Neptune in Pisces – The planet of mystery returns home.

On 3rd February Neptune silently & covertly slips permanently into Pisces. Not many people outside those who follow Astrology will realise it, but this will signify a major shift in life on earth. None of us have ever experienced Neptune in Pisces except for the 3-4 months that Neptune dipped it’s toes in the water back in April last year before moving back into Aquarius in early August. This time Neptune stays in it’s own sign until 2025.

Neptune is finally coming home after a break of around 149 years & we now face the reality of unreality. You know, nothing is quite certain when Neptune comes to the fore. It is like a bank of thick mist enshrouding the truth, we see what we want to see before the mists clear and stark reality hits home. Neptune in my eyes can be the most destructive of all the planets and it has so many ways it can get you. It can lead you into a false sense of security so that you make mistakes. It can completely deceive you hiding the truth or it lulls you to deceive and then face the consequences. It can dissolve your will and your power leaving you helpless. On a grander scale, Neptune is the sign of the collective, the masses rising up as one force. Think of this. Neptune rules water. A rainstorm contains millions of droplets of water, all of which on their own are powerless but bring them together into a mighty flood and it will sweep all before it. There is virtually no stopping the power of Neptune and the power of water. Put a rock in the way and the water flows around. Put a dam in the way and it will hold back the water for a while until enough backs up behind the dam and then it flows over the top. The power of emotion and the force of the many can overturn anything they want to, if they put their minds to it. By the way, the risk of devastating Tsunamis or flooding as a result of under-sea earthquakes or tropical storms will go up an notch or two in the wake of Neptune entering Pisces.

Back in 1848 we had a very similar planetary setup to now with Neptune moving into Pisces and Uranus and Pluto in Aries a cardinal sign. Soon after the Neptune ingress, there were revolutions in France, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Denmark, Italy and Poland. Nationalism became rampant, the masses rose up, swept away the old guard and allowed new leaderships to be formed. Interestingly, just 4 days after the last ingress of Neptune into Pisces, a seminal document was published, the communist manifesto. Here was social idealism in it’s purest form and a statement of intent for the rule of the people for the people. Neptune’s approach to Pisces from the last degrees of humanitarian Aquarius had prompted the change and low and behold a similar pattern is emerging once again, however this time the change has been felt in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Marx & Engels’ ideas are back in vogue too, just look at the Occupy Wall Street protests which has expanded to Occupy DC and Occupy London. The financial hubs of the world, the place where much of the world’s power in the West has been consolidated is being challenged by an idealism based around the concerns of the many, the poor the suffering and the disaffected in opposition to the power of the few. Is this Marxism being reborn in a slightly different guise?

What else happened last time Neptune visited Pisces? There was a great increase in spiritualism and mediums and the practise of trance lecturing spread, although this movement was treated with as much scepticism as it was of enthusiasm. Neptune is the planet of ghosts and illusions as well as of deception and trickery. Will new religions and ideas come into being this time around? Will the major religions like Christianity, Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism flourish again or will scepticism and the search for new answers dissolve some or all of those religions.  Under Neptune in Pisces, both possibilities exist. You know, we may be seeing the beginning of some change already. The sudden rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in the wake of the Arab Spring does look like a manifestation of Neptune in Pisces, those sharing the same faith banding together under one identity, one collective which crosses national borders. My personal hope is that astrology can become stronger and useful during Neptune in Pisces for those seeking different solutions to the great questions of life. The technology of the past decades has brought my subject more accessible to the masses of the people on earth than ever it was before.

During this period Charles Darwin wrote “The Origin of Species” overturning common thought and in turn challenging the authority and word of the Church that the first humans were descended from Adam & Eve. Will yet more information about our origins on earth now come to light? Medical advances are sure to quicken pace as Neptune rules hospitals and medicines, watch out for new treatments as well as overhauls of health institutions and healthcare in general around the world. Neptune is associated with drugs, alcohol and escapism, with serving and suffering. Possibly the way we treat drub rehabilitation may radically change, indeed will there finally be an acceptance of so called “soft drugs” into medical practice and into lawful use?

Oil ruled by Neptune was commercially drilled for the first time in 1853 in Poland and I believe that we may seeing the end of the oil cycle by the time Neptune changes signs in 2025. Where might we find new power sources? I think Neptune again may provide many of the answers in the power of water. Just in the past couple of weeks, a new cheap device called the “Searaser” to create efficient water powered energy has been seized upon by the British Government and will be fast tracked into production around the UK coastline. More creative solutions will need to be found, as the energy thirsty nations of the emerging markets, especially China and India continue on their rapid rate of expansion.

Creativity will only be enhanced in the next 14 years. Neptune in Pisces will bring inspiration to a new generation and dance and music may flourish, possibly with a softer less abrasive edge than the urban music and dance scene that has dominated in the last decade. Creative writing may well see a golden age and film, TV, photography, computer games and the internet may see virtual reality brought to you in far more vivid ways. The notion of the internet cloud is so Neptunian, and by 2025 will we have any need for much hardware in our homes and offices?

