Damien Hirst – The rebellious artist who has amassed a fortune though challenging society.

Damien Hirst is a fascinating man with a fascinating astrological chart. He is in the news as a new exhibition of his work including his celebrated work “For The Love of God”, the skull of an 18th century man covered in 8,601 flawless diamonds (below) is being opened in conjunction with the 2012 Olympics in London. Expect also to see several of his works of art showing animals suspended in formaldehyde. Damien has always shall we say “pushed the boundaries a bit”, following in the tradition of edgy British art and culture.

Damien was born in Bristol in the UK on 7th June 1965. Unfortunately I don’t have a birth time for him, so I’ve set his chart at default 12.00 midday. Does anyone know his actual birth time? If so, please get in touch. It would be especially useful as we know that Damien is a communicative, mischievous Gemini but with either a critical yet technical Virgo Moon or a more socially aware Libran one. Either are possible because just after midday on 7th June 65 the Moon changed signs. What is remarkable about Damien’s chart is that he has no less than 7 or even 8 planets in mutable signs (depending on the Moon of course). Damien’s instinct is to adapt, to change and to modify. I will elaborate how this affects him later on as I look at the rest of the chart.

Now this chart is a surprisingly simple one. We have a triple opposition forming the basis of the chart with Saturn opposing Mars, Uranus and Pluto. working of this set of oppositions we have a multiple t-square with the Sun Mercury, Jupiter and the North Node all together. On the other side of the opposition we have a wedge formation with Neptune focused at the point of it. Finally to finish things off there is a potential square between Venus and the Moon.

Put it all together and what do we have. Ok, we have a powerful stellium in Gemini indicating communication, self-promotion, wanting to be on top of everything all of the time, confidence in one’s ability, luck, international ambitions and destiny at work. Putting all this Gemini energy at the point of a t-square connecting to the Mars/Uranus/Pluto opposition to Saturn shows a huge amount of tension and motivation. Especially with the Mercury in Gemini square to Mars and Uranus in Virgo we have some serious fun going on here. Mercury out of all of the planets in the zodiac is the “court jester” so to speak (especially so in Gemini and Sagittarius) and combining Mars and Uranus into the mix we have someone who has some much creative, bizarre and off the wall ideas, and has fun coming up with them too. I this square, we have the loose cannon of all the potential aspects in the zodiac, with a total disregard to what anyone else thinks. Damien will be like this – completely a law unto himself. As a youngster his father left the family home when he was 12. Damien’s Sun square to Saturn, Uranus and Pluto shows major problems with his father, and he was arrested several times for shoplifting. His mother went on record saying she “lost control of him” when he was young, but the closeness of Mercury, the Sun and Jupiter to the North Node does show a wonderful bond to his mother. As “uncontrollable” as Mars Uranus Pluto square to a Gemini Sun and Mercury is, I dare say that it was a feat that young Damien did not completely go off the rails. It seems the one thing that he did find some focus in was of course his school art studies. Not that is has been an easy ride since he found his natural talent. As I have said many times before art, creation and escapism go hand in hand with Neptune and Pisces prominent in a chart, and true enough he has had his fair share of drug and alcohol problems. Neptune as well as the major aspects makes a nasty little irritable inconjunct aspect to his Sun, and this is where I believe these escapist tendencies come from.

Now with a Pluto and Saturn opposition there is without doubt intensity and ambition and there can be either self-destructive tendencies or possibly the potential for greatness if the talents within can be harnessed and through art and creation Damien finally found an outlet and focus for all this latent energy  he possessed. Love him or hate him, he does not shy away from controversy, and that notoriety had led him to become the world’s most successful living artist.

Focusing back onto the opposition which is the backbone of this chart, remember the signs involved. Virgo is hugely technical in it’s nature and Damien brings a fantastic appreciation of detail to his art. Saturn is in Pisces shows a seriousness to his creative talents, creation is indeed his profession. Notice also the Virgo/Pisces axis is heavily accented. Virgo shows an interest in animals and Pisces marine creatures ( I suspect the Moon may be in Virgo too) bringing an emotional side and interest in wildlife to the equation. We also have Pluto involved here, and using dead animals and transforming them into forms of art. Mars, Pluto and Saturn also are part of the wedge with creative Neptune in Scorpio (another signature of transformational conceptional art) focused at the point of the wedge. Damien takes everyday objects and brings them to life in a new radical way, this is what Pluto is all about. It all fits together neatly doesn’t it?

Very interestingly Damien has lived together for many years with his partner Maia, yet has never got married. This reflects the square between Moon and Venus in Cancer. A square between these two planets makes one not know exactly how to view permanent relationships, and often people with this aspect delay or never make their partnerships official. Venus in Cancer shows a bit of a reclusive streak socially as well as being very attached to one’s family. Damien, as Venus in Cancer suggests, prefers to live deep in the remote countryside of leafy Devon in the south west of England, as well as spending time at his art studio in Baja, Mexico.

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Robert Pattinson – Uncomfortable in being the star that he is. The astrology of the young British actor.

Robert Pattinson, the young English actor is one of the hottest properties in Hollywood and is probably best known for his role as Edward Cullen in the Twilight series of films starring alongside Kristen Stewart. Looking at his horoscope, I think it reveals a young man with much talent but also someone who will find it difficult with all the attention he has suddenly attracted.

