Aspects for the week beginning 16 August 2015
Deputy Labour Leader Contest
With the ballot papers about to land on the mat, it is probably time to look at the contenders for Deputy Labour Leader (sorry folks, another fun-filled political blog underway). If you are undecided, the astrological picture may help guide you (more apologies, this time to the non-Labour population).
Ben Bradshaw
Ben Bradshaw is a Virgoan: As the Sun will be in Virgo when the result is announced, that is a plus for him, but I have to say I don’t think he has stood out in the race, his profile has not been as high as it could be. He also has Mercury, Venus, Pluto and the North Node in Virgo, which is not particularly suited to his former post of Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, but Jupiter moving through his sign this coming year will advance his fortunes in some way, some of those personal. He is adaptable and versatile, with 7 of his 10 planets in Mutable signs. He has a keen intelligence (Sun exactly conjunct Mercury in Virgo) and a sensitive spirituality (Sun exactly sextile Neptune). The latter aspect is reflective of the fact that his father was a former Anglican vicar of Norwich Cathedral. He may be prone to social gaffes (Venus closely square Jupiter). But he has an entrepreneurial spirit (Jupiter closely trine Uranus) so might do well in business affairs, he certainly would have an attention to detail. His Sun is conjunct Pluto, so there may be some heavy issues in his personal life or psychology, but that can sometimes be a strength. Mercury also exactly conjuncts Pluto, so he would be good at devising profound policies. He will have trodden the warrior path in past lives (Mars closely square the Nodal Axis) which may equip him for political battles, though the Warrior Path may not be his focus in this lifetime. We do not have his birth time/Ascendant, but you can see his Sunsign Virgo facially (e.g. the pixie chin).
His transits at the time of the contest results are mixed: Mars transits his natal Uranus, Jupiter transits his natal Sun/Mercury, Jupiter sextiles his natal Neptune, but Saturn squares his natal Chiron. If Jupiter alone guaranteed success, he would do very well, but there seems to be some shock there too.
Stella Creasy
Stella Creasy is 17 years younger than Ben Bradshaw, born in 1977. She has a pleasant Sun/Venus conjunction in Aries, but a non-aggressive Mars in Pisces. Her Sun/Venus reflects her father’s professional training as an opera singer. Mars trines Uranus, so she is dynamic, sparky and energetic and can get things done. Saturn squares Uranus exactly in her chart, so her personal life may be subject to the occasional earthquake. Her Sun trines Neptune exactly, so she has sensitivity and spirituality. Her Venus additionally is exactly trine Neptune, so she may have artistic talents and interests, and though she was formerly a Shadow Business Minister, she might have done well under Arts and Culture. I wonder if as an Aries she would be happy in a Deputy rather than a leadership role, but of course if she got the job she would be leading in her own area and department. She has an unaspected Nodal Axis, so may have a fairly unfettered karma. Chiron conjunct her Mercury may produce mental conundrums, but also a possible aptitude for problem-solving. Though she has transiting Pluto sextile her natal Mars at the time of the contest result (putting up a good fight) Pluto also exactly squares her natal Pluto, which denotes tough circumstances.
Angela Eagle
Angela Eagle (one of twins with politician Maria Eagle) is an Aquarian: motivated by social causes. She has Sun conjunct Chiron (a desire to heal), Jupiter exactly conjunct Saturn (can seen both sides of a story) and North Node conjunct Pluto (a meaningful karmic mission). She is of a similar age to Ben Bradshaw. Her Sun/Chiron/Mercury trines Mars, so she has plenty of mental and spiritual energy. Mercury opposes Pluto exactly in her chart, so she may sometimes be subject to mental strain. These two planets run along the Nodal Axis, so she has a Teacher Soul Lineage from past lifetimes, which informs her desire to make a difference this time round. Jupiter conjuncts her natal Pluto at the time of the election result and so contacts her Nodal Axis: this could be a turning tide in her life, and although Jupiter opposes her natal Mercury that may just indicate extra work coming her way through being successfully elected.
