Year of the Dog 2018

Chinese Astrology

As with Western Astrology, true Chinese Astrology is much more complex and intricate than the characteristics of the twelve animal signs, which is our main contact with the art.  And the ancient Chinese were responsible for some of the names of our Fixed Stars, such as Wei in the constellation of Scorpio, Han in Ophiuchus, Tsih in Cassiopeia.  The Chinese system takes account of both the solar calendar, and the lunar calendar.

The Twelve Animals

These, in order, are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Cock, Dog and Pig.  They bear little relation to the animals of the Western Astrology zodiac and constellations.  Apparently Sheep is synonymous with Goat, so there is a vague resemblance in the Goat following the Horse as in Capricorn and Sagittarius.  The Ox, resembling the Bull, is the second sign of the zodiac, as in Western Astrology, but the Chinese New Year does not start in the Spring.

The Elements

These are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.  Thus, no Air as in the Western system, but the addition of Wood and Metal.

Planets

Five Planets are used in traditional Chinese Astrology: Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus and Mercury.  But they have different characteristics than used by the Western Astrologer, for example Jupiter represents birth and motherhood, which we ascribe to the Moon.

Character of the Dog

So we find ourselves (as of Friday 16th February 2018) in the Year of the Dog.  In popular knowledge and use, the character traits of the various signs are important, and the compatibilities are also employed, both between people and in ascertaining whether it will be a good year.

The characteristics of the Dog in Chinese Astrology are first and foremost loyalty, defence and protection.  Home and family are important to them. As with our Western Astrology, there are always negative traits too, and one of these for the dog is fearfulness. These would be the traits of babies born this year, if there are any expected in your circles.  Tigers and Horses make good companions.

In the last century, people born under this sign hail from the following years:

1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018

1958 was the last Earth Dog year.

Jupiter Cycle

The popular use of Chinese Astrology is based on each year belonging to one of the twelve zodiacal animals, and this corresponds to the cycle of the planet Jupiter, which spends a year in a sign (in the Western system).  This year Jupiter is in Scorpio, and so the characteristics of this year include greater passion, intensity and drive.  This does not particularly synchronize with the Dog, though it might coincide more if the year was Dragon  or Snake.

Suzanne White

Suzanne White is a pioneer of the synthesis of the Western and Chinese Astrological systems.  Her book “The New Astrology” was first published in 1986.  She combines your Western sign with your Chinese sign to create 144 new astrological signs.  If you would like to know more about her work and the coming year, visit her website:

https://www.suzannewhite.com/

What the Year of the Dog will bring

Generally speaking, if you were born in the Year of the Dog, you will be more comfortable with the energy of this coming year.  Taking the principles of dogginess forward (loyalty, defence and protection.  Home and family … fearfulness) we would expect an emphasis on these in the forthcoming year, both in our personal lives (we find out who we can count on, we put our money where our mouth is, etc.) and in the world.

The issue which stands out for me in relation to Dog is gun control in the U.S. (perhaps because of the school shooting in Florida this week, and the stand the schoolchildren are making that enough is enough).  It is about whether or not to trust that getting rid of the guns is the best thing to do.  Will Donald Trump’s protection of the right to bear arms be an issue that contributes to his demise?

In the U.K. we have the issue of whether or not to get rid of Trident (do we need it, could the cost go to the NHS, is it worth keeping just for deterrent value?).  We have issues over party loyalties, both in the ruling Conservative Party (are Theresa May’s Cabinet on side?) and in the opposition Labour Party (do the party members back Jeremy Corbyn in loyalty to the party even if they disagree with some of his policies?)

In France, Emmanuel Macron is considering bringing back compulsory military service.

In the Middle East, nobody is quite sure whether or not to trust Iran in its nuclear capability.

I am not a Chinese Astrologer, but in the spirit of empiricism, it will be interesting to see if these issues make progress in the coming year, by the time it is the Year of the Pig.  That will be something to review at the time.

Dog Celebrities

Barbara Woodhouse, the famous dog trainer of the 1980s, was born in 1910, which was a Year of the Dog.  Her western Sun sign was Taurus.  She was born on a New Moon in Taurus exactly sextile Neptune, the latter planet giving her the instinctiveness to work in what was in those days an unusual way.  Her rigid and authoritarian personality was very different to the more contemporary U.S. dog whisperer Cesar Millan, whose intuitive and psychological approach (though equally firm) teaches you a lot about human psychology, the dynamics of the pack, and the role of  telepathy.  However, he is a Virgo in the western system, and a Cockerel in the Chinese system.  His powerful communication is revealed in his chart by a conjunction of Mercury with Jupiter/Uranus/Pluto.

The last Earth Dog year was 1958, and there are plenty of celebrities born that year, among them Madonna, Lenny Henry and Michael Jackson.  Another Earth Dog from that year is acclaimed actor Gary Oldman, who has recently played “the British Bulldog” Winston Churchill (who was himself born in the Year of the Dog, 1874).

Nick Park (a Sagittarian) was also born in 1958.  He of course is the creator of the animated duo Wallace and Gromit, the eccentric inventor and his trusty canine friend.  Since writing about the animal totems, I have been researching dog breeds for the various signs, and Gromit’s breed is apparently a beagle.

Which leads me nicely on to the cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, a Water Dog, born in 1922.  His dog Snoopy is also a beagle. He too is a Sagittarian, with Jupiter in Scorpio like Nick Park.

If you have any thoughts about Chinese Astrology, The Year of the Dog, defence and protection issues, or Dog Breeds, do add your comments below.

Aspects

Mercury entered Pisces in the early hours of this morning, so if your brain felt a bit fuzzy on wakening,  that might be why.  From the certainty and cut and dried mindset of Aquarius, we are in the territory of seeing more subtlety in the various issues that we are pondering.  We are now looking at more facets of the truth, and feeling the fluidity and ever-changing perception of reality.

Late afternoon, the Sun enters Pisces, joining Mercury, so the feeling of confusion or mellowness deepens and extends to the overall experience of the collective.  It would be a good time to put your feet up and watch the box set of Blue Planet II, the highs of experiencing the life of the whales, and the lows reminding us of the proliferation of plastic.  That would make a good entree into the month of Pisces.

Tomorrow (Monday 19th) Mars trines the North Node, and we might be more galvanized to action, especially from a karmic standpoint.  You may feel there is something you must do, or right a wrong, put something straight.  Dogs, cars and men are ruled by Mars, and these may be involved in the karmic interaction or be triggers, hopefully in a constructive way.

On Wednesday (21st) Venus conjuncts Neptune at 13 degrees Pisces, in the most elevated feature of the week.  It is on this day that you may be capable of your most inspired artistic or musical expression, and giving your best in relationships.  It is a magical, sensitive and spiritual oasis, in which you may be able to lose yourself, away from the everyday cares and stresses.  On the other hand, the inspiration you derive may actually give you a new perspective on those everyday cares and stresses.

In the evening, Mercury is sextile Saturn, and that brings you more down to earth, but in a constructive way, as in seeing a plan forward, and intelligent understanding of a situation.  It is helpful for paperwork and organization.

Fixed Stars

There are no planetary aspects after Wednesday, and therefore I will look at the alignment of our Sun with the Fixed Stars for the rest of the week, providing a seed thought in each case from “Starlight Elixirs” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld.

Thursday (22nd) sees an alignment with Sadalmelik, the alpha star in the constellation of Aquarius:

“A gradual accumulation of the awareness of group interaction and group energy takes place unconsciously for most people who regularly interact in any group  situation.  The use of this star will gradually improve one’s ability to bring the energies that are unconscious into better focus.”

Friday’s (23rd) star is Fomalhaut, the alpha star in Pisces Austrini:

“This star has an excellent ability to release addictive states by bringing to consciousness the purpose of addictions.  These can include addictions to relationship, thinking, sex, or various substances.  The awareness of past-life connections that create the necessity for such addictions also comes to one’s consciousness with repeated use of this star.”

For Saturday (24th) we have Deneb Adige, the alpha star in the constellation of Cygnus:

“Deneb has the ability to create in people deeper inspired states, an awareness of the teachings of the masters, and an enhancement of the channelling process to connect to non-physical beings of light, assistance and love.  There is a deeper stimulation of the higher aspects associated with the lungs and circulatory system.”

The week in bullet points:

• Today – wishy washy and airy fairy
• Monday – karmic action
• Wednesday – inspired arts and relationships; looking at detail
• Thursday – group interaction
• Friday – tackling addiction
• Saturday – connecting with the light

 

Elon Musk

This week, on Tuesday 6th February, while we in the U.K. were celebrating 100 years of the female vote and wondering how far we had got with equality, across the pond in Florida U.S. (male) billionaire, entrepreneur, inventor and futurist was launching the biggest rocket and re-igniting the space race, through the development of his SpaceX projects. The launch itself went according to plan, but then other aspects of the project missed their targets. However the Observer leader this morning was very enthusiastic: “It is an exciting prospect that offers rich rewards to entrepreneurs – and to society”.

Birth Chart

The charts of entrepreneurs and inventors make fascinating study, and Elon Musk’s is no exception, but it would be even more fascinating with a birth time.  We find Elon Musk’s Sun unaspected (individualism) except for a square to Uranus (invention and futurism) – his main connection with reality.  He lacks personal aspects generally, and that may indicate his huge aspiration for mankind (he worries about human extinction and wants us to be able to live on Mars).   His technological aspirations are reinforced by a conjunction of Mars and the North Node (karmic mission) in Aquarius, the sign of technology and futurism.  Mars/North Node/Aquarius represents engineering, and even specifically symbolizes his electric car company Tesla, which was named after the earlier passionate  inventor and futurist Nikola Tesla (though he co-founded the company but was not responsible for naming it).  His Uranus, opposing his natal Chiron, creates a T-square with Mercury, which tackles problems out of the box, out of necessity.

He also has Mars square Jupiter, which I often say has the capacity to project into other dimensions energetically.  A powerful contributor to his success is Jupiter sextile exactly Pluto in his chart.

Relationships

Elon Musk has been married three times, twice to the same woman (Talulah Riley), and has dated the actress Amber Heard.  The relationship floundered after a year due to their work schedules (although their astrology is compatible).  He has five children with his first wife Justine Wilson.  We do not know the condition of his 7th House of Marriage without a birth time, but Venus in Gemini can incline to more than one marriage  (Last week’s subject Robert Wagner had Gemini dominating his 7th House, and also married the same woman twice).

His transits at the Rocket Launch of Falcon Heavy

Jupiter was square to his natal Mars at this launch, reinforcing that natal square which I equate with the energy of extreme propulsion.  However, he may also be aware of the limitations of the exercise, with Saturn currently opposing his natal Sun.

Nikola Tesla

Elon Musk has a resonance, and not just in name, to the earlier passionate and prolific engineer, entrepreneur, inventor and futurist Nikola Tesla.  Tesla was born on 10th July 1856, though under the Julian calendar he shares a birthday with Elon Musk (28th June).  In their appearance they differ greatly, as Tesla sported a dramatic and moustachioed look worthy of his Pluto on the Ascendant (we have his birth time).

Like Elon Musk, Nikola was a workaholic, with Moon conjunct Mars in his 6th House.  But Nikola only slept 2 hours per night, and worked 140 hours per week, compared to Elon Musk’s 80 hour a week schedule!  Tesla was a more solitary character, and never married.

Tesla had a remarkable mind, including an eidetic memory, experiencing flashes of light, and the capacity for 3 dimensional visualization.  I think his depth of vision is connected to the presence of Pluto on his Ascendant. He also spoke eight languages.  His Inner Healer (Chiron) was expressed through the sign of Aquarius, i.e. science, invention and futurism.  He never visited a doctor in adult life, though he had suffered cholera when young.  Curiously, he credited reading the works of Mark Twain as helpful in his healing, and in later life became a close friend of Mark Twain (whose Jupiter was exactly conjunct Tesla’s Venus)

Tesla is a fascinating character, deserving of his own blog (which I hope to write one day).  He had a particular affinity for pigeons:

“I have been feeding pigeons, thousands of them for years. But there was one, a beautiful bird, pure white with light grey tips on its wings; that one was different. It was a female. I had only to wish and call her and she would come flying to me. I loved that pigeon as a man loves a woman, and she loved me. As long as I had her, there was a purpose to my life”.