Robert was born on 13th May 1986 in London at 08.32am. He is a Sun sign Taurean and has a Cancerian Moon conjunct to a Cancerian Ascendant. This double Cancerian influence of both Ascendant and Moon in the sign of the crab indicates that Robert will be a very private man; this is exacerbated as his Moon sits in his 12th house. We have a Taurean Sun that likes to build a life and career, yet a hugely protective and emotional Cancerian Moon hidden away in the 12th house. The Moon here does not like to be in the public eye period, and for an actor and someone who has promote the work that one does and looks as marketable as Robert is, this will prove to be a hugely difficult balancing act for him to achieve. The fact that Robert will be publicity shy shows so much in a very restrictive quindecile between Saturn and the Sun. He will be very tied and close to his family, and when he needs solace and peace, which at times will be very necessary for him, here is where he will return to. This aspect has other qualities that I will expand on later. As for his general nature, being a Taurean, he will be rather possessive and when he makes his mind up on things, it will be difficult if nigh on impossible to shift his point of view. The Sun makes a nice trine to Mars so he will be a winner, quite competitive and very generous of spirit. The Sun and Mars trine is made into a mini grand trine to Jupiter in the 10th house. There is no doubt that he will want to make a huge international impact with his work and career.

The Moon and Ascendant in Cancer is part of a creative Kite formation connecting to Jupiter and the Midheaven in Pisces (the sign connected with acting and films) by a positive trine and the backbone of this kite is an opposition between Mercury in steady Taurus in the 11th house and Pluto in Scorpio in the 5th. This Pluto is the driver of the kite, and indicates an unquenchable and compelling drive to be creative and to be known as someone special, echoed by a quindecile between this Pluto and Robert’s Sun. The trine from Pluto to Jupiter and the Midheaven brings him empathy, huge sensitivity and creative ability and increases the desire for recognition. Pluto’s connection to the Moon and Ascendant gives him deep emotion and if anything strengthens his defensive and secretive nature. The opposition to Mercury makes his communication deep and incisive and makes his mind searching and looking for the deeper meaning in anything he studies. Through this kite you can see that he will be eminently suited in the future to emotional roles which require depth and understanding of character and feelings.

Talking of emotional roles, Robert’s emotional life is likely to be quite interesting as he grows older. With a Venus/Uranus opposition and with transformational Pluto in his 5th house of love affairs and  Mars sitting in his 7th house of partnerships, Robert will be attracted to feisty, unusual and talented people and his relationships are likely to be quite stormy and will define his life. With Capricorn on the cusp of his 7th house, Robert should be looking for quite down to earth steady partners, however I think he will have difficulty in finding them. The square between Venus and Jupiter shows a reluctance to face up to potential relationship problems and the partying nature of this square would suggest that Robert would think that the grass may be greener on the other side. This is a guy who needs plenty of freedom within relationships and who values his friendships very highly.

Indeed, this is an area where Robert really will shine.  His North Node sits in the 11th house. Celeste Teal says about the 11th house North Node that “this is the romantic dreamer that likes being seen as a hero.” How appropriate a statement for an actor like Robert? She goes on to say that through his friends, groups and associations that he aligns himself, he will derive great personal satisfaction. Serving humanity through these contacts rather than asserting his personal power will be his ultimate destination in life as he matures. I can see him being a focus for many charitable causes in the future. The fact that he has a soft and impressionable soul is shown through an opposition between the 12th house Moon and Neptune in the 6th as well as a quindecile between Neptune and Venus. There is much kindness to him that lays behind the scenes as well as a hugely creative mind. There is a nice trine between Mercury in Taurus and Neptune which without doubt indicates musical ability and possibly psychic tendencies.

Finally I come to a packed 6th house which is full of heavyweight outer planets, namely Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. I did mention about the Sun/Saturn quindecile earlier on. Here we see a pull back on the outgoing nature of the character. A shyness, possibly huge self-doubt. The cusp of the 2nd house of self-worth could either be ruled by the Sun or Moon with the end of Cancer and start of Leo being here  however as both are the Moon and Sun are afflicted by aspects from Neptune and Saturn, we do know that Robert doubts his own abilities and talent. One thing he will never be is lazy in his work routine. Saturn in the 6th square to the Midheaven shows huge ambition and a real dedication to work hard. He may be rather unstructured and will hate repetitive tasks and Robert will have a very sensitive physique. Health is one thing I do wonder about with him. When Saturn comes calling in making stressful aspects to these 6th house planets in quick succession, I do wonder in the future if Robert may suffer some health problems.

For now anyway he is young, strong and is one of the most high profile actors in Hollywood. How he balances the high life and his considerable ambition with his overriding need to stay in the shadows and behind the scenes is a dilemma that he himself will have to come to terms with. One hopes he does fulfil his destiny and as Neptune moves into Pisces, the sign of dreams and sensitivity which holds both his Midheaven and Jupiter, he can become one of the great romantic actors of his generation.

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Turkey – Will Erdogan decide to intervene by sending Turkish forces into Syria to topple Assad?

I have been keeping a close eye on the Turkish national chart over the past few weeks as I suspected that Turkey may hold the key to one or more of the problems in the Middle East region. Now with the Syrian crisis really heating up right on Turkey’s south east border, an area traditionally dominated by Kurdish citizens, I have a distinct feeling that Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s prime minister may decide to act before any disturbance spills over into his country.

Turkey was formed on 29th October 1923 at 20.30hrs in Ankara. The chart (above) has no planets in earth, and we have 4 planets in air and 5 in water. The Turks are an emotional people not only shown by the amount of planets in water signs, but also by the Moon Pluto conjunction straddling the Cancerian ascendant. They are hugely proud and protective of their nation. We find Uranus at the top of the chart as part of a grand water trine. Turkey was formed after a war of independence to expel foreign forces from Constantinople and Smyrna (now Istanbul and Izmir) in the west of the country, lead by Mustafa Kamal Ataturk. The grand trine shows that conflict, Uranus conjunct the Midheaven shows the rebellion taking the leadership through a social movement (Venus) via a brutal war (Pluto).