Caroline Flint
Again, I don’t think Caroline Flint has been particularly high profile in this contest, but of all the contenders I am most familiar with her as she has been a regular on Question Time. I have found her quite sharp and clear in her answers, quite impressive and fairly combative, though maybe lacking a little in gravitas. Overall, I do like her. Caroline is a contemporary of Ben Bradshaw and Angela Eagle, and another Virgo. Therefore she could have a good year ahead, too. She has a compelling North Node/Venus/Uranus triple conjunction in Leo, which may account for her generally higher media profile. She also has an exact conjunction of Mercury and Mars in legally minded Libra, which makes her a good debater, able to pick holes in other’s arguments, and combative in speech; hence the impression I have of her giving sharp and clear answers on question time. Like Angela Eagle, she has Jupiter conjunct Saturn, though not exact. The Moon is close by, but we do not have her birth time, so we don’t know how close it is. Her Sun trines Jupiter exactly, which is a buoyant and successful aspect – she has a good parliamentary record for public office. However, Saturn squares her Mercury/Mars conjunction, so she may sometimes fight with herself over paperwork – she was once accused of not having read a vital document. She is doing well though in the contest, currently second to Tom Watson in popularity. Her transits at the time of the contest result are not distinguished – they are lively but fairly minor, unless she was born at Noon in which case the North Node would be exactly trine her natal Moon, and that might provide a personal triumph or reward.
Tom Watson
Tom Watson, the front runner, has the politician’s Sun Sign, Capricorn. He could be strident, with Sun exactly square Mars, and may need to polish up his people skills. Venus opposite Jupiter also points to possible social gaucheness. Saturn conjunct Chiron in Pisces could point to health weaknesses, which hopefully may not interfere with his career path. His age group is between the older three and the younger one, so maybe he bridges a gap and is more in touch with the middle generation. His natal Saturn opposes Uranus (the personal earthquake aspect) so he does not have an easy chart, and therefore not an easy path in life or easy relationships particularly. If he has overcome all these obstacles in his personality, he may have acquired unique skills. His strengths do lie in an exact sextile between Uranus and Neptune – the ability to grasp and work with complexity and subtlety, and Saturn exactly trine Neptune (the ability to harmoniously bring together practicality and spiritual values). He too has the Teacher Archetype (Mercury closely trine his natal North Node), and some healing qualities (Chiron closely trine Neptune). Again, his transits are not so strong at the time of the result, but the North Node is close enough to a trine with his natal Venus and a sextile with his natal Jupiter to indicate there may be some reward for hard work.
Conclusion
With Jupiter, the Sun and Moon all in Virgo, this may favour a result slanted in favour of the Unions. I think the Unions are not a threat these days, and they do a good job on behalf of workers’ rights, so I do not see this as a negative. Angela Eagle has the best transits for the result date of 12th September.
Aspects
Continue basking in yesterday’s Sun/Venus conjunction and Mercury/Pluto trine for a few days: savour any happy outcomes from the weekend’s thoughts and activities.
The first aspect of the week arrives in the middle, on Wednesday (19th) and that is Venus trine Uranus, which could be a real highlight. Venus is retrograde however, so the social whirl that it brings may not be all plain sailing. For example, there may be elements of an old relationship which may haunt in the midst of your current bliss. Taking stock of your karma may help resolve the issue. Artistic creativity will be original – or will it? Are you sure you are not plagiarizing something you subconsciously saw once before. Enjoy the benefits of the day: hopefully any drawbacks will be minor.
If you anticipate a headache this week, it could come from Mercury opposite Chiron on Thursday (20th). It may be a mental conundrum which you have failed to solve, and comes to a crisis point now where it has to be dealt with. The trick with Chiron is to look for the solution within the problem. Do you remember those Magic Eye picture puzzles which were popular a decade or so ago? The trick was to relax and soft focus the eye, to reveal the true picture. That may be the technique for dealing with Thursday’s situation.
