Mary Beard

This week Mary Beard announced her retirement as Professor of Classics at Cambridge University next year.  In doing so, she intends to boost diversity by leaving an £80,000 fund for students from under-represented groups.

Birth Chart

Born with the Sun in Capricorn plus the North Node, Mercury and Chiron in that sign, Mary nevertheless has half her planets in Water signs, so is very emotional.  The Sun conjunct the North Node may indicate that part of her karmic mission is to illuminate, and she teaches us about Antiquity and Archaeology (some of the provinces of Capricorn, but also shared by some other signs), in particular Roman history.  Mercury sextile Saturn in her chart gives her mental focus and academic rigour.  Venus exactly trine Jupiter describes her as a lover of humanity.  Venus loosely conjunct Saturn in Scorpio, is another sign that she likes to dig and delve, though more in the realms of psychology, than in the literal earthy Capricornian sense.  Venus exactly trine Uranus makes her shine brightly in society, but may also point to her individualistic appearance.  Jupiter is exactly conjunct Uranus in her chart, the sign of an Entrepreneur.  Mars in Pisces trines Jupiter/Uranus indicating tremendous enthusiasm and excitability, which is of course very visible in her personality.  With Venus/Saturn in Scorpio, this completes a Grand trine in Water, so she has a powerful way of moving people.

Life and Career

Mary enjoyed archaeology from an early age, spending time on digs.  At eighteen she went to Cambridge University at Newnham College, where among other things she fostered the feminist attitudes which had been encouraged within her family background. She also paid her first visit to Pompeii.  She later completed a doctoral thesis, whose subject was “The State Religion in the Late Roman Republic: A Study Based on the Works of Cicero”.  She became Professor of Classics at Cambridge in 2004, around the time of her Chiron Return in Capricorn.

When she presented a television series Meet the Romans with Mary Beard in 2012, the late critic A.A. Gill gave a harsh review, and declared her not to be presentable enough for television.  She subsequently received similar criticisms of her appearance by the “trolls” of the day (the word had not yet come into its current connotation).

She has stated:

“I used to be scared of looking like this, but now I couldn’t wish to be any different.  Never mind the masochism of Botox.  I can’t even imagine dyeing my hair.  It’s not just the boring hours it would take.  It’s that every time you did it, you’d be reminded that you were hiding something.  And how do you stop once you’ve started?”

She would respond to detractors on Twitter directly at one stage.  Shortly after the initial fuss, I saw her get into my train carriage at Cambridge, and was very tempted to approach her and tell her how much I admired her, but thought better of it, as she seemed very comfortable in her own space!

On 4 August 2013, she received a Twitter-related bomb threat, which she reported.  At the time,  Pluto (bomb) was transiting her natal Sun!

She has presented an entertaining cultural programme on BBC entitled “Front Row Late”, where she engages in discussion with various guests.  It is a good vehicle for her erudition and her personality!  She identifies as a Socialist, politically.  She is married, with two children.

Current Transits

The current transits to her chart emphasize Pluto, and so do show decisions made on endings in her life:  Pluto is sextile her natal Venus in Scorpio; and Pluto exactly opposite her Jupiter/Uranus conjunction in Cancer.  She is responding to the call for change from Pluto, and hopefully new avenues will be rebirthed eventually.  But in the meantime, she will ensure that from next year, two students will receive four years of funding, who may not have otherwise been eligible.

Aspects

The Sun trines Pluto tomorrow, so there may be the sense of an ending.  You may have to make a decision which brings about change.  It is time to construct a new psychological mindset: one which is creative but also bears in mind the changes and cycles which are transforming our lives at this time. You may have felt that you haven’t got very far with a goal, but may receive an indication in this period that you have done better than you thought, your patience is rewarded, or that a pipe dream could become a going concern.

Venus also conjoins the North Node in Gemini tomorrow.  On its own, it is helpful for expressing love in verbal or written form.  Taken together with The Sun’s trine to Pluto the interpretation and outcome may be deeper; for example, you may feel a situation is lost, then someone may remind you of the power of love.

On Tuesday, Venus in Gemini goes on to sextile Chiron, so some of the communication that day will be very healing, and may literally concern the subject of healing, especially for relationships.  It is a good day to combine the Arts with Healing, such as creativity which involves and brings about healing.

Venus is busy this week, and on Thursday (20th) she trines Saturn (in the early hours).  This trine is quite stoical and productive, and stabilizing in terms of feelings.  If you are catching up or socializing with someone you haven’t seen for some time during lockdown, it is a good opportunity to re-establish your relationship.  Those of you interested in the Fixed Stars may note that our Sun aligns with the Pleiades around this date.

In the evening, the Sun enters the sign of Gemini, and earthy preoccupations may give way to a need for Communication and lightness of heart.  ‘Tis the season of chatting to the neighbours over the garden fence.  In the month of Sun in Gemini any kind of communication goes, writing your book, dealing with your documentation.  It all aids the general connectivity and circulation, which society needs.

Friday (21st) brings a square between the Sun and Jupiter, very descriptive of the type of hype preceding the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday!  This may make things more tricky than they need to be, as that aspect exaggerates everything it comes into contact with.  It’s the square of the Clown and the Prankster, among other Archetypes. Just try not to get side-tracked.  There is also a joyful, humorous side of Sun square Jupiter, so some laughter-yoga from time to time during the day would not go amiss!

The week in bullet points:

• Tomorrow – love, and endings
• Tuesday – love, and healing
• Thursday – love, and loyalty
• Friday – laughter, at whose expense?

Ian Wright

“I can remember clearly seeing my stepdad manhandling my mum.  She was so small.  We were all living in the same room, so my brother and me would have to turn away.”

~ Ian Wright

Football pundit and former professional footballer Ian Wright has been on our television screen this week with a documentary about children affected by domestic abuse in childhood.  Now that we are coming out of lockdown, we are becoming aware of how it has enabled the growth of domestic abuse.  According to the Big Issue this week, “In the last year, 1.6 million women experienced domestic abuse, and in 90 per cent of cases there’s a child present.”

Birth Chart

With the Sun exactly conjunct Mercury in Scorpio and sextile Scorpio’s ruler Pluto, Ian is very driven and emotionally intense.  We cannot properly evaluate his Moon aspects, as we do not have a birth time, but we know that he had an unhappy childhood.  The Moon represents the mother and the relationship with the mother, and his mother told him all the time that she wished she had had a termination in her pregnancy with him.  His step-father subjected him to deliberate cruelty.

His mindset, as depicted by Mercury, is quite complex.  He fell behind in school (Mercury square Saturn), but clearly has some mental quickness (Mercury exactly sextile Uranus).  In addition, Mercury is exactly trine Chiron in his birth chart, which indicates problem-solving skills.

His Venus is unaspected:  when in the documentary he was asked by a specialist in child domestic abuse what his Inner Child would have liked to have, he replied “Love”.  Therefore, the unaspected Venus may point to this neglect in early life.  Mars in Sagittarius trine Jupiter means he can be very enthusiastic (like a puppy dog), but sometimes that can spill over into anger.  Sun in Scorpio is passionate, so the combination is intense.  Mars squares Uranus, which is an electrical energy, which can be explosive at times.

Mars loosely squares Pluto, and that is the classic square you would expect to see in such a background, though it shows up in a wide aspect.  It is volatile, and someone who has this (and may have been the victim of others in childhood) needs to harness, channel, and somehow control its force.

Mars square Chiron completes a Fixed Grand Cross, formed of  Mars opposite the Moon, and Uranus/Pluto opposite Chiron.  The Grand Cross is one of the most difficult features you can find in a birth chart, and shows that he had a lot to contend with growing up, and in adulthood until he realized what he needed to work on.

On top of that, he has Uranus conjunct Pluto in Virgo, an anarchic energy common to people who were born in the mid-1960s.  A saving grace is that with Neptune trine exactly the North Node, he can earn respect through his karmic mission.  Pluto is also exactly sextile his North Node, and part of his karmic mission has been to face his shadow (Pluto) and work to transform it.  The North Node trine Chiron indicates that he may also have a healing mission.  A Grand Water Trine formed of Neptune, the North Node and Chiron may compensate to some extent for the Grand Cross.

Life and Career

Ian grew up as the youngest of three brothers, and his older brother Maurice tried to shield him from some of the abuse from his step-father.

His school teacher Sydney Pigden (“the first positive male figure that I had in my life”) saved and nurtured him, put him on the road to literacy, gave him responsibilities, and guaranteed him football time in return for good behaviour in the classroom.  To this day, Ian gives profuse thanks for the role Mr Pigden played in his young life.  On Desert Island Discs, he said “I know he loved me.  I don’t know why he chose me. I’m glad that he did. Once he come in, everything was so much better.”

He was keen to become a footballer, but initially failed several trials.  It was not until the age of 22, when he was signed up for Crystal Palace, that he became a professional footballer.  Jupiter was sextile his natal Jupiter at that time, a transit of success, the signing of his life.  In his interview in the Big Issue this week, he says of that time:

” It was the biggest surprise I’d ever had in my whole life.  I wasn’t expecting it at all… When I signed it felt like coming out of a very dark room… I felt very enlightened and shining.  I can’t explain how I felt. It was like a burst of sunshine.  It changed my whole life, there and then.  It was the first time in my life when I was in control of where I was going.”