We have a very full 5th house and the Turks are huge sports fans and culture and dance are still very important in daily life, however Saturn here also shows restrictions. Conjunct to Mercury and trine to the Moon, we see that any criticism (Mercury) of the state (Saturn) by the people (Moon) will be cracked down upon heavily. It also shows that any communication, via mobile phone, or internet will ultimately be under the strict control of those in charge.

Turkey is a country of huge contrasts. For example Turkey traditionally is a Muslim nation, however with Uranus in the 9th house in Pisces (the spiritual sign), it shows very much a take it or leave it attitude with regard to faith. We find Neptune in 3rd house in Leo of the press and media square to outgoing Jupiter and Venus. The press and TV in Turkey is very colourful and full of sensationalist stories of who is going out with who (5th house). The Turks are very much a nation obsessed with affairs of the heart. Their attitude to alcohol is also interesting, the square shows a very liberal attitude to drink, something you would not find in other countries in the region.

Mars in the 4th house of the land and home show a violent underbelly to the country, especially with regard to the Kurdish minority. Mars makes a destructive square to Pluto and the Cancerian ascendant. This is an in house problem for the Turkish nation, and something that will forever be there for the police and military to deal with. Underground action against the people and the nation by those who oppose the national view of those in control will always unfortunately tend to end in bloodshed.

Now the transits to the Turkish chart are very interesting. We see Pluto approaching the 7th house cusp on the descendant and about to enter the 7th house of relations with other nations. Pluto opposing the ascendant will transform Turkey in some way, but how? Will Turkey be seen in a different light around the world as this aspect hits. As a country that enforces control, as Pluto suggests. Remember Pluto is very strong as Turkey is a Scorpionic nation. Maybe a bigger clue to what may happen is shown by transiting Saturn and Jupiter. Jupiter is opposing the Turkish natal Sun, therefore an international (Jupiter) situation is causing concern to Turkey’s leaders, highlighting the Syrian crisis.  Saturn is now exactly on the natal Mercury in the house of ambassadors (5th) so diplomatic words are now being used to affect change in conjunction with other nations in Syria  - Capricorn Saturn’s sign affects both the 7th and 8th houses.

Transiting Venus (the diplomatic planet in Mundane Astrology) as well as Mercury are both square to the Midheaven, so dialogue is at the moment the approach Erdogan is using. However will words work with Assad? I don’t think so, and with natal Saturn next to be hit very soon after the conjunction with Mercury, I think more strong arm tactics will have to be employed by Turkey to stabilize it’s border regions. Notice also that transiting Mars which is almost stationary is sextile to the Turkish Sun, so military action is one option that may come very easily right now to employ. I think that Turkey will try to do this in cooperation with other Arab nations, as this will yet strengthen Erdogan’s influence in the region, but if she has to go it alone, I think Turkey may do so.

It looks to me as if Turkey is trying very much to increase her regional influence, however internally there is unrest as Turkish society is split over the more controlling and pro-Islamic policies being brought in by the Erdogan government. Soon (in the next couple of years), transiting Pluto will start to oppose it’s own position at 12 degrees Cancer in the first house. This is one aspect very much to keep an eye on, as Turkey at that point will be transformed as a country. This transformation could get very nasty and bloody because of the natal Pluto Mars square. It is a topic I will return to in future posts… 

Other links - Syria Protests – Pressure mounts on Assad as the Syrian crisis reaches the end game

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Syria Protests – Pressure mounts on Assad as the Syrian crisis reaches the end game

Back on 22nd March I looked at Syria and I predicted that the end of this particular saga would come in December this year. Right on cue the Arab league, Jordan’s King Abdullah, the European Union  in the form of sanctions and harsh criticism from Turkey are all tightening the noose around the neck of President Assad of Syria. Violence has escalated in the past couple of weeks and finally there may be a resolution to the situation before too long. I am reposting what I wrote back in March and afterwards I will look in a bit more detail how the end may come.

****Posted 22nd March 2011****

Oh my here we go again. Over the past few weeks the temperature has been rising in Syria. Yet another Arab country with this time the ruling Assad dynasty under pressure. President Bashar Al-Assad has been in power since 2000, when he succeeded his father who had been in charge for the previous 30 years. Seeing what has been going on in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, it seems the people are in a mood for change, however they have a huge obstacle to overcome in the name of President Assad and the Ba’ath party.

The Syrian chart based around the country’s accession from France shows a very dominant and brutal mini grand trine with Pluto being at the point of the formation completed by Neptune in trine to a very disruptive Mars/Uranus conjunction. Often easy going aspects (trines and sextiles) with malefic planets can precipitate violence easier than stressful aspects. The quindecile between Mercury and the 10th house Pluto which is secretive and controlling shows that much of this brutal control goes under the radar than most people see.

The transit charts for Syria are looking quite fraught. Transiting Pluto is approaching the Syrian Sun and is quindecile to natal Saturn, so change of the Assad regime does look a potential on the horizon. Transiting Saturn which has just crossed into the Syrian first house is now square to the Midheaven so pressure will now be brought to bare on President Assad. transiting Uranus is trine to the second house Venus, so there is potential social unrest in the air and it is also opposing the 12th house Neptune, so mobs of groups may now be forming in response to the unrest, however this also may precipitate some suffering too. I suspect the Syrian leader may be readying his forces and the police in response as transiting Mars is now trine to the Moon representing the general public.

