Strictly Come Dancing – Part 1

The partners of Strictly Come Dancing 2023 were introduced to each other last night, gracefully kicking off the season.  So as usual, I am starting with four contestants, and will come back to this topic in a few weeks’ time.

Angela Rippon

from 6 August blog:

“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.  Her catchphrase last night was ‘Angela, rippin’ up the dance floor!’ ”

Her transits now, show:  Mars on her Mercury (excitement!) and trine Uranus (more excitement!), Uranus sextile her North Node (even more excitement!), Neptune opposite her Chiron (some frailty), and Pluto sextile her Ascendant (an important event in her life), which is a good start.  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!

She is paired with Kai Widdrington, which delighted them both.  I wrote in 2021:

“He has his Sun in performing Leo conjunct Venus in fastidious Virgo, and is a superb impressionist.  He is intensely disciplined, with Mercury exactly opposite Saturn, and he also has a complex conjunction of Uranus and Neptune in Capricorn, common to those born in his year (1995).”

Their synastry: Her Mars sextiles his Sun and conjoins with his North Node – a vigorous, vibrant partnership!  His current transits: Kai has a lot going on – Uranus sextiles his natal Saturn exact to the day (an exciting partnership with an older woman!), Uranus trines his natal Neptune (interesting times for him), Neptune sextiles his Uranus (more interesting times), Pluto transits his Uranus (big changes of consciousness), Pluto sextiles his Pluto (self-empowerment) and trines his Chiron (deep healing).  This partnership will be good for him. His transits for the final: A lot can change in three months.  Pluto will be square his Nodal Axis (a significant ending in his life) and Pluto still trine his Chiron (deep healing ongoing).  This does not look like a win for him, either.  But let’s hope Angela gets her wish to last until the Argentine Tango.

Bobby Brazier

Bobby, famously, is the son of  presenter Jeff Brazier and the late Big Brother star Jade Goody, and he recently won NTA award for best newcomer.  A rising star within Eastenders, as was Rose Ayling-Ellis two years ago.  Bobby has Sun in Gemini, and portrays a ditzy young character in that acting role (sorry, that’s a term usually used for women, but I think it describes the role).  In his chart Bobby has a close sextile of Jupiter to his Sun, which gives him good opportunities in life.  His father gave him the motto “because I can”, according to his speech at the NTAs.  His Sun is also closely trine Neptune, so he is close to spirit, possibly in his connection with his mother who died young.  He plans to dedicate a dance to her in the competition.  His Moon (mother) is sparsely aspected in his chart, a reflection of the lack of her physical presence.  But his father Jeff seems to have done a good job of bringing up Bobby and his brother.  Bobby has Mercury conjunct Venus, so like his Eastenders character, he can be a smooth talker.  Mercury closely trines his Chiron, so like his character, he can think up quick solutions to any scrapes.  Mars trines Saturn, so he has the ability to work deliberately and in a disciplined way, useful in his acting career.  Jupiter opposes Neptune exactly in his chart, so he may be confused in matters of religion.  But Jupiter trine Pluto gives him an awareness of his own power.  He tells us he has “great rhythm”, and practises mindfulness.

His transits right now show: Uranus square his Mars (danger of initial sprains in early practice sessions), Mars sextile his natal Jupiter (great enthusiasm), Saturn on his natal Uranus (he really does need to be careful), Mars exactly trine Neptune to the day (dance prowess displayed) and Chiron trine his natal Pluto (a deep self-revelatory experience).  At the end of the tournament, Saturn is still on his Uranus (ouch!), but the North Node will be exactly trine his natal Pluto to the day (which is powerful and karmic!), so if he survives until then in the contest, he stands a good chance at the final.

He is partnered with redhead Dianne Buswell.  I wrote in 2021: “Dianne is a supportive Taurean, with Chiron, Mars and the Moon in Cancer (the sign of musical rhythm).” She says she thinks of Bobby as her little brother. Their synastry: Her Sun trines his Chiron, so he will be a healer for her.  Her Jupiter conjoins his Sun, so she is lucky for him, which bodes well for their success.  Her Pluto squares his Jupiter, so she will assert her power in the relationship.  At the same time her Pluto squares his Neptune, so she will shake up his religious/spiritual views.  Her current transits: Pluto is trine her natal Venus (showing a new in-depth relationship coming into her life), Mars is square her natal Saturn (so initial physical adjustments might be awkward for her) and square to her Neptune (a further challenge).  Her transits for the final: Jupiter will be sextile her natal Mars (a sign of success and enthusiasm, particularly for the men in her life: Joe Sugg, and Bobby).  This may not be enough for an outright win, but could propel this couple into the final.