He patented a huge number of inventions, and is mainly known for his contribution to the development of the Alternating Current.  But towards the end of his life, he was involved in pursuits such as a patent for a biplane, and a motor that would run on cosmic rays: interests which ran more along the lines of Elon Musk’s.  So it could be said that Elon Musk is continuing the work of Nikola Tesla.

An interesting set of transits to Nikola Tesla’s chart (posthumously) were evident when the company Tesla Inc. was formed:

Chiron was opposite Nikola’s Sun in the 3rd House, Jupiter and Pluto were sextile Nikola’s Mars (motor car).  Mars was trine his natal Saturn in Cancer in the 3rd House of Transport, and Mars was also sextile his natal Pluto rising in Taurus.

Louise Mensch

Today’s blog might seem like a bit of a mish mash, as now I would like to link Elon Musk’s chart with that of Louise Mensch.  You may remember her as the Conservative politician, MP for Corby and Northamptonshire, who in the middle of serving under David Cameron’s government suddenly upped sticks and moved to the U.S. with her new American husband.

On the surface you would not expect a link with Elon Musk, but they are Astro-Twins (born on the same day of the same year, and whereas we do not have a birth time for Elon Musk, we do have one for her (which she freely revealed in the media last year).  She has Leo rising.

In certain googled photographs, from their smile, cheekbones and eyebrows, they could in their appearance be “separated at birth”!

But her Sun in Cancer is seen much more easily, in her original profession as a successful writer of “Chick-Lit”.  And knowing her Ascendant makes a great deal of sense of her individual life path, for example she has the South Node exactly on her Ascendant and the North Node in on the cusp of her 7th House (giving up her own profession in favour of the spouse’s location).  She has three children by a first marriage.

Since moving to the States, she has become a “conspiracy theorist”, a feature of the paranoia of Saturn exactly opposing Neptune in her (and Elon’s) natal chart.  She has concentrated on political themes, such as Donald Trump’s links with Russia.  Elon Musk’s Saturn-Neptune opposition has got him into hot water with some of his contemporary entrepreneurs (notably Mark Zuckerberg), over fear-mongering about the dangers of artificial intelligence in the future.

Mensch has in the past been diagnosed with A.D.H.D. (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), which may be equated with Elon Musk’s workaholism, and their high energy Mars/North Node in Aquarius square to Jupiter.

Aspects

On Tuesday (13th), Mercury squares Jupiter, so expansive travel and information overload may be on the menu.  If you have meetings that day, it could be agenda-heavy and there could be a lot to discuss.  Although this is not an easy aspect, it can prove quite productive and quite heady, energetically.

The next day, Wednesday (14th), is of course Valentine’s Day, and the aspect (Sun sextile Uranus) is more conducive than most times to surprises (of the more welcome variety)!  So if some of your Valentine surprises have fallen flat in recent years, and you decided not to bother, perhaps it might be worth another try to please your intended or your other half.  You might ask for inspiration from the sources of the great inventive minds, past, present and future!  Otherwise (and if you are not romantically focussed), this is a great day for invention and creativity, and surprise meetings.

Thursday (15th) continues the themes of mental exploration, mind-broadening and invention, with a sextile between Mercury and Uranus.  If you were inundated with bright ideas on Tuesday, started to implement them on Wednesday, you can carry on implementing on Thursday.

Later on, in the evening, there is a Solar Eclipse, a New Moon at 27 degrees Aquarius.  If you found the recent eclipse a fortnight ago momentous, you may find further significance in this one.  If not, you can treat it as a new beginning, especially in matters of science, technology, invention and future vision.  Your own Future Self may appear, to assist you, or failing that seek a future life progression session with a qualified practitioner:

http://www.pflsociety.org/search-practitioners

In the last hour of that day, Venus sextiles Saturn, and your feelings may settle down after all the excitement of the Solar Eclipse.  You recognize what is worthwhile in  your life and where your loyalties lie.  You may receive a late night text from a best mate, reassuring you of friendship forever…

Saturday morning (17th) however may bring a little confusion to rain on your equanimity.  Mars squares Neptune, and you may find it difficult to harmonize your spiritual ideals with your practical action.  Some meditation could do the trick. Energies may be frittered, and water currents could be flowing in unhelpful directions, e.g. leaks.

However, another influence around lunchtime, a conjunction of the Sun and Mercury at 28 degrees Aquarius, may bring more clarity, especially if you are wrestling with a confused situation.  You may experience a flash of light (hopefully not a precursor to a migraine, but more of the Tesla enlightened variety) as information reaches your mind (from an inward or an outward source) which helps your current situation, the confused state, or just your life in general.

The week in bullet points:

• Tuesday – travel and information overload
• Wednesday – pleasant surprises
• Thursday – mental exploration; a turning point; settled feelings
• Saturday – confused action; then some clarity

 

Natalie Wood

A Neptunian Mystery

The beautiful actress Natalie Wood died in 1981 from drowning, while on a boat trip at Thanksgiving.  The only other people on the boat were her husband actor Robert Wagner, the actor Christopher Walken (who had been filming “Brainstorm” with her) and the skipper Dennis Davern.  At the time, her death was deemed an accident, then in 2011 the case was re-opened.  In 2013 her death was reclassified as “drowning and other undetermined factors”, and this week Robert Wagner (now aged 87) was stated by the Police to be “a person of interest” in the case.  She disappeared some time overnight, with Robert Wagner reporting her missing at 1.30 a.m. and her body being found at 8.00 a.m.  A chart for Santa Catalina Island at this time shows Neptune (mystery at sea) exactly on the Ascendant.

Natalie Wood

Natalie’s Sun sign Cancer was in the water element, yet she had a fear of “dark water” and could not swim.  This may have been a phobia stemming from  past life trauma, but Neptune (the sea) in her 12th House of the Unconscious may have been relevant here.  Uranus (planet of accidents) in her 8th House of death loosely conjunct her South Node of past lives may hint at a similar event happening in a previous life.  Her North Node in Scorpio might represent “dark water”, as might her Moon closely square Pluto.

Libra rising and Moon in Taurus give Venus a strong rulership over her chart, and that would have contributed to her reputation as a great beauty.

She also had a coercive exact Mars-Pluto conjunction in her chart (close to her Sun), which can turn inward into self-harm or being a victim of coercion.

She married Robert Wagner twice, with another marriage in between.  They were celebrated as having a strong marriage, but Saturn in her 7th House of close relationships hints that relationships were not always easy for her.

Natalie’s Synastries and Transits

Her relationship with Robert Wagner shows up well astrologically, though Robert Wagner acknowledged in his autobiography that they argued the night of the drowning.  There is tenderness (her Venus sextile his Moon), loyalty (her Venus trine his Saturn), a karmic bond (her Venus trine his North Node), a deeper spark (her Uranus sextile his Pluto), but her Saturn squared his Pluto (some seed of depression, but there are always some difficult interaspects in a relationship).

Her sister Lana Wood wrote on their second marriage:

“Her marriage was considered to be one of the best in Hollywood, and there is no question that she was a devoted, loving — even adoring — mother and stepmother. She and R. J. had begun with love and built from there. They had overcome each other’s problems and had reached an accommodation with time and the changes time brings. As with anybody else who has settled into making a long marriage work, they were far more determined than most people to make it work …”

Her synastry with Christopher Walken (who has never been implicated in her death) was more difficult, with Walken’s Mars squaring Natalie’s Uranus (the potential for accidents in their interaction), Walken’s Saturn square her Venus (sadness and disappointment), his Uranus square her Jupiter (possible high jinks).

Her transits at her drowning are mixed.  At the time, the party had been drinking, and Natalie had a drug synthroid in her system, which may have accounted for bruising apparently, plus another drug.  As well as rumours of Natalie and Robert arguing, there were also rumours that Christopher Walken and Robert had argued.  Some of the transits describe a party atmosphere.  Jupiter was opposite Natalie’s Moon in Cancer, but trine her Jupiter.  Uranus was square her Jupiter, and Jupiter was square her Pluto (possibly indicating a power struggle, but that may have been with herself). Uranus was quincunx her natal Moon, and that may have been a powerful factor in the tragedy or accident.

Robert Wagner

Robert Wagner has Sun exactly conjunct Venus in Aquarius, detached but charismatic.  This conjunction provides the other half of the beautiful couple that he and Natalie were known as.

The symbolism in his birth chart of his Moon in Cancer (representing a Cancerian woman in his life) in 8th House (drowning of wife) exactly opposite Saturn in 2nd House in Capricorn eerily portrays some of the story.  In addition, his Moon squares exactly Uranus in Aries in 5th House (accident of wife when drowning), and the Moon sextiles closely North Node (highlighting the karma of his wife).  Neptune closely square the Ascendant, 9th House side, may depict a drowning incident while abroad and a love of boats.  However the event impacted his life, he did manage to continue his career unaffected by it, in such television series as “Hart to Hart” with Stephanie Powers.

Robert has Jupiter in his 7th House of Marriage and Close Relationships, in the multiple sign of Gemini (four marriages in total, including two with Natalie Wood).  Saturn in his chart square exactly Uranus may point to personal earthquakes in his life.

Robert Synastries and Transits

Robert’s synastry with Christopher Walken (we do not have a chart for the skipper who was on board) shows the capability of friendly discussion (Walken’s Mercury sextile Wagner’s Jupiter), some complexity (Walken’s Uranus square Wagner’s Neptune) and depth (Walken’s Pluto trine Wagner’s Ascendant).

Robert’s synastries with Courtney, his daughter with Natalie from their second marriage, are strongly positive: his Pluto trine her Sun, his Jupiter on her Moon, his Uranus trine her Neptune, and his Jupiter trine her Pluto.  Courtney’s distant aspects with her mother may reflect her mother’s early death:  Courtney’s Sun opposite Natalie’s Neptune, and Courtney’s Uranus square to Natalie’s Sun, though there are some happy aspects too between them.

Robert Wagner’s transits at the drowning showed up South Node on his natal Mercury (karmic mental strain), and Pluto square his natal Mercury (mental anguish).  His transits at this time of being labelled a “person of interest” shows Uranus square his natal Mercury (mental strain and uneasiness).

Christopher Walken’s Transits

At the time of the drowning actor Christopher Walken was going through his Uranus Opposition (mid-life crisis or rebellion).  He also had Uranus sextile his natal Neptune (complexity) and Neptune trine his Chiron (a healing mystery) but these two transits were fairly positive and benign in nature).  Astrology does not seem to implicate him in the mystery any more than the police department.

Robert Wagner has remained silent on the matter for many years.  The mystery continues, and may never be solved…

Aspects

Today brings us a square between Venus and Jupiter, which may stretch us socially.  Maybe you need to be in two places at once, or something you may find funny is not so for someone else (or vice versa).  If you are the leader of a political party, you may be finding it hard to keep your ducks lined up.  It’s an awkward type of day, but capable of providing lighter moments.

Wednesday (7th) is a much more successful day, socially, with Venus sextile Uranus.  It’s a good day for meetings, especially with the aim of brainstorming and thinking outside the box.  It could also be quite surprising romantically, or include spontaneous reunions.

Friday (9th) brings a conjunction of Mercury and the South Node, and this may bring information about past lives, or a new understanding of past conversations, teachings and learnings in this lifetime.  An exchange of information can evolve both parties, or the group.

Venus enters Pisces on Saturday (10th), but in an intense bit of timing the Sun squares Jupiter two minutes later, so be mindful between 23.19 Hrs on Saturday evening (U.K. time) and 23.21 Hrs.