I have a feeling that the Neptune in Pisces is a really important milestone we are coming to. The final piece of the planetary jigsaw is now complete, the three outer planets, the ones which affect generations having all changed signs in the past 4 years, Pluto firstly into Capricorn then Uranus into Aries and now Neptune into Pisces. Working together to shape our world, you can see the pattern emerging. Uranus in Aries provides the thrust of change and the spirit to sweep away old established ideas, Neptune in Pisces brings the idealism and the massed ranks of the collective bringing disparate forces together as one, and Pluto in Capricorn destroys the infrastructure of government and big business allowing the new structures of administration to be put in place. In 12 years time as Pluto starts to exit Capricorn, I think the world as we know it will be a very different place and a new order will be emerging from the cloud hanging over us.

The truth is that although the change will be flowing around us until then, I suspect we will only be fully aware of the ramifications of what Neptune in Pisces has brought us when it emerges into Aries in 2025 and the air finally clears. Remember, not all of what Neptune brings is pleasant, we can be deceived into thinking the grass is greener on the other side. Neptune forces you into the land of dreams and idealism; some dreams and ideals can be pleasant but this is also the environment where nightmares can be experienced. When we wake up from our slumber in 2025, what reality will look like? I think a more socially orientated and interconnected world, one where the balance of power will have shifted from the West to the East, and one where national borders as we know them now will be disintegrating in front of our eyes in favour of joint trading blocks of countries.

What do you think Neptune in Pisces will bring to the table? Please feel free to comment below…

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Laura Dekker – Born to sail across the oceans

Laura Dekker is a amazing and courageous young lady. Two days ago on 21st Jan 12 at 15.00, she returned home to Saint Martin in the Netherlands Antilles after an epic trip creating in the process a world record. On the record attempt, she set off from Gibraltar on August 10th 2010 on her 38ft boat, “Guppy” crossing the Atlantic Ocean to St Martin. She left on the circumnavigation on 5th Jan 2011 covering a total distance of 5600 nautical miles (10,400 km). At just the age of 16, she had become the youngest person ever to sail around the globe singlehandedly. To sail the oceans is a tough ask for most people and is a truly dangerous undertaking. For someone so young to endure such a feat of endurance is truly unbelievable, showing an indomitable spirit and highlighting her incredible talent for sailing.

Laura was born on 20th September 1995 in Whangarei, New Zealand on a boat. She has a Dutch father and a German mother, and as I understand it spent the first four years of her life at sea. Sailing it seems is in her blood, for it is all she has known for much of her life. She is a Sun sign Virgo with either a Cancer or Leo Moon, depending on her birth time. Knowing the feat that she has just achieved, I rather think that she has a watery Cancerian Moon, as they like having the security of their home around them, and for Laura her home is on the ocean wave. If anyone does know of a birth time (difficult I know because of the unusual nature of her birth) I would love to receive it. The Virgo Sun brings a practical down to earth nature to her personality, and if it were combined with a Cancerian Moon then she would have a rather shy nature brought to life by a warm but reserved charm. This is a combination where looking after the details are very important to oneself, it brings a self-sufficiency to the personality & everything must be neatly in place. Just to preface this, a Leo Moon would change her personality with Laura wanting to be a bit more in the spotlight. Would someone with a Leo Moon go off for a year away on the sea completely away from civilization. What do you think?

So what can we say for sure on this chart? Well the main basis of this chart lies around at least one and quite possibly two major oppositions. The Sun conjunct to Venus opposes Saturn bringing a very serious side to young Laura, she will have an old head on young shoulders. Emotionally she will have troubles with relationships in her life with the likelihood of disappointments, however with such an independent chart and a love of disappearing off on trips for long periods of time, will relationships even come into her thinking? Saturn sits in nautical Pisces, so Laura’s ambitions naturally lie very much on the sea. The other (potential) opposition sees the Moon opposing a Uranus/Neptune conjunction in serious Capricorn. This brings independence to the emotions, a love of doing one’s own thing combined with the limitless effect of Neptune. The freedom to explore the vast open areas of the oceans will appeal so much to her emotions. You know, thinking about this young generation, there is a very pioneering spirit about this grand conjunction of outer planets. Laura is a trailblazer in some respects for this group of young people with Uranus and Neptune together, however it is just as feasible that this will be the generation who will explore the vast empty areas of our solar system (possibly to Mars and beyond). Uranus/Neptune in Capricorn is just as likely to have the ambition to explore the cosmos as it will the oceans. This conjunction sits square to Laura’s nodal axis so the need to free & to be slightly out of step with mainstream society is instilled her destiny, and in my view this is one more reason why she is an especially talented girl.

