As I write this post, the next biennial FAA astrology conference is just over ten months away. It will be held in Melbourne, Australia, rated the world’s most liveable city in 2016 by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), for the sixth year in a row! Melbourne is well known for its coffee, restaurants, night-life, love of sport, art and cultural diversity, and conference delegates will have easy access to it all. The 2018 FAA Conference venue is International House (click to see on Google Maps), which is located on Royal Parade in Parkville, approximately two kilometres north of Melbourne’s CDB and a 15 minute walk from the University of Melbourne’s Parkville campus.

As the theme “Transforming the Tradition: Towards an Intelligent Fusion of Past and Present” implies, this conference is dedicated to honouring the divisions in the tradition, not as separations or splits, but as representative of the diversity and breadth of astrological application and its unified capacity for marking out the human condition. The intention of the conference is to create a learning environment to support an intelligent synthesis of past and present philosophies, procedures and practice.

With 8 international speakers, 15 local and interstate speakers, and 12 streams, there will be a broad cross section of topics to choose from – something for everyone, from beginners to advanced and those inbetween.

Note that the next early-bird price ends on 10th April 2017. The price jumps up another $90 so register now and save $$$.

The chart of this eclipse (in effect until the next Solar eclipse, September 1) features a T-square: the Moon in a Pisces stellium, opposed by Jupiter and the North Node, all squared by Saturn in Sagittarius. Time to go out, get social, meet new people and enjoy connections that open doors to new opportunities. Extravagant Jupiter will be less jovial and quite neurotic in Virgo, which will challenge Piscean sensitivity. Plus the opposition is provocative and invites confrontations as emotions run high. So take care with your actions and watch what you say, and don’t over-analyse things. At the same time, Saturn will pull in the reins and restructure aspects of your life (including beliefs) that may have become stagnant, tired and redundant. It will be just like the season, where the leaves of some trees change colour and fall away.

There’s so much talk lately, no less than from Donald Trump himself, about the possibility of him becoming the next President of the US.

Most people, especially those of us not in the US, are watching the side show with both amusement and disbelief. “Only in America” can be heard over and over. He has insulted nearly everyone, is completely politically incorrect, has foot-in-mouth, contradicts himself and doesn’t shy away from criticism or ridicule. Trump seems unassailable and is winning the confidence of many US voters precisely because he isn’t PC, is a straight-talker, and a business man, not a politician. The swell of interest is prompting people to ask the question “could Trump win the 2016 US election and, if so, will Trump be President?”

Curiosity got the better of me, so I asked the question and drew up a Horary chart.

So, assuming he wins the Republican nomination, will Donald Trump be the next US President? What does the chart have to say?

Trump (Republican) is Lord 4 = Mercury in Aquarius in 9th house
Democrats are Lord 10 = Jupiter in Virgo Rx on IC
[NOTE: Even if we choose 1st versus 7th (ie. Trump vs Other) it’s still Mercury/Jupiter]

• Although +1.angular, Jupiter is -1.retrograde, -2.peregrine, -3.in detriment and -4.in Mercury’s house
• Mercury is -1.in a cadent house but has +1.Face and therefore some dignity, so Mercury is stronger than Jupiter, who is in a bad way
• And the Moon (the electorate) is in an applying trine to Mercury, so Trump is the favoured candidate

Mercury (Trump) wins!

The election isn’t until November 2016 so there’s a way to go yet, but if the Horary is correct, what does this mean for the US? Can a businessman like Trump run a country, especially a country as big as the US? How will the leaders of other countries react to this? Will he tone down and behave himself? There are so many questions. In my opinion, it’s a bizarre situation, and if he does win the nomination the world will be watching. This has got to be the ultimate ‘reality TV show’. Will Trump be booted out or win the show?

What are your thoughts, feelings, comments on this? I am interested to hear them.

While gift giving and being with family are important, the chart of the solstice highlights the Sun’s message for us. For Melbourne, the Sun on the 9th house cusp leaving the 8th house of darkness and trauma and trine the ascendant tells a story of hope and optimism. Chart ruler Venus is in the 7th house, powerful but also emotionally charged in Scorpio and opposing Moon in Taurus. The next 3 months will uncover hidden depths in our relationships, for better or worse, helping us to come to terms with painful feelings and to do something about them. Ruler of the solstice Sun, Saturn, is in the 8th house so matters of life and death will surface. It’s at this time that many will choose to pass over, taking the opportunity to connect and move on through this energy. In combination, this season is a mixed bag of happiness and sorrow. At the same time, Saturn and Neptune will be square from November 2015 to September 2016. Depression, lack of energy and confusion is key to this pairing and there will be many people in need of emotional and spiritual support.

