Aspects for the week beginning 16 February 2025

EastEnders

Celebrating its 40^th Anniversary

The long-running soap opera EastEnders celebrates its 40^th anniversary this week, by setting fire to its local pub, The Queen Vic.  Funny how soaps like to celebrate with disasters…I will try and keep this blog short, as I don’t know many people who still watch EastEnders.

The show first aired at 7 p.m. on 19^th February 1985, later moving to the 7.30 p.m. slot to avoid clashing with Emmerdale Farm.  That first episode was viewed by 17 million people. The marital disharmony between Angie (actor Anita Dobson) and Den Watts (Leslie Grantham) were prominent in the early days, culminating in the Christmas Day 1986 episode where divorce papers were presented.  However, Den’s daughter Sharon (played by Letitia Dean) still appears in the show, as done (apparently the longest serving character/actor) Ian Beale/Adam Woodyat.

EastEnders is set in the fictional borough of Walford, with the fictional postcode of E20.  With Coronation Street, Brookside and Emmerdale Farm already established as northern soaps, London was chosen as the location.

My personal journey

I used to watch EastEnders in those early years…In between, there was about a decade (1995 – 2005, at the risk of falsifying my C.V.) when I didn’t watch it.  I was working full time, in offices, and used to declare that “watching soaps is a waste of my emotional energy”.  Then two things happened simultaneously: I used to visit my mother once a month, and was forced to watch it on those occasions; and I made a new friend who waxed lyrical about it.  So gradually, I came to watch it at home…Mum has now passed, but the friend has become the couch potato text buddy for EastEnders, especially when the “douf douf doufs” are sounded at the cliffhangers. [I have come across various spellings for the douf doufs, and this is my personal choice].

Natal Chart

EastEnders was launched exactly (to the hour) on a New Moon in Pisces.  One might suspect the makers took advice from an Astrologer. The Sun in its chart was exactly conjunct the Moon at 1 degree Pisces in the 6^th House of Local Community in an exact triple conjunction with Mercury, too.  The Part of Fortune consequently was exactly on the Ascendant, an auspicious corollary.

The triple conjunction was square to Saturn and Chiron (forming a T-square) – indicating the everyday struggles and pains of the local inhabitants. But the triple conjunction was closely sextile Neptune – and therefore oiled with intrigue.  Venus closely conjunct Mars gave it a spicy sensuality, with a trine to that conjunction of Uranus providing extra social intrigue.  In an early criticism from a poll  in the Sunday People complained about “coarse” and “bawdy” dialogue.

Jupiter closely square Pluto displayed power play, and manipulation by the powers-that-be in the final douf douf douf  moments, declaring “You’ve gotta watch the next episode”. Jupiter exactly trine Chiron suggested there was healing in it for some – as an escape from their own problems, perhaps?  EastEnders were pioneering in many ways subsequently in tackling challenging subject matter and health and social issues of the day.

Uranus closely square Ascendant and closely conjunct the I.C. – keeping you, if you were a viewer, on your toes, always unsettling.

40^th Anniversary Week

Apparently, during the show and its aftermath next week, at least one character will lose their life.  Since several actors have been reported to be leaving imminently, it could be anyone.

However, one current storyline may ensure that three characters will remain, and offers a unique opportunity for the viewers to get involved.  The love triangle between Denise, Jack and Ravi is set to be decided on the day of a live episode (Thursday 20^th February) with the viewers empowered to cast their vote on who Denise chooses.  Apparently two separate sets of ensuing storylines have been filmed for the follow-up.

Actor Diane Parish plays Denise Fox, the centre of the love triangle.  Diane herself is a sultry Scorpio.  She joined EastEnders as Denise on 11^th May 2006, which would form the natal chart for the character’s creation, though the casting was announced the day after Diane’s birthday the previous November.  Denise was apparently to be portrayed as a “sassy, strong” character would be “a force to be reckoned with”.  That was the original intention: regular viewers can judge whether that is an accurate description…characters often mutate, and also amalgamate features and qualities possessed by the actor.  Denise is in fact the opposite Sun sign from Diane, i.e. a Taurean, still a sensuous sign.  But Denise’s current deliberations are more indecisive Libran than “a force to be reckoned with”.  Other features of “Denise’s chart” are the Sun square Neptune (confusion), and Pluto at the Galactic Centre square her Nodal Axis (she nearly killed Nish the Christmas before last!).  But she’s a likeable and sympathetic character, with a Grand Trine of Mercury-Jupiter-Uranus in the Water signs (emotional).

Actor Scott Maslen plays her first suitor, Jack Branning, who has a long established relationship with Denise.  Scott was a former model, and a marine (he is Cancerian), and joined EastEnders creating the character Jack on 29^th October 2007.  Jack is therefore a Scorpio, and is a Policeman by trade (Scorpio’s ruler Pluto represents the police force).  Furthermore, Jack’s Pluto is at the Galactic Centre (like Denise who joined the year before), so they could make a power couple, if only they could make their relationship work (they’ve had plenty of chances)!  The character has been described as “a morally ambiguous character”, and Jack’s conjunction of Jupiter and Pluto is a power trip open to misuse, and he has been labelled a “bent copper”.