Sadly, Friday (21st) brings some sort of dampener from Sun square Saturn (I would always elect to end on a bright aspect, but the astrological facts do not always comply). It is a day when you need to look reality in the face, or perhaps deal with a long standing issue related to low self-esteem or confidence. Resisting won’t help, but admitting you need help may. Or maybe you will need to lend a hand to another, who needs a sounding board. Keep the rescue remedy to hand to avoid someone’s paranoia or depression getting out of hand, and dole it out liberally. My old friend Sandy always used to say put it in the pet’s drinking water as well for good measure. Hopefully, the day will be helpful in getting to the root of a problem, before an upturn of the graph or the spiral.
Next Week: Virgo Animal Totems and Archetypes
The week in bullet points:
- Wednesday – the high life
- Thursday – mental conundrum
- Friday – under a cloud
August 16th, 2015 at 2:52 pm
Oh dear, I’m know this Leader and Deputy contest is important, and thanks Lana for such a lot of info, but I can’t say I’m completely a Labour supporter. I’m too wishy washy I fear, but I do enjoy following the processes.
A bit of an odd week just gone and this coming one may continue to trip me up. Ha, not really I hope, that was last week’s activity. I think I’ll concentrate on improved meditations, to reach the soft focus perhaps.
Love Sarah
August 17th, 2015 at 9:03 am
Dear Sarah
Thanks very much for your comment, and for reminding me that not everyone is a Labour supporter, let alone a Corbynite!
Looking forward to discussing this, and other things, at Coffee Pod this morning…
Love
Lana
August 20th, 2015 at 8:53 am
More help with filling in your form:
Conference Arrangement Committee Choices:
Michael Cashman
Has Sun exactly conjunct Chiron in Sagittarius, so wants to serve in a global way, and has a strong Inner Healer. With 6 out of his 10 planets in Cardinal signs, he has leadership potential. Venus sextile exactly Jupiter gives him social skills. Mars exactly trine Saturn ensures he gets things done on a practical level. On results day Uranus opposes his natal Neptune, but trines his natal Pluto, and Neptune trines his natal Uranus, so overall could be helpful transits for him.
Katy Clark
Katy Clark is a Cancerian, and be likely to champion women’s rights. But she has Venus sextile Mars, so is into equality between the sexes. She also has the balanced aspect of Jupiter trine Saturn, which is useful in politics as in life. She has Mercury square Mars, so may be easily irritated. She has a high energy in general, with the Uranus-Pluto conjunction of the mid 1960s in her chart. The Sun square Saturn may have held her back through lack of self-confidence earlier in her career. Mercury exactly sextile Uranus gives her an acute mental perception, and she definitely has a quick mind with the Mars contact to Mercury. Mercury also makes a trine to Neptune, opening her mind to spiritual inspiration. There is a lot going on in terms of mental energy, as she also has Mercury closely sextile Pluto, giving her the capability of deep thought. Her Uranus is exactly sextile her natal Neptune, giving her an understanding of complexity. Transits at the time of the election result not so easy for her, with Uranus square her Mercury and Mars square her Neptune, but Chiron (a planet which is unaspected in her natal chart) trines her Mercury, so she may emerge with a personal healing insight.
Jon Lansman – no birth date available
Gloria de Piero
Gloria de Piero has had a higher profile on our TV screens. She has a high-flying conjunction of Sun/Jupiter in the political sign of Capricorn. She has a generally buoyant chart, with the Sun and a triple conjunction in Sagittarius composed of Venus/Neptune/Mercury, which could make her successful in several different fields, such as culture or international relations. Her Venus is exactly sextile Pluto, so she may also have an insight into the psychology of human relations. Her Moon is on the South Node, so she may have distinguished herself in past lives in the field of female emancipation. Her transits around the result period however, despite her high profile, seem lacklustre, so this may not be her job.
Harry Taylor – no birth date available
August 20th, 2015 at 2:37 pm
Dear Lan I
Well, you’ve been busy! You have taken your Labour Pary responsibilities exremely seriously in your attempt to keep us all very well informed. I only have a vote on Leader and Deputy. I’ve always had a tendancy toward Angela Eagle and your analysis of her chart certainly confirmed my interest (Aquarian and Twins particularly)
Looking at the weeks aspects . Today “mental conundrum”. My response is “Which one?” I can’t imagine a day without one. Typical Geminian response, I suppose!