President Assad has a brutal chart. Born on 11 Sept 1965 in Damascus (no birth-time), he has a Sun, Pluto and Uranus conjunction in nervous critical Virgo opposite harsh Saturn in deceptive Pisces and maybe Moon forming a wedge pattern with Mars and Neptune in deep dark Scorpio at the point. Here is a man who is sly, sneaky, able to adapt to situations as he has 7 planets in mutable signs, and has no scruples in using brute force (Mars), torture (Pluto), unusual underhand (Neptune) or shock tactics (Uranus) to keep his hand on the levers of power (Saturn). By the astrology, this is someone not to be messed with, and a man who will cling onto power by his fingernails if possible. The transits on his personal chart favour him for the minute. He has a constructive sextile between transiting Saturn and natal Jupiter and a trine between that Saturn and natal Jupiter. It would be nice to see how his Ascendant and Midheaven is affected but unfortunately with no birth-time it isn’t possible. I have to rely on the national chart and it’s aspects to see how the head of State may be affected.

In my view, Assad will see out this wave of protests, however his power and standing will be weakened, and when Uranus comes round at the end of the year to complete it’s retrograde cycle finally stationing on Syria’s Midheaven in December, then it will be crunch time. It is going a lot of force and sacrifices by the people to get the change in power that they so desire.

****Update 16th Nov 2011****

On every chart I have looked at in the past day on Syria, things look as if they will eventually come to a conclusion. On the transit chart, transiting Mars is now trine exactly to the natal Uranus Mars conjunction. This looks particularly nasty and there could be a lot of blood spilled in the next couple of weeks. We also have transiting trine to natal Saturn which shows Assad stamping down his authority in a violent way. The transiting Nodes are square to the natal Moon which is not nice for the general population. Protesting they may be but a square from the nodes does suggest that there will be some suffering and the general mood may well be quite pessimistic. However in the longer term, change will be coming. When the Sun finally reaches the Syrian Sun at 9 degrees 26 Libra, the change the Syrian people are demanding may come. Pluto hits this degree point in mid-March 2012.

 

As for President Assad, the transits hitting his chart are very so fraught, I cannot see him surviving much longer than Spring 2012 either. Look at the transits chart above and you can see the transiting Nodes (blue diamond feature)  square to Saturn, Uranus and Pluto. Here is extreme pressure on him weakening his grip on power. This as I see it is a degrading process and by the time the transiting Nodes square hit his natal nodal axis in late March 2012 it may be time for him to go. When this connection is made, often circumstances mean that events out of your control force you to change tack; the Nodes throw problems and you must adjust. What is worse for Assad is that the Nodes will also at the same time be square to natal Saturn. At that point is is my opinion that time may well be up for him. These will be dangerous days for Assad, and it may signify the beginning of the end of the road for the Assad dynasty.

Other links - Turkey – Will Erdogan decide to intervene by sending Turkish forces into Syria to topple Assad?

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Martin Johnson – Stepping away from England as he prepares for a new chapter in his life.

This morning, the England rugby coach and legendary player Martin Johnson formally resigned from his post after rather chaotic and unsuccessful World Cup campaign. Martin who had lead England to World Cup glory as a player in 2003 was unable to repeat the feat in a management role and the English RFU now will have to find a new man to take the helm.

Martin was born on 9th March 1970 in Solihull at 23.30hrs (info thanks to London School of Astrology). He is a Sun sign Pisces with an active Aries Moon and has a determined and intense Scorpio Ascendant (you can invariably tell a Scorpio type just by looking at the face, deep, dark, brooding with a strong brow above the eyes). Scorpio ascendants generally guard their personality very well, suspicious of everyone around them (especially in a public setting) and with his Sun and Mercury in the 4th house, Martin will be a very private person who is always on the defensive and keeps his home life and family out of sight. With Saturn placed directly opposite his ascendant, there is very little levity to him at all. Life is a serious business for Martin who will have little time for those of a more light hearted nature. He is a winner though, through and through. That Aries Moon never lets you stop for a minute until you have reached your goal.

Yes this is a hard man for sure with Jupiter in Scorpio conjunct the ascendant opposite a conjunction of Saturn and Mars in heavy Taurus in the 6th house. There is so much controlled energy here at his disposal, with a real dedication for hard exercise and keeping fit, and with the Moon also in Aries also in the sixth, Martin I imagine would have been the first on the rugby training ground, and the last one off it. The Moon in the 6th really does show workaholic tendencies, able to handle several tasks at the same time. With the Moon trine to his Leo Midheaven, Martin was always destined to work in spotlight and secretly he likes it, so long as the success comes. The problems appear when things are not going so well. Leo Midheavens tend to get quite grumpy, and then naturally Martin’s Scorpionic tendencies would click back into gear.

There is a second set of oppositions with Uranus and Pluto in the 11th house sitting opposite the Sun and Venus in the 5th house. There is no doubting Martin’s desire for personal recognition. Sun opposing Pluto always describes an individual who wants to be someone of not, someone who will make their mark on the world. Pluto opposite Venus is hugely passionate and Venus opposite Uranus shows someone who in social settings will want to stay a bit aloof. Along with the Uranus Sun opposition Martin has an independent streak and will be attracted to exciting ventures and spontaneous actions. Notice where Uranus sits. In the 11th house of teams. His control (Pluto also in 11th) would be blighted by unusual, rebellious acts (Uranus), and in New Zealand so they were as I will explain later on.   

