That Was the Decade That Was

That Was the Decade That Was

Selections from the blogs over the last decade, for those who like to look back, and with the benefit of hindsight…

2010

April

25th:

One effect of the Mercury retrograde last week was the panic of the British newspaper presses (Mercury) after the surge in popularity of Nick Clegg.  Having vested interests one way or the other (Conservative or Labour) it was unthinkable to them that the Lib Dems might be in the running, or that there might be a hung parliament.  They then set out to discredit the Lib Dems and their leader Nick Clegg with outraged headlines easily obtained from the smear campaigns of the Labour and Conservative factions.  They must redress the imbalance!  Meanwhile it is clear that the British public are not at all worried by the idea of a hung parliament, and may even be warming to the idea.  However, Nick Clegg was not able to uphold the huge surge and his popularity has slid back a little, so much so that the leaders are now running almost neck and neck.  This is the state of play as the 4^th Saturn-Uranus opposition kicks in tomorrow (Monday 26^th), the most important astrological feature of this week.

2011

March

13th:

Within hours of Uranus entering Aries, a large scale disaster unfolded on our screens coming from Japan: earthquake, followed by tsunami and then nuclear plant meltdown.  The national chart of Japan shows the sword of Damocles which has been present in the form of a Grand Cross between the natal Mercury, Saturn, Uranus and Chiron.  I associate Saturn/Uranus with earthquakes, and Japan has a square between them natally, thus predisposing them to earthquakes.  This earthquake, long expected, occurred as Jupiter activated the Grand Cross by transiting the natal Mercury.  Jupiter comes to that position every 12 years, so what distinguishes this time from other such moments?  …The Head of Disaster Management for the Red Cross was saying on Radio 5 Live this morning that in terms of unmet humanitarian need the situation in Libya and Tunisia is still more demanding, partly because of the sophisticated level of organization which the Japanese have in place.  The scenes in Japan (brought from mobile phones to satellites to our TVs) have been incredibly graphic and nightmarishly surreal, with especially poignant reports about children being snatched from water or being checked for radiation, and all hearts are with them.

2012

March

4th:

Later today Vladimir Putin is likely to cement his position at the helm of Russia. He was President for two terms, 8 years between 2000 and 2008. For constitutional reasons he was not allowed a third consecutive term. His protege Medvedev took over as President for 4 years and Putin became Prime Minister.   A reversal of roles is now the expected outcome of today’s election.  In his natal chart Putin has the power-hungry aspect of Jupiter square Pluto.  His natal Mars (Inner Warrior) is at the galactic centre, magnifying his power and emphasizing warriorship.  His South Node is in Leo, indicating that he would be accustomed to power in past lives.  Jupiter trine Pluto this month may benefit his efforts to acquire power. Currently, transiting Neptune is squaring his natal Moon, bringing emotional illusion e.g. about the level of support he has from people.  Putin is often referred to as Medvedev’s mentor. Medvedev is a Virgoan, and that is the sign of service,  though we do not know how willing he is to serve Putin at this time. He may have other plans…Pluto is currently trine his Mercury, heightening his mental power at this time, and he would have a psychological grasp of his current situation. There is very interesting synastry (astrological comparison) between them, based on a pattern of Putin’s planets leading Medvedev’s by one sign, showing a symbiotic teacher-pupil relationship, and the capacity for close collaboration. The ability to collaborate is borne out by a trine between Putin’s Uranus and Medvedev’s Neptune, but although they have collaborated in the past there has to be the continued will to do so.  They may have drawn up a Soul Contract before incarnation, but may renegotiate it in their next lifetime, and reverse their power roles.  Venus opposing Saturn today will produce a sense of flatness or even disappointment for politicians trying to win hearts.

2013

May

5th:

Nigel Farage and the conundrum of UKIP

The face of British politics is said to have changed dramatically this week, with one in four voters plumping for UKIP.  David Cameron has been forced to retract his earlier impression of the party as “fruitcakes and closet racists” modifying his tune to “We need to show respect for people who have taken the choice to support this party”.

What is the demographic of the voting section?  A few 80 year old women I know have found themselves voting for or sympathetic to what the party stands for, and some women find Nigel Farage personally fascinating.  There is no doubt in my mind that UKIP inherits some strands of the National Front, British National Party and EDL philosophies, and targets immigrants as being the source of our society’s ills.

The Observer leader this morning describes its voters:

“The Ukip surge is a warning.  Immediate analysis indicates that two groups, in the main, have been swayed by Farage.  They are the less qualified, working-class, older male and the lower middle class”.

2014

June

15th:

Iraq (Update)

 Iraq is arguably at its worst low ever, having been taken over by the extremist Islamist group i.S.I.S.  Next door, Syria too is also arguably at its worst low ever, with Assad newly “elected” while continuing to slaughter his own subjects.

The Guardian reported: “The UN has warned that the Isis fighters have committed  summary executions and rape on their irresistible advance”.  So they have not been listening, then, to the anti-rape in war conference this week hosted by Angelina Jolie and William Hague.

