I am pleased to say that last week’s Wimbledon blogging bore fruit, so I am featuring 8 players again for the second week.  Some of the content will be reproduced from last week’s blog, commentary and updates.  Serena seems likely to win the Ladies’ trophy, and I am undecided about the men’s, but hope to have a conclusion by the end of writing.

Serena Williams, No. 1 Women’s Seed

Serena looks unbeatable this year, and finishes Wimbledon with Jupiter sextile her Ascendant (in supreme physical shape).  She will play Sabine Lisicki in the next round

Sabine Lizicki

I wrote in 2011:

“Lizicki has a deeply emotional chart, with Venus conjunct Pluto in Scorpio, and  Jupiter with Chiron in Cancer possibly joined by the Moon there.  This will be the source of much of her energy.  Uranus, Saturn and Neptune sit in stoical Capricorn in her chart.  Her Sun is in Virgo, a sign which figures heavily in this generation of tennis players, both as Sun and Ascendant.  Mercury (her nervous system) and Mars (her physical energy, as distinct from her emotional energies) are in the traditional tennis sign of Libra.   Without knowing her Ascendant (from her birth time) Mars and Mercury represent important elements of her physicality and there is a gracefulness and elegance there, but not as much robustness as some other signs.”

Midway through Wimbledon 2013 Pluto is on Lizicki’s Neptune, the North Node is on her Pluto and Jupiter opposes her Uranus, heavy numbers for a heavy meeting with Serena.

Novak Djokovic,No. 1 Men’s Seed

Djokovic, like Serena, looks unbeatable at the moment.  He seems incredibly fit, in the exercise use of the term. He is born a week apart from Andy Murray and some of their transits are similar.   Most likely to meet up with Murray in the final.

In the next round, he plays

Tommy Haas

Haas injury prone career is shown by Sun in Aries, Chiron conjunct his Venus,  and Mercury square Mars . His physical stoicism is shown by Mercury closely trine Saturn .  He has a difficult Sun opposition with Pluto.  He remains upbeat due to his Mercury sextile Jupiter, which provides a balanced outlook with the Saturn aspect to Mercury: he is able to be realistic and positive.  Jupiter currently sextiles his Venus, so he is enjoying the tournament so far…Mars sextiles his Mercury at the end of Wimbledon, so he may end Wimbledon in good physical shape and with fewer injuries than most.  It seems to have been the most injury prone Wimbledon I can remember.

Laura Robson

Laura Robson could meet Serena Williams in the quarter-finals  Our very own Laura has a very focussed chart, with Sun early in Aquarius sextile a conjunction of North Node/Pluto. She has the capacity to pull off some dramatic effects on the court, and is literally a game-changer.  She provided illustration of Sun sextile North Node/Pluto in her astronishing comeback in yesterday’s match. Midway through Wimbledon Uranus is sextile Laura’s Mercury, enabling flashes of genius to sparkle through her game.

She will play Kaia Kanepi tomorrow:

Natally, Kanepi has a lucky Jupiter, being trine her Sun and sextile her Uranus, and a dynamic sextile between her Jupiter and Uranus.  Though curiously her natal Jupiter squares her Nodal Axis exactly, so it is as though she can only be lucky as long as her karma allows.  Midway through Wimbledon Jupiter is on her Mars and Mars is on her Sun, so there will be fire in her performance, and she is likely to have some lucky shots.  By the end of Wimbledon Jupiter will be trine her natal Pluto (a powerful assistance from the Universe) but Jupiter will also be opposite her Neptune (confusion).  I couldn’t rule out her going another round or so.

Andy Murray, No. 2 Men’s Seed

Born a week apart from Djokovic, he has slightly more interesting transits.  At the end of Wimbledon, Murray will have Mars opposite his Uranus (like Djokovic), but he will also have a Mars Return, so may be iron-fisted!

I see Murray and Djokovic almost as twins astrologically. Indeed my mother-in-law kept saying they look alike yesterday evening (I don’t think they do).  If they meet in the final, I don’t think there will be much in it, they’ll be like two sides of a coin.  My heart says Murray to win, but my head says Djokovic (I am rarely split).  Murray has his Mars Return so he will be really true in his own energy, which astrologically would give him the edge.

He is playing Youzhny tomorrow:

Pluto squares Youzhny’s Mars in the middle of the tournament, which could indicate a knock out.  Uranus sextiles his Mercury which favours his mental acuity, and Jupiter trines his Jupiter, the force of which has brought him this far, but then this transit starts to wane.

Agnieszka Radwanska, No. 4 Women’s Seed

Neptune does sextile her Uranus and conjuncts her North Node at the start of Wimbledon, so she will be opening up spiritually now, and that may distract her physical performance this Wimbledon.  If she can get through the challenges of the early tournament rounds (which she has), she is likely to be rewarded by her experience towards the end.  The tournament is likely to be a test of character.  At the end of the two weeks, Saturn trines her North Node (perhaps reward for hard work) and initial aspects are still around.  This could take her as far as the semi-finals.  I don’t think she would be able to beat Serena Williams, however.

She plays Pironkova in the next round:

Midway through the tournament Pironkova has Neptune sextile her Neptune, so is balanced spiritually, but Mars squares her Sun, so overexertion or injury may prove overwhelming.  The North Node sextiles her Mars at the end of Wimbledon, so she will be pleased with her performance overall and be very at peace with herself karmically.

David Ferrer, No. 4 Men’s Seed

At the end of the Wimbledon round Jupiter squares his Mercury (high hopes) and Mars trines his Pluto (extra power to his elbow) so he may make the final, though Murray is most likely to.

He plays Dodic in the next round:

Dodic has a quick witted conjunction natally of Mercury and Uranus, so this is his brilliance.  Currently Uranus squares his Sun (a sudden fall perhaps), and Saturn transits his Pluto, so not easy aspects to support a the route to the top, plus Mars opposing his Mercury (also incident-prone).

Petra Kvitova, No. 8 Women’s Seed

Petra Kvitova seems to fall on the right side of the draw to meet Serena in the final. She is a player I have looked at (successfully) in past years in this blog. Imaginative Piscean Petra Kvitova has some solid planets in Capricorn which help her focus This year she has a Jupiter Return, so could be a real contender, at least for facing Serena in the final. By the final, the Jupiter Return will have peaked, so probably not the outright winner.

Plays Carla Navarro (Seed 19) in the next round:

Natally, Navarro has the asset of Jupiter exactly trine her Mercury, excellent physical co-ordination for a sporting career.  Her natal Pluto sextiles her natal Sun, providing great strength.  Neptune squares her Jupiter currently, which could be a hurdle for her against Kvitova.  But Pluto sextiles Navarro’s Pluto at the end of Wimbledon, so she is playing solidly, and it trines her natal Sun so she is secure in herself. She’ll have no regrets.

Jerzy Janowicz, No 24 Men’s Seed

A bright new star emerged on the firmament on Friday, praised by all the television commentators.  Janowicz  is a deep Scorpio Sun conjunct Pluto, with Chiron close to the South Node and trine his Venus/Sun conjunction,.  Psychological healing is part of his karmic mission, and there may be an instinctive quality to his play which shows this.  His power (Plutonian)and big serve, as well as his height, have caught attention this year.

Midway through the tournament Uranus squares his natal Neptune. Uranus trines his Jupiter (which is waning towards the end of Wimbledon)

He will play Jurgen Melzer before he can meet Murray:

Meltzer natally Sun in Gemini trine exactly Jupiter in Libra, a very upbeat combination.  But he has Mercury opp exactly Neptune – which means hecould sometimes get distracted.  Midway through Wimbledon Saturn squares his Nodal Axis, which may work against him karmically.  Jupiter squares his Jupiter and he could make some forced errors.  At the end of the tournament, Jupiter squares his Saturn and Saturn still squares his Nodal Axis prominently.   So it looks as though he would be beaten by Joanowicz.