He thrived at Crystal Palace, becoming a record-breaking goal scorer, and subsequently moved on to Arsenal.  The transits for his transfer to Arsenal at a record fee were fuelled by a positive Uranian wave: Uranus exactly sextile his natal Sun/Mercury (a big break), Uranus trine his natal Uranus, and Uranus sextile his natal Chiron.  He also played for England, a role which his younger self could not have dreamt of.

After retiring, he became a television personality and football pundit on Match of the Day.  Poignantly, he tells in the documentary how his stepfather would make him face the wall during Match of the Day, a programme which was revered by him.

In 2019 he appeared on I’m a Celebrity Get me Out of Here! in the jungle, where he lost his temper under the pressures of the show, and vowed to take stock and address his issues.

Fatherhood

Ian has eight children in all, from three different mothers.  He strived to be the father he wished he had had, and not to be the step-father he had.  Two of his sons are professional footballers.   Again from the Big Issue interview:

“…my oldest son Shaun means so much because the experience I had with my stepfather made me decide I wasn’t going to let that happen to Shaun.  When I started going out with his mum, I knew I wanted to treat him like my son.  He is my son… all I wanted was for Shaun to have a better upbringing in respects of having a stepdad than I did.”

Documentary

In the documentary Ian Wright: Home Truths, he starts to learn to forgive. He visited his old school and spoke to the staff about how they would deal with the disruptive behaviour he displayed while there.  He spoke to others who had abusive childhoods in the documentary, and those trying to bring about healing.  He is grateful for having created a loving family around him in adulthood, anxious not to pass down the same pattern to his next generation.  He takes away from this investigation that “I didn’t realize the abuse you get is not your fault.”  His current transits include Uranus sextile his natal Chiron in Pisces, a time to suddenly emerge as a Healer.  The documentary is still available on iPlayer

Aspects

Venus entered Gemini in the small hours of this morning in the U.K. and seems to have at least brought a favourable change in the weather.  Although Venus is most at home in the sign it left (Taurus), there is a lightness and freedom of heart with the new placement.  It brings a more mental focus to relationships, and increasing communication around love, art and money. Your diary is likely to be full of engagements during the period that Venus travels through this sign, which takes us up to 2nd June.  We’ll all be social butterflies, deftly spinning plates in social circles!  Certainly more than we were during lockdown.

Tomorrow, Monday 10th, Mercury conjoins the North Node in Gemini, bringing karmic information and communication of a subtle but revealing nature.  Follow the cues and clues – they may provide added interest to your creativity and acquisition of knowledge.

Mercury then forms a sextile with Chiron, and this can bring a satisfactory outcome in the arena of communication.  For example, something you might have been told was impossible finds a way through, and a problem may turn up with a solution.  This may be particularly true for health conditions.

Tuesday (11th) brings us a New Moon at 21 degrees Taurus – this is a new beginning for all Taurean related interests, and a chance to focus your intent on these for the next month.  You may take inspiration from looking at artworks or gardens.  You are helping to build the New Earth, as they say in New Age circles.  It is a fresh start for cooking, gardening, art, music or money.  Make the most of this wishing Moon.

Mars sextiles Uranus in the early hours of Wednesday (12th), which promises dynamism for the day.  Engineering especially benefits from this aspect, but that also includes social engineering.  Electricity and Astrology are other areas which can be stimulated by this combination.  Cars, mechanics, mechanical goods and household appliances may receive a boost or a renewal.

Gains can be consolidated in the evening, with Mercury trine Saturn, which will help you apply your mind to exacting tasks and documentation which may be outstanding.  It favours list-making, planning, and practical productivity.  Constructive serious conversations can also take place under this aspect.

A sublime aspect occurs on Thursday (13th) with the Sun sextile Neptune.  This aspect gives you the best chance of creating beauty and inspiration in your life, conferring spiritual harmony. It also prepares you for the mellow mood of the big event of the week astrologically, which is Jupiter’s entry into Pisces late on Thursday evening.

Jupiter into Pisces

Jupiter enters Pisces at 22.36 Hrs on Thursday 13th.  This brings a more emotional and devotional focus, with growing spirituality.  The forthcoming year ahead belongs to Pisceans!

During the last few months, Jupiter and Saturn have been in Aquarius, bringing a bittersweet experience to the area of your chart (the House) into which they fall.  Coupled with this, Saturn squaring Uranus has brought a clash between the old and new.

In the air sign of Aquarius, you can see this in the fortunes of the air industry.  While the industry has been hard hit and curtailed (Saturn), the quality of the air has improved through the decrease in carbon emissions (Jupiter).  We have a long way to go, as Greta Thunberg pointed out in her recent documentary, but this is an example of the push-and-pull phenomenon of Jupiter working with Saturn, and Saturn colliding with Uranus.  Saturn will continue to push against Uranus for the whole of this year.

In moving to Pisces (and it will return for some time from July to Aquarius), Jupiter will be in a comfortable sign (it originally ruled Pisces, before Neptune came along).  It will also eventually conjunct Neptune, bringing a new quality to our compassion and spiritual understanding.  So during the next year Jupiter will quite likely be in the same segment (House) of your birth chart as Neptune, and be working to subtler and more refined ways of being, especially for that area of your life.  Your inner resources will come to mean more to you.  So Thursday evening will bring a new beginning of sorts, and a new inner focus.  If you are Sagittarian, you may have a slight change of personality, too.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – social light-heartedness
• Tomorrow – karmic information and problem-solving
• Tuesday – new beginning
• Wednesday – electrical dynamism; mental discipline
• Thursday – creative inspiration; new inner focus and compassion

 

India

India has been the focus of much of the news headlines this week, bizarrely jostling for attention alongside Boris Johnson’s wallpaper.  My most surreal moment of the week was watching the documentary on Greta Thunberg on Monday evening, where she carefully took us through her wardrobe (which looked more like a sock drawer) explaining she doesn’t buy herself any clothes, and mends them when they get holes.  This was after the early evening news detailing the thousands of pounds spent on Boris Johnson’s flat refurbishment.  This, also juxaposed this week with the plight of covid sufferers in India, where they have run out of oxygen, and have barely started their vaccination programme, seems unbelievable, and is very upsetting.

Narendra Modi

Narendra Modi has been Prime Minister of India since 2014.  The progress of the coronavirus epidemic in that country had not been much worse than other poorer countries until fairly recently.  Modi’s refusal to lockdown in any substantial way, and a policy of encouraging “herd immunity”, has contributed to this.  Arundhati Roy, writing in the Guardian this week, said: “Modi…had not one word of sympathy to offer [at the peak of the European 2nd wave], only a long, gloating boast about India’s infrastructure and Covid preparedness.”  He very much has a Warrior archetypal chart: Sun/Mercury is exactly sextile Mars; Mars is exactly his conjunct Ascendant;  and Mars is trine his North Node – a karmic mission as a warrior.  He has a highly unusual exact triple conjunction of Sun/Mercury/Saturn in Virgo exactly sextile his natal Ascendant, on the 11th House cusp, but at the end of the 10th House in the Equal House system.  He can be intense and obsessive.  The triple conjunction is conjunct his South Node, indicating a complex karmic set up brought through from past lives.  The triple conjunction also squares Chiron, bringing a life accustomed to crisis.  He is emotional, with a conjunction of the Moon and Mars on his Ascendant in Scorpio.  He’s also passionately enthusiastic, with a square between Mars and Jupiter.

His current transits

He has a huge amount on his plate at present, going by his current transits: I counted 31 transits for today.  Maybe that symbolically represents the nation he governs being in crisis.  Two standout transits are Jupiter transiting his natal Jupiter/I.C. in Aquarius in his 4th House (of Homeland) – everything on a wide scale and out of control, even though Jupiter usually brings better things; and Neptune from his 4th House opposite his natal triple conjunction of Saturn/Sun/Mercury at the end of his 10th House of Reputation (utter chaos).

India

India itself has fewer transits.  Its chart is currently being triggered by Mars sextile its Moon (the people) and square its Ascendant on the 4th House cusp, stirring up home affairs during the next few weeks until the 18/19th June, when it will trine the Ascendant and move into the 5th House, which may be more constructive.  Saturn too is crushing its chart at the moment, exactly transiting its Venus and Jupiter (sadness and loss of hope).

There has been debate this week about how much aid we should send to India, given that we have cut the aid budget recently.  We have sent some oxygen.  Some in the media have posited that we should stop vaccinating our younger population and send vaccinations instead to India and other poorer countries, as we are all in it together.  In the meantime, our thoughts and deepest prayers go to India.

“Things will settle down eventually.  Of course, they will.  But we don’t know who among us will survive to see that day.  The rich will breathe easier.  The poor will not.”