I.S.I.S.

 I.S.I.S. (The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) whose army are marching steadily towards Baghdad, are apparently even more extreme in their outlook and methods than Alkaida.  Last week they “took” Mosul and Tikrit.

The chart for Isis shows a successful use of force (Mars sextile Pluto) while current transits show Isis being dealt a free will hand currently with Jupiter exactly trine its North Node.

2015

November

15th:

Paris Shootings – Part 2

Just when you thought it was safe to hop on the Eurostar and spend a weekend in Paris, things got a whole lot worse, and the prospect seems further away.  There can’t be many people who didn’t spend the weekend thinking about the people of Paris, and racking their brains for the solution to the worldwide problem of ISIS/ISIL/Islamic State.

For myself, I cannot imagine that this is what Mohammed had in mind as the founder of Islam. Islam, in common with Christianity and Judaism, has at its heart the Ten Commandments, notably among which lies the injunction “Thou Shalt Not Kill”.

What attracts young people to such an existence of incessently fighting?  Is it the glorification of violence in film?  Or is it because we have created such an unpalatable society which has alienated them?

And poor Paris, why them, twice in one year?  Is it because the French have banned the burka, and been proactive in the war in Syria?  In January, the magazine which was targeted had been actively provoking a reaction with their anti-Islamic cartoons.  But this latest spree of brutality does not have such a direct cause.

2016

July

17th:

Theresa May

Another tumultuous week: On Monday, Andrea Leadsom pulled out of the Conservative leadership contest, disrupting Angela Eagle’s Labour leadership bid (Mercury square Uranus), David Cameron stepped down as Prime Minister and Theresa May prepared to take on that mantle.  Theresa May met the Queen and was asked to form a cabinet on Wednesday, and surprised us with some of her appointments: it was portrayed as a brutal culling of the existing order (the Notting Hill set) by the media.  On Thursday evening, a lorry driver ploughed through crowds in Nice (Mars quincunx Uranus), killing at least 84 people; and on Friday evening, there was an attempted coup in Turkey (Sun square Uranus), killing at least 265.  It is all too much for the head, heart and soul.  I intend to concentrate today on Theresa May, our new Prime Minister, and though there is much I could write about her new cabinet, I will keep that to a bare minimum.

2017

March

26th:

Westminster Terror

On Wednesday, Westminster Bridge was the scene of a terrorist incident and Parliament and its surrounding buildings were in lockdown. A British born man, Khalid Masood, drove into passersby then tried to enter the gates of Parliament, and stabbed a policeman to death.  Five people died in total, including the perpetrator, and fifty people were injured.  Though many potential attacks have been foiled since, this was the first attack of its scale in London since 7/7/05.  There are many questions yet to be answered and issues raised, such as whether he was acting alone, what were his motives, and how far he was influenced by radicalization by ISIS, whether police in the City should be armed, and how far the police can keep tabs on all suspects. I will have a brief look at the charts of some of those involved, though crucially some important dates are currently missing, such as the birth date of the brave and heroic policeman who lost his life, Keith Palmer.

2018

March

11th:

Russia

(A tale of two Russian fathers and daughters)

Salisbury is a wonderful place, close to my heart.  I visit family there once a month.  It is utterly bizarre to be watching it on the news daily, in the context of a Russian spy mystery.  Father and daughter Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found last Sunday in an extremely distressed condition on a bench near the centre of the city.  The cause of their physical distress was a nerve agent, which apparently could only have been developed by a state.  The police officer who first rendered aid to the pair was also affected, and is in hospital in serious condition.  A passing doctor also tended them, but was not affected.  They have been praised for their incredible courage.  Like Amber Rudd, our Home Secretary, it is not for me to point the finger until the truth has been established.

2019

March

17th:

Greta Thunberg

“Skolstrejk for Klimatet”

School Strike for the Climate

Swedish schoolgirl Greta Thunberg was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize this week, a week which saw the second day of school strikes on behalf of the climate (a month after the first) in the U.K, with similar action around the world.  She began this action last August in Sweden, with the powerful words:

“We kids most often don’t do what you tell us to do. We do as you do. And since you grown-ups don’t give a shit about my future, I won’t either. My name is Greta and I’m in ninth grade. And I refuse school for the climate until the Swedish general election.”

At the age of 16, she is a similar age to that of Malala Yousafzai at the time she won the Peace Prize, but it is quite rare for one so young to make such an impact.

Birth Chart

Greta has a concentration of planets in Earth sign Capricorn, the sign of seriousness and responsibility.  Her Sun in Capricorn exactly conjunct Chiron, so she is a healer and problem-solver.  Both her Sun and Moon are in this sign, and they may be conjunct, i.e. she may have been born on  a New Moon, or at least close to one.  That would confer the ability to  bring a freshness of outlook, energy and thought to bear on a longstanding problem.