I hope to be back midweek with commentaries, and hopefully produce a blog or two towards the final.

Jupiter in Cancer

This week Jupiter enters Cancer, and the forthcoming year will favour Cancerians generally or anyone who has a preponderance of planets in that sign.  It is preparing to hook up with the Saturn-Neptune trine to form a Grand Water Trine in the middle of July, which is a real astrological highlight!

Jupiter in Gemini in the U.K. hasn’t lived up to its promise in terms of educational changes.  It has come under the governance of Michael Gove, Education Secretary, who has not evolved his thinking towards the future, but rather tried to propel us back to the 1950s.  Another U-turn was announced yesterday, in connection with the teaching of History.

Jupiter in Cancer will turn us towards family life, or a sense of belonging in Soul groups.  It will enable us to express our emotions more joyously, and may bring out some rich literary tomes (such as the third in Hilary Mantel’s trilogy).  The preserving and restoration of antiquity also comes under the sign of Cancer, so some old treasures may be unearthed in the archaeological world.

If there is one book I would recommend for this summer, it’s “The Dolphin Within” by Olivia de Bergerac.  She divides us naturally into four aquatic Archetypes: Dolphins, Turtles, Seahorses and Sharks.  Great fun!

If I would recommend another book for the summer it would be “Ecstasy is a New Frequency” by Chris Griscom.  Her work has inspired my past-life therapy since 1988. This summer will be a grand opportunity to clear the astral pollution from the planet. This is because the Grand Trine enabled by Jupiter’s entry into Cancer will bring a great sense of global connection and empathy, and much of that operates on the astral level. If you are working with spiritual awareness you may make headway in clearing your emotional body, and that has benefits for all. Chris Griscom’s work is about clearing the emotional body, which she defines as “the emotional vehicle of consciousness which is an entity and vibrates at a low frequency”.  Her thesis is that it tends to dominate the mind and body, and that it can only raise its level in contact with the Spiritual Body, when it is given a better diet of experience.

Aspects

We start with a Full Moon in Capricorn today, an extra large Supermoon at that.  Moon lovers will be able to revel in its beams.  The Moon is at its closest point in relation to the Earth, and so its effects will be heightened.  Its placing in Capricorn makes it a good focus for career or life direction, or meditating on the structures of society and how they need to be aligned

Busy Day Wednesday

On Wednesday (26^th), Jupiter enters Cancer, and you may notice a sea change in how you are thinking and feeling.  You will be engaging more with your emotions, having done what you can with opening up your thinking apparatus while Jupiter was in Gemini.  New hope there is for Cancerians, and all water signs for the year ahead which is the natural passage of time for Jupiter’s transit through a sign.  Jupiter enters Leo in mid-July 2014.

Wednesday is a busy day aspect-wise, for Saturn then trines the Sun, and if you are engaged in water sports you will be in your element this summer.  It is the sort of aspect which favours signing up at your local Water Sports centre, or beginning a coastal holiday.  For those of us without much water in our charts, we can occupy ourselves by getting into our deepest emotional territory (Saturn in Scorpio trine Sun in Cancer).  We will find a rich inner world of totemic creatures such as our Inner Crab and Inner Seagull (Cancerian animals), interacting with the darker creatures of Saturn in Scorpio such as Water Snakes, Water Rats and Sharks, and emerge with insights about our inner waterscape which can continue to reveal themselves over the summer.  With the three planets Saturn/Neptune/Jupiter swishing about in the Grand Water Trine this summer, it is a good time to initiate some good old psychological delving, ducking and diving.  If like me you have only one water planet, drowned in a past life, and can’t properly swim, it is time to make friends with the water.  Here is Olivia de Bergerac’s definition of the Inner Shark Archetype:

HUMAN SHARKS – “People who primarily live in beta brainwaves, whose main reaction is to fight.  A shark is one of the two characters of the personal stage, the one which demonstrate a lot of will.”

Also on Wednesday, Mercury turns retrograde, and so it is that intermittent test of your communications coming round again.  Hopefully if you have been following this phenomenon for some time (and it has almost become mainstream – why it’s almost the acceptable face of astrology to blame Mercury retrograde for travel woes and such like) you may have built a set of strategies, such as learning to speak clearly and succinctly, which will ease things.  Our local railway ticket office is threatened with closure, and so I am a little more anxious than usual about this one, though I don’t normally find Mercury retrograde too troublesome (oops except for the time I put a pencil in the button of my computer and it went right through, but I won’t do that again).

The fourth feature on Wednesday is a trine between the Sun and Neptune (thus forming a Grand Trine on the day).  This elevates any foundations you laid earlier that day, to the realms of inspiration, and an openness to higher mystical vision.  Much can be achieved today, despite possible problems in communication.  The Inner Dolphins may now arrive on the inner seascape, and here is Olivia de Bergerac’s description of the Inner Dolphin Archetype:

HUMAN DOLPHINS – “People who can self-regulate their brains and easily access beta, alpha and theta brainwaves at will, to reach peak performance.  They can also access the awakened mind pattern.  People who are in touch with their higher self, their full potential.  They have explored their turtle, shark and seahorse characters.  They know their purpose and do not react, but flow with life.”

On my contact page is a link to Theresa Wagner’s website about animal communication and her work with dolphins and whales, and under the Interview category you’ll find an interview with O’Douce and a video of her underwater work.

On Thursday (27^th) Venus enters Leo, leaving the dreaminess of Cancer (wafting on a Venetian gondola) and entering a more showy and glittery phase.  It is time to show your wares, stop hiding your talents under a bushel, and enjoy the delights of summer picnics and other indulgences, weather permitting.

We are working towards the Grand Trine of Jupiter/Saturn/Neptune now (17^th/18^th July) so have faith in some aspect of your collective endeavours, and start colouring in your dreams.

Wimbledon

Wimbledon starts tomorrow, and I have put down some initial thoughts, but no clear predictions of winners yet in an earlier blog today.  But I will update my thoughts and add other favourite players such as Nadal as we go along.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – heightened tension
• Wednesday – water activities and deep feelings; travel and communication may be tricky
• Thursday – bring out your best points

After predicting the winners these last two years, I will attempt to make it third time lucky.  Though it did not win me popularity last year: some felt I should have predicted Andy Murray to win, and resented that I didn’t.  Here as starters are the first four seeds from the women’s and men’s players, and I will be adding updates and forecasts in blogs and comments throughout Wimbledon, as I have in previous years.

Serena Williams, No. 1 Women’s Seed

Serena Williams is now regarded as one of the greatest female tennis players of our time.  What features of her chart stand out?  A competitive Mars in Leo closely sextiles Jupiter (enthusiasm and luck) and Saturn (precision).  She has the brilliance of Uranus trine North Node.  Her sister Venus of course is also a great player, and Serena has Mercury in Libra square her Nodal Axis, which may indicate sibling rivalry on the tennis court.  But what they both have is Venus square Mars, and Serena has it exact.  Maybe this is a key to her success.

She begins Wimbledon with Jupiter trine her Venus, and has the afterglow of recently winning the French Open.  Mars also trines her Jupiter (energy added to her enthusiasm) and enhances her own natal Mars-Jupiter sextile.  Should have a splendid start to Wimbledon.  In the first round she plays Mandy Minella who has some good aspects, but nothing I feel strong enough to upset the status quo.  Serena finishes Wimbledon with Jupiter sextile her Ascendant (in supreme physical shape).

Novak Djokovic,No. 1 Men’s Seed

I was working without a birth time last year, but now find he has a competitive Leo Ascendant in a Grand Trine with Jupiter and Saturn, which is a powerful configuration.  His Moon in Pisces in 8^th House is very instinctive and sextiles his Sun in Gemini (he’s a great mimic) in 10^th House (he knows his own mind).  Having the Sun sextile Moon and Jupiter trine Saturn gives him a great deal of balance and measure and the ability to centre himself.  He has the odd temper tantrum (Moon square Mars).  He is proud of his Serbian roots and they go deep (Pluto on his I.C.).

