Eurovision Song Contest 2016

What a dramatic contest we had last night!  On the face of things, it was the same as usual: Ukraine and Sweden did well, and the United Kingdom came near the bottom of the scoreboard.  But the scoring was a roller coaster not for the faint-hearted.

We are an especially divided household on Eurovision night.  I have watched Eurovision since it was first televised, and only missed 2010 when we were in Venice.  Hubby avoids it like the plague, except for one year we were invited to a dinner party: he thought he was safe until the hosts asked us if we minded having it on in the background.

Are any of the results reflected in the Astrological charts and transits of the countries?

Toast to Terry Wogan

Graham Norton does a good job.  Nobody could purport to replace Terry Wogan, who was part of the fabric and the enjoyment of the song contest for so long.  But Graham does the dry humour quite well.  So at song number 9 he explained that Terry advised him never to start drinking before that point, and we all raised a glass to Terry.  I had some slightly salted popcorn, and just nipped to the kitchen for some sparkling mineral water to go with that.  Ah, dear Terry.  His enthusiasm and patience started to wane when the Eastern European bloc kept trading their votes.  Other sections of Europe had their alliances, but other than Ireland and Malta, we seemed alone and left out of the cold for years.  Malta did award us 12 points last night.  Ireland had been knocked out in the semi-finals.  This was a shock, as it was deemed to be a decent song by Nicky Byrne of Westlife.  On Thursday night, he had Uranus (upset) opposite his Mercury (mind), and Pluto squaring his Pluto, both difficult aspects, though Jupiter was trying to keep his fighting spirits up with a sextile to his natal Mars.  Ireland itself, going through weightier problems politically at the moment, had a serious trine from Saturn to its natal Pluto.

While on the subject of Irishmen, what does it take to produce a real Eurovision success?  It may be a digression, but my favourite was Johnny Logan, who won Eurovision for Ireland twice, and wrote the songs.  He was Taurean (a singing sign) with a loose double trine of Mercury/Sun in late Taurus trine North Node/Chiron in Capricorn.

Half Time Conference

My Eurovision buddies, Nita and Nina, and I managed a three way conference at half time, which filled that spot nicely.  I had already phoned my 87-year old mother who said the Russian entry stood out for her.  I told her it was the favourite, and she seemed pleased.  Nita somehow managed to hook the three of us up in a phone conference.  She had the technology – she always was a whizz in the office.

We agreed the U.K. entry was the best we had had for ages, and the Russian entry and performance was the best.  We marvelled at the fact that Australia was in the contest (though there are other countries involved which are patently not European).  Apparently if Australia had won, a real European country would have had to host next year. We also agreed that the Ukrainian entry was nothing to write home about.  What do we know?

Voting

They decided to spice up the voting this time.  They announced that it was going to be more exciting, but little did we know it was going to be more harrowing too, especially for the United Kingdom.  They went through the usual rigmarole of inviting each country to announce the votes of their jury.

Our spirits rose!  Our lovely boys Jake and Joe were doing nicely, respectably even.  Nowhere near the top of the scoreboard, admittedly, but much better than usual.  Australia looked like the clear winner – who would volunteer to host next year, I wondered.  They must have been pleased.  Then at the end they added the votes gained from the public on their phones.  The scoreboard started to look very different.  I think my mother was very confused, and judging by friends’ text messages, so were they.  Hubby popped in to the room and asked “What’s going on?”  “Shh!” I replied, “I’ll tell you later”.

The countries at the bottom of the scoreboard received a few paltry crumbs, except for Poland which seemed destined to receive a larger share of the vote.  The chunks of votes became larger and larger, until the top few were in the hundreds.  This included Poland, which rose from the bottom of the leaderboard to nearly the top.  This was a song which divided our Conference group, too:  strange, but for some compelling.  Poland must have been having the same level of euphoria, as the United Kingdom was in despair.  Poor Graham struggled to make a quip.

Ukraine, Crimea and Russia

In the end, Russia and Ukraine were slugging it out for top place.  If this truly was a political battle between the two countries and representing their dispute, it was fairly evenly matched.  The Ukrainian singer had sung a heartfelt song about members of her family being killed in 1944 when Stalin was in power.  She was from the Crimea, and though it is not permitted to sing of current political struggles, the metaphor was obvious.  She triumphed.  I cannot remember the tune, and would not be able to hum it, and I am probably not alone.

Jupiter was trine Russia’s Uranus, but Neptune was square its Mercury (high expectations and a veiled outcome), and Neptune trumps Jupiter.  Pluto (the ultimate power) sextiled the Ukrainian Pluto (self-empowerment), but crucially the karmic factor won: the North Node (karmic justice) was exactly sextile the Ukrainian Pluto.  Some have said Russia would have been embarrassed to win and have to hold the contest in their country next year.

