Emily Dickinson (1830 – 1886) and Taylor Swift

“If my lyrics sound like a letter written by Emily Dickinson’s great-grandmother while sewing a lace curtain, that’s me writing in the Quill genre.”

~ Taylor Swift

A genealogical link was reported this week between America’s currently most popular singer Taylor Swift, and its most popular female poet, Emily Dickinson.  Popular genealogy site Ancestry  revealed that they are sixth cousins thrice removed.  Is it possible also that Taylor Swift may be a reincarnation of Emily Dickinson?

Part 1

Emily Dickinson

“Some keep the Sabbath going to Church

I keep it, staying at Home”

~ Emily Dickinson

Birth chart

The two have birthdays within three days of each other, Taylor 13th December, and Emily 10th December (Sagittarians, both).  They were both born in the same early segment of the morning, within an hour of each other, 4.40 a.m. (Emily) and 5.17 a.m. (Taylor).  Consequently, they both have Scorpio Ascendants (Scorpio Rising).  They are both high in Cardinal signs: 6 out of 10 for Taylor, and 5 out of 10 for Emily.

Emily has a supremely literary triple conjunction in Sagittarius of the Sun with Mercury and Venus.  Mercury and Venus together depict the Writer’s Archetype.  Much of Emily’s poetry is described as transcendent, and she has the mystical conjunction of Jupiter and Neptune exact in her 3rd House of Poetry in Capricorn, the poignancy of which is shown by the trine of Chiron to that conjunction.  Chiron itself bears a poignant position in her birth chart, appearing exactly on her Descendant (relationship point).  Dickinson lived much of her life in isolation, and this is clearly shown in her having the Moon (day-to-day lifestyle) in the 12th House of Isolation.  Much of her poetry was also concerned with death and dark romanticism (she was hit hard by the many deaths of loved ones in her life), and that is shown by Venus loosely trine Pluto (the planet of death):

Because I could not stop for Death –

He kindly stopped for me –

The Carriage held but just Ourselves –

And Immortality.”

Her passion, too, is shown by the conjunction of Mars and Pluto.  Saturn being conjunct the Midheaven (Career Point) points to the fact that she was not known about in her lifetime, occurring in the 10th House of Reputation.  This is also part of a triple conjunction, with the North Node (karmic mission), indicating that it was her destiny to plough that anonymous path.

Life and Career

Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachussetts.  Her father was a lawyer, and she was one of three siblings, having a brother Austin and a sister Lavinia, to whom she always remained close.  As a child, she developed her musicality and played the piano well.  She was educated at Amherst Academy, then stayed for a while at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary.

At the age of 14, she experienced her first traumatizing death, and its accompanying melancholy, that of her second cousin Sophia from typhus.  Pluto was transiting opposite her natal Moon at the time, death of a close female.

She was especially emotionally close to her brother’s wife Susan, whom she first met in Boston while recovering from the death of cousin Sophia, long before Susan married Emily’s brother Austin.  Susan was born only 9 days after Emily in the same year, so shared close ties in their birthcharts, and may have been soul mates.  Because of the mystery and ambiguity in her writings and her isolated lifestyle, Emily’s relationships have been a cause of intrigue, and she did have a number of close relationships, often alluded to in her writings.

One of these was Samuel Bowles, a married man, who published a few of her poems in his newspaper The Springfield Republican  He was close to her until he died in 1873.   She met him in her brother’s home, and they often discussed their shared interests of politics, and reform.  During the course of her life, she wrote him many letters and poems.  Their synastry indicates a constraint in their relationship (his Saturn opposite her Venus), as well as a complexity (his Uranus on her Neptune).

She became increasingly withdrawn and isolated in her life, by choice, taking to wear white and hardly leaving her home.  She did, however, continue to correspond to friends, sending flowers and snatches of poetry.  She suffered from Bright’s disease, a condition of the adrenals, which exacerbated her withdrawal.   She died on 16 May 1886, at 6:00 p.m., in the same house she was born in.  The prolific extent of her poetry was only discovered after her death in 1886, with the discovery of over 1000 poems by her sister Lavinia.  Some of these were published posthumously in 1890.  Among her letters that remained (Lavinia burned some of them in accordance with Emily’s wishes) were three letters, known as “The Master Letters”, to an unknown love, or composite loves, which have been a source of conjecture about the various identities of her male friendships.

Literary Output

Early influences in her writing were William Wordsworth and Ralph Waldo Emerson.  She also came to love the work of Shakespeare, Charlotte Bronte and William Blake.  Her style was succinct, with idiosyncratic punctuation and unconventional capitalization.  Her use of punctuation gained effect from pauses and silences.  There is a great sense of ambiguity in her work, so that her poems repay revisiting in order to subsequently glean more meaning.

“The Soul has Bandaged moments –

When too appalled to stir –

She feels some ghastly Fright come up

And stop to look at her – “

Her poetry has been compared to that of W.B. Yeats.  Early publications of her work were distorted by alterations made by the Victorian sensibilities of the time according to traditional poetic forms and punctuation.  She may have been ahead of her time, in her more streamlined style.

Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –

Part 2

Taylor Swift

“If my lyrics sound like a letter written by Emily Dickinson’s great grandmother while sewing a lace curtain, that’s me writing in the quill genre.”

Regular readers of my blog who have good short-term memory, will realize that I only just wrote about Taylor Swift on 11th February!  Here is some re-cap:

Birth Chart

“Taylor has over half (6) of her planets in the Cardinal signs, marking her out as a leader, which she is in many ways.  She has the Sun in Sagittarius, but unaspected, making her very Individualistic, and Venus. An exception is a karmic sextile to her Sun from the North Node, so she may be driven by destiny.  She has a fascination for storytelling, and one of the Archetypes for Sagittarius is The Storyteller.  Venus is also unaspected, making her a free spirit in terms of relationship…”

Life and Career

“Swift’s parents were very supportive of her ambition (Saturn trine her natal Midheaven), and she began song-writing professionally at the age of 14.  By 2005 she had signed with a record label, Big Machine Records.  She was heavily influenced by the country music genre (Shania Twain being a favourite), and her first album “Taylor Swift” was released in 2006, but by 2014 (the year when she moved to New York after living in Nashville) she had departed from this genre with her fifth album “1989” (which was her birth year)…Harvard University has her lyrics as part of their curriculum, entitled “Taylor Swift and her World”, acknowledging the phenomenon that she is.”

Relationships

“Relationships are all good fodder for songwriting, and Taylor Swift has had a stream of boyfriends, including Joe Jonas, Jake Gyllenhaal, Calvin Harris, Tom Hiddleston, Matt Healy and Joe Alwyn.  Most of the relationships were short lived, except for the six year relationship with Joe Alwyn.  And so to Travis Kelce..”.

Part 3

Comparisons

Physically, there is some resemblance, particularly around the mouth area.

Astrologically, they have extraordinary “coincidences” in common: close birthdays, the same rising signs, similar birth times.

Both have had problematic relationships.

They are both highly popular in their country as wordsmiths.

However, their lifestyles are completely different: one reclusive, and the other seeking the limelight.  Their natures may be different, but sometimes souls choose a completely different type of life for balancing purposes.

It’s also interesting that although she rarely ventured from her home at Amherst, Massachussetts, she did once, uncharacteristically, undertaking a long journey to Pennsylvania – the place where later her descendant Taylor Swift was born.

So, are they merely related, or is Taylor Swift a reincarnation of Emily Dickinson?  The astrology is compelling (and I have looked at many such pairs over the years, including Kate Bush and Emily Bronte).  A particular detail which could indicate a reincarnated soul is in their synastry, where Taylor Swift’s Pluto (Rebirth) is exactly conjunct Emily Dickinson’s Ascendant. But the jury is still out, not quite there.

Aspects

First of all, Happy Mother’s Day!

The day’s aspects started in the early hours with the ingress of Mercury into Aries.  You might need to be prepared for plain speaking today, whether your own (perhaps without engaging the brain!), candid words from others, or unpalatable government announcements. You will need to get to the point much more directly in your communications, and there is more sense of urgency about paperwork.  So, more direct communication is on the cards.

At breakfast time, we were treated to a New Moon in Pisces, which is the most sensitive manifestation of the New Moon, and a time to set intentions, make affirmations, and creatively visualize along the lines of peace in your own environment, and the plight of war-torn nations around the world.  Lessons we have recently learned can be put to good use.  It may be time to soothe old wounds and move on.

This evening Mercury is sextile with Pluto, a harmony which can produce profound thought and communication, honouring the gravity of a situation if necessary, and enabling meaningful debate to occur.  It is a good space for reading something profound, such as the poetry of Emily Dickinson.

Tomorrow, Monday 11th, Venus enters Pisces, bringing in a greater component of compassion.  You may have been looking at things in a mental or practical way, and may be able to relax a little and allow the heart greater expression.  The trend towards tenderness lasts until her entry into Aries on 5th April.  Charities can be honoured and prioritized, and the Arts can be especially inspired during this period.

We’ll have to be content with a Fixed Star for the rest of the week, in the absence of aspects.  Wednesday 13th has an alignment between our Sun and Markab, the alpha star of the constellation of Pegasus. “Starlight Elixirs” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld reveals of this star’s influence:

“Markab can strengthen the ability to share psychic gifts such as telepathy in a loving way.  The characteristics of individuals who have struggled with telepathy will come into greater focus and consciousness so that they can resolve the deeper issues.  There is an enhanced ability to travel to remote locations with the astral body and exchange information easily with others at such a location.  This is a form of telepathy.”

The week in bullet points:

• Today – plain speaking; new beginning; profound thought
• Tomorrow – greater compassion
• Wednesday – the development of telepathy

Dave Myers (1957 – 2024)

“David’s warm smile, hearty laugh, and genuine love for people were not just the ingredients of his success but a reflection of his zest for life.

“His presence brightened our screens, and his heart and soul inspired all who knew him and many others to embrace the simple pleasures of sharing a meal with loved ones.”

~ Robson Green

I’ve watched my fair share of Hairy Biker episodes in my time, and will admit to shedding a tear this week to hearing that Dave Myers at the age of 66, one half of the duo, is no longer with  us.  The two of them seemed to be so joined at the hip, that your heart goes out to his “brother” Si King.  How many towns and cities in the U.K. and around the world did we visit with them, in search of culinary inspiration?  Last night, I watched them in Mississipi and New Orleans…

Birth Chart

Dave Myers had the Sun in Virgo, a sign known to be interested in health, diet and hygiene.  The Hairy Bikers experimented with all sorts of regimes, and produced a book for each, among which were Veggie Feasts, and Eat to Beat Type 2 Diabetes.  They set up The Hairy Bikers Diet Club.  Dave’s Sun was conjunct Mercury, the ruler of Virgo, accentuating his Virgoan qualities.  But his qualification as a Biker Archetype permeates the picture painted by his birthchart.  First of all, he had the Sun conjunct Mars, then he had the North Node in Scorpio, the Moon opposite Pluto, and finally Mercury closely conjunct Mars, all going to make a convincing recipe for a Biker.  That’s also a lot of energy.  The Mercury/Mars conjunction in particular gave him very sharp mental and physical reactions.  He was born close to a Full Moon in Pisces, giving him that childlike wonderment which was part of his enthusiasm about life and food.  His Moon was also trine Neptune, indicating a sensitive Soul, and being opposite Pluto it will have made him deeply emotional.  He had a very artistic side, with Venus in Libra, loosely conjunct Neptune, and used his artistry earlier in life in connection with disability (Neptune).  Jupiter closely sextile Saturn provided excellent balance and judgement, and Jupiter sextile Uranus gave him the Entrepreneur Archetype.  Together with Simon, he sold a lot of books!  Saturn closely trine Uranus gave him a constructive sense of how to bring the old and the new together, while Jupiter trine Chiron gave him insight into healing.  He made a good recovery from his recent cancer, in order to create a comeback series of programmes with Si.  We do not have his birth time, which would provide a more finely tuned picture.

Life and Career

Dave Myers was born in Barrow-in-Furness, and Si King was born in Kibblesworth, Co. Durham, giving rise to a duo of distinctly northern accents.  Dave’s father was a foreman in a paper mill.  After he left school, he went on to study Fine Art at Goldsmiths College, London, which was followed by an M.A. in Art History (Venus in Libra).  He subsequently worked as a professional make-up artist, and specialized in prosthetics (Venus conjunct Neptune).  This constituted 23 years of his life.  While working on a period drama in 1995, he met Si King (when his progressed Sun moved to his natal Venus, indicating a significant partner in his life).  The first television show they appeared on was The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook on BBC (2006).

