Sophie Kinsella and Joanna Trollope

Friends, and Sagittarian Storytellers

Sophie Kinsella (1969 – 2025)

“Every one of Sophie’s 40 million readers knew how funny and smart she was.”

~ Jenny Colgan

“Shopaholic” author Sophie Kinsella died this week of glioblastoma, at the tender age of 55.  She will be missed by her many readers, and earned the title “the queen of romantic comedy”, given to her by Jo Jo Moyes.

Birth Chart

Sophie, whose birthday was 12th December, was born with the Sun in Sagittarius – confirming last week’s Storyteller Archetype for this sign.  She died on 10th December, two days before her birthday. Friends found her joyful, a quality from her ruling planet Jupiter.  Her Sun was unaspected (showing a free spirit) except for a square to the Nodal Axis (a strong sense of destiny).  We have no birth time, but a noon chart reveals two exact Moon aspects, so even if she was born at the extremes of the day they may still be relevant:

Moon at Noon exactly square Saturn, some understanding of depressive moods

with

Moon at Noon exactly sextile Chiron, some understanding of how to heal

Mercury square Uranus and Chiron in a Cardinal T-square – and as Mercury rules shopping, this may have been the driving force behind the Shopaholic alter ego (or is it an Archetype??!).  Mercury square Chiron can imply problem solving ability.

Sophie’s Venus in Sagittarius was closely sextile with her Uranus, indicating an ability to express the sensuality of life and shopping.  Mars closely trine Jupiter described the feelgood and humorous vibe of her writing.  Jupiter opposite Saturn can make decision-making difficult; but Neptune trine Chiron shows the healing nature of her work

Life and Career

Sophie was born in Roehampton, her real name being Madeleine Sophie Townley.  She was educated at various schools, then at New College Oxford, where she took Music, then switched to Philosophy, Politics and Economics (Philosophy being a province of Sagittarius).  She began her working life as a financial journalist, but found the job dull.  She was inspired by the work of Joanna Trollope to try her hand at writing novels, at the age of 24.  After several were published under the name Madeleine Wickham, she hit upon the idea of writing about a financial journalist with an addiction to shopping:

“I thought, wait a minute, shopping has become the national pastime, and nobody has written about it.  It felt very much like an experimental project.”

Her work has been labelled “chick lit”, but she preferred the term “wit lit”.  Her first two novels were made into a film “Confessions of a Shopaholic” in 2009.  At the time, her transits included:

Pluto trine her Saturn (serious progress)

Jupiter sextile her Venus (success)

Jupiter trine her Uranus (sudden success)

North Node trine her Uranus (surprise karmic reward)

Her heroine, or alter ego, was called Becky Bloomwood, and the story takes in the inability to manage her own finances despite her expertise in the subject, an obsession with shopping, and a relationship with Luke.

Sophie’s books sold over 50 million copies, in more than 60 countries, translated into over 40 languages.

She met her husband Henry on her first day at Oxford University, and they had five children.  He has helped manage her affairs, and looked after her with great care throughout her illness.  She described him as an optimist, and said that during her illness:

“Every morning, he brings me a cup of tea. And he comes to me with a story of hope. I’ve already lasted more than the average. So, you know, that’s how we get through. … We just hope.”

I confess that I have not read any of her books (in my defence, I am not a shopaholic!).  But she also wrote a book series for children, called “Mummy Fairy and Me”, which has a special place in my own granddaughter’s heart.

Joanna Trollope (1943 – 2025)

“It is a grave mistake to think there is more significance in great things than in little things”

~ Joanna Trollope

A friend of Sophie’s, Joanna’s birthday was 9th December, and she died this week on 11th December, two days after her birthday, and one day after Sophie passed.  Joanna reached the ripe old age of 82.

Birth Chart

Joanna was also born with the Sun in Sagittarius, (the Storyteller Archetype again), and her work did contain humour, but also a much more dark side of the human experience (from Pluto exactly conjunct her North Node).  She described her novels as “quite subversive, quite bleak”. With Mercury exactly sextile Venus – she had a marked Writer Archetype!  Furthermore, Mercury trine Jupiter gave her a wide ranging mind.  She had a very energetic chart, with emphatic Mars and Pluto aspects.  Uranus was sextile her North Node, making her a trailblazer in her field: books set in rural England and focussing on domestic life and relationships.  Her work too was labelled, in her case “Aga Sagas”, a label she disputed as agas were barely mentioned.  She was quoted as saying in 2006:

“Except for thrillers there was nothing in the middle ground of the traditional novel, which is where I think I am.”

