Citizen Smith, and the Tooting Popular Front, your time has come! Actor Robert Lindsay, who played Wolfie Smith in the TV sitcom back in the 1970s, has (like me) his second Saturn Return this week, and his past role may come back to haunt him (pleasantly I hope). For the Saturn-Uranus opposition which has had us all in a nutcracker grip for some time finally reveals on Tuesday the nut or fruit within, the truth behind the form. We can see this squeeze at work in our lives, in the lives of those around us, and of course in the fascinatingly-staged US Presidential Election. Will Barack Obama be elected, and will Capitalism be brought down in a single stroke? This constitutes the hope, and fear, for many people worldwide (see my earlier blogs on this opposition). Is there anything else happening this week? Well yes, but all other planetary placements pale in comparison, but must be blogged nevertheless. Neptune goes stationary today prior to turning direct, so that will enable us to see things more clearly on a spiritual level. We are all now seeing more of the truth that lies behind the illusion, as more is being revealed esoterically and exoterically. Tomorrow (Monday 3rd) highlights the fact that Venus forms a T-square with the Saturn-Uranus opposition this week as Venus tackles first Saturn then Uranus. Many people will feel out of their comfort zone in contemplating changes that might happen, e.g. if Obama is elected, or if the shares plummet even further. Venus also represents the Arts, and it may represent a turning away from art which is meaningless or superficial, and be the spur for a new artistic trend based on true values. So sell off any dubious Brit Art items you are holding, and make a space for the new Art. Relationships too will be tested for their mettle on Monday. The supporting astrological events for Tuesday (4th) begin with Mercury sextile Pluto in the early hours of the morning (UK time). This is a profound aspect attuning us to deeper ways of thinking, and serious issues requiring our mental attention. No U.S. voter is likely to step into the polling booth lightly! At breakfast-time Mars squares Neptune, giving way and falling prey to last-minute irrational thoughts and paranoias – “what would happen if so-and-so were elected…?” Other planetary tribes may be more focussed on practical issues connected with leaks or flooding which can accompany this aspect. If you are not experiencing a water leak, check out your aura for emotional leaks. Compassion is well-centred, but sympathy can overstretch your emotional boundaries. The Saturn-Uranus opposition itself occurs at lunchtime in the UK, but at the start of the working day in the U.S. Later on around afternoon tea (back to UK time), Mercury enters Scorpio and the mental mood swings from equanimity and seeing both sides (Mercury in Libra) to passionate positionality: “I’ve cast my vote, now I’m going to stick with it!” Wednesday (5th) is of course when the denouement in reality will be known, and Venus sextiles Neptune. That’s an interesting tone for the day after an election: balmy and idealistic, almost serene, like swinging on a hammock. Again, I am sitting firmly on the fence, because it is difficult to categorically tell from their charts which presidential candidate will be swinging on that metaphorical hammock…but there will be an air of dreaming about what is possible, generally. On the art front aspiring and upcoming Artists of the New Age take note, this would be a golden day to start a new art movement. On a more provincial level, you could host a Paint Pod event. Relationships will move to a more spiritual stage. All the agony and empathy of this week could leave you exhausted in the second half, so take care of yourselves. Saturday (8th) sees Chiron squaring the Sun and healing may be needed, or at the very least catching up with yourself, coming back to your own core and centredness after all the outward focus. It’s a new dawn, so take stock of how you are feeling in relation to that.