I remember thinking at the time, that the format was similar to the slightly earlier Two Fat Ladies.  Clarissa Dickson Wright and Jennifer Paterson were born a decade or two before the Hairy Bikers, and began their television journey a decade before, but travelled in Paterson’s Triumph Thunderbird motorbike, with Dickson Wright occupying the sidecar.  Clarissa had Mercury sextile Mars, a variation on Dave’s Biker astrological themes.  Myers and King together took the format to another level.

A 30-part series was undertaken from 24th August 2009, touring Britain, saw transiting Pluto sextile Dave’s natal Neptune (an in-depth undertaking) plus Pluto trine his natal Pluto (a supreme effort, and self-empowerment), while for Si Jupiter was trine his natal Venus (a successful achievement).

An even longer series, of 40 parts, took place starting on 25th October 2010, comprising of competitions between families, and entitled The Hairy Bikers’ Cook Off.  The transits seemed more significant for Si this time, with Jupiter on his natal Saturn (uplifting) and Neptune trine his natal Sun (spiritual).

Having launched their Hairy Dieters series in 2012, they created The Hairy Bikers’ Diet Club in 2014, inviting the engagement of their fans.

Their roving motorbikes took them all over the world, from Portugal to Morocco, taking us with them. In 2015 they wrote their autobiography The Hairy Bikers: Blood, Sweat and Tyres.

Si King

Theirs was a wonderful working partnership.  Si is a Libran, a sign which expresses itself best through collaborative partnership.  Dave, as the Virgo, represents the desire to give of service.  In their synastry, they both share Virgoan and Scorpionic placements, in itself an indication of harmony.  Crucially, King’s Mercury sextiles Myers’ Mars, itself a Biker aspect.  But even more significantly, King’s Pluto conjoins Myers’ Mars, another Biker interaspect, and one engendering great dynamic energy between them.  The major transit occurring for Si King this week on Dave’s passing was Uranus exactly trine Pluto to the day, life being changed due to a passing – as seen his natal Pluto being exactly conjunct Dave’s Mars (“The Hairy Bikers”). King wrote that his “best friend is on a journey he can’t follow.”

Liliana Orzac

His wife, whom he married in 2011, describes Dave as “a wonderful, brave man”.  They met in 2005 while Dave and Si were filming in Romania on their first series.  The Hairy duo walked into a Hotel’s reception, where Liliana worked, and made an instant impression.  In the intervening years, they kept in touch and years later, she visited England and says she was bowled over by his kindness, that being a quality treasured by many in their eulogies.  Dave  picked her up from the airport and asked her ‘What do you want me to cook for you?’ She explains “I’d never ever in my life had a man cook for me …My heart melted”.  He became very close to her children.  She finished her Facebook announcement this week by saying “Till next time we meet!”

Recent Years

On 5th May 2022 Dave Myers announced a diagnosis of cancer, though he did not specify what type.  At the time, Mars was opposite his natal Sun (a challenge), and Uranus was trine his natal Sun, a change of lifestyle, which resulted in him withdrawing for a while.  In the meantime, he underwent a regime of chemotherapy.  In January 2023, he announced that they were making a new series of The Hairy Bikers show (Go West).  This must have been enormously demanding physically, but he obviously felt up to it, and the completed series started airing this month, taking them from Scotland to Devon.  In the first episode, Dave said “It was a dream come true…I wasn’t sure I’d ever get back in the saddle again.  There was a time I couldn’t balance, I couldn’t walk”.

This week, Mars was transiting his natal Chiron (healing crisis), Uranus was trine his natal Mars (riding high on his new series), and Pluto square his natal Neptune (end of an era).  For someone with such joie de vivre, he had had a last hurrah.  How much he seemed to enjoy his life and work, infectiously so.

“He was an absolute joy to work with,” Tebbutt said. “He was just so down to earth, self deprecating, he was normal. There were no airs and graces.

“He was a genuinely lovely guy who genuinely enjoyed and loved what he did. I think that shines through in all the shows.

“The nation loved him because he was that bloke that you could relate to. Whether you saw him out in the shops or down the pub or wherever, he was just a normal, nice guy.”

~ Matt Tebbutt

Aspects

Today’s aspect is a square between Venus and Uranus.  It may be an abrasive day for meetings.  The way through is to use your intuition, and stay one step ahead.  Relationships can be disrupted, and subject to misunderstandings.  On the other hand, on another level, it can open up telepathic communication between individuals  on a higher level.

Tomorrow (Monday 4th) brings us two congenial sextiles, the first between Mercury and Uranus.  This aspect gives rise to spectacular and unusual communications.  This encourages us to use all the new technology for our communications, and brings new ideas, heightening intuition and telepathy.   This aspect can amaze you and help you find that “wow” factor.

The second sextile, between Mars and the North Node, is an opportunity to express warriorship reasonably safely. You may be able to get your message across directly and actively, in speaking your truth or setting an example.  If you are a follower of Dan Millman (the “Peaceful Warrior), I’ll be preaching to the converted…  If you are a timid type, there is scope to embolden yourself slightly.  It’s a good aspect for bikers, both earthly and celestial.

Midweek sees a hiatus from aspects, so I am reaching out to the Fixed Stars to see us through Tuesday 5th and budget day Wednesday 6th.  There is an alignment at that time with the Star Achernar from the constellation of Eridanus (The River).  “Starlight Elixirs” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld reveals to us:

“This star has the capacity to increase the mental functioning needed for the ability to work in multiple dimensional understanding.  This can be helpful for some individuals who not only seek to understand the relationship of mathematics and science to the everyday world, but who also have a concept of the limitations of science at the current time.  This can be helpful to individuals who have blockages to science and mathematics in themselves, assisting them to bridge these blocks.  This star is helpful for individuals who seek to teach science and math to individuals of an artistic bent.”

Around 5th to 7th (Chiron Ephemerides vary), the North Node conjoins with Chiron at 17 degrees Aries.  Here in this conjunction, the potential for crisis or healing combines with collective karma.  For example, we may see groundbreaking health innovations during this time, or international crisis talks about the state of the world (for Ukraine, the Middle East, or about Putin).  A ceasefire for Gaza may be in that picture.  In our own lives, we may be shown where we next have the need to focus our healing efforts.

Mercury conjoins Neptune on Friday 8th, at 27 degrees of Pisces.  This conjunction can link you mentally with your spiritual sources, and provide the inspiration much needed at this time. It is a good time to ask for guidance, though you may have to sift reality from illusion, even in the guidance you receive.

On Saturday 9th we end with a square, just as we started with one at the beginning of the week.  This one involves Mars and Uranus, which can be hair raising, explosive or brittle.  So it is advisable to chill out, and urge others to do so, and hope the message radiates.  This square can also be accident-prone, so if you are out riding your bike, make sure your helmet is firmly held on.  There may be some escalation of aggression in the current wars.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – abrasive
• Tomorrow – congenial: spectacular communication; expressing warriorship safely
• Tuesday – multiple dimensional understanding
• Wednesday – crisis talks
• Thursday – healing applications
• Friday – channelling
• Saturday – need to calm situations

Lindsay Hoyle

“Just when you hoped you’d reached rock bottom, parliament finds a way of going still lower…Everyone wanted a ceasefire.  Only they wanted their own ceasefire, not anyone else’s ceasefire.”

~ John Crace

You will have seen the chaos in Parliament this week, specifically Wednesday evening.  It was to have been the day for the Scottish National Parliament to put forward their amendment on the situation in Gaza.  Instead, the Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, against protocol allowed an extra amendment to be put forward by the Labour Party for voting, a new stance for them, stealing thunder from the SNP.  And the Tories threw their toys out of their pram and left the chamber.  Sir Lindsay apologised, but there have been calls for him to resign, and that may come to pass after the posting of this blog, though I am hoping it won’t.

Birth Chart

Lindsay Hoyle as Speaker of the House of Commons has been regarded as a decent man and a safe pair of hands for this role, especially after the controversies surrounding his predecessor John Bercow (who has gone on to take part in reality TV, for example The Traitors US).  Lindsay has half his planets (5) in the Fixed signs, indicating a strong will, although his Sun sign Gemini is itself adaptable.  We do not have a birth time for him.  His natal Sun trines Chiron, so he is fundamentally a healer.  The theme for Gemini is Communication, therefore “The Speaker” is almost an Archetype for this sign!  And having Mercury sextile Mars heightens communication in Lindsay’s chart, making him straight talking.  Mercury is his ruling planet and with Mercury trine Jupiter, he is an intelligent and broad-minded being, with deep thinking born of Mercury closely square Pluto.  Venus trine Neptune means he likes the finer things in life – he formerly ran a textile and screen printing business.  Mars exactly sextile Jupiter shows an extravert, energy which is well coordinated with enthusiasm.  He has Mars trine the North Node, so is a warrior in respect of his karmic mission.  Saturn also trines Uranus in his chart, which is a balance between the old and the new – perhaps he thought there should be a new way of doing things, in that moment…

Life and Career

Lindsay was born in Adlington, Lancashire.  His father was Labour MP Doug Hoyle.  He became Labour MP for Chorley in 1997.  During Tony Blair’s premiership he clashed with him on certain issues (e.g. Gibraltar and tuition fees).  He stated:

“I’m not anti-Tony; he made us electable and won three times. But there are principles and promises you don’t break”.

Lindsay took over as Speaker from John Bercow on 4th November 2019, with the transits of Mars trine his natal Sun in Gemini (activating his Speaker Archetype), Uranus sextile his natal Venus (new social vistas) and Uranus square his Uranus (big Change in his life, bearing in mind the Speaker’s official residence is at Speaker’s House, in a corner of the Palace of Westminster).  Hubby and I watch Prime Minister’s Question Time regularly on a Wednesday lunchtime, and I sympathize with Lindsay Hoyle’s constant battle to subdue the hubbub in the Commons.

Tensions are high over the issue of Gaza, and Lindsay said he was worried about threats to his MPs, and so was putting safety concerns foremost.  Explaining the reasons for his self-confessed “mistake” this week, he stated:

“I never ever want to go through a situation where I pick up a phone to find a friend, of whatever side, has been murdered by terrorists”.

His transits this week revealed Neptune sextile his natal Mercury (a finely tuned decision to make) and Pluto square his natal Neptune (a deep and tricky dilemma).

Keir Starmer

Although the broad consensus in the chamber was the desire for a ceasefire in Gaza, the devil resided in the detail being fought over, a province of Keir Starmer’s Sun sign Virgo.  His Sun’s natal forensic conjunction with Pluto being a quality which saw him successful in his earlier role at the head of the CPS.

For Labour, it was an issue of the party being split, and the new amendment was an attempt at unity.  Keir is of the opinion that the SNP try to divide the Labour Party at every turn, but the Gaza issue is one of the utmost seriousness, and it was to be the day the SNP wanted to drive their amendment home.  Keir was accused of leaning heavily on Lindsay, who has to be impartial and keep to the conventions of the House.  Looking at his transits, you can see that while he may not have intended to lean too heavily on Lindsay or be seen to do so, he had a strong hand in Jupiter trine his Sun (luck on his side) and Jupiter trine his natal Pluto (power on his side) which he may even have unconsciously overplayed.  Where the result was harshly experienced, was the trigger of Mars transiting his Saturn, so the result was not congenial all round.

Stephen Flynn

Leader of the Scottish National Party in the House of Commons, Libran Stephen Flynn cuts an elegant figure on Wednesday lunchtimes, sometimes reaching the parts Keir Starmer doesn’t get round to.  His fascinatingly crisp thought and speech, which he delivers in a suave manner, usually with one hand in his pocket, at PMQs, is always worth hearing.  He has the strength of Saturn exactly conjunct his natal Uranus, Pluto exactly trine his North Node in Pisces (his interventions are often poignant); but the steeliness of his delivery sometimes owes much to his square between Mars and Saturn.

This week he turned very angry on Wednesday night, with Pluto sextile his natal Mars (a righteous anger perhaps?).  He has been trying to nail his point about Gaza for weeks.  And although he does get to pose two questions at PMQs, I do tend to think the SNP get a short straw in Parliament.