He begins Wimbledon with Mars on his Mercury – sharp, but possibly accident-prone.  Neptune also sextiles his natal Venus so his mind may be on his personal life, or he may display added grace on the tennis court.  In the first round he plays Florian Mayer who has some interesting transits, and could give him a good match.  Djokovic ends Wimbledon with Mars opposite Uranus, so could be plagued with something like a dodgy ankle throughout.  He is born a week apart from Andy Murray and some of their transits are similar.  I will be watching for any parallels.

Victoria Azarenka, No. 2 Women’s Seed

Azarenka is a Sun Leo with a fiery Mars in the same sign.  She has the exuberant Mars sextile Jupiter like Serena Williams, but 2 degrees apart as distinct from Serena’s 1 degree apart (which may often give Serena the edge!).  Azarenka’s Moon is in Cancer, suitable to the ebb and flow of tennis action (many tennis champions are Cancerians or Librans).  She has Venus trine Saturn/Neptune which gives her dedication and inspiration in combination, and Mars on the South Node (the past life warrior archetupe).  Great inner strength is shown in her chart by Chiron closely trine Pluto.

She begins Wimbledon with a Jupiter Return in Gemini!  That would ensure a lot of hope, luck and buoyancy at the start.  Pluto also transits her Neptune, so she may feel very excitable.  In her first round she plays Maria Joao Koehler, and is not likely to encounter any problems.  At the end of Wimbledon, the Jupiter Return will have passed, but Pluto will still be conjunct her natal Neptune, so she will be working out complex issues.  Jupiter opposes her Uranus too at that time, so she may make an unforced error.  Sadly, after a good start, she may not make the final.

Andy Murray, No. 2 Men’s Seed

The Olympics last year were a turning point for Andy Murray, and though he did not win Wimbledon there was a psychological shift within himself and in relation to his public.  In August, with the empowerment of  transitting Pluto sextile his natal Pluto, he won the gold.  As mentioned in previous years, he does have a gifted chart, and we look forward to more successes from him in the future.  He has a unique style said to resemble an earlier tennis player Miloslav Mecif:  they are both Taureans, and while Andy Murray has Moon/Saturn/Uranus conjunct, Miloslav had Moon/Uranus opposite Saturn, which is an interesting parallel.

Born a week apart from Djokovic, he has slightly more interesting transits.  At the beginning, Mars sextiles his Jupiter, so he’ll be fired up and hopeful, with an injection of adrenalin.  The North Node is on his 3ed House cusp and sextile his Ascendant, so he is at peace with his karma at this time.  He plays Benjamin Becker in the first round, who has a couple of favourable transits, so could needle Murray a little.  At the end of Wimbledon, Murray will have Mars opposite his Uranus (like Djokovic), but he will also have a Mars Return, so may be iron-fisted!  He seems a little more engaged than Djokovic, maybe a little more focused and a little less distracted, but there may be parallels.

Maria Sharapova, No. 3 Women’s Seed

Maria has several planets in the energetic sign of Aries, including an exact conjunction between her Mercury and North Node, indicating that to achieve athletic prowess is part of her karmic mission.  This conjunction is 2 degrees away from Jupiter (success) and sextile Mars (extra speed).  Venus (her love life) squares her Uranus (disruption) and though she is currently dating Grigor Dimitrov, she was previously engaged to a basketball player Sasha Vujacic with whom she was very compatible astrologically, but maybe the karma wasn’t helpful.

At the start of Wimbledon she has Pluto squaring her Mercury, so a lot of nervous tension at this time.  Uranus will be conjunct her Jupiter, so there will be an element of surprise keeping her on her toes.  Jupiter sextile her Sun will provide some uplift, which will be helpful in the early rounds.  She plays Kristina Mladenovic of France in the first round, but she may be on edge throughout the tournament.  The final aspects for Sharapova are Mars opposite her Uranus (like Djokovic and Murray – she is born the previous month) and may also be plagued with the equivalent of a dodgy ankles (they can’t all have a dodgy ankle, can they?). Again, I am not sure she would make the final.  I think that if Serena is in the final (very likely) she may face someone from outside the first four seeds.  That may become clearer later.

Roger Federer, No. 3 Men’s Seed

I have written a lot about Roger Federer over the years, and we are fortunate to have his birth time.  Like Murray, he has a Virgo Ascendant and the Moon conjunct Uranus, but without the added encumbrance of Saturn.  He has the Sun and North Node in competitive Leo (very motivated), and Venus rising in fine-featured Virgo.  I correctly predicted he would win last year, but don’t feel so sure this year.  He has a strong personal bond with his twins, who were born with the Moon sextile his Ascendant and Venus exactly trine his Venus.

At the outset of Wimbledon, the North Node trines his Mars, and his sense of purpose is strong.  Pluto also trines his Ascendant on his 5^th House cusp, which gives him strength but there is a sense of him finishing a phase of life and starting a new one.  He plays Victor Hanescu in the first round, and with Hanescu’s Pluto opposing his own natal Mercury, it is likely to be a washout for Hanescu.  The same transits apply for Federer at the end as at the start, but the addition of the Nodal Axis squaring his Mercury (Ascendant ruler) brings the winds of karmic change.

Agnieszka Radwanska, No. 4 Women’s Seed

Like Roger Federer she has the highly motivating Sun and North Node in the same sign, though hers are in Pisces (her style has been called “subtle).  She also has Mars in Taurus (stamina) conjunct Jupiter (high energy enthusiasm).  Uranus sextiles her North Node exactly (North Node/Uranus connections being often found in brilliant tennis players).  Plus she has a powerful exact trine between her Sun and Pluto.  She has not done so well recently this year, and may not do so well at Wimbledon, but has a strong potential and likelihood of future success.

She could have mixed early performances, with Saturn sextile her Uranus, but Uranus squaring her Saturn/Neptune.  Neptune does sextile her Uranus and conjuncts her North Node, so she will be opening up spiritually now, and that may distract her physical performance this Wimbledon.  She plays Y. M’burger initially, and if she can get through the challenges of the early tournament rounds, she is likely to be rewarded by her experience towards the end.  The tournament is likely to be a test of character.  At the end of the two weeks, Saturn trines her North Node (perhaps reward for hard work) and initial aspects are still around.  This could take her as far as the semi-finals.

David Ferrer, No. 4 Men’s Seed

He’s an energetic Sun in Aries, with Chiron closely sextile his North Node in Cancer so he would be good at problem-solving.  His Venus trines Pluto exactly (with Neptune sextile in the middle), so he has deep feelings which run true in relationships.  Saturn squares closely the Nodal Axis, which may indicate an Indian Summer in his career, certainly earlier delays in success.  He has a strong and inventive mind, too, with Mercury trine Uranus, with quick reflexes  He  is doing well this year..

Uranus is on his Sun at the start of Wimbledon, which is likely to work in his favour and may produce some stunning intuitive play.  Neptune squares his Uranus making him oversensitive and a little overwrought.  Pluto is squaring his Mars, which is dramatic, but this aspectdoes not become exact until after Wimbledon, so should not affect his performance.  He plays Martin Alund in the first round, whose chart shows mixed fortunes at present.  At the end of the Wimbledon round Jupiter squares his Mercury (high hopes) and Mars trines his Pluto (extra power to his elbow) so he may make the final.

Whistleblowers

Whistleblowing seems to come at great personal cost, and the conviction needs to be great to even contemplate it.  Are today’s big-time whistleblowers born, and not made?  Do they knowingly sacrifice their personal lives for a bigger cause?

