Solaris Astrology

Portugal – On the slow road to recovery

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:03:32 PST

All of the recent focus has been on Greece as Europe lurches towards in inevitable crisis but there have been several other European countries who have been really suffering in the past two to three years, Spain, Italy, Ireland and Portugal. I was asked a few days ago by one of my regular readers Rick to have a look at Portugal and today I am pleased to do so. The only problem with Portugal is to know which chart to use since the country has a long colourful history. Because we are looking at modern financial problems, I decided to look at the 1974 Carnation revolution chart, the one formed after the breakdown of Portugal’s overseas empire.

The 1974 Portuguese chart sits above. The Sun sits rather hidden in the 8th house, the house of financial relations with other nations. Of course the modern Portugal came out of reaping the rewards of the resources of it’s former colonies. This is a constitutional democracy now seen by the Sun’s ruling sign on the cusp of the 11th house of parties, groups and associations. The Moon representing the people sits in the 9th house of foreign lands and of faith. Portugal’s population is mostly Roman Catholic (Moon opposed to spiritual Neptune and square to Jupiter which rules faith) and very diverse in it ethnic make-up, of course calling upon many immigrants from it former colonies. The country’s link with sea and fishing is also shown here through the Neptune opposition. Interestingly the legal system in Portugal is also called the continental family legal system, the Moon of course in the 9th house of the law is a representation of the family.

A lot of Portuguese family’s incomes are based around farming and tourism, and in the 6th house of the workers we find Venus with links to the land and Jupiter showing money being made from foreign visitors. This is a really friendly optimistic combination and the welcome that visitors get from the Portuguese is rarely less than open and warm. We have a Uranus Mercury opposition from 2nd to 8th house showing a rather reckless attitude to finance (Uranus in 2nd) and a free, open and independent media (Mercury opposite Uranus). Uranus in the 2nd also shows an economy which is based around technology, a sector that has been growing and growing in Portugal since the country entered the EU.

Saturn and Mars together in the 10th house of government showing the link to the present administration from the military coup (Mars) back in 1974. This combination squares to Pluto in the 1st house which shows a rather underground and potentially corrupt side to officialdom in Portugal. During the Madeline McCann investigation, there were several accusations from Britain thrown at the Portuguese police in the way the secretive nature of the way they operated. Pluto in the 1st shows that at some point Portugal will have to undergo some sort of transformation, where the whole structure and fabric of the country will need to be reconstructed.

The transit chart shows Saturn almost clear of the Portuguese 1st house showing that the impositions placed on Portugal as a country are slowly receding. Saturn is now retrograde and will dip back into the 1st house for a last time this Summer opposing Mercury which rules the Midheaven, before starting to make it’s way through the second. Of course Saturn in the 2nd house of finance does show that Portugal will have to show much responsibility with regard to the debts they face, however it does show that the national suffering should in the next 2-3 years start to recede. During that time Saturn will oppose the Portuguese Sun at 5 Taurus, so the austerity measures will still hurt and there may well be yet another change in administration along the way (the last vote was held on 5th June last year). This slightly more optimistic feeling can be felt as Jupiter is now conjunct the Portuguese Sun in the 8th house, those obligations to other countries are slowly being met. Transiting Neptune ruling relations with other countries (Pisces on 7th house cusp) is trine to Mars and exactly to Saturn, so Portugal is being held to account but is showing action and sacrifices to alleviate it’s problems.

The outlook for Portugal I don’t think is too bad. The country’s chart has no planets in the firing line as Uranus and Pluto start to form their square this summer in the 8-9 cardinal degree zone, and apart from the Sun no other planets are going to be impacted from stressful angles (squares or oppositions) from Saturn in the coming years. Add to this Jupiter moving through the 8th house into the 9th this year which shows optimism starting to flood into society, and Portugal may finally be on the long road to recovery.

Sacha Baron Cohen – A law unto himself

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:54:38 PST

Like most comedians, Sacha Baron Cohen polarizes opinions. Some love his irreverent comic style laced with more than a drop of irony and others just don’t get it. On the Oscar red carpet last night in a very pre-rehearsed publicity stunt, Cohen dressed at “The Dictator” a character from his upcoming film and tipped the ashes of “Kim Jong Il” all over E! Entertainment’s TV host Ryan Seacrest. The funniest thing about the whole incident were the burly security men dragging Baron Cohen away. The incident however had had it’s desired effect.

Sacha was born on 13th October 1971 in Hammersmith, London (no birth time known) and has a relatively simple chart. He is a Sun sign Libran and has quite predictably a proud and attention seeking Leo Moon. This chart is based around fire and air, 3 planets in fire sign and 6 in air (4 of them in Libra) so much of Sacha’s instincts will be around relating, communication, networking & promoting. There are no planets in earth and this may come out in a number of ways, he may be non materialistic (unlikely), somewhat impractical (possible), obsessive about neatness and detail (possible) but more often than not, this manifests itself in rejecting responsibility and not being grounded as a person, which can lead to a lot of insecurity. It is rare to see someone with a lack of earth signs without money and resources, indeed they seem to attract money (Bill Gates has no planets in earth) and often they can get very obsessed about their body or even sexuality. I have noticed in his films and TV career, especially in “Borat”, that Sacha was never afraid to bare himself to the camera in a lewd manner or use blatant sexual innuendos (Ali G/Bruno), probably as a result of the lack of earth in his chart.

This is not a complicated chart, just two wedge formations really to look at. We have one with a conjunction of Sun, Mercury and Uranus trine to Mars and more then likely sextile to the Leo Moon with those two planets in opposition. Sun Mercury and Uranus shows a natural outlandish sense of humour allied to a very quick brain. The Sun and Uranus together show the rebel inside, the outsider who takes on the establishment. To say that Sacha is an enigma I think is not over stating things. These planets are in Libra the sign of relating, and I can imagine him with the Uranus influence keeping his distance from those he does not know and trust and being friendly but cool. These planets trine to Mars in Aquarius and this is a highly erratic yet creative link. Mars in Aquarius shows he is a team player and this tends to make me think that he does have a circle of friends with whom he works incredibly closely. Mars in Aquarius is very unconventional and like to shock and surprise, this is a major theme with everything that I have seen him do.

The other link to the triple conjunction is from the Moon in Leo. Here is his motivation to be a star, to hog the headlines. Sacha has a drive within him to be well known, he needs to be adored and loved for what he does. It is so simple to see if you look at the combination of Sun and Moon, the Leo Moon needs to be well known and popular and so to achieve this the Libra Sun will try to make as big a social impact at it can through the shock tactics I mentioned earlier. If shock tactics are not suitable for the situation, Sacha has a second way he uses these social skills. Mercury is in wide conjunction with Venus in Scorpio. These two planets in combination are very creative and are particularly good at fostering one to one relationships. Sasha will uses a charm offensive, his tact and his sense of humour to get him the contacts he needs. This I think is the cure for the likely insecurity that I hinted hiding in his chart.

Venus in Scorpio is very emotional, possessive and jealous but also very steadfast and loyal. Often people with this position have an aura of mystery that surrounds them. That seems very much the case with Sacha. Mars opposing the Moon shows someone who can be impatient, temperamental and irritable if he is not engaged in some type of activity. Sacha will definitely need to be occupied, otherwise he could be rather difficult to deal with.

The second wedge on the chart is consisted of the outer planets, Saturn in Gemini opposes a Jupiter Neptune conjunction and this forms a wedge formation with Pluto in Libra. Saturn in Gemini shows someone who does doubt their own intelligence, so they read and work to gain the knowledge they require. Very rarely will you ever find an unintelligent and uniformed person with Saturn in Gemini, Saturn will just not allow it. This is someone who is rather serious and will not stand flippant and superficial conversation, he will be much more interested in heavier more weighty topics. Saturn opposes onto the Jupiter/Neptune combination in Sagittarius. Here is an imagination and desires on a wide scale, there are no boundaries that will limit Jupiter and Neptune and the opposition to Saturn shows that his ambition is limitless. Of course this opposition also shows his link to international TV and film; Neptune (ruler of the media) given wide international opportunities (Jupiter) through his hard work and ambitions (Saturn). Sacha is a shrewd operator too, able to plan, to work diligently and able to make those dreams into a solid form. Sasha from his initial foray into TV would have been looking to achieve on a wider and larger scale.

With easy connections to Pluto, luck would have helped him when he needed it, and this Pluto also bring a dark underground subversive side to what he does. Saturn trine to Pluto is very wholehearted and in his work he will throw his whole energy into making sure that he gets things right. Jupiter and Neptune in Sagittarius shows that faith is important to him, the influence hardened by the opposition to Saturn and sextile to Pluto shows he takes his Jewish faith very seriously. Neptune and Jupiter opposition to Saturn also bring dreams of achievement in higher education and he got to the top in the UK attending Cambridge University where he read History rather indicating to me that he probably was born in the afternoon or evening as a sextile from Moon to Mercury, only operative then, would bestow a love and interest in the past.

Sacha has certainly achieved the worldwide fame and notoriety that his planets suggests he needed, and love him or hate him you certainly can’t ignore him. He returns to your screens in “The Dictator” due to be released sometime in May this year, featuring a character he based around Saddam Hussein & General Gaddafi!! Sounds like he is going to divide opinions once again…

Julia Gillard & Kevin Rudd – Could political war seriously undermine both of them?

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 16:08:32 PST

Australian politics is seeing an almighty punch up right now as Kevin Rudd, the Australian foreign minister resigned his position to openly challenge Prime Minister Julia Gillard. She in turn did not hang around and promptly called a leadership election of the Aussie Labor party with winner takes all as the prize. There is serious bad blood between the two, as Gillard staged a coup in 2010 to oust Rudd from the Prime Minister’s job. In a swipe at the former Foreign Secretary she said he was “running a dysfunctional and chaotic government when he was Prime Minister”. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?

The composite chart shows composite Sun Mercury Venus and Mars all together, so on the face of it they should be able to communicate and even get on well BUT there are two maybe three problems on this composite chart. Firstly the Moon squares Mars and Venus so we have emotional conflicts here which can flare up anger and irritability between them. The Moon’s potential quindecile to Saturn shows no real emotional warmth, they will be ultra critical of each other’s faults and this can turn cold, nasty and spiteful. Finally, even though Saturn trines to Pluto showing joint desire of ambition and power, Saturn squares the Sun/Venus/ Mercury and crucially the composite Nodal axis showing that personal ambition will get in the way of all their aims and desires. So it is coming to pass.

On the transit chart, rebellious Uranus is now conjunct the composite South Node and thus opposite to the stellium of Sun, North Node, Mercury Venus & Mars and of course square to Saturn lighting up this whole dynamic I mentioned and causing the vicious fight between them. Transiting Saturn sextiles the composite Saturn so this explains the opportunism of Mr Rudd to fight for power. We also have a virtual Yod being formed with Jupiter and Neptune still in sextile to each other in the sky right now, and those two planets inconjunct to the composite Sun and North Node; this moment in time is going to be a turning point for both of them. Transiting Pluto also joins in the party making a square to the 4 planet stellium, a destructive and undermining influence. Pluto can and may destroy both of them in the whole messy process.

Whoever does win this ugly battle on Monday 27th Feb may be politically scarred and weakened for life, as they will still have to front a deeply divided Labor Party. The opposition Liberal party leader, Tony Abbot must be sitting back watching these two tearing themselves to pieces with a big smile on his face.

Julia Gillard – Born 29th Sept 1961 – Barry, Wales, UK

Kevin Rudd – Born 21st Sept 1957 – Nambour, Queensland, Australia

***** Update 26th Feb 2012 ****

The Australia national chart also shows the fight in Aussie politics. Notice the transiting Nodal axis square to natal Mars showing a battle royal going on; Aries and Mars rules the Australian chart being on the Ascendant. Transiting Neptune is conversely square to the Nodal axis showing weakness, deception and lies in party politics; Pisces rules the 11th house of the parties, groups & associations. Saturn is bang on the descendant opposite the ascendant showing the fight for power. It may well be that when Saturn finally hits the Descendant in September/October 2012, there may be another general election in Australia, as I am not so sure how long the winner of this current battle will eventually last. If there is, then the opposition looks in good shape as transiting Pluto is almost conjunct the Australian Sun heralding change. The Sun rules the 4th house (Leo on the cusp) of the opposition party of the day, and Scorpio on the cusp of the 8th house ruled by Pluto also confirms some sort of change.

**** Update 27th Feb 12 ****

Just for the record Julia Gillard beat Kevin Rudd in the leadership vote by a resounding 73 votes to 29.

San Francisco 1906 Earthquake – Is the San Andreas fault ready to shift again?

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:40:46 PST

If you live in California, the risk of earthquake damage is ever present as the San Andreas Fault runs right along the spine of the state. The most notorious of all the earthquakes in living memory was the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 which hit at around 7.9 on the Richter scale and claimed around 3000 lives. People have said that a repeat is now overdue. Looking at the astrology, in my opinion we are definitely now in the danger zone for a new rupture along the fault line.

The 1906 quake on 18th April 1906 hit at 05.12am and featured a nasty t-square including a Neptune Uranus opposition connecting with the Midheaven and square onto Mercury. We also had a Saturn Jupiter square in operation with Jupiter siting exactly at the midpoint of Mars and Pluto. Notice how Neptune, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury and Saturn all fed into the Midheaven/Uranus conjunction at the top of the chart. Uranus on the above 1906 chart would have provided the shock factor to move the earth. Back in 1857, the previous big quake at 7.9 on the Richter scale ruptured a 200 mile fault between Monterey and San Bernardino & had transiting Saturn at 10 degrees Cancer, opposite where Pluto is now. In my opinion, this 8-10 degrees Capricorn/Cancer axis must be very sensitive to planetary pressure in the California region.

Now moving forward to the present time and we find transiting Pluto at 8 degrees Capricorn approaching 9 Capricorn soon on 24th February. Pluto is the planet of destruction and will be stationed on this degree through until the end of May 2012. Now we have an approaching square from Uranus in Aries that will tighten to exactitude in mid June and will hit another sensitive point along the way at 7 Aries also in mid to late May, the point where Mercury was back in 1906 on the chart above.

There is one other piece of evidence to throw into the mix. Back on 1st July last year there was a solar eclipse. It occurred at 9:12 Cancer. Whenever a major outer planet either hits of opposes a former recent eclipse degree, something often happens. Pluto on 4th March gets to 9:12 Capricorn, opposing that eclipse point from last year. Pluto opposing an eclipse degree sends shudders through me, as we are dealing with indescribable force and power.

I have a hunch is that the big one in California that everyone has been fearing may not be far away now. Not because it is overdue, no just because the astrological evidence points to a revisiting of the critical degrees at play 7, 8, 9 & 10 degrees of cardinal signs, just where Uranus was during the last devastating earthquake hit in 1906. I hope for once that I will be wrong.

CERN – Light speed checks come astrologically on time.

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 07:55:00 PST

I have been following this story with great interest of the past few months. Back in September last year the boffins at the CERN Hadron Collider site in Geneva who were looking for the Higgs Boson or God particle made a startling discovery, that the neutrinos they were testing were travelling in excess of the speed of light. Today, news came out of CERN that possibly there were some errors in their experiments. Their results showed although the particles were shown to have sped along 60 billionths of a second faster than thought possible, there could have been a problem with the optical cables they were using or even the accuracy of the timing devices. A look back at the astrology chart from the first use of the Hadron collider shows that now is the time for correction and checking exactly what happened.

In astrology we have retrograde periods, times when the planets appear to be moving backwards in relation to the forward orbit of the Earth. These periods astrologically bring time for reflection, for checking and correcting mistakes, for refining and making sure that you have everything in place correctly before the energy starts moving forward again and one can make some more progress.

It has been fascinating to watch the scientific progress of the Hadron collider experiments from an astrological perspective, and now due to retrograde motion of Saturn and Mars we have the scientists questioning the validity of their discoveries. Notice that transiting Saturn is still square to the Leo Midheaven and sextile to Pluto in the 3rd house of communication. Here Saturn transiting through the 1st house of the chart representing the body of the work that they are doing, is telling everyone at CERN “hold on a minute, lets do some control experiments to triple check everything before we can move on”. As I said in my initial post, Saturn rules time, and time is one of the hitches that the scientists claim that is causing a problem. This is reflected by the transiting Nodes that are now square natal Saturn. The Nodes throw in some unexpected spanners in the works when they square to Saturn, things come out of the blue that we least expected, in this case potential inaccurate timing.

Mars is moving retrograde in technical precise Virgo and is now directly in conjunction with the natal Sun opposition Uranus in the 11th house. Here the whole team (Sun in 11th) will be actively clearing up any scientific (Uranus) doubt. Aries, Mars’ sign lies on the cusp the 6th house of everyday work, the house of detail and getting things perfect. The chart ruler Venus is opposing natal Venus, Mars and Mercury out of that 6th house, you can see cooperation, action and minds working overtime to find the hidden (12th) problems that are holding up the progress of their work.

I predict that this experiment process will be finished by around the second half of May, and possibly an announcement that the findings were indeed correct may be made on or around the first week of June when Mars moving direct will re-contact the natal Sun opposition to Uranus, trine to Jupiter and the Moon in the 3rd house of communication (good news to report to the world’s population??) and Saturn will be within a few days of finishing it’s retrograde motion, thus ending the review process. If I am right then this will also reflect the Pluto square to Uranus that will connect for the first time later in the month, that science (Uranus) would have cracked one of the hidden secrets (Pluto) of the universe (Uranus), allowing for further potential experiments into how we can best use the new knowledge. Coming on the back this week of the discovery of the first planet outside our solar system to consist of water 30 light years from earth, the mind boggles to where humans in generations to come may be able to explore.

