Normal People

The TV series “Normal People” has been a five-starred television hit during this lockdown period.  Written by Sally Rooney, it tells the story of an intense first love, set in the Irish educational system, including at Trinity College Dublin where Sally Rooney gained her own degrees.  I find myself reading her first book “Conversations with Friends” at the moment, because my new granddaughter was named after one of the characters from that book.  And if I am motivated to read the novel of “Normal People” after the series ends, I will send off for it (I have only been out of the house and garden twice in two months, to pick up my monthly prescription).  The two stars of the TV series have become an overnight sensation.  Sally’s rise as a young author (born in 1991) has been meteoric, as her first book (Conversations with Friends) was only published in the middle of 2017.

Sally Rooney – Birth Chart

Sally has the Sun in Pisces bringing complexity and sensitivity to her work.  Her North Node (karmic mission) conjunct Saturn is in Capricorn, the sign for Politics which she studied for a time at University. The characters in her first book “Conversations with Friends” have a deep interest in communism.  She has Venus trine Chiron, which is about finding healing for relationships.  Her Mars is unaspected, giving her free range energies.  With Jupiter opposite Saturn she writes well about people unable to act on their true feelings, or wrestling with them.  She is from the early 1990s Uranus-conjunct-Neptune-in-Capricorn generation, understanding complexity, and interested in the philosophy/politics of society etc.  Whether from that conjunction or from her Ascendant (unknown), she has a strong Inner Rebel.  In her writing, which has a natural easeful quality, I was surprised to see that she had boldly ditched speech marks altogether!  Pluto trine closely Chiron gives her a powerful voice, and Chiron on the South Node infers that she studied modes of healing in past lives.

Sally Rooney – Life and Career

Sally was still completing her Master’s degree in American literature at Trinity College when she wrote 100,000 words of her first book “Conversations with Friends” in three months.  This debut novel was published on 25 May 2017 (where ‘Conversations’ is represented by Sun in Gemini), with Saturn powerful at the Galactic Centre, Saturn exactly trine Uranus representing a solid piece of or about (social) engineering, and Saturn square Chiron (pain).  The transits for Sally herself included Uranus square her Nodal Axis: life-changing, and finding her life purpose (at the age of 26).

On a literary timescale, her second novel “Normal People” followed fairly soon after, in September 2018.  Both the novels carry a theme of clandestine relationships.  Success was assured, with Uranus (sudden success) exactly sextile her natal Sun (self-expression and creativity).  The book won the “Irish Novel of the Year Award” on 27th November 2018, with Pluto sextile her natal Pluto (self-empowerment and validation).  The rest, of course, is history.  The TV show first aired on 26th April this year, astrologically representing her Saturn Return (a crystallization of ambition), Jupiter on her North Node in Capricorn (further validation of her life purpose); and Neptune trine her natal Pluto – sensitivity and depth, a fertile crucible for her next novel, if that is currently in her mind.  On the day that it aired, the Sun was conjunct Uranus (a sudden success).

Daisy Edgar-Jones

It was lovely to see the two young actors on Zoom on the Graham Norton show on Friday evening.  They seemed very different from their Normal People characters, which emphasized what skilled actors they are!  The lead female actor, Daisy Edgar-Jones has Sun in Gemini, and physically, she is very Geminian: I associate that particular type of brown-eyed look with that sign, and the very slim physique.  With the Sun conjunct Mars, she has great magnetism.  Allied to that is the Sun closely trine Neptune, bringing sensitivity, and the link with Pisces, the Sun sign for Sally Rooney.   Sun opposite Pluto gives her the depth, and the ability to portray angst.  Mercury squares Uranus in her chart, so she is not afraid of controversy.  She has Venus conjunct Saturn in her chart, the pain of love.  It reminds me of the lines from the old song “Plaisirs d’Amour” which goes: “Chagrin d’amour dure toute la vie”.  Of course that is a feature of the part she plays, Marianne, in Normal People, but there may be something she can draw upon for that role in this conjunction.  Mars closely trine Neptune  shows the ability to be sensitive and vulnerable, which is useful in her intimate acting scenes.  Jupiter unaspected gives her a free spiritedness.  Pluto square exactly with the Nodal Axis suggests that the  karma of fame may have been a shock.