Edward Snowden

Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee, who has blown the lid on the PRISM surveillance system, has primarily a warrior’s chart, with Sun/North Node/Mars in conjunction in late Gemini.  His sense of conviction comes to some extent from having the Sun (his sense of self) and his North Node (karmic mission) united in the action of his warrior Mars.  The Sun, the North Node, and Mars are key planets of motivation in a chart.  His sense of responsibility comes from a trine between his Sun and Saturn/Pluto. His tendency to secrecy is shown by Neptune opposite his Sun.  At the time of his disclosures Jupiter was exactly trine his Pluto, bringing success to his hidden motivations and sense of internal power.  Neptune, the planet of secrecy, was exactly squaring his Uranus (I.T. activity and capacity to surprise), meaning that he was involved in complex operations.

Bradley Manning

Bradley Manning is a U.S. soldier who is said to have given classified information to Wikileaks about war activities, especially in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Here his destiny as a whistleblower came into confluence with that of Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks.  Like Snowden, their personal lives have been on hold ever since.  The Wikileaks exposure of sensitive material exploded at the time of the Jupiter-Pluto square in 2010.

Manning has the warrior archetype (Mars conjunct Pluto, a military man) but more telling is his Rebel Archetype (Sun conjunct Uranus).  His Uranus is further highlighted, and in a karmic sense, by its square to his Nodal Axis  At the time of the Wikileaks explosion, Mars was square Manning’s Uranus (incitement to rebellion) and on his South Node (karmic action).  This T-square also shows an event which would put him in personal danger.

Julian Assange

 I have already written several times about Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks.  What is interesting here is how his destiny brought him together with Bradley Manning’s at the time of the Jupiter-Pluto square to create such an explosive event.  It seems likely to have been a pre-birth contract, if you are looking at it from the perspective of a past-life therapist.

Like Manning, he has the Inner Rebel in his natal chart, in the form of Sun square Uranus.  Like Snowden, he has the Karmic Warrior, in the form of North Node conjunct Mars.  His Pluto is exactly conjunct Manning’s South Node, indicating a past-life connection of a gunpowder plot variety.  At the time of the Wikileaks explosion, Mars was transiting the point of their karmic bond, i.e. Assange’s Pluto and Manning’s South Node.  The karmic astrology strongly suggests that they had been co-conspirators in earlier lifetimes, and their commitment to the theme of exposure of injustice brought them to a new contract for this lifetime.

Aspects

The week kicks off tomorrow with a dynamic sextile between Mars and Uranus. This will encourage revolutionaries and protesters in their cry of “Freedom!”.  If you’re not a revolutionary, say you’re just a peaceful meditator, you may experience extra energy and “oomph!”  The energy of group work will be especially strong, and your sense of purpose will be focussed in the moment.

On Wednesday (19th) the Sun conjuncts Jupiter at 28 degrees Gemini, and if you have an event that day where you require a little luck, it could be forthcoming. Meetings will be full of good will.

Later that day, Mars squares Chiron, so don’t be overconfident in the aftermath, or in the celebratory period, as you may be incident-prone.

On Friday (21st) the sun enters Cancer, and it’s the Summer Solstice! We’re still waiting for summer proper to start and it will at least be there in spirit that day.

You may experience that sense of a lift, as a new Grand Trine is starting to form. But as so often recently there is a counterbalancing sense of tension, due to an impending Full Moon. If you are having mixed feelings at the end of the week, that’ll be why.

Next week: Wimbledon

The week in bullet points:

• Monday – Constructive rebellion
• Wednesday – Luck then tricky adjustments
• Friday – Celebration of Summer

The Turkish Spring

Turkey, a country which holds a crucial position in the world, in relation to the EU and in relation to the Middle East, is at a crossroads now.  It has had the same leader at the helm for 10 years, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, democratically elected, but now a rebellion is under way, triggered by the proposed building of a mall on park land in Istanbul.

The people have just initiated an Arab Spring style rebellion.  It differs from other such revolts, partly due to its timing, coming 2-3 years after the first ones.  Astrologically, the spirit of the Arab Springs were a product of Uranus (rebellion) entering Aries (self-will).  Several  of these are at the next stage, of wrangling for a new order, e.g. Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, which is proving as much of a struggle as the initial uprising.  The pure spirit of the Uranus in Aries has now, over the last year, become entangled, with Pluto in Capricorn, and the deadlock with the Taliban in Afghanistan and the Islamists in Iraq are being replicated where the new orders are attempting to establish themselves.  Syria, which began its “Spring” later than some, got caught up with the Uranus-Pluto square before a clear win could be established for the rebels, and the situation there is a no-win situation at the moment, with the ordinary population definitely the losers, and refugees spilling into Turkey and Jordan.

Erdogan is possibly surprised to find this opposition, as he has successfully governed Turkey since 2003, to all intents and purposes under a democratic regime.  But he himself has changed, and moved towards Islamism.  He has Sun, Mercury and Venus in Pisces so can encompass a range of political ideas, and has a basically flexible nature (with 3 other planets also in flexible signs).  This flexibility will have helped him stay in power for so long.  His current reaction in trying to quell the rebellion may not seem flexible, but it is the standard reaction of a government.  He had reached a high point in his self-confidence, and sanctioned the building project as an expansion of this, with Jupiter (expansion) exactly sextile his natal Pluto (power) at the time of the rebellion.  His own faith in his power will have made such a reaction from the public unthinkable. His recent adoption of authoritarianism may be the effects of the corruption of power, a desire to hold on to that power.

Turkey’s own chart is hugely affected by the current Uranus-Pluto square, as Uranus is exactly square to Turkey’s Pluto and Pluto is opposite Turkey’s Pluto, so the  severe and sudden spotlight of Uranus-Pluto change has come to alight on Turkey now.  However, Neptune trines Turkey’s Sun, so there is a subtle and spiritual side to this change too, an evolution of consciousness.

In an article on May 9^th, Professor Alon Ben-Meir lends weight to Turkey’s position in the Middle East:

“Turkey can and in fact should play a constructive role, provided that the Erdogan government takes a hard look at what the opportunities are to contribute to building a structure of peace and stability. The Erdogan government, however, should also consider the risks entailed should it remain stuck in grandiose old thinking.”

He concludes in saying: “I believe that Turkey is a country that has the potential of becoming a significant global player, but, like any other power, it must also learn its limits.”  He was writing pre-Turkish Spring.

What may mark out this Turkish Spring, starting as it does in the midst of the Uranus-Pluto square series, from the Syrian situation, may be Erdogan’s grasp of what is needed in the democratic process if he can turn round his thinking, as he has engaged with it already, and listen to his people.  He is in the unique position of being able to learn what not to do in the region, from previous examples.  Bashar Assad of Syria, who has treated his people with great brutality,has no history and possibly no prospect of doing what is needed.  He does have an opposition of flexible planets in his chart, but crucially his Mars (will) is in the fixed sign of Scorpio, while Erdogan’s is in another flexible sign, Sagittarius.

Celia Fenn, an Earth Healer has recently written about the situation in Turkey, saying: “It’s about a generation of Indigos standing up and saying “This doesn’t work for us!…This is the Indigo Revolution.  It is young people who have said ‘no…it is enough’ and who will stand calmly in the face of aggression because they are light warriors and systems busters.”

To read her whole article go to:

http://spiritlibrary.com/starchild-global/the-indigo-revolution-and-turkey?utm_source=Spirit+Library+Updates&utm_campaign=031f75e53d-Daily_Update&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ef6a5211f4-031f75e53d-120809382

Aspects

The aspects this week are contrasting (the tail end of a Grand Trine and a T-Square) and intense, centring around the middle of the week.

You may still be processing the Grand Trines and T-square of last week now, and the first aspect to greet us this week is an opposition of Venus and Pluto on Tuesday (11^th).  This is part of the T-square, and centres around facing deep or difficult issues in our relationships.  There may be a temptation to give up and walk away, but the real deal would be in sharing deep feelings.  Venus and Pluto also rule money, and economic crises could also be on our mind, both personal and global.  This aspect occurs late in the evening.

