{"id":4604,"date":"2017-09-24T12:48:29","date_gmt":"2017-09-24T12:48:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.lanawooster.co.uk\/?p=4604"},"modified":"2017-09-24T13:03:53","modified_gmt":"2017-09-24T13:03:53","slug":"aspects-for-the-week-beginning-24-september-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lanawooster.co.uk\/?p=4604","title":{"rendered":"Aspects for the week beginning 24 September 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

Strictly Come Dancing 2018 – Part 2<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

No apologies for another Strictly blog so hard on the heels of the last one!\u00a0 Last night’s first display of dance was a feast of talent, with some outstanding performances which I think surprised the judges.<\/p>\n

Here are the next four contestants under the astrological spotlight:<\/p>\n

Alexandra Burke<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In a shimmering gold, green and white dress, Alexandra Burke made her dancing debut last night to the song “A Natural Woman”, and scored well for her waltz in the first round.\u00a0 Craig said she had a feel for the music, Darcy praised her expression, Shirley said she could be a front runner, and Bruno highlighted her natural artistry.\u00a0 She’s a perfectionistic Sun in virgo squaring Jupiter, so can be up for anything.\u00a0 Her Venus trines Pluto, which injects feeling into her singing, and with the North Node in Pisces (the sign of dance) forms a Grand Trine in Water.\u00a0 With Saturn closely conjunct Uranus (personal earthquakes) she had a difficult childhood.\u00a0 Her parents split up when she was four, and her mother Melissa Bell (from the band Soul to Soul) toured a lot and Alexandra had to look after her younger brother.\u00a0 She tried to make her mark in the 2005 series of X Factor, but Louis Walsh halted her advance saying she was too young.\u00a0 She worked hard and in 2008 re-entered the competition and won, memorably singing Hallelujah in the finale.\u00a0 So she has the musicality and determination to succeed in Strictly.\u00a0 She was very emotional, and has just lost her mother (28th August).\u00a0 At the moment she has Jupiter sextile her Saturn\/Uranus, keeping her buoyant in some ways, but at the same time she has the sadness of Saturn square her Mercury.\u00a0 She has Saturn square Mercury natally, so is approaching her Saturn Return.\u00a0 However, she also has Uranus trine her Uranus, which is the ability to surprise and pull the rabbit out of the hat when needed.\u00a0 Pluto also opposes her Venus, which reminds us of her recent loss.\u00a0 So, emotions pulled in different directions at the moment, but that may express well in dance.\u00a0 At the end of the contest Mars will be trine her Chiron, lending energy and healing.\u00a0 Jupiter will be trine her North Node (karma may decide she deserves the crown).<\/p>\n

She was paired with Gorka Marquez<\/u>, who was new to the contest last year.\u00a0 I wrote: ” With the Sun exactly trine his Neptune, he is born to dance.\u00a0 The Moon square Mars means he could be quick to temper.\u00a0 But Mercury trine exactly Saturn at the same time gives him good concentration – he could be a hard taskmaster”.\u00a0 In their synastry, his Venus trines Alexandra’s Saturn\/Uranus, so he will be able to bring out her discipline and inventiveness.\u00a0 His Mars squares her Sun, so there could be a few sparks between them!\u00a0 His Uranus opposes her Chiron, which could lead to some awkwardness between them.\u00a0 His Neptune squares her Mars, so she will feel extra sensitive and emotional around him.\u00a0 Finally, his Pluto trines her North Node, so the relationship, though not easy, could be transformative for both of them.\u00a0 At this point in time, Mars is on his Sun, which has his adrenaline working overtime.\u00a0 Neptune opposes his Sun, so he has some confusion.\u00a0 Jupiter sextiles his Venus, heightening his artistry.\u00a0 Mars sextiles his Neptune, energizing his dance, and Neptune sextiles his Neptune so he is spiritually centred, despite Neptune’s opposition to his Sun.\u00a0 At the end of the competition Neptune is exactly opposite his Sun, to the day.\u00a0 Normally, one might look upon that as difficult, but because he is a dancer, and because Alexandra has a trine to her North Node (karma) from Jupiter (luck), it could be a defining moment for him.<\/p>\n