Penny Mordant

“Penny was all ice.  The theatrical fury of the intellectually compromised. Unable to see that putting all the blame on to Labour and exonerating Lindsay Hoyle was an untenable position…The rights of the SNP.  Mordant has never cared about the SNP.”

~ John Crace

Penny Mordaunt, Leader of the House of Commons, seems to have had a more prominent role in the chaos than PM Rishi Sunak.  She was heroic, carrying the sword at the coronation, but she always looks glum, sitting next to Rishi at PMQs.  The day after the debacle this week, she read the riot act to the assembled parliamentarians, without acknowledging that every section had contributed to the mess.  Her transits paint a picture of her exercising her power, with Pluto on her Jupiter, and Mars sextile her natal Neptune.

Rishi Sunak

“A Tory amendment whose only function was to knock out Labour’s, as there was hardly a cigarette paper between them.”

~ John Crace

Rishi got off relatively lightly compared to the above four participants in the drama.  He later stated that Sir Lindsay’s decision was “very concerning because the usual ways in which Parliament works were changed”.  Rishi’s main transit was Uranus trine his natal Saturn, a strengthening influence.

With the level of discord and uncertainty which accompanied proceedings in parliament this week, it is no wonder that the U.K. is not a great force in solving the situation in the Middle East at this time, though it was reported that we dropped in some aid into the North of Gaza this week by air for the first time, for the relatively few Gazans still living amongst the destroyed buildings.

“Sir Lindsay has made a genuine mistake for the best of reasons…being obsessed with the safety of MPs and their staff”.

~ Sir Charles Walker

Aspects

There are three distinct phases to this week, broadly improving as we go on:

Two squares – stresses (Sunday to Tuesday)

Three conjunctions – intensity (Wednesday to

Three sextiles – ease (Thursday and Friday)

We start the week with a square between Venus and Jupiter in the early hours of Sunday morning (25th).  As squares go, it is relatively harmless, being composed of the two benefic planets.  This is a very social and sociable aspect, but can be gauche, awkward, or inappropriate.  Social non-conformists won’t care, but conformists may lament the lack of sticking to the rules.

Mars squares Jupiter on Tuesday (27th), which is sheer over-the-top enthusiasm allied with energy. This aspect can bring spirited exchanges or sporting achievements, but there is a possible hint of damage through lack of control.

We then go on to the three conjunctions occurring on Wednesday (28th) which are in effect a triple conjunction.  At breakfast time the Sun conjoins with Mercury at 9 degrees Pisces and you may become aware of deeper issues, such as the compassionate implications of things.  The Sun and Mercury together may come up with some insightful solutions, rekindling hope and allowing glimpses of light at the end of tunnels.

The following two conjunctions are not so easy in their components, although as I say they are part of a triple conjunction.  Next up is Mercury conjunct Saturn in the afternoon.  This is likely to prompt communications of a serious nature.  You may have found yourself attending to minute detail, or scrutinizing something, perhaps with a view to solving a problem.

The evening conjunction, that of the Sun with Saturn, is also serious in nature.  It’s a cautionary note.  Take note of the area/House the triple conjunction falls in your birth chart, if you know it, as that will help you to ascertain the purpose of this event.  There is a great sense of concentration about this conjunction, focussed on practicalities  such as “what can we do about the situation?”  The Saturn part of the equation demands responsibility, commitment, and common sense.

Significant challenges over or dealt with, you can relax more with the next phase of the week.  Three sextiles ensure more ease and harmony.  Firstly, on Thursday (29th), just after breakfast, Mercury sextiles Jupiter.  This sextile encourages mental development and learning (if you are on a course of study, for instance), and is helpful to businesses in need of a lift.  If you are learning a new language, you may experience a shift and take off with it!  It will also be favourable for the teaching profession.  If you are travelling, remember St. Christopher is with you.

Also on that day, Venus sextiles the North Node.  A softer side is brought into our karma, if we need to luxuriate a little or justify a little indulgence.  Expressing more love too, is easier under this aspect.  It’s good for re-establishing warmth in a relationship.

Finally, on Friday (1st March), a splendid sextile is brought to us in the form of the Sun sextile Jupiter.   One to be savoured.  It can bring new hope and joy!  It is one of the brightest  aspects of the year.  Focus on what makes you happy, and make more of that.  It may bring the return of an enjoyable leisure pursuit.

The week in bullet points:

• Sunday – awkward social situations
• Tuesday – over the top energy
• Wednesday – intense: precision, cautious thinking and feeling
• Thursday – expansive minds; karmic social rewards
• Friday – luck, hope and joy

 

Alexei Navalny (1976 – 2024)

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing”

~ Alexei Navalny

We learned on Friday of the death at the age of 47 of that bravest of men, Alexei Navalny, who dared to stand up to Vladimir Putin, in the hope of keeping democracy alive and possibly being a contender for his replacement.  He identified fear as being the stumbling block, and urged people to never give up.

On Friday evening’s Newsnight (a programme they should not be axing) an array of experts appeared, speculating on what had happened.  They ranged from a Russian arguing that the Ukrainians killed him, to another expert positing that he died of natural causes.  The widow of Alexander Litvinenko was there, who had lost her husband to poisoning.  One stated it was definitely murder.  It was pointed out that his prison, within the Arctic circle, was extremely cold.  Georgian-Russian writer Boris Akunin told us that Navalny’s relationship with his wife was a story of true love, and described Navalny as the Nelson Mandela of Russia.  Speculation yesterday included the theory that Alexei appearing the day before in jail joking, was a taunt to Putin, and may have evoked an order to kill.  There was also the timing with the Munich security conference, at which Yulia spoke with great dignity after the rumour of his death.

His death was confirmed yesterday, but his mother was unable to gain access to his body, so the current mystery is the whereabouts of his body, and what would it reveal about the manner of his death.

I start this blog with some observations from my original blog of 2020, when he was poisoned with Novichok, and then continue to follow the story, through his documentary of 2022 and his return to Russia, and look at the amazing woman he married and their bond.

Birth Chart

“We are fortunate to have a birth time for this Russian opposition leader, a man of great courage.  He has the Sun in Gemini conjunct Venus, so inspires genuine devotion among his allies.  The Sun in his chart is sextile Mars, showing the brave warrior.  Venus exactly sextile Mars gives him great charisma.  Neptune closely opposite Sun/Venus shows the often subversive nature of his work, but his strength comes from the Sun/Venus trine Pluto, imbuing him with a deep sense of purpose and powerful allegiances.  The Moon is closely sextile his Midheaven: he is for the people in his career  – two of the political movements he has been associated with have been named “The People” and “The People’s Alliance”.  He has been endangered and injured during the course of his career, and has Chiron, South Node, Jupiter and Mercury in the 8th House of death – hopefully he can cheat death on this occasion.  He has a powerhouse of energy and enthusiasm, from Mars square to Jupiter and sextile Pluto.  But Mars square exactly to the Nodal Axis means he is constantly pitted against danger in his karmic path.  Saturn square Uranus has also brought personal earthquakes.  That he has great faith in himself comes from Jupiter on his South Node in Scorpio, a never-say-die attitude brought in from past life experiences.  The not inconsiderable healing challenges brought about by the injuries inflicted by his enemies, may be shown by Saturn in 11th House exactly square Chiron in 8th House.  His Rebel Archetype comes through in his conjunction of Uranus with the  North Node.” [2020]

Life and Career

“Navalny was born in the Ukraine, and gained a law degree from the People’s Friendship University of Russia. He is married and has two children.  He has for many years fought against the corruption of Putin’s leadership in Russia, describing the ruling party in 2011 as a “party of crooks and thieves”.  He has been arrested and imprisoned several times for his activities (with his natal Moon in 12th House of imprisonment).

In 2007 he co-founded a new political movement which he called “The People”.  The transits for that statement of political intent were triggered by Mars, but also included Jupiter conjunct his natal Neptune in Sagittarius in his 3rd House (an expression of his idealism) and Pluto conjunct by transit exactly his natal I.C. in Sagittarius also in his 3rd House (a deep expression of how he saw the right foundations for society).  “The People” joined forces with other nationalistic movements the following year, but in 2011 he admitted that the venture had not succeeded in practice.  By 2012 there were moves afoot by his comrades to create a new vehicle for his political path, but he took a low profile in order not to endanger these efforts.  He was elected leader of a new party (which had to change its name a few times) in November 2013, when he was literally flying in the face of opposition astrologically, with Saturn opposite his natal Jupiter, Uranus opposite his natal Pluto exact to the day, Pluto exactly square his natal Pluto.  Blocks were immediately put up by the government towards the new party’s political ambitions, for example the Ministry of Justice deprived the party of its registration.

On 27th June 2017 Navalny was attacked in the street outside his office and his face was sprayed with some toxic substances, an attack which he attributed to the Kremlin.  He lost 80% of the sight in his right eye.  At that time, Neptune (toxin) was square his natal Sun in Gemini, and the North Node was transiting his natal Moon in Virgo in 12th House.

In the Moscow City Duma Elections in 2019, Navalny supported various independent candidates.  He was arrested in July and then hospitalized briefly for damaged eyes and skin, before being sent back to prison.  An ophthalmologist suspected his condition was due to a chemical attack.  On this occasion, Mars was square his natal Jupiter, and Jupiter was opposite his natal Sun.” [2020]

Relationship with Putin

“Navalny’s personal relationship with Vladimir Putin includes an exact square between their Moons (a clash in the way they see the people and society).  Comparing Navalny’s chart to that of Russia itself, Navalny’s Uranus is exactly sextile Russia’s Sun (his destiny to try and shake up the old regimes), his Mars trine its Mercury (his destiny to stimulate thought), his Sun square its Jupiter (his individuality challenging complacency) and his Jupiter trine its Neptune (his appeal to true spirituality).  The transits for Russia of the current [2020] poisoning include: Uranus trine its North Node (an agent of change, towards its karma) and Pluto sextile its Venus (also an agent of transformation, towards its humanity).  But Putin is still firmly at its helm.” [2020]

2022 Storyville Documentary”Navalny”

This film premiered on January 25, 2022 at the Sundance Film Festival, a year after he returned to Russia, when transiting Uranus was on his South Node.  It is 1 hour and 34 minutes long, and was broadcast again on Friday night.  It’s apparently available to watch for 28 more days.  It is hard to watch at times, but extraordinary in showing Navalny’s resilience.  It showed Navalny, after recovering from the poisoning by novichok, working to uncover the truth about the poisoning, and obtaining crucial information by telephone from a chemist Kudryavtsev. Then it showed him preparing for his return to Russia.  The film proved to be an eye-opener for the west.

Return to Russia

Navalny returned to Russia, against the wishes of his supporters, to certain re-arrest on 17th January 2021.  Amnesty International declared him to be a prisoner of conscience.  On that exact day, transiting Saturn came to square his natal Uranus in Scorpio in his 2nd House, representing a hazardous act of defiance.  For his wife Yulia, who accompanied him and poignantly kissed him goodbye at passport control, her hand was forced (Mars squaring her natal Saturn) and matters were taken out of her hands (Uranus squaring her natal Saturn).

Yulia Navalnya

Theirs was undoubtedly a strong marriage.  Their synastry shows her Mercury conjoins with his Mars (she has a supportive mental interest in his fight), her Mars squares his Venus (a romantic spark), her Mars sextiles his North Node (her inner warrior is on track with his karmic mission) and her Pluto trines his Venus (a deep love).  They have a daughter Dasha and a son Zakhar.

Her own birth chart is very interesting.  They were born within a few weeks of each other in the same year.  She is an economist, and has a superbly literate exact conjunction between Mercury and Venus which is exactly trine her Neptune, giving her exquisite sensibility.  In the documentary, they joke about the fact that she is the best chess player in the family, and in fact she does have the Strategist Archetype, in the form of Saturn sextile Pluto, in her chart.  She also has the North Node conjunct Uranus (the Rebel karmic mission) and the Sun exactly square Chiron (she is no stranger to crisis).

His last few weeks

On 11 December 2023, Navalny was declared to have been out of contact for six days.  Neptune at that time was sextile his natal Mercury (mystery surrounding communication) and Pluto trine his Ascendant (his life in a state of flux).  He had apparently been removed from the penal colony where he had been situated.  It was reported on 15th December that he was moving to a harsher prison, and this was under the same transits as the previous week or two.  He was moved to the harsher facility, where he would face his demise, by 25th December, with Saturn trine his natal Uranus, the previous transits still operational, joined by two harsh transits from Pluto (Pluto opposite his Saturn, and square his natal Chiron).  On Friday we learned that he had gone out for a walk and collapsed, and that they could not revive him.  The time of death has been given at 2.17 p.m., which would put last week’s explosive Mars/Pluto conjunction was opposite the Ascendant [on the day of the conjunction last week, the shootings at the Super Bowl Parade took place].