So Martin is a hard worker, dedicated, proud and secretive. There is one other reason why he  lost effective control of his players, leading them to under-perform at the last rugby World Cup in New Zealand. It is that below Martin’s hard exterior lies a really soft heart. The Pisces Sun makes the personality much more gentle and with Venus sitting in the 5th house trine to Neptune in the 1st, we have someone who behind the scenes is a bit of a pussy cat, very caring and sentimental. Neptune also brings a lack of organisation to the personality as well as a lack of a hard edge. Those with Neptune in the first house would rather melt into the team rather that stand out from the crowd. Martin would want to be one of the lads, and in the hard nosed world of management the best coaches ultimately can leave their sentiments behind, can leave personal sentiment behind to make the difficult decisions that do need to be made. So often in sport, the best team players never make the transition to be successful managers.

So what does the present and future hold for Martin Johnson. Well he resigned as his natal Neptune in his 1st house was square to transiting Neptune in the 4th (Neptune has a big effect on Martin as he is a Pisces). Here is the finalisation of a situation of a personal nature, the end of the road for him. The nature of Neptune shows he had lost control, Neptune dissolves and disintegrates all it touches. Pisces sits on the cusp of the 5th house, signifying things of a sporting nature. Also transiting Pluto was square to that disruptive Uranus in the 11th house, bringing transformation and numerous problems to his control of the England players. Transiting Uranus was exactly to the minute trine to natal Neptune. Aquarius cuts across the IC/4th house cusp, echoing the Neptune square Neptune aspect. Mercury and Venus were trine to Marin’s workaholic natal Moon in the 6th house of everyday work, hence the reason why the announcement about his work was made now.

Looking a little more long term, transiting Saturn is passing through Martin’s 12 house so, this is a clearing out phase in his life. A time where he will be assessing his options for his future career. My hunch is that he will take his time, and it will not be until maybe this time next year as transiting Saturn hits his natal Jupiter and Ascendant when he will emerge again in a new role. What might that be? I wouldn’t mind betting that journalism may well be a route he goes down. Mercury sits in his 4th house, so Martin will be an avid reader and bookworm, and Mercury makes a trine to Jupiter signifying communication as a profitable outlet for him. Mercury also makes a constructive sextile to Saturn which also sits in the 6th house of everyday work. Martin will be blessed with a fine critical acumen and his opinions on rugby will be greatly sought after. Me thinks TV work will not be his thing, and we may find him working and writing more behind the scenes for one of the quality newspapers in the UK, maybe for international papers in the future too. Good luck to him whatever he does, as I for one will never forget him raising the rugby World Cup for England in 1993, and I hope he goes on to better things and a successful future career.

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Occupy Wall Street – The battle goes on. Examining the Astrology of the anti capitalist movement.

Tomorrow will be the 2nd month since the beginning of the Occupy Wall Street movement, a rolling protest that has gathered in steam and size as it’s effects and influence have spread around the world. As I write the main focus site for the group Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan, has been cleared by the New York police, however this will only enliven the protest yet further. It is a direct reflection of the current Pluto/Uranus square which is still in operation and will be for the next 3 years.

Occupy Wall Street according to the official protest website began officially with a gathering on 17th September 2011 at 12.00 at Bowling Green Park in New York. Looking at the chart we see a very critical Virgo Sun representing the tone of voice of the protesters and an even tempered Taurean Moon which suggests that even though there is protest here, those people involved will be relatively peace loving and will not react unless severely provoked. There is also great stubbornness to the protestors involved, remember, Taurus is a fixed sign which always shows huge determination. Believe me, these people will not be pushed off track until they have achieved their goals. The ascendant is Scorpio, very representative of an underground movement which again shows a ruthless and determined side to it. Just by these three most important indicators, it is going to take a bit more than some early morning police work to deter this group. Mayor Bloomberg beware.

The chart is dominated by a significant t-square formation. We have the Uranus/Pluto square which I referred to earlier formed into the t-square with an opposition between Venus and Uranus. Look at the placements of these three planets. Venus opposite to Uranus runs from 10th to 4th houses. Venus in Libra is in the public 10th house showing this is a social movement with revolutionary ideas and tendencies. Uranus in Aries in the 4th shows that the location of this protest will constantly change, and it will be very pro-active and fast in it’s organisation. As the police clear one area, it will form again elsewhere. There is a fluidity and unorthodox nature to the Occupy Wall Street movement that will be hard to contain. Uranus does also oppose the Virgo Sun, giving the movement a highly detailed, independent and aggravated voice. There is an intelligence to the way they will operate, and no detail will be left to chance.

The focus of course of the protests is at the point of the t-square, Pluto in Capricorn in the 2nd house. Here are the big money makers and business moguls in the 2nd house of personal finance. On the opposite side of the Venus/Uranus square we have Mars at the point of a wedge formation. Mars sits in the 8th house of big business and dealing with other people’s money, so again we see direct action (Mars) from the protesters against the investors and the stock market workers on Wall Street.

Elsewhere on the chart, we find a quindecile between Saturn in the 11th house and Uranus, so here is an intense focus to bring down the status quo and as Saturn sits in the 11th house of government. This is a shot across the bows of the politicians too. There is another quindecile between Mercury and Neptune in the 3rd house which also makes a square to the Moon. Here we see a spiritual and idealistic side to things, rather evasive and erratic. These people are on a mission to create an ideal society, something more representative, dare I say it with liberal and even rather socialist aims (a theme I have touched on before – see The Next Solar Eclipse 25th Nov 11)

In the 6th house we find both the Moon and Jupiter in Taurus. Here the Moon and Jupiter both show the need to help, to fix people’s lives and to make society a better place. Jupiter in the 6th does not mind having to get it’s hands dirty to achieve this goal. There are interesting trines between Pluto Mercury and Jupiter. This shows an optimism in the cause and more significantly luck on their side. Jupiter Pluto often show success in one’s aims where is appears in the chart. Jupiter in the sixth represents luck and success for the ordinary people as well as having a truly global outreach. Might it be that this is a movement that may actually change society in the end? With Pluto in Capricorn squared by Uranus in Aries, this might be just the start of huge changes around the world bigger and more profound than any of the initiators could have ever imagined.

