Strictly Come Dancing – Part 3

It has been an electrifying season on the dance floor!  There are five remaining contestants I haven’t yet written about, so I will aim to cover them all.  This Halloween weekend Head Judge Shirley Ballas was more critical than ever, but crowned Debbie McGee for her amazing Charleston.  I predicted the three finalists last year, and have only just realized (read on…!)

Susan Calman

Comedian and presenter Susan Calman is a Sun in Scorpio, and there has been much written lately about how she overcame her demons to get to this point in her life.  I have to say she is one of my favourites, and it is something about the spirit with which she engages in the competition.  She is fascinating to watch.  There is a great deal of emotion in her make-up, with half her planets (5) in Water signs.  She may also struggle to be grounded, with 0 Earth planets.  However, she has such a strong energy that it seems to make up for any innate lack of grounding.  She also seems to be able to take up any challenge presented to her, which is another Scorpio trait.  In her chart, she does have the musicality required, in Venus exactly conjunct her Sun.  She can be hot headed (Moon square Mars, although we don’t know how close that is, because we do not have a birth time).  She has a quick and inventive brain, with Mercury conjunct Uranus, which serves her well as a comedian.  Her great energy comes from Mars trine closely Jupiter, which ensures that she approaches everything she does with great enthusiasm.  Jupiter square Neptune can produce religious or spiritual confusion, which may have been part of her past struggles.  Saturn square Chiron also may have caused some of her depression.  Neptune conjunct her North Node favours her prowess and progress in the medium of dance.  Her transits at the moment show Uranus opposite her Mercury (nervous energy), and Neptune square her Nodal Axis (dance karma), challenges which showed up in yesterday’s dance.  At the end of the series she will have Jupiter on her Sun/Venus, a great sense of triumph.  Neptune will still be square her Nodal Axis, plus Pluto will be opposite her Saturn (perhaps a sense of anti-climax or deflation).  My guess is that Kevin will truly take her to the heights of her potential.  It may inspire a memorable punchline, or some new comedy routines.  Sadly though, in spite of my own enthusiasm, she received one of her poorest scores this week (what do I know about dance?) and she landed quite low on the leaderboard…

Who can forget the moment she was partnered with Kevin Clifton, her long time idol?  He was in the final last year, and one wondered if she would do him justice.  I think she has proved worthy of this popular professional in her commitment.  I have written in the past that he has “great natural elegance with several planets in Libra”.    There is also great dexterity, with Mercury sextile Uranus”.  Kevin’s transits at the moment are the North Node sextile his Sun (good for performance), Saturn sextile his Saturn (strong and stable), Saturn on his Neptune (some struggle), Chiron square his Neptune (healing and complexity), and Uranus opposite his Pluto (challenges).  It is not an easy time for him, and perhaps there is a lot going on in his personal life.  At the end of the contest he has a Jupiter Return, which is a brilliant transit (his Jupiter in their synastry is conjunct her Sun/Venus exactly – a joyful liaison).  Uranus will be opposite his Saturn, so he may be feeling the strain physically, but Uranus trines his Neptune, which is more helpful.  Chiron is still square his Neptune, but I think he will end on a high, pleased with his hard work.

Jonnie Peacock

Jonnie Peacock is a light-on-his-feet Geminian, and the first amputee paralympian to take part in Strictly Come Dancing.  His sport is running, which is associated with the sign of Gemini.  In his chart, Mercury sextiles Venus and he may later develop writing or broadcasting talents.  Mercury is also sextile his Chiron, so he also has an ability for problem-solving.  Mars conjunct Chiron probably represents an injury (his amputation was as the result of meningitis as a child) and Pluto square his Chiron the seriousness of that injury.  He has the highly complex conjunction (exact) of Uranus-Neptune in Capricorn, common to those born in his year (1993).  In the competition, he has proved himself more than equal to the other competitors, with consistently good marks. He makes an elegant male lead in the ballroom dances. This week he has Mars on his Jupiter, lending extra energy and enthusiasm to his performance.  But like Susan, his performance dipped a little this week. At the end of the contest Saturn will be sextile his Saturn (strong and stable).  I think he will do well in the competition, but fall short of the final.

Jonnie is partnered by Oti Mabuse.  Last year, she partnered Danny Mac, and I wrote on October 23rd (2016):

“I think they will make the final, but may just be pipped to the post by Ore or Louise.”

I wrote about Oti:

“He [Danny, 2016] is partnered with newcomer Oti Mabuse, who so far has done a brilliant job of bringing out excellence.  She is very grounded (5 Earth planets) and instinctual (0 Air planets).  She’s a Sun in Leo performer, with a very driven Sun/Mars/Pluto T-square.  She has Mercury exactly trine Neptune (dance inspiration) which forms a Grand Trine with Mars.”