At his death, Navalny’s main transit was the difficult opposition of Pluto to his natal Saturn in Cancer in 11th House.  For Yulia, Pluto (death) was exactly opposite her Sun (significant man in her life) and Mars (violence) square her natal Uranus (shock).

It remains to be seen how she will sculpt her future without her heroic and charismatic husband (he had Mars exactly sextile Venus).  She joins Litvinenko’s widow and the spouses of others who have met their ends through their opposition to Putin.  His cheerfulness in the face of his impossible position was remarkable.  In his faith, he started as an atheist but later joined the Russian Orthodox Church, crediting that with making him feel “a part of something large and universal”.  Many have laid flowers for him in Russia, despite also a number of arrests for showing support for him.  He holds a unique place in history, and in our hearts.

Aspects

In the small hours of tomorrow (Monday 19th) the Sun enters Pisces.  We become more introspective and aware of our deeper emotions with the Sun in Pisces.  We become more aware of the sentience and oneness of all life.  The Sun in that sign shines a light on such matters.  It is our final stage of quietude and incubation before the Spring arrives in a month’s time.  Hang on, though…we have spotted a mass of blossom emerging on the trees already, this February week.  We all know why.

Later in the day, Chiron conjoins with the North Node, or at least comes into orbit with it.  Chiron ephemerides differ, as do those of the Mean and True Nodes, and so you could say that the next fortnight or so is the season for this conjunction, to bear in mind.  Here in this conjunction, the potential for crisis or healing combines with collective karma.  For example, we may see groundbreaking health innovations during this time, or international crisis talks about the state of the world (for Ukraine, the Middle East, or about Putin).  In our own lives, we may be shown where we next have the need to focus our healing efforts.

An easier conjunction to navigate occurs on Thursday (22nd), in the shape of Venus with Mars.  This is the most romantic day of the week, if you missed out on Valentine’s Day.  Tell those you love how you feel about them, and tell yourself how you feel about yourself (hopefully that will be a positive!).  Enjoy the moment.

Friday (23rd) sees Mercury enter Pisces at breakfast time, bringing the mental focus on to compassion, as applied to the most vulnerable in our society.  The focus in the world right now is very much focussed on what is and will be happening in Gaza.  It is a good time to apply your mind to wider perspectives and solutions generally, and those that can turn compassion into practical action.  Mercury is in this sign until 10th March.

The emotion may build, towards lunch time on Saturday (24th), as we approach the Full Moon at 5 degrees Virgo at that time.  There may be some strangeness in the air, building up from the previous evening, resulting in insomnia for some.  Things may not be all they seem, and emotions may be running high.  Or people may be looking industrious, but underneath their desks they may be paddling nervously. If you have health issues, or ecological interests, focus on your best outcomes, and release negativity and paranoia.

The week in bullet points:

• Tomorrow – introspection; healing avenues
• Thursday – sensuality
• Friday – compassion
• Saturday – emotional high tide

 

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

“No one is more influential when it comes to writing music today”.

~ National music Publishers’ Association, 2021

The power couple of the moment is singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and her American football star Travis Kelce.  Taylor is on tour in Japan, flying back to America tonight for her boyfriend’s appearance at the Super Bowl.  To add to the anticipation, Republicans are nervous in case she endorses Biden at the event.

Birth Chart

We have a birth time for Taylor of 5.17 a.m. West Reading, Pennsylvania, but it is not wholly reliable, so I will use it with circumspection.  Where does her stupendous success lie in her birth chart?  Taylor has over half (6) of her planets in the Cardinal signs, marking her out as a leader, which she is in many ways.  She has the Sun in Sagittarius, but unaspected, making her very individualistic. An exception is a karmic sextile to her Sun from the North Node, so she may be driven by destiny.  She has a fascination for storytelling, and one of the Archetypes for Sagittarius is The Storyteller.  Venus is also unaspected, making her a free spirit in terms of relationship.  She has three planets in Cancer opposing four planets in Capricorn, a balancing act but powerful when mastered.  Mercury is opposite Jupiter, giving her an interesting breadth of mind, but with Mercury also conjunct Saturn, at the same time the ability to focus.  Mental brilliance comes from Mercury conjunct Uranus, and the ability to channel from a conjunction of Mercury and Neptune.  She has Mars rising within a degree of her Ascendant, in the 1st House, which is part of her charisma and fighting spirit.  Jupiter opposes Uranus, a sign of entrepreneurship.  There is also a healing conjunction of Jupiter and Chiron, plus a super strong sextile between Saturn and Pluto.  She can deal with complexity (Uranus conjunct Neptune) and deep healing (Pluto closely trine Chiron).  Altogether a strong suit of aspects.  If the birthtime is accurate, there is a success career path shown in three trines and a sextile to her Midheaven (careerpoint).

Life and Career

Swift’s parents were very supportive of her ambition (Saturn trine her natal Midheaven), and she began song-writing professionally at the age of 14.  By 2005 she had signed with a record label, Big Machine Records.  She was heavily influenced by the country music genre (Shania Twain being a favourite), and her first album “Taylor Swift” was released in 2006, but by 2014 (the year when she moved to New York after living in Nashville) she had departed from this genre with her fifth album “1989” (which was her birth year).  I have not followed her music, but recognize at least one tune from that album, “Shake it Off”.  I happened to see another of her songs from that album, the satirical “Blank Space”, on BBC TV last night.  She effectively strutted through the performance with great stage presence, accompanied by a vast audience who sang every line of the song with her.  Harvard University has her lyrics as part of their curriculum, entitled “Taylor Swift and her World”, acknowledging the phenomenon that she is.  She has sold 200 million records, and became the first billionaire who had music as the main source of income. Her career is studded with awards (literally too numerous to mention), and only this month she won two Grammy Awards for her 2022 album “Midnight”.  Critics have praised her work for its honesty (which is a core Sagittarian trait), intelligence, idealism and vulnerability.

A Bold Move

2014 proved to be an important year for Taylor Swift altogether, with her Progressed Sun sextile her natal Pluto in Scorpio (a play of power).  In November of that year, she removed her catalogue from Spotify, as its practices damaged royalties due to songwriters.  Among the transits in this important action, were Jupiter (her ruling planet) exactly trine her natal Sun (an expectation of success) and Uranus square her natal Saturn (freeing herself through Uranus, form authority/institution as represented by Saturn).  In the following June (2015) she spoke out again on the issue of the unfairness to artists, Apple Inc. announced a change in policy promising to pay artists during the free trial period, and Swift then allowed her new album 1989 on to the streaming service.  In June 2017 she returned her catalogue to Spotify.  She proved her power, and her worth as a mover and shaker in the industry.

Relationships

Her unaspected Venus may say something about this area of her life.  Relationships are all good fodder for songwriting, and Taylor Swift has had a stream of boyfriends, including Joe Jonas, Jake Gyllenhaal, Calvin Harris, Tom Hiddleston, Matt Healy and Joe Alwyn.  Most of the relationships were short lived, except for the six year relationship with Joe Alwyn.  And so to Travis Kelce…

Travis Kelce

Taylor Swift started dating Travis, an American football “tight end”, last year (2023).  His team the Kansas City Chiefs are playing at the Super Bowl tonight.  Travis is a Libran,  born 2 months before Taylor in the same year, so there are some similarities in their charts, which makes them comfortable with each other, and mutually understanding.  Both have 6 Cardinal planets, so both are leaders.  He has Mars closely conjunct the Sun: an athlete and warrior (and car collector, another province of Mars).  His Moon, which represents females in his life, is in Sagittarius, Taylor’s sign.  With Mercury sextile Venus, he may be good with words, which is something Taylor may appreciate.  Mars notably exactly square to Jupiter gives him over the top energy.  He has a difficult Cardinal T-square composed of Saturn/Neptune opposing Chiron/Jupiter and square Sun/Mars.  Like Taylor, he has Jupiter opposite Saturn,  Jupiter exactly opp Neptune, and Jupiter conjunct Chiron.  Also like Taylor, he has Saturn closely conjunct Neptune, and Pluto closely trine Chiron.  Additionally, he has a conjunction of Saturn and Uranus.  Apparently, Kelce was one of the highest-profile white NFL players to take the knee during the National Anthem in 2017 in protest.

His liaison with Taylor Swift has raised the profile of his sport in America.  As well as having many birth chart features in common, they also have a higher than average number of interaspects in their Synastry.  In particular, her Mars keys into his Mercury-Venus sextile, which is a great personal mutual attraction.

Transits for the Super Bowl

For Taylor Swift

Taylor has transiting Jupiter trine her natal Mercury – flying across the world (her flights controversially tracked by Jack Sweeney)!  She also has a lucky sextile between transiting Jupiter and her natal Jupiter, and a career-enhancing trine from Jupiter to her natal Midheaven (if the birth time we have is accurate).  This makes for a memorable time!

For Travis Kelce

He has mixed transits.  His play may be steady, with Jupiter trine his natal Saturn and Saturn sextile his natal Saturn (exact to the day).  Neptune trines his Venus (glamour attached to the proceedings) but Neptune opposing his natal Mercury (some self-delusion).

For Mahomes

Hopes for his team rest to a great extent on Mahomes, the quarterback in the Kansas City Chiefs.  His team has a chance “to become the first team in 20 years to win back-to-back Super Bowls” according to Andrew Lawrence in this morning’s Observer Sports pages.  The transits for this Virgoan include an empowering transiting Pluto sextile his natal Pluto, but counterbalanced to that a square from Neptune to his natal Jupiter.  Again, expectations and delusion may be high so indications are it would not be an easy victory, but he has that empowering transit amongst a mixed batch of transits.  Aged 28, he faces his Saturn Return on the 28th May of this year.

For Joe Biden

An endorsement from Taylor Swift (he has Mars flattering his natal Venus with a sextile) would be very welcome, particularly as he has been under fire in recent days for a failing memory.  With transiting Pluto currently squaring his natal Moon, he is under severe emotional strain at this time, which must be a component of his situation.  However, Pluto is also trine his natal Neptune, an underlying strength and wisdom which will help him to endure this period.

Aspects

This does not look like an easy week, but I am hoping that my guide will provide assistance!  We start on Tuesday with the ingress of Mars into Aquarius in the morning.  This gives us a push to do all we can to improve the conditions of our society, currently beset by the biggest crises in living memory.  Mars in Aquarius is about team spirit, and supporting the underdog.  It will provide us with a very helpful spirit for the undertaking, providing a sense of community and pulling together, and a sense of hope that it will all be worth the effort.  A Mars’ motto is “never say die!”  And while sometimes we may need acceptance and surrender, we all need to keep going and keep strong, and be there for each other.

It is followed, at lunchtime, by the easiest aspect this week (pay attention if you want to get the most out of the week) – that is Venus sextile Neptune.  This aspect can bring soothing waves of serenity, which hopefully you may experience.  People may come more into tune with each other.  New artistic avenues may flourish.

Valentines Day (Wednesday, 14th) holds the most difficult of aspects, that of Mars conjunct Pluto, an aspect which comes up once every two years.  This may spell extreme passion for some, but sounds an alarm bell of conflict for others.  Definitely a day to skirt round those scuffles in the supermarket.  It would be a good day to organize a group meditation if possible.

Friday (16th) is more congenial, with Venus entering Aquarius.  This may lighten the social mood, and you may have some extra mental energy at your disposal, such as the telepathic superpowers of Aquarius through its ruler Uranus.  You will feel more connected to people, but not in a clingy way, more in the mode of a higher evolutionary consciousness.

But the challenges continue on Saturday (17th) with an early morning square between Mercury and Uranus, so be prepared for glitches as you open up your devices first thing.  Back up your computer files (mental note to take my own advice!), and consider I.T. loopholes.  Speech may be controversial.  Use your intuition to be one step ahead – the Universe may be trying to show you new pathways, and possible new perspectives.