Your heart may open as Venus enters Pisces.  From the cool detachment of Venus in Aquarius (Robert Wagner’s natal placing) to the sudden registering of emotion of Venus in Pisces, the contrast may be marked.  Perhaps you are watching a late night movie and something touches your heart.

So at virtually the same time, Jupiter squares the Sun, and tears of laughter may also be present.  Perhaps the late night movie is a rom com, and the end is bittersweet.  Spirits may be high, but egos could also loom large.

You might find yourself releasing a ton of emotions on Saturday evening, without necessarily knowing why, or being able to define whether they are happy or sad.  It may just be their time to emerge.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – awkward
• Wednesday – sparkling
• Friday – informative
• Saturday – intense

 

Neil Diamond

” ‘I am’… I said, To no one there
And no one heard at all, Not even the chair”

 ~ Neil Diamond

Retirement

On Tuesday this week (23rd) Neil Diamond made a two-fold announcement: that he was retiring, and that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. I have to say I was extremely sad to hear that news, both on  his behalf at facing this challenging disease, but also as he has been my favourite male singer since my teens, it is sobering to think that there is no possibility I will ever see him in concert (one of the first albums I bought was “Neil Diamond Live at the Troubadour”, 1970). I can’t explain why he has had this appeal for me, but there is something about his energy and vitality which gives me strength.

Birth Chart

Neil Diamond has the Sun in Aquarius, a very individualistic sign, and 6 (over half) of his planets in the Fixed signs, making him strong willed.  For whatever reasons, he has had three marriages, and maybe that combination makes compromise in close relationships difficult.  Aquarians have to be true to themselves.  One of my early favourite songs of his (and one of his own favourites) was “Solitary Man” (1966), containing a theme of loneliness that pervades his work:

“…until I can find me, The girl who’ll stay
And won’t play games behind me
I’ll be what I am, A solitary man”

He has a challenging T-square in  his chart, involving his Sun.  The Sun opposes a conjunction of Pluto/Chiron (itself a challenge), squaring a conjunction of Jupiter/Saturn (another very challenging feature).

Songwriting is highlighted in his chart  in different ways, and he has been most prolific:  Venus is in his 3rd House of songwriting, and Mercury is exactly sextile Mars (a prolific penmanship). He has stated that he has a love-hate relationship with songwriting.  Sweet Caroline was written in an hour, whereas “I am I said” (probably my favourite song) took four months:

“L.A.’s fine, the sun shines most the time
And the feeling is “lay back”
Palm trees grow and rents are low
But you know I keep thinkin’ about
Making my way back

Well I’m New York City born and raised
But nowadays,
I’m lost between two shores
L.A.’s fine, but it ain’t home
New York’s home,
But it ain’t mine no more”

(pardon me the indulgence)

However, performing has by his own account given him most pleasure, and it is highlighted in his chart in two ways: the Sun (Performer) from Aquarius in 4th House trine exactly North Node in Libra in 12th House – a karmic mission as performer.  And Pluto in Leo (performance) sextile closely North Node:

“Performing, on the other hand, is the most joyful and happiest thing I do. The bigger the audience the more anticipation, the more excitement.”

One of his most memorable performances, which gave rise to an album, was on 24th August 1972, when his ruling planet Uranus was crossing his Ascendant (in Libra, the sign of the Singer).

And as for that indefinable quality which makes him so popular, I would pinpoint two features of his chart: Moon exactly trine Jupiter (an emotionally buoyant, feelgood factor), and Mars in Sagittarius, which as I tried to describe last week when it was ushered in, is a life-affirming energy and sense of vitality.

Mercury sextile exactly Mars

I think Mercury sextile Mars is a key component of his astrological make-up.  As already mentioned it helps to make him a prolific writer.  But it also relates to a high school activity of his: fencing.  I associate a positive connection of Mercury-Mars with this sport.  He later won a fencing scholarship which he took up at New York University, so it was an outstanding talent of his.

It may also relate to his Parkinson’s diagnosis.  In August 2012, I took a look at Parkinson’s in relation to some of its prominent sufferers of the day:  Muhammed Ali, Michael J. Fox and Bob Hoskins.

I wrote: “What I would look for in trying to find an astrological signature for the disease is problematic placements or aspects to Mercury or possibly Uranus, plus extreme agitation from Mars in the chart which over-activates the nerves.  Mars might also be involved as the ruler of Aries, which represents the head and the brain.  Also relevant are the transits at the time of the onset of symptoms or diagnosis, i.e. what outer planets may have been exerting pressure or stress on key points in the birth chart of the sufferer.”

Since then, we have had other high profile sufferers such as Billy Connolly and Robin Williams (and I have been diligently keeping up my researches).  But Neil Diamond’s Mercury exactly sextile Mars, while a positive force leading to a prodigious creative output, may have put some stress on his nervous system.

Elton John

Coincidentally, Elton John also announced his retirement this same week, on Thursday (25th).  His reasons were to spend more time with his children, but he also stated that he would continue touring for three more years, to soften the blow to his fans.  His mother died in November (transiting Neptune from Pisces in his 7th House of Close Relationships sextile exactly his natal Moon = mother).  This may have set off his thinking.  What has triggered this week’s announcement though would be transiting Saturn from Capricorn in his 5th House of Children squaring his natal Sun in Aries in 8th House of Mortality, an occasion for serious thinking about one’s life.  He has an important time coming around 10th May this year, with transiting Uranus trine his natal Ascendant and moving from his 8th House to his 9th House of touring foreign lands.

He expressed gratitude to Neil Diamond:  “I would like to pay my respects to him,” John said. “He introduced me off his own back at the Troubadour [in Hollywood] because he loved my record. He was a huge star then, and he’s a huge star now. And I know that he’s said he’s not going to tour anymore because he has Parkinson’s. I’m going to contact to him personally, but I would like to say publicly that I love him and I can’t thank him enough for what he did for me along the way.”

Going Forward

Thankfully, this is not an obituary.  But I am missing him already…

I hope the disease shows some mercy for him; it seems that some high profile sufferers have fared better and longer than others.  His current transits include Pluto on his I.C. in Capricorn in 4th House of Home (a more fundamental approach to his life) and Jupiter trine his natal Midheaven (in his case, freeing himself from an aspect of his career).  His stated aim is to “continue his writing, recording and development of new projects.”

“You are the sun, I am the moon
You are the words, I am the tune”

~ Neil Diamond

Aspects

We start today with a square between Mercury and Uranus, where words can get twisted and communications may shock or at the very least surprise.  Controversy is the name of the game, whether intended or otherwise.  Technological and travel glitches are possible, too.

But also today, Mercury sextiles Chiron, and there may be 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.

Tomorrow (Monday, 29th) Venus conjuncts the South Node, and there is a focus on love and relationship in a karmic context.  For example, you may find answers to current relationship issues in looking back at relationships in your past, which includes your past lives.

There’s a significant Full Moon at 11 degrees Leo on Wednesday (31st).  It’s not just any old Full Moon; it’s also a Blue Moon, an Eclipse, a Supermoon and a Blood Moon.  For Moon enthusiasts and specialists, it is a veritable Moonfest.  Placed in Leo, it is about holding your own individuality, self-expression, creativity and power, within the collective group (as represented by its opposition with the Sun in Aquarius).  I look forward to hearing your individual impressions.  Here at Lightpod, we shall be concentrating on healing that day, and anticipate that it will be a memorable session.

On the same day, Mercury enters Aquarius.  This will accentuate the pull of the collective and social experience, especially on the mental level (e.g. you may be bombarded by messages on social media).  The volume of communication may suddenly be turned up, though you may internally be more focussed on the emotional level.  It is important to be centred and listen both within and outside yourself, before making a judgement or adding to the chatter.  For the duration of Mercury in Aquarius (up to 18th February), communication will be more zippy than during its time in Capricorn, and more telepathic potentially.

Saturday (3rd February) brings an exciting sextile between Mercury and Mars.  If your productivity has slowed down at all recently, this sextile may give you the boost you need.  If you have been reading my appreciation of Neil Diamond, it is one of the keys to success in his birth chart, producing quick mental reactions and prolific writing.  It could also help you with clearing clutter, and the mental acuity needed for that. It is also helpful for speaking your truth without being hurtful.

Later the same day, the Sun conjuncts the South Node:

The Sun transiting the North Node shines a light on to the past, so that is both the past in your present life and also your past lives.  It can bring forward the talents you developed, but also enable you to release habits you no longer need.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – words can get twisted, and then smoothed out again
• Tomorrow – karmic relationships
• Wednesday – emotion at full flood but also a change in mental focus
• Saturday – nippy communications; light on karma

Donald Trump’s 1st Year

(warning: some colourful language used, from the outset)

It has probably been the most bizarre year in the history of the U.S. Presidency, with many hoping that his tenure would not last even this long, let alone go into a second year.  I am taking a historical and astrological retrospective, picking up on some of the interesting twists and turns on this hair-raising trip.

20th January 2017: Inauguration

From the Guardian:  “From its first moments, the Trump presidency defied normal conventions.  Witnesses reported that the former president George W. Bush left the scene of Donald Trump’s inauguration remarking: “That was some weird shit.”  On the day, Uranus was exactly sextile his North Node (a weird manifestation of his karmic mission).  Saturn was pulling away from an opposition to his Sun, so the run up to this event may have been stressful to him.  But Jupiter was trine his Sun, and he was trusting his luck. Pluto was squaring his natal Jupiter, hinting at possible mis-use of power.

21st January 2017: Women’s March

“The months of his campaigning had seen him insult women, gays, other races, the disabled and climate protection.  A show of strength was needed, on behalf of human decency.” (from the blog).  The transits to his chart were very similar to those for the inauguration.  The women marched again yesterday, one year on.

28th January 2017: Travel Ban

Yesterday’s Guardian took a look back at the ten strangest days of Donald Trump’s presidency, starting with the “Travel ban chaos.”

From the Guardian: “He told reporters: ‘It’s not a Muslim ban, but we were totally prepared.  It’s working out very nicely.  You see it at the airports, you see it all over.’  But in reality there was chaos and anger after scores of immigrants and refugees were kept off flights and stranded in airports.  Even green card holders were being stopped in foreign airports as they tried to return home”.

The Jupiter trine to his Sun was nearing completion at this point, as was a trine from Uranus to his Moon.  He was already getting away with preposterous behaviours, although a federal judge began a challenge to this initiative.

4th March 2017: Wiretapping Claim

From the Guardian: “Accusing his predecessor, Barack Obama, of illegally wiretapping Trump Tower, Trump tweeted: ‘How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process.  This is Nixon/Watergate.  bad (or sick) guy!’ … Obama denied he or the White House had ordered a wire tap.  The investigation into alleged collusion with Russia during the 2016 election continues to dog Trump”.

The set of astrological influences prevailing in January were on the wane, and the astrological triggers behind this event seems to have been the stirring of his emotions, on which he tends to act immediately: Mars squared his natal Venus, and trined his natal Mars, while Jupiter sextiled his natal Moon.

18th April 2017: Popularity Slide

Donald’s popularity rating had begun to slide around this time, though his Jupiter (luck) was still holding out (he had a Jupiter Return, and Jupiter was trine his Uranus).  Some alienation with the public was due to Uranus square his Venus, and Uranus square his Saturn.

11th May 2017: Hirings and Firings

There were many hirings and firings throughout the year, and it is difficult to choose one’s favourite.  Here is one from a blog comment:

“We heard about Trump’s firing of Comey late on Tuesday night, another amazing moment.

Comey has Uranus trine his Uranus at the moment, showing a surprise twist and turn in his life, but one that might benefit him, e.g. he may be relieved at being relieved of a difficult job.

Trump has the Nodal Axis on his Ascendant/Descendant Axis at the moment, with the North Node on his Ascendant. So he may feel the karmic power is in his favour, in that he can fire whom he jolly well likes. But the karma is not just about his ego (Leo Ascendant) and may have repercussions that backfire on him.”