The Uranus/Neptune conjunction is potent for her for several reasons. It makes a trine to her Sun, this uninhibited and independent nature affects her personality as well as her emotions. Secondly both Neptune and Saturn are in mutual reception, Neptune in Saturn’s sign and Saturn in Neptune’s and they are in sextile aspect too. These planets are in perfect harmony and so is it any wonder that the pull of the sea and the ambition it brings is so strong with Laura? The presence of Uranus amplifies this sextile even more. There is one other planet that has just as strong an effect on this chart – pioneering Mars. Mars is in Scorpio and is peregrine, sitting alone on this chart and exudes a quiet bravery, a will to win, a need to be first and to be the best. Mars in Scorpio is not as demonstrative as in other signs, but it is just as intense, if not more so than in anywhere else in the zodiac. Her secret desire (a good analogy for Mars in Scorpio) will urge her to do great things. Mars in Scorpio can look danger and death in the eye, and take on the challenge. Mercury sits in sociable Libra square to the Uranus/Neptune conjunction bring to here a freedom of expression too. Uranus square Mercury shows a very quick and inventive mind, certainly what is needed when one needs to react to a dangerous situation when you alone can fix the problem, and Neptune square Mercury allows you to sail of mentally in your own little world, Laura is a dreamer in the real sense of the word. Mercury in Neptune can also give one a bit of a 6th sense, very handy when you feel danger may be around the corner.

The independence she gains from the planets on her chart also brought about a troubled upbringing where her parents split in 2002, impelling her to stand on her own two feet early in life. Through the Moon’s opposition to Neptune and Uranus, you can see the independence of her mother. Through the opposition from retrograde Saturn to her Sun, you can see a father who was strict, someone who may have been away from home for long periods of time, possibly straining the marriage ties between her parents.  

We find Pluto in Scorpio too as part of a mini grand trine involving Uranus and the Sun. Here again is an intense independence and a requirement to be a notable person, someone who is seen as special. Jupiter sits in international wise Sagittarius, it’s own sign so here is someone who will hate to be hemmed in. Jupiter in Sagittarius hates claustrophobic situations, and need the freedom to explore the world. Here is a truly global perspective from a girl of parents from different nations who was brought up on international waters. Maybe Laura is a shining light for how the world will be in years to come, when borders cease to be and we all become one people; the population representing the Earth?

On this website and in Astrology, one does have the chance to explore the character of many incredible people, and it is unusual that someone of the tender age of 16 catches my attention, but Laura does this and more. Her chart is amazing on many levels, and poses many questions about the young people just starting to make their mark on the world. Trust me, we will be hearing much, much more about young Laura and her exploits sailing the great oceans of our planet.

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Gary Oldman – On his way to receiving the recognition he deserves.

Quiet, unassuming & superbly talented, Gary Oldman stars in the critically acclaimed “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” which hits the UK cinemas back in September last year. Although he has always been lauded as one of the best actors of his generation, until today Gary had never been nominated for an Oscar. I am so pleased that this anomaly in his career has now changed.

Born in London on 21st March 1958 at 10.46am, Gary is a double Aries with both Sun and Moon in the sign of the warrior with a Cancerian Ascendant. Here we have the need to always be first and to be at the top of the tree – ambition will burn within him. We have a clash of fire and water, the fiery enthusiasm which you would normally expect to find with an Aries Sun and Moon is dampened down a little by the Cancerian ascendant which is square to the conjunction of the two, and the Sun is square to Saturn which hardens the resolve. Gary will be a bit wary of the environment he will be in, and he will put up barriers preventing others in getting through to the real person, an ambitious, yet moody and sensitive guy. This is a more private man than the Aries Sun and Moon suggests that we are dealing with.

We find the Sun in the 10th house widely conjunct the Moon and Mercury. Gary’s career and status will be hugely important to him and his work will often come first ahead of his personal life. This is a very powerful Sun in Aries, as the urge to best the best he can be will be incredibly strong. Mercury also sits in the 10th in Aries conjunct to the Moon. Immediately we think of a very direct communicator; Mercury in Aries is very forthright. Combined with a Pisces Midheaven, ruled by Neptune the planet of creation, acting & film, Gary was destined to have an artistic career from birth. Just to confirm this assumption, natal Neptune sits in the creative 5th house.
                                                                                                                                                                                     As I mentioned, the Sun is in a square to Saturn in the 6th house of everyday work. Saturn here is concerned with getting every detail correct and there is the sense that this is someone who will work very, very hard to perfect every role he does to achieve international fame. The Saturn square indicates an issue with his father during his formative years. It is known that he had a drinking problem and was violent and abusive. Aries’ ruler Mars is part of a dramatic and rather unpredictable Mars Uranus Neptune t-square which aptly describes the father’s behaviour when applied to the Aries Sun through a sextile aspect. With Neptune ruling the Midheaven and under so much pressure, it is not surprising to find out that his parents split when he was 7 years of age. By the same token, this same Neptune receives energy and enthusiasm from Uranus and Mars, as well as a touch of artistic brilliance. Gary’s roles have always encompassed a strong independent streak, the need to be a little bit different and very much an underground vibe. Think of Sid & Nancy, The Fifth Element, The Contender, Hannibal, The Dark Knight and now Tinker Tailor, Soldier Spy; all films with a dark psychological undercurrent. Espionage comes under the Neptune in Scorpio banner and his latest role encompasses the dark secret world created in John Le Carre’s novel. This is where Gary thrives. This Uranus link also brings a link to technology. Gary is noted for providing the voices on many popular video games, Neptune being in the 5th house of games and entertainment.