Davood Ghadami<\/span>
\n<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Rather self-indulgently, I am going to focus on soap stars for the rest of the blog.\u00a0 Iranian Davood Ghadami, otherwise known as Kush from Eastenders, looks every inch the part of a romantic dance partner, and his debut was promising.\u00a0 He’s a performing Leo, and seems to know exactly what is required.\u00a0 His cha cha cha went down well with the judges, and scored well.\u00a0 Craig did criticize a lack of hip action, but Darcy said he had the attack and the energy required, while Shirley praised his partnering skills, and Bruno declared him a sex bomb.\u00a0 The attack and the energy come from an exact conjunction of Mars and Jupiter in sexy Scorpio, emphasized by a loose conjunction of Mars and Pluto.\u00a0 At this point in time, Uranus is trine his natal Mercury, making him mentally on the ball and capable of innovation.\u00a0 Pluto is square to Saturn, which can be a depressing transit if it were not for the fact that he has these two planets conjunct in his natal chart, so he may be used to that serious vibe.\u00a0 At the end of the tournament, Jupiter squares his Sun so he’ll be feeling upbeat, but that may be the general jollity of the season and the Strictly atmosphere.\u00a0 The North Node will be sextile his natal Saturn, so he will feel he’s done a good job.\u00a0 Uranus will be trine his Neptune, which will enhance his dance skills with a touch of genius, but Chiron will square his Neptune (he may overdo it physically) and Uranus opposes his Pluto, so he may not make the final.<\/p>\n

He is paired with Nadiya Bychkova<\/u>, who, like Dianne Buswell (paired with Richard Coles, who dazzled last night), another newbie, is also aged 28, therefore undergoing her Saturn Return, probably in Sagittarius. No birth date is available for her.<\/p>\n

Joe McFadden<\/span> <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Now to my favourite programme Holby City, and we have two stars from Holby this series, not forgetting that Tom Chambers from Holby won the series in 2008 (the year Alexandra Burke won X Factor!)\u00a0 Joe plays Scottish doctor Raf di Lucca in Holby, but he threw himself into the Jive in the first round on the Strictly dance floor last night, and inspired\u00a0 a score of 8 from one of the Judges.\u00a0 His character in Holby is described as “A dedicated, driven and passionate doctor” and Joe describes himself as “over-enthusiastic”.\u00a0 But what does his birthchart tell us?\u00a0 He has an exact conjunction of the Sun and Mercury in Libra, so he is musical and eager to please, with an intelligent way of going about things.\u00a0 The extra enthusiasm, and the smile which won praise, may be a product of his Moon in Sagittarius and Jupiter opposite the Sun.\u00a0 He does have some Scorpio intensity, with Pluto loosely conjunct his Sun\/Mercury, and his North Node in Scorpio.\u00a0 Mars trine his Uranus gives his energy an electrical quality.\u00a0 Jupiter conjunct Chiron in Aries gives an infectious positivity which can be healing for those around him.\u00a0 At this moment in time, Uranus is sextile his Mars, so he’s on fire!\u00a0 But Chiron is also square his Mars, so he needs to take care to avoid burnout.\u00a0 At the end of the series, there is a distinct lack of transits, so despite his brilliant start, circumstances may see him out of the competition before the final.<\/p>\n