And still the hirings and firings continued…

31st May 2017: Covfefe

From the Guardian: “It was just after midnight when Trump sent out a very peculiar tweet: “Despite the constant negative press covfefe.” A tsunami of Twitter speculation trying to decipher its meaning coursed through the night.  Just after 6 a.m., the president woke up, deleted the post and wrote another: “Who can figure out the true meaning of ‘covfefe’??? Enjoy!”  To this day, the mystery has never been sold, but the covfefe cottage industry now includes hats, mugs and T-shirts.”

One imagines him falling asleep over his i pad…Again, he had the sort of transits which might trigger hasty words: Mars was exactly sextile his Mars, and Uranus trine exactly his Mars.  At least it provided some opportunity for light relief and release of tension for a short while.

22nd June 2017: Repealing Obamacare

Trump began to try to dismantle Obamacare and replacing it with his own alternative plan for health care.  This act was close to the transit of the North Node (karma) to his natal Mars in 12th House (of chronic health).  Instead of this being an endangering of his own person, as I had earlier surmised, it turned out to be his wounding and endangering of the circumstances surrounding the chronic health of his people.  Various politicians sought to block his attempts, and the matter is still not resolved, but has already created chaos particularly in the poorest sectors of society.  It does highlight how much time and energy he has devoted in the year to overturning Obama’s constructive policies, and like Theresa May in the U.K., but for different reasons (hers was a preoccupation with Brexit), he has achieved virtually nothing.

4th July 2017: Personality Disorder

I love this quote from one of my favourite American Astrologers, Nancy Sommers, who wrote in her blog Star Light News:

“It is pretty much uncontested that DJT has a narcissistic personality disorder. This does not preclude being charming and successful but describes an underlying imbalance of significant proportion. It can manifest in being very thin skinned due to a very fragile ego, and, as with most personality disorders, a tendency to blame everyone else and never take responsibility for anything (again due to an over-fragile ego). The impulsivity, projection, quick anger, lack of frustration tolerance are all symptomatic.”

14th July 2017: Celebrating Bastille Day

From the Guardian: “First there was the hand-hold with Theresa May, the epic handshake with the Japanese prime minister, Shinz Abe, and the non-handshake with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel.  Then, during a visit to France for Bastille Day, there was a handshake with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, that lasted 29 seconds.” Trump was treated to a display of pomp and circumstance which he described as “one of the most beautiful parades I have ever seen”. His transits were definitely geared to enjoyment and hedonism that day: Mars was on his Venus, and Jupiter on his Chiron.

21st July 2017: More Notable Hirings and Firings

From the Observer: “Commentators said the past week was the worst endured by any US president in living memory and warned that, as Trump becomes increasingly isolated and volatile, the situation could rapidly deteriorate – especially if he is tested by an international crisis”

From the blog: “Re-winding to Friday July 21st, Donald appointed Anthony Scaramucci as Communications Director.  White House staff come and go, under Trump, but this one gave an arresting interview on our British television screens with Emily Maitlis (mentioned last week as one of those who didn’t quite make £100,000 p.a.).  “Can he be for real?” we wondered (in this house, anyway).

Scaramucci is an ambitious Sun in Capricorn, with Mars and Mercury also in that sign.  His flamboyance may be due to a square between his Sun and Jupiter, but also Uranus trine his Sun (so he is not a typical or staid Capricornian).  The power in his chart comes from an almost exact double trine from Sun and Mercury in Capricorn to Pluto and Uranus in Virgo.  Like Trump, he has Venus conjunct Saturn.  Saturn rules Trump’s 6th House of Employees, so the conjunction may reflect his unsentimental ability to dispatch them, and Scaramucci seems to emulate his style in some ways.”

From the Guardian: “The reboot of the administration’s media operation lasted all of 10 days.  Scaramucci’s fate was sealed by an expletive-laden New Yorker interview in which he denounced Steve Bannon and Reince Priebus (“fucking paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac”).”

30th July 2017: Kim Jong Un

From the blog: “Donald Trump’s karma saved the most dramatic for the end of the week, with his North Korean nemesis Kim Jong Un deciding to trial another nuclear missile launch, and declaring that North Korea had the capacity to fire anywhere in the U.S.  As dramas go, this international crisis has to be top in the league of seriousness.  I have two charts for President Kim Jong Un of North Korea.  The first, for 1983, reveals a current transit of Uranus opposite his Pluto, which is destructive enough.  The second, for 1984, shows much more suitable transits for such an event:  Pluto on his Sun (trigger happy), Uranus opposite his Mars (unpredictable) and Chiron square his Neptune (slightly unhinged).  By now, Jupiter was exactly conjunct Trump’s natal Jupiter (a Jupiter Return) in Libra, as well as the aspects reported for midweek.  Donald may be at his most reckless, arrogant and careless.  How will he react, we wonder, to Kim Jong Un’s irrationality…”

15th August 2017: Charlottesville March

At a white supremacist march in Charlottesville, a civil rights activist was killed.  Trump made one of his most extraordinary pronouncements, refusing to condemn the white supremacists: “I think there is blame on both sides. You had a group on one side that was bad.  you had a group on the other side that was also very violent.  Nobody wants to say that.  I’ll say it right now.”

The transits for his chart at that point were interesting: Mars was sextile his Jupiter, upping his usual arrogance.  But Saturn was transiting his natal Moon/South Node, a feature of his chart which hints at his strong emotions about his fellow man which go back a long way, way back to childhood or even past lives.

21st August 2017: Leo Solar Eclipse

The August 21st New Moon and Eclipse last year was a turning point for many Leos, but for Donald Trump, whose Ascendant and Mars were close to the end of Leo where the eclipse fell, it wasn’t the change that many hoped for.

Astrologer Wade Caves was reported to comment in Newsweek: “The effects of the coming eclipse could take time to show up, according to astrologers’ claims. Caves believes the impact will appear over the next two years because the eclipse will take around two hours to cross the continent (for a solar eclipse, astrologers interpret each hour as a year). The result could be “a loss of a leader in some sense,” he says, whether literal or symbolic. ‘It seems to me very possible that by this time next year, we’re looking at the reality of Trump not being in office.’ ”

The results of an eclipse can take a while, often six months, or more.  We are still waiting…

29th November 2017: The Muslim Videos

Donald Trump shared videos and tweets originating from the far right group Britain First without checking their veracity, which purported to show Muslims committing acts of violence, but in fact were not the case at all.  Theresa May was obliged to condemn this.

This was another case of Mars triggering his chart in an inflammatory way: Mars trine his Sun and Mars square his Saturn.  We need a member of the White House staff permanently tracking his Mars transits.  Another interesting astrological feature encouraged him in the mis-use of power: Jupiter squaring his Pluto, at the same time as Pluto also squared his Jupiter (a double whammy!)

5th December 2017: U.S. Embassy moving to Jerusalem

Another edge of the seat moment, as Donald Trump reverses decades of foreign policy in failing to sign a waiver delaying plans to move its embassy to Jerusalem.  The implications for the Middle East peace process (slim though it currently is) are potentially disastrous.

What was he thinking?  Some of the transits from earlier in the year were recurring, but Uranus squaring his natal Saturn seems the most disruptive and destructive, and descriptive of not preserving the status quo.

20th January 2018: Government Shutdown

Exactly on the cusp of his second year, there is a government shutdown caused by a standoff in the Senate about a new budget: it’s an event that we are told does happen from time to time, and last happened in 2013 during Obama’s administration. Emergency services will continue to function.  Currently, Jupiter squares his Neptune and Neptune squares his Sun, bringing confusion.  In addition, Saturn is on his Chiron, impeding healing, and causing a block.  For the U.S. chart, Saturn opposes its Venus, and Uranus squares its Mercury, both difficult transits for the populace.

From my New Year blog:

Is there any chance of unseating him this coming year?  On 10th May the North Node transits his Pluto in 12th House, which could indicate a possible unseating.  If not, he may still be around in October, when on 12th of that month Jupiter transits his I.C. in 3rd House: he could cause a twitter storm on that day.  On 8th November Jupiter squares his Ascendant, causing even more than usual exaggerated behaviour, then moves into his 4th House of Home – could there be home changes? 16th November sees the North Node on his 12th House cusp, and entering his 11th House, so he may be making new karmic alliances at that time, possibly away from the White House…Looking at the U.S. chart, on 4/5th July (2018) Uranus will be transiting its natal Chiron in the 5th House, which may be a sudden healing crisis.

Aspects

Aspects begin in earnest on Wednesday (24th), though if you wish to work with the tail end of last week’s aspects in the meantime they will still be operable.  On Wednesday Mercury is conjunct Pluto, an aspect which requires a depth of thought.  If you are skimming the surface, you may be wondering why something isn’t working, or what you are not seeing about a situation.  There’s also a taste for the dramatic about this aspect, which may be assuaged by some creative scriptwriting.

Thursday (25th) brings us a much more upbeat aspect to Mercury: a sextile with Jupiter.  This is reinvigorating for teaching, business and sales.  The uninspired and jaded post-Christmas high street stores may suddenly have a spike in interest and success.  It is a good time for broadening the mind with literary input: you may start on that pile of books you received for Christmas which have occupied the living room floor and blocked access to the shelves.

Mars enters Sagittarius on Friday (26th) which is a less combative energy than Mars in Scorpio, but equally dynamic.  Mars in Sagittarius can be a green light to new exercise regimes and sports initiatives, foreign transactions, and further education studies.  If you are seeking to pursue a line of life philosophy with gusto in order to test out if it actually works, then pick your mantra and go for it!  You’ll have the energy at least, though success is not absolutely guaranteed.

The week in bullet points:

• Wednesday – think things through
• Thursday – mental uplift
• Friday – energy and enthusiasm

Oprah Winfrey

“I believe in the God force that lives inside all of us, and once you tap into that, you can do anything.”

~ Oprah Winfrey

The story so far:

Jupiter went into Scorpio, Harvey Weinstein was brought down, the “Me Too” movement was born.  Kevin Spacey was also brought down by sexual allegations, and parts of his film (“All the Money in the World”) had to be re-shot.  On 1st January the Time’s Up fund was set up to support sexual assault survivors.  On 7th January the 75th Golden Globes saw all the women on the red carpet dressed in black protesting against sexual misconduct.  Oprah Winfrey made an iconic speech, accepting the Cecil B. de Mille lifetime achievement award.  She is hailed as a possible contender for President. Cometh the hour, cometh the woman.

This week also saw a small backlash against the movement: French actress Catherine Deneuve and actor Liam Neeson tried to put other views forward.  Catherine Deneuve defended men’s “freedom to pester”, while Liam Neeson sees allegations as a witch-hunt.

Oprah’s Birth Chart

On the Andrew Marr show this morning, Tom Hanks described Oprah as a social force which has brought people of differing views together over the years.  In an interview, Hanks, Meryl Streep and Steven Spielberg all endorsed her credentials for leadership.

Oprah Winfrey has the Sun in Aquarius, a sign which at its most evolved has great integrity, is humanitarian and visionary.  She has built up a formidable career in broadcasting, has been an actor, and is one of the world’s wealthiest women, as well as its richest black woman.

She has her Ascendant and Moon in Sagittarius, with a deep interesting in philosophy, global issues and bringing ideas to people.

“…it’s the insatiable dedication to uncovering the absolute truth that keeps us from turning a blind eye to corruption and to injustice. To — to tyrants and victims, and secrets and lies. I want to say that I value the press more than ever before as we try to navigate these complicated times, which brings me to this: what I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have.”