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Michael D Higgins – Ascending to the top later in life

From just across the water, I always keep my eye when I can on how Ireland are doing. In the recent elections for the Presidency, Michael Higgins came out of nowhere to sweep to victory. He is the 9th president of the Republic of Ireland and having discovered a birth time for him, I today look at his horoscope and also his Presidency chart as he was inaugurated at 12.30 on 11th November.

Michael D Higgins was born in Limerick, Ireland on 18th April 1941 at 15.51 (unverified time). This gives him a Aries Sun combined with a late Capricorn Moon and a Virgo ascendant, the sign of the writer. Most of the planets on Michael’s chart lie in the Western hemisphere, so he will be someone who instinctively thinks of others ahead of himself. His chart is also notable for having no planets in water signs and just one in mutable ones. What he lacks in outward emotion and flexibility, he more than makes up with fiery enthusiasm and dogged staying power, although when faced with a problem, he will stick his heels in and refuse to budge. One suspects he will be holding the Enda Kenny government firmly to task.
Michael’s Sun Moon combination shows that he is a winner, someone who likes to initiate things and make things happen. This he does in a cool detached administrative way. When he has plans, he sees them through to completion. Michael’ s Sun sits in conjunction with Venus in a friendly, yet sparky conjunction in a packed 9th house. Michael is full of life and enthusiasm, he is one who will never let the grass grow under his feet. Also in this 9th house we find Jupiter Saturn and Uranus. Always on the go, he will always have had a passion for learning, education, knowledge personal faith and travel.
Now out of this 9th house we find Sun/Venus at the point of t-square and Jupiter/Uranus as part of a grand earth trine. Looking at the t-square first, we see the motivation which he used to get to where he is now. The Sun and Venus is squared by a Moon Pluto opposition. This opposition shows that Michael by joining party politics, shown by 11th house where Pluto sits went in to change Irish society as he saw it. Of course, Pluto also likes to control and the overriding feeling will be to reform and to change and to be a person of note in the process. This he does with deep controlled emotion. The Moon in Capricorn refuses to hides one’s feelings, and so Michael will be expressive, passionate, coming from deep within. Sometimes the Moon in the 5th house is dramatic, even childlike in it’s enthusiasm, and one can get carried away with taking things a touch too far.
The Pluto Moon opposition can create stormy relationships as well as intense ones. This t-square says so much about Michael’s upbringing. Transformational, difficult, close to his mother through the opposition yet there were problems between her and her husband shown through the Moon Sun square. Michael’s father had drink problems and these are shown on the chart too. The 10th house cusp (part of the parental axis 4th/10 houses)has Gemini sitting there and Mercury Gemini’s ruler is afflicted by a quindecile from Neptune, the planet that rules escapism and alcohol. It is all there if you look hard enough.
Mercury connections to Neptune for all you budding astrologers out there always signify creativity of some sort. The mind (Mercury) can drift off into far away places, imagine fantastic thoughts and dream incredible dreams. There are no restrictions on the mental faculties. You often find exceptional musical ability, creative urges or even psychic ability when these two planets combine, dependent on the rest of the chart. With Michael having a critical and precise Virgo ascendant as well as a Gemini Midheaven, both ruled by Mercury, the power of communication and especially of writing were always going to accentuated in his life. Michael grew up to be a poet, a creative writer and broadcaster, all three so typical of a Neptune Mercury aspect. That he stood out from the crowd is due to his grand earth trine, connecting Neptune Uranus and the Moon. Here we have the cool emotion of the Capricorn moon sitting in the creative 5th house combined with the unpredictability of Uranus in Taurus (the sign of construction and creation) in the 9th house of learning, of wisdom and language and of course Neptune in analytical Virgo. A poet and writer not only has to have ideas but also needs to construct the rhythm of the words and phrases so that they flow out in the delivery of the piece. Grand trines show not only a store of talent, but provide a barrier against the outside world. Michael as a youngster would have been very shy and rather disorientated. Neptune in the first house softens the character immensely and with Virgo so prominent he would have worried and fretted about any disturbance in his life. The creative grand trine is where his mind would drift off to through those creative urges and thoughts in the darker times in his life. Of course even as an adult he still has this grand earth trine to fall back on. All trines do need an outlet for the talent to flow and here the outlets are through the quindecile to Mercury (writing and communication) and secondly through the t-square for self recognition, power and control through knowledge, travel and through groups and associations (party politics).
A couple of other things of note. Mars in the fifth house is very high spirited and loves sport, games and competition and Michael is an avid fan of his football team Galway United. With Mars in the fifth I can imagine he would not be shy in loving a bet too, and I understand is a regular attendee for the Galway races, Ireland’s premiere summer horse racing festival. Michael has stamina and determination with this Mars square to Saturn in the 9th house. That Saturn reflects his work as a lecturer in sociology before he got into politics and the seriousness (Saturn) of his human rights work (shown by Uranus in the 9th as well as Mars in Uranus’ sign Aquarius).
His natal chart sits very nicely with the Irish natal chart with his Sun Mercury and Venus conjunct the same three Irish natal planets which are square to his natal Moon. His Saturn is also trine the Irish natal Sun, so he will be well liked and his leadership will be conciliatory and not authoritarian, yet he will at the same time challenge the Irish people emotionally.