He is paired with Katya Jones<\/u>, who was responsible for the sensational dance act of last year together with Ed Balls, so without looking at her chart I can say she has tremendous ingenuity and flair!\u00a0 She is a solid dependable Taurean, with the nimbleness of a few planets sprinkled in Gemini.\u00a0 She has a very positive mindset from Mercury conjunct Jupiter, which together with Joe’s positivity can move mountains.\u00a0 She seems to manage very well a complex opposition in her chart of Mars\/Chiron to Uranus\/Neptune\/Saturn – her experience of life may have endowed her with problem-solving skills.\u00a0 She also has healing qualities, with Chiron trine her North Node.\u00a0 In their relationship, there is a karmic tie with her Sun on his South Node.\u00a0 His Saturn sextiles her Venus, which is similar to an interaspect between Alexandra and Gorka, but in this case Katya can bring out Joe’s discipline.\u00a0 At the start of the competition, Katya has the Nodal Axis square her Sun, an important but possibly challenging time for her.\u00a0 Mars squares her Jupiter, again a little challenging energetically, but judging by their performance last night not very troublesome.\u00a0 Ditto Neptune square her Jupiter, some spiritual confusion, which may be unrelated to what is happening on the dance floor.\u00a0 Mars trines her Neptune, which is encouraging, and Neptune sextiles her Neptune (she is spiritually centred, like Gorka). \u00a0At the end of the competition, she still has Neptune squaring her Jupiter, but Jupiter sextiles her Saturn (an uplifting and steadying factor), Mars sextile her Uranus (electrifying moments), Neptune still sextile her Neptune, but the added bonus of Jupiter conjunct Pluto, so if the planets don’t come forward for Joe maybe her planets might pull them both through.<\/p>\n

Chizzy Akudolu<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Now to one of my favourite Holby characters of all time, Chizzy Akudolu, aka Mo from Holby City, a complex and contrary doctor.\u00a0 She has currently left the programme, but I am not sure whether or not they have left the door open for a return some time in the future.\u00a0 I miss her already.\u00a0 It’s lovely to find that she is really effervescent in real life, and determined to be life and soul of the party.\u00a0 I love her smile, and Bruno last night praised her personality and sparkle.\u00a0 Craig’s criticism was that she was “all disco” but conceded she has rhythm and a feel for music.\u00a0 Darcy pointed out balance and timing issues, and Shirley (who as new Head Judge was positive throughout for her debut) said she had great body rhythm.\u00a0 Chizzy’s partner Pasha said she is focussed on detail in rehearsal.\u00a0 She had the presence of mind to include John Michie in our thoughts last night, a Holby actor who has just lost his daughter.\u00a0 Chizzy is another Libran who is eager to please, with good musicality.\u00a0 Her Mercury is exactly opposite her Mars, so she could be quite fiery in speech, and make occasional mistakes on the dance floor, though Mercury trine closely Saturn gives her some discipline.\u00a0 Venus loosely conjunct Neptune may give her touches of inspiration.\u00a0 Mars square Jupiter is over the top enthusiasm!\u00a0 Again this is tempered by Mars sextile Saturn.\u00a0 Jupiter sextiles Neptune in her chart, so she can be quite lyrical on and off stage.\u00a0 She has Saturn exactly square Pluto, which can be responsible for a depressive streak, which is not visible on Strictly but which her Holby persona occasionally hints at.\u00a0 Saturn also conjuncts her South Node, so she may sometimes rail at the unfairness of life, or at least understand suffering.\u00a0 Pluto also presents challenges to her in life with a square to her Nodal Axis. At the beginning of the tournament, Chiron is trine her Venus, which helps her physical stability, and North Node sextiles her Uranus, which helps bring out her talent and innovation, a karmic blessing.\u00a0 At the end of the tournament, Mars trines her Saturn, so she is not likely to win, but will be positive nevertheless.<\/p>\n