Uranus is trine to the Moon from the second house which brings a spark to the personality. Gary will be a kind soul yes, who will very much want to do his own thing & be his own man. The Moon is actively protective of his family ruling his ascendant combined with a focused quindecile from Moon/Mercury to Jupiter, North Node and Neptune. Gary will prefer to keep his children firmly out of the limelight, yet will be hugely generous to them making sure they have the very best of everything.

Gary has had problems in holding down a permanent relationship, he is already now onto his 4th marriage. Capricorn sits on the cusp of the 7th house of permanent relationships and also cuts across the 8th house of intimacy where we find Mars and Venus. Saturn ruling any part of the 7th house always shows difficulties in marriage and with Mars and Venus opposite to Uranus. it may attract Gary to very intense but unstable encounters with the opposite sex. While these may be exciting at the time, they don’t tend to lead to any type of permanence in relationships. With critical Virgo on the cusp of his 4th house of the home, one can imagine that his home life will really trouble him too with a critical air pervading. Capricorn is very tied into one’s work commitments and I am sure that this has also got in the way of lasting happiness.

We have a mini grand trine with Pluto in the 3rd house Virgo trine to the perfectionist Saturn in Sagittarius in the 6th making the trine with the 5th house Jupiter Neptune and North Node. This is a very creative formation, full of colour and artistry. Gary will be a very confident and powerful speaker (Pluto) and has international (Jupiter) ambitions (Saturn) in the film industry (Neptune). Neptune is trine to the Midheaven, so creativity of all types flow around this chart. As well as acting Gary has a love of music. Early in his career, he gave up his piano studies to concentrate on acting although he still retains a love of playing, and has quoted that he would have preferred to have been a musician rather than an actor. Neptune in conjunction to Jupiter indicates a lack of discipline and a tendency to excess with regard to escapist tendencies. So many creative people suffer from drug and alcohol problems as Neptune rules all of these qualities. Gary has been down the rehabilitation road, following in the footsteps of his father, but claims now to have beaten his addiction to alcohol.

Returning to Pluto in the 3rd house of communication and the mind. Pluto in the 3rd house is very powerful and penetrating & he will want to dive under the surface of any situation to get to the motivating factors, one of the reasons he is such a powerful character actor. It also makes a quindecile to Gary’s Venus in the secluded 8th house, hinting at the underworld characters & villains that he has been noted for. The trine to Saturn gives him a tenacious edge to his character, someone who once he sets his mind on a course of action will not be swayed from it until he has achieved his aims and goals. He will stick to his guns and not compromise his principles, a worthy aim to be sure and the adoration and achievements that his Aries Sun craves has finally been vindicated with his nomination today.

Although it is not out of the question, I doubt he will win the main prize. Gary does have transiting Saturn conjunct to Jupiter and close to conjunct to his North Node on Oscar day, which will bring him rewards. Transiting Jupiter will be opposing Jupiter/Neptune North Node conjunction, which affects his daily routine shown in the 6th and his worldly progress shown in 10th house. Transiting Neptune will be trine the same conjunction so another connection to his dream of getting to the top. Operating out of the international 9th house, that starlight quality we in Britain know he has in abundance, is finally being acknowledged by the wider world. His Nodal axis will be square his Midheaven and the South Node will be quindecile to his natal Saturn, so this is a stand out time in his career.

In the next year, the Nodal axis will then square his Sun and then Neptune, and his progressed Moon will conjunct his Midheaven and enter his 10th house of ambition, so I suspect big powerful roles will flood in for him, bringing this unassuming actor into the big league at last. He will be very busy in the 2-3 years after his first major nomination. This is backed up as transiting Pluto is closing in on his descendant which shows a big shift in emphasis in his life.

Gary is one of the finest actors we in the UK have produced in the past generation, and the best actor nomination for his role of George Smiley in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is a fantastically well deserved achievement. For all his career so far, it is the very least I think that his undoubted talent deserves. I know it is a outside shot, but l hope he wins.

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George Clooney – Suave, sophisticated and independent.

It’s film awards time of the years again and in the mix to pick up awards as best actor and director this year at the BAFTA awards in London and at the Oscars in Los Angeles is George Clooney. His films “The Descendants” where he takes the lead role and “The Ides of March” where he not only directs but also stars have garnered him critical acclaim this year and he should picks up a fair amount of nominations for them.

 

George was born on 6th May 1961 in Lexington, Kentucky in the US at 2.58am. He is a sun sign Taurean with an ambitious Capricorn Moon and a creative Pisces ascendant. This is a chart which is very down to earth and practical with 5 planets in earth signs and also also rather stubborn in nature with 6 fixed planets. George born under the sign of the bull is someone who definitely will not be moved if he doesn’t want to move!! The combination of Sun and Moon shows someone who has ambition at heart. Taurus loves to build, to make and create and Capricorn shows huge ambition. The administrative side of the Capricorn Moon shines through in George not being satisfied in just being an actor, but also wanting to be a producer and director of films too. As you can see, George wants his cake and will want to eat it too.