In fact, the 2nd Tuesday in November is honoured with a holiday, but only in Melbourne. For the rest of the state it’s just another work day. But come 3 o’clock, TVs across Australia are tuned to the race, and for the next 3-4 minutes very little work is done. The Cup is the biggest race in Australia, with prize money of $6.2 million, and horses from around the world come with the intention of winning. This race holds great prestige in the industry and punters bet a fortune on it. However, it is one of the hardest races to pick a winner because every horse has earnt their place and has a good chance of winning. People use a variety of methods, from their favourite colour or jockey to thoroughly reading the Form Guide or getting a hot tip. Can astrology help us choose the winner?

Gambling, betting and horse racing is not my forte so I have scoured the internet in search of information. There are many astrological methods out there but I have selected one to “gamble” on!

The rules of John Addey’s system are:

1. Cast the chart for the date, time and place of the race, using the Campanus house system
2. Regard everything in the chart as standing still, but move the 5th cusp through its sign (anticlockwise) until it makes an aspect with a planet. The first planet it aspects shows the winning horse!
3. Identify the winning horse by name association, house rulership or association with the horse’s nature.

Let’s have a look at the chart:

The 5th house cusp is 8° 43′ Cancer and the first planet it aspects is the Sun at 10° 24′ Scorpio. The Sun is a masculine planet in the fertile sign of Scorpio, so the horse will be a stallion, not a gelding. Out of a field of 24 we are left with 13 horses. The Sun is connected with royalty, gentry and goldsmiths, the number 1, and it’s colours include gold, purple, reds and oranges, plus it’s in the 9th house of foreigners and knowledge. Scorpio’s colours are deeper shades of red to black and purple, it rules deep, dark places, and is associated with the number 8. Taking all this into account, there are 6 horses that fit this list: number 1, Snow Sky, won the coveted Hardwicke Stakes at this year’s Royal Ascot Carnival, and his trainer is Sir Michael Stoute but the name and the teal/pink silks don’t match;  #19 Prince of Penzance covers the royalty theme, and it sits at barrier 1; the silks on #3 Fame Game‘s jockey are black, red and yellow, and fame is another Sun-related theme; the silks on #4 Our Ivanhowe‘s jockey are red, purple and white; #23 Excess Knowledge‘s silks are black and gold; and those of #15 Preferment are maroon, gold and white.

Fame Game is promising, and is currently the Cup favourite.

Excess Knowledge is another good pick, and that logo looks regal.

And then there’s Preferment whose colours and name suggests a winner.

I like to choose four horses so I’ll take Prince of Penzance, even though he’s an incredibly long shot.

Good luck with your choices – let me know how you fare.

Since 15th June, Saturn has revisited Scorpio, and from 2nd August Saturn will slowly move forward to eventually re-enter Sagittarius on 18th September. Almost immediately as Saturn stations, all the inner planets, from the Sun to Jupiter, line up to confront Saturn.

First aspect is a square from Jupiter on 3rd August — an increase in cut-backs and changes in behaviour — followed by a square from Venus — relationship stand-off — as Mars trines Saturn — acting in a controlled manner and at a moderate pace — and the next day Mercury forms a square — talk to the hand.

When the Moon opposes Saturn, relationship issues will come to a head buoyed by the previous squares from Jupiter and Venus. Self-absorption and chronic insensitivity will cause misunderstandings that may result in clashes and separations. Try to remain cool, calm and collected without being cold, blunt and brash. Surprisingly, resolution will emerge when the Sun completes the line-up and squares Saturn later in the month. The Sun highlights duty to self vs. responsibilities to others. No doubt something or someone is imposing barriers and restrictions on you.

This is the ideal time to ask yourself “Am I in the right place and doing exactly what I should be doing, or am I bound by obligations that no longer serve me?”

In truth, no one is holding you back: you are holding yourself back and projecting this onto someone or something else. The difficulties you encounter will expose the flaws and weaknesses in your self-perception. Embrace them by making a commitment to improve and, as a result, you can gain greater confidence in yourself.

This question may seem simple but the answer is quite complex.

Your star sign, or Sun sign, is only one component of your horoscope. Yes it’s important but there are other planets and points to consider, such as the Moon, your rising sign, Venus, Mars, Mercury and others. They all combine to form your unique personality, with its qualities, quirks and foibles. So when you pair up with someone there’s a stellar chemistry that happens, sometimes good, sometimes great, sometimes grating! To isolate the Sun sign on its own doesn’t take all the variables into account, and the variables matter. It can make the difference between bliss, mediocrity and disaster. This is why traditionally in India, to avoid choosing the ‘wrong’ person, an astrologer is consulted before embarking on a relationship. Love is blind and although people can initially be very attracted to each other the spell eventually wears off. Then the painful realisation of a mismatch may become apparent. It’s never too late to move on but avoiding an incompatible match is more ideal and saves a lot of heartache. Consider having an astrological synastry consultation to clarify relationship issues and avoid negative outcomes. Click here for more information.