Even later in the evening, the climax of the Grand Trine occurs, with Saturn exactly trining Neptune in water signs.  This will assist the sharing and stabilizing of emotions, such as in relationships.  There will also be wider applications, such as the watery issue of international fishing.  This week Hugh Fearnley-Wittingstall announced that cod stocks were on the rise again in the North Sea.  This is a strong partnership, Saturn and Neptune, and should sustain you this week if the going gets tough.  It is a marriage of spirituality and practicality.

The next day, Wednesday (12^th) Venus squaring Uranus brings the T-square back into focus with more relationship and financial challenges, but the vibrations of Saturn-Neptune trine will still be available for assisting with balancing and mixing reality with hope.

After Wednesday, the intensity should lessen and you will be able to take stock of what you have achieved and what you have yet to master.

The week in bullet points:

• Tuesday – problems and solutions
• Wednesday – more relationship disruption, but looking at the larger picture will help

Liberace and the Making of the “Behind the Candelabra” Film

With anti-gay riots in Paris this last week, and the first gay marriage in France at Montpellier, the TV film “Behind the Candelabra” aired on 26^th May in U.S. and to be aired on U.K. television on 7^th June is a timely reminder of how things have changed since Liberace lived under the pressures of secrecy with his partner Scott Thorson in the late 1970s/Early 1980s.  I always find it fascinating how films come to be made, and the relation of the actors’ charts to their roles as shown in their birth charts, and the real-life people they portray.

Liberace

Liberace, who was a stand out celebrity in the 1950s and 1960s (when I was growing up), began to play piano from a very early age.  He had Sun conjunct Mars in Taurus, representing his energetic music and lifestyle.  His Ascendant was opposite exactly a conjunction of Venus and Pluto, indicating a difficult romantic life .This difficult emotional tone was reinforced by a T-square with the Ascendant opposing Venus/Pluto exactly squaring Chiron on the cusp of the 4^th House.  But he also had a Grand Trine between Uranus exactly trine natal Midheaven (Career) and the Venus/Pluto conjunction (a glittering musical career).

Scott Thorson

Scott Thorson, the partner at the heart of the story, who wrote his autobiography which sparked the project, had Venus exactly conjunct Chiron (again, emotional pain) in Aquarius forming a T-square with a Mars-Jupiter opposition.  He also had the Sun square Neptune, which manifested as a lifelong problem with drugs and history of imprisonment.

He and Liberace had  their Marses exactly conjunct at 23 degree Taurus, a conjunction which can bring sexual compatibility, and passion, but also (often later) conflict, which is what eventually happened in their relationship.

Liberace leaned heavily on Scott to have plastic surgery (Scott’s Sun square Neptune) in order to look like him, and this is portrayed in the film.  Eventually Scott sued Liberace for palimony, around the time of Scott’s Saturn Return in Capricorn, when he was aged 29.

His Neptune in Scorpio was square exactly Liberace’s Neptune in Leo in 8th House (his fondness for luxury and extravagance), a basic spiritual unease in their relationship which may have been one of the causes of their split. Neptune being an issue between them, and “Behind the Candelabra” being the title of Scott Thorson’s autobiography about their life, leads me to wonder if the candelabra is a symbol for Neptune.

Steven Soderbergh

The film Director Steven Soderbergh, who directed the powerful Erin Brockovich, has Jupiter conjunct Chiron (an overwhelming desire to promote healing) and Jupiter trine Neptune (success in film directing).  Like Scott Thorson he has Venus exactly square Chiron (a need for healing through relationship) and therefore understands perfectly a fundamental part of Scott’s woundedness.

He has significanct interaspects with Liberace: these include Liberace’s Mars trine Soderbergh’s Sun, Liberace’s Neptune trine Soderbergh’s Venus and Liberace’s Nodal Axis square exactly Soderbergh’s Uranus (a karmic and group connection).  These are aspects which will have continued to get under Soderbergh’s skin until he made the picture!

As Liberace had Mars conjunct Scott Thorson’s Mars, Scott’s Mars is also trine Soderbergh’s Sun.  But Soderbergh’s Mars is square to Scott’s Mars.  There is sympathy (sextiled Moons) but also the possibility of conflict through the squared Marses.

Steven Soderbergh  is aged 50 now, so it is his Chiron Return movie, so the development of his Inner Healer is involved.  He is retiring or taking a break in order to paint (Chiron squaring his natal Venus).

Michael Douglas

Michael Douglas, who plays Liberace himself in the TV film, has his Moon one degree away from Liberace’s Ascendant, and is able to access his personality through his own emotion.  It is not a typical role for him (his style usually being represented by his Scorpio Ascendant), but his Midheaven is in Leo (expressing a career in show business, and also the flamboyance of Liberace, who had Neptune and Saturn in Leo).

Michael Douglas’ North Node (karmic mission) is in Cancer (his profession handed down in the family) and sextile exactly Chiron, the planet of healing. Early in his career he produced the film “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, Chiron representing mental health issues.

His natal Sun is conjunct Neptune by 1 degree, reinforcing the direction of  the acting profession and the role of film in his life.

Michael’s Neptune (film representation) sextiles exactly Liberace’s North Node, so it may be a karmic contract that has been played out.

On August 16^th 2010 Michael Douglas announced that he was suffering from a type of throat cancer, with Pluto then squaring exactly his Sun in Libra (and his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones’ Sun)  and Pluto conjunct exactly Michael’s Moon.  He was facing his own mortality.  Saturn, a hard taskmaster, was also transitting his Sun.  However Neptune was trine his Venus (throat) and by 11^th January 2011 he was able to announce that the tumour was gone.

The timing of the film was affected.  He had been asked to do the film, and Steven Soderbergh waited for his recovery, so the project was very significant for Douglas.  Steven Soderbergh’s Neptune is conjunct Michael Douglas Ascendant in Scorpio – he could envisage Douglas in the role of Liberace.

Matt Damon

Matt Damon, whose Midheaven at 28 degrees Scorpio is exactly conjunct Neptune (charisma), was also marked out at birth for a film career.  With three planets and Midheaven in 10^th House in Scorpio, this encapsulates his role of agent in the Bourne Trilogy.

His Moon at 22 deg Capricorn is trine exactly his own Mars in Virgo and trine Liberace’s Mars in Taurus, their Marses being in trine.  Matt Damon’s Moon is conjunct Michael Douglas’ South Node.  Another indication of a karmic role.

Film launched 26/5/13

At the TV launch of this film in the U.S., Neptune trined Liberace’s Venus/Pluto conjunction – charts are often very relevant posthumously, and Liberace may have influenced the project from spirit! Neptune was square his Nodal Axis – portraying karmic pain, but ultimately balancing and possibly healing.

Saturn was conjunct Scott Thorson’s Neptune – this may have been for him a stark portrayal of his drug addiction.

Pluto was trine Steven Soderbergh’s Pluto (his announcement that it would be his last film, but also his own empowerment through this production) and sextile his Jupiter – the satisfying end of a cycle, and also triumph.

In Conclusion

Notably Mars is prominent in the exact interaspects between all these men, emphasizing the theme of male sexuality. It may imply that the right men at the right time were chosen to be involved in a project of this nature.

The relationship betweeb Liberace and Thorson didn’t last, and the secrecy and social climate undoubtedly put some strain on their relationship, but they had different issues to work out in this lifetime and reached a parting of the ways.  The current climate would probably have seemed impossible, if not inconceivable, to Liberace starting out on his emotional life.

Aspects

On Sunday (2^nd June) morning the week dawns brightly with a sextile between the Sun and Uranus. It’s a good day to bring a group of friends together, or indulge in some original creativity, or if you’re a scientist to perfect your invention ready for patenting!

On Monday (3^rd) Venus enters Cancer, and any creation you are engaged in will complete its design phase and work with the heart, on the feeling and emotional aspects of its purpose.  Part of Grand Trine no. 1 occurs in the evening, with Mercury trine Neptune. This too has application for your creative purposes, in bringing down inspiration from the spiritual plane to the rational mind.  The Universe does not waste energy, and this part of the Grand Trine may find you engaged in a group project.