~ Arundhati Roy

Aspects

Mercury trined Pluto this morning, which is conducive to deep thought and psychological reflection, and earnest conversations.  Conversations could be life changing: the right word at the right time, striking home in the right place.  You may have set the tone for the day, or the week, as profound, positive and purposeful.

Late this evening, Venus will be sextile Neptune, which can bring a beautiful expression of spirituality and the Arts.  New artistic avenues are flourishing, ingenious ways for people to share art, music and performance over the internet with the closure of theatres etc.  Hopes are on the horizon for such things.

Tomorrow (Monday 3rd May) we have two squares.  The first is fairly upbeat: Mercury square Jupiter, which will stimulate us mentally, almost to the point of too much information!  There may be travel involved or planned.  It would be a good day to be out in nature, taking a good stroll, and picking up information.  Mercury square Jupiter is a refreshing aspect, if not a little over-stretching to try to manage.

The other square, occurring soon after, at around 10 a.m. in the U.K., is the Sun square Saturn.  This is a very different kettle of fish, so it could be a day of contrasts.  This square can produce delay and frustration.  The slowing of rhythm in Taurus may look more like a standstill.  You may start off bounding with enthusiasm, then come across an obstacle.  If both squares are equally operational, which they may not be, the rhythm may be slow slow quick quick slow, or quick quick slow slow quick.  The Sun-Saturn square is an opportunity to think through what you are doing, and your strategies.  If you are making economies, are they the right ones, based on your optimum values?

On Tuesday (4th) the pace may pick up slightly, with Mercury entering Gemini in the early hours.  Mercury, representing our communication, is at home in chatty Gemini, and free to express verbally or in writing whatever comes to mind.  The communication will come thick and fast, but the consequences of the communication is another matter entirely.  You may find yourself gabbling…!

Thursday (6th) is a more wholeheartedly positive day, with a trine and a sextile.  First, Venus trines Pluto settling your deepest feelings into a more comfortable psychological context.  This aspect helps us through changes and transformations on a human level.  If you were able to utilize Sunday’s Mercury-Pluto trine, you may capitalize on those gains on Thursday, but on a feeling level.  So if you planned something on the mental level on Sunday, you can profitably flesh out the project on Thursday.  Venus in harmony with Pluto benefits both love and money.  So, accordingly, where will you place your vote in the  U.K. local elections, especially if you are wanting to make a difference?  Will you vote with your heart, or will you vote tactically, among other questions…!?

There follows a sextile between Chiron and the North Node, which favours right action on a karmic level.  Psychological healing may be empowered, as well as creativity.  You may have insights about the reasons behind events, and your own motivations.

The last aspect of the week occurs on Saturday (8th), in the shape of another square, that between Venus and Jupiter, which may be socially awkward.  Behaviour may be gauche or a little inappropriate, and that may have consequences.  You may be socializing when you don’t feel like it, or feel that you have to force jollity.  There will be a meaning to it – there always is!  Even if it is one remark which makes you think deeply, or helps you to realize what you don’t need.  Social non-conformists won’t care, but conformists may lament the lack of sticking to the rules.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – profound thought; beauty of expression
• Tomorrow – jangled
• Tuesday – picking up pace
• Thursday – positivity in love, money, healing and karma
• Saturday – inappropriate laughter

 

George Floyd 2

Black Lives Matter, almost a year on

Almost a year ago, the world watched as George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis by a white police officer, during the course of eight minutes.  Everyone hoped it would be a turning point in race relations, and there were reverberations around the world, not least in the U.K.  This week, a landmark verdict was given in the trial of the perpetrator Derek Chauvin, guilty on three counts.  It has been seen as a long-awaited sign of hope in the cause of Black Lives Matter.

George Floyd’s birth chart

Re-post from last year:

What do we know of George Floyd?  We know that he had five children, and was a caring provider for them, and lost his job due to the coronavirus crisis.  We know that he has lobbied for a change in the gun laws.  We know that at the time he was being apprehended, his crime was attempting to pass off a fake banknote.  We know he was not a violent or dangerous criminal, therefore not remotely deserving to lose his life.  The actions of the policemen were extremely disproportionate to the crime.  He tested positive for the virus, but had been recovering.

The first thing which leaps out to me in his natal chart is an exact Venus-Neptune conjunction in Sagittarius, conjuring up a phrase often used about him, that he was a “gentle giant” (at 6 foot 4 inches).  Another nuance of this conjunction is that of “global martyrdom”, where Sagittarius = global and Venus exactly conjunct Neptune = martyrdom.  Another aspect in his chart which is definitely problematic is Saturn exactly square Pluto.  Mars square Jupiter gave exuberance and Jupiter trine Pluto a more powerful side (playing basketball in his youth).  Saturn on his South Node in Cancer may have caused him to bring through some difficult past life karma, and Pluto square his Nodal Axis may show that his death has been used karmically to show humanity a profound lesson.

Derek Chauvin

There is a lot of confusion within the birth chart of Derek Chauvin.  Firstly, he has Sun in Pisces, ruled by Neptune.  That Sun is closely squared by Mars, implying that he has a strong temper, which may be difficult to control.  Then Neptune squares his Mercury, bringing a great deal of mental confusion to his make up on top of that.  He has 0 Earth planets, which adds to his lack of grounding, and 7 planets in Water (very unusual) indicating a very high degree of emotionality.  His Jupiter square Saturn can be ham fisted, and Saturn square Chiron may lack the skills of healing (i.e. in not having the presence of mind to try to resuscitate his victim on the spot).  The whole picture shows someone who is not in control of his emotions.  That he has become notorious in a public murder is hinted at by his Moon (emotion; public) conjunct his North Node (karma) in Scorpio (a sign associated with death and rebirth).  George Floyd cannot be reborn, but his memory is living on in a profound sense.

Synastry with George Floyd

A karmic connection is clearly shown in their Synastry (compatibility).  George Floyd’s South Node (past life karma) is exactly conjunct Derek Chauvin’s Mars (anger); thus it would seem George Floyd may have been destined to bring out Derek Chauvin’s weakness (misdirected anger; a badly aspected natal Mars), and Chauvin was unable to control his impulse.  Floyd’s Neptune was also square Chauvin’s Venus (social confusion).

Transits at the time of the murder

Chauvin’s transits at the time of the murder  included Jupiter opposite his Saturn in Cancer (literally, over-restraint!) and Pluto square his Chiron in Aries (a horrendous expression of inhumanity).  Of course, while referring to it as a murder, I realize that he may appeal.

Transits at the Guilty Verdict 

Chauvin’s transits at the time of the verdict this week show Chiron opposite his natal Pluto (a reckoning), Pluto opposite his Saturn (the guilty verdict itself), the South Node on his Neptune and ruler (a karmic reckoning).  For anyone who has any of these transits currently – don’t stress – other interpretations are available…!

Transits for U.S. chart at this time

How much of a turning point is this for the U.S.?   Jupiter is on its Moon in Aquarius in the 3rd House at the moment; they have a new leader at the helm putting out new policies.  But there are also confusions, e.g. Neptune square its Neptune.  The U.S. has been undergoing its Pluto Return, and this landmark court ruling I feel is part of that process of transformation.  The South Node is also on its Ascendant in Sagittarius, putting an emphasis on reparations for past actions and omissions.

Aspects

This morning served us a double dose of Saturnian reality, with first Venus square Saturn then Mercury square Saturn.

Venus square Saturn: Maybe you were wrestling with a conundrum overnight possibly triggered by events last night…Maybe you felt let down by someone or you disappointed yourself in some way.  Forgiveness could be a solution, in that case.  Your dreams may have held a key to the way forward.  We need a great deal of patience in our human interactions, and some may be dealing with rejection or sadness.  We need to acknowledge those feelings before we can move on.

After rising this morning, and while getting going with the business of the day, we may be finding it heavy going (unless we are having a total Sunday lie-in), submerged in paperwork (left over from last week’s schedule), or subject to delays or technical hitches.  Patience may be the key here too, but more on the mental level, and in communications or travel.  More haste less speed may be a useful mantra to follow.  So, for the early and mid part of the day, Forgiveness plus patience is the formula.

 

You may find that things come together more easily in the evening, especially late evening when Mercury conjoins Venus.  This conjunction is ideal for socializing, conversation, artistic or literary endeavours, or negotiations.  Your communications will have an artistic flair, so it’s a good time to get creative.  You might even find that the struggles of earlier in the day have added grist to the mill, or lessons which enhance your evening activities or performance.

Tuesday (27th) brings a Full Moon at 7 degrees Scorpio, during the early hours.  You may feel the emotional tension building up the night before.  This is the most emotionally intense Full Moon of the year, and it is a Supermoon which may magnify that.  Something which came up in conversation the night before could set you on a profound journey.  You will need to be in touch with your deepest emotions and be constructively authentic.  There may be a focus on shared finances and an attempt to balance material resources and needs between two people.  With the Moon opposite the Sun in Taurus, values and shared values may be the current issue on your mind.