She was delighted to be paired up with the lovely Pasha Kovalev<\/u>, of whom I wrote in 2015: “He has an intelligent Sun\/Mercury conjunction in late Capricorn, which can be calculating and cool, but balanced by a warm and energetic conjunction of Mars with Jupiter.” \u00a0Their synastry shows a personal warmth with her Venus sextile his Sun, good communication with her Venus sextile his Mercury, plus loyalty and commitment with her Saturn trine his Venus.\u00a0 What are Pasha’s prospects throughout the tournament?\u00a0 At the beginning, the current Jupiter\/Uranus opposition will square his Mercury, so his mind will be working overtime.\u00a0 He may find it hard to sleep!\u00a0 Chiron sextile his Mercury may help to balance this, but Chiron opposes his Saturn bringing some difficult issues in his life, not necessarily related to dance (possibly connected with health).\u00a0 Saturn reinforces the latter transit as it sits on his Neptune, but the North Node trines his Neptune and sextiles his Pluto so there is some karmic support in with the challenges.\u00a0 Saturn also sextiles his Pluto, so he will probably find the season tough but rewarding.\u00a0 At the end of the tournament, Jupiter sextiles his Mercury, so he will feel easier in his mind, Chiron will be trine his Uranus, so he will also feel easier in his body.\u00a0 But these do not look like winning transits, so maybe the pair will go out half way through the tournament.<\/p>\n

I will be back with another Strictly blog in a few weeks’ time!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Aspects<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I have to confess there is not a friendly aspect in sight this week, and I don’t think you’ll find an Astrologer who will tell you otherwise!\u00a0 Mars opposes Neptune this evening, so a sense of tiredness may overcome you after the weekend revelries.\u00a0 You might not know what to do with yourself, and your fate may be that of a couch potato.\u00a0 If you are confused about the way ahead, your best option is literally to rest and reflect.\u00a0 Also, conserve your energies for the challenges of the week, as there may be some twists and turns to your best laid plans.\u00a0 The planets are just plain awkward.\u00a0 They may be trying to bamboozle you into making changes.\u00a0 Be adaptable.<\/p>\n

Tomorrow, Mercury squares Saturn, and the start of the working week may be beset with obstacles, such as the wrong trains on the wrong lines.\u00a0 You may find communications obscure and difficult to deal with, or minor errors in written work which need correcting.\u00a0 You may experience delays and frustrations, which if you have meditated beforehand may be less irksome.\u00a0 I would advise regular meditations throughout the week, at least at the start of each morning.<\/p>\n

Wednesday (27th) finds Chiron opposing Mercury, and that is related to health challenges and check ups.\u00a0 This may bring up some ingenuity in problem-solving, too.\u00a0 Again, don’t expect a smooth ride, and keep your eyes and ears open for information which may be helpful or even crucial to your understanding of today’s vibe.<\/p>\n

The most important aspect this week, Jupiter opposite Uranus, occurs in the early hours of Thursday (28th).\u00a0 This occurred last Boxing Day, and again in March.\u00a0 It brings out the element of the unexpected (even more than the rest of the week!) and for some the prankster could also emerge.\u00a0 Something one person finds funny may not necessarily amuse another.\u00a0 Try to harness the power of the unexpected by thinking of various outcomes in advance and deciding how you would deal with them all.\u00a0 This is not a superficial aspect, so treat it with respect (d’you hear that, Kim and Donald?).<\/p>\n

The evening brings what should be the highlight of the week: Pluto Stationary, prior to turning Direct.\u00a0 But the benefits of this turnaround, psychological clarification, may take a while to find expression, while Pluto makes that turn.\u00a0 However, if you are sensitive to planetary turnarounds, or if you are a Pluto-ruled Scorpio, you may register it early.<\/p>\n

Saturday (30th) in the early hours, or late on Friday, brings social confusion with Venus opposite Neptune.\u00a0 Not a good time to get sozzled and oblivious.\u00a0 You may mistake social cues, and misunderstandings may occur.\u00a0 Both parties could be over-sensitive. You may sense a slight paranoia, or be treading on eggshells. Strictly Come Dancers could be very nervous about their forthcoming performances.\u00a0 But if you, and they, have a well-developed Neptune, inspiration could shine through.<\/p>\n

Continuing in the early hours of Saturday, Mercury enters Libra, and the mental outlook, which has been very exacting under Virgo, establishing Autumn schedules, starts to relax and become more open to artistic and musical creativity.\u00a0 Mercury stays in this sign until 17th October, so you can take advantage of this influence if you are working in the Arts or have a creative project in mind.<\/p>\n

The week in bullet points:<\/p>\n