The Grand Trine completes in the early hours of Tuesday (4^th) morning, and you may see the grander purpose or plan, with your particular role in it.  Mercury now trines Saturn, so after the spiritual downloading comes a practical phase which is the next step.

The Sun also squares Chiron on Tuesday, so there may be health challenges or awkward situations.  Know that there are solutions, possibly close at hand.

Friday (7^th) is the busiest day aspect-wise, from 8.24 a.m. (in the U.K.) TO 23.57 Hrs.

Here is your timetable:

8.24 a.m.: Neptune stationary, prior to turning retrograde – starting a re-evaluation of your spiritual path.

11.46 a.m.: Venus trines Neptune, and initiates the second Grand Trine of the week – this is about embodying more inspiration into your creativity, art or music, more compassion and unconditional love in your relationships, and more understanding of the relationship between the spiritual and the material, providing information about abundance.

15.23 Hrs: Venus trines Saturn, completing the Grand Trine and grounding the work you have done.  Again you may be involved in a group application.

You may prefer to view the two trines as one big trine, from Monday to Friday, possibly reflecting  a work project you are engaged in. So Mercury and Venus in conjunction (arts and writing projects) are enabled by their trine with Neptune (spirit) and Saturn (matter). A wide range of successes can come under this banner.

22.03 Hrs: Mercury opposes Pluto, initiating a T-square patterning which slightly combats but does not wipe out the benefits of the Grand Trine(s). There may be a challenge in implementing plans or a fault in the thinking which needs to be ironed out. The cause may be a deep psychological issue.

23.57 Hrs: Lastly on this day, Mars squares Neptune and there may be confusion in action, confusion about men, or about the performance of your car. Again have faith in the power of the overall plan presented to you this week, and take steps to remedy any problems so that the project is not derailed. If this is a group situation for you, encourage each person to take responsibility for their own part.

The week ends with  a New Moon on Saturday (8th) plus another square.  The New Moon is at 18 degrees Gemini, favouring communication, education, science and travel within your own country.

Mercury squaring Uranus then puts the cat among the pigeons or the spanner in the works in relation to communication and technology. This is part of the T-square, and requires clarity of thought and possibly swift communication.

The T-square continues over to next week, but is balanced and counteracted by a powerful trine which supports the efforts you have made this week. It is not a case of the wave dissolving your sandcastle, but a little reconstruction may be needed next week.

The week in bullet points:

• Sunday – brilliance
• Monday – soft feelings and spiritual input
• Tuesday – laying foundations; healing crisis
• Friday – complexity; rigorous aspect timetable
• Saturday – new beginning; be alert mentally

Uranus-Pluto square – Phase 3

At the time of the Uranus-Pluto square last Monday, a tornado struck the town of Moore near Oklahoma City.  Extreme weather is one of the possibilities where the Uranus-Pluto square is at its most intense.  Someone asked me recently if I do weather astrology…I make notes, but I don’t research and monitor it as such as it is so complex – for instance, if there is going to be a tornado, where will it strike?  It is easier to research after the event, looking at the regional charts.  In this case, the Uranus-Pluto square directly contacted the chart of Oklahoma State, with Pluto exactly square to the Oklahoma State Moon and Uranus exactly conjunct the Oklahoma State Moon.  In 1999 there was a similar tornado in the same area, and Pluto was exactly conjunct the Oklahoma State Venus.  So the transits to the Oklahoma State chart are worth monitoring in this respect, as I am sure U.S. and Oklahoma Astrologers were doing.

Woolwich Murder

So we followed the story of the Oklahoma tragedy, rescue and aftermath, which continued to dominate our headlines here, until Wednesday afternoon.  It was halfway between the Uranus-Pluto square and the upcoming Full Moon eclipse of Friday.  At 2.20 p.m..on a London street, an English soldier, Drummer Lee Rigby, was decapitated by two Moslem extremists. This violence was transmitted on the 6 pm news – there is no shielding of children and grandchildren before the watershed any more it seems.  I have always been against violence in films, but feel we need to know what is going on in the world, and the content of our news broadcasts is becoming more and more shocking.  So much so, that many people have stopped watching the news.

There are so many strange questions around this attack, e.g. whether or not it can be labelled as a terrorist attack.  It seemed more spontaneous than the average terrorist attack, in that the perpetrators ran over the soldier, then got out of the car and attacked him.  He was wearing a “Help for Heroes” t shirt, and part of their motive was that the U.K. forces should leave Afghanistan.  But then they hung around until the Police came – a very unusual thing to do.  On top of possibly being influenced by the teachings of extreme Islamist leaders such as Anjem Choudary, they may have had drugs in their system, or have a form of mental illness.  We live in a society that is becoming increasingly violent, in a world that is becoming increasingly violent.  Is violence itself a form of mental illness?

In looking at this event astrologically, we have very little to work with.  We have no birth time for the victim, Lee Rigby.  We have a chart for one of the murderers, Michael Adebolajo.  We also have a chart for the time of the event.  There is the U.K. chart, and the chart of Home Secretary Theresa May who seems to be having to work very hard on such issues at the moment, almost being willing to ditch the Human Rights Act in order to get Abu Qatada out of the country for instance.

Michael Adebolajo has Sun conjunct Uranus in Sagittarius, unpredictable and likely to go overboard about ideas.  He also has Mercury conjunct Neptune, which could also make him mentally impressionable.  His Venus and Mars are in idealistic Aquarius too, adding to the unpredictablilty.  He is energetic, with Sun exactly sextile Mars, and that is his main Warrior signature.  At the time of the murder, Pluto was opposite his Moon (stirring emotion), but we do not know how close it was as we do not have his birth time. His Mars opposes the U.K. Neptune and his Nodal Axis squares the U.K. Mars, so not a good compatibility with this country.  The third Uranus-Pluto square hits the U,K. chart directly, with Pluto opposing exactly the natal Pluto and Uranus square exactly the natal Pluto. Saturn is squaring Theresa May’s Uranus, so she is having to develop her indomitable spirit, and deal with the role of the unexpected in her (and our) life.

One of the tragedies of this event is that it has set back the cause of peaceful relations in our society in relation to the Muslim community.  The main tragedy of course is for the poor family of Lee Rigby.

Aspects

Today the Sun squares Neptune, and sensitivities may be raw, or you may be confused about your initial direction for the week.  Especially if contemplating the events of the last week…

But the aspects for this forthcoming week are mild in comparison, so there may be a respite from fast and furious news headlines.

Tomorrow Mercury conjuncts Jupiter at 23 degrees Gemini, and you may actually hear some good news.  This aspect is good for sales and business, and for disseminating information on a wide scale.  It is good for education, and for broadening the horizons through travel.

On Tuesday (28^th) Venus conjuncts Jupiter at the same degree, and this is a happy clappy aspect, which we need right now, but some may not trust it!  Centre yourself, meditate if possible, and extend good will to all – don’t waste it wondering if it could be true that we have a good aspect.

On Friday (31^st) Mercury enters Cancer and we leave behind the logic of Mercury in Gemini, and become more soft-focussed mentally and able to incorporate feeling into our ideas. Hard factual thinking gives way to sidestepping and viewing from a different angle, in order to take a another angle on issues that may have been difficult to confront lately.

On the same day, Mars enters Gemini, so determined courses of action (Mars in Taurus) give way to a cooler more logical approach to the use of physical energies.  We are combining brain with brawn, so we have not lost our rational side completely.

What starts to emerge by the end of the week are a couple of Grand Trines for next week, which is more to look forward to.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – Feeling your way to the truth
• Tomorrow – Good luck on the commercial front
• Tuesday – An Abundant day
• Friday – Changes in the way we think

Sir Alan Sugar, The Apprentice and Entrepreneurs

On the day when the new series of the Apprentice started, I found myself at a business breakfast club, with 60 seconds to pitch my business, and half expected Sir Alan to appear and tell me I was fired, so much a fan of the programme as I am.  I don’t have much of a business head, but I do like to get out and dust down my Inner Entrepreneur from time to time, as it can be fun.

