Aspects for the week beginning 6 August 2023

Angela Rippon

Angela Rippon has been announced as a contestant for the forthcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing.  She is, apparently, at 78 the oldest contestant so far to compete.  They are announcing her as “Rip Off Britain” Angela, a reference to the current programme she presents.  But she has been known to the public for decades: as a newsreader, and as a participant in the Morecambe and Wise Show, going back a long way.

Birth Chart

Angela’s Sun Sign is that elegant and musical sign of Libra, so musicality won’t be a a problem in her performance.  And she has her Ascendant in twinkle-toed dancing Pisces, so again, she is perfect for her new venture.  She has intelligence a-plenty: Sun conjunct Mercury trine Uranus.  Her Moon is exactly sextile Mars, so she has quick emotional responses, and so I should think she will excel at portraying emotion in her various roles around the dance floor.  The Moon in her chart exactly trines her Midheaven, so she is a household name, with the public.  Mercury sextiles Pluto in her chart, which will have made her a newsreader capable of gravitas when it was required.  Venus is closely sextile Jupiter in her chart, which makes her very sociable.  Venus also trine her North Node makes the expression of her Venusian abilities (music and dance) part of her karmic mission.  Mars is exactly sextile her Midheaven, so she is able to assert herself in the world (ideal quality for the  programme Rip Off Britain).  Another quality which suits the programme she currently presents is Jupiter square Uranus (the Chancer), so she is alert to the way scammers work.  She’s a healer, too, from North Node sextile Chiron.

Life and Career

Angela was born in Plymouth.  Her father was a marine, and her mother was a seamstress.  She left school at 17, and worked in newspaper journalism before joining the world of broadcasting.  She was 22 when she began working for the BBC, and became a regular newsreader for BBC One’s Nine O’Clock News in 1975.  At the time she was regarded as the first female  newsreader, but it appears there were historically a couple before her.

It was not long after, although she was definitely an established figure on our screens by then, that at Christmas 1976, she appeared in an iconic sketch on the Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show.  Long before we looked forward to the Only Fools and Horses Christmas Shows, Morecambe and Wise kept us entertained in that slot, and I remember the hilarity of seeing her unfurl her legs from under a newsdesk to reveal the dancing “pins” and to perform her high kicks.  She was such a hit that she appeared on the next year’s show, too, as a cameo.

She has of course appeared in a lot more programmes between Morecambe and Wise and Rip Off Britain, having hardly been away from our screens.  She has presented Come Dancing, the Eurovision Song Contest (in 1977), among others.  She has also written fourteen books.

Prospects

Transits for this week’s announcement include transiting Uranus sextile her natal North Node, springing a surprise, something she likes to do with Uranus natally trine her Sun and square her Jupiter.  Pluto also squares her natal Mars, so she knows she is stretching herself physically.  But Pluto yesterday was exactly sextile her natal Ascendant to the day, on the cusp of her 11th House, so there is an important shift in her life.

We don’t have the start date of the contest.  If the end of the contest is the middle of December, she will have Mars square her Jupiter at the time, which is the overstretching of energies.  Neptune will be opposite her natal Chiron, so she may have some physical niggles through a prolonged period of dancing.  Pluto will still be square her Mars, so she may have to pull out before the end, and Pluto will still be sextile her Ascendant, so that may help her through.  But we all hope she endures and thrives in the competition, and there will be no shortage of fans cheering her on to win!

I will update the astrology later, when dates are announced.

Aspects

There are only 3 aspects this week!

Monday (7th) Jupiter squares the Sun, an aspect which exaggerates everything it comes into contact with.  There is also a joyful, humorous side of Sun square Jupiter, so some laughter-yoga from time to time during the day would not go amiss!  It could be a fun day, but be aware of carelessness or overreaching goals.

Another square, Uranus square to Venus, occurs on Wednesday (9th).  It may be an abrasive day for meetings.  The way through is to use your intuition, and stay one step ahead.  Relationships can be disrupted, and subject to misunderstandings.  On the other hand, on another level, it can open up telepathic communication between individuals  on a higher level.

The Universe has saved the best till last, this week.  On Thursday (10th), Mercury trines Jupiter.  This aspect will help business transactions, and expand our horizons, minds and philosophies.  This is an upbeat vibe mentally, one that takes in great wads of information, produces good ideas and may incline one to travel, strikes permitting of course.  There may be media opportunities, for those so inclined, and it could be a productive day.  A cause for optimism may be found.

The week in bullet points:

• Monday – chancing luck
• Wednesday – chancing relationships
• Thursday – lucky communications