~ Oprah Winfrey, from her Golden Globes speech

The first thing that strikes me about the birth chart of this outstanding woman is that she has three exact conjunctions:

1. Chiron exactly conjunct North Node in Capricorn in 1st House of Personality – Karmic Mission as a Healer, which can be placed in the political sphere. She started life wounded (a childhood which included sexual abuse), but emerged to teach others about woundedness and how to heal.
2. Sun exactly conjunct Venus in Aquarius in 2nd House of Finance – A Lover of Humanity, and enormously wealthy. She is also a great philanthropist.
3. Neptune exactly conjunct the Part of Fortune in Libra in 10th House – The combination of Sensitivity and Joy, and a mystical route to the divine, channelled into her career path.

Other notable features of her chart are Saturn square exactly her Sun/Venus, depicting in part the  suffering in her origins; an unaspected Moon, possible neglect as a child (she has chosen not to be a mother, which is a function of the Moon); Mars exactly square Pluto, the victim of violence early in life; and Jupiter exactly trine her Midheaven, the unqualified success of her career.

She also has Mercury square Mars (Thandie Newton once said: “She’s got a mind like a razor blade.”).  Sharp interviewer and chat show host David Frost also had Mars square Mercury.  At the inauguration of The Oprah Winfrey Show Uranus was exactly sextile her natal Mercury, an apt transit for what she was to make an artform.

At the Golden Globes this week, transiting Uranus (change) was exactly trine her Pluto (deepest psychology), so she was truly expressing her intent to be the change she wanted to see in the world.

Time’s Up

The Time’s Up fund was set up on New Year’s Day, when the Moon went into Cancer (a supportive placement for women).  This morning it was announced that actor Mark Wahlberg would be donating his fee for re-shooting the scenes with Christopher Plummer (replacing Kevin Spacey) to this fund.  It is interesting that natally, like Oprah, Mark Wahlberg has Neptune exactly conjunct the Part of Fortune (a heightened compassion) – in his case it is in Sagittarius in 5th House.

2020/2021

I am not sure how motivated Oprah Winfrey is to satisfy the need of the nation for a humane President, but her transits and progressions are certainly interesting, and encouraging for the time period of the next election.  Her progressed Sun will be positioned close to her I.C. in Aries in the 4th House, in a sextile with her natal Jupiter; and Jupiter will be transiting her natal Sun/Venus conjunction in 2nd House of Finance.

“So I want all the girls watching here, now, to know that a new day is on the horizon! And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say ‘Me too’ again.”

~ Oprah Winfrey, from her Golden Globes speech

Aspects

The Sun squares Uranus today, so even if you are not thinking about change, it may come your way.  Better to think around the subject in advance, and mull over your preferences, and be open.  The aspect occurs this evening in the U.K.

Tomorrow (Monday 15th), there are possibilities for healing, with a Sun sextile Chiron favouring dental and health check-ups.  At the start of the working week in the office, initiatives may be successful which try to solve existing problems.  You may decide to call a meeting to bring staff onto the same page.

Tuesday (16th) holds the most important aspect, and may be the key to the whole week: Jupiter sextile Pluto.  This denotes a wise balance of power, and possible philanthropy.  Generally speaking, it is a day for grand gestures of the beneficent variety.

The New Moon at 26 degrees Capricorn appears on Wednesday (17th), applying its refreshment to matters of politics and administration.  It is a good time to focus your intentions on new beginnings related to the structures and organization of your life.

Venus enters Aquarius on Thursday (18th), and a greater quality of humanitarianism may steal into our hearts.  Venus will be staying in this sign until 10th February, so there is plenty of time to practise good works and express good feelings.  Oprah has Venus in Aquarius natally, and you can spread the love even if you don’t have the money to be philanthropic.

On Saturday 20th, we have a sweet sextile between Mercury and Neptune, so the mind is affected by the finer feelings.  Compassion influences thinking, and inspiration flows into words.  Mind and spirit are aligned harmoniously.

The Sun also enters Aquarius that day, bolstering Venus’ attempts to widen our social initiatives.  You may find yourself rebelling against recent schedules, and looking at different choices, options and avenues which will give the next month more vision.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – revolutionary
• Tomorrow – healing
• Tuesday – wisely balanced power
• Wednesday – new beginnings
• Thursday – humanitarian; healing activities
• Saturday – mental inspiration and new vision

Karma Chameleon No. 1

Emily Bronte/Kate Bush

Emily Bronte was in the news this week, so that’s my opportunity to launch the first in a new occasional series “Karma Chameleons”!  She is in the news because it is the bicentenary of the year of her birth.  A row has erupted about the appointment of supermodel Lily Cole to the Bronte Society in order to assist this celebration.

The reason I have chosen Emily Bronte for the first “Karma Chameleon”, apart from the fact I have always been a fan of her novel Wuthering Heights and her poetry, is that she bears a remarkable resemblance to Kate Bush, whose big hit single of the 1970s bore the name “Wuthering Heights”.  It is tempting to think that she may, just may, be a reincarnation of Emily.

Emily Bronte

Emily Bronte had the Sun in Leo (Power and Drama), Ascendant in Scorpio (Passion, Power and Drama) and Moon in Cancer (love of Home and Family).  Her Venus and Mars were exactly conjunct (the alliance of love and sexuality, very much the tone of Wuthering Heights).  She was arguably the most sensual and passionate of the Bronte clan.  Emily had Saturn conjunct I.C. in Pisces in 4th House, symbolic of an impoverished, restricted and cloistered home life.  She had 0 Air planets, so processed life through instinct.  Her Sun was unaspected, except for a square to the Nodal Axis and a trine to Chiron, increasing Emily’s individuality. Her Moon was sextile Mars, giving her courage.  One of her poems begins:

No coward soul is mine

No trembler in the world’s storm-troubled sphere

I see Heaven’s glories shine

And Faith shines equal arming me from Fear

She had Mercury trine Uranus  (an original mind) and Mercury trine Neptune (a sensitive mind).  Pluto was trine Scorpio Ascendant from the early 5th House, showing the depth of her creativity and its theme of death in the ghostly Cathy Earnshaw, the heroine of Wuthering Heights.

The chart of the novel Wuthering Heights, published on 27th December 1847, has Sun in Capricorn and Moon in Virgo, representing the earthy environment and background of the Yorkshire Moors.  The Sun is exactly trine Mars, showing its energy and passion.  The Nodal Axis squares the Sun, reflecting that aspect in Emily’s own chart.  Mercury also trines Uranus, as in Emily’s chart.  Venus trines Jupiter, enabling the romantic element of the work to succeed.

Two trines stand out as transits for Emily on the publication of Wuthering Heights: Jupiter trine her Saturn in Pisces in 4th House conjunct closely I.C. (her impoverished and cloistered background), healing to that aspect of her life.  The other is Pluto trine her Neptune in Sagittarius in 1st House – a profound achievement.

Emily died aged 30, around the time of her Saturn Return.

Monsieur Constantin Heger, the mentor of Emily and her sister Charlotte in Brussels, said of her:

“She should have been a man – a great navigator. Her powerful reason would have deduced new spheres of discovery from the knowledge of the old; and her strong imperious will* would never have been daunted by opposition or difficulty, never have given way but with life. She had a head for logic, and a capability of argument unusual in a man and rarer indeed in a woman… impairing this gift was her stubborn tenacity of will which rendered her obtuse to all reasoning where her own wishes, or her own sense of right, was concerned”.

*Sun in Leo and Ascendant in Scorpio

Claire Harman in her biography of sister Charlotte tells us: “Emily’s violently suppressed feelings and her strong personality were a source of awe to Charlotte  , who later described her nature as ‘ standing alone’ from all others.”

In Claire Harman’s evaluation: “the reclusive and misanthropic second daughter of the parsonage turned out to have a romantic vision more extravagant than any. Novelist before her. It was primal, visceral and decidedly heretical”

Kate Bush

The first and most striking coincidence or comparison between Emily Bronte and singer Kate Bush is that they share exactly the same birthday: 30th July.  They are therefore both 7 degree Leo Suns.  It is a sign associated with creativity, and often with one big idea or creation, e.g. one child. In a biography by Rob Jovanovic. Kate is quoted as describing herself: ” I had such an excess of emotion that I needed to get it out of my system and writing was how I did it.  I could actually create something out of nothing.”

At the age of 19 in 1978 Kate made her debut record, “Wuthering Heights” (from her album “The Kick Inside”), a record which was more of a total experience than just a song, with the indelible image of Kate’s distinctive gyrations to her creation on video.  Countless performers have imitated her, but there’s only one Kate Bush!

Emily Bronte wrote one book, “Wuthering Heights”, and that too was iconic.  While Kate Bush has written and performed more than just that one song, it is this song which always comes to mind when her name is mentioned.

What’s in a name?  There are often recurring initials in a person’s incarnations, and their surnames both begin with B, and Emily’s heroine Cathy is a variation of Kate.

In the links between their charts, Kate Bush’s North Node (karmic projection) is exactly conjunct Emily Bronte’s Part of Fortune (joie de vivre).  We have a birthtime and Ascendant for Emily, though not for Kate.

They do look alike (and I hope to include an image at some stage with this blog)!

Like Emily, Kate is very strong willed, having half her planets (5) in the Fixed, strong willed signs.

Kate’s modern life has been much more empowered and self-determined than that of Emily, and Kate has an amazing triple conjunction between North Node/Jupiter/Neptune.  She was born on a Full Moon, and  wrote the song Wuthering Heights on a Full Moon (5/3/77).  Kate has Mercury trine Mars, and proved to be a prolific songwriter from childhood.  She shares the aspect Mars square Uranus with Emily – a sign of great electrical energy.  In fact, Kate does have formidable energy, in Mars trine Pluto.

Like Emily, she came from a talented family: her brothers have been dancers, musicians and poets.  Like Emily too, she is family-centred: ” I think I am most definitely a strongly emotionally-based person, and my family are totally integral, I think, to everything I do.” (from the same biography).  Kate is a proficient piano player, as was Emily.  Both Emily and Kate have reclusiveness in their make up.

The synastry between Kate and Emily as well as their Suns being exactly conjunct, includes Emily’s Mercury exactly opposite Kate’s Chiron, Emily’s Neptune sextile exactly Kate’s Jupiter, and as mentioned Emily’s Part of Fortune conjunct Kate’s Jupiter (a conjunction which shows a shared source of joy, and a delight in Emily’s work from Kate whether or not there is a soul connection).

Kate once gave a plug to Astrology, which is worth quoting here!

“I think there’s a lot in astrology. I think it’s a very ancient, well mathematically planned-out thing that a lot of people boo-boo. And I think it’s very unfair, because there’s a lot o very strong,  scientific knowledge in there. I think it’s been commercialised a lot, which is why people become so cynical. But I think the fact that people are born at a certain time, on a certain day, with stars in certain positions is bound to have some effect on that person because we are ruled by everything around us .”

“When I sing that song I am Cathy“ ~ Kate Bush

Lily Cole

Though not a contender as a Karma Chameleon, Lily Cole’s birthday (27th December) is also the publication date of the original novel Wuthering Heights.  She was born 140 years after its publication.  Saturn transits her natal Sun in Capricorn on February 4th this year, which may be connected with the current controversy.  But she will also have Uranus trine her Uranus on 2nd April this year, which may indicate a sparkling success.

According to the Guardian “Bronte Society member and author Nick Holland said he would resign over Cole’s appointment, which he called ‘rank farce’ “.  I personally find it hard to believe that he objects on the grounds of her being a supermodel, for what is wrong with that?  And besides, Lily Cole has a double first degree from the University of Cambridge in the History of Art, and is also an actress.  So she has other talents and accomplishments as well as being a supermodel.  She is producing a film about Emily Bronte for the celebrations.

With Mercury exactly conjunct Neptune in Lily’s (rhymes with Emily by the way) chart, Lily has a supersensitive mind and the ability to channel.  Her Uranus squares exactly the Nodal Axis, so she is capable of stirring up controversy.  The news erupted on Thursday 4th this week, when Uranus (controversy) was sextile her natal Chiron, and Neptune trine her Pluto.  She is capable of handling this, her statement being that she wished her film to be “judged on its own merits, rather than on my name, my gender, my image or my teenage decisions”.