The Taurean Sun is ruled by Venus, and Venus is by far the most dominant planet on this chart. The reason is that Venus sits in the first house alone unconnected to any other planet – it is peregrine. So we have a Taurean Sun coloured by a first house Venus. Venus in the first house is very self-aware, and in Aries very narcissistic. Lets be straight, George loves himself. No too ways about it, here is someone who actively cares about his appearance and how he portrays himself. Venus is associated with beauty and Taurus is the most earthy sensual sign. George is a good looking guy due to the stars he inherited at his birth, and he uses that handsome appearance to the full. Ok he is good looking, but why do women fall swoon over him? I think it is because of his Pisces ascendant. Pisces is elusive and untouchable, and that slightly evasive and sensitive air combined with the sensuality of Taurus is a potent cocktail that a lot of women just cannot resist.

The Sun sits with Mercury in George’s 2nd house, opposite to Neptune and square to Uranus. George is a typical Taurus with the Taurean Sun in it’s own house. Steady, patient, very possessive and loyal, George will like the good life and be very careful to look after his possessions. This is a man who financially will be very switched on, and will be talented at making money. He will want a comfortable lifestyle and acting has provided this. The opposition to Neptune, the planet ruling creative ventures TV music and film bring a softness and compassionate side complementing the Pisces ascendant. George is a sensitive soul and his preferred roles will revolve around relationships (echoing Venus’ need to relate) or ones where psychological drama is called for. Neptune is in dark secretive Scorpio in the hidden 8th house sextile to Pluto; anything unusual, deceptive or beneath the surface will appeal to his nature.

The Sun and Mercury’s square to Uranus shows that George does have a creative mind, will have a sharp sense of humour and will love a practical joke. It also shows him to stand out from the crowd and instils in him great independence. If you want to know why George is single, here is the reason. George’s 7th house has Virgo on the cusp ruled by Mercury. This Mercury is squared by independent Uranus, meaning that George loves a free life and hates to be tied down. If he does get into a relationship a critical streak will come out, which will tend to bring even more problems. These issues go back to George’s childhood. From the chart I know that George’s childhood would have been disturbing to him. His mother represented by the Moon is in conjunction with harsh Saturn and receives an opposition from Mars; his mother would have been quite strict and authoritarian. The Sun representing his father of course receives that square from Uranus indicating he was rather independent, a bit of a rebel, possibly away from home for periods of time. Both the rulers of the parental axis (across 4th/10th house) Mercury and Jupiter have stressful connections to them and the rulers of 2nd house of self-worth (Mars), 5th of giving love (Moon), 7th of relationships (Mercury) and 11th of received love (Saturn) are all under stress. From youth, George would have had hang ups about his confidence and being in relationships. These obviously translated into adult life, and are represented in the fact that after George did get married back in 1989 for 4 years, the disappointment of the breakdown compelled him to vow never to marry again. Here are the fears of losing his independence (echoing his father) and maybe a conditioning of how he saw women, seen through the experiences he had with his mother.

Of course, George still has had a string of girlfriends and one of the needs in his life is the need to be loved and adored. Saturn sits with the Moon in the 11th house of received love and shows a desperate need for attention. George will put himself in a position where people will show love to him, he feels comfortable when people are showering praise on him, with him it will be an addictive feeling and is one reason why I think he will continue to make films for as long as he can. This guy is a workaholic, shown by Pluto sitting in his 6th house opposite his Pisces ascendant. Here is a great need for power, control and recognition in his daily work life.

Mars in the 5th in Leo shows a gambler’s instinct, and a love of being in the spotlight. He craves attention and loves being the best at what he does, acting. Mars in the creative 5th house shows great drive and the opposition to the Capricorn Moon and Saturn shows a desire not only to create but to administer the creative process, through direction of films. Mars in the 5th also brings a love of sport and competition, George for sure has a will to win inside him.

George is known for his generosity to charitable causes, and was synonymous with the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, indeed he made a film  “Darfur” to highlights the situation there. Jupiter in the 12th house, quindecile to kind and compassionate Uranus in the 6th house of health shows such a real desire to help those in suffering, and George will continue to use his influence in helping those who need it most.

Looking at the planets against his natal chart, George has had a good year and his work especially in the “The Dependents” has been praised for being some of his best so far, however I think that he has a only a slim chance to win this year at the BAFTA and Oscar awards this year.  At the Oscars he is nominated for best actor in “The Descendants” and best adapted screenplay for “The Ides of March”. On the night (above) transiting Saturn is square his Moon and Saturn conjunction, and square to his  natal Mars, which suggests a career progression although the Moon connection does suggest possible a little disappointment. The transiting Nodal axis will be square his ascendant which is also a little downbeat in nature. Funnily, with his progressed Moon in conjunction with his Midheaven, 2013 may provide a better chance for George to pick up a major award than in this year.

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Mars Retrograde – Time to reflect on what you’ve done.

Ah Mars, the red planet. The sign of the warrior, the winner, the aggressor. The planet of action, the one which impels us to get of our backsides and go and do something constructive with our lives. The world would go nowhere without the sheer energy and pioneering spirit given by the red planet. Mars moves into retrograde motion tonight at 00.53 London time. What I mean by retrograde motion is that in relation to the movement of the earth, Mars seems to be moving backwards. Just one of those quirks of the orbits that the planets have. Mars goes into retrograde once every 2 years or so for a couple of months.

