Aspects for the week beginning 12 July 2026

Ann Widdecombe (1947 -2026)

“If someone  wants to turn round and say, Widdecombe, you’re overweight and you’ve got crooked teeth, I say: you’re right, so what?”

~ Ann Widdecombe

I have been urged this week to produce two blogs: one for Ann Widdecombe and one for Bonnie Tyler, both of whom died this week in unusual circumstances.  So I am bowing to the pressure, but will write shortened blogs…

Ann was known for her strident right wing views, and sharp no-nonsense tongue.  But she had many friends and has been described as “intriguing”, and “a character”.  The manner of her death, currently being investigated as a murder, in her isolated home on Dartmoor, is not one that anyone would wish on their worst enemy.

Birth Chart

The crux of Ann’s chart is a Sun in Libra exactly conjunct Neptune – showing her deep faith in Christianity (Roman Catholicism), and a deep rooted idealism about close relationships (she had one reported three-year relationship while at Oxford, with Colin Maltby).  Inner journeys are very much a feature of Neptune and its sign Pisces, and she went from a protestand upbringing, through agnosticism, then to Roman Catholicism).

Her Moon was at the end of Taurus conjunct the Pleiades and sextile with Mars, giving her quick emotional reactions.  The Moon opposite Jupiter would give her florid emotions.  And the Moon’s conjunction with the North Node in Taurus reflects her closeness with her mother, with whom she lived until her mother died at the age of 95. At the time of her mother’s death, Chiron was opposite Ann’s Pluto, a painful wounding.  It also reflects the importance to her of her novel-writing, one of continued aims in retirement, as part of her karmic mission.

Maybe one of her most distinguishing feature was her assertive freedom of speech.  This comes from her close square between Mercury and Mars, the Inner Critic.  Mercury was also conjunct Chiron, an ability to wound through speech, but also with an ability for problem-solving.

We have a birth time for Ann, showing up a triple conjunction upon her Ascendant in Libra (Sun/Neptune/Venus).  Within that Venus conjunct Neptune portrays idealism in relationship, and “impossible love”, possibly also “secret love.”  Moreover, a close sextile of Venus to Saturn on her 11^th House cusp shows a great deal of personal loyalty.  Libra is associated with books (through the Latin name for books, Libri!) and she wrote 4 novels and 3 books of non-fiction.

Mars in Leo indicates a performing zeal, which the general public got to see when she appeared on Strictly Come Dancing partnering professional dancer Anton du Beke.  According to friend Gyles Brandreth (whose wife she met at Oxford), Anton du Beke was the “love of her life” said with a twinkle in the eye and possibly tongue in cheek!  According to the Guardian Obituary by Stephen Bates, she was “being hauled good-naturedly like a sack of potatoes around a dancefloor” and her appearance on Strictly “cemented her celebrity status”.

Mars trine Jupiter ensured great energy allied with enthusiasm, giving rise to a “conviction politician”.  At the same time, Mars in Leo conjunct Midheaven in Cancer meant that she was combative in politics, a Warrior in her 10^th House of Politics.

Coming to her Jupiter, we find Jupiter exactly on the South Node in Scorpio (a past life connection with religion, possibly in holy orders), and trine her Midheaven – a successful career.  Jupiter strongly aspected in her chart, highlighted the fact that she was known for her humour, and for being “game” for a laugh, even on herself.  Speaking about her reality TV debut on Strictly Come Dancing, she quipped: “People were terribly surprised that I had a sense of humour”.

Her “difficult” side came from Saturn conjunct Pluto in Leo, across her 10^th/11^th House cusp, and Pluto square Chiron.

Life and Career

She was born in Bath, studied Latin at the University of Birmingham, then read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford.  After years of trying she eventually became an MP for Maidstone in 1987, representing the Conservatives, Maidstone a few months before her 40^th birthday – that would have been her Uranus Opposition.  The Uranus Opposition is often a defining moment in a person’s life trajectory.

She served as a cabinet minister from 1994 to 1997, when Labour came to power.  She then served in the shadow cabinet under William Hague until 2001.

In May 2001, she made her famous remark about Michael Howard, that “there was something of the night about him.”  A classic example of her Mercury/Mars square in action.  In her 2013 Memoir, she added that he was “vindictive and gloating”.  It is thought that her assessment led to his defeat in the Conservative leadership contest.

Later, she took aim at David Cameron, calling him “big-headed, dismissive of everything that had gone before”.

She stood down from the House of Commons at the 2010 general election.  In 2016, she was an enthusiastic Brexiteer.  She was expelled from the Conservative Party in 2019, and then became affiliated to what was then the Brexit Party.  Some of her extreme views included opposition to the ordination of women in the church, climate change scepticism, supporting the reintroduction of the death penalty, opposition to abortion, and to liberalisation of LGBTQ+ rights.  In 2023 she joined the Reform UK Party as the party’s immigration and justice spokesperson.

She never married nor had any children.  We do not have Bonnie’s birth time, but Ann’s birthtime reveals an empty 5^th House of Children ruled by Uranus which is totally unaspected, very emblematic of that reality.

Murder

Ann retired to a sleepy village on the edge of Dartmoor, among other things to have the luxury of writing books, but she was still active politically.  Her cottage was named “Widdecombe’s Rest”, a poignant name in retrospect.

It is only a few days since Ann died, and the shocking news of her murder was revealed.  The police do not think it was politically motivated.  They are currently holding a 28-year old white British national (the first was released without charge).