Her synastry with Sally shows up good communication lines:  Daisy’s Mercury trines Sally’s Neptune – she can interpret Sally’s sensitivity;  in addition, Daisy’s Venus sextiles exactly Sally’s Mercury, and Daisy’s Neptune conjoins Sally’s Saturn.  Daisy’s transits at the time of the start of the TV series shows Saturn on her Neptune, and Chiron trine her Pluto (i.e. healing for her psychologically).  In real life, Daisy has a neutral accent, but her mother comes from Northern Ireland, which may have helped her authenticity.  She will be 22 years of age later this month.

Paul Mescal

It became clear watching the Graham Norton show just how popular the young stars have become; that Paul Mescal who plays Connell has become a heart throb, and that the chain he wore around his neck in the series even has a social media page.  It seemed apparent that he and Daisy get on well in real life as friends.  Paul is an Aquarian, which chimes well with Daisy’s Sun in Gemini.  With Moon in Cancer, he has a strong feminine side. He plays a sensitive character, with an exact Venus/Saturn conjunction in Pisces (Daisy has Venus conjunct Saturn in Aries).  And that is not where the similarity in their charts ends, for they both have Sun conjunct Mars in Air, which gives them a combined magnetism.  And they both have Jupiter unaspected, which is unusual!  While working on their charts, I had to keep checking that I hadn’t got the charts mixed up, I was so surprised. They may be twin souls, a term I never use lightly.  Like Sally Rooney, he attended Trinity College Dublin, and graduated only as recently as 2017 – so, also like Sally, a meteoric rise!  He has Mercury sextile Venus, so could become a writer in real life (his character is a writer in Normal People).  With Mercury conjunct Neptune, he also has the ability to channel.  Another talent which  he did develop was football (he has Mars exactly trine the North Node) but because of a jaw injury (Mars rules the jaw) he had to give it up. He had been a promising young player (Sun conjunct Mars trine North Node); however because of this turn of fortune, the acting profession was able to gain a young talent. Chiron also conjunct North Node implies a healing quality to his karmic mission, which he may not yet have realized.  Like Sally Rooney, he has the complex conjunction of Uranus and Neptune in Capricorn, and can interpret that quality from her work.  All three are children of the 1990’s: Sally Rooney was born in 1991, Paul was born in 1996 and Daisy in 1998.  Paul is now 24 years of age.  His transits for Normal People TV Series shows Neptune sextile his Mercury, Uranus trine exactly his Jupiter to the day – a resounding success; Saturn on his Uranus – some salutary lessons for him; Jupiter on his Neptune – a spiritual euphoria; and Pluto on his Neptune – an extremely deep experience psychologically.

Synastries

Have Paul and Daisy got chemistry, as well as all the amazing similarities in their charts? Wow, have they!  Daisy’s Uranus (the ability to wow) is exactly conjunct Paul’s Sun, so it is a dynamic relationship on a personality level.  Paul’s Jupiter trines exactly Daisy’s North Node, so they bring each other luck, and karmically were destined to do so.  Paul’s Uranus is conjunct Daisy’s Neptune (demanding sensitivity and stimulating intuition for them both), and his Pluto is also exactly opposite her Sun, which is lifechanging, and draws out the depths in her psychology.  Paul’s Pluto seals the deal with a sextile to Daisy’s Neptune, so they are able to give all they have got in a working partnership.

And what of the relationship between Paul and Sally?  His Mercury sextiles her natal Pluto – he is able to plug into her deep psychology.  His Venus trines her natal Chiron, which is healing for him to play the role she has drawn, and healing for her to have the relationship of her hero and heroine played out.  His Uranus conjoins her Saturn, so the experience may even be shocking to her on some level.  Finally, his Neptune is exactly conjunct her natal North Node, sensitizing and spiritualizing and bringing into creative being a part of her own karmic mission.

…And if you have read Normal People, or binge-watched the TV series, please don’t tell me the ending!