In the evening, just as you may laying such issues to rest, Pluto goes Stationary, prior to turning Retrograde.  This may give you a fresh set of preoccupations, or remind you of earlier ones.  You may recognize a psychological theme where you have been making headway, but now need to revise your steps, perhaps look further into the past.  If you’ve been knitting, you may need to unravel a few rows, for instance.  Eventually, you will recoup your ground and be stronger, richer and truer for it.

Friday (30th) looks more promising, with a sextile and a conjunction.  First, Mercury sextiles Neptune: Sensitivity towards others, and spiritual awareness, inform our minds easily, making delicate conversations and channelling easier.  You can receive inspiration, especially for writing and communication.  This occurs in the early hours of the morning, so again may influence your dream and dream guidance.  You may feel that you communicate with other dimensions on other planes.

Then in the evening the Sun conjoins with Uranus.  Expect the unexpected, in other words!  It is a good day to demonstrate your originality and inventiveness, and in your leisure time begin a project which is highly creative or benefits society.  You may decide to join a group activity along those lines.  If you are feeling more contemplative in mood, new ideas can flash into your consciousness during meditation.  The evening’s television or film viewing (Netflix or whatever) could provide heightened interest.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – deflation then equilibrium
• Tuesday – emotional high tide; psychological reviewing
• Friday – mental inspiration; creative invention

Shirley Williams (1930 – 2021)

a “Liberal lion and a true trailblazer” –

~ Ed Davey

Shirley Williams, who died at the age of 90 this week on Monday 12th April, was a member of that rare breed: a popular politician.  She became an M.P. in 1964 when to be a female M.P. was also part of a rare breed.  During the course of her career, she belonged to three different parties: Labour, SDP and Lib Dems.  In her most recent years, she led the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords.

Re-Post 

I wrote in 2015:

” National treasure Shirley Williams struggled to express the fine party line on Question Time this week.  Coming close to the election, she was trying to uphold the achievements of the coalition while re-defining the individual goals of her party.

Shirley has Pluto on the Ascendant, hence she changed her political afflilations a few times in her life, but never in a shallow way, always in a deeply considered fashion.

The mother figure is important in her chart, with a dominant Moon in Leo and a Cancerian Ascendant.  Her mother Vera Brittain wrote, and lived, the wonderful “Testament of Youth” account of a woman’s life in the 1^st World War, which was subsequently made into a TV series and now a film.  Vera had the extremely challenging conjunction of Pluto and Neptune, one which many of her generation will have had.  She had no personal aspects to her Sun (except perhaps her Moon, if her birth time were known), and this comes out in her life and work as a deeply held sense of service, or surrender to the needs of her time.  Loyalty was also a theme, with Venus closely trine Saturn.

So Shirley had a rich heritage, and in her later years has married an American academic.  Shirley also has no aspects to her natal Sun, and a strong social conscience and sense of service.  She has a brilliant mind (Mercury exactly trine Uranus) but is hampered by an exact opposition between Jupiter and Saturn, which means she is sometimes hamstrung in decision making.  Her only cabinet post, as an Education minister under Labour, much earlier in her career, did not live up to her potential and promise.  And yet she was born to put herself into a meaningful relationship with society, with Pluto closely trine her Midheaven, and Chiron exactly sextile her Midheaven: she aches to make a difference.”

I would add

Shirley was a lioness, astrologically, being born under the Sun sign of Leo.  Lib Dem leader Ed Davey also picked out another Leo quality in his eulogy, that of “generosity”.  She had the chart of a potential leader, but for various reasons held back from that role in her life.  One possible astrological reason may have been that her natal Sun was unaspected except for squaring the Nodal Axis, so it may not have been part of her destiny to take the top job(s), although her ambition when young was to become Prime Minister.  David Steel spoke this week about her reluctance to take pole position in the new parties.  Maybe she did not reach her full potential, hung back a bit on it, or diversified into social causes and academia etc. instead of leadership.  She was not a very effective Education Minister, and this perhaps knocked her self-confidence, although there were wider reasons in the educational policy of the Callaghan government which contributed to that.  Polly Toynbee observed in the Guardian: “She never burned with the ambition that caused the bitter rivalry between Jenkins and David Owen…But some inner reticence held her back…That lack of cut-throat ambition may be why people warmed to her.”

Perhaps a clue is to be find in the description in the Guardian Obituary by Julia Langdon:

“In July 1981 Williams refused an invitation to fight as the SDP candidate in a byelection at Warrington, Cheshire.  Later she wrote: ‘I did not dither.  I quailed.’  She recognized her error swiftly and stood successfully in Crosby a few months later, but as she acknowledged: ‘My reputation for boldness, acquired in the long fight within the Labour party, never wholly recovered.’ ”

Her 2nd House of money and materiality contained the Moon (also in Leo), Neptune and Venus, so she would have had very idealistic views on the subject, and was initially a socialist.  With such a preponderance of Leo in her chart (Sun/Part of Fortune, Mercury and Moon) she considered an acting career, and auditioned for the part in the film National Velvet which was taken by Elizabeth Taylor.  The North Node in  Aries in 10th House, meant that her self-fulfilment and karmic mission lay in Politics.  She appeared on Question Time 58 times: with Mars in Gemini, she liked verbal gymnastics!

Life and Career

Shirley’s father George Caitlin was an English political scientist and philosopher, and her mother was Vera Brittain, whose book “Testament of Youth” was a moving portrayal of love and loss during the First World War.  Her mother was also a pioneering feminist and pacifist.  Shirley spent some time in Minnesota during her youth.  She was educated at Oxford (reading Philosophy, Politics and Economics), and took up journalism upon graduating.  She joined the Labour party at the age of 17, and became an M.P. in 1964, serving in the Labour cabinet from 1974 to 1979.  She lost her seat in 1979, and in 1981 was a prime mover in the “Gang of Four” who formed the breakaway Social Democratic Party.  Where does the Rebel Archetype show up in her chart?  Uranus is right at the top of the chart, exactly trine her Mercury.  So her rebelliousness is very much tied up with her intellect.

The SDP was an experiment which did not measure up to its early promise, and she was later instrumental in supporting the merger of the SDP with the Liberal Party in 1988, amalgamating to form the Lib Dems.  After 1988 she moved her focus to academia, becoming a professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.  While there, she helped draft constitutions around the world.  In 1993 she was elevated to the House of Lords.  She was passionate about our participation in Europe, and Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament, among other causes.  She said in 1972:

“I am not as much a passionate European, as I am a passionate internationalist, with a deep sense of the special and unique nature of Britain.  I see staying in Europe as being part of the price of living with reality.”

Marriages

Her first marriage was to the prominent philosopher Bernard Williams, who she met in America, and married in 1955.  They have a daughter Rebecca.  Shirley said of that relationship:

“… [T]here was something of a strain that comes from two things. One is that we were both too caught up in what we were respectively doing — we didn’t spend all that much time together; the other, to be completely honest, is that I’m fairly unjudgemental and I found Bernard’s capacity for pretty sharp putting-down of people he thought were stupid unacceptable.”

Interestingly, Bernard Williams has in his chart the conjunction of Mercury and Mars, which is the Critic Archetype, useful though for a philosopher.  But in their synastry his Mars was square to her Pluto, which is quite a conflicting interaspect.  The marriage ended in 1974.  She found love again with a Harvard professor and historian, Richard Neustadt.

Maybe she had her reasons for staying out of the top echelons of her profession.  My guess is that she was too nice!

“Political life will be poorer without her intellect, her wisdom and her generosity”

~  Ed Davey

Aspects

This week we have 3 ingresses (energy changes) and 3 conjunctions (intensity).

Tomorrow (Monday 19th) the Sun will be conjunct Mercury at 29 degrees Aries, a final focus of Aries energy.  It is a good day generally to apply your mind with clarity,  concentrate and focus,  and make important statements.  The focus may be on your own growth and potential and physical wellbeing.

Mercury enters Taurus on the same day, and the quality of the mental energy may become steadier and calmer than the fieriness of the last two weeks or so when Mercury has been in Aries.  This placing is better for negotiation, which is something much needed at the moment.  Practical ideas will be the order of the day.  Mercury enters Gemini on 4th May, so this is a short window,  just before local elections take place.

Later in the day the Sun enters Taurus, a time of the blossoming of the earth.  Gardeners will garden, artists will paint or sculpt, and dancers will dance.  So it is very much a cuspal and switchover day, concentrating on Aries energy, saying farewell to that initial Spring energy, and settling down and embedding into a productive Taurean period.

Fast forward then to Friday (23rd), when we have a conjunction between Venus and Uranus at 10 degrees Taurus.  This conjunction may pep up your social life.  It is time to advantage of the new freedoms, see who’s in town, and seek out new experiences.  Innovations can be made in Taurean activities such as gardening, financial arrangements, art and music.  This conjunction occurs very early in the morning, so may bring you unusual dreams.

In the late morning, Mars enters Cancer, which represents an energetic shift from a mental and analytical mode, to that of feeling and protectiveness.  Mars stays in Cancer until 11th June, so it is a good time to nurture those you love and foster family feeling.