At breakfast-time, Venus conjoins with Pluto, introducing a deeper psychological element into the day’s complexities.  There is much more reflection about the enormity of change, and the impact on humanity.  You may need to do some soul-searching in order to have a handle on your feelings.  In your interactions, deep honesty may be required. A strong dose of chamomile tea and lavender may be needed all round.

The week in bullet points:

• Tuesday – in defence of the underdog; some soothing vibes later
• Wednesday – take extreme care
• Friday – a lighter social mood;
• Saturday – challenging: electrical and IT glitches; deep soul-searching

Karl Popper (1902 – 1994)  

“I don’t know whether God exists or …. Some forms of atheism are arrogant and ignorant and should be rejected, but agnosticism – to admit that we don’t know and to search—is all right. … When I look at what I call the gift of life, I feel a gratitude which is in tune with some religious ideas of God.”

~ Karl Popper

In 2020 I started to build a series on Philosophers, according to their birth sign.  Descartes for Aries, Hume for Taurus, Pascal for Gemini, and Rousseau for Cancer.  I got stuck on Leo…In the intervening years, hubby and I gained two Philosophy certificates from the Institute for Continuing Studies at Cambridge University, plus a Diploma in the Philosophy of Creativity.  I also published a philosophical novel (Volume II of “The Quiet Office” ~ “The Search for the Now”) – see the Book page of my website.  At last, I am ready to resume the series (do I hear a few groans?), with Leo Philosopher Karl Popper, the scientist’s philosopher.

Birth Chart

Although here Karl Popper is representing the Leo Philosopher, he only had the Sun in that sign.  I feel that his philosophy owes a lot to its neighbouring sign Cancer, in which he has placed a triple conjunction of Neptune/Venus/Mars, and Mercury.  The Cancerian influence can be seen in his interest in the social applications of philosophy.  The philosopher I chose for Cancer, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, very much applied himself to social applications, though in a more personal way than Popper.  We are missing nuances from his chart by not having a birth time.

Where Popper particularly goes against the Leo grain is that he has a particular antipathy towards totalitarianism, and though having the Sun in Leo doesn’t make you a totalitarian, the full expression of power generally appeals to the Leo personality.  This attitude of his may be due to his Sun being square to the Nodal Axis.

Leo is a sign of leadership, and Popper had half (5) of his planets in the Cardinal signs, of leadership.  He was certainly a leader in his branch of philosophy, which was about determining the right practices in scientific method, whether applied to science, politics or psychology.  Apart from the square to his Nodal Axis, Popper’s Sun was unaspected, and that confers extra individuality, on top of the natural individuality of Leo.  Indeed, he promoted individuality in his philosophy: “Individuality is necessary for diversity, as are well-manned institutions for the storage and testing of the theories that individuals propose”.*

The triple conjunction of Neptune/Venus/Mars in Cancer would have given him an exquisite emotional sensitivity, but that often caused him to be antagonized where he found that philosophers did not conform to his own personal standards.  With Mars trine his North Node, he did have the Warrior Archetype as part of his karmic mission, so he was not afraid to express his displeasure.  One area of life he was comfortable with though, was power, as seen in his trine between Jupiter and Pluto.  He had the makings of a spiritual leader in Neptune trine the North Node.  And he was a radical for change, in his opposition between Uranus and Pluto.

Life and Career

Karl Popper was born in Vienna, into a Jewish family who converted to Lutheranism.  His father was a lawyer and owned 12,000–14,000 books, which he handed down to Karl.  Portraits of Schopenhauer and Darwin hung in the study.  Karl described the family home as being “decidedly bookish”.  His mother had a passion for music and was an accomplished pianist, a leaning shared by Karl.*  His natal Moon in Taurus may point to this in his birthchart.

Popper left school at the age of 16, and was then drawn to Marxism, becoming a member of the Social Democratic Workers’ Party.  It was in this period, that he encountered a major turning point in his life.  In a street battle involving his compatriots on 15th June 1919, which killed several people, he concluded that the ideology was not worth the bloodshed, and veered away from Marxism.

The transits to his natal chart at this crucial event included Pluto on his natal Mars (police shooting unarmed comrades).  It was also a force for change in fine-tuning his philosophy and sensibilities (with Uranus trine his natal Neptune).  He turned instead to social liberalism, a belief in which he maintained for the rest of his life.

Around 1925 he met Josefine Henninger, whom he married in 1930. They chose not to have children, because of the war.  In 1928 he gained a doctorate in psychology.  He began writing a book because he needed to get an academic position, which might give him some safety, at a time when the threat of Nazism was on the rise.  This book was titled: “The Two Fundamental Problems of the Theory of Knowledge”.  By 1935, he was able to take a study visit to the U.K. and in 1937 he and his wife relocated to New Zealand.  This was a healing solution for him, particularly on the brink of the Second World War – as his Progressed Sun trined natal Chiron in Capricorn.  He took a lectureship at the University of Canterbury.  An insight into his lifestyle while he was there describes how in his home you could hear a pin drop: he insisted on absolute silence for his studies.  In 1946, after the war had ended, he moved to England and became a reader at the London School of Economics.

Popper retired in 1969, with his progressed Sun square to his Chiron.  This leads me to believe that Chiron must be influential in his full chart which would be seen with a birth time.  In 1985, he returned to Austria, where his wife died the following year.  He then decided to live in the United Kingdom again the following year, around the time of his Uranus Return (a time of re-orientation).  He worked on his philosophy until the end of his life.

Philosophy

The prevailing philosophy in the Vienna circle was that of logical positivism, and Popper came to challenge this, instead putting forward a new philosophical model, that of “falsificationism”.

The central interest of the Vienna circle was the unity of science and the correct delineation of scientific method. Through the “verification” principle, they held that any statement that was not verifiable was to be ruled out.  The idea eventually floundered, due to their insistence that individual sentences gain meaning according to some  sense experience or by the grammatical structure – which proved to be a distraction from meaning.**

In his theory of “falsification”, Popper turned this on its head, and required a different scientific criteria: if a theory can be falsified by testing, then it is scientific, and if a theory can’t be tested then it is not scientific.  He showed that the traditional view (induction) was a myth, and that while empirical methods of science can never be proven, they can be falsified. Hypotheses are to be tested, rather than to be confirmed.

Politics and Psychology

Politics – Popper staunchly defended liberal democracy.  He believed that was the only form of government that allows institutional improvements without violence and bloodshed.  He attempted to reconcile libertarianism, classical liberalism, socialism, social democracy and conservatism.  As mentioned earlier, he was resolutely opposed to totalitarianism.

Psychology – In contrast, he strongly criticised psychoanalysis as being unscientific, despite a life-long interest in the subject.  His parents were close friends of Sigmund Freud’s sister Rosa.  As a young man, he did some voluntary work in one of Alfred Adler’s clinics for children. The nature of psychoanalytical theory, he contended, made it impossible for any criticism or experiment to show them to be false.  Therefore they could not submit to the criteria of falsificationism.

Historicism

In one of his most influential books “The Open Society and its Enemies” Popper critiqued “historicism” (A belief in the necessity of historical processes, that such processes are governed by laws, and are immune to human choice and agency).** He therefore believed that that there can be no predictive science of human history. Freedom in society was of the utmost importance to him, and he saw that Socialism placed equality before freedom and therefore incompatible with individual liberty. I see this struggle in the natal opposition between Uranus and Pluto.   In his 1957 book “The Poverty of Historicism” he made the following dedication:

“to the memory of the countless men, women and children of all creeds or nations or races who fell victims to the fascist and communist belief in Inexorable Laws of Historical Destiny.”

Bibliography

* Frederic Raphael – Popper 1998. Phoenix

** Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy

Philosophy Now, Issue 38 – Alan Haworth

Aspects

Four astrological features appear tomorrow, at the start of the working week, which may inform your office practice.  The first three occur in the morning, and the fourth at lunch time.

First Mercury enters Aquarius, early in the morning, joining the Sun and Pluto  in that sign.  You may see a surge in space-age related news items and influences.  Technology, too will flourish, and more conjectures about the implications of A.I.

Chiron then squares Venus: this highlights self-nursing and relationship issues.  You may, for instance, be having to rest a knee through over-exertion, or you may be having to examine a relationship wound.  If there is an emotional crisis, then healing could be nearby – if in doubt, go within.

This is followed by a more comfortable aspect involving Chiron, that of a sextile with the Sun.  That is a more cheery and healing prospect.  It’s onwards and upwards, and also helpful for problem-solving.  What do you yearn to solve?  There will be an attempt to bring everything to a wholeness.  If you are meeting a friend for coffee, you could discover more in common than you thought, and more potential for the friendship.

The fourth feature of the day is a conjunction between Mercury and Pluto.  This is about serious thought and communication. Words will have a profound effect.  Deeper motives may be revealed.  Listening too is important, and exchanges may become cathartic, if sincerely transacted.  As you can see, Monday could be complex, and for some a roller coaster.

Tuesday (6th) brings two aspects to the Moon’s Nodes, and may therefore be karmic in tone.  First, Venus squares the Nodal Axis, and this challenges us to take note of the karma of personal relationships, and group dynamics.  You may work with past life patterns, or present life practicalities.

Secondly on that day, the Sun is sextile the North Node, which favours right action and expression on a karmic level.  It is a good day to look at your life path as a whole, your creativity and self-expression and where you would like it to go.  Visualize your best possible path for the coming month.

In the evening of Wednesday (7th) Venus trines Uranus, marking it out as the best day of the week.  This can bring spontaneous exciting meetings!  The aspect may set you up with insights, or bring other encounters of the illuminating kind.  In the field of the Arts, it can bring originality and surprise, e.g. to a performance of music or a pantomime.  Ideas for assisting the problems in our society may also crop up, such as community based solutions. You may bump into an old friend.

Mixed fortunes on Thursday (8th), with the first hour of the day bringing a sextile between Mars and Neptune, but a challenging square later in the morning.  So sweet dreams may be yours, which could be quite sensational in nature.  Though we have energy early morning (Mars), it is softened, made more gentle, and spiritualized by virtue of the involvement of Neptune.  It brings refinement to your actions and activities.  This favours flowing exercise such as Tai Chi, Qijong and Yoga.  Combining the physical with the spiritual is ideal, and achievable.  So start your day with your ideal spiritual fitness regime.

As promised (or threatened), mid-morning brings a square from Uranus to the Sun.  During the day, be aware of possible loopholes through which the element of the unexpected can enter.  Disruption can occur, but unexpected twists and turns may give you new ideas for future reference.

There’s a new beginning to be had at the 20 degree New Moon in Aquarius late evening on Friday (9th), the newest of the new.   Any forward looking projects you are engaged with receive the blessing of the Universe.  Science, technology, invention and future vision may also be a significant part of the way forward.  Set your intentions with confidence and hope, focussing on the area of your life it falls in, if you know your Houses.  If the Uranian spanner in the works is still operating from the day before, be confident that you can invent new strategies to deal with loopholes.

Another challenge on Saturday (10th) but of a gentler sort: that of Jupiter square to Mercury.  The outcome of that square is much more within your control, according to your response.  You may have far to travel, or a lot to learn, and feel overstretched, but could enjoy the ride nevertheless.

The week in bullet points:

• Tomorrow – complex, roller-coaster: technological conjectures; nursing relationships; problem-solving; serious thought and communication
• Tuesday – karmic: relationship karma; right action and expression
• Wednesday – best day: exciting meetings
• Thursday – mixed fortunes: sweet dreams; element of the unexpected
• Friday – new beginning
• Saturday – mind-broadening or over-stretching

 

Norman Jewison (1926- 2024)

“I want people to recognise themselves in the movies I make. I don’t enjoy no-brainer action movies.”

~ Norman Jewison

Film Director Norman Jewison made some wonderful films.  He passed over a week ago, at the time of the Sun/Pluto conjunction, and just before Pluto entered Aquarius, marking the end of an era.