Now Mars’ energy is great going ahead, moving forward. That’s what Mars is all about, however Mars does not act so well when it moves into retrograde motion. If someone or something wants to go forward, but if it can’t then a certain frustration level can build up. The great warrior wants to go out and fight battles and discover new things but in retrograde he is confined to barracks for nearly three months. No wonder he is going to get irritable. So he stays in the compound and does odd jobs, repairing stuff, cleaning up making things tidy and neat before he is allowed to go back out on patrol.

Take this analogy and apply it to wherever transiting Mars is in your personal chart, for Mars’ boundless energy is going to be put on hold for the next few months until it finishes it’s retrograde pattern on 15th April. For example if Mars is moving through your 10th house of work, you will find that all your ambitions and plans will go on hold for a while, decisions may be put off or reversed. If it is moving in your 4th, you may find that home-life gets rather fraught and your family members all start to get a bit tetchy for a couple of months. If it is moving in your 2nd, your money supply dries up for a while, in your 1st you feel a bit lethargic and lacking in physical energy.

During Mars retrograde it is never a good time to start new projects. Simply because once Mars gets moving forward again those projects may get wound up for some reason or another and you may have to start afresh. Another tip, never try to purchase new machinery or vehicles, technical things in a Mars retrograde period. They often go wrong or break down needing expensive repairs. On a personal level, you may find that people everywhere are a bit on edge, just because like you they can’t seem to get things moving. You may find yourself going back to square one again but don’t get downhearted. Mars retrograde makes us think about our previous actions, helps us to review all that we have done in the previous two years. It is time for correction, to refocus our gaze and to realize where we have made mistakes, and gives us a chance to redress the balance. The energy is focused inwards on the self rather than outwards on the world, so now is an opportunity for us to look inside and focus on what we need to do to make our lives better.

Mars in Virgo is the ultimate clean up position. Virgo is detailed, likes to refine and to put in order. Virgo is down to earth and practical and so this is a perfect time for you to get those details correct, to dot the i’s and cross the t’s, to get rid of any unwanted things in your life, Mars in Virgo does not mind getting it’s hands dirty so go out and sort out all the messy stuff. It’s clear up time, an occasion to put things in order before we start moving ahead once again in April.

If you know your own horoscope, below is a quick guide in what to expect between now and mid April :-

Mars moving through the 1st – You may feel a bit lethargic and lacking in get up and go for a few months. Personal projects may not go according to plan.

Mars moving through the 2nd – Money and personal finance issues may take a turn for the worse, or money dries up. You may be rather lacking in personal self-worth for a while and not as confident as you normally would be.

Mars moving through the 3rd – Communications are the focus here, with you being irritable and a bit on edge. Arguments with siblings are possible, also local transport issues or schooling issues may affect you during this time.

Mars moving through the 4th – At home relations with the family members will be more fraught than usual. There may be misunderstandings and arguments may breakout over trivial issues. If you are moving home, things will not go so smoothly and house repairs or improvements may hit snags or problems.

Mars moving through the 5th – All areas of creative ability will suffer, you will not be as inspirational as normal. Best not to bet or speculate as luck may not be on your side. Problems with children and lovers may occur, as your outward romantic and loving feelings go on hold.

Mars moving through the 6th – Health is the issue here and you may suffer some annoying ailments or health problems. It’s also time to review any physical issues that have been bothering you. Relations with work colleagues may not be so good and disagreements may come up.

Mars moving through the 7th – Permanent and marriage partners may not be in such a good mood and there may be problems. It may be time to asses how your main relationships stand.

Mars moving through the 8th – There could be issues with money invested or with other people’s possessions or shared resources. Also issues with big business may disrupt your life. Matters on an intimate level may concern you.

Mars moving through the 9th – Matters of higher education could be a concern, maybe you will not be making the progress you anticipated. Travel plans may go awry or there may be disruptions. Legal matters may not go smoothly and matters of personal faith may be reassessed.

Mars moving through the 10th - Here your ambitions and work progress may go on hold. There could be disagreements with bosses or with people in authority. Work projects may stall.

Mars moving through the 11th – Matters with friends are an issue here, maybe they will go back on an agreement or refuse to aid you. Also you may have issues with groups and associations and events planned through them may be put off or cancelled. The love you receive from others may dry up.

Mars moving through the 12th – Private or solitary work may have to be put back or areas of your life where you provide some sort of service could be put on hold. Spiritually, you may reassess what you believe in.

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SOPA – US stop piracy law causes 24 hour internet blackout protest.

“Using a sledgehammer to crack a nut!”" That is the idea that comes to mind when I think about the proposed law to prevent internet piracy in the US which may shortly be implemented. Many large internet sites such as Reddit and Wikipedia (above) have blacked out their pages for 24 hours today (18th Jan 12) in a unified protest against this horrendously overbearing law which could have ramifications not just in the US but worldwide.

