Review of the Year 2019

Review of the Year 2019

That was the Year that Was – Selections from the blogs…

January

13th:

Andy Murray

“You are a champion on and off the court.  So sorry you cannot retire on your own terms, but remember to look to the future.  Your greatest impact on the world may be yet to come.  Your voice for equality will inspire future generations.  Much love to you and your family”

~ Billie Jean King

I am sure there could not have been a dry eye in the U.K. on Friday seeing Andy Murray’s press conference ahead of the Australian Open, at the news that he is likely to retire this year.

Hip Injury

The thought that he has been playing, for years, in such pain with his hip, is eye-watering in itself, quite apart from the emotional agony of having to curtail his career.  He is considering having another hip operation, just so as to improve his quality of life (even putting shoes and socks on in the morning is a trial).

February

24th:

The Independence Group

Last Monday we were driving to Leicester and it was suddenly announced that a group of Labour MPs were lining up for a Press Conference, which helped to while away the journey.  We were riveted as we listened to each one and their reasons for leaving the Labour Party and their hopes for their small group.  I was dismayed at the damage to the Labour Party, but understood where they were coming from, and then two days later the “three Amigos”, female MPs from the Tory Party, made a similar attack on the Tory Party and Theresa May’s effort to keep her Party together, and joined the seven (who had by then become eight).  The aspects for last Monday were full on, and the Sun sextile Uranus particularly conducive to seizing the day

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.

April

21st:

Notre-Dame

One of the greatest and most beautiful Cathedrals in the world, Notre-Dame in Paris, was shockingly partially destroyed by fire on Monday evening.  The next day, as the damage was assessed, new hope arose and its rebuilding was pledged.

It is an incomprehensible marvel to contemplate how such an edifice was created over its 170 years of building, using medieval methods, the finest artistry, with the devotion of its workers, some of whom may have spent nearly their whole lifetimes on the project.

I am not well travelled, but I have been to Paris several times in this lifetime (as well as in past lives) and have a huge fondness and sentimentality for the city.  And Notre-Dame is undoubtedly the soul of the city.

May

12th:

Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor

Welcome to the world, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor!  He is already creating controversy over his first name Archie, so could be an exciting addition to our royal family.  He was born apparently at the Portland Clinic in London, and not at home in Windsor as planned, so could be full of surprises!  But his mother Meghan has already pronounced him to be calm, with “the sweetest temperament”, both adjectives which can be applied to his Sun sign Taurus. The royal couple, Harry and Meghan decided to include the name Mountbatten in the mix, and there is a link with Lord Louis Mountbatten in that his Mars is conjunct with Archie’s Part of Fortune, so perhaps Archie has this ancestor watching over him.  His chart also has very positive ties to that of his grandmother Diana Princess of Wales, so again she will be cheering him on from the other side (this includes a telepathic link of her Mercury to his Uranus).

June

9th:

Conservative Party Leadership – Part 3

I cannot believe that I find myself writing again about the Conservative Party leadership contest.  Switch off now, if you find the topic agonizing.  The contest formally begins tomorrow, Monday 10th.  Some candidates pulled out last week, but there are still a couple of candidates I haven’t covered, and they are both outsiders.

The Drug Issue

The top runners have set out their past drug habits: Michael Gove has just admitted to taking cocaine 20 years ago, Boris took some while at University, and Jeremy Hunt once took a cannabis lassi.  Rory Stewart smoked some opium in Afghanistan.  In a late flurry yesterday, not to be outdone, Andrea Leadsom, Matt Hancock and Dominic Raab all admitted to taking cannabis at University. Presumably this is something we need to know…For me, it is the quality of their consciousness right now which is more worthy of scrutiny, as well as their innate character.  The drugs of course may have had a permanent effect on some of them.  There is an outcry in Michael Gove’s case that he is a hypocrite, in relation to the drugs admission.  Politics of course is full of hypocrisy, and very few of the candidates can be seen as blameless in that respect.  I am not an admirer of Gove, but am in the “Anything but Boris” camp.

July

14th:

Anniversary of the Moon Landing

“One small step for Man.  One giant leap for Mankind”

~ Neil Armstrong

The 50th anniversary of the manned Moon landing coincides with the Lunar Eclipse on Tuesday 16th July.  I heard this week that someone dubbed the Moon landing as the most significant event of the 20th Century. Maddeningly, I can’t remember who it was or who they were quoting! And Google is not helping, and Alexa doesn’t live here.  I have a vague recollection it might have been Gyles Brandreth on Gogglebox (which was hilarious) quoting someone while watching the Moon landing with Sheila Hancock.  If anyone can confirm that, I would be grateful.

August

25th:

Jair Bolsonaro

For me the most important event of the week was the burning of the Amazon rainforest and its implications for the planet.

The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, bears a huge responsibility for this  catastrophic event, and the destabilization of the earth’s ecosystem.