Links :-

Astrology versus Science. Have scientists at the CERN Hadron collider stumbled upon the key to time travel?

Greece – Second bail out precedes another Greek tragedy?

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:59:59 PST

Is the world, or rather Europe going soft, or mad, or both? I know the Greek people are suffering right now, but they only have themselves to blame for frittering away cash like it was water pouring down a drain. The public sector in Greece before the economic crash in autumn 2008 was hugely over-manned, and the wages paid and especially the bonus culture that grew up within it wasted millions and millions of Euros. Now they are paying the price. Only thing is it the general public, the ordinary Joe on the street that is having to carry the can, and he doesn’t like it one bit. Stringent cuts and austerity measures have yet again caused rioting on the streets of Athens, and low and behold the European Union caved in for a second time and provided a second bail out fund in the region of 110 million dollars. The Greeks have even started to pay back the first bail out they got last year, so how on earth are they going to cover the second one? All this of course is related to the unstable future of the Euro currency. There seems to be no get out clause inbuilt into the system, so if one country fails the whole lot comes tumbling down. Clever eh? From my point of view here in the UK, thank our lucky stars that we didn’t join the Euro, otherwise we would be facing huge problems and riots on the streets of London too; the British do like the odd riot now and again ;)

There is so much going on the Greek transit chart (above) at the moment it is difficult to know where to start. Let’s start off with transiting Saturn which is still grinding it’s way through the Greek 4th house, the foundation of the nation. This is where the people oppose the government, so during this 2 year transit of Saturn, there were always going to be problems and unrest. The square to the Sun in the Greek first house is elongated because of Saturn’s retrograde period and Saturn is not going to clear through this square and the 4th house until autumn this year. There are going to be a lot of unhappy people in Greece and much hardship through most of 2012.

The rioting is because of Uranus. Uranus squares Venus (it is over money and finances), trines the Sun (is directed towards the leaders) and opposes Pluto and the Moon so is destructive, damaging and wanting change (Pluto) and agitates the people (Moon) to get up and rebel. There is a second story here. Aquarius rules the 8th and 9th houses, the house of incurred losses and other people’s money (8th) and overseas travel & foreign relations (9th); Pluto rules the 5th (risk taking). We can see the agreement of more cash (Venus) at an overseas meeting (9th) as a bit of a gamble (5th) to support the country (1st) so it doesn’t go under.

Transiting Mars moving retrograde is now square the nodal axis so there is violence and out of the blue public (Node) events that the police and authorities are having trouble in controlling. When Mars moves retrograde I have noticed that the organisation and ability of people to control any trouble is not easy to do, and often situations can get out of hand and casualties can mount up. The energy is not being efficiently used here, and the sporadic nature of Mars retrograde is difficult to control. This is compounded by Neptune which is opposing Greece’s natal Mars. This shows confusion of the authority forces as well as the collective mobs of rioters appearing from nowhere then drifting away. Trying to control anything when Neptune is involved is futile. In truth, the rioters will tend to have the edge over the authorities until Mars gets back moving forward in mid April and Neptune moves out of range in opposition to that natal Mars. Incidentally with Pisces ruling the Midheaven we always knew from the formation of the chart in 1974 that progressive Greek governments would be weak and/or deceptive and with their collective hands also in the cookie jar.

This isn’t going to get sorted out until Pluto makes an opposition to the Greek ascendant at 13 Cancer in 2014. That moment will be an important watershed in the future of Greece. Right now, Pluto moving through the 6th house of the ordinary workers and social and public services opposing Saturn and Mercury in the 12th house of suffering and sacrifice. Yes, there are a lot of sacrifices that are having to be suffered by the man in the street as well as the government (Saturn) and the public services (6th) which are going to be transformed by Pluto. The cuts are going to continue to hurt like crazy. The world and the Euro members in particular will watch and wait with baited breath. The fate of Greece could well affect the fate of the European Union, and the ailing health of the world money markets.

“Water World” discovered by scientists on the day of the new Moon in Pisces.

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:02:07 PST

Oh how appropriate!! On the day of the new Moon in Pisces in conjunction with Neptune, astronomers confirmed that a new planet consisting mainly of water does exist in the outer reaches of the solar system. Planet GJ 1214b to give it it’s official title is hotter and larger than our Earth, but smaller than Jupiter. If you were to visit, you’d be boiled alive, as the predicted temperature is around 370 degree Fahrenheit, very hot and steamy indeed. The new discovery is 30 light years away from the Earth and was first spotted by ground telescopes in Chile. Since then, the Hubble space telescope has been trained on it and finally today of all days it’s existence was made known to the world.

You know I wondered if something quite special would happen on 21st February 2012. Now the picture is clear. There are three focus areas on the chart away from the clutch of planets in Pisces and Aries. The trines to Saturn from the new Moon conjunction show structure (a new planet) made of water (Neptune/Pisces). The square from Uranus to Pluto and trine from Jupiter to Pluto show a distant place (Jupiter) in space (Uranus) that had previously been hidden from view (Pluto) and general knowledge (Jupiter). Mars in Virgo in retrograde indicates that all the final checks had to be made, all the details should be confirmed before releasing the news. Mars in Virgo opposite to Mercury refines the data so that the announcement is correct. The last thing you would want is such a news event and then find it is erroneous. Again the connections from Uranus in pioneering Aries and Neptune to Mars show the link to astronomy and the expansions of our horizons on earth.

This discovery has propelled this new Moon in Pisces to be a most significant day in the history of mankind, and has lit the touch-paper for a generation of astronomers, astrologist and scientists. Their imaginations and desires must be running wild at the thought of what else may be out there in the vastness of the universe. One other thought. Just imagine what may occur in 25 years time when Neptune enters Aires, the sign of boldly going where no one had gone before? An interesting thought indeed…

The Astrology of 2012 Part 3 – March

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:03:13 PST

After the deep freeze of February (or rather the grey skies and miserable rain here in London), the sun starts to rise higher into the sky and brings with it the promise of spring. March is Pisces’ month heralding the end of the winter cycle. In this post I look at the planetary movements in the 3rd month of the year, March.

March

4th Mar           Venus opposite Saturn
5th Mar           Mercury conjunct Uranus
5th Mar           Venus enters Taurus
6th Mar           Venus sextile Neptune
8th Mar           Full Moon at 18:13 Virgo
13th Mar         Mercury goes retrograde in Aries
13th Mar         Jupiter trine Pluto – Grand Earth Trine 3rd & final hit (First Hit 7/7/11 2nd 28/10/11)
14th Mar         Mars trine Jupiter – Grand Earth Trine – 2nd hit (First Hit 16/11/11)
14th Mar         Venus conjunct Jupiter
14th Mar         Venus trine Mars
14th Mar         Venus trine Pluto
15th Mar         Mars trine Pluto – Grand Earth Trine – 2nd hit (First Hit 23/11/11)
18th Mar         Mercury conjunct Uranus - 2nd hit
19th Mar         Mars square North/South Node
22nd Mar        New Moon at 2:22 Aries – conjunct Mercury and Uranus
31st Mar         Mars inconjunct Uranus – 2nd hit (First hit 13/11/11)

In this month we have no major outer planets changing sign, so the focus falls on an almost exact grand earth trine in the middle of the month. Mercury also turns retrograde halfway through, bringing some action after what should be a relatively quiet opening couple of days.

In the early days of the month, we have an oppositions between Sun & retrograde Mars as well as one between Venus and Saturn, challenging us (the nature of the opposition can be confrontational) to make serious choices over the relationships in our lives. Relationships will be in focus as Venus rules Libra and that is the sign where Saturn is sitting. On the 4th of the month transiting Pluto hits 9:12 Capricorn. This point on the chart is important as it exactly opposes the eclipse point of last year’s cardinal cross solar eclipse, the one which cause so much mayhem during July & August. I always get a bit concerned when a planet makes an aspect to a previous eclipse degree, as often it coincides with a major event around the world that catches everyone’s attention. The set up of the planets reminds me of many earthquake charts I have seen, a bank of planets in direct motion on one side of the chart counterbalanced by one or two in retrograde motion including one of the outer planets, in this case Saturn. This creates a shearing of energy, which effects on the earth causing the earthquake. This day is also a sensitive time in Russia and coincides with the Presidential elections there.

The feeling I get about this chart is one of underground strict authority taking control despite grumbling opposition. We have two wedges and a t-square with Neptune and Pluto at the focus of them. Socialism or rather communist rule of the state Venus/Saturn/Neptune at the expense of the people (Venus/Saturn square to the Moon) and underground secret action and control at the top of government Sun/Mars//Pluto. There is also a forming Grand Earth trine which tightens as the month goes on consisting of Pluto Jupiter and Mars. I wonder if this signals expansionist control on the agenda? Russia would dearly like to have more influence of the states that broke away after the 1991 fall of the iron curtain. Mars retrograde shows no positive action will be taken at this time, but maybe plans to integrate a wider control (Jupiter/Pluto) may be behind the scenes yet still on the table. Uranus conjunction to Mercury square to Pluto shows intellectual opposition to an election which Putin will win, yet despite the protests and probable election fraud (deceptive Neptune trines authoritarian Saturn and sextiles democratic Venus) it’s a given he’ll take charge for 6 more years.

On 6th March in America is Super Tuesday when there will be GOP contests in the states of Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia. With Romney ruled by Neptune, (he is a Sun sign Pisces) it is difficult to tell if transiting Neptune which will be closely square to his Gemini Ascendant will severely help or hinder him. It is my view that the square could prove to be a bit of a challenge to his ego, and after the end of the day he be a bit deflated. Will the others be able to take advantage? Newt Gingrich has the transiting North Nodes approaching his Midheaven, which should give him a nice boost and popularity. Saturn trines his Sun which is progressive and I think he could do quite well. Rick Santorum has transiting Saturn close to his North Node which normally brings rewards so I expect a good night for him. The rest of the transiting planets on his chart seem relatively supportive for the moment, however as Saturn turns tail in retrograde motion and starts to move away from this North Node conjunction one wonders if the bounce he has had in the last month will really last, as his rather ultra conservative agenda gets scrutinised more closely. On reflection, I think after this round of primaries, the race will still be hugely competitive.

Moving on. Mercury then exactly conjuncts with Uranus, the first of three connections to Uranus. This conjunction starts a process which allows us to develop new and clever ideas, and to make technological and scientific discoveries. The accent is on moving forward and breaking new ground as this conjunction is in Aries. Venus then enters her own sign Taurus, allowing us to build on and develop the relationship choices we made at the start on the month. Venus then continues on to make a sextile to Neptune, a pleasant dreamy influence before the new Moon in Virgo arrives on 8th of March. Here we are perfecting the inspiration we had from the New Moon in Pisces on 21st February. With Uranus conjunct Mercury and this full Moon seeing a completion of vibrant inspirational energy, anything you have been developing in an artistic or technical sense will get a final flourish of brilliance to finish it off. This will be a truly wonderful time for those who feel creative energy in their soul.

As Mercury stations on the 13th and turns for a retrograde cycle, we have several exact connections within the space of two hectic days. Mercury retrograde affects some people more than others, and I suspect it very much depends on the state of your own Mercury in your own natal chart in how it affects you personally. Those with Mercury direct in their chart do tend to suffer when Mercury turns to move backwards, however those with it retrograde in their own chart (as Barack Obama has) seem to thrive under this influence. Generally for the majority, you will see technical hitches, transport delays and trouble with communication for the following 3-4 weeks. This influence can also bring setbacks and last minute changes of plan. It is never a good thing to sign important documents under this influence.

Through the 13th and 14th the grand earth trine between Mars Jupiter and Pluto connects exactly at 9 degrees earth (Virgo, Taurus, Capricorn). This is a very powerful formation joined by Venus conjunct to Jupiter, where one can achieve a lot in a short time. The ideal essence here is to set down and lay firm foundations as the trine is in earth. Take any of these buzzwords and apply it in the best way you can to your own life. The trine will allow you to apply these energies very easily i.e. Learning (Jupiter) to create (Venus) by transforming (Pluto) and perfecting in an enthusiastic way (Mars).

Jupiter – Knowledge, learning, expanding, wisdom, travelling, optimism, discovering, ruling, celebrating, publishing Venus – Relating, attracting, harmony, creating, loving, wanting Pluto – Controlling, transforming, blocking, changing, regenerating, eliminating, destroying, secretive, jealous, hidden Mars Retrograde in Virgo – energetically, violently, enthusiastically, positively however the energy is used in a precise manner to correct and perfect. This energy will be directed inwardly on the self reflecting the retrograde direction of Mars, and not in an external way onto others as it would be if Mars was travelling direct.

In a global sense, as with the Russian example I gave earlier, I do see controls clamping down on freedom of expression under this grand trine. Mars which would normally act or speak out will remain muted through until April when it finishes it’s retrograde motion. There may also be destruction or changes on a wide or even international scale. Looking back to when these planets made their first hits, the News of The World newspaper was closed under the first Jupiter trine to Pluto (eliminating knowledge) as well as the first pictures of a storm on Saturn were published (knowledge of something previously hidden). In Nepal, the local community were banned from celebrating the Dalai Lama’s birthday (control on celebrations of a faith leader). On 28th Oct the second Jupiter connection, there were floods in Thailand and Italy (wide-scale destruction), austerity measures in Greece (control of expanding finance) & a new President in Ireland (celebrations of a change of power), all these events fitting the Jupiter/Pluto influence. It is hugely difficult to predict specific events, but the themes are there, control of international and local freedoms, liberation of things that were previously secret or hidden and potential destruction of a big scale. Silvio Berlusconi’s trial over a banking scandal is due to start on March 15th. Would Jupiter trine Pluto be commensurate with the potential conviction and confinement of one who is so rich & famous? You know this mid March period could be a really busy time in the world.

On the 18th Mercury now moving in retrograde motion conjuncts with Uranus, so this is time to action a review any ideas or concepts that we had earlier in the month, and on 19th Mars squares the Nodal Axis. This is like a Mars connection to the South Node, so there may be confrontations or disagreements in the air, depending on what part of your chart Mars is travelling through. You may be asked to make compromises or deal with matters as a result of past decisions or actions. Do not underestimate this square as it may bring some interesting happenings. Canada will feel it with Sun sextile, Jupiter opposite, Uranus sextile and Midheaven trine to transiting Mars. Interestingly Mars conjuncts Cyprus’ Venus and squares Greece’s Neptune as well as opposing Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Sun (the Turkish Prime Minister). Will the division of Cyprus between Greece and Turkey come back into the news? Elsewhere Mars squares Mario Monti’s Saturn, so the new Italian PM may have some issues to deal with or may have to eat some humble pie and compromise his principles. In Syria, this Mars squares President Assad’s nodal Axis coinciding with his half Nodal return. I have been saying for months now that I expected Assad to finally go in late March and I firmly believe that this is when the dream for him will finally comes to an end.

The Syria question is heightened by the New Moon in Aries on 22nd March. This will be another potent new Moon as it conjuncts Mercury and crucially Uranus. Is this the sign of revolution in the air? The new Moon at 2:22 Aries opposes Syria’s Neptune. Could this be a new dawn for the oppressed masses, the freshness of a new Moon cycle bringing a drive for independence shown by Uranus? On a personal level, this is a time to bring kindness and humanitarian help to those around you. Normally with an Aries new Moon I would be urging everyone to act and go out and start new projects, to initiate change around in their lives, however with both Mars and Saturn retrograde, it is better to keep those urges under wraps until mid April when Mars turns the corner.

The month ends on an irritable note with an inconjunct aspect (150 degrees) from retrograde Mars to Uranus. This is a second hit of this particular aspect, the first on 13th Nov 2011 coincided with Berlusconi who I mentioned earlier resigning from power. Might things go from bad to worse for him at this time? There could be a few nasty accidents or mishaps happening as these two planets connect, be careful if you have any planets at 5 degrees of cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn). Silvio by the way has his Sun at 5 Libra!!

Links – The Astrology of January 2012

The Astrology of February 2012

Rihanna – The horoscope of the “Caribbean Queen of Pop”

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:04:20 PST

I’ve met Rihanna. It was a few years ago now at London Heathrow airport, and she was seeing off her mum who was travelling back to Barbados, before flying herself to New York with her “crew” of musicians and tour manager. This was before her worldwide smash “Umbrella” and I remember asking her tour manager if her new album was any good. He was very confident at the time that there were a “few” hit songs on it. My word he was right!! That meeting stuck in my mind for quite a while, and now of course Robyn Rihanna Fenty is one of the most recognisable pop stars on the planet. I am pleased I met her, before fame came knocking on her door. Today she hits 24 years of age, and to celebrate her birthday, I take a look at the character of the Caribbean Queen of Pop.

Rihanna was born on 20th February 1988 in Saint Michael, Barbados. Now nobody knows a birth time for her and I have scoured the internet looking for one. It’s a shame I didn’t ask her directly back in 2006, but then again I wasn’t blogging about astrology at the time. If you are reading this article and you do know the official time of her birth, please get in touch. The above chart is a bit of a guess to her birth time, in relation to what I know about her officially as well as my own personal experience in meeting her, and in speaking with people who know her.