The last feature of the week comes on Saturday (24th) when Mercury conjoins Uranus at 10 degrees Taurus, the same degree as the previous day’s conjunction between Venus and Uranus, so there may be some continuation in its themes.  Mentally it could be off the wall.  You’ll be thinking inventively and out of the box.  There may be some interesting synchronicities happening.  Welcome the power of surprise!  If you had some interesting conversations or encounters the day before, there could be a continuation of those.  If your creativity was soaring, you may introduce an additional intellectual element to your productions.

The week in bullet points:

• Tomorrow – initially mentally sparkling; then settling into a stabler and more productive groove
• Friday – sparkling social life; then emotional intensity
• Saturday – mentally sparkling but with a different focus from Monday

Prince Philip (1921 – 2021)

It is sad to think of the Queen without her consort of 70 years.  Prince Philip was in his own right a larger than life character, and these last two days his death at the age of 99 has dominated our screens and newspapers.  He has been praised, not least by Queen Elizabeth herself, for being a rock by her side for her all these years.  I will keep it brief this morning so that you can digest all the newsfeed!

Repost from 2012:

“There are a couple of breathtaking features in common between the Duke of Edinburgh’s chart and his wife’s binding them despite being opposites in many ways.  He has the Sun in Gemini, and so all that he processes is through his intellect and the mental plane.  He is known for his witty, acerbic comments, which sometimes hit the mark (Sagittarius Archer ascending) and sometimes emerge as gaffes (Sagittarius rising again).  Sagittarius is very different from Elizabeth’s Capricorn rising.  But he knows his own mind (Moon closely sextile to the Sun), and he undoubtedly came into this world to play a specific role.  One of his main roles is as a spiritual bodyguard to the Queen.  He has a warrior’s chart (Sun conjunct Mars trine his North Node) and karmic mission.  Mars conjunct the Sun in Gemini indicate a more verbal than physical style of warriorship.  The stunning similarities with the Queen’s chart are his Moon in Leo (born to rule) and his Saturn exactly conjunct the Midheaven just as she has (defining his Career Path as one of duty and discipline, and showing just how close his path has been to hers).”

I would add

Philip was born in Greece, of royal stock from the Danish and Greek royal families.  He met our future Queen early in life,  when he was about 13 and she was 7, and they began to correspond when she was 13.  They must have had an early inkling that they were destined for each other.  He had a difficult childhood: his father left and his mother Alice was diagnosed schizophrenic.  She had become deeply religious and converted to the Greek Orthodox Church. Then she claimed she was communicating with the divine and possessed healing powers.  After a spell in an asylum, she began good works, such as helping Holocaust victims.  Philip was separated from both his parents and attended the harsh regime of Gordonstoun School in Scotland.  This separation from the parents and specifically the mother is reflected in a virtual absence of aspects in his birthchart to his Moon (the mother and parentage).  He did however, have the Moon closely sextile the Sun, meaning that he knew his own mind.

He married Elizabeth on 20th November 1947, with Uranus trine his natal Node (an unusual new aspect of his destiny).  Neptune was sextile Elizabeth’s natal Moon, ensuring a spiritual foundation for their marriage.  They were both deeply religious.  In their synastry, her Venus is trine his Mercury, so with their ruling planets in sync theirs was a marriage of happy companionship.

The death of King George VI in 1952 sealed their fate: she was to take over the throne, and he was to be her rock in this lifetime assignment.  His transits were very telling: Mars was trine his natal Pluto in  Cancer in his natal 8th House (courage required going forward),  Jupiter was trine his natal Neptune in Leo in 9th House (a sacred entrustment),  Uranus was sextile his natal Jupiter (an opportunity) and Pluto was on his natal Moon in Leo in his 9th House (a huge task for his wife).

Death

For him, the transits point to the right time for him to leave, especially with Jupiter trine his North Node (a lifetime’s karmic service successfully achieved).  The loneliness of the Queen at this point also shows in her chart: Saturn exactly opposite her natal Moon in Leo in 7th House (loss of the partner and emotional focus) and Nodal Axis square exactly her natal Venus in Pisces in 2nd House.  Sophie, Countess of Wessex, remarked yesterday after visiting, that “the Queen has been amazing!”  There is no doubt that the Duke of Edinburgh played the role assigned to him in life with the greatest of skill, leaving us with many moments of laughter and surprise.

Aspects

In the early hours of tomorrow morning (Monday 12th) we have a New Moon at 22 degrees Aries.  The New Moon in Aries is the new of the new!  It is the first New Moon of the Astrological year, in the first sign of the Zodiac.  So it means the brightest of new beginnings.  Look to the future, unhampered by the past.  Coincidentally (?) it is a new beginning in the U.K. as it signals the easing of some restrictions, e.g. hairdressers and non-essential shops opening.  Set your intentions, wishes, creative visualizations and affirmations accordingly.  I shall venture forth to the hairdresser’s to make an appointment, after a year and a half of wild hair growing…

Very soon after the New Moon, also in the early hours, Venus squares Pluto.  This may impact on your New Moon experience, e.g. urging you to purge the old to make way for the new.  Venus rules relationships and Pluto represents the force of transformation or deep soul searching, and both planets rule money, so all these factors may be on your mind and vying for attention, in some cases conflicting.  For example, should I spend my money on a material desire or on a loved one?  The pulling apart may be even deeper and the dilemma wider, especially if the problem is a lack of money itself, or a lack of love.  Upping the love (Venus) quotient will always help, though, in a decision, against fear (Pluto), however difficult the circumstances.

Things may seem more straightforward on Tuesday (13th), at least at the very end of the day, when the Sun will be sextile Mars.  You may feel you can get things moving again, if they had stalled.  The energy and fuel is in supply, and the will is there.  This aspect favours the masculine elements of life, e.g. men, cars and dogs.  There may also be an aspect of competitiveness about it.

On Wednesday (14th) the feminine principle holds sway, with Venus entering her own sign of Taurus.  This gives a feeling of “all’s right with the world”.  Gardens flourish, money grows, arts are created, music is expressed, and there are sighs of satisfaction.  Venus is here until 9th May.

A splendid boost to fortunes occurs on Thursday (15th) when the Sun sextiles Jupiter, which is one of the brightest aspects of the year.  Time to embrace hope, or even celebration.  It will certainly be lucky for some.  Focus on what makes you happy, and make more of that.

As with Monday, it is later counterbalanced by another aspect, and this is the Sun square Pluto at lunchtime.  That brings up the darkness for healing with the light.  This is another deep soul searching aspect.  It is the sort of day which can be looked upon as a gamechanger, or watershed.  So if you are in integrity, you may be able to influence what side the coin lands on.

With four aspects on Saturday (17th) you will need a time schedule:

5.14 a.m. Mars trines Jupiter – a high note!.  This is a go ahead, spirited aspect which makes us feel we can achieve anything.  Enthusiasm and energy abound, and you may spring out of bed early full of the joys of the season. 

4. p.m. Mercury sextile Jupiter – another high note! Some good news may be possible. This aspect favours communication, sales and travel.  Some worries about business may be alleviated.  Higher learning is also a benefit – This may be helpful to further education students awaiting their fate academically and in relation to the alleviation of covid restrictions.  It’s a good time to practice any new language skills, though you may not be able to employ them for a while yet.  Prince Philip had this aspect natally, which showed his great sense of humour.

7.09 p.m. Mercury sextile Mars – so far so good… this combination can also spark wit!  Some of your most enduring jokes could stem from today…So sharpen your pen, and if appropriate, loosen your tongue!  Physical and mental energies can co-ordinate.  If you are cycling a great deal to keep fit in these challenging times, you may find the wind behind your sails.  You may be able to cycle just that bit faster or longer, and your fitbit may register record stats.  You may also find shortcuts to your usual way of doing things.  My own exercise of choice at the moment is running, so I anticipate upping my running speed and cutting my running time (picture an appropriate emoji).

9.49 p.m.  Mercury square Pluto – Here comes the rub – did you overdo things today?  With the lovely trine and sextiles did you also remember to remain balanced and listen to your guidance, if not your body?   It is difficult sometimes, when you are on a roll, to know when or how to stop, but stop  you must, at least before 9.49 pm (in the U.K.) and take stock.   You may encounter awkward communications or travel.  Some ‘me space’ could enable the depth of thought you need to see things clearly, and put your priorities in order.  There could be some slight mental strain, e.g. some issues you have been able to put to the back of your mind during the day, but start to impinge.  A spot of evening meditation could help get things into perspective. 

The week in bullet points:

• Monday – new beginnings; heart and soul searching
• Tuesday – active
• Wednesday – pampering
• Thursday – early luck; later challenge
• Saturday – mainly super; later need to take stock

Police

The Police have been at the forefront of news lately; two policemen have been charged with crimes (one being a Met police officer for the murder of Sarah Everard).  The conduct of the Police has been called into question, in the context of their behaviour towards rioters. 