She has a very strong exact conjunction of her Sun to Emily Bronte’s Jupiter, and Lily’s Jupiter trines Emily’s Mercury so she should do a good job of interpreting her work and life.  Furthermore, her Pluto (depth and insight) are exactly sextile Emily’s natal Venus/Mars conjunction, so she will do justice to Emily’s passion.

Aspects

We have 14 aspects to get through this week, a lot to handle, so without further ado:

There is an exuberant conjunction of Mars and Jupiter today in the sign of Scorpio.  Any task in hand today is likely to be handled with gusto, relish and passion!  It’s a high energy conjunction, and one you may need to pour enthusiasm into your New Year’s resolutions.  Pharrell Williams, he of the song “Happy” has this conjunction exact in his natal chart.

We also have a square between Mercury and Chiron today, which is not quite in the same groove.  Healing may be an issue, or a problem may need solving.  The answer lies in the question, therein lies a clue.

Tomorrow (Monday 8th) is a celebratory day, with a sextile between the Sun and Jupiter.  Success, luck and travel are all well-starred – party on!

We also have, the same day, the even more celebratory Venus sextile Jupiter, an aspect associated with romance and engagements, and enjoyable social gatherings.

In the evening, Mars sextiles Pluto – a strong forceful energy, which enables you to conduct your projects and operations with strength, power and vigour.

On Tuesday (9th) the Sun conjuncts Venus, a very loving vibe, and one under which artistic and musical projects can flow harmoniously.  Relationships can also flourish under this conjunction.

Venus also conjuncts Pluto, in fact it is a close triple conjunction in time in the morning.  This component of the triple conjunction is more challenging, requiring a deep soul searching, especially in the realm of relationships.

The third manifestation of the triple conjunction is the Sun conjunct Pluto, which means all creativity will have a great deal of depth that day (worthy of the Wuthering Heights novel).  You won’t get away with superficiality on that day – someone will call you out if you try to!

In the evening, Venus will be sextile Mars, a passionate and sensual sextile, again worthy of the Wuthering Heights novel.  This can of course be channelled into creativity too.

So, as you can see, Tuesday is intense and full on!

Wednesday (10th) has the Sun sextile Mars, providing even more energy and fuel for us this week!  You can continue the momentum on projects you were working on earlier in the week, knowing the planets are providing the stamina.  This sextile is often found in charts of sportspersons (I often come across it when researching tennis players in the Wimbledon season).

On Thursday (11th) Mercury enters Capricorn, bringing the lighter notes of the festive season well and truly to a close, and maybe you need to knuckle down to serious New Year projects.  The collective mind will be more focussed that it was in Sagittarius, and more methodical and systematic in its working.

That theme continues on Saturday (13th) with a conjunction of Mercury and Saturn.  Concentration and application are the order of the day.  Even if you are not at work, you’ll more than likely be engaged in something which requires planning and attention to detail in the home sphere.  Travel may be difficult or delayed.

We also have two Venus aspects occurring that day, the first of which (in the evening) is Venus square Uranus, disruptions in relationships.  Travel delay may mean a disruption in social plans for instance, or your phone battery may let you down when you are trying to inform the other party of delay or difficulty.

But then Venus sextiles Chiron, so there may be a happy ending after all.  Those who have been kept apart by Mercury/Saturn delay and Venus/Uranus disruption, may get together after all, and if so that could be very healing for their relationship.  That’s the possibility!

The week in bullet points:

• Today – Energy plus enthusiasm; healing crisis
• Tomorrow – Celebration, and energy
• Tuesday – Intense, and full on
• Wednesday – More energy
• Thursday – Attention and concentration
• Saturday – More concentration, some relationship disruption but then healing harmony

A Look at 2018, the Year Ahead

First, the Year that Was (2017)

The overwhelming memory of 2017, to my mind, was of having Tweedledum and Tweedledee (aka Trump and Jong Un) hovering over our global destiny, accusing each other of being immature.  Boris Johnson, our very own Foreign Secretary, made some inflammatory gaffes home and abroad.  Vladimir Putin continued to wax in power, while a tyrant, Robert Mugabe, was miraculously and peacefully removed.  You may have your own highlights, lowlights and overviews.  If so, why not share them under Comments?

At the end of March, Theresa May triggered Brexit under the no-going-back square formation between Jupiter and Pluto.

In June, with Jupiter going Direct, she suffered a surprise defeat at a hastily called General Election, and Jeremy Corbyn’s stock rose.

What are their possibilities for 2018?  More uncertainty for Theresa, especially around 20th February, with Neptune still exerting an influence on her Mars. 22nd July may be karmic for her and bring sudden changes in her life, with the North Node transiting her natal Uranus.  November is also an important time for her, when she may recoup, or be relieved of her duties, with Jupiter transiting her natal Saturn (4th) and her North Node (15th).

For Jeremy, will this be the year that he can seize power? 8/9th December sees a transit of Jupiter to his Chiron, which could be a breakthrough, especially if Theresa gives up prior to this.

The August 21st New Moon and Eclipse last year was a turning point for many Leos, but for Donald Trump, whose Ascendant was close to the end of Leo where the eclipse fell, it wasn’t the change that many hoped for.  He survived his first year of office.  Is there any chance of unseating him this coming year?  On 10th May the North Node transits his Pluto in 12th House, which could indicate a possible unseating.  If not, he may still be around in October, when on 12th of that month Jupiter transits his I.C. in 3rd House: he could cause a twitter storm on that day.  On 8th November Jupiter squares his Ascendant, causing even more than usual exaggerated behaviour, then moves into his 4th House of Home – could there be home changes? 16th November sees the North Node on his 12th House cusp, and entering his 11th House, so he may be making new karmic alliances at that time, possibly away from the White House…Looking at the U.S. chart, on 4/5th July (2018) Uranus will be transiting its natal Chiron in the 5th House, which may be a sudden healing crisis.

As Jupiter neared the cusp of Libra/Scorpio around 10th October, there was a monumental occurrence in the nature of that point of the zodiac, which represents the point of meeting between relationship (Libra) and sexuality (Scorpio).  The unmasking, after decades, of Harvey Weinstein’s casting couch techniques.  This has come to be a watershed moment, and as Jupiter entered Scorpio, we saw the “me too”  movement, and the Westminster sexual scandals, as a direct knock on effect.

If you are interested in the retrospective blog experience, have a look at my previous post

2018 Dates for your Diary if planning ahead:

January

Tuesday 2nd: Uranus stationary turning Direct, at 24 deg Aries preparing to go into Taurus – change and progress

Tuesday 16th: Jupiter sextile Pluto – Wise balance of power

Wednesday 31st: Full Moon and Eclipse in Leo – Emotional power.  May be a turning point.

February

Thursday 15th: New Moon and Eclipse in Aquarius – Brave New World

March

Friday 9th: Jupiter stationary, prior to turning retrograde – The need to go back and look at the detail

Friday 23rd: Mercury stationary, prior to turning retrograde – Communication disrupted

April

Saturday 14th: Jupiter sextile Pluto (see 16th Jan) – Wise balance of power, incorporating lessons from 16 Jan.

Sunday 15th: Mercury goes Direct again – Communications restored

Tuesday 17th/Wednesday 18th: Chiron enters Aries – simplifying health matters

Wednesday 18th: Saturn stationary, prior to turning retrograde – The need to secure foundations, and go over previous ground.

Sunday 22nd: Pluto stationary, prior to turning retrograde – A deeper level of setback, necessitating psychological understanding and awareness of reality.

May

Tuesday 15th: Uranus leaves Aries and goes into Taurus – Changes in the economy, both personal and international.

Saturday 19th: Venus sextile Uranus – Perfect for excitement at a Royal Wedding, and Surprises in the Football Cup.

Monday 21st: Mean Node transits natal 3rd/2nd House cusp of UK chart – Karmic changes in the economy of the U.K.

Friday 25th: Jupiter trine Neptune (see my blog for Christmas 2016) – Religious and Spiritual harmony and flow, and Idealism.

June

Monday 18th: Neptune stationary, prior to turning retrograde – Some retrospection on the Spiritual path.

Tuesday 26th: Mars stationary, prior to turning retrograde – Pause for reflection on active projects.

July

Tuesday 10th: Jupiter stationary, prior to turning direct – Momentum and enthusiasm returning.

Friday 13th: New Moon and Eclipse in Cancer – New beginnings and re-births in family matters.

Thursday 26th: Mercury stationary, prior to turning retrograde – Communication disrupted.

Friday 27th: Full Moon and Eclipse in Aquarius – The rise of the Inner Rebel

August

Tuesday 7th: Uranus stationary, prior to turning retrograde – More rebellion, and bids for freedom.

Saturday 11th: Mean Node transits UK natal I.C. in Leo in 2nd House – Karmic economic developments for the U.K.

Also, on the same day, New Moon and Eclipse in Leo – Power changes

Sunday 19th: Mercury goes Direct again – Communications restored.

Also, on the same day, Jupiter trines Neptune again (see 25 May) – Religious and Spiritual harmony and flow, and Idealism.

Saturday 25th: Grand Earth Trine between Sun in Virgo, Uranus in Taurus and Saturn in Capricorn – Extremely constructive, in a practical sense.

Monday 27th: Mars stationary, prior to turning direct again – The go ahead for active projects.

September

Thursday 6th: Saturn stationary, prior to turning Direct – Movement where there has not be any for some time.

Wednesday 12th: Jupiter sextile Pluto (as 16 Jan and 14 Apr) – Greater wisdom in the balance of power.

Wednesday 26th/Thursday 27th: Chiron retrogrades back to Pisces – refinement of old healing

October

Monday 1st: Pluto stationary, prior to turning Direct – Psychological progress

Friday 5th: Venus stationary, prior to turning retrograde – Relationships need work.

Friday/Saturday19/20th: Jupiter to natal U.K. Venus in Scorpio in 6th House – Health and Environmental benefits for the U.K. Could that extend to the NHS?

November

Tuesday 6th: Uranus retrogrades into Aries – Some unfinished business

Thursday 8th: Jupiter enters Sagittarius – A new hopeful dawn

Friday 16th: Venus stationary, prior to turning Direct again – Relationships eased and enabled.

Saturday 17th: Mercury stationary, prior to turning retrograde – Communication disrupted.

Sunday 25th: Neptune stationary, prior to turning Direct again – Progress on the Spiritual path.

December

Thursday 6th: Mercury stationary, prior to turning Direct again – Communications restored.

Saturday 15th: Saturn transits the U.K. 8th House cusp (for a two and a half year sojourn) – Difficulties in economic relations with other countries, possibly linked to Brexit.

Thursday/Friday 20th/21st: Jupiter transits natal U.K. Desc in Sagittarius, opposing Ascendant and entering 7th House – This helps international relations, so enables some progress to counterbalance the previous transit.  This transit will be effective for about a year.

Aspects

Tuesday (2nd) brings us a Full Moon at 11 degrees Cancer.  Emotions are likely to flow freely!  Personal emotions will come to a peak, but also there may be a collective event which causes tears to flow.  Tears of joy are possible.

On the same day, the Sun sextiles Neptune, and the higher, finer emotions may also be in play, bringing the creativity and inspiration of the Soul.  You may be able to take all that emotion, both personal and collective, and make of it something in your particular art, craft or musical expression.  Embodying the emotion in that way may be a good use of excess emotional energy.

Uranus is stationary, prior to turning Direct on Tuesday, as well.  Uranus, which entered Aries in 2010 bringing the Arab Spring, is now in the final stages of its dynamic mission in Aries, and preparing to go into Taurus.  For the purposes of Tuesday, it re-ignites the more positive facets of the element of the unexpected.  There may be long term (7 year) projects (probably collective or communal) that you have been engaged in, which can receive the final push now.

Wednesday (3rd) offers us a sublime sextile between Venus and Neptune, and if you started work on a creative or spiritual project the day before, you can add more artistry, poetry and music to it.  Relationships could be in divine harmony.