His presidency chart for 12.30 on 10th November shows a 9th house Sun opposite the Moon which does reflect this. What is the nature of this challenge? Well making up a grand cross with the Sun and Moon is Neptune and Mars in opposition. This to me says “be creative!!”. Interestingly the North Node sits in close conjunction to both Mercury and Venus, another creative signature. We also have a grand trine of epic proportions, Pluto, Jupiter and Mars and quindeciles from Moon to Venus Mercury and from Jupiter in the 3rd to the Sun in the 9th house. Here is an extreme outreach of interest in foreign relations and trade with the wider world. Saturn does sit in the 8th house of taxes and other peoples’ money, so there will be a serious note of upholding one’s obligations to pay back what Ireland owes.
Ok, let’s put all this together. I think that Michael Higgins coming from such a creative and humanitarian background will want to this opportunity he has been given to bring some humility back to Ireland. The country was obsessed by making money and got itself into huge debt and a proper mess under previous leaders. I see Michael Higgins as someone who will want to get back to older gentler values. Making a place where religion is truly valued, a place where creativity alongside business can thrive, a country where competition and sport is loved and language is important including Gaelic which Michael speaks fluently. It would not surprise me to see an Irish cultural renaissance reasserting itself, as Ireland goes back to it’s older traditions, ones which it will export around the world through song, through writing and communication, through action and deeds, and maybe the odd pint of Guinness. Gentler times lie ahead, reflecting the man and I think truly reflecting Ireland’s soul, something I think that was lost in the Celtic tiger phase the country went through. I think Ireland under his tenure will slowly but surely start to get herself back on track.

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Silvio Berlusconi – Stepping down as Italy slides into financial meltdown

He has been at the head of Italian politics in three separate periods since 1994, a huge figure of influence who courts controversy, however this time I doubt if the great survivor can escape the clamour for him to step down. Yesterday, he said that he would be resigning, and if the transiting planets are anything to go by, this time he will have to be true to his word.

 

The transits chart shows a couple of nasty squares. Transiting Pluto is now square Silvio’s natal Sun and Mercury conjunction in his first house in Libra. The square will be exact by the 18th November, so I expect him to be gone as Italian PM by that date. Transiting Uranus is square the nodal axis bringing unexpected pressure from other people including his enemies. Secondly, Silvio’s natal Neptune/Saturn opposition has been squared by the Nodal axis. The Nodes bring circumstances to bear over which you have little influence, you have to react to things swirling around you. That opposition which is part of a wider t-square involving the Moon and Jupiter (see natal chart) shows his clever use of communication and dealing with people around him which has kept him in power. Now the transiting Nodes in connecting with this t-square are forcing him to change his position. At the same time, the progressed Moon is now square Silvio’s natal Moon (affecting his 10th house of public reputation and work) where Cancer is intercepted.

As the Nodes move clockwise they will soon be square to Silvio’s Moon/Neptune opposition at the same time activating a natal Yod on Burlosconi’s chart, one connecting Mercury, Uranus and the Moon which I believe shows his more “unusual” emotional traits. Watch out for the law courts to pounce once Silvio is out in the open, and whereas he avoided several sexual scandals in the past, these may just be revisited.

I looked at Silvio Berlusconi as my first ever astrological profile on this blog – to see that article please click on the following link - Silvio Berlusconi

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Justin Bieber – Accused of fathering illegitimate child after a backstage fling.

This is an interesting one. The teenage pop star Justin Beiber has been accused by a woman, 20 year old Mariah Yeater of fathering her child after an alleged fling backstage at one of his Los Angeles concerts, and now her lawyers are insisting on him taking a paternity test. This story could get rather messy, as lawyers for Beiber say that if he does take a test and the results come out negative, then the pop star could sue her for defaming his name.

Ok what have we got. Well the big ones for me here are transiting Mars and Neptune. Transiting Mars is opposing natal Mars and Mercury. Mars is operating out of the ninth house, so this is a story about actions taken abroad and of legal affairs surrounding them. Natal Mars and Mercury are in the 3rd house of information, so the press are heavily involved in the story. Mars also squares Bieber’s 12th house Pluto as well as the Nodal axis, the maternal axis.

From the other side of the chart in the 3rd house we have transiting Neptune making the same square aspects as Mars. Look at the signs rules by the planets. Mars (Aries) rules the 5th house of affairs and also of children. Mercury through Virgo rules Justin’s Midheaven, his public profile and also through Gemini affects the 7th house of permanent partnerships. Gemini is intercepted in the 7th. Pluto sits in the 12th house of things behind the scenes, and Scorpio not only rules his 12th house of suffering and service but also his ascendant. Pluto and Scorpio of course are associated with sexual activity and secret acts. How appropriate is this showing a backstage affair?? Neptune is always the planet involved when a swirl of uncertainty comes over an issue, and rules the 4th house where women’s issues can be found.

If this wasn’t enough we find transiting Saturn hitting Beiber’s Moon, so emotional difficulties with women, Cancer is on the cusp of the 8th house of sexual relations and Saturn’s sign Capricorn sits on the cusp of Beiber’s 2nd house of money. Saturn is also square to Uranus and Neptune also sitting in this second house, causing confusion and unexpected problems coming to the surface.