Birth Chart

I very much enjoyed looking at Norman Jewison’s birth chart, assisted by a birth time.  He had 0 planets in the Air signs, which often means that a person works very much on instinct.  As a Sunsign Cancerian too, he would have paid attention to his instincts and emotions.  His natal Sun squared Mars, and that was one indication of the Warrior Archetype in his chart.  The Sun was closely trine Uranus, so he also had the Activist Archetype, always on the side of the underdog.  He liked to make films which contained socio-political content, making them accessible.  His career as a Film Director is easily seen in his chart; many Film Directors are born under Leo, because of their total control of the whole project of a film, and because of their creative talent and interest in drama (all Leonine provinces).  Norman had a conjunction of Mercury and Neptune (film) in Leo in his 10th House of Career.  In addition, his Sun (the ruling planet of Leo was in his 10th House, closely conjunct his Midheaven (Careerpoint).  With Venus sextile Neptune he had a sensitive artistry and ear for music, and was highly commended for the choice of music in his films.  An example was for The Thomas Crown Affair, which featured the theme song “The Windmills of Your Mind”.  And of course the hit songs from the musical “Fiddler on The Roof”.  Mars closely sextile Jupiter provided enthusiasm allied with energy.  Jupiter closely opposite Neptune can sometimes show up when someone is confused about religion, but in his case it may have shown curiosity and openmindedness: he made Fiddler on the Roof, which featured the Jewish experience, closely followed by Jesus Christ Superstar.  What did confuse, however, was that having made one of the most iconic films about Jewishness of all time, people assumed because of his name that he was Jewish.  He was not, and his family were Protestant Methodists.  Perhaps the Jupiter-Neptune opposition was a symbol of that confusion.  With Jupiter exactly trine his Ascendant on the Creative 5th House cusp, he had a lucky streak, and with Jupiter and the Part of Fortune in his 5th House he was prolific in his creativity.  He also had the Strategist Archetype of Saturn trine Pluto.  Uranus exactly trine Midheaven denotes a successful career.  Pluto exactly conjunct North Node in Cancer in 9th House found him tackling difficult subjects in his karmic mission.

Life and Career

Norman Jewison was born in Toronto, and showed an early interest in theatre and performing.  During the war he joined the Navy (Sun in Cancer), then travelled in the Amercian South, where he observed racism, an experience which informed some of his films.  He worked in television in the 1950s, including on the Andy Williams Show. Later on he moved to the United states, and made his first film in 1962.  He married his first wife Margaret Dixon in 1953, and they had three children.   While working in television, he met Tony Curtis, who persuaded him to go into film-making and collaborated with him on various projects.  Their synastry shows that Tony Curtis had an influence on Norman:s life:

Tony Curtis’ Mars was exactly conjunct Norman’s North Node/Pluto, kickstarting the latter’s karmic mission

Tony Curtis’ Ascendant was exactly conjunct Norman’s Midheaven (we have birthtimes for both), indicating one (Tony) who is influential in the other’s career (Norman’s)

Among Norman’s successful films, he made The Cincinnati Kid in 1965 (one of his own personal favourites) and The Thomas Crown Affair in 1968, then moved to England briefly with his family.  In 1973 he made Jesus Christ Superstar. I will look at some other of his films later.  He returned to Canada in 1978.  His first wife died in 2004, and he married his second wife Lynn St. David in 2010.

Films

Jewison was nominated in three consecutive decades of his life for the Academy Award for Best Director, for the following three films:

In the Heat of The Night (1967)

This is one of my favourite films, though I am not a film buff.  Sidney Poitier memorably plays a black police detective Virgil Tibbs from Philadelphia who is visiting the town, and stays to help solve a murder in a small town in Mississipi.  Police Chief Bill Gillespie, memorably played by Rod Steiger, arrests him initially [and targeting black people for arrest is still an issue in 2024!], then reluctantly allows him to helps solve the murder.  The film has suspense, tension and atmosphere, and the relationship created between these two amazing actors is superbly played.  The Guardian obituary by Sheila Whitaker observes:

“The detective mystery plot, perhaps mainly the vehicle for an enactment of racial prejudices and hostilities culminating in a grudging respect on both sides, worked well.  The final scene, in which the two men indulge in something approaching a personal conversation, was moving and revealing.”

The title song was performed by Ray Charles.  I wrote an obituary for Sidney Poitier in January 2022, in which I wrote that the year 1967 was a turning point for the actor.

Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

While his family were living in England, Jewison made the musical film Fiddler on The Roof, partly filmed in Pinewood Studios and partly in Yugoslavia.

Again resourcing one of my obituaries (!), I wrote about the actor Chaim Topol last year, who played the lead character:

“The film told the story of the dairyman Tevya bringing up three daughters in the village of Anatevka in the Ukraine in 1905.  It tears at the heartstrings in many ways: the harshness of the way of life, the pogrom visited upon the village by the Russian soldiers, the matchmaking of his three daughters (each match producing an ever increasing cause for concern and heartsearching in its dilemmas for Tevya), and in Tevye’s relationship with God.  Chaim portrayed the lead role with immense warmth.”

The Guardian Obituary threw light on a detail of the film’s production:

“Fiddler on the Roof, with a silk stocking placed by Jewison across the camera lens to provide an earth-toned quality, won Oscars for cinematography, music and sound, and a nomination for Chaim Topol in his signature role of Tevye”

The film won three Oscars, and was nominated for a further five.

Moonstruck (1987)

This delightful rom-com (my favourite genre; again, I am not a film buff) starred the singer Cher.  The title’s theme is interesting in view of the fact that Jewison’s natal Moon is unaspected in his birth chart.  This can mean an independent emotional nature, but it can also describe a yearning for something missing.  Yearning for the Moon is certainly a theme of the story.  The film may have been an effort to connect and define his own Moon principle.  The Moon has a sentimental role for the elderly patriarch of the family, Cosmo.

The chemistry between Cher (playing widow Loretta) and Nicolas Cage (playing her fiance’s estranged younger brother) is one of the keys to the film’s success.  The film proved most popular, and gathered three Academy Awards: Cher won Best Actress and Jewison received another of his Best Director nominations.

Thank you, Norman Jewison, you made us feel, you made us smile, you made us laugh and you made us cry.

Aspects

Seriously, I can’t force you to read my blog today, but if you wait until Tuesday, you will have missed most of the action!  Take note that there are a total of four astrological features today:

In the early hours of this morning the Nodal Axis squared Mercury.  This is an opportunity to tackle, or honour, your karma!  We can give more thought and exercise more mindfulness in our processes and actions.  Whether it is personal relationship karma or environmental karma, we can put our minds to what needs to change for the future.  Put into practice what we can do now.

At breakfast-time, Venus was sextile with Saturn.  Relationships need consideration, and will repay the time and loyalty you give them.  It is a helpful aspect for laying the foundations of artistic or musical work.  During the course of the day, the first two aspects may make themselves known, so you may have mixed results and for different activities, but some of the day will be smooth sailing.

Later in the day, the Nodal Axis squares Mars so it is a day for preparing your lines of action.  Karma may dictate that you cannot sit and lounge around this Sunday, you’ll be prompted to action, whether willingly or unwillingly!

In the evening Mercury trines Uranus, and mental brilliance, technological upgrades, lightbulb moments, and futuristic inspiration can be yours. You may lie awake in the evening with amazing ideas.  The mind will be uplifted, and computers and I.T. devices given or received, will be on good form and working satisfyingly well.

On to tomorrow, Monday 29th, a day which bestowed two trines upon us.  The early hours brings a trine between Venus and Jupiter.  Something may provide you with a richness of heart.  Venus with Jupiter is so very social, and can be romantic too.  It’s an aspect to savour and enjoy.  Proposals and engagements often occur under this combination.

Tomorrow evening provides the second trine, that between Mars and Uranus.  You are likely to see, or initiate, bold and controversial moves.  It favours mechanical and engineering enterprises, but also social engineering, and sporting interests.  There could be surprises in connection with men, cars and dogs!

There are no aspects in the middle of the week, and no Fixed Star alignment either (Apols!).

But Friday (2nd February) does provide us with a sextile we can use: that between Mercury and Neptune.  This ushers in an influx of intense imagination.  This aspect will assist you in refining your mindset, because our minds will be open to receiving higher guidance more easily.  Delicate conversations and channelling will also be made easier.  Artistic efforts may also be rewarded.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – karmic information, relationship consideration, battlegrounds, and brilliant thought (in that order)
• Tomorrow – richness of heart, bold moves
• Friday – higher guidance

Luke Littler

Young darts player Luke Littler turns 17 today, and has just won his first Professional Darts Corporation title at the Bahrain Masters.  He has broken all “youngest ever” records.  I thought I would take a look at what makes an outstanding player.  He began the year breaking records at the World Darts Championships, his Sun is at 1 degree of Aquarius, Pluto is just entering Aquarius, so this looks to be an important year for him. Very much a young man of the moment.

Birth Chart

Luke has half his planets (5) in the Fixed signs, so he is very strong willed.  With his Sun at the very beginning of Aquarius, Pluto will transit his Sun around 24th February, and although we don’t know his birth time, that should be an important transitional period for him.  He has an unaspected Sun, making him an extremely independent individual (Aquarius is very individual, anyway).  His Moon sextile Mars would give a competitive edge, and with Mercury closely sextile Jupiter, a winning mindset.  Mercury exactly conjunct Chiron confers a problem solving mentality, reinforced by a sextile from Jupiter.  This may be his magic ingredient, especially with it being exact  With it being in Aquarius, lightning fast reactions and the ability to assess a situation at speed are components of this.  However, this combo is not just conjunct within a degree, but almost closely exact at 10 degs 24 and 10 degs 25 Aquarius (Mercury to Mars) – it could hardly be any closer.  Venus in Aquarius closely opposes Saturn, which suggests an older partner, and he has come under fire for his relationship with his girlfriend Eloise Milburn for their five year age gap.  Mars in Capricorn gives him ambition, and Mars conjunct Pluto, a powerhouse of energy which can devastate opponents (therefore having the killer instinct of a top rate competitor).  Jupiter in its own sign of Sagittarius provides extra luck, and Jupiter exactly square Uranus points to the Chancer and Rebel Archetypes, willing to take a Risk.  Jupiter squaring the Nodal Axis suggests a karmic enjoyment of the luck and chance involved in a high level of sport.  Saturn trine Pluto brings up another Archetype – The Strategist.  I hope to write more about this Archetype some day.  Finally we have Uranus conjunct the North Node in Pisces – showing his ruling planet with his karmic mission in the sign of the genius = The Maverick.

Life and Career so far

In his young life (17 today!) he has become the youngest player to have won a match in the World Darts Championships, and the youngest at 16 to have reached the PDC World Darts Championship.  He was born in Runcorn and brought up in Warrington, and supports Manchester United football club.  He started out playing darts at the tender age of 18 months, from a magnetic dart board bought from a pound shop by his father.  At the time, his Progressed Sun was semi-sextile his natal Mars (which represents Darts), triggering his latent talent.  Uranus conjunct his North Node and Jupiter square his Nodal Axis support the idea that he had probably brought this talent forward from a previous life!  Darts has a long enough history…His childhood progress continued with scoring his first 180 at the age of six, joining  St Helen’s Darts Academy at 10, scoring a nine-dart finish at the age of thirteen.

Last year, he really came up in the ranks, winning in the MODUS Super Series in May and August, and winning in the PDC World Youth Championship in November.

And so we come to 2024, where he is making history.

Luke Humphries

On 3rd January Luke Littler was beaten in the final of the World Darts Championship by Luke Humphries.  Looking at Humphries’ chart, we find that he is also an Aquarian.  Could be that Darts will be upcoming in this new era of Pluto in Aquarius!  The nightly BBC news featured Luke’s progress at the beginning of the year eagerly, at the end of its broadcasts to sweeten the rest of the news.  And Luke Littler’s  meteoric rise prompted a huge spike of interest in the sport.

Luke Humphries has Mars exactly opposite his Sun, which may be a major factor in his success, with Mars representing Darts and combativeness.  This month, Humphries has had Pluto sextile his natal Pluto, a transit of Self-Empowerment for this now reigning champion.

Luke Littler didn’t quite make it to the top at the beginning of January, but making the final was a huge achievement.  His transits included Saturn sextile his natal Mars (discipline in handling his weapon!) and Uranus sextile his natal North Node (a Success).

Bahrain Win

In winning at the Bahrain Masters last week, Uranus was still sextile Luke Littler’s North Node (Success), but in addition he had a Solar Return (which can provide uplift), and Mars became sextile with his natal Uranus (making that extra difference).  In my longstanding Wimbledon and Strictly Come Dancing predictions, I have found this is a helpful push of a transit.  As runner up at the beginning of the year, he won £200,000.  There’s no doubt this is only the very beginning of a glittering career.