A sparky aspect reoccurs on Saturday (6th), with Mercury again trine Uranus (an aspect we enjoyed in November and December).  This aspect can bring bold and futuristic ideas, stimulating conversation, and successful technological upgrades. Have a yabba dabba doo time!

Wishing you all a very happy and Progressive 2018!

The week in bullet points:

• Tuesday – a full day: emotion flowing, expressed and channelled
• Wednesday – inspired Arts
• Saturday – out of the ordinary

 

For those who like Retrospectives – Selections from the blogs…

January

29th:

John Hurt (1940 – 2017)

Actor John Hurt died on Friday, he of that beautiful, craggy, vulnerable face which never failed to move me. As an Aquarian, I always felt he had an aura of untouchability too.  His birth chart is very indicative of that exquisite combination of sensitivity and detachment.

Birth Chart

His Sun was at 1 degree Aquarius, the essence of the trailblazer and the groundbreaker, ahead of his time in the roles he undertook.  But Pluto was exactly opposite the Sun in his chart – not an easy life, and he didn’t take on easy roles either.  With Chiron and Pluto in the 12th House of Unconscious, he used the power of his unconscious as a resource to convey the subtlety of his roles.

February

26th:

Claudio Ranieri

“Yesterday my dream died.” ~ Claudio Ranieri

In this fast moving era of replacing football managers, the sacking of Claudio Ranieri this week as the Leicester City Football Club manager would seem a routine event.  But to someone like me, who tends to have little interest in football, it is the culmination of a touching story.

“…Lineker admitted he shed a tear when he heard the news, and that very human reaction will have been replicated all over the country, even by those with no Leicester affiliation.”

~ Paul Wilson, writing in the Sunday Observer today

Birth Chart

Claudio Ranieri has 5 Cardinal planets, a sign of leadership.  As a Libran, and known as a “nice guy”, he is not as colourful or tempestuous in his emotions as the stereotypical Italian.  Indeed, he has been described as having a modest English temperament.  As a past life therapist, it is tempting for me to imagine that he does indeed have positive past life links with Leicester itself, giving rise to this dream-like episode in his life.

March

26th:

Westminster Terror

On Wednesday, Westminster Bridge was the scene of a terrorist incident and Parliament and its surrounding buildings were in lockdown. A British born man, Khalid Masood, drove into passersby then tried to enter the gates of Parliament, and stabbed a policeman to death.  Five people died in total, including the perpetrator, and fifty people were injured.  Though many potential attacks have been foiled since, this was the first attack of its scale in London since 7/7/05.  There are many questions yet to be answered and issues raised, such as whether he was acting alone, what were his motives, and how far he was influenced by radicalization by ISIS, whether police in the City should be armed, and how far the police can keep tabs on all suspects. I will have a brief look at the charts of some of those involved, though crucially some important dates are currently missing, such as the birth date of the brave and heroic policeman who lost his life, Keith Palmer.

Khalid Masood

The birth date of the killer, Khalid Masood, was clearly announced on the evening news on Thursday as 25th December 1964.  His age of 52 was remarkable as being untypical of the usual young radicalized Moslem involved in incidents of this type.  So far they have not established that he was working with a team, and there may be a strong element of mental illness involved. These rogue factors make it difficult for the police to identify who constitutes a strong risk.  Over the last year or two, there has been a pattern of cars or lorries on the continent driving into pedestrians, a method of killing which does not require sophisticated planning.  There was a copycat such incident the next day in Antwerp.

April

23rd:

Emmanuel Macron

France goes to the polls today, in the first round of their national elections. Following on from my blog two weeks ago about Marine Le Pen, I would like to concentrate on the other front runner, centrist Emmanuel Macron.  Since that blog, the other two candidates have come up in the ratings, and now there is only 4% in the polls between the top four candidates.  However, there is a chance that Emmanuel Macron may be the next French President.

“A victory for Macron would be the best outcome for the French and the least worst option for us too.” – Martin Kettle, writing in the Guardian.

Emmanuel Macron is only 39 years of age, which is very young for a French candidate for the presidency.  He has had a meteoric rise in politics over the last few years, and while he worked within the socialist sphere (he was a former adviser to President Hollande) he now declares that what France needs is for someone to bring the country together in the centre.

Martin Kettle goes on to say:

“There is a Macron-shaped hole in the centre of British party politics.  Corbyn doesn’t want to fill it.  May probably can’t.  Tim Farron isn’t strong enough.  yes somehow, some time, someone will have to fill it.  At least a Macron victory would prove it can be done.”

Marine Le Pen, leader of the Front National is an extreme right politician, Francois Fillon is also to the right, and Jean-Luc Melenchon is to the far left (the Corbyn and Bernie Sanders territory).  Needless to say, the choice of French President will be crucial for the EU, the Brexit process and globally.

Birth Chart

Mercifully for the Astrologer, all four French candidates have available birth times, so you can see the full picture of their chart.  Emmanuel Macron has an extremely strongly integrated chart in my view, with 10 exact aspects between planets and with angles.  The Sun is conjunct exactly with Mercury, giving him the capacity for concentrated thought, at the end of Sagittarius in his 12th House of Inner Vision. He studied Philosophy (Sagittarius) at University, and in debate has a considerable mental agility.  The capacity for application and hard work is further accentuated by the Sun/Mercury trine Saturn.  His Ascendant is in Capricorn, the sign of Politics.

May

14th:

Eurovision Song Contest 2017

As you may know, there is a tradition of writing about the Eurovision Song Contest on this blog, and this year is no exception.  So look away now if you are not an enthusiast!

Salvador Sobral

The winner of this year’s contest last night was Salvador Sobral, from Portugal.  It was a sensational win for several reasons.  It was the first win ever for Portugal (in 53 years), he won by a mile (gaining 758 points), and he had been unable to perform the first rehearsals because of a serious heart condition, plus the performance and presentation was stripped down to the basics.

Salvador has 6 of his 10 planets in Capricorn (Uranus, Moon, Sun, Neptune, Saturn and Mercury), and certainly managed to convey the pathos of that sign in his performance.  He was born on a New Moon in that sign.  He has the Rebel Archetype (Sun closely conjunct Uranus), but also great sensitivity and vulnerability (Sun conjunct Neptune).  His heart condition (or at least strain on his heart) shows up in his chart through difficult aspects to his Sun (the heart): oppositions from Jupiter and Chiron, and the complex conjunction with Uranus and Neptune.  His emotional sensitivity, which comes through in his singing, comes from a conjunction of the Moon and Neptune.  His Mercury is unaspected, and I suspect that enables him to bypass the mind when he is singing.  He has Jupiter exactly opposite Uranus, the mark of the Opportunist, who knows when to promote himself.

June

18th:

Grenfell Tower – Emotional Responses

It has been an intense few weeks in the U.K. and we are recovering from the Manchester bombing, closely followed by the London Bridge terror attack, then an extraordinary election, and now this week the horrifying spectre of the Grenfell Tower, black against the London skyline.  There has been so much emotion around it all, and the emotional responses of public figures especially have been under scrutiny.

There are so many angles and layers to the Grenfell Tower disaster, which will go on being analyzed for a long time to come.  There are so many stories yet to be told, identities of bodies to be unearthed, and responsibilities and blame to be attached.  I was unable to obtain birth dates for the new Labour MP, for the talented upcoming artist who died, the date of the building, and other possible subjects, and so I thought I would look at the emotional responses of key figures.

Chart of the Fire

On the morning of the disaster, I wrote:

“A chart drawn up for 1 a.m. shows the Mercury-Neptune square on the Ascendant and 4th House cusp, and the Sun-Saturn opposition on the Midheaven-I.C. axis, so these two difficult aspects of the week are not to be underestimated. The 1824 chart for London has transiting Saturn square its Sun (loss).”

July

2nd:

Wimbledon 2017 – Week 1

It’s that season again!  May the sun shine on Wimbledon lawns this next fortnight.  I  hope to be on hand to catch every astrological nuance, starting here with the first four seeds in the ladies and men’s game.  Look out for extra information under comments as we go along, and possible extra blogs.

Roger Federer  – No. 3 Seed

By the end of Wimbledon, he has Jupiter sextile his Sun (an excellent prospect), he still has Pluto strengthening his Venus, Jupiter square his Mars has lifted, Neptune still trines his Mars (you could see some stunning work if he is in the final), the Nodal Axis still squares his Uranus, Saturn still sits on his Neptune, but in addition Saturn is sextile his Pluto.  That could be a winning combination!

August

27th:

Diana, Princess of Wales (1961 – 1997)

The 20 year commemoration of her death

 Diana is probably the most photographed woman and style icon there has ever been in the world, and acres of material have been written about her.  Unprecedented tears were shed at her death, and this year at the 20th anniversary of her death on 31st August, it’s a chance for us to re-evaluate how we feel.

Birth Chart

Diana had all the textbook traits of  her Sun in Cancer: shyness, emotionality, maternal qualities, and a special fondness for children.  The Sun in her chart was placed in 7th House, emphasizing the importance of her marriage.  Great sensitivity, a mystical bent, plus a talent for dance, were added to this Sun by a trine from Neptune.  She had a special healing Grand Trine in the Water element, consisting of Sun/Mercury, Chiron and Neptune.  Shaking hands with AIDS patients at a time when it was unheard of comes to mind with this. In her own words: “HIV does not make people dangerous to know. You can shake their hands and give them a hug. Heaven knows they need it. What’s more, you can share their homes, their workplaces, and their playgrounds and toys.”

September

24th:

Strictly Come Dancing 2018 – Part 2

No apologies for another Strictly blog so hard on the heels of the last one!  Last night’s first display of dance was a feast of talent, with some outstanding performances which I think surprised the judges.

Joe McFadden

Now to my favourite programme Holby City, and we have two stars from Holby this series, not forgetting that Tom Chambers from Holby won the series in 2008 (the year Alexandra Burke won X Factor!)  Joe plays Scottish doctor Raf di Lucca in Holby, but he threw himself into the Jive in the first round on the Strictly dance floor last night, and inspired  a score of 8 from one of the Judges.  His character in Holby is described as “A dedicated, driven and passionate doctor” and Joe describes himself as “over-enthusiastic”.  But what does his birthchart tell us?  He has an exact conjunction of the Sun and Mercury in Libra, so he is musical and eager to please, with an intelligent way of going about things.  The extra enthusiasm, and the smile which won praise, may be a product of his Moon in Sagittarius and Jupiter opposite the Sun …  At the end of the series, there is a distinct lack of transits, so despite his brilliant start, circumstances may see him out of the competition before the final.

He is paired with Katya Jones, who was responsible for the sensational dance act of last year together with Ed Balls, so without looking at her chart I can say she has tremendous ingenuity and flair!  She is a solid dependable Taurean, with the nimbleness of a few planets sprinkled in Gemini.  She has a very positive mindset from Mercury conjunct Jupiter, which together with Joe’s positivity can move mountains…  At the end of the competition, she still has Neptune squaring her Jupiter, but Jupiter sextiles her Saturn (an uplifting and steadying factor), Mars sextile her Uranus (electrifying moments), Neptune still sextile her Neptune, but the added bonus of Jupiter conjunct Pluto, so if the planets don’t come forward for Joe maybe her planets might pull them both through.

October

8th:

Jupiter into Scorpio

Jupiter moves into Scorpio on Tuesday (10th) at 13.20 Hrs in the U.K., a giant leap for mankind.

Jupiter will uplift and support whichever House (sphere of life activity) it occupies in your chart, bringing luck and expansion to those affairs.  Collectively, it will support and enhance a deepening of relationships and a sharing of resources, in the nature of the sign of Scorpio.  If your birthday falls within the sign of Scorpio, then at some point or points you will reap some sort of bonanza, the like of which comes round once every twelve years.  If you have several planets in this sign (a satellitium), it could be the gift that keeps on giving.  If your Ascendant is in Scorpio, it will also be your year, beginning from when Jupiter transits the degree of your Ascendant.  For all of us it will be an intense ride, as Scorpio may bring out the best and the worst of this sign, and this sign is known for its excesses.