Annabel Croft

Annabel is a tennis commentator and former tennis player, who lost her husband just before Wimbledon this year.  She is a Cancerian, and has an emotional chart generally, as half (5) of her planets are in Water signs.  That may mean that she will be adept at conveying emotion in her expression of dance, though she has stated she may struggle to lose her inhibitions.

Annabel has the Sun in Cancer (attuned to rhythms) conjunct Jupiter (her love of sport).  She has a sparky side, with Sun sextile Uranus, and dance prowess (Sun exactly trine Neptune).  Her Mercury in Leo looks competitive, but unaspected, so she has an independent mind.  However she disputes having competitiveness, claiming the word makes her shudder – we’ll have to see!  Mars closely square Saturn could make her moves awkward at times, but if she lets her Neptunian side take over, it should smooth over that trait.  Jupiter closely sextile Uranus means that she is able to take advantage of opportunities in life.  She also has the chaotic/anarchic mid-60s conjunction of Uranus and Pluto in Virgo, so watch out for the wild child when she does release her inhibitions!  Like Angela Rippon, She’s a healer with North Node sextile Chiron.

Her transits now show: Chiron square her natal Sun (she is currently out of her comfort zone), but Chiron sextile her Venus (so her musicality is being exercised).  She also has Jupiter sextile her natal Jupiter, so a happy start.  At the end of the tournament, she will have Uranus sextile her Sun (she could surprise us!), Mars square her natal Uranus (possibly strain or sprain).  Pluto will sextile her Saturn, which is strengthening, but  Uranus will oppose her Neptune (she may get confused) and Mars will square her Pluto (which is sticky).  She may not make the final.

She is partnered with: Johannes Radebe.  He has proved to be a legend, but when he first appeared in 2019 I wrote:

“He has 6 Fire planets, and was born close to a New Moon in Taurus.  His dance credentials include the Sun closely trine Neptune.  He could do well in the dramatic dances such as the Paso Doble, with the Sun opposite closely Pluto.  He has Mercury trine Uranus, so could surprise us with ingenious choreography.  With Mars sextile Jupiter, he has energy combined with enthusiasm.  Venus/Jupiter conjunct his North Node could bring him luck in life (in the right place at the right time with the right people).”  Seems like an understatement, to read that now.  Their synastry: His Uranus squares her Chiron, so despite their initial mutual enthusiasm, the relationship may prove to be an awkward fit.  His current transits: The North Node transits his natal Mercury (indicating an important teaching role for him), Mars opposes his natal Jupiter (he will be excited and enthusiastic), Neptune is square his Uranus (a complex scenario), and the North Node trines his Uranus (a karmic opportunity to display his ingenuity).  His transits for the final: Jupiter will transit his natal Sun (a superb indication of success).  As Annabel’s transits for the final are not on the same page as those of Johannes, his high at that time may be due to something other than lifting the glitterball.  But it’s a poignant journey for Annabel, as her husband loved Strictly.

Krishnan Guru-Murthy

Krishnan Guru-Murthy, the news journalist and broadcaster has a free-spirited unaspected Sun in Aries.  He confesses to the Aries trait of impatience.  He has Mercury conjunct Venus – which lends itself to broadcasting and writing.  He has a very Aries chart altogether, with the Sun, Chiron, Mercury and possibly also the Moon in that sign (we do not have his birth time).  This can give him a combative interview style, but not to be confused with Diana’s interviewer Capricorn Martin Bashir, a mistake people have often made in the past.  Mercury opposite Jupiter gives him a wide ranging mind, suited to broadcasting and journalism.  And Mars trine Pluto bestows a powerhouse of energy.  He studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University.