Life and Career

She was born in Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, and was a distant relative of  the author Anthony Trollope.  She attended Reigate School for girls, and then, like Sophie, received a further education at Oxford University (at St. Hugh’s College), reading English.  She worked initially as a civil servant, before beginning a writing career in 1980.  She also originally wrote under a pseudonym.  Her big breakthrough came with the novel “The Rector’s Wife” in 1991, which was an enormous and immediate hit, toppling Jeffrey Archer and Jilly Cooper off the top of the charts.  Her Progressed Sun was trine her natal Uranus at the time (a sign of sudden success).  Transiting Jupiter at the time was encouragingly sextile her natal Mars, and added fire came from a transit of Mars squaring her natal Jupiter.

In 1994, The Rector’s Wife was adapted for television, starring Lindsay Duncan and Ronald Pickup.  I was always struck by the resemblance between Joanna Trollope and Lindsay Duncan, although the work is not deemed autobiographical.

Joanna married twice, had two daughters, two step-children, and was a grandmother.

She died peacefully at home, with Pluto square her natal Venus, Chiron sextile her natal Saturn, and Mars trine her natal Jupiter.

“She has a gift for putting her finger on the problem of the times”

~ Fay Weldon

Aspects

The first aspect today is Neptune squaring Mars.  This could be quite tricky, or over-emotional.  Mars likes to act unimpeded, but Neptune forces it to be more sensitive, and possibly also more spiritualized.  Energies may be frittered, and water currents could be flowing in unhelpful directions, e.g. leaks.  Generally under such an aspect, meditation can be helpful, and particularly those activities which combine physical movement with a stilling of the mind, such as Tai Chi.  So perhaps a spot of those activities during the day could contribute to more harmony.

Later in the day, the Sun trines Chiron, introducing a healing note.  For example,  you may have a desire to heal a particular issue.  Look for clues and insights today on this theme, which may help  you.  Healing is illuminated by clarity, and solutions may appear to conundrums which have been recently aired.  There is a sense of wholeness about this aspect.  Creativity and healing have a symbiotic relationship under this aspect.

Tomorrow (Monday 15th), Mars enters Capricorn.  This may have the effect of slowing down action, but action taken will be firmed up, based on realism, more authoritative.  You may need to make a more respectful approach to something or a project, give it more decorum.

We have a square between Saturn and the Sun on Wednesday (17th).  This aspect needs some caution in the playing.  It may bring disappointing or deflating news,  delay or frustration.  There is no shortage of such material on our news programmes, certainly.  The Sun-Saturn square is an opportunity to think through what you are doing, and your strategies.  If you are making economies, are they the right ones, based on your optimum values, for example?

A mellower aspect follows the next day, on Thursday (18th).  Venus will trine Chiron, which may aid healing and recovery.  Try to keep the heart open; it is the antidote for many things.  The healing power of love comes to the fore.  There may be a real opportunity to re-group your healing energies and feel harmony within your being.

Celia Fenn has a reminder for us for Friday (19th):

“The 19th of December will probably be a whammy. On this day the Earth transits the Galactic Centre at 27 degrees of Sagittarius AND experiences its closest transit to Interstellar object 3I Atlas just 2 days before Solstice. Very deep Galactic energies expected at that time.”

Then it’s on to a new beginning on Saturday (20th) with a New Moon at 28 degrees Sagittarius.  Sagittarian New Moons are more upbeat than most, focussing on expansion, the planning of holidays, deep study and learning, global issues, and matters of faith.  Re-play your affirmations, with more confidence.  You can have powerful inner conversations under this New Moon.

The last aspect of the week, on the same day, is the Nodal Axis square to Mercury.  Karmic information may come into your awareness, and communication in groups will be important.  Past life exploration may beckon, for some!  A good day for group reunions.  As it is Mercury confronting karma, it may be a good day to tackle your Inner Shopaholic, the Christmas Inner Shopaholic being comparatively on steroids!

The week in bullet points:

  • Today – sensitive energies; healing tones
  • Tomorrow – responsible action
  • Wednesday – frustration
  • Thursday – healing and heart opening
  • Friday – spiritual awareness
  • Saturday – new beginning; karmic information
Date: Dec 14th, 2025 · Comments RSS · Tags: Book Review · Obituary