Leonard Nimoy (1931 – 2015)

I am not a Trekkie, but as an Astrologer I have a natural affinity for the territory.  There is a huge worldwide affection for Leonard Nimoy, who died this week,  and his alter ego Spock the Vulcan in Star Trek, although the actor wrestled with his screen persona, and eventually surrendered.  His relationship with William Shatner, who played the Captain of the Starship Enterprise, makes an interesting study.

Spock the Vulcan

The unique character with whom Leonard Nimoy is forever associated, Spock, is dramatically depicted in his own chart, and so is in fact a part of his own psyche.  Leonard was an Aries Sunsign, so straightforward, logical and individualistic.  He had an exact conjunction between Uranus , the North Node and Mercury: a cement-like bond between his higher mind, his lower mind and his karmic mission.  His mind, like Spock’s own, worked in a unique and unusual way, with extra-terrestrial connections.  The role of Spock truly was his karmic mission.  The portrayal of this character opened people’s minds to other realities.  This triple conjunction occurs in his 11th House of Starship Crews.

Birthchart

His rising sign and Moon were in the logical Gemini, and his Midheaven (persona) the supercool oddball sign of Aquarius.

Paradoxically, he had a strong feminine side, and was a man of great warmth:  This is shown by the gentleness of a trine between his two female planets Venus and the Moon.  He published love poetry (Neptune conjunct the Part of Fortune in his 3rd House), which expressed this tenderness, as well as general poems about life:

I may not be

I may not be the fastest
I may not be the tallest
Or the strongest

I may not be the best
Or the brightest

But one thing I can do better
Than anyone else…

That is

To be me

Relationship with William Shatner

William Shatner, his co-star on the Starship Enterprise, is quoted to have said: “I loved him like a brother”. My feeling is that they came from the same Soul group, and possibly had recent lives in other star systems, planning to portray space adventurers in this lifetime.  In two  amazing coincidences, they both came from Ukrainian Jewish descent (two letters away from Uranian descent!), and they were also born only 4 days apart in the same year (which makes them almost astrological time twins).  Though he has many similar planetary placements, William Shatner has a more indulgent chart, with Venus rising in Aquarius, and Moon in Taurus.  Apart from the astrological affinity of their planetary conjunctions, brotherhood is shown by William Shatner’s Mercury in Aries exactly sextile Leonard Nimoy’s Ascendant in Gemini.  William Shatner has the conjunction of Uranus and North Node, symbolizing star trekking, but unlike Leonard Nimoy the conjunction does not include his Mercury, so there is not the same emphasis on intellect.  They both contracted tinnitus of the ears (Aries-related) during an episode of Star Trek which involved an explosion (a Uranian phenomenon).  William Shatner’s persona (Midheaven) is in the flamboyant, fiery sign of Sagittarius.  Although Captain Kirk (Shatner’s character) was the leader on the starship, in truth they both have astrological top billing because they both have 7 out of their 10 planets in Cardinal signs.

Last Tweet

At his death, Neptune (chronic illness) was exactly at the top of his chart, squaring his Ascendant.  His last tweet was well thought out:

“A life is like a garden, Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory”

Having attained the grand age of 83, he could be said to have lived long and prospered.

Aspects

There are 11 astrological events to write about this week, and possibly to process, so without further ado:

We start today with a conjunction between Venus and the South Node, and therefore a blast from the past.  Someone may contact you who hasn’t communicated for a long time.  It is a good day for reminiscences, and remembering precious moments.

Mid-afternoon Mercury then sextiles Uranus, an aspect that Spock would have liked: it is a reaching out of the box mentally, and an exploration of other ways of thinking.

In the evening Mercury opposes Jupiter, and we have stretched our minds as far as we can, and need to recognize that point.  We may have done some armchair exploration and adventuring, or watched several episodes of Star Trek boxed sets, but need to know when to give it a rest.  Try to have a peaceful evening, so that your mind is not over-exercised when you place your head on your pillow.

Tuesday (3rd) brings more fun and games, some of them of great importance with Jupiter trine Uranus, that very adventurous and enterprising aspect which can enable us to put into practice our wildest ideas.

Wednesday (4th) brings another happy clappy aspect, Venus trine Jupiter.  This is a good aspect for a celebration or party, and may of itself give you something to celebrate or shout about.  It is a very social aspect, so whatever is in your social diary should go with a swing.  If you are spending the day alone, give all your Archetypes a good work out; make sure they interact, even the wallflowers.