Just this lunchtime at the G7 Summit, £18m was pledged to help put out the fires, mainly for aircraft and technical support.  US President Donald Trump, who refuses to acknowledge the seriousness of climate change, was notably absent from the discussion.  Bolsinaro is an admirer of Trump and seems to model himself on him.

September

1st:

Ruth Davidson

On Wednesday last week, Boris Johnson announced the drastic step that he would prorogue parliament, and we were told to expect Ruth Davidson’s resignation the next morning.  Ruth Davidson, who has been Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party for the past 8 years, is a unique and capable politician, once hailed as a future leader of the Tory Party.  Such was her influence that the Conservative presence of MPs in Scotland went from only one (herself) to 13, a factor that helped to retain the balance of power for the Tories.  A feat that Caroline Lucas in England has not been able to pull off for the Green Party, sadly.

Resignation Speech

So it was, that she resigned first thing on Thursday morning.  As a Remainer, she has been struggling over Brexit, and there had been no secret about her having a difficult relationship with Boris Johnson (in their synastry, his Pluto is on her Saturn), but her speech was diplomatic and spared Johnson too much embarrassment.  She focussed on other reasons for stepping down, such as the toll electioneering would take on her new family life, after the birth of her son Finn.  In her speech she told how she had looked Boris in the eye, and he had assured her he was trying to get a Brexit deal.

October

13th:

Ginger Baker

“When the city of Atlantis stood serene above the sea,
Long time before our time when the world was free,
Those were the days.”

~ Those Were The Days, co-written by Ginger Baker and Mike Taylor, from “Wheels of Fire” 1968

Outstanding drummer Ginger Baker died last Sunday.  He didn’t like the term “rock drummer” preferring to be known as a “jazz drummer”.  He was 80 years old, but had survived a lifetime of poor health.  His working life encompassed the membership of several bands, but he is most known for his time in the legendary band Cream during the heady late ’60s.

Birth Chart

We do not have a birth time for the flame-haired Ginger, but his well-known fieriness comes from having half his planets in Fire signs.  It’s a volatile, dry heat of fire, and not an emotional passion, for he had no Water planets.  He did though have 6 (over half) his planets in the Fixed signs, so was very headstrong.

His Sun in Leo denotes the showmanship and natural leadership that he is reputed to have, and its conjunction with Venus inclined him to music.  He was also known for his unpredictability and eccentricity, and that shows up with Sun/Venus square Uranus.

November

30th:

General Election 2019

So… we have a pre-Christmas election date, of 12th December.  Will this election be fought on the sole issue of Brexit?  I thought I would take a brief look at the chart for that date, and the transits for the leaders of the various political parties.

Notice how often Neptune (confusion) comes up in the transits…

Transits for the Prime Minister

Is Boris going to “get Brexit done”?   He needs more Conservative MPs on his deck in order to secure his deal, and so we find ourselves in the throes of a December election (a phenomenon not seen since 1923).  He has refused an alliance with Nigel Farage and the Brexit Party (as recommended by their mutual friend Donald Trump) so he risks the Brexit vote being split.

Boris’ transits at the time of the December election are quite reasonable: Chiron from Aries in his 6th House sextiles his natal Mars in Gemini in 8th House, he’ll be feeling strong.  Mars from Scorpio in his 2nd House will oppose his natal Jupiter in Taurus in 8th House, he’ll be feeling optimistic.  Neptune from Pisces in his 6th House will be sextile his natal Jupiter in Taurus in 8th House, a magic wand is not out of the question for him.  Mars will be on his natal Neptune in Scorpio in 2nd House, inflaming his spiritual will, and also his desire to spend, spend, spend.  Neptune from Pisces in his 6th House will be trine his natal Neptune in  his 2nd House, he will be at peace with himself.  Luck may be on his side.

… But if the question is which leader has the better transits, that would most likely to be Boris Johnson.  Peace and certainty seem still to be distant, and January will bring new challenges, so the election will not bring instant solutions.

December

29th:

Baba Ram Dass (1931 – 2019)

“Be Here Now” ~ Baba Ram Dass

Spiritual teacher Baba Ram Dass (Richard Alpert) died this week.  He was part of the consciousness-raising movement of the 1960s, together with Timothy Leary, Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.

Birth Chart

Ram Dass had 0 planets in the Air signs, relying on instinct.  The Sun was exactly conjunct Uranus in his chart, bringing up the Pioneer and Rebel Archetypes.  This conjunction, making a close triple conjunction with his North Node (karmic mission) is placed in his 9th House of higher philosophy, making him an innovator in this field.  This conjunction was not easy, being part of a T-square with Jupiter/Saturn opposite Pluto: he steered himself through the minefield that was 1960s consciousness exploded with LSD, to become a beloved teacher.  His philosophy was very much informed by Hinduism.  We have an accurate birth time for him, which gives him Pluto on a Cancerian Ascendant (psychological and emotional trials), and his Moon squaring  Neptune describes both drug taking and mysticism.  Mercury sextile Venus describes his ability to put into words his mystical experiences.