Putting everything together, I believe that she has Aries rising on her chart, equating to a potential birth time of around 08.20am. This bring a straight and direct nature to her personality which is very much softened by the Moon being in the first house. Rihanna as I met her was very gently spoken, quiet and rather shy, an indication I believe of the first house Moon. Despite this, the Moon in the first very much does it’s own thing, and Rihanna has always been a trend setter, reflecting the nature of Aries on the ascendant. Venus also in the first house brings a keen attention to her appearance, more of which a bit later. With a time of 08.20 hrs Neptune the ruler of music and performance moves into the 10th house of career, Saturn, Uranus and Mars sit in the 9th showing someone who breaks down barriers and is known through her work internationally, and Pluto is in the 8th in Scorpio showing her risqué side, an embracing of her sexuality which she seems unafraid to express. Remember, this birth time is speculative so should not be taken as given.

Ok to the things in the chart that I can say for certain. Rihanna is a Sun sign Pisces with an Aries Moon. We have a mix of fire and water, the enthusiasm of the Aries Moon to be number one in everything that one does underpinned by the sensitive, imaginative energy of the Pisces Sun. It is like underneath the bravado, there is a really gentle soul, exactly as I realised when I met Rihanna. Everything here is for show, and some sacrifices to her normal personality have to be made to fulfil the overriding need of the Aires Moon. This is a complex girl we are dealing with, the archetypal enigmatic pop star whose public face is nothing like her private one.

The Pisces Sun sits at the point of a mini grand trine sextile to Jupiter in Aries and sextile to a heavyweight Saturn, Uranus and Mars conjunction, with Saturn and Uranus very closely conjunct in Capricorn and Mars in Sagittarius. Jupiter sextile to the Sun shows lovely optimism and faith in one’s own ability, as well as a wide international outlook. The same goes for Mars in Sagittarius, which is wonderfully positive, outgoing and philosophical in it’s nature. The trine between the two planets brings good timing, luck in business and a need to keep going and pushing yourself to see how far you can go. I would imagine that Rihanna will set her sights on being in the pop and music business for the long haul, and seeing as she sees Madonna as an idol, someone who has been performing for 30 years, the astrology tells me that there are many albums yet to come from her. The Sun sextile to Uranus and Saturn in Capricorn shows someone who is intensely individualistic and ambitious, yet has a really solid attitude to work and devotion to her cause. This attitude is backed up by the trines from Jupiter to Saturn and Uranus, allowing her to see the big picture & giving her common sense as well as a rather lucky and opportunistic attitude. These three planets are widely conjunct to Neptune also in Capricorn which rules music and creation. This is a girl who will break new ground in her work, and her fusion of Caribbean rhythms to rap, urban rhythms, r&b as well as pop has won over a plethora of young fans. My nieces love her music and style!!

In astrology you can often see two maybe even three life themes over one set of aspecting planets, because the planets rule several qualities at the same time. With Neptune conjunct to Saturn/Uranus and Mars sextile to the Sun not only do we see a connection to her personality (Sun) through her musical talent (Neptune) and her ability to fuse old styles (Saturn) with the new (Uranus) but also this connection describes her father represented by the sextile to the Sun. He (Sun) part Barbadian and Irish, had a violent side to him (Uranus/Mars) as well as suffering from drug problems (Neptune) and his harsh nature (Saturn) ended up in the breakup of Rihanna’s parents when she was 14 years old. At that time, transiting Saturn was directly opposing the triple conjunction of Saturn Uranus and Mars showing a very traumatic time in her life.

In contrast, Rihanna seems to have a lovely relationship with her mother (who hails from Guyana) shown by the Moon conjunct to Venus; something I saw first hand many years ago. Both mum and daughter seem very close to each other. Venus and Moon in Aries is very straight forward in love, but this conjunction is squared by Neptune and receives an inconjunct aspect to Pluto. On the chart you can see the link from Venus Moon to gullible Neptune and to intense Pluto in a sort of unusual wedge formation. The square (in blue) shows that she does get a bit blinded in love, and deceived in the guys that she dates. The inconjunct (in grey) to Pluto I do not think helps one bit. If anything, she will be drawn to dark intense individuals, in short to troublemakers. These relationships will transform her, but in a rather nasty manner. I have found inconjunct aspects to cause real problems, especially in regard to relationships. They tend to lead to all amounts of irritation and stress, and Pluto in Scorpio is so intense and dark in nature that when things do go off the rails, the hurt of any breakdown can be superseded by violence and emotional turmoil that touches the soul. Her relationship with Chris Brown was one example of this and rather mirrors her mother’s relationship with her father. Children often take their cue in their lives from their parent’s experiences.

This same wedge brings out the style that Rihanna is known for. Venus and the Moon together sextiles to Neptune as well as to Mercury in glamorous Aquarius, so there is a love of beauty of fashion and design here. If Venus is in the first house as I suspect, then her appearance from make-up she uses, to the hair styles and the clothes that she wears will be very carefully chosen, depending on her state of mind (Mercury) and mood (Moon). For sure, she will go all out to surprise and to shock (Mercury in Aquarius). As she has matured, a sexual element has appeared in her fashion sense and in her videos, and this shows the links from these planets to deep underground Pluto. Mercury in Aquarius is very cute and clever as well as being socially aware. She will know exactly what image she wishes to portray & she will be the driver of her social media outreach to her legion of fans. Mercury here also brings a humanitarian train of thought, and if Mercury lies in the 11th house and Sun on the cusp of 11th and 12th, this would explain her deep interest in helping suffering kids, especially on her home island of Barbados.

Finally there is a quindecile between Jupiter and Pluto on this chart, which bring huge money making and big business potential to her. In the clever way that she has crossed over so many popular music boundaries attracting fans from many genres & in her use of shock tactics and change of styles, she is forever always evolving which in today’s music industry is the only way to stay at the top. The key to her chart, the Neptune Uranus, Saturn and Mars conjunction shows all the drive and commitment to keep on moving ahead. Now Neptune is conjunct her Sun and will remain in her sign of Pisces for 15 more years. Lucky, lucky her. This is one girl, still at the tender age of just 24, who could be dominating the popular music scene for many years to come, and with Neptune helping her, there should be no limits to what she could achieve.

Jennifer Aniston – Happier now than for many years.

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:33:38 PST

In looking for people to write about on this blog, I do read a lot of celebrity articles and quotes simply because I like to mix things up a bit. A bit of politics here, some breaking stories and some interesting character profiles. One quote from Jennifer Aniston after the completion of her new film “Wanderlust” caught my attention. She said going into the Georgia countryside far away from city life to shoot the film had enriched her and had given her some peace and happiness. I immediately put up her chart on my pc and I could see why. Today I look at one of Hollywood’s “A” list celebrities and explore new priorities for the former “Friends” actress.

Jennifer was born on Feb 11th 1969 at 22.22hrs in Los Angeles California. She is a Sun sign Aquarian with a Sagittarian Moon and a sociable Libran Ascendant. This quite a nicely balanced chart, although all the personal planets are placed in fire and air signs. The Sun in Aquarius and the Moon in Sagittarius gives her a real independence and a cute, clever and innovative way of dealing with people. She will have international ideas and plans, integrity of thought and idealism in romance and love. Being an Aquarian and having a Libran Ascendant, she is intrinsically linked into and will fully understand the social and technological requirements of being a success in this day and age, and of course her claim to fame is still the fantastically successful run on “Friends” which can be beautifully described by a combination of friendly humanitarian Aquarius combined with relationship orientated Libra. Her natural birth signs fit perfectly with the ethos of the programme, indeed she was born to play Rachel Green.

Having a Libran ascendant the Aquarian Sun and a party loving outgoing Sagittarian Moon, Jennifer you would think would be quite gregarious, but I think she is quite the opposite. Why? Because of Saturn. Saturn sits in an awkward position on her chart opposing her ascendant, square to her Midheaven, sextile to her Sun and trine to her Moon forming a mini grand trine. As I well know (I myself like Jennifer have Saturn in Aries opposite my Libran ascendant), one’s outgoing personality and drive is very much blocked by the Saturn’s energy. Saturn makes the Libran Ascendant fear opening up to the world, it brings shyness and insularity, something I have always suffered from personally. Jennifer will fear being in the spotlight as much as I do. Saturn makes easy aspects to the Sun and Moon bringing with it a sense of duty and responsibility onto one’s shoulders. It is like you are carrying everyone around with you, and you have to look after them. Now I am not saying that she won’t enjoy the celebrity and party lifestyle that fame brings but she will feel rather a little uncomfortable in that arena. For all the promise and outgoing ideas that the personal planets should give, the energy that they exude onto this chart is severely tempered. As such, Jennifer despite having reached a level of worldwide popularity will tend to shun the limelight, unless she if forced by her work to face up to it.

Her Aquarian Sun sits in the 4th house of home, a very insular position and independent of nature. Here is yet another indication that Jennifer will much prefer to keep her private life strictly private. The Aquarian Sun is friendly but cool and if she will have an air of the untouchable about her, as if anyone she is not completely happy with should keep their distance. Mercury joins the Sun in Aquarius in the 4th house, so when at home she will enjoy nothing better than snuggling up on a sofa and enjoying a good book. Her Mercury brings her a very introspective but bright and clever mind, a wicked sense of humour, an interest in keeping up with what is going on in the world, and a sympathy to helping people in need in a humanitarian way. More of these charitable interests later.

We find three planets in the second house of self worth, money and personal possessions, Mars, Neptune and the Moon. All of these planets sit at the point of two more mini grand trines on this chart (there are several). Mars and Neptune are connected by sextiles to the 12th house Uranus/Jupiter conjunction as well as to Mercury and the Moon finds itself making sextile aspects to a Sun/Ascendant trine. The Moon in the second house shows that Jennifer will work in a social sense with and for the public, she will she her acting as providing entertainment for the audience. Jennifer may be a quite shy and private individual, but she knows that in her work she has to to be out in front of the cameras, serving the public that loves her. This Moon brings with it a love of possessions and holding onto them. Often you find antique collectors with 2nd house Moons as it bring a love of historical artefacts as well as money, you collect all sorts of personal effects throughout your life and are loathed to ever give them away. Her house may be littered with paintings, old sentimental gifts and mementoes.

Jennifer also has Mars and Neptune in this house which brings a real energy to money making, she will work and work to acquire more and more, yet when it does come to spending Neptune brings a rather frivolous attitude to finance. It is like the money you earn is spent just as easily, rather like picking up a handful of sand and watching most of it slip through your fingers. Neptune and Mars in Scorpio bring power and a big business attitude to a very creative position for Neptune to be in. Together these two planets bring charisma and star quality as well as an insatiable need to keep working in TV and film. No wonder she is one of the highest grossing stars in the world. Neptune, as I have mentioned before in other articles, in the 2nd house is very often found in people in creative pursuits, like music art and film. Sextiles to Pluto and Mercury show a need to communicate one’s artistic talent and to be famous or well known for it, and the sextiles to Jupiter and Uranus show that Jennifer uses her fame and money making acumen to help those less fortunate than herself. Charity and charitable causes will form a real and important part of her life, especially charitable causes for wildlife and harm to animals.

Venus and Saturn sit in the 6th house of everyday work, health and here is also the house where a love of wildlife and animals can be found. Venus sitting in this house shows a real acute love of all living things. Venus is in Aries and makes a double opposition to Jupiter and Uranus in the 12th house of service and suffering. Jennifer is active in helping oppose cruelty to animals and wildlife in general. This 6th house Venus also makes two quindeciles to the ascendant and Pluto. Often you find people who work in the beauty industry with a 6th house Venus and the quindeciles here to the ascendant and Pluto contribute I think her star looks (Ascendant) as well as bringing her power and influence (Pluto) within organisations (11th house). Saturn in the 6th house is very detail orientated and very hard working. She will be a stickler for getting things just so and will be hard on co-workers around her, Saturn in the 6th does not stand for any nonsense or slacking.

The North Node sits quietly also in the 6th house near to Venus and it indicates to me that Jennifer when all said and done will want to serve people and maybe get more and more involved in her nature and wildlife interests. The Nodal axis sits square to the 2nd house Moon, so using her personal resources to help humanity and the public will prove to be emotionally satisfying for her.

This get back to nature, to peace and to solace is indicated if we look at the transits for Jennifer. In the past couple of months, transiting Saturn has crossed over her Libran ascendant into her 1st house. This brings with it a brand new 28 year cycle and when Saturn enters the first house one often steps back out of the spotlight for a while. It is almost as if you are taking stock of the new things in your life and discarding the old worn out parts which are no longer of any use. As we know, Jennifer late on last year found new love with Justin Theroux (with whom astrologically she is rather suited – see below) and the quote on the film set that being in the countryside miles away from the bright lights really reflected the get away from it all Saturn in the first. Jennifer is in the middle of reinventing her life.

She still has a few tests to come, as transiting Pluto is now square to Venus which not only brings an intensity to her relationships but can destroy them too. This will be an interesting time to see if this new liaison with Justin can stand the scrutiny of the long lenses of the paparazzi and world media. In a creative sense, Jennifer will be feeling really good as transiting Neptune squares it’s own position now moving into her 5th house. It may well be that she will start to find a new maturity in her film roles, moving slightly away from the lightweight romantic comedy that she is known for, into more challenging and emotional parts.

As a quick side note, her synastry with Justin is particularly good as he is a Sun sign Leo (born 10th Aug 71 in Washington DC – no birth time) in the opposite sign to her Sun with an Aries Moon that conjuncts with her natal Venus. Their Suns in opposite signs should attract, however both are in fixed signs so if disagreements appear, they will initially at least tend to dig their heels in a bit. Her Venus also makes a lovely trine to his Sun Venus conjunction in Leo and his Jupiter sits on her Mars Neptune conjunction which is wonderfully optimistic. Justin’s Jupiter lies sextile to her Mercury which brings lively and open communication. There are a couple of down sides as I see it on the synastry chart. Justin’s Mercury in Virgo and her Mercury in Aquarius which could clash a little, as Mercury in Aquarius is very fixed and will not appreciate the critical Virgo Mercury. Also, his Saturn sits in her 8th house of sex and intimacy which could act as a frustrating barrier to free emotional love. If they do start to disagree, it is here that Justin will lay down the law and their relationship may suffer as a result, however the rest of the chart and synastry between them shows a lot of trines and sextiles and all the main personal planets are in either fire and air signs which is enthusiastic and fun, wonderfully relaxing and easy going; just what she and they need I suspect. They should, so long as they can keep the media at bay and they can conquer the potential communicative problems I hinted at earlier, enjoy each other’s company rather well. Time however will tell.

Jennifer in starting a new Saturn cycle should be scaling down her film commitments a bit in the next year. Often famous people with Saturn transiting in the first couple of houses go out of the spotlight for a while before they again emerge in a new way. This is likely to happen to Jennifer, although with a new relationship to concentrate on, this may be no bad thing. I hope she takes the hint that this film opportunity has given her, and she finds some peace happiness and love away from the bright lights of Los Angeles and New York; it will in the long run do her an immense power of good.

Judi Dench – Working on bravely as she fears the loss of her sight.

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 14:30:32 PST

Dame Judi Dench is one of the foremost actresses of her generation. Today in the news there were reports that she is suffering from age-related macular degeneration or AMD, a condition that eventually could lead to blindness. Apparently she is struggling to read scripts and even to recognise faces, but she plans to soldier on acting despite the difficulties of her illness. The actress known for winning an academy award for her role in Shakespeare in Love in 1998 as well as starring as “M” in the James Bond films, is due to continuing to shoot the latest one in the series “Skyfall”.

Dame Judi is a Sun sign Sagittarius born on 9th December 1934 in York, England (no birth time known) and has most probably a Capricorn Moon. The Moon did change signs very late on the day of her birth into Aquarius, but more than likely her Moon is in the sign of the goat. A Capricorn Moon brings her a real work ethic, and her determination to keep on acting despite the obvious problems of sight loss does suggest that it lies in this sign. Even into her 77th year, she has ambition (Capricorn) to keep on going. The Moon brings a self sufficiency & need to run things and be in charge. I bet nobody pushes her around on set! The Sagittarian Sun gives her an openness to learning, and this combination often confers a really wicked sense of humour, as the mind can apply the expansive Sagittarian energy very cleverly and effectively. Dame Judi will be adaptable with 5 planets in mutable signs, being able to direct her energies to all types of circumstances; she will be and has proved to be a great all round actor from comedic to serious roles.

Her chart has quite a Sagittarian bias with Sun Venus and Mercury all in the sign and all in wide conjunction. Here is a real expansive tone to her character. She has a gambler’s attitude to life, someone who enjoys everything to the full, including socialising, speaking in public, learning, travelling and taking the odd risk along the way. There is real idealism here, made stronger by Venus & the Sun’s square to Neptune in perfectionist Virgo. Here of course is motivation to act, to create and perform with Neptune ruling acting, TV, film, music and bestowing huge imagination to her. Venus in Sagittarius shows someone who loves companionship and having fun, and Judi was happily married to actor Michael Williams for 30 years until his death in 2001.