Venus then goes on to meet Uranus, and though that usually ensures exciting meetings, the conjunction is too uncomfortably close to a square with Pluto to be entirely beneficial!  If a new acquaintance is being ultra pally, and not observing comfortable boundaries, or if an old pal is behaving erratically, take a step back and analyze the situation with care.

To recap: it will be easy getting the party started, but don’t let it get out of hand later.  For by Thursday (5th), it may become hard to disentangle yourself, with Venus squaring Pluto.    Even established relationships may be under strain.  You will need to decide where your loyalties lie, if you can’t please everyone.   If you are able to unite on a higher plane, e.g. through group meditation, solutions may be easier to find.

You might feel you are running out of stamina by now, just reading, let alone in the process of the week.  But you will need extra stamina to get through Thursday.  The next aspect to tackle is Mars conjunct the South Node.  This may require you to deal with past battles, or even past-life battles.  You may, as a result of insights gained into your own behaviour, need to adjust your Inner Warrior slightly: maybe your helmet is wonky, or your sword rusty, or your attitude needs to be more compassionate.

By early evening, the tension rises to the crescendo of the  Virgo Full Moon, and you may have a feverish obsession to clean the house, get all your filing up to date, or show your conscientiousness some other way, perhaps in the community.  Be aware of any types around you who are affected by the Full Moon and may disturb your equanimity; but otherwise things should settle later in the evening, and you can quietly read a study book, or watch an educational documentary on the television.

On Friday (6th) you should feel much more sorted, Everyman, or Everywoman!  The Sun will be sextile Pluto, and you will be in a frame of mind to lucidly articulate your current psychological state to your favourite therapist, counselor or true friend.  You will have a lot to relate, if you have been exercised by all the aspects of the week, describing your adventures and how you overcame hurdles.  Unless – of course – you are the therapist, counselor or true friend, in which case you may not get a word in edgeways, but there is scope for an equal exchange., and a thorough psychological work out.

Which leads to the last aspect of the week, taking  place on Saturday (7th), that of Sun conjunct Chiron.  A good thrashing of your psychological issues the day before will enable you to go further and equate any physical symptoms and need for healing, with their psychological counterparts.  The day favours both physical and psychological healing, but could also bring up crises and the emergence of wounds in order to find the solutions.  Have faith in the Chironic process, which usually indicates that healing is near.

Good News for Astrology?

Astrology has found an unlikely champion in Parliament.  Last year Tory M.P. for Bosworth in Leicestershire David Tredinnick revealed (shock, horror) that he believed in Astrology, and had been a student of the subject for many years, and even introduced it to other politicians.

He revived the topic this week, with an interview in the Astrological Journal providing more details about his beliefs, presumably in preparation for the forthcoming General Election.  He has prescribed both Astrology and Homeopathy for the rehabilitation of the N.H.S.

I myself have been collecting astrological medical research data for a few years, but would not be qualified to employ it to that level.  However, it is a fascinating area of study, and has the potential to help.

He states “Ninety per cent of pregnant French women use homeopathy.”

He criticizes the scientific sceptics:

“People such as Professor Brian Cox, who called astrology ‘rubbish’ have simply not studied the subject.”

I will allow him to analyze his own chart, in his own words.  According to the Daily Telegraph:

‘Tredinnick, who was born under the Capricorn star sign, claims his own astrological chart suggests he was destined to be a “servant of the people.”

He said: “I have a strong 6th house which suggests an emphasis on being a servant of the people – and this is quite a strong indication of health and healing. My Moon-Venus-Jupiter planets (in Aquarius) sit opposite Pluto in the 12th house.” ‘

How do his prospects look for polling day?  Uranus (Astrology) will be trine his Chiron (Healing), so maybe he has taken a calculated gamble that his outspokenness will pay off, or at least not harmed his chances as much as the average scientific sceptic might think!

The week in bullet points:

  • Today – past relationships under the microscope; exciting ideas; mind-stretching
  • Tuesday – a big, bold day
  • Wednesday – socializing, but keep your boundaries
  • Thursday – crunch time for relationships; the return of the warrior; emotions full
  • Friday – talking things through, satisfyingly
  • Saturday – healing required, and probably supplied