Among her transits were Pluto square her Mercury in Scorpio in her 1^st House (mental shock – it doesn’t bear thinking about), Chiron square her natal Mars (wounding), but on the plus side (if there can be one), Saturn trine her natal Pluto in Leo in her 10^th House – great strength in the face of a high profile demise).  I like to think that shows she will have gone straight to the arms of Jesus, who was so much a part of her life.  If there was any karmic plan for her ending, it might be to show the divisiveness and violence in our society (though should not be exploited by those of that nature and intent).  My own take, for what it is worth, and time may tell, is that she may have expressed her sharpness towards someone who was unhinged, at the “wrong” moment.

Rest in Peace, Ann…

“I had the most brilliant time with Ann on Strictly Come Dancing, she became a real friend, she was fun, she was upbeat, she was positive, she was supportive, she was game, wanted to enter into the spirit of the whole thing”

~ Anton du Beke

Aspects

In the early hours of tomorrow (Monday 13^th) we start with a conjunction of the Sun and Mercury at 20 degrees of Cancer: Mentally, this may help you see more clearly, although as the conjunction takes place in a water sign, you do need to take account of emotions and feelings. You can apply your mind according to the House this conjunction falls in within your chart, and if you don’t know which that is, then apply it to home and family affairs, emotions and women.

Late lunchtime, Uranus squares Venus, so get your thinking, feelings and emotions as straight as possible before then!  Try and smooth the path in advance, e.g. deal with possible loopholes.  This square might bring twists and turn in relationships. There may be a quirky end to a relationship or money saga, slightly out of your comfort zone (especially for Taureans and Librans).  Your plans may have to be modified at the last minute.  The way through is to use your intuition, and stay one step ahead.

Some restoration of calm may ensue on Tuesday (14^th), with a New Moon at 21 degrees of Cancer.  A new beginning is on the cards.  Do remember your New Moon intentions.  It’s a pure and simple chance to get back to basics with our home, family, roots, locality, emotions and ancestry.  Where it falls in your chart can give you extra clues about placing your intentionality, your hopes and wishes.  In the past, this New Moon in the feminine sign of Cancer has enabled the promotion of women’s rights.

The middle of the week begins a most exciting couple of weeks, heralding the almost unheard of alignment of the outer planets, in a formation once foreseen by French Astrologer Andre Barbault (1921 – 2019).  This pattern has come to be known as “Barbault’s Basket”  Currently, as we speak, Pluto, Neptune and Uranus are all harmoniously aligned at 4 degrees of their signs.  If you have a planet at 4 degrees, you are well linked in.  Two of these exact alignments occur this week, and next week we shall have more because Jupiter is fast approaching 4 degrees.

As with the tremendously difficult Saturn-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn, whose timing we could predict but not its exact nature (the Pandemic), we know that the Barbault’s Basket will have a tremendous effect, but this time beneficently.  We can focus on all the problems in the world, and hope for some practical solutions.  But in our own personal lives too, we may see the hand of Grace operating.  Picture her or him as you like, I picture an enormous Archangel bringing things into right relation.

Some Astrologers feel we may not experience the beneficence immediately, but it may herald a Renaissance of some sort.  Bring that into your own awareness of your own life.  Where can you see, or hope, for a Renaissance?  Right relations should be part of that new order.  So without further ado, we come to the first element:

On Wednesday (15^th) Uranus will sextile Neptune.  It’s an aspect involving two big hitters.  This is a rare an unusual aspect, and I can’t speak highly enough about it.  It’s a major reorganization in order to incorporate more complexity and a deeper understanding.”  Uranus is coming from Gemini and Neptune is coming from Aries, both at 4 degrees of their signs, a truly reforming zeal.  This aspect is laying down terms for the future, whichever way you are looking at it, and from the personal to the universal.  In interpretating what this means for you in your life (and take into account the Houses it falls in, if you know), I would like to make immortal the words of my favourite Astrologer Alan Oken (who has now passed):

“Intuition flows or works well with Illumination.  On an individual level the result would give the ability to properly handle higher levels of consciousness and a profound interest in the occult and mystic.  On a mass level it contributes to a generalized expansion of consciousness and an awakening to new uses of heretofore untapped energy sources.”

Take what you can and weave it into your current reality, and vision of the future.

The second weave of the “basket” occurs on Saturday (18^th) with a trine between Uranus and Pluto.  These two planets are the major ushers of Change (with a big C).  It is a strong structure for the psyche, and for the collective.  It provides the ability to understand and flow with the forces of Change, and can be a positive agent for change.

Turning to other Astrologers to add dimension to my own offerings, I go first to Adam Elenbaas, who says:

“This is the kind of transit that reshapes what you believe is real, not with fanfare but with a quiet, persistent hum. How much change can the human psyche absorb before fragmentation occurs? What happens when information evolves faster than wisdom?”

Financial Astrologer Raymond Merriman says:

“We have an opportunity for another renaissance. Since invention (Uranus) is the mother of necessity, perhaps a recession is necessary to push the creative forces of human ingenuity that leads humanity into this renaissance. Usually, the renaissance is also a revolution in communications (perfect for Uranus in Gemini), according to the great Russian economist Nikolai Kondratieff. The revolution in thought that I am hoping for is a realization of the value of “diversity within unity,”

Alan Oken wrote in “Complete Astrology”:

“Intuition flows or works well with regeneration.  These aspects are definitely instrumental in bringing out more positive aspects mentioned under the heading of the conjunction… Tremendous elevation of consciousness,  to inventiveness,  to an exploration of untapped potentials of energy…”

If it is your birthday that day, it could be a humdinger of a birthday!

See you next week, in the middle of “Barbault’s Basket”!

The week in bullet points:

• Tomorrow – sparkling minds; disrupted feelings
• Tuesday – new beginning
• Wednesday – the ability to wrap your mind around complexity
• Saturday – Beneficent Change