Mars square to Venus shows a very romantic side to the partner and she would have invested a lot of time and energy into making sure that her marriage with Michael would be successful. Mars in Virgo shows a real perfectionist streak, with a need to get all the details of what one is doing absolutely correct. Judi will be very self critical, but it is this very drive that has motivated her to get to the top of her profession. Mars also receives a sextile from Pluto that gives her a inner supply of energy that seems inexhaustible; she is now working as hard as she ever did. Judi does have a dark side too, and anything unusual or hidden will thoroughly fascinate her.

Her admirable loyalty to Michael was shown through her Saturn sextile to Venus, which solidifies commitment and fidelity in love. Judi’s style will be simple but classic, flamboyance is not really her thing. Those with Saturn connections to Venus often appreciate substance of character way above style and someone’s appearance. Saturn also is at the point of a mini grand trine formation connected to a Venus Uranus trine. These three planets show a freedom of expression and a need for a bit of independence and space within any relationship. Of course with both her and Michael being actors, they often would have been away doing their own work projects, and so the marriage between them could endure. Saturn’s sextile to Uranus showed Judi has a resourcefulness when problems would arise, with a patience to ride out any storms that might occur.

The Sun and Moon on the chart also represent her parents; her father was a doctor who was responsible for the York Theatre and her mother was the wardrobe mistress there. The Sun Neptune square show the link with her father to the theatre (Neptune) as well as his medical background (Neptune in medical Virgo). I suspect that Judi was born in the morning of 9th December, simply as after 08.00am there is no trine between the Moon and Neptune, indicating her Mother’s link also to the theatre; the Moon by that time would have moved out of range. I have set the chart above at 06.00am to reflect the trine that occurred early in the day.

Jupiter in Scorpio sextile to Neptune shows a lady who will got to extremes and shuns superficiality. Those extremes extend to her creative abilities and are yet enhanced by a quindecile to Uranus in Aries which gives an extra buzz of innovation to her work as well as luck when she needs it. This Uranus sits at the point of a t-square connecting through to a Moon Pluto opposition (this opposition was in operation whatever time Judi was born). This is a really intense and dramatic formation. The Moon Pluto opposition brings a wealth of deep emotions that Judi can call upon, and gave a real emotional obsession of one’s partner. With the Moon in rather unemotional Capricorn, which gives the impression of a rather stern & cool demeanour, you can imagine the boiling emotions raging beneath the surface. That’s Judi all over, isn’t it? The film and theatre critics seem to love someone who can keep their control but bring all these emotions out on cue, and that is exactly what she does with expertise. Uranus squaring the Moon and Pluto bring a highly impulsive side and extreme dynamism to her character. I can imagine she is formidable when she does lose her temper, Pluto square Uranus can be explosive and destructive in it’s nature.

Now out of all the planets on this chart, Uranus is the one planet under most stress on this chart, receiving a square from the Moon, quindecile from Jupiter a square from Pluto and an inconjunct from Mars which rules Aries, the sign that Uranus sits in. Mars is in Virgo, as I mentioned before the sign of health and well-being. In medical astrology, Aries is the sign that rules the head as well as the eyes. Often if you find the most stressed planet on your chart, it is here where if anywhere you may suffer illness as you grow older. The risk is increased if that planet is impacted by a stressful aspect from a planet in Virgo or Pisces, or from a planet in the 6th or 12th houses. We have that connection with the Mars inconjunct to Uranus. I am no expert in seeing illness on an astrological chart, but it does not require much imagination to see that the eyes here could be vulnerable to continued stress transits.

it is interesting that Judi’s eye problem comes as Mars has returned to Virgo and is now retrograde and approaching a conjunction to Judi’s Neptune activating the square to her Sun. It also happens as transiting Neptune is quindecile natal Neptune in Virgo, weakening that part of the chart and so her resistance to the degradation of her physical body and energies (Sun). Transiting Saturn is opposing that natally stressed Uranus and will be staying in opposition throughout two thirds of 2012. In my estimation under the pressure of Saturn, this condition will, without corrective medical help, get progressively worse as the year goes on.

It will be such a shame if Dame Judi Dench has to scale down her wonderful career because of the degenerative condition she has, however time waits for no-one and nor do the planets. Let’s hope the doctors can help in keeping her sight good enough so that she can grace our screens in new productions for years to come.

Prince Johan Friso – Dutch Prince fights for his life after avalanche.

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 08:26:57 PST

A nasty accident in the Austrian Alps in the past few days. Dutch Prince Johan Friso, second Son of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands was caught in a sudden avalanche in the ski resort of Lech. He was rescued after being covered by snow for around 15-20 minutes and now is fighting for his life in hospital.

The accident occurred at around midday on 17th February, a bad time for the 43 year old prince. Notice that transiting Uranus was opposite to his natal Sun Uranus conjunction as well as being trine to his Leo Midheaven. Transiting Pluto was square to the Nodal Axis which was also receiving a close conjunction from Venus the chart ruler. Of course the avalanche was a happening that he could not predict, which is where Pluto’s square to the Nodal Axis comes in. Aspects involving the Nodes often bring events to pass over which one has no control. With an avalanche you do not have any control, unless of course you venture into an area which was known to be dangerous at the time. To add to this picture, Neptune through Pisces rules the Prince’s 5th house of sports and leisure and was trine to his ascendant and inconjunct to the Prince’s Sun Uranus conjunction which is nasty and could well have clouded his judgement on where to ski on the day. Add to this Mercury the ruler of the 9th house thorough Gemini inconjunct to his Midheaven; the accident took place while he was on holiday and propelled him into the headlines.

Finally, we have transiting Saturn that was just into the Prince’s first house and conjunct natal Venus (the chart ruler) ruling his physical state and Mercury, again highlighting of international angel of this tragedy. Saturn on his natal chart is at the point of a natal Yod, completed by a sextile between Pluto and Neptune. This Saturn was charged from his birth as being significant, and proving a turning point in his life. That Saturn was conjunct his ascendant and chart ruler does explain a reason of why this tragic event happened now as well as heralding a new period in the Prince’s life.

One hopes he will recover, and will make a full recovery.

**** Update 24th February 2012 ****

News reports out of Austria say that the Prince is in a coma after suffering huge brain damage and may never regain consciousness. Initially today I looked at the chart and I couldn’t find any link to why the Prince had suffered brain damage. Then I decided to look at Chiron, the Wounded Healer and add it into the picture. Suddenly everything became clearer.

Look at Chrion right at the end of Pisces and at the cusp of Aries. It is on the Aries Point, a sensitive place on the chart that you may be seen in the public eye. Unfortunately for the Prince, this notoriety came as a result of the accident he suffered. It makes a multitude of aspects to many of the planets on the chart including crucially a triple opposition to Sun, Uranus and Pluto. Here was a huge problem, potential wounds sitting on the chart waiting to be activated. With Chiron affecting most of the planets on the chart, the effect of a nasty transit to this position could be devastating to his very being.

Moving forward to the accident date transiting Saturn conjunct to the Prince’s Mercury, the planet ruling the mind and the brain was making an inconjunct aspect to Chiron and transiting Chiron and Mercury were inconjunct to the Prince’s Midheaven. With the accident and the deprivation of oxygen in being covered by snow, the Prince’s brain may have been irreparably damaged. Inconjunct aspects can be really nasty and often cause pain or loss. There is one more which I will highlight, one I missed first time around. Transiting Uranus conjunct to natal Chiron was inconjunct to the Prince’s Mercury which as you know was under pressure from Saturn. You can see through this aspect the accident (Uranus) causing great suffering and wounding (Chrion) having a debilitating (Saturn) effect on the Prince’s body (1st house) as well as on his brain (Mercury). With Saturn starting a new cycle in being conjunct to his ascendant, this may well have signalled the end of his active life and the start of a difficult period of recovery, if he does. All in all, a sad incident and now he will require all the best medical help available.

Whitney Houston – A talented life destroyed by excess and bad choices.

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:15:33 PST

Such a shame, such a crying shame!! Whitney Houston was an incredibly talented singer and performer with a voice that will go down in popular music folklore forever, one so pure and powerful that dominated pop music around the world during the 80’s and early 90’s. On Saturday she was found underwater and unconscious in the bath of her Beverley Hill hotel room. At the moment, the Los Angeles police are ruling out foul play, however the true cause of her death may not be revealed for several weeks.

Whitney was born on 9th August 1963 in Newark Heights, New Jersey at 20.55 hrs. She was a glamorous Sun sign Leo with an Aries Moon and a Pisces Ascendant. The Sun and Moon in combination brought a real fiery quality to Whitney, emotionally expressive and needing to get to the top of the tree, Whitney adored the limelight and stardom that the music industry brought her. Here we had great ambition and a love of drama. With these two planets in trine aspect, emotionally and physically she was absolutely in tune with herself. And when she sung, didn’t you know it?

This is a very complex chart, all the planets knitted together by multiple aspects. I have found that such charts are great for when there is good energy around as the chart soaks it up and uses it very efficiently. The only problem is when nasty aspects come around, the chart uses this energy efficiently too and the whole persona can get dragged down very quickly as a result.

There are 3 distinct patterns in this chart. Firstly there is a kite formation based around a Sun/Venus/Saturn opposition, also connecting a Jupiter/Moon conjunction to a Sagittarius ascendant. Secondly, a t-square also based on the Sun/Venus/Saturn opposition squared by Neptune in Scorpio and lastly a wedge formation based around a Pluto Mercury Uranus opposition to the ascendant which also connects onto the 8th house Neptune.

Let’s take things one by one. The kite formation through Sun Venus and Saturn showed a kind attention loving girl who loved glamour and the high life, was very talented in an artistic sense (Venus in Leo), she was a huge perfectionist (Sun in 6th), but was also a girl who was beset by relationship problems. Saturn opposing the Sun and Venus often shows feeling of inadequacy and self doubt. That lack of love of herself was confirmed by Neptune squared by Saturn ruling her ascendant through Pisces. The rest of the kite tells a different side to the story as the Aries Moon/Jupiter conjunction trines to the Sagittarius Midheaven also ruled by Jupiter. She would do everything in excess, partying, spending, drinking & having a good time as well as dragging her self down into the depths of despair. We had a real contradiction in her personality, one minute as high as a kite, optimistic and life and soul of the party, the next minute wracked by fear of her own identity, afraid that nobody loved her. Aries’ impact on Jupiter and the rather independent first house Moon here impelled her to act. This was a lady of extremes, very much larger than life, and she literally could not stop herself; expansive Jupiter in the 1st house of the self was working double overtime.

Squaring off the Sun/Saturn opposition in this talented kite was Neptune in Scorpio in the 8th house. This was her natural career path, the squares from Saturn and Sun bring motivation to sing and perform. Neptune rules all creativity and this Neptune was receiving a bucket load of energy from the two main formations on this chart. Neptune also being trine to the sign it ruled on the ascendant meant that this creative talent to sing was present from the minute that Whitney was born, it was completely natural to her. She rose to prominence in the New Hope Baptist Church gospel choir in Newark very quickly, although having a mother who was also a performer as well as Aretha Franklin as a godmother and Dionne Warwick as a cousin, music surrounded her from an early age.

Neptune in Scorpio in the 8th house trine to a Pisces ascendant would ring alarm bells in the brain of any astrologer. As a positive influence, it is incredibly talented, musical, creative & artistic. Remember what I said about Whitney having her whole chart in sync. This is why she was so good. The energy from Neptune to her ascendant was pure, idealistic and the notes and range she could achieve was almost unsurpassed. Scorpio allows one to go to the extreme, and here the extreme in a positive sense made her stand out from the crowd. However whenever you deal with the outer planets you have to think of them in both good and bad terms. With Neptune the darker side is shown through escapism, alcohol and drugs. With Pluto & Scorpio comes jealousy, the underworld, sex, death, abuse, the unknown and the potential to plunge you into the depths of uncertainty and desolation. With Pluto and Mercury on the descendant just into the 7th conjunct to Uranus in the 6th and connecting to Neptune via a sextile, we had all the good and bad influences rolled into one. Pluto affected the self in it’s opposition to the Pisces ascendant, and brought out the best and the worst of that heavily aspected Neptune. The rollercoaster of emotions of these outer planets would have overpowered most people, but especially someone with such a gentle impressionable Pisces Ascendant. I have seen Pluto Uranus in Virgo directly on the descendant opposite a Pisces Ascendant in action on a good friend of mine, someone who would at the drop of a hat fall into uncontrollable depression. Whitney would have done so too in exactly the same way, and once in that almost unending spiral downwards, she would have taken forever to pull herself back up again.

Pluto in the 7th house showed that her relationships were going to transform her life. Meeting Bobby Brown was the catalyst for Whitney’s slow slide from pop super-star to drug and alcohol dependency. With Mercury conjunct to Pluto in the 7th, you can see the mind being infected and destroyed over time by the partner (7th house). The self doubt that had always been present was magnified by the bad influence that he brought to her. Had Whitney been able to stick to a rigid work routine, maybe she might have pulled through the worst of his influence, but Uranus in the 6th brought a chaotic influence to her daily life, relying on that natural talent rather that needing to keep practising. Mars in the 7th house showed that Whitney was attracted to the “bad boys” and arguments and fights in her marriage would have been common place. The thing also about Mars in Libra in the 7th is that is is intrinsically tied to the marriage partner. One needs to be in a relationship, and to pull away would bring even more pain that the pain suffered while in it. Despite Bobby Brown’s bad influence, she was tied to him by an unbreakable bond of love.

The day she died was clearly shown by the transiting Nodal axis which was tightly square to her Pluto Mercury conjunction as well as square to her Ascendant. This influence would have been affecting her for a couple of weeks before she died and I understand she was “not herself” during that time. Transiting Pluto was trine to it’s own position and square to Mars. Aries (ruled by Mars) is on the cusp the 2nd house and Pluto here was undermining her own self worth. Interesting too that transiting Mars was square to her Midheaven, an action she took affecting her public status. Looking at the midpoints for the time she died, transiting Pluto was exactly to the second square to the Uranus/Neptune midpoint. In my view the midpoint Pluto square Uranus Neptune can be translated as death (Pluto) through a shocking event (Uranus) because of use of drugs, through drowning or both (Neptune).

You know the story of Whitney so reminds me of Amy Winehouse. In a way their charts have the same faults and they resulted in the same outcome. Both women found themselves in a vicious circle, trapped by relationships to the wrong type of guy, their amazing talent through Neptune compromised through excess shown by too much Jupiter, Pluto and Scorpio influencing on their chart. Their strengths of their musical ability also became their weaknesses through drug and alcohol abuse, and yet their short but dramatic lives and their music will live on in our memories for eternity.

Francois Hollande – The man hoping to unseat Sarkozy & become the next President of France.

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:40:39 PST

Here in Britain and I would hazard to guess around the world, we do not know much about Francois Hollande the Socialist Party candidate who will fight against Nicolas Sarkozy in late April in the French Presidential elections. By May, we might know a lot more about this man who is striving to take France in a different political direction. Francois is a career politician and a former student and follower of Francois Mitterrand. His lucky break may have been when Dominique Strauss-Kahn was arrested in New York over an alleged rape charge, all but ruling him out of contention for the Socialist Party berth. Hollande jumped with glee into his shoes and he hasn’t looked back since.

Francois was born on 12th August 1954 in Rouen, France at 00.10 hrs (time quoted in hand by Astro-Databank). He is a proud Sun sign Leo with a business like Capricorn Moon and has a changeable Gemini Ascendant. Most of the planets on this chart veer towards the western hemisphere of the chart so Francois natural instinct will be to help others ahead of himself. He will be an initiator of things with 5 planets in cardinal signs and he will have much determination with 4 planets in fixed signs, however flexibility will not be one of his strong points as there is little mutability in the chart.

The Sun in Leo and Moon in Capricorn brings a very straight forward approach to life. Here the Leo Sun wants to make things happen and the Capricorn Moon needs to run things to assure that these things do get going. Effectively if you want something, you want to get it. Here is ambition in it’s purest form and I think Francois will never hide from his desire to go up as high up the ladder of life as he can. The Gemini Ascendant brings an analytical approach to life, he will explore and question things from all angles, including himself and his own character. Gemini Ascendants are generally quite optimistic in nature and are incredibly friendly, versatile and quite independently minded.

The fact that Francois is a socialist is not a surprise at all. This chart is based around a cardinal t-square and a mini grand trine both focused on Neptune, the planet which more than any other represents the face of the masses; in the language of The Three Musketeers “All for one and one for all!!”. Neptune in Libra, the sign of relating and of equality, of course sits in the 6th house of everyday work and graft. It is the perfect socialist indicator.

Squaring onto Neptune is the Moon opposite to a Jupiter/Uranus in Cancer conjunction. Jupiter in Cancer is very protective and generous to those in his “family”. One likes to put a protective arm around those who is in one’s circle be it family, friends or colleagues. There is very much a collective feel about Jupiter here, and one that appreciates one’s heritage and country. Uranus in Cancer is separatist pulls away from national and family ties so there is a real conflict of interest in this part of the chart. Jupiter in the 3rd house shows a natural and expansive communicator with big ideas and plans. Here is a real student and academic attitude to life, and someone who wants to explore as much of the world as possible. It would not surprise me if his political aims extend beyond the borders of France. Uranus in the 3rd house is quick and enthusiastic to jump on new concepts and ideas. With this in mind, if he wins I wonder if he will fast-track France into complete union with the rest of the Euro-Zone countries? I see this as a natural path for these two planets to take, accentuating the collective but bring a fresh perspective to the role of France. With the Capricorn Moon bringing him ambitious desires and his Leo Moon bringing pride and a love of being seen as special, this man will want to shine on the big stage.