I wrote last year (25^th March):

“Alan is just a textbook Aries, good with figures, straight talking, calling a spade a spade.  He has both the Sun and the Moon in Aries, and his engineering and electrical technology bias are shown in his chart by Mars (his ruling planet) square Uranus.  He is also from that aspect a risk taker, but he also has a cautious practical supportive trine of Saturn to his Sun, ensuring that money doesn’t run away from him.  It is quite clear from his autobiography that his approach to life, sales and invention is one of Aries simplicity and functionality.”

Unfortunately, I do not have any of the contestants’ birth dates to work with.  But has anyone noticed that current contestant Francesca MacDuff-Varley looks exactly like Stella English, winner of 2009 Apprentice, who recently lost a legal battle with Sir Alan?

Alan and Donald

The British version of The Apprentice arose from the success of the original U.S. version starring Donald Trump.  Trump created the programme during 2003, a year when Jupiter was at the midpoint of his natal Jupiter-Urarnus trine.  He and Alan Sugar were born within a year of each other.

In the UK the programme was first shown in 2005, though Alan Sugar was approached in 2004.  On 18 May 2004, Sir Alan Sugar was confirmed as the choice for the role. Pluto (power) was sextile his Venus (money), Jupiter (success) was opposite and stretching his Mercury (sales and business) and Uranus (surprise) was square his Nodal Axis (karma) bringing an unexpected opportunity.

Entrepreneurs

The entrepreneurship manifests differently in the charts of Sir Alan and Donald Trump.  The focus for Sir Alan is his bluntness and practicality (Sun in Aries exactly trine Saturn – making for literally a self-made man) and the Inner Critic (Mercury conjunct Mars, nothing gets past him), whereas in the case of Donald Trump he has the quickness and genius of North Node conjunct Uranus in Gemini (describing his karmic mission), and a talented set of planets in his house of money (Chiron, Jupiter and Neptune).

The conjunction I associate with the Entrepreneur Archetype is Jupiter conjunct Uranus, but Donald has the trine between these two planets which is perhaps more powerful (as does Richard Branson).

Sir Alan Sugar has some feeling of rivalry towards Donald Trump.  In Sir Alan’s autobiography entitled “What you See is what you Get” he describes his initial pitch on being invited to take the role:

“I’ve seen this programme in the USA and, quite frankly, I could carry off Trump’s role  with my eyes closed.  I know you don’t know me from Adam, but it’s a shame you weren’t a fly on the wall at some of my board meetings at Amstrad – if you had been, you’d know you need look no further for the right man.”

Will either of the two men relinquish the role before the format goes stale?

Aspects

The week begins with a square on Monday (20th) between Venus and Chiron, so there may emerge a health issue linked with self-image. Cosmetic surgeons may profit.

The Sun then enters Gemini from Taurus, favouring an intellectual approach to life. Towards midnight (UK time) is the third Uranus-Pluto square in the series  (I have written separately about this, posted 18/5/13)). You may have felt the tension building from last week. Maybe you are embroiled in a complex group problem which is difficult to extricate from, and need to work at your highest level of awareness.

Best aspect of the week occurs in the early hours of Tuesday (21st) morning which brings Mercury into a sextile with Uranus. This enables you to work with the mind (both lower and higher aspects of it) in finding ideas to promote freedom, a content of the Uranus-Pluto struggle. The difficulties of the previous day may have inspired you to seek such solutions, you may open a channel from your intuition or higher mind (Uranus) and bring through some high quality thought. If your karma does not demand that you stay and face the music, you can formulate a plan to escape your Colditz.

By Wednesday (22nd) there may be a crisis of mental confidence with a square to Mercury from Chiron. Some of the brilliant ideas of yesterday may seem awkward or unworkable, but it ain’t necessarily so. Think on it, and you may be able to implement the spirit if not the letter of your plan.

Then on Friday (24th) Mercury and Venus conjoin, and all the ideas and even the problematic elements can form part of your creative cauldron, in writing  (e.g. a whodunnit) or other forms of artistic communication. You may stay up till midnight formulating constructive dialogue.

Through all that there may be a sense of unease, because there’s yet another (pause for thought) eclipse, a Full Moon in Sagittarius. Some found the Full Moon eclipse in Scorpio a month ago quite tough, and the ramifications may continue. A positive focus would be to put what you have learned into philosophical terms (Sagittarius) as a new basis for life.

The week in bullet points:

• Monday – a need to analyse problems
• Tuesday – brilliant solutions may be found
• Wednesday – nervous
• Friday – writing favoured, and adopt-a-philosophy

20 May 2013, 23.02 Hrs in the U.K.

This week we face the third square between Uranus and Pluto, on Monday. The first two phases occurred on 24 June and 19 September 2012.  The square will now occupy the 11^th degree of the signs Aries and Capricorn.  If you have planets or angles in this degree, the square will be more relevant to you, though it affects everyone. The square will recur between now and March 2015.

Globally, dangerous situations seem to be escalating without outside monitoring have much control over the situation, e.g. in North Korea and in Syria.  I focused on some of these issues in earlier blogs, and blogs about the Uranus-Pluto square.

In the U.K. we have the breakdown of benefits to the disabled, and the changes to the NHS which are destructive, and Britain and its political parties tearing itself apart over immigration.

Do you in your life have a stand-off, or an issue of brinkmanship in a group you belong to, or conflicts between different parts of your psyche?  You may be finding that you feel more under pressure than ever, or your fears still have the upper hand in ruling your thoughts and actions.

Transformation Game

Here are some stories of growth or progress in the news which have taken place since the last Uranus-Pluto square, not always obvious in nature, which are relevant to and illustrate the nature of the struggle, and were subjects of earlier blogs:

1.  President Obama managed to get re-elected despite a complex struggle with the Republicans, and the neck-and-neck polls near the election.  He still faces much opposition to his efforts, e.g. the gun laws which failed to materialize.
2.  The Hacked Off group were tired of waiting for the government, the newspapers and the Leveson Inquiry to come up with the goods, and have taken matters in their own hands.
3.  From the agonizing revelations about Jimmy Savile, many victims of sexual abuse who have struggled for decades trying to process their experiences, have found the courage to come forth and report what happened to them.
4.  The tension rose to such a degree that Andrew Marr had a stroke, and he recently divulged that it took place when he had been exercising too vigorously on the rowing machine.  He was overdoing things in his life physically and mentally.  This is something to be observant about during the course of this square.
5.  Richard III managed to emerge after centuries under a car park in Leicester and initiate a continuation of the Wars of the Roses.  That is quite a feat.
6.  The Pope in his 80s courageously solved his inner struggle to cope in his elderly condition with the demands of a centuries-old tradition that a Pope should die in the struggle to continue serving the Papacy.  He decided to try a new twist, and it worked.
7. David Milliband also tried a sidestep from a difficult situation in taking up a post in America, leaving his brother a free hand within the Labour party in the U.K.

Lessons that can be Drawn

1.  Take matters into your own hands, if you are disillusioned with the way authorities are dealing with things.  Combine to form a self-help group.
2. Take a sidestep if you feel that karma allows, or at least step out for a while to create a breathing space for all parties
3. Be strong and centred, if something is of great importance to you, and you feel that it is part of your life purpose.  Circumstances may adjust around you, if you are coming from your highest truth.  Have faith in your life.
4. Don’t buy into the frantic pace of life and the rat race if at all possible.  Try to find ways to connect with your inner rhythms, and listen to your body.
5. Question outmoded traditions, and if necessary be the change you want to see.  You may fear the reactions of others, but they may surprise you in their understanding.
6. If you cannot let go of your karma from past lives, you can use telepathy to communicate to others what you would like to happen, but need to examine your motives.
7. Truth will out eventually anyway.