Finally to top all these nasty transits off, transiting Venus and Mercury are currently moving through his 1st house of personal affairs square to Beiber’s Saturn which shows difficulty over affairs of the heart and accusations against him, probably these influences began the whole situation and set things rolling. The minor planets as they whizz around the chart in most cases do seem to start things off, and then the outer planets take up the strain.

There is enough astrological evidence here to certainly highlight everything that this case is showing in the press. The burning question is, did he do it? Obviously, one would have to look at the transits on the night in question, information I do not have to hand right now, however the Mercury connection interests me especially as Mercury does rule Beiber’s Midheaven and affects his 7th house. Surely the permanent partner aspect of this 7th house, and the fact that the two planets setting off this all, Venus and Mercury both affect this house through Gemini and Taurus. This double connection does lead me to suspect that there may be some credibility to this girl’s claims. As they say, no smoke without fire… 

If you want to see more on Justin Beiber, please follow this link where I did a full analysis on his natal chart.

Astrology of Justin Beiber - Discovered on YouTube

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China coming to Europe’s rescue, but at a price…

Thirty years ago China was on it’s knees, a 3rd world country run by a communist dictatorship (in truth not much as changed there) battling population growth and world isolation. Now China is an economic superpower, driving the world economy and the one beacon of hope for the European Union which is on the brink of total collapse as the Greek Debt crisis grinds on to a inevitable conclusion. It prompted me to look at the relationship between the two, and I found some surprising planetary placements.

 

Above you will see two charts. The first is the relationship from the European perspective, the second is from the Chinese perspective. From looking at both sides of the coin, you can see the pressures and who helps who and where. You will notice from the charts that the European Venus, the finance planet sits in conjunction to the Chinese South Node. If this was a personal relationship, the Venus person would come to the South Node person offering favours and incentives so that a relationship (Venus) could start. That is exactly what is happening now. Also notice that the Chinese Jupiter, is conjunct the natal Neptune/Uranus conjunction in Capricorn. Neptune/Uranus is very unstable and has one’s head in the clouds, and in a business sense in Capricorn is disastrous. If you look at the house placements here, the European Uranus/Neptune sits in the Chinese house of suffering and serving. The relationship is simple, when Europe suffers (Neptune) through instability (Uranus), it looks to Chinese generosity (Jupiter) to bail them out. We also find the EU’s Jupiter and Venus (the Union’s wealth) sitting in the Chinese 8th house, the house of investment and major financial relations.

Even more interestingly look at the Chinese Mars and Pluto, (both these charts amazingly started at a conjunction between Mars & Pluto indication incredible power), clamped around the EU Leo Ascendant, there is no doubt where the control lies in this relationship, China holds all the cards. The EU Mars Pluto sits in the Chinese 9th house very close to the Chinese Midheaven, so a lot of Europe’s power is dependant on long distance trade with it’s Chinese partner and this of course boosts the Chinese profile. With the Chinese Saturn sitting in the European 2nd house, China’s ambition is dependant on providing Europe money. The European Saturn sits in China’s first house, showing that Europe’s ambition and growth will be dependant on China, as long as the European Union stays together.

This relationship looks very much one way. China’s North Node sits in the Euro 9th house, so her destiny is to extend her tentacles by supplying goods and tourists to the European Union. Europe’s North Node sits in the Chinese 10th house, subservient to the whims of the Chinese leadership and ambitions. As Europe comes cap in hand, the scary thought is that they will forever be in China’s debt.

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Greek Debt Crisis – Papandreou throws a spanner in the works in asking for a referendum on aid package.

Oh dear. All the European ministers worked so hard last week to thrash out a new aid package for Greece, and just one week later, the Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has decided to hold a referendum to ask the people of the embattled nation if they should adopt the package. On this news the European Markets have gone into a tailspin, losing 4-5% immediately on the news.

This new development comes as transiting Saturn moving through the Greek 4th house is approaching the Greek natal Uranus, as well as making a square to the Greek natal Moon. Look at the signs associated with these 3 planets of and the placement in the chart and the picture becomes clear. Saturn square to the Moon shows the government (Saturn) asking the people (Moon) about the future of the whole country ( Cancer Ascendant associated with the Moon). The Saturn Uranus conjunction shows through Aquarius (Uranus’ sign) the nature of this question. Aquarius sits on the cusp of the 8th house of other people’s money, in this case other country’s money and also is on the cusp of the 9th house of law-making, hence the referendum. Saturn’s sign Capricorn sits on the cusp of the 7th house, the house of relationships with other countries showing the tough stance being taken by the Greeks.

This is not the end of a troubling period for the Greeks. There will be a confidence vote in the Government at the end of the week (Neptune opposite Mars); Pisces and Aries the ruling signs both affect the Midheaven and 10th house of the way the country is run (not very well) and the people at the top. We also have transiting Aries approaching an opposition with natal Moon/Pluto next year, which does feel very revolutionary and hints at the people taking things into their own hands as well as transiting Pluto which has been opposite Venus, the money planet ploughing ahead to eventually the Greek Saturn conjunct the Ascendant. This aspect could transform the rulership and direction of the whole country. Hold onto your hats in the next two years in Athens, it is going to be a very bumpy ride…             

**** Update 1st Nov 11 @ 15.00 hrs ****

Things moving very fast in Greece as Papandreou’s party immediately started to rebel (Uranus) against their leader (Saturn). Not surprised about this at all as Uranus is all about moving on to things new and overthrowing establishment ideas. Don’t think a change of leader just yet as natal Neptune which rules the Pisces Midheaven is not being affected by any current planetary action. Watch this space though as transiting Mars squares natal Neptune around 26th/27th November. Could be fireworks at the top of Greek politics.

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