The mini grand trine sees a trine between Pluto conjunct to the Sun in Leo trine to Mars in Sagittarius sextile onto the 6th house Neptune. Mars in Sagittarius aims for the stars, this is a most outgoing and optimistic place for Mars to be. This is the position of someone who wishes to explore new territory, to break new ground. Ambitious about one’s plans and philosophical about one’s failures, this Mars will encourage Francois to keep trying with boundless optimism and a fanatical and ceaseless desire for power and control. Pluto in Leo conjunct to the Leo Sun wants to be king and will trample over everyone and everything to get to that exalted position. The Sun in the 4th house conjunct to Pluto shows that Francois will want to keep his private life strictly private. What goes on behind the four walls of his home stays there. I cannot believe that the strict privacy laws in France will loosened under his tenure should he win.

Like most Frenchman, Francois will be quite amorous & his relationships will be very important to him. He will throw much of his time and energy into them although with the nature of the square aspect there will also be much tension present between himself and his partner. Mars in Sagittarius which is very openly romantic squares Venus in Libra which requires and needs to be in a relationship. Venus in Libra also shows great tact and hates conflict. Maybe the domineering nature of the Leo Sun, Leo Pluto and Capricorn Moon means that Francois will try to get his way before conflict breaks out. With this chart quite fixed and inflexible, he may argue but it will be unlikely he will budge in his position. Venus is in the 5th house of children which confers a real love of them and of being a father. I understand he has 4 children, 3 boys and a girl who he had with Segolene Royal, who incidentally is also a socialist politician. They have since split after over 30 years together.

Francois has one more square on his chart, one between Saturn in the 6th in Scorpio and Mercury his 4th house Mercury. Mercury in the 4th in Leo is very confident in speaking and he will communicate often as if he is telling a story. This position is very tied to books and recording one’s thoughts, and I can imagine that he will write extensively. The square to Saturn in Scorpio shows that he has a very insular mind. Saturn in Scorpio fears one’s vulnerability and I feel that there is a much deeper level to Francois than the public may see. There is a secretive side to his character that he will brush over with the more outgoing Leo and Sagittarius elements in his chart. Although many may know him, few if any will know him well, and this emotional distance he can create can be the sign of a successful leader. Saturn in Scorpio has a real sting in the tail when it comes to laying down authority and he may rule by fear. He will not be trifled with in the quiet and solace of government.

The elections come on 22nd April with the possibility of a run off date for the top 2 candidates of 5th May 2012. I have the chart for him on 5th May and I believe he has a great chance of winning. With Neptune now in Pisces and following the 25th Nov 11 solar eclipse which through the planetary setup was I thought more left leaning in a political sense, the wind seems to be blowing in favour of more socialist politics and policies around the world. Francois Hollande and his clearly socialist agenda may prove to be the right man at the right time catching the mood. Taking the astrological of the transits against his own chart, the planets also favour him.

Transiting South Node conjunct Ascendant which brings an element of destiny to this whole period of his life. Transiting Pluto opposes natal Uranus which rules his Midheaven of public profile. That profile will be changing around this date, possibly taking on considerable power. Pluto will also be soon conjunct to his North Node, his destiny point and a point of reward on the chart. Transiting Uranus very interestingly will be sitting at the exact midpoint of Ascendant and Midheaven, which I find very significant and exciting for him. Transiting Jupiter will be square natal Pluto and Sun which is fortunate and very expansive, and transiting Saturn will be conjunct to natal Neptune lighting up the t-square and mini grand trine, effectively connecting with most of the planets on the chart. A Saturn conjunction issues you a challenge and shows the way you can step up the ladder of life, although it is never easy.

Finally moving back to the midpoint picture, the Sun on the day will sit opposite to his Pluto/Midheaven midpoint a point where life changing happenings can occur and Jupiter will sit square to the Sun/Pluto midpoint showing an expansion of power, success and international opportunities. Just as significant, Saturn will sit square to the midpoint of the Midheaven/North Node. The interpretation Noel Tyl gives this position is being comfortable in the loner’s position, gaining respect and taking a serious position in the group. Being President is the loneliest position of them all, as no-one can tell you what to do, you have to make all the decisions. If the planets are right then Francois Hollande will be the next President of France.

Just to be fair, in the next week or two I will look at the incumbent, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Hugh Laurie – All good things must come to an end.

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:48:08 PST

As you will gather from the title on this article, “House” the oh so successful TV series is finally winding to a close this year, and Dr Gregory House will be hanging up his white coat and will only be seen on our TV screens in the future in repeat showings. Hugh Laurie during his stint in the show was nominated for several awards, and the series end will create a hole in the TV schedules that will be tough to fill.

Hugh Laurie was born on 11th June 1959 in Oxford, England (no birth time known). He is a Sun Sign Gemini who has a big bold Leo Moon. This is a rather fixed and determined chart with 6 planets in fixed signs so Hugh will be quite stubborn as a whole. With a Leo Moon, there is a huge need within Hugh to be loved, appreciated and admired, and he will go about winning this favour through his inquisitive nature and his communicative skills.

The Sun sits in conjunction with Mercury in it’s own sign of Gemini, so Hugh will always be reading, speaking, listening & inquiring about anything and everything. There however is a very stern side to his nature, a rather shy and reserved appearance that he will put up in front of others. This is because of a quindecile between Sun and Saturn in it’s own sign of Capricorn and a opposition between Saturn and Mercury. Hugh will take his intelligence and breadth of knowledge very seriously indeed, and I suspect he will be quite a bookworm in his spare time. Saturn opposing Mercury can bring quite a sceptical mind, someone who needs proof before he accepts any theory. It also brings a totally methodical and careful approach to anything that he does. With any project that he enters into, he will be thoroughly prepared and also very determined to succeed and to do his best. Saturn in Capricorn is hugely ambitious, but only guarantees success after you have done your apprenticeship. Despite being well known on British TV in a double act with Stephen Fry (seen in a bit of Fry & Laurie, Jeeves & Wooster and of course the TV series Blackadder), it is noticeable that Hugh only really cracked the world TV markets and received acclaim once he had entered middle age. Saturn does make work hard to get any significant rewards. Often Saturn which is retrograde does indicate a lack of love in growing up from one’s father, and I can imagine that he was exceptionally strict on Hugh, but the quindecile also indicates a deep respect for him. When Hugh’s mother became ill at age 70 with Motor Neurone disease, his father cared for her dutifully for 2 years. Hugh went on record calling him the “sweetest of men in the world”. As with Saturn and his delayed work success, the love for his father was also delayed, but all the greater for it.

Now we have four planets in Leo in this chart, the Moon, Venus, Mars and Uranus. Behind the reserved and polite appearance is much more of a maverick character than you would expect on meeting him. The Leo Moon loves attention, is proud, a bit pompous, warm, loyal and generous and this is combined with Uranus which is very self-willed and egotistical and has a wonderful and sharp sense of humour (very dry in Hugh’s case with Saturn opposed to Mercury). Moon combined with Uranus loves anything different, obtuse and is fond of upsetting the apple cart, this combination of planets loves making it’s own rules. With these two planets we have Mars in Leo which is all action, loving sport and competition and Venus in Leo which is romantic, wholehearted, completely open and hates small mindedness. When young, I can imagine Hugh was a bit of a rogue, a lad unafraid of taking a risk or two and likely to get into more than a bit of trouble.

Mars and Venus together often makes the first move in romantic situations and often can make someone who not everyone can get on with, they can be rather direct and sparky and seeing as Hugh has Sun opposite Saturn grumpy too. This combination loves children and being settled into a relationship, and Hugh has been happily married with his wife Jo for over 20 years and has three children, all have whom at some point in their lives have appeared with their Dad onscreen.

Mars & Venus make a square to Neptune in Scorpio, so here is the need for adoration and love through creative pursuits. This Neptune in Scorpio generation has brought out a wonderful selection of character actors (I have looked at so many on this website) with the ability to dig beneath a role to getting true depth and gravitas in any performance. It’s almost like there are several levels to each character they portray and Dr House was a wonderful vehicle to Hugh to explore his full array of personal emotions to the full. I think there was a lot of autobiographical input behind this character, hidden behind the American accent that Hugh pulled off so convincingly, that many thought he was actually American!!

Secretly, Hugh would have wanted the success that he has achieved over the past decade. Neptune is part of two mini grand trines. One involving Mercury and Pluto and the other including a Saturn Pluto trine. Saturn Pluto is hugely determined and ambitious and wants to make a name for oneself, the objective seen at the point of the mini grand trine through Neptune’s rulership of TV films and acting. The Neptune Mercury trine shows musical ability; he is very proficient in playing the piano since he had lessons from early age, and also plays guitar, drums and several other instruments. Neptune trine Mercury bestows a vivid imagination (this is where he gets his mimicking and language skills from) and with Pluto in Virgo at the point of this formation, it shows great technical ability and intense need to get every detail correct. Pluto sextile to Mercury shows a deep searching mind, someone who loves getting to the bottom of the human psyche; indeed rather like the mind of a psychiatrist and one looking for the deeper meaning of life & of everything around him. I told you Dr Greg was autobiographical, didn’t I?? There is a downside to this mini grand trine though. When one analyses oneself so much as he will and the self-doubt cuts across you, as Saturn does opposing the mind (Mercury) and affecting the self (Sun), then depression can set in. The one with the searching mind needs psychological help to help themselves. Hugh has openly admitted he suffers with depression and has sought help to alleviate these problems.

I am sure that it will not be long before Hugh crops up again on another hit TV series as his personal profile is sky high. The decision for the end of the series comes as transiting Pluto squares Hugh’s nodal axis, a change in emphasis and a break to start new projects and transiting Uranus is now square to Hugh’s Mercury Saturn opposition, saying to him time to move on.

New Moon in Pisces – Beware of an unexpected storm.

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:45:51 PST

I don’t often look at New Moons on Solaris Astrology unless they are eclipses. The New Moon in Pisces this month is a little different, and appears to my eyes at least as if it will be quite potent. The New Moon presents a decent time for us to start off new ideas and get things off the ground that we have been working on. This approaching New Moon however definitely has caught my eye. Reaching exactitude on the evening of 21st February UK time, it is a corker and could trigger off any amount of nasty and disruptive action around the world. Let me explain…

This New Moon will be the first one in Pisces since the Neptune ingress a few days ago occurring at 2:42 Pisces. New Moons in Pisces herald the end of one cycle of life and point towards when the Moon will enter into Aries next time, the beginning of a new one. By now, we should have learnt all the emotional lessons that we needed to learn in the year. Often it is a good time for rest and recuperation, for contemplation and repose, before Spring comes and new growth starts. This New Moon conjuncts to Neptune and Chiron, the wounded healer, however before you get the candles and incense out to celebrate all this spiritual energy, beware. Neptune in Pisces can be very deceptive and Chiron not only can initiate healing but also wounding and hurt & this particular New Moon goes out of this astrological cycle with a huge bang with maybe some casualties along the way.

The New Moon moment features a very stressful pointer aspect including Neptune conjunct the Sun & Moon, with Mercury, Uranus and Venus all making stressful aspects to Mars opposite at 17.47 Virgo. As I said, New Moons initiate things, and here we have an almost exact quindecile between Uranus and Mars. The last time these two planets collided in a quindecile aspect, a very focused stream of energy, was on 17th December 2011 when a devastating tropical storm hit the Philippines killing hundreds of people, there were violent clashes in Cairo and even protests in Belgium of all places. Mars shows force and Uranus shows the potential for shock and trauma. I think that the possibility of some sort of accident or natural disaster will be much higher than normal, the New Moon being the trigger activating the Uranus Mars quindecile. Mars is also opposite to Mercury and inconjunct to Virgo in go ahead Aries, so maybe there will be some public disagreements or arguments that will hit the headlines.

Anyone with personal planets on 17/18 Virgo conjunct to Mars or at 2/3 Aries conjunct to Uranus’ position may well feel the effects of this quindecile. If you do have any connections here, be careful as you may be accident prone around this time. For the rest of us, this New Moon brings a wealth of vibrant energy that we can use to good effect. Seeing as both Saturn and Mars are retrograde, I would desist from starting any new ideas from scratch, however anything that you are currently working on something it can get in a shot in the arm from this New Moon which will be trine to disciplined Saturn sextile to expansive Jupiter and conjunct to inspirational Neptune.

It is hugely difficult to pick through all the aspects on the charts and work out what may well happen in the world because of them. One has to look at recent events and other historical precedence to formulate some sort of idea. I have looked at countless people and countries in writing this piece and those who will feel the New Moon set up more than most include…

Syria – The New Moon squares to both natal Uranus and Mars so the violence will continue unabated. Transiting Mars opposes the Syrian Moon which shows violence towards the suffering population. A ray of light though. Transiting Jupiter is square to the nodal axis and natal Jupiter, so might we at last see some international intervention to try and clear up the horrible situation in the country?

Iran – Mars conjuncts the Iranian North Node and as I explained in my earlier post last month this may be the pointer of things to come. The closest midpoint in action over this New Moon is Neptune square Sun/North Node. Noel Tyl this indicated feeling that relationships are threatening and bothersome. Will Iran get more aggressive because of this New Moon?

Israel – Erratic Uranus is trine to Israel’s Midheaven and Moon and transiting Pluto is quindecile to natal Uranus & square to Neptune. With transiting Saturn almost conjunct to Israel’s Scorpio ascendant, I think there will be more than a little tension in the air with these outer planets making connection. Mars at the time of the New Moon will be hitting the exact midpoint of Moon and Ascendant which sounds very hair trigger and the people calling for action by the state.

Palestine – Uranus hits within a degree of the Palestinian Mars and with Mars quindecile this point. There is a distinct possibility of things “kicking off” again in Gaza and the West Bank. This time could be a turning point for the Palestinian people as the transiting Nodes will be exactly square the natal Nodal Axis. Transiting Saturn will also be one degree off an exact square to the Palestinian Moon representing the people, which could see death or Israeli authorities putting up yet more barriers up against the population.

USA – The New Moon makes a trine to both the US Venus and Jupiter so for once good financial news may well be coming out and boosting the US Economy, for a while at least.

UK – The new Moon hits exactly bang on to the second on the UK’s Pluto and Mars is 0.05 degrees from an exact quindecile to this conjunction. Now Pluto rules the 2nd house of UK finance and possessions & Mars rules the 7th house of dealing with other nations. Will decisions from abroad, perhaps the European Union affect the UK financial position, or more pertinently will the Falkland Islands argument with Argentina flair up again? Mars quindecile Pluto can be a destructive and/or a controlling forceful influence and remember at a New Moon the reflected energy of the Sun is extinguished. Could this be a signal for a significant death or deaths or a significant loss of power? Cancer rules the Midheaven so there could be something important happening at the top of British society.

Argentina – The New Moon is quindecile to Argentina’s natal Mars so tensions and bravado in Argentina may rise on the back of it. Transiting Mars will be sextile to the Argentinian Sun and trine the Moon so any aggressive action will get support from the top and also from the people. Venus rules the Argentinian natal chart with Libra being on the Ascendant, and transiting Venus will on New Moon day will square the Moon, square to the natal Sun and Midheaven, trine to Mars and quindecile to international Jupiter. Something tells me that something is gonna happen between the UK and Argentina, although it might not be violent, possibly an international decision on the fate of the Falklands affecting both countries.

France – With election fever starting to rise in France (the Presidential election is held on 22nd April), the New Moon squares the French natal Moon, and is trine to Jupiter and square to Saturn, so the campaign for winning the votes of the people will rev into gear. Transiting Saturn will be half a degree from connection with the French natal Neptune, so look for some scandal or hidden truths to come out which may completely upset the presidential race.

Russia – As I have written on this blog before, I think Russia could get quite tense in February. The New Moon and Neptune opposes the Russian Moon so we may well see the people could come out again onto the streets in opposition to Vladimir Putin and his party United Russia. Mars is square to Mars which looks violent and transiting Uranus square to the Russian Sun so I think everything could get quite messy.

Australia – The new Moon squares the 2nd/8th house nodal axis so big business and finance issues may well be on the agenda in Australia, with problems coming out of the woodwork that Julia Gillard may not be expecting. The Aussie PM has the New Moon and Neptune trine her Mercury/Mars conjunction which itself is being challenged by Saturn, which sounds to me as if she may have to be dealing with some industrial disputes of some sort in the not too distant future.

China – This New Moon hits almost exactly quindecile to the natal Pluto Mars conjunction in the Chinese chart and is trine to freedom loving Uranus. Will the Tibet question raise it’s ugly head again? There have been some self-immolations in Lhasa in protest to Chinese occupation and rule recently. Might we see a crackdown on the province again. Transiting Pluto square to the Chinese Sun does seem to back this view up. On the Tibet chart, the New Moon is square to the Tibetan Saturn and trine to natal Pluto, so some extra control may well imposed.

Chile – The last major earthquake to hit Chile happened on 27th Feb 2010, a gigantic 8.8 on the Richter scale. This Full Moon hits exactly quindecile the Moon position of the moment of the quake and transiting Mars lands bang on the Midheaven to the second. With Uranus exactly quindecile this position and opposing Saturn’s position on this day, could another huge quake hit in a similar region off the Chile coast?