But the question still remains “My star sign is ……… Am I compatible with ………?
If I’m going to answer this question off the top of my head, without looking at the two horoscopes, I have to assume a few things first –
1) the Sun in the chart is free to express itself purely as that sign,
2) there are other planets, eg. Mercury and Venus, in the same sign as the Sun,
3) each person was born at sunrise making their Sun sign and rising sign the same.

This gives the star sign strength in the horoscope. However, the likelihood of all the above being true is very slim but we need to assume this in order to generalise with star sign compatibility. To add to this, there are two people and twelve signs so that’s 78 combinations. I’m not going to explore them all but as a ready reckoner, you can use this table. Better still, consult an astrologer to explore the charts of both people.

Let’s look at some more difficult combinations, why they clash and what, if any, common ground they share.

Aries and Capricorn: This where the intrepid adventurer meets the industrious planner. Capricorn organises and assembles the team and Aries leads that team into the field, whether they follow or not. Both are leaders but one is measured and careful and the other is gung-ho and fearless. In this relationship both want to be the boss and neither will give way to the other. Aries’ fiery naivete will aggitate Capricorn and Capricorn’s serious, formal approach will leave Aries cold.

Gemini and Scorpio: Both signs have excellent minds but they work in different ways. Gemini investigates, connects information and writes a great story but may play with the facts. While Scorpio researches thoroughly, following their intuition and digging deep to reveal the facts and uncover the hidden truth. Gemini finds Scorpio too intense and not much fun, whereas Scorpio is bored by Gemini’s fascination with trivia and silliness.

Leo and Leo: Leos are warm, expressive, generous, playful and exuberant. They love to celebrate and entertain and look for attention and appreciation in the spotlight. But they can be drama queens if they feel their pride has been injured, especially if someone steals the show. Hence two Leos are leading actors without an audience and they will throw tantrums to get attention. Too much throwing and not enough applause makes this relationship a potential “War of the Roses”.

Libra and Cancer: The Diplomat and the Caretaker share a desire to attend to the needs of others. Cancer does this through its emotions, sensing what’s required to obtain security and safety. Libra creates beauty and harmonious connections through insight and negotiation. Cancer can be caring but also needy in an effort to feel secure, and Libra is congenial but often indecisive trying to please and avoid conflict. This relationship will dissolve into sickly sweet niceness, where nothing happens for fear of upsetting the other.

Virgo and Aquarius: The fusspot and the reformer share a desire to create the ideal BUT Virgo is practical and will do something about it while Aquarius wants to endlessly discuss ideas and concepts. One sign is practical and the other is more visionary. Earthy Virgo is an efficient problem-solver and somewhat fussy. Airy Aquarius is the detached inventor who lives in their head. These two signs do not exist on the same plane.

So remember, star sign compatibility is a broad generalisation. To really understand your relating style, or get to the bottom of relationship synastry, you need to consult an astrologer. Click here for more information.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when, with the Sun, Earth and Moon in alignment, the Moon moves through the Earth’s shadow. A lunar eclipse highlights two points in the chart – the positions of the Sun and Moon. Lunar eclipses are powerful Full Moons indicating the culmination of something that is life changing. With the Sun and Moon in opposition, a lunar eclipse involves other people, often those familiar to us, who pose a problem or challenge.

While eclipses are a common event, four total lunar eclipses in a row, and visibile in the same area, is not. Is it significant? Astrologically we look at the impact on the chart of the countries in the spotlight.

The first lunar eclipse on 15th April 2014 07:43 UT is at 25°15′ Libra, and therefore the Sun is at 25°15’Aries. It will be visible across New Zealand and North America. A Libran eclipse emphasises interaction, co-operation and compromise. New Zealand’s chart [1] is relatively unaffected, but in the US Sibly chart [2], the eclipse falls in the 10th house and squares the US 8th house Mercury. The US will feel outside pressure to say something they would prefer to keep secret. This situation will cause tension and disagreements both at home and abroad and perhaps see an unfavourable change of mind.

The second lunar eclipse on 8 October 2014 10:51 UT is at 15°05′ Aries. It will be visible over eastern Australia, the Pacific, Alaska, western Canada and western North America. An Aries eclipse emphasises independent action. In Australia’s settlement chart [3], the eclipse and Uranus fall in the 3rd house. It would seem diplomacy goes out the window with sudden harsh actions taken at a local level. For Canada [4], the eclipse sits on their Ascendant-Neptune. Canada will be called upon to handle a matter both quickly and with sensitivity, empathy and compassion. For the US, the eclipse is in the 4th opposing Saturn. This implies great upset at home and a good many external obstacles as well.