Aspects

In the first hour of this morning, Pluto entered Aquarius. It has been hovering around the cusp of Capricorn and Aquarius since it first entered this New Age sign last year, and re-enters Capricorn in September, before finally settling in Aquarius in November, so we are still very much on the cusp this year.  But Pluto will be in the sparkly sign of Aquarius for twenty years, so somehow today marks the start of a new Zeitgeist.

Pluto in Capricorn symbolized the breaking down of authoritarian institutions, which happened undeniably over the last twenty years, but institutions are still undergoing death throes (some have pointed to the Post Office scandal as one such manifestation).  Aquarius is not just the new sign for Pluto, but a sign that itself embodies newness.  I wrote last year:

“Look out for symbolic events as Pluto moves into Aquarius, even before it beds in for its long stay in Aquarius which lasts until March 2043.  One cannot imaging the amount of change which will take place during that time, but Pluto (itself an agent of deep change) is entering the sign of Aquarius (the sign of sudden change), so change and transformation will be a constant, and that means we will be having to evolve!  As the element of Air, Aquarius may bring an emphasis on solutions based on this element, e.g. a dramatic increase in wind farms, and space exploration.  Aquarius also rules networking, so the internet, social media, and global communications, will all increase exponentially.  The Big Society will be more possible under Pluto in Aquarius, and community links can grow closer and more efficient in helping the underdog, such as the schemes tackling food waste and redistribution and sharing of resources.  Green shoots of the Age of Aquarius will struggle through the tilled soil of Pluto in Capricorn, so we may have more of the brotherhood/sisterhood of man/woman.”

As you go about your day, today, notice the ebbing of the old, and the bringing in of the new.  It is not an overnight event, and Pluto is a slow moving planet, but today is a significant step.

Tuesday (23rd) sees another ingress, one that comes annually, that of Venus entering Capricorn.  This may see people being more serious and measured in their interactions.  Their expectations of others will be more realistic.  Venus now needs to bring her skill in human relations into the workplace, into administration and public institutions, and into politics.  The upside of Venus in Capricorn is more commitment and loyalty.

Emotional intensity increases up until the Full Moon at 5 degrees of Leo on Thursday (25th).  The Moon in Leo can be dramatic, and bring about power struggles, especially in groups, as it opposes the Sun in Aquarius.  But Leo is creative, and can write its own screenplay, so do your best to create your own reality your own way.

We have three astrological features on Saturday (27th) and so this may prove the most important day of the week.  Two of these occur at breakfast time, so the early bird could really catch a few worms.  First Jupiter squares the Sun , an aspect which exaggerates everything it comes into contact with.  There is also a joyful, humorous side of Sun square Jupiter, so some laughter-yoga from time to time during the day would not go amiss!  It could be a fun day, but be aware of carelessness or overreaching goals.  It could be a jolly scenario, with some over the top behaviour in the mode of “devil may care”.

Close in time, Uranus is Stationary, prior to turning Direct.  It is a good time to do all  you can to alleviate any collective, tribal, or social difficulties which you can see.  Closer to home, you may see what could be done in the family setting, or in the community.   Intuition will flow better, and future vision come into view.  Although the trickster element of Uranus may still be in evidence, glimmers of hope twinkle on the horizon.

At lunchtime on Saturday Mercury conjoins with Mars, which may assist you in getting things done.  It brings brisk action, mental and physical stimulation, and again can help movement in your projects.  Again, there is a small element of risk of being incident-prone, as in minor cuts and bruises.  So mindfulness is a key to successful outcomes.  It is mentally acute and favours critical thinking, if you are composing an analysis, a review or critique.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – beginning a new zeitgeist
• Tuesday – cautious interaction
• Thursday – emotional high tide
• Saturday – busy day; high hopes and brisk action

Mr Bates vs The Post Office

“When you watch a drama, you’re looking at the screen, and thinking…’Oh, poor me!  Poor me!  That could be me!”

~ Gwyneth Hughes, Scriptwriter

The programme aired at 9 pm on New Year’s Day, and ran for four consecutive days.  I cannot recall a time when a docu-drama has been so influential, and so immediately. It seemed to galvanize the whole population in outrage.  And yet, as we know, the story is decades-long.   I have a friend who left the Post Office twenty years ago, and he said it was common knowledge then, that the computer system Horizon, which caused the scandal of wrongly accused postmasters and postmistresses, was flawed.  The institution has been brought into disrepute (Pluto leaving Capricorn some Astrologers suggest, symbolic of crumbling institutions), and just yesterday a further scandal was brought to light about the Post Office underpaying taxes and overpaying bonuses.  Today’s blog is like a jigsaw with several pieces missing (birth dates which are not available).  If they ever do become available, I will happily fill in the gaps.

The Post Office

Transits to the chart of the Post Office at the time of the broadcasting of the first episode, are very interesting, and apt.  They show Jupiter exactly trine its Neptune, a transit occurring to the day – the Truth comes out.  Uranus is exactly square its Sun in Leo – shock and the demand for Change.  And finally, even more telling:  Pluto exactly square its natal Jupiter, abuse of power exposed.

Mr Bates vs the Post Office

Looking at the chart for the programme itself, the main indicator for the resounding success of the television programme is an exact trine from Jupiter on the cusp of the 9th House of Truth, to the Ascendant of the chart.  Jupiter had just turned Direct, empowering the principle of truth.  The blog reportage of the day was a square between Venus and Saturn (“…Maybe you have felt let down by someone or you disappointed yourself in some way.”)  The programme was addressing a very longstanding wound, connected with working conditions (Saturn was in the 6th House of the workplace).  Episode 1 was billed thus: “Mysterious financial losses lead the Post Office to sack and prosecute village sub-postmasters who have no way to prove their innocence.”

Alan Bates

missing information

We have all been impressed by the man at the centre of attention in the story and its dramatisation: Alan Bates.  How he stood up to the Post Office and gathered other similarly wounded post office holders, and found footholds in the ever convoluted labyrinth of cover-ups and legal contortions, for decades.  His character came across as calm and strong.  He declined an O.B.E. in the face of one of the protagonists, Paula Vennells receiving and accepting a C.B.E.

Toby Jones

We have to content ourselves, for the time being, with the birth chart of the actor who portrayed Alan Bates in the drama, Toby Jones.  It is a well-known phenomenon that actors who portray iconic roles very often reflect those roles in their own birth charts.  Toby Jones certainly made a convincing job of this role.  Toby Jones is a seasoned actor, but his transits for the new year broadcast indicate a special recognition: Uranus conjunct his North Node, a sudden breakthrough, plus Uranus trine his natal Uranus, involved in a sudden breakthrough.  Notice his activist natal trine between his North Node (karmic mission) and Uranus (the Activist).  Another feature of interest is in his relationship with the Post Office.  Of 11 main interaspects between him and the Post Office, ten were squares! (i.e. detrimental), and of those four were exact.  This is so symbolic of the title of the drama he headed, “Mr Bates vs The Post Office”!

Jo Hamilton played by Monica Dolan

missing information

I have to say that Monica Dolan’s portrayal of postmistress Jo Hamilton was one of the most compelling performances in the whole programme.  Jo had to work at a cleaning job to deal with a £36,000 deficit she was accused to have caused.  The actress was so totally believable, and the plight of the postmistress so moving, but also her subsequent courage in the face of The Post Office and the legal challenges very inspiring.  Sadly we do not have birth data for either of them.

Scriptwriter Gwyneth Hughes

missing information

I think that even though the story itself has great poignancy and is highly distressing, the success of the programme owes a lot to the high accuracy of its production and script, and the emotional power of the scriptwriter, Gwyneth Hughes.  I would give it ten out of ten stars.  I cannot imagine the hours of painstaking detail that went into its writing, and the marvellously vivid production.  Not a line was wasted, or overdone.  Again, we have no birth date, but we do have the genius of her work to marvel at.

Fujitsu

The manufacturer of the flawed computer system Horizon, Fujitsu, was founded on 20th June 1935.  In the drama, we are shown a scene where one of the subpostmasters Michael Rudkin visits its headquarters and observes at first hand the ability of the system to be directly manipulated, remotely altering subpostmasters’ financial figures. Key components of the chart for Fujitsu are placed in the Air signs, associated with technology.  The Sun is at the end of Gemini (science), and the Moon is in Aquarius (technology).  Chiron (the wounded healer, or is it in this case the wounding healer?) is also placed in Gemini.  So far the company has remained relatively unscathed, though the finger is rapidly being pointed towards it.  Fujitsu bosses will be questioned in the coming week at the enquiry into the post office scandal, which is now receiving widespread scrutiny.  Meanwhile, the government has been continuing to give Fujitsu contracts.  Fujitsu has enjoyed a cosy relationship with the Post Office (the Fujitsu Venus conjuncts Post Office’s Mercury; and Fujitsu Mars sextiles Post Office’s Mercury, Mercury being a key planet for the Post Office).  The transits for Fujitsu at the New Year were: Mars exactly opposite its Sun – a threat; and Neptune trine its Pluto – deep complexity.

Lord Arbuthnot – a Hero

Lord Arbuthnot was born under the sign of the Hero Archetype, Leo, with four planets in that sign.  He was a staunch supporter of the stricken postmasters for many years – I would say he acted as a rock, highlighting their case continually in parliament.  He took the fight first to the House of Commons, and then to the House of Lords.  His synastry with the Post Office shows his Mercury sextile the Post Office Chiron (an interest in its wound and healing); and his Pluto conjunct exactly with its Sun, showing his role in bringing it down.

Paula Vennells

Paula Vennells has been an easily identifiable villain in the scandal.  Although not present at the beginning of the subpostmasters’ woes, she was instrumental in the harsh treatment given by the Post Office, and prolonging the agony over a long period of years.  She was the chief executive officer of Post Office Limited from 2012 to 2019.  She has the Sun in Pisces exactly opposite Pluto, which can be a recipe for deception.  An interesting feature of her chart is Jupiter at the very beginning of, the essence of, Sagittarius.  This may point to an attitude of over-optimism that the whole thing would go away.  It also describes her secondary career as an Anglican priest.  Her synastric relationship with The Post Office is interestingly absolutely enmeshed: The Post Office Chiron squares her Venus, bringing her a wound (ultimately); the Post Office North Node (karma) sextiles her Mars (a dynamic role was handed to her); the Post Office Neptune (her natal ruler) sits on her Saturn, continuingly urging her to come clean, but her Saturn remained resistant.  The Nodal Axis of the Post Office squared her Saturn (karma eventually brought her down); her Uranus was on its Mercury (she had an unexpected effect on its affairs and practices), and finally her Neptune was on its Pluto (the deepest of reflections).  The transits for the programme, were Jupiter trine her natal Saturn (a final reckoning), and Saturn was opposite her natal Pluto (a personal nadir).  Eight days later, under immense public pressure, she handed back her CBE, with Mars trine her natal Pluto (life forced her hand), Saturn squared her Mars (relinquishing something important to her) and Saturn sextiled her natal Saturn (doing the right thing).

Ed Davey

The Lib Dem Leader, Ed Davey, has been unexpectedly caught up in the scandal, for refusing to meet representatives of the postmasters during his time as postal affairs minister between 2010 and 2012.  His transits early this year show Saturn sextile his natal Sun, a testing time; Neptune square his natal Jupiter, involvement in a scandal; but with Uranus trine his Uranus and Pluto, he should not be enormously impacted.

Nadhim Zhahawi

My eyes nearly popped out of my head, when I saw Nadhim Zhahawi, the former cabinet minister, making his acting debut playing himself, quizzing Paula Vennells at an enquiry, in a very robust manner.  He appears to be having some spare time on his hands since leaving office (!)  Will he make a new career out of it?  The planets are undecided: Saturn trined his natal Mercury (serious scrutiny); Neptune trined his natal Venus (a bit of cultural fun) and Chiron opposed his natal Mars (he feels the wound keenly).  He has since been pronouncing on the matter in parliament.

Honestly, I think I have taken up enough of your time today (notwithstanding the utmost importance of the issue), so will not go back to the involvement of Tony Blair and Peter Mandelson…

But my heart, as with all hearts, is yearning for a speedy resolution to all the misery caused, compensation and absolution and the healing of such post-traumatic postal trauma.

Aspects

The early hours of this morning saw Mercury enter Capricorn.  The mental mode of Capricorn is practicality, and systematic and methodical thinking. Mercury in Capricorn favours planning (so helps with planning events for next year. Official documentation may need to be worked on, forms to fill, authorities to interview, etc.  Mercury will be in Capricorn until 5th February.