Love Janet
August 21st, 2015 at 8:51 am
Dear Janet
Thanks very much for your interest in what must be a very niche blog!
It seems that supporter voters don’t have a vote for the Committee and the Regional choices, so it’s even more specialized.
I just thought that while I was researching the names for myself, I would put the information out there in case there is another Labour supporter reading who has not yet filled in their ballot form!
Thanks too for the insight into the everyday world of the Gemini!
Love
Lana
August 21st, 2015 at 10:10 am
Dear Lana
I have forwarded your blog entries on the conference arrangement stuff to someone who sits very well in your niche. I dont know if he has completed his ballot form yet.
Love Janet
August 22nd, 2015 at 9:05 am
Very grateful to you for this service, Janet x
August 22nd, 2015 at 10:06 am
Hello Lana
Janet may mean me! I had just got the booklet and ballot paper out ready and thought I had better check your blog out first.
Thanks for your help!
August 23rd, 2015 at 9:56 am
Thank you, Noel! Makes it all worthwhile, Love L
September 2nd, 2015 at 9:28 am
Labour Candidate for London Mayor:
There is still time to vote on your ballot paper for the London Mayoral Candidate, if you live in London. So here is your astrological guide!
David Lammy
A distinguishing feature of David Lammy’s chart is the Sun exactly conjunct the natal South Node in Cancer, and opposite his North Node. He is pulled back towards the past, and that includes past lives. A feature of this past is that of power in the community, e.g. he may have been influential in different communities in past lives. In this life he is very much associated with the community in Tottenham, which has been through so much trauma in recent years. He has a gift for writing and public speaking (Mercury sextile closely Venus). He is loyal in relationships but may have suffered significant loss in the past (Venus conjunct Saturn). Mars sextile Saturn makes him balanced and measured in action. He thinks before he acts. Mars sits in the middle of a trine between Saturn and Uranus, which is another aspect of balance, between the old and the new, between revolution and evolution. Mars sextile Uranus means he can act for progressive and exciting change, but will not throw the baby out with the bathwater when evaluating an issue. Jupiter squares Pluto exactly in his chart, so he does like power, and is not afraid to take it on! He has Mercury trine Chiron, so his brain is well suited to problem-solving, and thinking outside the box. Saturn sextiles his natal Chiron, so he uses his healing energies sparingly but judiciously, and doesn’t allow himself to be drained; he has good boundaries.
At the time of the Labour selection announcement (11th September) Saturn sextiles his natal Pluto (calculation may pay off), Chiron squares his natal Venus (there may be more personal demands on him) and Mars conjuncts his natal Mercury (heightened tension). He has good connections with the London chart, included an exact trine with their Venuses (a mutual affection).
Tessa Jowell
Tessa has a difficult conjunction of Saturn and Pluto in Leo, which may account for some of the difficulties and ups and downs of her life and career. On the other hand, she has an upbeat exact sextile between her Sun and Jupiter, so hers is a life of great contrasts. Some of her ministerial experience has been in connection with health and employment (Sun in Virgo) and some in arts and culture (Sun conjunct Venus). The Sun in her chart bisects and supports an energetic trine between Mars and Jupiter, so she has a great deal of vitality and enthusiasm. She has some leadership qualities (Sun trine North Node), but has suffered some separation in her relationship (Uranus square her Sun/Venus). She has an exact conjunction of her Mercury and Neptune, which can give her a good imagination, mental inspiration, but possible gullibility. With Venus conjunct her natal Sun and closely trine her North Node, she is likely to be essentially an openhearted person. There looks to be some interest in Tessa at the time of the election result (Mercury sextile her natal Pluto) but not the overwhelming amount of support you would expect in the event of a victory. In her relationship with the London chart, its Neptune squares her natal Neptune/Mercury square, which is a confused relationship, but she has a good record in promoting the Olympic bid and Olympic interests in London.