Astrologically, the Police are represented by the planet Pluto.  Capricorn represents public institutions, such as the police force.  Pluto is now nearing the end of its long stay in Capricorn, which highlights the tearing down of institutions, for the purposes of reform.  Our Police force have been accused of being institutionally racist, at least since the murder of Stephen Lawrence.  But this week the government issued a report (by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities) denying institutional racism in the U.K., even though the Black Lives Matter movement and the Windrush Scandal have exposed the issues and our inadequacies as a society in these matters.  It is clear that more black men and women are arrested or detained or “stopped and searched” than their white counterparts.  Astrologically, it looks like the death throes of Pluto in Capricorn, but we ought by now to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  When Pluto enters Aquarius in March 2023 (it moves very slowly – it entered Capricorn in January 2008) we should see a shift in these issues, and a totally different view.

The Met

The Metropolitan Police is one institution we can examine astrologically.  It was founded by Robert Peel on 29th September 1829.  The chart shows that deliberate and prompt action (Mercury conjunct Mars and sextile Saturn) is a strong feature, but curiously with Chiron exactly conjunct the North Node in Taurus, there is a healing function too.  The Sun in the chart is in Libra, emphasizing a peacekeeping role.  Of course, the “bobbies on the beat” of the time painted a very different picture from today’s outlook, and we have many different crimes these days.  The Met Police chart is shaken up at the moment, with Chiron on its Uranus, demanding change and healing, highlighted through crisis.

Robert Peel

Robert Peel himself was an Aquarian (reformer), with Pluto (the police planet) exactly conjunct his natal Sun, so founding the Met was an important part of his self-expression and life purpose.  It is worthwhile to note that Sir Keir Starmer, now Labour Leader, was the head of the C.P.S. as Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013, and also has Sun exactly conjunct Pluto.  Robert Peel also had Jupiter exactly trine his Pluto, an asset in handling power correctly and fulfilling the Pluto principle well.  On the day he founded the Metropolitan Police, Jupiter was exactly trine his natal Sun/Pluto (a marked success in  instituting power).  He also had a Jupiter Return, enhancing the effect.

Cressida Dick

There have been calls lately for the current Commisioner of Police of the Metropolis Cressida Dick to resign over various perceived mismanagements, most recently the handling of the vigils over Sarah Everard’s death.  She is the first woman to hold the post.  In her chart, she has a close opposition between Mars and Saturn, so is capable of being tough in this post which would assume toughness!  Saturn trine Pluto in her chart is another sign of great strength, also a requirement.  Saturn exactly trine her natal North Node assumes a karmic mission of seriousness and discipline.  She took up the post on 17th April 2017, with transiting Mars squaring her Chiron (stressful, not healing), Saturn on her Jupiter (a limiting and disciplined event in her life), Saturn sextile her natal Chiron (requiring discipline for healing), Uranus trine her natal Uranus (a surprise), Neptune sextile her natal Saturn (complex discipline required), and Neptune on her South Node (a result of complex past karma).  In her position, she has had to contend with lack of funding by the government, who have refused to increase pay for the police, as with the NHS.  She claims that low recruitment can be laid at the door of the glamourization of violence and social media.  As a result, we see fewer and fewer policemen “on the beat”.

Priti Patel

As Home Secretary, Priti Patel has been embroiled in some of the controversies since her appointment by Boris Johnson in the summer of 2019.  She settled out of court on a bullying charge against her. I previously wrote about her (when she was forced to resign under Theresa May):

“Priti Patel is an individualistic, uncompromising Aries, who was the poster girl for the Brexit campaign.  With 6 Cardinal planets, she likes to lead, but with 0 Water planets she can be unemotional.  She is a gambler by nature (Sun square Jupiter…An interesting feature of her chart is Mercury exactly conjunct Chiron in Aries: a mind suited to problem-solving, but unusual in its processes…Her chart has many aspects, and her Mercury also has a square to Jupiter (likes to travel) and an opposition with Uranus (not afraid to be controversial).”

She has defended the actions of the police, notably during the vigil of Sarah Everard.  At one point, it looked like a George Floyd incident was narrowly averted.  Patel called for a report in the matter, but the findings were that the police “reacted appropriately and were not heavy handed” because Covid social distancing had to be observed.

Sadiq Khan

As London Mayor since 2016, Sadiq Khan has had some tough issues to face, and in his chart his Sun in Libra and natal Mars conjunct Pluto trine Saturn in Virgo have been helpful for dealing with them with restraint and fairness.  I think he has shown strong and humane leadership.

Roll on Pluto in Aquarius, for we need to be able to tackle the ills of society with fairness and firm restraint, and weed out police brutality where it may exist.  Other elements of society need to play their part, such as the tackling of violence in film which feeds and fuels the collective unconscious.  An alternative cultural diet needs to be found.

Aspects

In the early hours of this morning Mercury entered Aries.  Plain speaking replaces the flowery language of Mercury in Pisces.  Mercury travels fast through Aries this month, so there is only a short window of this fast-track vibe: we have until 19th April (i.e. just over a fortnight), which is very unusual.  Mercury in Aries favours mental work which is unemotional and without frippery, such as accountancy and tax returns.  You will need to get to the point much more directly in your communications, and there is more sense of urgency about paperwork.

Venus will be sextile with Mars on Tuesday (6th), an aspect given over to pleasure and  indulgence, and maybe romance is also on the cards.  You could feel skittish like a newborn lamb or flirtatious as a Bridgerton script.  It is not quite time for socializing in hospitality venues, otherwise a cream cake and coffee in a cafe would be in order.  But some picnic delicacies in the park may suffice… In addition, art will have vigour, and movement will have artistry or elegance under this influence. 

Midweek is quiet, aspectwise, so hold that elegant movement or posture through till Friday (9th) when a new flurry of aspects begins.  Mercury conjunct Chiron at 9 degrees Aries is the first aspect to arrive that day, which can produce minor healing crises, but can also pave the way for problem-solving.   One area which is especially suited to this conjunction in Aries is finance and economy.  Chancellor Rishi Sunak may have an important announcement.

Towards evening, Mars squares Neptune and clumsiness or confusion may reign, so take extra time for activities and for thinking things through, for a smoother ride. Meditation and activities which combine meditation and movement, can be helpful for centring.

Late in the day, Saturn trines the North Node, and events may align more constructively with karma.  Negotiations and compromises may have been made, commitments and responsibilities recognized and honoured.

Saturday (10th) is the best day aspect-wise, with no less than three sextiles, so it could be a Super Saturday for socializing and getting out and about in parks in socially distanced sets of six people…The first sextile is Mercury sextile the North Node, setting up the productive element of the day: the karmic wind will be beneath your wings.  Communication will be highly significant and imbued with meaning, though subject to differing interpretations according to belief.

In the early afternoon, we have a constructive and practical sextile between Mercury and Saturn, which is ideal for planning.   This favours exacting mental work and documentation.

If that all sounds very dry, the Universe has saved the best till last: at tea time Venus sextiles Jupiter, one of the highlights in a year, conducive to socializing, celebrating partying, and romancing.  This sextile combines luck and love.  Enjoy!

The week in bullet points:

• Today – direct communications
• Tuesday – pleasure and indulgence
• Friday – problem solving; clumsiness; stabilization
• Saturday – karmic uplift; deft planning; super socializing

 

Kate Garraway and Derek Draper

“I pray for him every night, in my prayers”

~ Sir Elton John

This week television schedules featured a documentary “Finding Derek” about Kate Garraway and her husband Derek Draper, who faced an induced coma this time last year from Covid-19, and is on a very long road to recovery.  Kate comes over as remarkably courageous, and their relationship remarkably strong.  Doctors have said he was the sickest survivor of Covid they had come across.  He did not open his eyes until July 2020, and his cognitive functions have been seriously impaired.

Kate Garraway

Kate’s birth chart shows 6 Earth planets (very grounded), 0 Air planets (instinctual), and 6 Fixed (very strong willed) planets.  With the Sun and Mercury in Taurus trine Pluto, she is a deep thinker.  Having Mercury conjunct Mars and trine Uranus makes her quick thinking, which is very useful in live broadcasting.  Mercury closely square Jupiter would have inclined her towards Journalism, which she trained in.  Venus trine Jupiter radiates a lovely sociable vibe.  She has energy allied with enthusiasm in the shape of Mars square Jupiter, in common with her husband Derek.  Then she has a raft of other aspects in common with him (they were born in consecutive years, but this is unusual):  Jupiter trine Saturn (balance), Jupiter square Neptune (some religious uncertainties), Uranus sextile Neptune (the ability to deal with complexity), Uranus conjunct Pluto (zaniness), and Uranus opposite Chiron (some tensions).  Kate in addition has Mars trine Pluto (a powerhouse of energy).

Kate has been a TV presenter since the early 2000s.  She took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2009, coming 8th.   She also took part in I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here at the end of 2019, just before the pandemic: she was a popular contestant, and came 4th in that contest.  She married Derek Draper in 2005, and they have two children, Darcey and Billy.