Aspects

The Sun trines Jupiter this afternoon, a happy-go-lucky aspect where circumstances allow.  Perhaps you are basking in the afterglow of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest…the programmes on offer at this lockdown event were heavy on nostalgia.  Seeing Mary Hopkins on the Top of the Pops event reminded me sharply that my late dad was a huge fan!  I greatly enjoyed the finale, where all the current contestants sang a bar from “Love Shine A Light”, our last winning song, from Katrina and the Waves in 1997.  At the time I didn’t particularly enjoy the song, but after 23 barren years, it sounded like manna from heaven!  So whatever lights your candle today, grasp the opportunity.  It is a day of good cheer, laughter, adventure, golden opportunity and looking ahead to the future with optimism.  All the contestants yesterday ended their 60 second performances with a message of hope.

The Sun enters Gemini on Wednesday (20th).  Earthy preoccupations may give way to a need for Communication and lightness of heart.  With Mercury, Venus and the North Node already in Gemini ’tis the season of chatting to the neighbours over the garden fence.  For some of us, it is the only socializing we are doing at this time of lockdown, while we are staying alert.  We have found out more about our neighbours (both sides) than ever, we have clapped with them, and we have sung with them (“We Shall Overcome” and “We’ll Meet Again” – only “Kumbaya” remains of the classics).  Maybe I can suggest “Love Shines a Light” for next Thursday’s new choir meeting on our front pavement.  But in the month of Sun in Gemini any kind of communication goes, writing your book, dealing with your documentation, ensuring that you are walking and cycling to work instead of taking public transport.  It all aids the general connectivity, which society needs.  We are in the midst of forging a new society.

Because Venus has just gone retrograde, we are going to see repeats of recent aspects she was involved in.  And so, late Wednesday, we have a reminder that we are currently experiencing a square between Venus and Neptune, which recurs at this time.  I wrote for Monday 4th: “Venus squares Neptune and the veils of illusion will test us out in this area.  Paranoia may play a part” and I received some poignant accounts of experiences along these lines, which included an experience of humiliation.  So if you were one of those, try not to let history repeat itself if you can possibly help it.  When Venus goes direct and comes back to square Neptune in late July, this feature could come back to haunt us.  On the other hand, we may have dealt with it successfully, e.g. addressing our insecurities (and not allowing the judgement of others).  I went on to say ” if we are on the positive end of the spectrum we may experience some sublime spiritual experiences in relation to love, and realizations about the relationship between money and spirituality.”  So this may be the end product of working through this square.

On  Friday 22nd you will need a timetable!

8.41 a.m. (in the U.K.) – Mercury conjoins with Venus at 20 degrees Taurus: this is a wonderfully congenial conjunction, a splendid literary and cultural combination.  Your communications will have an artistic flair, so it’s a good time to get creative.  I have a pending artistic project, so may try to schedule that into the not-going-out routine.

12.02 Hrs – Sun trines Saturn, a solid and productive aspect.  If you are engaged in creativity, it can help ensure that it works on a practical level.  It is also a good aspect for making plans and laying foundations.

15.43 Hrs – Mercury squares Neptune – The early bird catches the worm today, because by mid-afternoon you could sense a fly in the ointment (apologies for the mixed metaphors).  Where you may have been feeling settled and constructive, some snag may be nagging at you.  It may even be indefinable.  If so, allow your subconscious to bring it up in its own time, but don’t shut up shop until you have identified the rum note.  Then you can deal with it and move on and let it go.  It may have been a question of illusion, so it is worth examining that possibility.

17.39 Hrs – New Moon at 2 degrees Gemini – Aim to settle your doubts by late afternoon, to make the most of the new beginning afforded by this New Moon.  You can then clear your mind in order to make your New Moon intentions along the strengths of Geminian qualities and occupations: among them communication, writing and travel.  If you know the House this falls in, you can further refine its application.  There has been a lot of talk this week in the U.K. about trying to re-open schools, and so it may be a day of pronouncements on the matter.

It’s a good note to end the day, and the week with: that of creating our own future, from the mental energy of Gemini.

The week in bullet points:

  • Today – joy and humour
  • Wednesday – communication ramped up; illusion in relationship
  • Friday – (in sequence) literary and negotiating skills; solid achievement; mental fog and illusion; new beginning(s)
Date: May 17th, 2020 · Comments RSS · Tags: Book Review · Celebrities