The third lunar eclipse on 4 April 2015 2015 12:06 UT is at 14°24′ Libra. It will be visible across Australia, New Zealand, western North America, eastern Asia and the Pacific. There’s nothing substantial to note in Australia or New Zealand’s chart, but in the US chart the eclipse sits in the 10th house conjunct Saturn. This is the reverse configuration of the previous eclipse. This time rejection from others is likely despite a concerted effort to be diplomatic. In China’s chart [5], the eclipse sits in the 8th house conjunct China’s Neptune-Mercury. Could it be that China experiences financial difficulties through international connections. They will be called upon to show sensitivity and discretion but this may not be possible.

The fourth lunar eclipse on 28 September 2015 02:51 UT is at 04°40′ Aries. It will be visible over western Europe, Africa, and the Americas. In the US chart, the eclipse falls on the IC – more trouble and tension at home highlighted by negotiation failure?

It seems apparent that this tetrad of lunar eclipses will not deliver an easy time for the US.

[1] New Zealand foundation chart – 6 Feb 1840 11:30am LMT, Welington
[2] US Sibly chart – 4 July 1776 5:10pm LMT, Philadelphia PA
[3] Australia settlement chart – 26 January 1788 5:23am AEST, Sydney
[4] Canada chart – 1 July 1867 0:00am LMT, Ottawa
[5] China chart – 1 October 1949 3:02pm, Beijing

The flight departed from Kuala Lumpur March 8 at 00:41 local time and was scheduled to land in Beijing at 06:30 local time. The aircraft was carrying 12 crew and 227 passengers. When the last contact was made 2 hours after takeoff the plane had enough fuel for 8 more hours of flight. We have heard and seen nothing more of this flight since then. While there has been much speculation as to where the plane may be, the search is currently focussed on the southern Indian Ocean. A mysterious object has been located via satellite but it can’t be identified until someone physically goes there to see what it is.

Looking at the chart set for the time of departure we can see that the ascendant ruler, Jupiter, is in the 8th house and the lord of the 8th, the Moon, is opposite the ascendant. Both Jupiter, ruler of long distance travel, and the Moon (the people) are significators of the flight. While Jupiter is exalted, implying the aircraft is robust, it is in the 8th house of death square Uranus (the unexpected) and opposite Pluto (death and destruction), indicating sudden change, unexpected disruption and likely destruction of the aircraft. The Moon in Gemini, opposite the ascendant, is peregrine and in the sign of Jupiter’s detriment — the people are in poor shape. Neptune, the planet of mystery, confusion and the ocean, is on the IC squaring the ascendant and the Moon, so we may never know what happened, if indeed we find any remnants, in the mysterious disappearance of flight MH370.

Do you have a theory ?

• Mercury stations direct 1st March at 18°09′ Aquarius
• New Moon 1st March at 10°39′ Pisces
• Mars stations retrograde 2nd March at 27°31 Libra
• Saturn stations retrograde 3rd March at 23°19′ Scorpio
• Venus at 27°31 Capricorn squares Mars March 3rd
• Venus enter Aquarius 6th March
• Jupiter stations direct 6th March at 10°26′ Cancer

Since December 2013 we’ve had Venus retrograde, then Mercury took the baton in February and went retrograde and now Mars and Saturn turn retrograde in March. We’ve reviewed our relationships, reflected on our connections and now we’re assessing where we’re going and what we’re truly committed to. At this time Mercury square Saturn has fixed ideas and resists change but now is the time to discuss what’s important. Mars in Libra wants to negotiate a happy medium but Mars is stationary so the brakes are on. Simultaneously Venus squares Mars amplifying this effect. When Venus enters Aquarius there’s an urge to detach making connection difficult. Thankfully Jupiter will come in to elevate the mood and offer an inclusive ethic to smooth over any tension. Jupiter in Cancer relies on an inner and personal philosophy to steer its course, and it’s been reflecting on this inner wisdom since early November. Now it’s time to implement it, to use it to your advantage. So while Mars and Saturn are retrograde take the time to reflect on what’s been happening since late November 2013, what you’ve done, how you conducted yourself and where your limits were tested. Mars turns direct in May and Saturn turns in July – plenty of time for effective soul searching.

The New Moon in Pisces is cocooned by Chiron and Neptune. We set intention for the month ahead at the new moon, which culminates at the full moon 2 weeks later. The theme is letting go, releasing emotional pain to allow healing, merging with the astral realm, becoming one with spirit. It can feel chaotic so take some time to meditate, pray and observe your dreams – this will help you make sense of this time and where you’re at.

What are you feeling right now?