Derek Draper

Like Kate, Derek is also high in Fixed signs (5) and has 0 Air signs, but whereas Kate is high in Earth, Derek is high in Fire (5 planets).  Derek has the Sun in Leo, loosely square his Mars (adding to his fieriness).  He has Sun exactly square Neptune in his natal chart, and his career has been surrounded by intrigue.  His Moon is involved in a difficult T-square with Chiron and Uranus/Pluto.  He can be a stern taskmaster, with Mercury square closely Mars (the Critic) and Mercury exactly trine Saturn (exacting).  His career in “spin” on behalf of Peter Mandelson and the Labour Party is seen by a mentally high spirited conjunction between Mercury and Jupiter.  His second career as a Psychologist (he took time out in America to train as a Psychotherapist), after he walked away from a couple of high profile scandals in the political arena, is shown by Venus conjunct Pluto in Virgo (psychoanalysis).

Synastry

In their synastry, his Mars opposite her Sun (they bring warmth to each other’s lives), his Jupiter trines her North Node (a successful karmic partnership) and their Uranuses, Neptunes and Plutos are all conjunct (they are born in consecutive years).

Coronavirus

Derek was admitted to hospital suffering Covid symptoms on 30th March 2020.  At the time, Saturn was square his Nodal Axis (harsh karma or fate) and Neptune was close to opposing his natal Pluto (a chaotic time).  By the time he was put into a coma on a ventilator on 5th April 2020 Saturn was still square his Nodal Axis, and Neptune opposed Pluto exact to the day (representing a slipping into oblivion).  Kate had some constructive transits keeping her strong, but she also had Saturn square her natal Venus (symbolic of loss in a relationship) and Neptune also opposing her natal Pluto (her life plunged into chaos).

The Documentary

Derek remains in hospital, over a year on.  He suffered multiple organ failure, and it is amazing that he lived. In the documentary, Kate is seen preparing the house, with the help of builders, for his return, entailing wheelchair ramps and a downstairs bedroom with a hospital bed.  She is shown interacting with the children, and wisely and bravely explaining to them the realities of their situation.  Above all, her love and commitment shine through.  If you haven’t watched it, I would recommend it, as it has implications for society’s recovery from this pandemic, how it can change lives, and touches on the extensive phenomenon of long covid, of which Derek’s is a very extreme case.  Kate will be releasing a new book “The Power of Hope” on 28th April 2021.

“Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds”

~ Gaby Hinsliff, quoting Shakespeare (Sonnet 116), in the Guardian 27th March 2021.

Aspects

There’s a conjunction between Venus and Chiron today at 8 degrees Aries.  This can warm the cockles of the heart, while as the same acknowledging wounds.  So it is very poignant, and some of the greatest writers of love songs have it in their natal charts!  Notable examples are Adele, Christine McVie and Joan Armatrading.  So if you’re feeling it, write a poem or a song.  Forgiveness and healing are positive manifestations of this conjunction (“I wish nothing but the best for you… ♪♪” ~ Adele).

A Full Moon follows this evening, at 8 degrees Libra, so you may experience some emotional tension until it peaks.  The Libra Full Moon entails a balance between the needs of two people in partnership, and hopefully works towards harmony.  This is the most equable of the 12 Full Moons of the year.

On Tuesday (30th) we have another conjunction, that of Mercury and Neptune, at 21 degrees Pisces.  It’s not conducive to exacting and detailed mental work and documentation, but it can favour dreams, mystical states and spirituality.  They in turn can affect creativity, art and music in an inspired way.  If you are feeling below par, you may experience added confusion or brain fog, so it is best to plan your diary accordingly.  As it occurs in the early hours of the morning, it may literally affect your dream life and guidance.  Write your impressions as soon as you wake up.

The afternoon brings a sober but constructive sextile between Venus and Saturn.  If you were a bit foggy in the morning, the mist may clear a little and you may know where you are going, especially in terms of relationship, or art.  In the realm of human relations, it is about steadiness and loyalty: reaffirming commitment.

This trend is consolidated on Wednesday evening (31st) with this time the Sun sextile Saturn.  Practical initiatives and the laying of foundations thrive under this sextile.  Creativity is firmed up, and decision making may be easier.  If you made gains on Tuesday, you can back them up and invest them with more power on Wednesday.

And there is another sextile on Friday (2nd April): that of Mercury with Pluto.  Mercury in harmony with Pluto in this way can produce profound thought and communication,  honouring the gravity of a situation if necessary, and enabling meaningful debate to occur.  This tone can be set early in the day.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – poignant but possibly also beautiful; emotional tension
• Tuesday – dreams and spirituality; human loyalties
• Wednesday – practical initiatives and plans
• Friday – profound thought and communication

 

Roman Kemp

28-year old Roman Kemp has just made a documentary about mental health.  I usually try to vary my blogs, but it is looking like Mental Health month here now…first Meghan Markle, then Caroline Flack, and now Roman.  He was driven to make this programme “Our Silent Emergency”, which aired last week, by the death (by suicide) of his buddy Joe Lyons.  There is concern that particularly young males are vulnerable to suicidal thoughts and feelings, and of course a year’s worth of lockdowns has exacerbated all mental health issues.  Roman has himself suffered depression, and talks in the film about how he was able to talk to his mother Shirlie to some extent about his feelings, but wants to encourage young men to open up more.  In the documentary, he explored what can be done to help, and also the effect on those left behind when there is a suicide.

I will keep this blog short…firstly, there is not much to go on, because Joe’s birth date isn’t recorded online (though I have a possible date), and secondly because I wrote a blog about the Kemp family (Martin, Shirlie, Roman plus Gary) in 2019.

I wrote in 2019:

“Roman Kemp is the younger of their [Martin and Shirlie’s] two children, and is currently appearing in I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.  He normally works as a radio presenter.  So far in the Jungle he has revealed that it was his Nan’s suggestion that Gary bring Martin into the band Spandau Ballet, and that he has seen a UFO.  He describes his father as his best friend.   Martin’s Sun is conjunct Roman’s Jupiter, which suggests a shared sense of humour.  They have a karmic link, in Martin’s Ascendant sextile Roman’s North Node.  George Michael was Roman’s godfather.”

Of his recent claim to have suffered depression, one would look mainly at the planets Saturn, Pluto and Neptune in a birth chart.  He has Sun and Mercury trine Jupiter, plus Mars square Jupiter in his chart, which are quite upbeat.  He admits that their work together (Joe as a radio producer) was to produce laughter.  Where he might experience depression is in his conjunction of Mercury with Saturn, a propensity to overthink things perhaps or to look on the bleak side at times.  Neptune squares his natal Jupiter, meaning that he can get confused about existential beliefs regarding religion and spirituality.  And Saturn square Pluto is a difficult square when facing the realities of life.

The two working colleagues were very close, and Roman could not believe he did not spot how much Joe was hurting.  His death hit Roman very hard, and has resulted in galvanizing Roman into making this programme.  His shock at Joe’s death (the news of which came while Roman was on air) shows the following transits for Roman:

Mars sextile Roman’s Saturn (some harsh news); Mars square his natal Uranus (a sudden shock); Mars square his Neptune (great sensitivity); Mars trine his North Node (a karmic event involving a fellow warrior in life); Jupiter on his Uranus/Neptune (more surprise and sensitivity, though not of the right kind); and Uranus sextile his natal Mars (more surprise and shock).

Joe Lyons

Joe was a talented young radio producer, aged 31 when he departed.  Although his birth date is not recorded, I found a tweet for May 24th 2020 in which he mentions sharing a birthday on that day with someone.  So I have looked at that as a possible chart for his birth.

If accurate, Joe would have had Mercury square Saturn, which can sometimes result in depression,  Moon square Neptune, which is very imaginative, and Mars conjunct Chiron which can hold some wounding.  In his bond with Roman he would have had a brotherly sextile between his Mercury and Roman’s Mars, and a laughter filled opposition between his Jupiter and Roman’s Sun.  His pressures at the time he took his life would have included Pluto opposing his natal Chiron.  However, bear in mind that may not be his birthchart at all.

You probably know of a similar tragic case.  Back in the 1970s, I worked for two years in a Psychiatric Unit.  In the early ’80s, a Senior Charge Nurse from that Unit took his own life.  That event affected me deeply, and I began to feel that some young men were extremely vulnerable…perhaps they did not have the emotional resources, or the faith in life, or ability to reach out.  I took the decision to stop doing astrological readings for this group for a while, a few years in fact.  Eventually I reached a place where I felt it was more useful to do the charts than not.

Roman’s programme has been well-received.  Talking about his conclusions in an interview, Roman said that it was important not to take for granted that people were O.K.; people around them should always encourage them to talk about their feelings.

Samaritans:

https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/

Aspects

Venus enters Aries this afternoon, joining the Sun in the early degrees of that sign.  For many, that will be a signal to go forth boldly.  Venus types may feel that they are being pushed to a faster pace of life than they are comfortable with.  There is a warmer and more demonstrative feel about Venus while she is in Aries, but hugs are still not allowed in the present climate.  Venus stays in Aries until 14th April.

Late tonight, Mercury will be sextile with Uranus, giving rise to spectacular and unusual communications.  This encourages us to use all the new technology for our communications, and brings new ideas, heightening intuition and telepathy.   This aspect can amaze you and help you find that “wow” factor.  Occurring so close to bedtime in the U.K., the flashing forth of new ideas may keep you awake in the early hours!