South Africa - The new Moon hits South Africa’s chart conjunct to the natal Moon, affecting in the process the people. The South Node will be one degree from conjunct with the South African Sun and Midheaven and at the same time the transiting North Node will be quindecile to Pluto in the South African 10th house. Might a figure of great importance in South Africa pass away?

The New Moon on the 21st should bring good fortune to actress Demi Moore (who needs it) and presenter Jay Leno as they both receive a lovely hit on their natal Jupiter. Kelsey Grammar has the full Moon connect with his natal Sun, so new work or opportunities may come his way. Colin Firth has Mars conjunct his natal Sun. Colin in my opinion will have to be very careful indeed to avoid any risky situations as transiting Uranus will be conjunct his Mars/Saturn midpoint. This could be a dangerous time for him as he also has transiting Pluto quindecile his natal Mars!!!

****** UPDATE – 21st Feb 2012 ***************************************************************************

Click here - "Water World" discovered by scientists on the day of the New Moon in Pisces

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Saturn Retrograde – Teaching you patience and discipline.

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:17:35 PST

Tomorrow on 8th February 2012, Saturn goes into retrograde mode, pulling back for a last time in Libra before it moves into the sign of Scorpio. Saturn has been moving through Libra since November 2009 and has been highlighting partnerships and relationships. The retrograde period will last between the 8th Feb and 26th June.

This is the last time that you will be able to review the relationships you have made in the past 3 years. Saturn in Libra is very serious about relationships, personal ones and business ones. Libra highlights fairness & equality and Saturn asks us how fairly we are treating other people around us. Have we been holding up our side of the bargain? The need for equality with Saturn in this sign is very important, however Saturn makes us wait and wait for the right time for that equal status to come our way. Saturn also highlights commitment and how seriously you are committing to your partner, friends, your business associates, your family, indeed anyone with whom you have a relationship. If you are not putting your full energy into these ties and if you are not abiding by the laws and rules, then Saturn will split asunder these commitments. It is likely in the last few years that you would have made a whole lot of significant relationships, and many others would have finished forever.

We are now coming to the end of this three year process. This final retrograde period starts right now. This will not be a good time to start brand new projects from scratch, as the likelihood is that as soon as Saturn gets moving forward, these projects will most likely have to be modified before they will work properly. This is especially true between now and mid April, as transiting Mars is also moving in retrograde motion. It is an essential time to make adjustments to ideas that you have had in the pipeline for a while, and it may be a perfect time to revisit and reacquaint yourself with people whom you have made commitments, in the past half year or so. This will also be the time to finish any unfinished business that you have carrying over from the last 6 months. Between now and June, you will find it a wonderful time to try and build on any skills that you have been using or implementing, perfecting techniques, studying and improving talents that you possess or have recently been learning.

I have found that Saturn retrograde does tend to put a barrier or two in the way for things we have started in the recent past. Authorities may turn around and say no, you can’t do things that way. Saturn retrograde can be a time of frustration, but it teaches us patience, to be disciplined to accept our personal limitations. Wherever Saturn is moving through your chart, expect life now to slow down significantly, for blocks or postponements to temporarily halt your progress, and for people to tell you that you can’t go as fast as you want to go. Look also to where Saturn is in your natal chart and the aspects it makes and receives indicating where this retrograde period will benefit and hinder you. If Saturn does make and stressful aspects to your natal planets, then you may find that you will have to work on those weaker areas of your personality that you may have neglected in the past.

The overriding sense of the next four and a half months will be one of learning patience and understanding that you do have limitations and learning to deal with them.

Do you want to find out how Saturn and the other planets will be affecting you? Please go to the link below, and you can order a natal chart report including a section at the end where I review where the planets are transiting now in relation to your personal chart, and how best you can use those energies.

**** Click here to order your personal chart astrology report. ****

Syria – The world sits and watches as the death toll rises.

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:17:57 PST

A bit more on the Syrian crisis which continues to dominate the news channels across the world. President Assad is continuing to assert his iron grip over an ever desperate population. Unlike in Libya, the world powers seem reluctant to step into the viper’s nest that is Syria, possibly because there are no oil reserve in the country, and a whole lot of potential religious problems to deal with if you get stuck in there. The world it seems has no more stomach for a drawn out conflict, as happened in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Russians who vetoed the latest round of proposed sanctions have self interest at heart, as they have provided Assad with much of the military hardware that he is using on his population, and China’s veto against sanctions probably was related to it’s own problems with Tibet which is bubbling again. The Chinese view seems to be that they do not want to sanction any intervention, because they themselves are supressing the Tibetan minority against their will, and their view is that the leaders of each country must be able to do exactly as they need to control their own people, and their right to national sovereignty is absolutely sacrosanct.

This chart is the one for the Assad regime, which has now been in power for 40 years. It features a huge opposition with Sun Venus and Jupiter opposing Moon and Saturn. Here we have the riches of the President opposed by the Moon in the 6th house of the common people, the general population held down in submission by the close conjunction of authoritarian Saturn. There is a deep polarity in the country with those supporting the regime pitted directly against those who don’t. We also see that the military seen by Mars conjunct to Uranus is in the 11th house of the ruling party of the government – the military is an organ of the state and uses shocking tactics if need be. Pluto the planet of control sits in the 10th house, so secret, brutal & underground control is the seen as the face of the nation, and this sextiles onto Mercury and Neptune in the first house which is deceptive and clouds the actual issues. The leader will tell you one thing, however the real truth is something else completely.

Normally I don’t include the aspects to the Nodal axis on a chart, but these ones are very revealing. Neptune and Mercury sit square to the nodal axis. The square to Mercury shows that the Assad regime’s thinking was at odds to the rest of the population and the square to Neptune showed the the majority were shut out, forced to live a different life from the ruling classes and completely misunderstood. if you get this sort of alienation in a country allied to the brutality and secret controls that the regime uses, then eventually patience will wear out with the majority, and the collective will rise up against it as has happened. On all mundane charts, Neptune represents the collective, and right now as Neptune enters Pisces and the 4th house, it is opposing the Midheaven (the leadership) and making a square aspect to the Neptune/Mercury conjunction. There is a connection too back to the last Solar Eclipse of 25th November which occurred at 2 Sagittarius, in conjunction with these two planets. By the end of March transiting Neptune itself will be square to this sensitive spot.

I have long held the belief that Spring 2012 might be the time when Assad would have to go. Notice how close Pluto now is to the natal Syrian Sun. It hits exactly in mid March this year, closely coinciding with Neptune’s squaring of the 25th November eclipse degree. The transits of Pluto often bring sweeping change and the effect of a delayed reaction to an eclipse degree, especially when it is on an important planetary connection in a chart just cannot be ignored. Pluto destroys and Neptune disintegrates. The power of these two planets will finally be brought to bare on the country as a whole.

One thing on this chart which does worry me is the connection in May 2012 of the South Node to the natal Uranus/Mars conjunction in the 8th house of public mortality. This connection may well coincide with a shocking event which may end up in loss of live. Mars square to Saturn from the 12th house of suffering, shows the military under orders stepping up their bombardment on the population. I also fear for events around the 1st of March when Mars will be directly opposite the Syrian Moon. Will the actions of the Syrian military on the people finally raise the consciousness of the international community? Aries ruled by Mars sits on the cusp of the 7th house of relations with other countries. Might an atrocity on the Syrian people finally persuade the Arab League, Europe or the US to act?

The planets to Assad’s chart show the transiting Nodes approaching a half return (North Node conjunct natal South Node). This connects exactly also in March. This will be a time when Assad has to react to circumstances out of his control. Often you have to adjust your life, change tack suddenly. Right now the Nodes are square to natal Saturn showing the pressure being put on his presidency. Notice also transiting Mars which is now moving in retrograde motion towards Assad’s Sun Pluto Uranus opposite Saturn opposition. Mars will connect here in February and again for a final time in late May/early June. Assad should be very careful around this time, as Mars conjunct Uranus/Pluto/Sun and opposite Saturn sounds very accident prone and dangerous, especially in the current climate as he is seen by many in Syria as public enemy number one. My own view is that Assad may well be persuaded to flee before he is replaced by force. Transiting Neptune squaring to the natal Neptune in Sagittarius on the Assad regime chart has international connotations, and the 4th house connection where this transit is doubled because Pisces is intercepted in the Syrian 4th house. I suspect the opposition forces (representing 4th house issues) will take control and Assad will flee into exile.

I will continue to keep a close eye on the events in Syria. I do have a concern as to what will fill the vacuum once Assad is toppled? Getting rid of nasty dictators is one thing, but with Neptune in nebulous Pisces for the next 14 years, we may find that general disruption and a anarchic or ultra religious regime replaces it. Egypt and all the problems that have been facing since replacing Mubarak does not look a good template to follow. With Syria’s proximity to Lebanon and Israel, the whole region could be much destabilized once the first hit of the Uranus Pluto square comes around early summer.

Charles Dickens – Celebrating the 200th anniversary of the great author’s birth.

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:56:01 PST

Today we in the UK and readers around the world are celebrating the life and the extraordinary writing talent that was Charles Dickens, as he was born exactly 200 years ago. As the Victorian era’s greatest author, Charles penned great novel after great novel hewn out of the adversity of his childhood years. The gritty realism of Victorian life was portrayed in great detail and his work not only entertains, but is a historical record of the era.

Charles Dickens was born on 7th February 1812 at 19.50 hrs in Portsmouth, England. He was a Sun sign Aquarian with a Sagittarian Moon and a Virgo Ascendant. Most of the planets on this chart sit below the horizon so I know that Charles would have had a lot of issues in his childhood to deal with, things that would have shaped his adult life considerably. Generally the planets are spread throughout the elements however there is a bit more mutability about this chart than cardinal and fixed signs, so Dickens would have been able to adapt to change which was forced upon him.

The Sun Moon combination shows an independently spirited man who very much needed to have his opinions respected. Aquarius is a social sign and Dickens’ view on Victorian society were chronicled in an honest and forthright way. When Jupiter and Uranus combine in a natal horoscope, there is always the chance for great fortune in one’s life, and Dickens got exactly the break he needed. When his father spent more than the family could afford after their move from Portsmouth to London, they were all imprisoned in Marshalsea debtor’s prison, all except 12 year old Charles who was allowed to stay with a family friend, Elizabeth Roylance. When Charles’ grandmother passed away, she left his father £450 allowing his family to leave the prison to fulfil all the talent that lie within. The money eventually allowed him to go to school to get some education, get a job in a lawyer’s office in Gray’s Inn and through his contacts there, he was able to do freelance reporting for the newspapers in nearby Fleet Street. From here his writing career blossomed.

The first thing that struck me about this chart knowing we are dealing with a writer is the Ascendant/Midheaven combination. Charles had the classic signature of a great one, Virgo ascendant and Gemini Midheaven. Look back in history and you will see this combination with Mercury prominent crops up regularly with people who had this type of ability; Jane Austen, Ernest Hemmingway and Charlotte Bronte all shared this combination, the ability to have a critical acumen & to seek perfection in communication. Of course we also have a mutable grand cross too involving the Ascendant and Midheaven. People with such a cross are very motivated, just because every so often circumstances come along because of transits to the cross that shake up your whole life, either in a good or bad way. Pluto is involved in the cross, so the motivation here was to succeed, to seek power and recognition. Pluto is a double edged sword, and to get to where you want to go, you have to put up with misfortune and tough times, things that test you to the limit and eventually transform you into the person you want to be.

it is known that Dickens had a particularly difficult relationship with his mother, who insisted he stay working at a Warren’s Blacking work warehouse even after the family got their inheritance as a lifeline. Warren’s was a particularly cruel and nasty place when the young Charles had worked 10-12 hours a day in cramped and dirty conditions to help pay off the family debts. With Saturn in Capricorn in the 4th house of home and the Moon being conjunct to Neptune and square to Pluto, we have plenty of tension here impacting on his relationship with his mother indicating that it would not have been an easy one; Saturn in the 4th often shows a cold tough upbringing.

Charles was a voracious reader as well as a writer and Mercury in the 4th is the sign of the bookworm, the diarist and someone who records their experiences for posterity. Mercury in the 4th brings an introspective mind and in Capricorn not only shows ambition to communicate in one’s career but also gives one a clear organised point of view unimpressed by exaggeration and false claims. This Mercury formed a mini grand trine with Uranus in the 3rd and the Virgo Ascendant. Charles would have had a very quick & inventive mind incorporated into his personality, as well as a quirky and sharp sense of humour. This formation also showed a huge critical acumen, perfect for journalism in which he excelled. The Aquarian Sun square to Uranus and trine to the Midheaven is very humanitarian and through his work (Midheaven) and his creative talent (Sun in 5th house), he highlighted inequality and the awful conditions that the working classes of the time had to endure. The Aquarian Sun sympathises and identifies with the underdog and the oppressed.

The Sun in the 5th house loves and adores children, and Charles certainly did, he fathered 10 with his wife Catherine. She would have been a very active and creative influence on his life, with Mars in the 7th house of permanent partners and mystical and inspirational Pisces on the 7th house cusp. This Sun also feeds into the grand cross in his chart via a sextile to the natal 3rd house Moon Neptune conjunction. Moon Neptune is very sensitive and compassionate and Charles expressed his feelings openly through his work. This conjunction was trine to Mars in forthright Aries showing passionate views, and it is safe to sat that even though he was a sensitive soul, Charles Dickens did not mince his words. He would have been outspoken and unafraid to speak the truth as he saw it.

We find Pluto and Venus together in the 6th house in Pisces. Here is an intense passion for the perfect world, and frustration with anything that would prevent this ideal being carried out in the world around you. Victorian London was dirty, corrupt, tough, hard and poverty was rife. This would have tugged at Dickens’ heartstrings and this is one of the reasons that he wrote about all that surrounded him. Pluto connecting to most areas of the chart would have pushed him to be a notable person of the time, and gave him a real work ethic. He would have huge reserves of stamina, and he worked continuously until his death in June 1870.

Charles’ Jupiter sat in the 10th house of career and this is a wonderful position for Jupiter to be, as it brings an ability for your work to touch the lives of many people around the globe. He had the fortune to travel to the United States showing Jupiter’s international connections with his work. It also opposed Saturn showing a balanced approach to life, the realism of working within your means combined with boundless optimism and hope. Jupiter also makes a quindecile to Neptune and the Moon. Dickens’ novels, despite the darker gritty nature of much of the subject matter always had a ray of emotional hope inbuilt within the structure of his novels and essays, the ability to grab victory and enlightenment out of the jaws of despair and defeat. In tough and turbulent times his writing resonated with the public at large, and he became England’s most famous novelist of the era.

As we celebrate his anniversary, I think the words he wrote are just as relevant as they ever were. We too now live in difficult times, and maybe we should reflect on some of the wisdom that Charles Dickens had, as it might do us some good.

“Reflect on your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some” – Charles Dickens.

Pippa Middleton – Enjoying life without all the pressure of her sister.

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:49:27 PST

She was at the royal wedding last year as the maid of honour, but arguably Pippa Middleton stole the show ahead of her more illustrious sister. She has created an image since the wedding as a bit of a socialite and someone who likes to have a good time. To all reports, she is currently going out with George Dominic Percy, the heir to the Dukedom of Northumberland. Her astrology says that changes are going to affect her life as 2012 moves on.

Philippa Charlotte Middleton was born on 6th September 1983 in Reading like her sister. I do not have an official birth time and if anyone does know it I would love to receive it. Astrotheme does quote 04.40am but this time is unverified, and I am sceptical of it’s origin. She is a Sun Sign Virgo, with probably a Virgo Moon, although if she was born before 05.00am then she will have a proud Moon in Leo.

This is a very fiery and mutable chart. She will have lots of enthusiasm with 5 (possibly 6 planets in fire signs) and with 5 (maybe 6 planets) in mutable signs - Mercury is on the cusp of Virgo and Libra and through this day changed signs. As such, Pippa is someone who adapts to change will more ease than most. With Sun in Virgo there is a modest charm to Pippa. Correct and neat of appearance, Virgos are very down to earth and practical but they do also worry behind the scenes; Virgos are also great at getting all the little details right. Virgo energy can be quite critical and this will be much enhanced if Pippa’s Moon is also in this sign. You know the image of Virgos in the public sphere is that they sort of hold back a little bit in a social sense, but I disagree. Virgos can go the other way and be very outgoing indeed if the other planets suggest so. On this chart, we have both Virgo and Mars in Leo which is very showy, very glamorous and enjoys fun and romance. Venus is retrograde, so even though Pippa will enjoy the adoration of being centre of attention, in relationships she will be far more circumspect and will try to keep things under wraps. Not much chance of that with the world’s media following your every move. One thing though, she will like someone with a big personality; Venus in Leo needs their Prince Charming, someone who will shower them with affection and love.

The fact that Pippa is working in party planning is very appropriate. The Venus/Mars conjunction makes a trine to Neptune in Sagittarius, which emphasises a creative streak in her. This trine in turn makes a mini grand trine with a heavyweight Pluto and Saturn conjunct. Of course, Saturn here signifies work and profession. Neptune in broadminded Sagittarius also makes a square to Mercury on the cusp of Virgo and Libra. Mercury here shows an attention to getting all the vital details correct and it’s proximity to the Libran cusp brings a social chatty edge, perfect with dealing with people.