Jupiter last entered Scorpio in November 2005, and left the sign in November 2006.  How was that year for you?  You may expect some similar experiences, though you have grown and moved on, and the world has changed, so you will need to make a translation accordingly.

Jupiter in Scorpio

Scorpio among other things rules the world of finance, and various factions around the world, including our own Labour Party, are hoping to overturn the neo-liberal regime as promoted from the time of Margaret Thatcher, as an outdated system which does not work.  Jupiter in Scorpio may address this.

Scorpio also rules Psychiatry, and so there may be the long-awaited improvements in mental health services, the poor relation of the poor National Health Services.  Politicians in recent years have paid lip service to the need to put more resources into this area, so there is a possibility that they may put their money where their mouth is while Jupiter is in Scorpio.

November

19th:

Robert Mugabe Revisited

There were extraordinary scenes on the streets of Harare and Bulawayo in Zimbabwe yesterday, as the hitherto repressed populace marched in favour of a new regime and in favour of replacing the long time dictator Robert Mugabe, watched on by a friendly militia who seem to have engineered a bloodless coup, the outcome of which is still uncertain.  Is this a new model for how to replace a tyrant peacefully, or will they be unable to sustain the peace?

Robert Mugabe Record

93 year old Robert Mugabe has been in power in Zimbabwe for 37 years, and began as a freedom fighter against white minority rule, winning the battle against Nkomo to found a government.  The initial years of Mugabe’s government was characterized by social and economic reforms.  After two years, Nkomo fled the country, when Mugabe denounced him as a “cobra in the house”.  Since then, Mugabe has had a reputation for unpredictability.  In recent years, and increasingly, Mugabe’s regime has come to be known as one of repression, poverty and economic failure. He and his wife have become embroiled in accusations of corruption and profligacy.  In the words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, he has become “a cartoon figure of an archetypal African dictator”.

Birth Chart

I wrote about Robert Mugabe’s chart in August 2013:

” Robert Mugabe, in power since 1980 in Zimbabwe, unsurprisingly has power issues brought in from past lives, with his natal Sun conjunct the South Node (past lives), though maybe in other scenarios, such as Egypt.  His Sun exactly trines Saturn, making politics and ambition major themes of his personality and life…

Another interesting feature of his chart is his Mars conjunct Jupiter (indefatigable energy and enthusiasm combined) squaring his Uranus (changeable, unpredictable and incident-prone).  Note that he and Zimbabwe share the Mars square Uranus instability.”

December

3rd:

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: Royal Engagement

“All the stars were aligned…This beautiful woman just . . . tripped and fell into my life.”

~ Prince Harry

Prince Harry

Prince Harry has grown into one of the most beloved of the royal crew.  From a gawky young prince of the faux pas (e.g. wearing a Nazi uniform at a party), he has become a responsible supporter of worthwhile causes like his late mother, with a special fondness for Botswana.  Harry’s chart is quite grounded, with Mercury, Part of Fortune and the Sun in Virgo, the Moon in Taurus and Ascendant in Capricorn!  He is probably growing into his potential for serious purposes, shown in his Ascendant  and Jupiter in Capricorn, and Midheaven, Pluto and Saturn in Scorpio.  His Sun ruler Mercury is in the 8th House, which may be the emphasis on the death of his mother in his life.  He is creative, with Moon, North Node and Chiron in his 5th House.  The North Node loosely conjunct his Chiron could point ultimately to a healing karmic mission.  He is fond of foreign travel, with the Sun in 9th House, and could make a loving and profound contribution to the world with Venus and Pluto in the 10th House.  With Saturn in 11th House he may have few true close friends, but can co-operate in large group enterprises with Uranus later in that House.  Mars, Neptune and Jupiter in the 12th House of the Unconscious means he has a lot of inner drive, vision and dreams.

Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle has been an actor in a Canadian TV series Suits since 2011, showing commitment, skill and steadiness.  In addition she has undertaken responsible roles outside the acting profession, in raising awareness of various causes, such as feminism, and clean water in Rwanda.  Some have found her mixed race background controversial, but many see this as an asset, bringing diversity to the royal table.  Some have made comparisons between her, an American divorcee, and Wallace Simpson, but times have moved on and Meghan is a different proposition.  Meghan has Sun in Leo, so she is at home with royalty, and has pursued the Leo profession of acting, having a degree in theatre studies.  She also has the Sun, Leo’s ruler, in the 1st House and trine exactly the Midheaven, reinforcing the Sun/Leo theme.

Damian Green

Damian Green, Theresa May’s deputy (First Secretary of State), was sacked on Wednesday, the day Saturn went into Capricorn.  His transits were very telling, in that I had written that anyone with planets at 0 degrees of a sign would be very affected by that ingress.  What is remarkable about his chart is that he has Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune and Saturn all at 0 degrees of signs!  So transiting Saturn at 0 degrees Capricorn was quincunx his natal Uranus, trine his natal Jupiter, sextile his natal Neptune and semi-sextile his natal Saturn. In addition, Saturn was exactly sextile his natal Venus at 29 deg 53 mins Aquarius, which is virtually 0 degrees Pisces.

Birth Chart

Damian Green was born under the politician’s sign, Capricorn, but his Sun is part of a complex T-square opposing Uranus and squaring Neptune.  His Moon (emotional make-up) is unaspected.  Mercury is closely sextile his natal North Node, making him a gifted communicator.  Venus squares Mars/Saturn in his chart, a tendency to sensation seeking, possibly linked with the issue causing his resignation (that of pornographic material being found on his computer dating back 9 years).  This square is part of another T-square formed by Venus opposing Pluto/Jupiter (a powerful conjunction) and squaring the Mars/Saturn conjunction.  He does have some good trines in his chart: Venus exactly trine Neptune, Mars closely trine Uranus and Saturn trine Uranus, giving him some notable capabilities.

Theresa May and her Cabinet in Turmoil

Three of Theresa May’s cabinet have had to be sacked in just a few weeks (Michael Fallon, Priti Patel and now Damian Green). With the climate of tolerance on sexual abuse being changed by the Harvey Weinstein scandal (followed by the Westminster sexual scandal), Michael Fallon and Damian Green had to leave, whereas a year ago that may not have been the case.  Journalists have marvelled at how resilient Theresa May has been in the face of adversity, as many expected her to be removed from power by Christmas, after the debacle of the hastily called General Election.  David Davis said he would resign if Damian Green left, though he shows no sign of following through.  Boris Johnson continues to embarrass Theresa May at home and notably abroad.  A diplomatic trip to Russia this week resulted in an open spat with his foreign counterpart.  It is possible he may have pulled back some of the original damage in Iran, as it is hoped Nazanin Zhagari-Ratcliffe may still be released.

Damian Green’s Synastry with Theresa May

Theresa May has known Damian Green for 40 years since university days, and he was a very close and trusted member of her cabinet.  His departure is another nail in her coffin.  Their compatibility is unusually strong, with a myriad of interaspects, although some of these are challenging.  She was born three and a half months before him. Their best interaspect is her Neptune trine his Venus and sextile his Jupiter, ensuring a personal and idealistic bond.

Current Transits for Theresa

Currently Theresa has Mars square her Uranus (shock), Mars square her Chiron (irritation), Saturn sextile her Neptune (resilience on a spiritual level), Saturn trine her Pluto (strength), Uranus trine her Venus (unusual relationship events), and Pluto trine her Jupiter (the luck of being able to hold on to power).

Transits for Damian

The sacking of Damian Green came about as a result of him having lied about the extent of his knowledge of police investigations in the past.  The allegation of possessing porn on his computer was not actually illegal. At the time of his original arrest in November 2008 Pluto was sextile his Venus, sextile his Neptune and trine his Jupiter (a shocking set of event but resolved for the time being without harm to him).  Current transits have already been described in my opening paragraph.

Kate Maltby

Journalist and family friend Kate Maltby claims that Damian Green once put a hand on her knee fleetingly at a pub in 2015, and in 2016 sent her a suggestive text message.  This information has not helped his case, but as there is no date of birth available for Kate I cannot investigate further astrologically.

Police Involvement

Bob Quick and Neil Lewis, former police officers who revealed the existence of the material on Damian Green’s computer from 2008, have faced criticism from Theresa May and other Conservative politicians, and may be themselves the subject of an investigation for making the revelations.

Bob Quick was a senior police officer from 2008 to 2009.  In October 2008 it came to light that there had been leaks of official documents from the Home Office, and Damian Green’s then parliamentary office was searched (he was in the Shadow Cabinet at the time).  Damian Green was arrested at the time and released.  Quick was forced to resign on 8 April 2009, having inadvertently exposed a secret document.

Bob Quick’s transits for his original resignation were Neptune on his Chiron (chaotic), Pluto trine his Sun and Pluto (results of his use of power).  This week Neptune was square his Venus (involvement in a scandal) and Mars sextile his Saturn (feeling some harshness).  Quick has said: “I bear no malice to Damian Green”.

I do not have a birth date for the other police officer, Neil Lewis, who is retired but analysed Damian Green’s computer in 2008.  He offered up his notebook from that time, has been criticized for breaching confidentiality, and some have hinted at a possible vendetta by the police against Damian Green.

Commissioner Cressida Dick has said: “If offences have been disclosed and that can be proved, there could be a prosecution.”

In Conclusion

Damian Green’s removal is a personal blow to Theresa May, reporter Laura Kuenssberg having described him as knowing her best: “To lose one of the few who understood her, who she trusts, leaves her a lonelier figure”.

Aspects

Sunday 24th (Christmas Eve) promises to be a lively day karmically, with Jupiter squaring the Nodal Axis.  This may be characterized by a great deal of interaction, and attempts at jollity.  For those spending Christmas Eve alone, there may be some vigorous introspection, and possible insight into past life interaction with groups.  There is a chance for groups to be upwardly mobile in their evolution.

One would hope for a buoyant aspect for Christmas Day itself (25th) but Venus enters Capricorn that day and then conjuncts Saturn, so emphasis may be on serious issues for at least parts of the day.  Venus leaving Sagittarius and entering Capricorn may have a sense of anti-climax, and Venus conjunct Saturn (at 0 degrees Capricorn) ensures that there will be at least one grumpy family member keeping the excitement low key.

On the other hand, the more serious messages of Christmas may be more easily seen and felt, e.g. the charitable feelings about those who are homeless and in crisis, and the material versus the spiritual issues may be more easily realized, understood and even acted upon.  There may be an emphasis on elderly relatives, too.  Christmas may seem quieter than usual, with some of the gathering insisting on having their daily meditation or keeping the volume turned down.  And of course, Venus conjunct Saturn also can turn the attention to departed loved ones and their place in our hearts.

A different mood arrives on Thursday (28th) with Mars trine Neptune.  There is a renewed spiritual energy, and sense of the sacred, with this trine.  Perhaps you have had a chance to reflect on the messages of the week, and are forming charitable, idealistic and even rosy conclusions, in retrospect.  It is the sort of aspect that brings about attitudes such as “there’s a meaning behind everything”, “everything is meant to be as it is”, and “everything has a purpose” and that meaning is often found in retrospect.  This is also a day when you may experience magic or inspiration, or achieve subtle interactions.  Activities which combine physicality and spirituality flourish and prove beneficial, such as Tai Chi, Qigong and Yoga.

Friday (29th) offers us a trine between Mercury and the North Node, so we can make more sense of our karmic interactions and information.  This favours teaching and learning, and exchanging information.  With Mercury having changed directions, we have had this aspect recently, and you may have noted its effect for you.

All that remains is for me to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas!

The week in bullet points:

• Sunday – lively karma
• Monday – restrained
• Thursday – inspired
• Friday – mentally stimulating