In her synastry with Jonnie, there may be quite a spark between them because her Sun is exactly conjunct his Mars – they will certainly connect well energetically.  There may be some communication problems, with her Mercury exactly square his North Node.  His Pluto trines her Venus, so he can inspire greater depth in her performance.  But there is a difficult conjunction of his Neptune on her Saturn, and an abrasive square between his Mars and her Pluto.  However, it highlights her own exact natal Sun/Pluto square, so the solution may lie within her.  At this time, Pluto is trine Oti’s Mars, giving her a superhuman energy, plus Neptune is sextile her Neptune, so she is sensitively and spiritually balanced right now.  At the end of the contest the Nodal Axis squares her natal Mars, so karmically it may not be her turn to win or she may have a physical problem.  Neptune still sextiles Neptune.  But Jupiter is on her Pluto, so she feels a sense of triumph: a psychological victory.

Gemma Atkinson

Hollyoaks actor Gemma seems to be improving week by week in the contest. With half (5) of her planets in the Fixed signs, Moon in Leo, and Sun conjunct Saturn in Scorpio, she is very strong willed.  Like Susan Calman, she has Mercury conjunct Uranus (a quick and inventive brain) – in Gemma’s chart this conjunction is exact.  She is graced with Venus conjunct Neptune, which is a refined musical sense and dance ability.  I much admired her cat performance of the Charleston to “Bare Necessities” from Jungle Book in Week 3.  Around this time she has Neptune sextile her Jupiter, so she will be confident and inspired, but the Nodal Axis squares her Saturn so there may be an awkward decision made on her behalf, or a wardrobe malfunction or something similar.  She won high praise from the judges, however, yesterday.  At the end of the contest, she still has that sextile from Neptune.  She will have lost that awkward snag of Nodal Axis square her Saturn, but Saturn will be on her Neptune, which may result in a disappointment, such as not quite making it to the final.

She is partnered with Aljaz Skorjanec, of whom I wrote in 2015: “Aljaz Skorjanec is an out and out Capricorn with several planets in that sign, but normally fairly lucky with Sun exactly trine Jupiter.”  In their synastry, they have a good attunement, especially for dance, with her Neptune sextile his Sun.  Personally, they would get on well with her Sun sextile his Venus, too. At this time,  Pluto  is sextile Aljaz’s Pluto, so he is empowered.  At the end of the competition, Saturn will be sextile his Sun (a job well done), and Jupiter will be sextile his Mars (he will be fired up with enthusiasm).  But the Nodal Axis will be square his Pluto, which suggests that the karma will not support a win, and that they may not quite make the final, as Gemma’s transits also suggest.

Aston Merrygold

Aston came to fame via X Factor and the successful boy band JLS, the same vintage as Alexandra Burke (2008).  He got off to an amazing start in week 1, and looks as though he was born to dance.  He has a predominance of Fire in his chart (6 planets), and that can be an asset in the Latin dances.  He has a strong physical energy (Mars exactly sextile his Sun), and tremendous enthusiasm (Sun closely sextile Jupiter), plus the combination of energy with enthusiasm (Jupiter trine closely Mars).  That’s great for being in a boy band, and quite an asset on the dance floor.  He also has Mars conjunct Uranus, which gives him an electrical quality to his energy.  Bruno summed it all up in week 1 as “raw power”.  The line up of his female planets (Moon and Venus) is more complex, but he is about to become a father, so he will soon garner experience in that field.  At this point in time Saturn is sextile his Sun, so he is a steady force.  Saturn is on his Mars, so he is not quite reaching his potential.  Uranus is on his Jupiter, so he is on fire, despite that!  Neptune is also trine his Pluto, so he knows what he is doing on a deep level – I feel he is not playing all his cards immediately, but if he stays in the competition we could see a lot more from him.  But his Paso Doble this week was absolutely stunning, danced to “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, and he received two 10s – so maybe he is now showing his potential.  Bruno said he married tradition and innovation (an exact representation of his natal exact Uranus-Saturn conjunction).  At the end of the competition, Uranus is sextile his Sun and trine his Mars – if he is in the final, we could see some very exciting work from him.  He will also be experiencing his Saturn Return, so he is experiencing that watershed time of responsibility which comes from that part of the Saturn cycle around the age of 29.  That may be more to do with impending fatherhood.  Saturn will be on his Uranus, which is as natally, so it may be a time of upheaval.  Neptune will still be trine his Pluto, holding him to a deeper sense of purpose in his life.

He is paired with Janette Manrara, of whom I wrote in 2015: “She is a sultry Scorpio, with enthusiastic planets in Sagittarius.”  She and Aston actually have exactly squared Suns, which can create conflict on a lower level, but can work if both are raising their game spiritually.  Aston’s Neptune sextile’s Janette’s Saturn, so her practicality works well with his spirituality.  His Saturn sextiles her Pluto, moreover, so her deeper psychology works well with his practicality, too.  As his Uranus is exactly conjunct his Saturn, his Intuition combines with his practicality naturally, which can be complex, but I think in his case, and in their case, it works.  At this point in time, Mars is sextile her Mercury, so she is mildly excitable.  At the end of the contest Saturn squares her Mars (there is some sort of physical challenge), but Saturn is sextile her Pluto which is steadying.  Her transits at that time are not as strong as Aston’s, but he may still do well on his own merits (Janette may be preoccupied at that time).