For our delectation today, Venus trines the North Node.  This can make way for personal karmic breakthroughs (e.g. through forgiveness).  This links karma with harmony and love, and reminds us that love is a force underlying a great deal of human interaction.  In the words of Jo Cox  “we are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us”.  It also reminds us of the Hindu law of ahimsa, or harmlessness, required to neutralize and promote good karma.

Tuesday (16th) brings another congenial aspect, that of the Sun sextile Neptune.  This occurs in the early hours of the morning.  The saying goes that you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, but the Sun sextile Neptune gives you the best chance of creating beauty and inspiration in your life.  If spiritual harmony and creativity are some of the goals and aspirations you have for the start of the year, you can safely and profitably cultivate them on Tuesday.

The morning of Thursday (18th) brings another sextile, this time involving Mercury and Saturn.  Thoughts and feelings can be channelled and harnessed into constructive plans and ideas.  Mental foundations can be laid.  The aspect favours documentation and again knuckling down to form-filling etc.  Geminis and Virgos have the chance to regain their balance, if they need to.  You may use some of the inspiration gained on Tuesday to bring your ideas, creativity and impressions into reality.

Another happy aspect occurs in the morning of Friday (19th).  Make hay while the Sun shines, for this is the veritable aspect of good news itself.  This could bring productivity, and good conversation.  .  Mercury trine Jupiter expands our minds and philosophies.  This is an upbeat vibe mentally, and can bring opportunities.  It is also helpful for writing projects and studying, so you may make progress on that novel you’re writing, for instance!

But, don’t delay, for in the afternoon you could run into the effects of Neptune squaring Venus, and you may experience sensitivity around a relationship issue.  Sift out any paranoia, iron out artistic flaws, and financial insecurities. That may assist a smoother passage…and tread softly on the day,  lest you tread on your own dreams, or anyone else’s.  Be alert to any scams or deceptions, or negative examples of A.I., of which there seem to be many these days.

Lunchtime on Saturday (20th) there’s an aspect not to be trifled with (you’ll have to choose a different dessert!).  Pluto conjoins with the Sun, and there may be more drama to be played out today (hopefully in the favour of postmasters and postmistresses).  Today could be a profound wake-up call, both personally and collectively.  Practicing meditation and calming techniques would be a good way to proceed on the day as the deeper issues of life come up for assessment.  Any creativity will have depth to it, and you won’t be able to skim the surface of things. But you will emerge the richer for it.

Almost immediately after this (and the two influences may be combined), the Sun enters the sign of Aquarius.  It may point to the Sun/Pluto conjunction acting as a catharsis, to put the best complexion on it.  With the Sun in Aquarius, we are more open to embracing change,  as we emerge from the stiffness of winter, like snowdrops from the ground.  This has to be symbolic for the beginning of the astrological month, for the weather forecast promises icy conditions.  We still have a way to go before Spring, but are ready to look at different ways of being.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – practical mentality; helpful personal karma
• Tuesday – spiritual harmony and creativity
• Thursday – Mental foundations can be laid
• Friday – good news; sensitivity around a relationship issue
• Saturday – deep drama; a new broom

2024

Welcome to the year 2024: Another year of great change.  Jupiter will again change signs, but more significantly, Pluto will entrench itself into Aquarius.  It had been in Capricorn since November 2008, and briefly entered Aquarius last year.  Times quoted are for the U.K.

If you want to start working with the aspects from now, here is a guide to some of the major astrological events coming up. This calendar is packed with information, so you may want to print it out for your fridge (people do, you know!)

2024 Dates for your Diary if planning ahead:

January

Sun 21st: 00.50 a.m. – Pluto enters Aquarius – Pluto enters Aquarius – Catapults us into a new era, radical changes especially in technology and social media.

Sat 27th: 7.36 a.m. – Uranus Stationary, prior to turning Direct – Change and progress, re-igniting the more positive facets of the element of the unexpected.  Enabling progress for the New Age.

February

Tues 13th: 6.05 a.m. – Mars enters Aquarius – A time for quickening!… [applies till 22 Mar]

Weds 14th: 6.06 a.m. – Mars conjunct Pluto at 0 degrees Aquarius – A very combustible combination!  Caution required…

March

Weds 20th: 3.06 a.m. – Spring Equinox – Sun enters Aries.  The beginning of the Astrological New Year.  Day and Night of equal length.

Friday 22nd: 23.47 Hrs – Mars enters Pisces – An energetic shift from a “get things done” mode, to that of compassion and charity. [applies till 30 Apr]

Mon 25th: 7.00 a.m. – Lunar Eclipse and Full Moon at 5 degrees Libra – A turning point, and emotional high tide.

April

Mon 1st: Mercury Stationary, prior to turning Retrograde – Communications more difficult.  Retrograde period ends 25 April.

Mon 8th: 18.21 Hrs – Solar Eclipse and New Moon at 19 degrees Aries – Turning point, and a closure in some sense.

21st: 2.21 a.m. – Jupiter conjunct Uranus at 21 degrees Taurus – Major entrepreneurial conjunction: catch the energy while you can!  An Opportunity.

Thurs 25th: Mercury goes Direct [end of Retrograde period].  Communications smoother.

Tues 30th: 15.33 Hrs – Mars enters Aries – Fiery energy, if you can take it and apply it! [applies till 9 June]

May

Thurs 2nd: 17.43 Hrs – Pluto Stationary, prior to turning Retrograde – A level of setback, necessitating psychological understanding and awareness of reality.

Sat 18th: 18.45 Hrs – Sun conjunct Jupiter at 28 degrees Taurus conjunct the Pleiades – One of the luckiest days of the year.

Thurs 23rd: A Red Letter Day:

8.29 a.m. -Venus conjunct Jupiter – One of the best days of the year, socially and romantically.

21.44 Hrs – Jupiter sextile Neptune – magical, religious and spiritual.

Sat 25th:  23.15 Hrs – Jupiter enters Gemini – Lively minds, benefits education, science and transport.  Heralds a good year for Geminis.

Would be a good day for a General Election (for some), but Rishi Sunak unlikely to bite in the first half of the year.

June

Mon 3rd: 00.13 a.m. – Jupiter trine Pluto – Power and Glory

Sun 9th: 4.35 a.m. -Mars enters Taurus – A slower, more purposeful energy, very grounding. [applies until 20 July]

Tues 11th: Pluto squares Mars – A very combustible combination!  Caution required.

Thurs 20th: 20.51 Hrs – Summer Solstice – Sun enters Cancer. The peak of the Light.

Sat 29th: 19.08 Hrs – Saturn is Stationary, prior to turning Retrograde  – The need to secure foundations, and go over previous ground.  Retrograde period ends 15th November.

July

Tues 2nd: 10.42 a.m. – Neptune is Stationary, prior to turning Retrograde – Some retrospection on the Spiritual path.  Retrograde period ends 7th December..

Sat 20th: Mars enters Gemini – A livelier, more mental energy. . [applies until 4th September]

August

Mon 5th: 4.56 a.m. – Mercury Stationary, prior to turning Retrograde  – Communications more difficult.  Retrograde period ends 28th August.

Weds 28th: 21.14Hrs -Mercury Stationary, prior to turning Direct.  Communications smoother.

September

(A happenin’ month)

Sun1st: 15.19 Hrs – Uranus Stationary, prior to turning Retrograde – Rebellion, and bids for freedom.  Retrograde period ends 30th January 2025.

Mon 2nd: 00.10 a.m. – Pluto returns temporarily to Capricorn – The theme of bringing down structures and autocratic regimes and authorities returns for a final showdown.

Weds 4th: 19.46 Hrs – Mars enters Cancer – An energetic shift from a mental and analytical mode, to that of feeling and protectiveness.

Sun 15th: 5.34 a.m. – Venus trines Jupiter – The most congenial aspect in a year: social celebrations, romantic engagements.

Weds 18th: 2.34 a.m. – Lunar Eclipse and Full Moon at 25 degrees Pisces – A turning point, and emotional high tide.

Sun 22nd: 12.44 Hrs – Autumn Equinox – The Sun enters Libra – A time of balance.  Day and Night of equal length.

October

Weds 2nd: 18.49 Hrs – New Moon and Solar Eclipse at 10 degrees Libra – Turning point, especially in relationships.

Weds 9th: 7.04 a.m. – Jupiter Stationary, prior to turning Retrograde – Revising your Philosophy.  Retrograde period ends 4th February 2025.

Sat 12th: Pluto Stationary, prior to turning Direct – Psychological journey more straightforward.  Comparable to the ascent from the Underworld.

November

Fri 15th: 14.20 Hrs – Saturn is Stationary, prior to turning Direct – Less struggle.

Tues 19th: 20.29 Hrs – Pluto re- enters Aquarius – Pluto enters Aquarius – Establishing a new era, radical changes especially in technology and social media.

Tues 26th: 2.41 a.m. – Mercury Stationary, prior to turning Retrograde.  – Communications more difficult.  Retrograde period ends 15th December.

December

Fri 6th: 23.33 Hrs – Mars Stationary prior to turning Retrograde – More stalling and backtracking over active projects.  Patience needed.  Mars Retrograde until 24th February 2025.

Sat 7th: 23.42 Hrs – Neptune Stationary, prior to turning Direct. Spiritual path clearing.

Sun 15th: 20.57 Hrs – Mercury Stationary, prior to turning Direct.  Communications smoother.

Fri 20th:  2.11 a.m. – Venus trines Jupiter – A congenial aspect during the year: social celebrations, romantic engagements.

Sat 21st: 9.20 a.m. – Winter Solstice. The Sun enters Capricorn.  The beginning of the Return of the Light.

Tues 24th: 21.59 Hrs – Jupiter squares Saturn – A stand-off or impasse.  Not reliable for making decisions.

Good to see so many heralding 2024 as a turning point.  As a positive collective thought-form,  I will add my hopes!

Aspects

The aspects begin with a square between Neptune and Mercury in the early hours of Tuesday (9th).  This can bring difficult weather patterns, for example the last time it occurred we had Storm Gerrit.  However, I gather they are predicting cold and dry weather for that part of the week, in the U.K.  Some indefinable snag may be nagging at you.  If so, allow your subconscious to bring it up in its own time, but don’t shut up shop until you have identified the rum note.  Then you can deal with it, move on and let it go.  There could be some scandals in the news.  For example, highlighting the Post Office scandal, as Mercury represents The Post Office and Neptune represents scandal.  Equally, there could be chaos (Neptune) on the rail service (Mercury).

Wednesday (10th) brings an altogether happier aspect, that of a trine between the Sun and Uranus, again in the early hours.  If you are a night owl, you may tune into it late on Tuesday.  It’s a veritable new broom of an aspect!  This is a hopeful influence.  It may bring an unexpected go ahead to forge on with innovative plans and original creativity. That can include vivid dreams, with informative futuristic information encoded in them.  It is an ideal aspect for reinforcing New Year’s Resolutions and Affirmations for the coming year, or thinking up new ones to add to your list.  You may be in a position to spring a happy surprise on someone.

Also in the early hours of that day, a constructive aspect occurs, that of Mars sextile Saturn.  If you cannot sleep, you may do something practical with that time.  This aspect will give you the tools you need and possibly the opportunity to put into practice a project or scheme which you may have been trying to get to for some while.  It is good for both beginning and finishing practical and active projects, e.g. for putting that final piece in a jigsaw.  Some solid ground can be gained with the boost of this aspect, especially in the later waking hours of the day.

The first New Moon of the year occurs on Thursday (11th), taking place at 20 degrees Capricorn.  If you are using the optimum Capricorn energy, you could have good results today, especially if you are starting a new project connected with organization, politics, and relations with authority and the institutions of society.

Talking of optimum energy, Friday 12th brings just that, in the form of a trine between Mars and Jupiter.  More pushing forward with New Year plans is possible when Jupiter trines Mars, which boosts energy and combines it with enthusiasm.  It is a day for your favourite activities.  If you are self-employed, you could decide to take the day off and pursue your favourite  hobbies.  Any sports will be heightened by this trine, for instance.  The day is one of the highlights of the week: After the difficult start, you could be on a roll.  And with this being the last aspect of the week, you could continue that roll until next Sunday.

The week in bullet points:

• Tuesday – brain fog and other fogs
• Wednesday – innovative plans and original creativity; construction and practicality
• Thursday – new beginning
• Friday – optimum energy