The relationship between Denise and Jack has been a chequered one, and with two personal squares (her Saturn squares his Sun, and her Venus squares his Mars) it is not an easy pathway.  As for the two actors, Scott’s Jupiter is conjunct Diane’s Neptune, which is a harmonious working relationship.  They are born two years apart.

In contrast, Aaron Thiara is cast as toyboy Ravi Gulati to Denise’s cougar role. There is a 23 year gap between the two actors, so he is virtually of the next generation.  Aaron has played Shakespearean roles (who would have thought he could morph into a dodgy EastEnder bad boy?) and is a Taurean.  He worked as a fight director on Bridgerton (having Mars square his Mercury).  Aaron took on the role of Ravi on 4^th July 2022, and won Villain of the Year in 2023.  Early on in his storyboard, he ruthlessly disposed of a dead body.  Ravi’s chart shows the potentially violent square between Mars and Pluto, so he showed up as quite a menacing character.  Mercury squares Neptune in his chart, suggesting mental deception.  He also has an unpredictable karmic path in North Node conjunct Uranus (as far as a character can have a karmic path).  With the Sun in Cancer, his character is bound up with his (dysfunctional) family.  However, as so often happens in soaps, he is in the process of transforming and reforming, to what extent we still don’t know, but it is enough to attract Denise, who had rejected him at an earlier cycle of their relationship.

The relationship between Denise and Ravi has been a stormy one, but the entanglement is shown by her Sun conjunct his North Node, and his Jupiter conjunct her natal Venus. Her Neptune squares his Nodal Axis, so is he destined for disappointment?  As for the two actors, Aaron’s Jupiter is conjunct Diane’s Uranus, a bright spark of a working relationship.  Interesting that both actors bring Jupiter to Diane’s table…

For the live episode on Thursday, Mercury squares Jupiter, so it may stretch our credulity.  The logistics alone of producing a live episode are quite mind-stretching.  There is also a North Node/Neptune in Pisces conjunction going on – highlighting intrigue and sensationality.  These astrological factors will form part of the personality of Sonia’s baby, as she is apparently due to give birth on the day!

Actors talk of some nervousness approaching taking part, but the actors’ transits look as cool as a cucumber.  Maybe they have been assured of the continuity of their contracts.  Of the characters, Denise has transiting Pluto sextile her North Node (a deep karmic choice) while Ravi’s transits seem unperturbed…maybe transits to characters do not work (LOL).  But Jack’s transits are more active: Saturn opposes Jack’s Venus (Love prospects) and squares his Jupiter (he could be tied up), but Jupiter trines his natal Chiron (his Inner Healer in Aquarius – he is always on hand to heal the community).  It has been teased that Jack leads a mission to rescue friends and neighbours from the fire.

However unrealistic it may seem, Denise’s relationship with Ravi looks better than her relationship with good old dependable Jack.  But, far be it from me to choose.  The karma is in the hands of the viewers…!

Aspects

We start with the Sun in Pisces, which occurs on Tuesday 18^th.  The Sun leaves Aquarius and enters Pisces, and the general tone of life will become more soft focus.  We become more introspective and aware of our deeper emotions with the Sun in Pisces.  We also become more aware of the sentience and oneness of all life, especially the plight of the creatures of the ocean and the state of the waters.  This is the last stage of our winter introspection before the coming of the spring.

Our second aspect occurs on Thursday 20^th, right in the middle of the live episode of EastEnders’ 40^th anniversary offering: Mercury square Jupiter.  The outcome of this mindstretching square may be within your control, through your response.  Certainly you may make a choice regarding Albert Square…even if it is to switch off your set.  You may have far to travel, or a lot to learn, and feel overstretched, but could enjoy the ride nevertheless.

These are the only two straight astrological features of the week, but if you wish to go further with your cosmic interactions, I have two Fixed Stars for you which align with the end of the week.  The first one on Friday (21^st) will be challengingly woo woo for some – it’s the message of Nashira from the constellation of Capricorn, as told by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld in “Starlight Elixirs”: 

“Some of the effects from this star are a bit subtle and muted because the civilization there has had some direct influence over Earth in the past and of late has pulled back and reduced some of this influence.  At the present time this star is good to utilize when you wish to have the ability to see the whole picture of what is happening on Earth: politically, economically, and geophysically.  This is very difficult to create with only the mental body.  The emotional body alone is also insufficient.  This star will encourage  in a gentle way the combination of faculties needed for this larger perspective.”

The second alignment of our Sun is to Sadalsud in the constellation of Aquarius, taking place on Saturday (22^nd).  “Starlight Elixirs” tells us:

“This star can create peacefulness in the interaction amongst all women and men by increasing the female part of their understanding.  The male mind can open to its female aspects and in this way relate better to women.  Women are able to better express and share the very nature of what it means to be a woman.  This star may eventually be able to work with these energies in large groups; for now it is simply in small groups or in one to one relationships.”

The week in bullet points:

• Tuesday – greater compassion
• Thursday – stretched minds and travels
• Friday – larger perspective
• Saturday – male and female balancing