be too serious either way…if it were not for the next aspect.

Finally, Venus completes its T-square with Jupiter and Saturn by squaring Saturn.  The decision where to go for the outing was the easy part.  There may be a little regret over the outcome.  A partner may be sulky, if he or she lost the toss of the coin.  Not an easy day, and you may need to be philosophical, or not raise your expectations too high.

In contrast, Saturday (26th) could restore balance and faith.  First the Sun trines Mars, another go ahead, high energy aspect.  Good for physical pursuits, such as sport, dog-walking, or getting the car in tip top condition.

Then Venus sextiles Pluto, of a more relationship centred benefit.  A cosy tete-a-tete could turn into a deeper heart to heart, or soul to soul affair.  So maybe, something for everyone on Saturday.

The week in bullet points:

• Sunday – a fresh new beginning, love and beauty
• Tuesday – a logical outlook
• Wednesday – dilemma, balancing relationships and emotions, then some concentration
• Thursday – brisk and efficient action
• Friday – obstacles strewn on the path
• Saturday – dynamic, constructive and satisfying