His current transits show: Pluto squaring his Mercury (quite a mental strain; he says “physically catastrophic!”), Saturn sextile his natal Venus (a demand for discipline in relation to musicality), Saturn trine his natal Jupiter (mastering a new activity) and Neptune opposite his natal Pluto (a deep psycho-spiritual challenge).  At the end of the tournament, he has Mars trine his natal Sun (energy), Chiron on his Sun (a possible health challenge), Pluto still square his Mercury, Saturn still sextile his Venus, and Neptune still opposite his Pluto.  Doesn’t look good, so he is likely to be out of the contest before the end.

He is partnered with: newcomer Lauren Oakley.  Lauren has Sun exactly conjunct Mercury in Pisces, so she is super-focussed in dance terms, with a touch of genius about her.  There’s a bit of a warrior about her (Sun square Mars), so that might make her super-competitive.  Mercury square Mars may be very critical or sometimes irritable, which might affect Krishnan, were it not for the fact that he is a combative Aries anyway, and used to combat.  They could get irritable together!  They both also have Jupiter opposite Saturn and can get hamstrung, so hopefully not both at the same time, as that might see them both stop at the same time on the dance floor.  Her best feature is an exact trine between Pluto and Chiron, which is an ability to alchemically change someone’s psychology, or alter the mood of a place at a deep and subtle level.  However, this relationship does look distinctly dicey, and very stressful.  One of them may storm off at some point!  Looking at their actual synastry: His North Node is conjunct her Sun (they do have a karmic link, perhaps as old adversaries).  This is further borne out by his Sun sextile her Mars (on battlefields together in past lives, perhaps).  But her Saturn squares his Venus and Jupiter, so personally they may not gel.  Furthermore, her Neptune squares his natal Sun, and although Krishnan is a confident man (off the dance floor) he may not know how to handle her. Last, but not least her Pluto opposes his Mars (clashes galore!).  That is all very stark.  However, she will be wanting to make a good fist of her debut in this programme, and will want to hold it all together if she can.  Her current transits: Mars squares her natal Uranus (sparks flying!), but Jupiter trine her natal Neptune (a beautiful dance opportunity for her).  Her transits for the final: Chiron square her natal Neptune (a dream possibly shattered) and Uranus opposite her Pluto (difficult changes).  That does not support her chances at the glitterball, either.

So of these four, Bobby Brazier looks the most promising for the final, which is fairly predictable without the Astrology (!)

I will be back in a few weeks, with the next set of four.

Aspects

All aspects occur in the morning this week!

This morning, Venus squared Jupiter, first thing.  You may be confronted with an awkward social situation.  Behaviour may be gauche or a little inappropriate, and that may have consequences.  You may be socializing when you don’t feel like it, or feel that you have to force jollity.  There will be a meaning to it – there always is!  Even if it is one remark which makes you think deeply, or helps you to realize what you don’t need.  Social non-conformists won’t care, but conformists may lament the lack of sticking to the rules.

On Tuesday morning (19th) Neptune opposes the Sun, which is not exactly murder on the dance floor, but more like confusion on the dance floor. It’s early days for our contestants. Careful schedules may be thrown into confusion.  Your concentration may not be so acute, and issues may seem more clouded.  Conundrums may present themselves to you.

A much more constructive influence awaits us on Thursday (21st) when the Sun trines Pluto early in the morning. You can be sustained by the fortitude of this aspect, which is deals with the important and deep stuff of life and psychology.  You may experience and contemplate (or dream) in great depth, and any creativity will have this profound quality imbued within it.  You may find that you have made more real progress than you thought, and your patience is rewarded.  There could be a revelation.

Even more mellow, the Sun enters Libra on Saturday (23rd), which is the Autumn Equinox, also occurring first thing.  This may bring some balm.  That could bring a change of pace and mood.  It is a good time to take stock of the events of the Summer, and embrace the colourful Autumn prospects: different, but equally beautiful.  Libra may draw you to artistic or musical pursuits, new relationships, or an interest in the law and justice.

The week in bullet points:

  • Today – socially awkward
  • Tuesday – confusion, on and off the dance floor
  • Thursday – psychological depth, in a good way
  • Saturday – mellow fruitfulness
Date: Sep 17th, 2023 · Comments RSS · Tags: Celebrities