Diane Abbott
Diane Abbott often sits on the couch next to Michael Portillo on Andrew Neil’s programme “This Week”. She has more of a media presence than Tessa Jowell, and in future life progressions with Anne Jirsch has been said to make her mark on improving the future of London. She shares one of Tessa’s aspects: Mercury conjunct Neptune, but unlike Tessa’s it is not exact, so not as acute. Diane describes herself as the ‘only candidate who listened and voted against the Iraq war’. With Mercury square Uranus, she does not feel she has to toe the party line. In the Labour leadership contest, she has been sympathetic to Jeremy Corbyn’s bid. She has a complex interplay of the outer planets in her birthchart, and that reflects her complex understanding of the issues facing London’s communities, which she has worked with in her capacity as M.P. for Hackney since 1987, experience which would stand her in good stead were she to become Mayor.
At the time of the election results, Neptune opposes her natal Mars, so she may feel a little disappointed and disempowered. In her relationship with the London chart, her natal Mercury is opposed by the London chart Chiron, so she has some healing issues to work out in the area.
Sadiq Khan
Sadiq Khan has a powerhouse of energy, from his conjunction of Mars and Pluto, which could be confrontational. The conjunction takes place in Virgo, so he is able to channel that energy into Health, Community and Environmental concerns, which would be useful for a London Mayor. His Sun in Libra (he was a Human Rights lawyer) conjuncts Uranus, so he has potential as an innovator. There is also a loose conjunction between his Venus and Neptune (plus his Mercury sextiles Neptune), so he is capable of sensitivity and inspiration in relationships and the Arts, and subtlety in negotiation which may balance out the overriding will of Mars and Pluto. His Mercury conjuncts Pluto, so he thinks deeply about issues. He could be quite personally charismatic, with Venus exactly sextile Mars. He has no Fire planets, and his Jupiter is unaspected, so sometimes he may come over as lacking enthusiasm. Mars exactly trine Saturn is an excellent balance of action and measured caution. Neptune squares closely his Nodal Axis, so in his personal life he may occasionally be confused about his direction.
On the selection day, Mars squares his natal Saturn, which doesn’t look too successful. In his relationship with the London chart, he has mainly squares and an opposition, but one favourable aspect: London’s Neptune sextile exactly his natal Jupiter, so spiritually there is a unity.
Gareth Thomas
Gareth Thomas has the anarchic high-energy of Uranus conjunct Pluto in Virgo, as a child of the mid-1960s. He also has a square from his Mars to his Sun, which could make his energy wayward at times too in its expression. He may have fought earlier in life to bring it under control. This is a pattern from past lives, as he also has Mars conjunct the Moon on the South Node, indicating warrior lifetimes. The involvement of the Moon may suggest that in past lives he developed a pattern of fighting for the underdog, and this may have carried through. He has Jupiter trine Saturn, a good balance between optimism and realism. His Sun sextiles Uranus, so he can carry out innovations. There is a potential for developing his sensitivity, compassion and spirituality to a high degree, with Sun exactly trine Neptune. He can take on complexity with competence, as he has Neptune exactly sextile Uranus. Venus closely trine his North Node can indicate leadership with a heart.
Pluto opposes his natal Mercury at the result of the election, which could be a shock. Plus Mars squares his natal Neptune, so his sensitivities will be bruised. He may not show it, but it could take a while to work through events psychologically. His contribution to London could be great, in other ways, for his Jupiter sits on the London I.C. (Imum Coelum), so he has much to give in the future in that area.
Christian Wolmar
Christian Wolmar has a number of interesting conjunctions in his chart, and would have much to say on many subjects, as he can engage with life on many levels. Venus conjuncts Saturn, so he would understand loss and could champion the elderly. Mars conjuncts Uranus so he may have an aptitude for engineering, and would certainly himself have a dynamic energy. The Sun in his chart conjuncts Pluto, so he is not shallow in his experience of life. Mercury also conjuncts Pluto, so he can articulate profound thought. And the Moon conjuncts Chiron, so he understands deep emotional wounding too, so he could have made a career in psychology. In addition he has some good sextile connections in his chart. In short, an interesting man.
With Pluto squaring his natal Neptune at the outcome of the election, it seems this is not the job destined for him. However, he has very positive links with the London charts and could do much for the City in other ways.