We have 3 signs Sagittarius here which do compliment this very outgoing nature that she seems to have. Neptune as I said is in Sagittarius which has big expansive dreams and ideals. We also find Jupiter closely conjunct to Uranus which is very, very outgoing. This is fun and joy taken to a high extreme, she may well be more than a bit of a risk taker and she will be very generous, warm and friendly. Anyone who does date her better have a big bank balance too as this girl will like to spend in an extravagant way. The trine from these two planets to the Moon shows someone who will be sympathetic to others if they do make a mistake, with this aspect one always tends to give the benefit of the doubt and to give a second chance. Uranus square to the Moon is very spontaneous and lively, and conveys an emotional freedom. It is not always easy to keep relationships on an even keel with this square, as one can be emotionally a bit erratic as well. One often wants to move on to experience the next exciting emotional encounter.

The Saturn/Pluto conjunction here on this chart shows the potential for very high achievement and a prominent position in life; here we have ambition and power taken to it’s extreme. Pippa will be very interested in making a name for herself, and just because of her position as sister to the future Queen of England, she may well be gently pushed I might think into a wedding with someone of similar standing as Prince William.

George Dominic Percy (born 4th May 1984) seems to be the chosen one at the moment. He is actually not a bad match as he has a Taurean Sun in earth like her Virgo Sun and his Moon is in Gemini which would go really well with a Leo Moon if she was born before 05.00am. If he was born early in the morning, then his Moon would conjunct her Nodal axis which would initiate an electric attraction between them. There would be plenty of fireworks as his Mars in Scorpio squares her Venus in Leo (that’s hot stuff) and her Mars squares his Sun which also lively to say the least.

Looking to the future for Pippa, transiting Saturn is now right in the middle of her Pluto Saturn conjunction, so there are big changes afoot for her this year. Saturn stays around these two planets until October 2012 so it is not beyond the realms of possibility that maybe there might be an announcement about an engagement before the year is out. At the same time that Saturn is hitting these two planets it will also be sextile to Venus and Neptune too. Any major connection to Pluto does indicate a transformation of sorts in one’s life and the Saturn return often shows one maturing and taking on more responsibility in life.

Superbowl XLVI – Will the Giants or Patriots come out on top?

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:29:45 PST

They call it the greatest show on earth, the day America stops in it’s tracks. Superbowl 46 is here and this time it is being held in Indianapolis. Kelly Clarkson is scheduled to sing the American national anthem, Madonna provides the half-time entertainment and oh yeah, there’s a game of gridiron to be played with two superstar NFL quarterbacks, Tom Brady of the Patriots and Eli Manning of the Giants. In an astrological sense there are a couple of ways you can look at the game. Looking at the individual teams and focusing on the quarterbacks. I’m going to do both to try and pick a winner.

The New York Giants were formed on 1st August 1925 by Tim Mara, a New York bookmaker after he paid 500$ for the team franchise. Through the season, the Giants overcame the odds to get to the final game, defeating both Green Bay and the San Fran 49ers in their own backyards on their way to Indianapolis. Looking at the transit chart above, transiting Jupiter has been square to their Nodal axis and trine to Venus (the chart ruler) and Mercury for most of the season, which has brought them fortune when they have most needed it. On a deeper level, Jupiter is sitting within one degree of the Sun/Node midpoint which could bring them public acclaim and success.

The New England Patriots were founded on 16th November 1959 as the final expansion team of that year. Boston businessman Billy Sullivan who was granted the franchise asked the people of Boston to choose a nickname and the Boston Patriots were born. Taking a look at the transits chart, we have Jupiter trine to Saturn and Pluto bringing a steady organised and determined quality to the team. Transiting Pluto square to Venus brings an intensity to the group and transiting Uranus is conjunct the South Node and square to Saturn. Aquarius rules the chart, so is this a potential for unexpected events that could cost them or benefit them – look out for special teams and trick plays? Looking at the Midpoint picture the Sun will be square to the Sun/Neptune midpoint which could be disorientating or inspirational. I take the latter view here, as Neptune in the natal chart is well aspected.

No matter how the teams play, the state of mind of the quarterbacks will be equally key. Eli and Tom are both highly talented and could make the vital difference to the ultimate success of their teams.

Eli Manning was born on 3rd Jan 1981 in New Orleans, Louisiana (no birth time). On Superbowl day he has Pluto square to Jupiter and Saturn which is stressful but can be a platform for great achievement if you can deal with the pressure. Transiting Uranus and Venus is trine to natal Uranus, which will bring him a spark of inventiveness and an independent attitude no matter what is going on around him. Transiting Jupiter will be almost exactly square his natal Mars giving optimism and good energy. By the midpoints, Eli is has both good and not so good. The Sun will be square to Saturn/Neptune so he will have the feeling that he will be burdened by hard work as if he is carrying the team on his back. The Sun will also be square to Jupiter/Neptune which brings does follow the dream but could end up with disappointment. Through this aspect he will also have to be careful not to get too idealistic & complacent. Jupiter will be opposite the Jupiter/Uranus and Saturn/Uranus midpoints which is generally lucky and progressive.

Tom Brady was born on 3rd August 1977 in San Mateo, California at 11.48am. A proud Leo his chart on the day has a really highly energized look, which I don’t see as a good thing unless you can keep a particularly cool head. See all those aspects. Trying to pick out individual aspects from the morass of connections is tricky. Tom’s Jupiter Venus conjunction receives trines from steady Saturn and elusive Neptune so on top of things one minute and rather disorganised the next. Transiting Pluto will be square to both his natal Pluto and Moon which is very intense and highly charged and emotional. Pluto is also going to be trine to his Mercury in Virgo, so Tom will be thinking at a deep analytical level. Transiting Mars will be quindecile to the Moon which as well as being aggressive and decisive can also get frustrated and angry. Will this high emotional level get the better of him? We see transiting Jupiter and transiting Uranus quindecile to Tom’s Libran ascendant which brings luck and an impulsive attitude. Jupiter is sextile to his natal Jupiter, again lucky but possibly over confident? The nearest midpoints to exact on the day for Tom is transiting Uranus opposite Neptune/Midheaven which is very impatient and a bit self-righteous but also creative and Pluto opposite to Jupiter/Midheaven which shows the potential for extraordinary success and recognition.

If you are wondering, I am a British astrologer with absolutely no team allegiance in this game whatsoever. I have always supported the Miami Dolphins, and they haven’t looked as if they would get to the Superbowl in ages!!!!

I think this one could be a close game, and if you were to put me on the spot (here I go shooting myself firmly in the foot), I would just favour the Patriots to win a thriller (27-24) and Tom Brady, because of that Pluto opposite Jupiter/Pluto midpoint, in the process picking up his 4th Superbowl ring and emulating the great Joe Montana. Enjoy the game.

The two horoscopes of the two Quarterbacks – Eli Manning & Tom Brady

**** Update 6th Feb 2012 ****

So the Giants won a close one 21-17 and my prediction above was wrong. One thing I can say is that both quarterbacks and both teams played a fantastic game, & as I suspected it would, it went right down to the wire. I must admit I was torn to who would win between the two, the astrology was not clearly better for one side or another and that’s why I called a close final score. How one can work out who will win when both teams were so evenly matched is very difficult for any astrologer to predict correctly. Especially tricky as it went down to a couple of crucial plays late in the game to who would come out on top. Well done the New York Giants, they are gonna have some ticker tape parade to celebrate…

Russia – A bear with a sore head in 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:01:35 PST

The modern post-communist Russia was born out of the wave of revolution of the late 80’s and early 90’s as the Soviet Bloc and Iron Curtain were dismantled country by country, piece by piece. The people had had enough of the old staid authoritarian rule and wanted some Western freedoms, and goods in the shops. When I was in Eastern Europe around the same time, I heard all the stories of people queuing for tomatoes, just because there had just been a delivery to the state run grocery store. You never knew when you would have the chance to purchase them again. Under the leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev whose policy of Glasnost loosened the cords and the revolutionary passion of Boris Yeltsin who rose to power sweeping away the old guard, Russia was swept into a new capitalist era, where the old communists became the new capitalists and the poor stayed, well poor as they always were. At least under the new philosophy there were more things to buy and people grumbled but were a bit more content. The rise of Vladimir Putin however has seen the country lurch back to many of the old ways of thinking. The free press which burst up in 1991 like spring flowers after a deep freeze winter has had an iron grip placed on it again, and the latest round of elections were tainted by alleged massive vote rigging by Putin’s United Russia party. Protests are planned again this February as exceptionally harsh winter bites in Eastern Europe. The natives are restless and the Russian bear is once again waking this time with a rather sore head.

The Russian chart I use (there are more than one) is the latest one born out of the 1991 revolution. It is set for Christmas day 1991 at 19.19 in Moscow as Gorbachev stepped down signalling the end of the Soviet Union, and Yeltsin took control of newly liberated Russia. We have a grand earth trine on this chart showing the people (Moon) in the first house taking control of the administration of the country (Sun/Midheaven). Pluto conjunct to Venus in Scorpio in the 4th house of democracy is square to the ascendant showing that it was the official opposition to those in charge at the time as well as social pressure that brought democratic transformation to the country. The signs of these planets show the transformation too. Scorpio ruled by Pluto sits across the 4th house cusp and Taurus ruled by Venus sits on the Midheaven representing the top of society. This period in history was when Uranus and Neptune were together in Capricorn, showing revolution against (Uranus) and disintegration (Neptune) of authority structures and the bringing down of government (Capricorn). It is also really interesting that Saturn in Aquarius was square to the Midheaven on that day as well as quindecile the ascendant. Boris Yeltsin who assumed power (Saturn square Midheaven) on that day was himself an Aquarius (born 1st Feb 1930).

It is interesting that after the revolution and liberalisation of the markets in Russia, prices rose dramatically shown by Jupiter in the 2nd house of money showing expansion. Moscow is now one of the most expensive places on earth in which to live. Many Russian entrepreneurs have criss-crossed the globe investing their money also showing the international side of Jupiter in the 2nd. Saturn in Aquarius in the 6th house has shown that the working classes have had it tough under the Putin regime, and it is the ordinary people who are now showing their displeasure. Capricorn ruled by Saturn also rules this 6th house of the ordinary man in the street. Mercury sits in the 4th house which is a tricky placement as this shows that those in the media generally oppose what the leadership is all about.

I explored what is happening in Russia a month or so ago in my planetary predictions for February. At that time I wrote -

“On 21st February, we have a very potent new Moon. It is part of a very stressful pointer with the New Moon semi-sextile to Uranus and both almost exactly quindecile to Mars. Mars also goes on to make a second quindecile contact to Neptune on 27th February. The first meeting of these two planets on 10th December saw the start of protests in Russia in Moscow after the “rigged” elections. there is likely to be a reaction or continuation of this situation now. Neptune quindecile Mars clouds the issues and rules collective or society (Neptune) action (Mars). Possibly this time there will be a backlash by the authorities? Mars will be squaring the Russian Mars and Neptune will be exactly opposing the Russian Moon representing the people (using the 25/12/91 @ 19.19 Russian chart). I think some of disruption again in Moscow is not out of the question as transiting Uranus will be almost square to the Russian natal Sun. If, so then rebellion, freedom and transparency of rule will be called for by the ordinary man in the street to the people in power. Whether it will make any difference is another point entirely, as transiting Pluto will be approaching a connection with the Russian North Node in authoritarian Capricorn, possibly tightening the grip of those in power over those who have little say, and bringing underground, secret controls affecting a population who knew them two decades before.”

In addition I failed to add that transiting Neptune will be also approaching an exact opposition to the natal Moon but this will not be exact until May 2012. Neptune transits are often subtle but now in Pisces and Pisces ruling the 8th house of change, public mortality and death, I wonder how this aspect will play itself out. Interestingly, Cancer ruled by the Moon is ruling the Russian 12th house of suffering, prisons & the secret services. Will significant arrests inflame the public mood? The 7th house is the house of foreign relations. Will actions from insurgent groups from outside of Russia cause pain suffering and death within Russian borders? Will the Russian Secret Services, the FSB, tighten their grip on the population through covert actions? I rather suspect that the final suggestion I may will be nearest to the truth. There seems to be a bit of a pattern here of crackdown and protest, as transiting Saturn opposes the Midheaven in November this year. Saturn as I said earlier on this chart represents the working classes, so here again is the possibility for dissention and opposition of the leadership. The year 2012 looks as if it is going to be quite and unstable one in Moscow and on the Russian Steppe.

Prince William – The image of his mother. Examining the horoscope of the Duke of Cambridge.

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:45:18 PST

He flew off today for a 6 week tour of duty flying helicopters in the Falkland Islands. Prince William of Wales faces some military service on a set of islands claimed by Argentina off who’s coastline they lie. With tensions between the UK & Argentina already a little strained, all eyes will be on the young Prince to see how he does and how he copes.

I don’t say it often, but this is a lovely, easy going chart. William was born on 21st June 1982 at 21.03 hrs in London (I remember it well). He has Sun and Moon together in Cancer, a new Moon baby he was also born on the day of a Solar Eclipse; a special time indeed. His Ascendant sits in easy going Sagittarius, bringing a wide eyed and open attitude to the more security conscious Sun and Moon. Now it is said that new Moon babies see their parents as one entity, however I have found there there does seem to be a strong identification to the Mother. With both Sun and Moon in Cancer this pull will be incredibly strong with William, and her death would have shaken him to the core. With the Moon receiving a square from forceful Mars and Venus ruling the 4th house representing the mother opposed by Uranus, the planet of shocks and accidents, one can see the tragic way that Diana Princess of Wales passed away. The Moon is also opposed by Neptune indicating that there is a possibility of a secret or a cover-up over her in some way. With regard to his father Prince Charles I think he has an equally good and very generous relationship as he had with Diana, although with the Sun Neptune opposition I suspect he might find Charles a little obtuse and elusive to deal with at times. Just from Wills’ astrology chart with the proximity of the Moon and Neptune to the Sun through the oppositions, there is the possibility that he was also “involved” in any potential cover-up. All speculation on my part I may add. I have no proof whatsoever apart from what I see on William’s chart, and I suspect we will never know for sure what really happened to her.

The main feature on this chart is a multi-planet wedge formation based around the Sun Moon conjunction opposing the ascendant and Neptune completed by trines and sextiles to the Midheaven, Jupiter and Pluto. These two planets are joined in a packed 9th house by Saturn and Mars. The Sun and Moon are in the 7th house so his relationship to Kate will be paramount for him and he will protect it and and any children they may have in the future with all his might. William knows he is in a public role, but I bet he hates being centre of attention. Cancerians are friendly but private, their home is their castle (quite literally in William’ case) and they will lock themselves away if given the chance. The security of themselves and those around them is of utmost importance. Making and keeping good relationships with other people really is in William’s DNA and there are several links from his new moon conjunction to the planets in the 9th house of international affairs.

There is a huge emphasis of travelling and working with people abroad on this chart. Mars in the 9th house shows a link to military service in foreign lands. Ok the Falkland Islands are not “foreign” but it may well be that William does fly his helicopter in other countries on British military service. Saturn in conjunction with Mars shows his allegiance to his armed forces as one day he will be in honorary command. Pluto and Jupiter shows great interest of foreign culture and William will want to explore as much of the world as he can. They also show the great power that at some point in his life he will inherit. Jupiter is the sign of fortune, and Pluto shows inheritance from a death and this of course is connected to his Midheaven, public role as King to be. Saturn in the 9th house shows his obligations and duty when on foreign soil. Saturn in the 9th doesn’t show him as an outstanding student but knowledge and learning would have been very important to him and his university days would have been hard graft, but something he enjoyed and was committed to.

Prince William is ostensibly a peace loving man. Neptune sits in his 12th house conjunct to his Sagittarian ascendant opposite to the Sun and Moon. Neptune softens his personality immensely, there is not an aggressive bone in his body, and just by looking at him, you can tell. His military work is in the form of search and rescue. This helping those in need is very representative of the 12th house Neptune which urges service to the suffering. He picks this trait of course up from his mother, and here is an opposition from Moon to Neptune confirming this. Humanitarian Uranus sits in the 11th house of groups and associations, so he will continue on Diana’s charity work in her name and honour.

We have two planets in the creative 5th house Mercury and Venus opposed by Uranus. Venus is in Taurus which is very romantic and loyal. He will treat Kate like the Queen she will become, and he will wish that the honeymoon period of his marriage could last forever. Mercury in Gemini in the 5th shows a quick inventive and creative mind. He will love puzzles and games and things to stretch his intellect. William may be quite a chatterbox behind the scenes, Mercury in Gemini has a childlike quality and being opposed to Uranus, the future king will be very tech savvy and will enjoy the odd practical joke. The Uranus Venus opposition explains why he waited so long before popping the question to Kate. He will very much value his freedom and would have wanted to enjoy his bachelor days as long as he was able to do so. Venus in the 5th house is rather creative, loves music, entertainment and sport.

Mercury makes trines to Mars and Saturn, so he will communicate in a thoughtful and serious manner and Mercury trine Mars brings authority to the way he expresses himself. This is someone who is capable of leading and giving direction to those around him. This by the way is not his royal training, this is natural in his natal chart.