The Stop Online Piracy Act or SOPA law was introduced to the US House of Representatives by Texas Republican Lamar Smith on 26th October 2011. In effect, it authorizes the shut down of any site in the US or overseas sharing any intellectual property, like music, films, videos, programs that originated in the United States. It also goes after any site that forward links so that you can share as well, even if that site is hosted out of the US. Now I am against sharing, but the basis of this law is this. Potentially, if a site like YouTube (for example) had only one clip on it which breached US copyright law, then as I understand it, the whole of YouTube itself could be shut down by the US government. The onus lies on the site host to check every single link, video, mp3 you name it. Instead of targeting the person or people who initiated the breach of copyright which is what should happen, this law could hit everyone using the host site, even if they themselves are innocent. Remember the Iron Curtain that dropped over the countries of Eastern Europe after the 2nd World War?? Well it is reappearing in the United States of all places, in an intellectual form. Even’s Russia’s internet laws will be more free and open than in America, if this law is fully implemented.

The chart above of the law when it was drafted shows a New Moon in Scorpio, a time for starting new projects. Scorpio new moons show potential for secrecy and ultimate control. This new moon is very singular in it’s purpose, it is rather Aries in nature, however if there is a fault about a New Moon it is that it tends you not to consider other points of view. Decisions made under a new moon can be rather one sided. Notice that this chart has no planets in mutable signs at all. This was a very fixed decision without any flexibility.

The bill’s chart featured an opposition to Jupiter in Taurus so it had worldwide ramifications. Taurus is a very possessive sign, you like to hold onto what you have and of course Jupiter is the planet that signifies the law. Now we have a t-square here connecting Mars in Leo opposite Neptune in Aquarius squared by Venus and Mercury in Scorpio. This is the basis of the bill. Performers and creators (Leo) can take aggressive and punitive (Scorpio) action (Mars) over their music, films, TV programmes and intellectual property (Neptune/Mercury) shared (Venus) over the internet (Aquarius/Mercury). The Neptune Mars opposition also makes a wedge formation with authoritarian Saturn in Libra here is the influence of Government over the content of the bill and this Saturn also makes a quindecile to Jupiter. Just like the Costa Concordia accident chart I looked at a couple of days ago, a focused pointer is created including a quindecile from Jupiter to Venus/Mercury. This was a significant moment, that would reach far beyond the act of initiating the bill.  Not only is this a hard-line (Saturn) law (Jupiter), it restricts (Saturn) social (Venus) and intellectual (Mercury) freedom (Jupiter).

Sitting in the background of course when this bill was created was the spectre of the Pluto/Uranus square, which is now reforming again after moving out of range over Christmas and the New Year. Pluto brings control of independence and individual action represented by Uranus. The thing is, Uranus will plainly refuse to back down, this is the rebel planet after all, now moving in all action Aries. Thus we have the protest on the internet supported by Wikipedia and Reddit with Google, YouTube, WordPress, Facebook, Mozilla  AOL, Zynga, Twitter, eBay and others all operating but voicing their displeasure.

On a personal level, I think the US lawmakers have been over influenced in their decisions by the money-makers in Hollywood, who have in no doubt backed this bill. My argument is this. The internet has now been around for 30 years. Is there any slow up in creativity because of file sharing? In my view no, indeed I think creativity has thrived and more people are now making wonderful art, music and films than ever before. Technology has opened up the creative process to billions of people on the planet. In the US, cinema takings were up in 2010 but attendances down, in main due to rising prices and not the fact that people were watching films on their computers. We all have to adapt to changing circumstances in life, and so too does America. The bottom line is if prices are reasonable and quality is high, then people will go to watch and to listen and pay for the original material. Remember, the ones pushing this bill are the ones with money in their pockets in the first place. They are not the losers in this bill, the humble internet user all over the globe will be, and his or her freedom of speech will be impaired.

I am British living in the UK and as I always understood it, freedom of speech was an integral part of the US constitution. In the UK, if our rights were threatened like this, there would be riots on the streets, as was proved last summer. If this awful bill is implemented into US law, then on this issue America will no longer be the land of the free and the home of the brave, it will be the land of the oppressed and the home of the timid. Fear and greed are ruling over intelligence and choice. The stakes on this one are very, very high.

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Muhammad Ali – A look at the horoscope of the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time.

Today on his 70th birthday I could not possibly focus my attention on anyone else. His has been the most amazing life, from poor roots in Kentucky, to conquering the world in the boxing ring with skill and grace, standing for his chosen religion & dealing with illness. Muhammad Ali remains one of the most awe inspiring people in sport and a name that will live on through the ages. Looking at his astrology chart, I want to try and dig a little deeper to try to explain why he is “simply the greatest”.

Muhammad (Cassius Marcellus Clay Jnr) was born in Louisville, Kentucky at 18.35 on 17th January 1942 into a poor family in the city. He is a Sun sign Capricorn, has an Aquarius Moon and a proud Leo ascendant. The Sun in Capricorn shows someone who would have great ambition in his life and would want to make an impression. His Moon in Aquarius showed a real compassion and independent streak. The emotions are very much cooled in Aquarius and one can detach the emotions from any task one is doing. Here is a sneaky liking for glamour and being in the spotlight, and this dispensation is enhanced immensely by the Leo Ascendant. This man would want to be front and centre in being known for his achievements (Capricorn Sun).