Mollie King

Mollie is known for being a member of the girl band The Saturdays.  She has Sun in Gemini, but with Saturn in opposition to her Sun she may sometimes suffer a lack of confidence in her abilities.  Mercury conjuncts Mars in her chart, so she actually has good co-ordination, and quick mental reflexes.  That picture is complicated though by Neptune exactly opposing Mars (so she can be absent-minded at times), but strengthened by Pluto trine exactly her Mercury (giving her a very strong mind, and psychological perceptiom).  Mars is closely trine Pluto in her chart, so she is gifted with superhuman energy when she is totally engaged in a project.  With Jupiter trine her Saturn/Uranus she has a balanced judgement, and entrepreneurial skills capable of surprising people.  Jupiter sextile Chiron also gives her healing gifts.  She has three squares to her Nodal Axis, though, which means she may have some tricky karma to negotiate in this lifetime.  Right now Saturn is on her Uranus, so the planets are repressing her a little, and Chiron squares her Uranus, but there is still time for a shift in planetary patterns.  At the end of the series, the North Node will be trine her Saturn, rewarding her karmically for hard work.  Uranus will also be trine exactly her Uranus, giving her extra power to surprise.

She is partnered with A.J Pritchard  and they are rumoured to be close; they seemed to hit it off from the very beginning.  Last year was his debut and I wrote: “He has Venus, Sun, North Node, Jupiter and Pluto in Scorpio.  He also has the sensitive and complex conjunction of Neptune and Uranus which occurred in the early 1990s”.  Is their synastry as good as they say?  Well, her Mars is exactly trine his Venus, which does signify a romantic attraction.  Who knows where that may lead…Do his transits support their hopes in the competition?  At this time he has Saturn sextile his Mercury, so his own dancing is super precise.  At the end of the competition, Uranus is opposite his Mercury, which may unsettle him a little mentally.  Mars will be trine his Saturn, which is not unhelpful, but not enough for a win.

Aspects

The tone of most of the week, up to Friday, is quite unusually karmic, involving as it does aspects to the North Node and Chiron.  The clocks are going back this morning, but the blog will be posted early.

Tomorrow (Monday 30th) Mercury squares the Nodal Axis, which begins the karmic theme.  This aspect brings up karmic information, and the need to attend to detail in your work and communications.  A time of karmic recalibration, especially in relation to groups.

Tuesday (31st) presents another aspect to the North Node, Venus sextile the North Node, but one which is much smoother and easier.  If you are trying to resolve some relationship karma, this is a time you can succeed in that.  Happy Halloween!

Thursday (2nd November) brings a trine between Mercury and Chiron, and Chiron often has a bearing on karma, though it is more usually associated with healing.  Mercury trine Chiron brings the possibility of bringing more than one healing modality together in harmony with another, and is helpful for health matters generally, e.g. check ups.  It is also helpful for problem-solving.  There may be a past life element to any solutions you encounter today.  Something lost may be found.

Another, more powerful, aspect on Thursday could be more unsettling, a square between Saturn and Chiron.  It was last encountered on April 30th, if you are able to refer back to that date in your diary for guidance.  There may be an opportunity to confront a long standing problem head on, but be sensitive and protective in your approach.

Friday (3rd) may consolidate your progress, with Venus sextile Saturn.  Loyalty and commitment may bring healing in relationships.  You know where you stand.

In the evening the Sun trines Neptune,  the best aspect of the week.  This combines Power and Creativity with Spirituality and Sensitivity.  It is particularly good for dance rehearsals, for those remaining contestants aiming now to get to Blackpool week.  If you have a vision, the planets are supportive of holding that vision.

Saturday (4th) is a little more tricky, or possibly hair raising in places, with an opposition between Venus and Uranus, and a Full Moon.  The Venus-Uranus opposition takes place at 5.02 a.m., so you may sleep through it and feel a bit jolted on waking.  It represents the element of the unexpected in relationships, so later in the day you may bump into an awkward customer.

The Full Moon in Taurus takes place only 21 minutes later, so the two events may come as a package, all rolled into one.  As Full Moons go, although there is tension Moon in Taurus is calmer than most.  You may fall out of the wrong side of bed, for instance, but take  it entirely in your stride.  This Full Moon is sextile Neptune, so there may even be an inspirational idea which arises at that time, or a silver lining.

The week in bullet points:

  • Tomorrow – karmic information
  • Tuesday – smooth karma
  • Thursday – difficulties, but you can use your head
  • Friday – love with loyalty; creativity with spirituality
  • Saturday – awkward surprises; some tension
Date: Oct 29th, 2017 · Comments RSS · Tags: Celebrities