Pluto, Saturn and Mars are all in Libra, the relationship sign, so even though he is deeply in love with Kate (I looked at their chart and the synastry is fantastic - see the link below), it will be hard work and life will not be so easy at times. This is born out by the Nodal axis, with the North Node in the 7th house. This is a position where marriage will be the making of him, but was a huge and difficult step for him to take. I have found any planet square to this axis tends to get in the way of this ultimate direction and happiness in life. We find Mars and Saturn square to the Nodal Axis. Thus I feel his military service (Mars) and duty to the country (Saturn) will affect that relationship with Kate, the one he values so strongly. He will have to find a balance between his duties and his responsibilities to his wife. It will not be an easy one to achieve, but it would be one I would urge him to find.

William’s tour of duty in the Falklands sees transiting Jupiter (planet of international travel) exactly on his nadir opposite to his Midheaven. Transiting Saturn sits on his natal Jupiter in the 9th house so his trip abroad will be tough and be full of hard work. No slacking even for a Prince in the Royal Air Force. Transiting Pluto representing his Scorpio Midheaven opposes his Moon so this will be an emotionally tough time separated from Kate as his work profile increases.

So now to the burning question. When is William and Kate going to have a baby? I think we may see an announcement at the start of December 2012. At that point the nodal axis will hit his natal Venus in his 5th house of children. Venus always seems to herald a happy event when touched by the Nodes. This would mean maybe a mid/late July 2013 birth and at that time transiting Jupiter would have moved round to conjunct his Sun/Moon conjunction in the 7th house of his wife in the process being trine to his Midheaven and natal Jupiter ruling his Ascendant. Neptune will be trine to the Midheaven and Moon and square to Uranus, which to me is a sudden rush of emotion, a dream being made reality? Transiting Venus (ruling his 5th house of Children) on the 17th & 18th July 2013 will be trine his ascendant, square to it’s own position and sextile to Pluto which rules his public profile. Transiting Uranus will be square the nodal Axis and opposing both Mars and Saturn, a very significant point on his chart. Something unexpected is going to happen, of that I am sure which will affect him (Capricorn in 1st through Saturn), his self worth (Aquarius in 2nd – Uranus) and his local environment and possibly his brother Harry (Aries in 3rd – Mars). Trying to work out these transits is very tricky you know!! Incidentally, Wills’ progressed Moon on this date will in his 8th house of permanent change and will be sextile to his natal Jupiter and Midheaven, bringing the potential of a lucky and happy event.

I must explain here that this is a complete shot in the dark in regard to predicting a potential royal baby, however to me it looks good and seems to hit all the right areas. We as they say shall see if I have hit the nail on the head, or if I am completely wrong. You’ve gotta to be in it to win it :)

LINKS

The relationship analysis between William and Kate (now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge)

Demi Moore – Having problems dealing with separation

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:04:44 PST

It is sad seeing any relationship breaking down and some people deal with the heartbreak better than others. Demi Moore is visibly having a tough time after her marriage to Ashton Kutcher who is 16 years her junior started to fail. She has noticeably lost weight recently and the worry and stress of the whole situation can be seen over her face. Looking at the her astrology chart, it is very noticeable why she is taking things so badly.

Demi was born on 11th November 1962 in Roswell, New Mexico at 14.16 hrs. She is a Sun sign Scorpio with a possessive Taurean Moon and has an elusive Piscean Ascendant. This is a hugely emotional and fixed chart with 5 planets and the ascendant in water signs and no less that 7 planets in fixed signs. Although a being hugely determined lady, Demi will also be very stubborn. People with fixed charts tend to react badly to change and as I will show, Demi is an extreme case in this.

The Sun in Scorpio and Moon in Taurus are in opposition and shows a need to build her life at a steady pace and in the process maintaining the status quo. Demi will like to keep things nicely in order and she will do this by use of control and being aware of everything going on around her. There is tremendous potential to do big things with this duo of planets and you are generally fine if you are on an upwards curve. Taurus builds the confidence and Scorpio shows a superior and strong presence. The problems set in once you get over the hill and start going down. If change is forced upon the Taurean Moon, the emotional Scorpio side of this combination starts to dominate through worry and stress, then it can lead to the destruction of the personality.

The basis of this chart revolves around a stressful t-square. The Sun in opposition to the Moon in the 2nd is joined in the 8th house by Mercury, Venus & Neptune and this opposition is squared by Mars in Leo in the 5th house. The fact that we have a Sun Moon opposition, the planet of the father and the mother opposing each other bring the idea to mind that Demi’s parents had problems. To confirm this, the planets ruling the cusps of the parental axis (4th /10th houses) Mercury and Jupiter are both under stress too. Mercury receives the same square as the Sun from Mars and Jupiter is opposed by erratic Uranus. Demi’s parents split before she was born and she was brought up by her mother and step father. Neptune, the planet of drug use and alcohol is involved here too in these set of oppositions and it is reported that both Demi’s mother and step-dad had drink problems and fought regularly. If you see your parents fighting as a child, it tends to set a precedent in your head, as if this practise is the norm. You see them feeling bad about themselves, and in turn you feel bad about yourself. Demi’s self worth will be low with the emotions of the Moon opposed in the second. With Mars in the 5th house she may well associate the giving of love with a more physical aggressive approach and with Mercury, Neptune and Venus in Scorpio the 8th she may idealize the intimate the sexual side of relationships with people. There is a final twist too. Saturn sits in the 11th house of receiving love. Saturn here demands love shown to you. Demi desperately needs to be loved and adored, and if love, especially intimate love is not present and shown, it can lead to depression and feeling as if you are a failure.

The stellium in the 8th house shows a very private hidden & darker side to Demi’s personality. She will be quite mysterious, as if her personality exists on two levels. On the upper level we see Venus Sun Mercury and Neptune bringing a love of beauty and creativity, music, art & fashion enhanced further by the gentle Pisces ascendant. TV and film was a natural career avenue for Demi to go down, bringing her the adoration that the 11th house Saturn required. Here is a soft dreamy emotion laced with a spark of charisma brought about with the connection to a very confident Mars. Mars in Leo is very flash and loving the glamour of being in the spotlight. Demi will be unafraid of being photographed, indeed she will positively enjoy the attention and has done some very daring photo shoots. The 5th/8th house axis square shows a confidence of one’ s sexuality. Mars in the 5th is a risk taking position with a love of sport & games is shows an active attitude in regard to being with children. The Mars square to the Moon shows that Demi will have herself a fiery temper and her emotions will be out there for all to see. All this is on the outside, the Demi you see. The lower, deeper level of her personality shows great insecurity and secrecy. It is almost as her confidence is built on egg-shells. If she is being loved, if she is being successful then she will exude strong self- belief. If not all those insecurities will drag her down and down and down. The nature of Scorpio is to plummet the depths. The Scorpio Sun at some point in it’s evolvement must be transformed, and living through life as if one is on a rollercoaster is par for the course for anyone with a strong Scorpio influence in their chart.

Being a most sensitive soul with Pisces on the ascendant, any drop in self esteem does affect the health. Demi is especially at risk as her constitution is not only weakened by the Pisces ascendant, but her Sun’s energy is weakened yet further by the Sun’s conjunction to Neptune. This brings me onto the final 3 planets on the chart I have not yet looked at. Pluto and Uranus in Virgo sit in Demi’s 6th house of everyday work and health opposed by Jupiter in the 12th house in Pisces. We have a stressful opposition across the health axis of the chart in the two health signs Virgo and Pisces. Pluto and Uranus in the 6th shows a tyrant like but very disorganised and zealous attitude for work and personal health, bordering on obsession. Jupiter opposing only increases the scale of this, making her very impressionable. Demi will be obsessed in how she looks, she may work out like a demon to keep herself in trim & she will try out unusual health techniques and methods of healing. She has been known to use spiritual counselling in the past which bears this out. The reports of her suffering anorexia are not surprising considering the nature of this chart. Her need to look good is related to her need to feel lovable and be loved, and she will go to any lengths to make herself feel attractive. Pluto makes a sextile to Neptune, bringing the potential & the problems of a escapist attitude, and thus the possible use of narcotic substances and maybe alcohol to deaden the pain inside.

I always am concerned by a 6th/12th opposition as it can indicate future health problems when this axis is activated. The Taurean Moon is in a service position in the 2nd house, a position she shares with the late Princess Diana. With her charitable Jupiter in the 12th house of being generous to those who are suffering opposed by humanitarian Uranus, maybe this is one route that she can throw herself into to make when she needs to feel good about herself. Her Demi and Ashton foundation is a charity fighting child sexual slavery, a direct link to the 5th/8th house square linking children (5th house) with sexual exploitation (8th house).

Now her break up with him is at the heart of her current problems. Feeling unloved and rejected, all the emotions and demons in her chart which I mentioned are being brought to the surface. Those with fixed charts have to be dragged kicking and screaming to change their ways, and with no planets in cardinal signs, Demi will have little or no drive to do this on her own. It is very much a vicious circle that she finds herself in. The Solar Arc chart for Demi gives the clearest picture of the break up of her relationship with Solar Arc Saturn having come through a conjunction with the ascendant in the past couple of years and now being square to her Midheaven, signifying a major change in her family life. There is a light at the end of the tunnel though. Solar Arc Pluto is just over a year away from being square to the Nodal Axis. This aspect heralds a new important connection in her life, meeting someone who will have a life long relationship with her. Maybe, just maybe, she is going to meet the guy who will stand alongside her and her children for the rest of her life. For a very talented actress who needs some love and support right now, let’s hope that the planets will bring her some salvation.

Julian Assange – The whistle-blower who has become the scourge of governments worldwide.

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Saunders) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:23:17 PST

Since 2006 when Julian Assange set up the WikiLeaks website, Australian Julian Assange has more than ruffled a few feathers around the world. This complex man is also subject to a European arrest warrant for an alleged sexual assaults in Sweden. What makes him tick and motivates him? I delve into his horoscope to find out.

Julian was born on 3rd July 1971 in Townsville, Australia at 14.05 hrs (according to The Mountain Astrologer website). He is a Sun sign Cancerian with a deep intense Scorpio Moon and Ascendant. There is a watery, emotional backbone to this particular man. Notice how majority of the planets sit in the upper hemisphere of the chart counterbalanced only by Mars in Aquarius down in the fourth house. This Mars has a big part to play in this chart. There are 4 planets each in water and air and so Julian will be a communicator & a networker who uses his instincts to get through life. Emotions are intense with Julian, and he will experience highs and lows in equal strength. He will be prone to jealousy and excessive pride and how he deals with other people and is accepted or rejected by them will affect his moods immensely. The Scorpio influence here requires Julian to be someone of importance, yet someone who protects his own space and security. He needs to be known but remain private at the same time, a difficult balancing act to achieve.

With the Sun in Cancer, Julian will be quite sunny & friendly man (Cancerians I find often are) however in a very reserved way & he will protect himself and his loved ones if threatened. This is very private man at heart. The Sun sits just into the 9th house of knowledge and international affairs, so he will be very much an eternal student and wanderer. The instinct with him will be to travel extensively and to acquire knowledge. The Sun is square to Uranus and rules the Midheaven, which is often a point on the chart which represents the father. So often when I see a Sun/Uranus square, the father has gone missing or been away for long periods of time or leaves the family household completely. Julian was born into a single parent family and his mother looked after him until she married when he one year old. He will be very independent and will identify with the little man on the street, the oppressed, those with no power. There is a strong revolutionary edge to Julian, someone who will take on and try to defy international laws. Uranus the planet of the rebel in the sign of justice Libra affecting the international 9th house Sun. The Uranus Sun square will bring him a real talent and interest in technology, something that he has now become infamous for.

The Sun is trine to the Moon in the hidden 12th house. Julian would have had a good relationship with his mother, however his home-life with her would have hugely disrupted with Aquarius (ruled by Uranus) on the cusp of the 4th house representing the mother and the home and I suspect that arguments and discord would have been commonplace with Mars sitting in this house. It is reported that Julian and his mother who married twice lived in around 50 different places in Julian’s first 14 years of life. All this chopping and changing must have severely affected him in his growing up.

The Moon in Scorpio in the 12th house shows a guy who likes to live and work in the shadows. The 12th house Moon shows somebody who is uncomfortable in the spotlight & the Scorpio influence here brings a need to know everything, not knowing is akin to personal hell. Those with Scorpio Moons are very self sufficient, have great inner strength, they have a harsh edge to them and are strong on seeing justice being carried out. Because the feelings are always on tap, trying to hold back these intense emotions can prove impossible. The Moon in in conjunction with the Scorpio ascendant which is very controlling and has an intense need to create a big impression. The Moon is square to Assange’s Midheaven so this need to know, the controlling qualities, the need for justice is brought into his career.

Assange’s Saturn in Gemini in the 7th house makes an opposition to a Jupiter/Neptune conjunction in the 1st house. Jupiter in the first shows a generosity of spirit and an optimistic nature, even if things around you are not going well. This Jupiter shows someone who thinks big and believes that they can get away with murder. Neptune in the same house softens the personality and brings a gentle compassionate quality as well as a wide expansive outlook. Mercury connected to these two planets by trine sits in Cancer in the 9th house of learning bringing an unquenchable need for knowledge. There is a interest in anything secret and the motivation to dig beneath the surface to find out the truth is paramount with Mercury sextile to Pluto. This sextile is made into a mini grand trine by the aspects to Jupiter and Neptune bringing the notion of finding the ideal; the Neptune Jupiter Mercury trine is the sign of the journalist, the blogger, the person who wants free information. Assange is motivated to bring truth and openness, and is prepared to publish no matter the consequences because he thinks he can get away with it. Jupiter is in Scorpio after all and the convictions to go to the extreme and to unafraid of taking a chance are very strong.

This is connected into Assange’s work and ambitions. There are serious ambitions here shown by the opposition from Jupiter and Neptune to Saturn. He will have a disciplined attitude to his work with Saturn also sextile to the Midheaven, however with Saturn quindecile to the Ascendant, the attitude to those in authority will be quite dismissive, often bringing him into conflict with those who openly oppose his views. Saturn is in Gemini, the sign of communication, and this being a Sagittarius Gemini air based opposition, the need to show ones ambitions in the international arena is very strong backing up the nature of the Jupiter/Neptune conjunction it opposes. Saturn in the 7th does cause problems with permanent relationships and often delays marriage. Assange is still single and has had custody problems with his girlfriend over a son they parented.

Now problems with women do seem to be a theme that does afflict Assange. One’s attitude to women can be shown through Venus on the chart. Venus lies in the 8th house in Gemini. This is not the greatest combination to have if truth be told. The 8th house is the house of intimacy and of sexual relations and Gemini is probably the least emotional of all the signs in the zodiac. Despite all the water and emotion that pervades around the chart in other areas, here we see a rather unemotional point of view. This Venus is affected by a square to Pluto, which brings a dark intensity and extremely possessive view of women and Venus also receives a trine from excitable Mars which sits in erratic Aquarius, a fixed sign. Coloured by seeing his mother as someone who could not hold down a relationship for whatever reason, I am sure that this would have affected his view of own relationships with women. Now I have to be a little careful here with a court case still open with regard to sexual assaults, allegations which Assange claims were consensual encounters with both women accusers. The astrology through the fixed Mars trine and Pluto square coming out of the 11th house of love received shows that the potential for unusual, intense and forceful behaviour does exist on this chart.

I finish looking at that rebellious, unpredictable Mars in the 4th house which squares his Jupiter and ascendant, makes a close quindecile to the Midheaven as well as the previously mentioned trine to Venus. Assange through his career (Midheaven) uses shock tactics publishing secrets that governments do not want exposed on a global scale via the web and through WikiLeaks to get his point of view across. This forceful attitude comes from his home-life. With Mars conjunct the Nodal (maternal Axis) she would have taught him to fight his corner and from behind the scenes he exposes the secrets, the shocking truths in as I see it a two pronged assault. Firstly to bring freedom of information of what is really going on at government level on a global scale. Pluto in Virgo is hugely ethical and is repulsed by the evils of the world. The second prong of his attack on global government is a reformist one. Pluto sits in the 11th house of groups, of associations and of governments and ruling parties and shows the need to transform and to change. This is his aim by exposing the dirty secrets that the ruling classes of the world want to hide. This aim is backed up at a deeper level by one exact midpoint. Saturn sits exactly square (to the second) to the midpoint of Pluto and his Midheaven. His public role and work is to expose the dirty side of power in the world. This he does through his journalistic tendencies and his expertise with technology. As Noel Tyl puts it about this midpoint position “potential scandal, other worldliness, peculiarities, disappointments, away from the middle of the road, power run amuck”. As I see it, that midpoint may have a second meaning. The authorities potentially destroying his public reputation because of illicit sexual behaviour.

Assange walks the tightrope of life. In his quest to get the greatness he craves in exposing the ills of the world, he risks the wrath of those in charge and courts potential ruin in the process. He may undo all his work and his name because of a troubled attitude in relationships with women. His North Node sits in the 4th house of attitudes to the mother and women and this the key to his life. Once he works out this conundrum, then his path to contentment and recognition for his work will be all the much easier for him.

On the current transits chart, transiting Pluto is rapidly approaching a conjunction with Assange’s 9th house Sun square Uranus and trine to his ascendant, and transiting Saturn will be conjunct his natal Moon in the 12th house of prisons and institutions which is emotionally depressing and could showing justice being served in the form of a custodial sentence. Pluto can bring transformation and sometimes confinement and restriction. When it connects in January 2013, Assange could find himself in a Swedish jail for a period of time as Pluto cuts off that Sun square Uranus need for freedom. It looks quite depressing for him as 2013 arrives.