To Play:

Match the possible lessons to the situations.

See if any of the solutions used might fit a current problem that you have.

Sir Alex Ferguson

About a year ago “bullet man” (a great influence on this blog) quipped that if I wrote about football, this blog would increase its readership.  Well with the announcement of Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, the time has come!

Sir Alex has broken all records in the world English football, including for the length of time (26 years) he has managed that citadel of English football clubs, Manchester United.

The Birthchart

His career path is clearly shown by Midheaven in Aquarius (the sign of teams) sextile Mars (the planet of football) in his 10^th House of Career in Aries, the sign of Football.  A supreme drive to win.

He has the Moon conjunct Jupiter in Gemini , and he is therefore able to be emotionally upbeat to motivate others especially through words.  This conjunction works through his 12^th House – he has inner faith, and the ability to inspire hope.  Jupiter can in some individuals tip the enthusiasm into anger.

Moon exactly trine Venus may be the aspect which shows protectiveness towards his players – he has been mentor to many protégés.

Saturn conjunct Uranus in Taurus constitutes a great deal of inner tension. This aspect represents his rugged, some might say harsh side, working in his 11^th House of teams.  He can cope with complex scenarios in this sphere.

His Sun conjuncts Mercury in Capricorn, which can be a rugged sign, and he was known from early in his career as a strict disciplinarian, determined and calculating.

Uranus squares by 1 degree his Midheaven, so he is a strategist in life, which does not always make things comfortable for others.

The Observer today describes his negative characteristics thus:

“He bullied and swaggered like Clough, glaring at referees, baiting rival managers”.

Manchester United

Alex Ferguson joined Manchester United from Aberdeen when Atkinson lost his job as Manager on 6 November 1986.  Pluto was trine his Ascendant on the cusp of his 5^th House of Sport.  This ensured a deep and meaningful enduring phase of his life in that sphere.

Mark Robins

No man is an island, and Alex Ferguson’s destiny was entwined with other players throughout his life.  Early in his managerial career, footballer Mark Robins scored a significant goal for Manchester United, sealing his success.  Alex Ferguson avoided being sacked before establishing himself.  Mark Robins’ Neptune sextile Ferguson Neptune, so this is a harmonious blending of their lives.  The Sun and Saturn were trine Ferguson North Node in 3^rd in Virgo, assisting his karma, a possible karmic reward. Pluto was also sextile Ferguson’s North Node reinforcing this.  At this stage of his life he did not perhaps need the tactics he came to employ.  Saturn was sextile Robin’s North Node, so he also was playing a karmic role.  Jupiter was exactly trine Robin’s Mars (goal-scoring).

Eric Cantona

Witty Geminian Eric Cantona was destined for a future career in acting.  He had a (football) warrior conjunction of North Node/Mars and a sparky link with Ferguson whose Uranus was conjunct Cantona’s warrior NN/Mars, each able to use each other’s genius.  Cantona also had the rebellious Uranus/Pluto conjunction in Virgo.

David Beckham

David Beckham started out as one of Alex Ferguson’s protégés, making his UEFA Champions League debut on 7 December 1994, and there is no doubt that he was heavily influenced by his Manager.

The astrological chemistry between them includes Beckham’s Uranus trine Alex Ferguson Neptune, Beckham’s Pluto sextile his Neptune and his Moon trine Ferguson’s Neptune.  The difficult aspects include David Beckham’s Pluto squaring Ferguson’s Ascendant, so a challenge to Alex in keeping a lid on his anger.

The incident where Alex Ferguson kicked a boot which hit Beckham gashing his eyebrow throws an interesting light on Ferguson’s chart.  The incident took place on 15 February 2003, and is an example of Alex Ferguson being ingracious in defeat as it came during one such.

Mars was squaring Ferguson’s Nodal Axis – highlighting the Moon square the Nodes in his natal chart.  With Ferguson’s Ascendant in Cancer giving prominence to the Moon and his moods, Mars was triggering this weakness. A  negative Moon can hold grudges, and transitting Mars was also opposing his natal Moon.  This natal aspect (Moon squaring the Nodal Axis) can create or perpetuate karma.

Roy Keane

Roy Keane, another player who was close to but who also tangled with Ferguson, is a Warrior with North Node conjunct Mars (like Cantona).  Alex Ferguson tapped into this with his Moon sextile Roy Keane’s North Node/Mars conjunction.  The liaison was terminated when Keane left Manchester United on 18^th November 2005, with Neptune conjunct Keane’s North Node/Mars Warrior (which was softening due to the influence of Neptune) and sextile Alex Ferguson’s Neptune, thus bringing about a change of focus in both their lives.

His Retirement

I was in a shop on a Station platform buying bottled water at 8.05 am last Wednesday when the news broke.  The shopkeeper punched his hand in the air and said “I’ve been waiting 26 years for this!”  I don’t know what team he supported…

Astrologically, I would have expected Alex Ferguson to retire a year or so ago at the close of the Pluto cycle to his 6^th House.  Maybe he seriously considered it then.  However, he is retiring with Pluto at his Sun, the end of an era, perhaps sapping at his vitality.  His retirement is supported by Jupiter trine his natal Venus and Saturn trine his Ascendant.

David Moyes

His successor David Moyes has enjoyed a warm relationship with Ferguson (his Mars sextile’s Alex’ Jupiter), and was hand picked for the job.  At 50 this is Moyes Chiron Return, where he finds his Inner Healer plus Neptune is sextile his Sun, putting him on his true spiritual path, coming into his spiritual purpose.  I expect him to ease naturally into the role and to grow as a person.  David Moyes Sun squares Alex Ferguson’s Pluto – there is often a Sun/Pluto connection between two people where one takes over in a role from the other. His Pluto trines Fergusons Sun too, emphasizing that. Moyes’ Jupiter also trines  Ferguson’s Pluto, enabling them to work together successfully in the transition and transfer of power.  At Ferguson’s retirement Mars squared Moyes’ Mars, giving rise to somewhat of a wrench for Moyes and an emotional farewell to Everton.

Aspects

Mars conjuncts the South Node tomorrow, revisiting warrior or football karma for some.  Others may just want to avoid disputes.

With the best will in the world, there may be relationship confusion on Monday evening.  Perhaps you are getting to know someone and you find them unfathomable, realizing the more you get to know them the less you know…

On Wednesday (15^th)  in the evening practical thinking (Mercury’s sojourn in Taurus) gives way to more theoretical ideas with Mercury’s entry into Gemini: you may feel like writing an article or blog about the activities you have been involved in recently, summarizing what you have learned.

Saturday (18^th) could start with complicated journeys as Mercury squares Neptune, or ideas that are now confused (they seemed so clear on Wednesday, but extra information may force you to expand and reorganize your viewpoint).

Later in the day, the Arts could be scintillating, and socializing could be exciting, due to Venus sextile Uranus. Bonnie Tyler is representing us at the Eurovision Song Contest, trying her hand at this luckless task.  I shall be watching with my Eurovision Pod Group with whom I travelled to Dusseldorf two years ago for the event.

I love Bonnie Tyler.  Her power comes from a warrior Sun/Mars trine Neptune (so a spiritual warrior), the trine bisected by the powerful planet Pluto.  How come she’s not using her power in politics or football is a mystery to me…only joking!  Sadly I don’t think she will win, on the grounds that Jupiter is square her Pluto so there is a lot of hype around her at the moment, and I don’t think the song is sufficiently strong.  But I would love to be proved wrong.

Uranus-Pluto Square

You may be starting to feel the pinch of this third phase of the square which occurs on Monday next.  I will be revising this issue next week, before the big day.

The week in bullet points:

• Monday – revisiting old arguments, then confused feelings
• Wednesday – revitalized wit
• Saturday – complicated communications, then razzle dazzle