Tomorrow (Monday 22nd) Mars trines Saturn, which favours practical action, and works that are deliberately planned and executed.  Hard work can pay off.  So far, so good!

A trickier aspect occurs on Wednesday (24th) when Mars squares Mercury.  If you’ve been sailing along on a bright new health and fitness regime, be careful not to overdo things as you may be slightly incident-prone, partly through carelessness or complacency.  Another possible hazard of this square is argumentativeness and verbal conflict.

Mercury squares the Nodal Axis on Thursday (25th): this brings in a karmic theme including karmic information, and the need to attend to detail in your work and communications.  A time of karmic recalibration, especially in relation to groups.  A phrase we are hearing a lot is “After this is all over…”  It is time to make a list!  And put into practice what we can do now.

Friday (26th) puts the spotlight on those twinned influences, Venus and Mars.  First up, a conjunction between the Sun and Venus at 6 degrees Aries.  If you are an artist or a musician, it is the day you can produce your best creative output or performance.  If neither, then love or money may be beneficiaries of this combination.

Then Mars conjoins the North Node at 13 degrees Gemini.  This brings to the fore warrior karma, e.g. standing up for your rights.  Street protests may be in the news, for instance.  With Mars conjunct the North Node, we see the karmic results of our actions straight away, giving us the wisdom of knowing, instant-karma style, whether or not we are doing things the right way.  With the Sun in Aries, directness and impulsiveness are currently in the air anyway, but it’s a good time to practise conscious interaction with integrity.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – warm feelings; intelligent ideas
• Tomorrow – practical action
• Wednesday – incident-prone
• Thursday – karmic information
• Friday – arty crafty; honing the inner warrior

Caroline Flack (1979 – 2020)

We started the week with a mental health issue (Meghan Markle) and at the end of the week we were reminded of the death by suicide a year ago of Caroline Flack, who was also hounded by the press.  On Wednesday evening there will be a screening of a television programme about her, a film made by her mother and sister, featuring friends and family and their recollections of her, among them Olly Murs and Dermot O’Leary.  I did not write an obituary for Caroline last year, so here is my tribute.

Birth Chart

Caroline was an intensely feeling Scorpio, with the Sun/Uranus, Venus/Mercury  and the I.C. in the 3rd House of Broadcasting and Presenting.  She was undoubtedly multi-talented in her field.  In her chart, her Sun was exactly trine her Moon, the conscious and subconscious mind in sync, so she knew what she wanted in life.  The Sun/Uranus conjunction indicated a real individual, but in opposing Chiron there was a wound to address, perhaps in how she saw herself.  The Moon in Cancer, another Water sign, would make her very emotional, and in addition the Moon was square Pluto, adding increased depth to that emotion, and re-emphasizing her Scorpio traits.

Mercury in Sagittarius gave a wide-ranging mind and restlessness, which was re-emphasized by a close square with Jupiter.  No wonder she found success on a geographically far-flung location, Love Island.  Mars square Uranus gave her energy an electric quality, but could make her impatient and explosive at times.  This was tempered by Mars trine Neptune, a gentler side to her energy.

There was also quite a strongly Virgoan side to her, with the North Node conjunct Jupiter in Virgo in the 12th House, Ascendant in Virgo, and Saturn in the 1st House in Virgo, so in some ways she was a perfectionist, and possibly also self-critical.

She was adept at counselling the lovelorn on Love Island, and there was a marked healing quality in her chart:  the healing asteroid Chiron was trine her North Node/Jupiter and Ascendant.  The Greek mythological centaur Chiron was able to heal others, but could not heal his own wound.

Life and Career

Caroline Flack was born in November 1979, and had two sisters (one a twin) and a brother.  The packed 3rd House, mentioned above, also represents siblings.  Caroline first starred in Bo’ Selecta in 2002, and went on to present many different television shows, such as the X-Factor and I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! NOW!  When presenting Big Brother’s Big Mouth, journalist Rob Leigh commented: “her sharp delivery makes her the best presenter they’ve had on this series”.

She won Strictly Come Dancing in 2014 (partnered with Pasha Kovalev), and her chart shows a clear talent for dance: Neptune (the planet of dance) trine Mars, sextile Pluto and conjunct the I.C.  While at school in Norfolk, she developed an interest in dance.  Later, she studied dance and musical theatre at the Bodywork company in Cambridge.

She began presenting Love Island in June 2015.  She had favourable Pluto transits when it was announced, and when the series started Uranus was trine her natal Neptune (an intriguing new venture) and Neptune was sextile her natal Chiron in Taurus in 8th House (a sensitive vehicle for her healing skills).  She commented: “I know what it’s like to be that victim online.  And that’s why I hate seeing it happen to them.”

In the same year, she published her autobiography Storm in a C Cup, with Jupiter (publishing) on her Ascendant.  In her natal chart, Mercury exactly conjoins Venus in the 3rd House represents writing talent.

Olly Murs

Caroline had a special friendship with the singer Olly Murs, and they presented The X Factor together.  They had a dynamic, sparky relationship, with her Mars square his Sun, and her I.C. conjunct his Uranus.  When she died, Pluto was transiting his Midheaven, showing that it was a huge shock to him.

Arrest

Caroline was arrested in December 2019 for an alleged assault against her boyfriend Lewis Burton.  There was quite a lot going on in terms of transits at the time, including 3 triggers from Mars (one of which was an exact transit to her Sun), indicating a possible flare up of anger.  In addition, Saturn was square her Pluto (which may have given rise to depression) and Neptune exactly opposite her Ascendant (confusion).  She felt obliged to stand down as host for the next series of Love Island on 17th December, which compounded her sadness.  A judge ruled that she and her boyfriend were unable to see each other (even though he withdrew the complaint), which meant the loss of a relationship as well.

Her synastry with Lewis shows a deep connection: They had opposing Marses by 1 degree (some conflict), his Saturn was square her Sun (some disappointment), her Saturn on his Neptune (they could bring each other down) and their Plutos were sextile (a deep level of engagement).  Plus their Jupiters conjunct in Virgo suggested a shared sense of humour.  Uranus squared his Chiron at the time of her death, again showing a deep sense of shock.

She subsequently a great deal of trolling on social media, and her family and friends advised her not to look at it.  But it preyed on her mind, and the last straw was the announcement that the domestic assault case would be going ahead.  She died on 15th February 2020.

In looking at the other “mental health” red flag of the week, Meghan Markle reported that although she had Harry beside her at the time of her dark night of the soul, she needed more expert help at the time she felt suicidal.  Reportedly, when she reached out for some, it was not forthcoming.  Meghan’s friend reported this week that her circle of friends had been worried about her, but they were unable to do anything to help.  Caroline Flack had a loving mother and sister and many friends, but they were unable to help her.  It does seem that there needs to be more help more easily available, somehow, to reach souls in crisis in this way.  What this week may have highlighted is that people need to be more seriously alert to warning signs.

“Be Kind” was the motto adopted by the public to remember her, a year ago.

Aspects

A congenial set of aspects this week, not a square or opposition among them!

Happy Mother’s Day!  Early this morning Venus was conjunct Neptune at 20 degrees Pisces.  You may have had sweet dreams in the night…During the day inspired artistic and musical expression is assisted.  Idealized and spiritual love may also be on the menu.  You may find inspired ways to show love.  This conjunction also depicts the sensitivity at this time towards men’s treatment of women, as highlighted by the murder of Sarah Everard, and the poignant vigils which have taken place on her behalf, and on behalf of change on this issue.

Tomorrow (Monday 15th) Mercury enters Pisces, so there is likely to be more mental focus and communication around compassionate issues, such as the vulnerable, those with mental health issues, and the state of institutions, such as prisons and the NHS.  In the period of its sojourn in this sign (up till 4th April) compassion will be more easily shown and charity given, and it will be easier to receive ideas of creativity and inspiration.

Some powerful help could arrive on Tuesday (16th) with a sextile between the Sun and Pluto.  If you dig deep, you can find the treasure you need.  It is a profound aspect which may help to show us the direction we need to solve our collective problems, and understanding the meaning behind our dilemmas.  This sextile can bring a profound air of quiet contemplation.

The mood is enriched and enhanced on Thursday (18th) by a sextile between Venus and Pluto.  If you began a creative venture on Tuesday, you can add extra artistry and harmony to it.  You can also experience profound connections between people, and it’s a good time for evaluating what people mean to you.  As with Sun sextile Pluto, you may have to dig deep for the treasure, but it is worth the quest.

The Sun enters Aries at the Spring Equinox on Saturday 20th, the first day of Spring.  It is something we have all been waiting for, representing a step closer perhaps to the easing of lockdown and being able to see loved ones.  It is the start of the Astrological New Year, the beginning of a generally more active, conscious, dynamic way of relating to the world (from the Sun’s more introspective time of its recent passage through Pisces).  For the population generally, if your energy has been a little low lately, you may feel revived.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – unconditional love
• Tomorrow – compassion
• Tuesday – deep psychological treasure
• Thursday – artistic and musical depth
• Saturday – new beginning