Jamala’s Birth Chart

As luck would have it, the birth date of the winning singer Jamala from the Crimea is available.  She has the mark of a singer in her Sun conjunct Venus.  Though a modest Virgo Sun sign, she has 6 of her 10 planets in fire signs, so is more feisty than the textbook Virgoan.  She has a complex T-square composed of Chiron opposite Jupiter/Uranus (the Entrepreneur) squared by Sun/Venus.  She knew she was taking a risk with this type of song, but she has the chart of a risk-taker.  The seriousness of the song is reflected in the Saturn/Pluto conjunction in her chart.  The song had to be serious to be meaningful, and worthwhile.  She has Venus exactly sextile her natal Saturn, which is at 0 degrees Scorpio. This proved a real contrast to the average Eurovision song with its reputation for superficiality.  Just when you think a chirpy, catchy song will win it, the opposite happens.  Europe took her and her cause to their hearts.  She wore one of the colours of Pluto/Scorpio, Indigo, and performed against a dark blue background.  She writes her own material (Jupiter sextile exactly Mercury in her birth chart).  For her win, she had transiting Saturn sextile her natal Jupiter, and Jupiter trine her natal Neptune (success through inspiration).

European Referendum

One of the things we discussed in our Conference was the effect before and after of the European Referendum.  Were Europeans put off by our threat to leave?  Could people be persuaded to stay in Europe so that we could continue to participate in Eurovision (at that point the full horror of our placement was not even suspected).  More questions were brought up by the result. In doing so badly, would it drive more people to vote for Brexit?  How do people now feel about being European, and how do Europeans feel about us?  As a keen Europhile, I am very upset on many counts.

Joe and Jake

Let’s hear it for our brave duo from the United Kingdom!  It must get harder and harder to participate in the contest.  Joe and Jake make a perfect partnership, with their Suns exactly opposite, in Sagittarius and Gemini.  They should stick together.  Their harmonies were good, showing that deep connection. Karmically the cards were stacked against Joe, with the Nodal Axis squaring his natal Sun/Mercury conjunction.  Maybe they are not quite ready.  For Jake, the confusion would have been particularly strong, with Neptune squaring his natal Mercury on the night.  Chiron too was blocking his progress, sitting on his natal Saturn.  They are young yet, and they are popular in the United Kingdom.  I wish them every success in the future.

As for the United Kingdom itself, Saturn is sitting on its Sun/Mercury at the moment, and Pluto is square its Saturn.  You could say we were a little down on the luck factor.  Uranus also squares its Moon.  The European question is dividing us, and our main two political parties have internal battles raging.  I will look at the European question again next month, when the planets will have moved a little, and before the Referendum itself.

Aspects

Not a very busy week, as aspects go…

Today, Venus in Taurus trines the North Node in Virgo.  The karmic tone brings a loving approach, and an acknowledgement of what our nearest and dearest mean to us.  It supports efforts in connection with the environment, or cultivating one’s own garden, too.  The Sun is shining in the U.K., and beckoning us outside.  The lilacs are in full bloom, giving out an intoxicating and powerful aroma.  That’s a promising start to the week, and its comforting background atmosphere may sustain us until the next aspect on Thursday.

Thursday (19th) brings another spiritually based aspect in the shape of Venus in Taurus sextile Chiron in Pisces.  Here, homeopathy, herbs and herbal remedies are emphasized, so grow your own comfrey.  This Venus in Taurus links harmoniously and constructively with the Inner Healer (Chiron) and healing initiatives, so enhancing the healing potential of herbs for instance, or flower essences.  The Sun is aligned around this time with the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters cluster in Taurus, and those of your who are of an extra-terrestrial bent may get mileage from tuning in.

The Sun enters Gemini on Friday (20th) so if you have had your fill of gardening and the plant world this week, there is a change to a more mental focus at the end of the week.  With Mercury about to go direct, communications will again be a preoccupation, and you can at least get ready to make more progress on that front.  If you don’t quite trust Mercury, you can wait a few more days, but at least have your papers ready and in order to present your case.

Some tension may be around, for the Moon is going to be Full on Saturday (21st) evening (21.14 Hrs. in the U.K.).  It is a Sagittarian Moon, opposing a Gemini Sun, so the battleground may be around communications, or some verbal sparring.  Choose your words carefully.  A phrase you often hear on a Full Moon is “things are coming to a head”, so try to stay cool until the confrontation has passed.  Then assess whether the issue is important enough to pursue.  Some do not experience any tension or conflict at the Full Moon, resolving the opposition within themselves, e.g. through meditation.  If you are Sagittarian or Geminian (like Jake and Joe) you may be more involved than most.  Learn to discern what is coming from your own emotions, and what is being exacerbated by the reactions of others.

The week in bullet points:

  • Today – karmic harmony
  • Thursday – love and healing
  • Friday – mental avenues
  • Saturday – communication
Date: May 15th, 2016 · Comments RSS · Tags: Astrology