Often, coming from adversity gives you the motivation to aspire to greatness. Like so many famous people I have looked at on this blog, the young Cassius Clay had a lack of love from his father (shown by Saturn retrograde). I am sure that he had a difficult upbringing. Venus ruling his Midheaven (via Taurus) received squares from Saturn and Uranus confirming an unpredictable and authoritarian father. Pluto ruling Scorpio at the cusp of the 4th received a square from Mars and the Moon was opposed by Pluto, so his mother was controlling and forceful. This would have affected Cassius’ self worth and he needed something to fortify him. When 12 he was encouraged by a police officer to take up boxing after threatening to beat up a thief for stealing his bicycle. He joined a gym, and the rest as they say is history.

Now the Sun, Moon and Mercury are all in the 6th house, Virgo’s house of everyday work and technique. There is one thing for sure, Muhammad would not get into the ring unprepared. Here is a propensity to work and work and work on one’s skills, he was the ultimate professional and a real perfectionist. The Moon and Mercury makes an opposition to his ascendant, so these skills were part of his physical make-up and there is square to Ali’s Midheaven so here was a link to his professional career.  Now there are many boxers who would have also been technically good, but the signs here bring the key to why Ali was so brilliant. Aquarius confers special talent with quickness of mind and of thought. Combined with the cool Aquarian Moon calming the emotions, Ali was able to outthink his opponents as well as out manoeuvre them, keeping calm to deliver the knockout blow of an assassin while maintaining his composure. Mercury in Aquarius made him very quick witted and very a guy who could not stop talking, and of course with this aspect he would have had a fabulous sense of humour. Mercury also was trine to Jupiter, so here was someone who made big confident statements; he became famous for predicting exactly in which round he would dispose of his opponent. Moon in Aquarius trine to Jupiter showed a wonderful philanthropic attitude. This was a generous man who cared deeply about those suffering around him. 

The links to the violence of what became his day job, training and fighting in the ring is shown by a tremendously energetic and determined t-square, one of several on this chart. From his Capricorn Sun there is an opposition to Pluto in Leo, yet another indication of wanting to be a notable person and this opposition is squared by Mars in Taurus. Mars in Taurus has a store of steady energy and this was enhanced by Pluto. Mars Pluto can be hugely destructive and hugely controlling. Ali could control his energy expertly, using his technique (Sun in 6th) allied to his brute strength (Mars/Pluto). This t-square also had a second meaning. We all know that Cassius Clay changed his name to Mohammed Ali because of his association to the Nation of Islam group, headed by Malcolm X. Here we see Mars in the 9th house of faith and it’s sign Aries on the cusp of the 9th squared by Pluto the planet of transformation.  Three midpoints completed the picture. Ali’s Mars sat opposite his Sun Pluto midpoint (huge aggression and control), his Saturn opposed his Sun/North Node midpoint (known for his ambition and work) and Pluto opposed his Sun/Moon midpoint (transformation of his identity).     

Muhammad has three major planets in his 10th house of worldly ambition and career, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus. Both Saturn and Jupiter in this house conferred the desire to be someone of note and someone who made a big impression on people, touched their lives in some manner. My word did he do that!! Uranus here bucks society, shows a rebel tendency and wants to initiate change. Now what type of change? Peaceful change. For someone who was so successful in such a brutal sport, Ali was a humanitarian and a pacifist at heart. Why? Look at the chart. We have Venus in his 7th house of relationships bang opposite his ascendant in humanitarian kind Aquarius. Venus in Aquarius likes to relate, to get on with people and thus will rebel against discrimination. Notice that the Uranus in his 10th house which wanted to change society’s perceptions and bring about change is in Taurus, the two planets are in square aspect, form a bigger t-square formation and crucially Venus and Uranus are in mutual reception. This t-square was working beautifully in harmony, and Ali used his personality to fight for his community. This was an emotional quest with Venus in conjunction with the Moon and something he did vocally with Venus conjunct Mercury.

It is interesting that after changing his religion and name, it was abroad where Ali’s new identity was more accepted. Mars and Aries in the 9th not only shows athletic ability shown internationally, but and enthusiasm and progressive attitude to his personality away from the US. Mars receives a square from Pluto, so abroad there was jealousy of his ability, but ultimately his ability and his humanitarian stance won over his critics there. In contrast in the US it was much harder for him to gain acceptance. Looking to his 3rd house of his local environment and his 4th house of home and country things were more tricky. On the 3rd house cusp we find Libra and Venus it’s ruler receives a squares from a critical Saturn and rebellious Uranus. The 4th house cusp has Scorpio on it’s cusp, and of course Pluto it’s ruler receives a square from aggressive Mars. At home he was vilified and even hated for the anti-military position he took, his vocal stance against discrimination and the action of changing his faith.

This peaceful and public stance from a man from an “inferior race” and of different religious beliefs to many around him was also directed at the nation through his refusal to join the military during the Vietnam War, which drew meant that the authorities threatened to throw him in jail. The same peaceful ascendant/Venus opposition is squared by Saturn, laying down the law against him. You know in astrology when you get to planets in conjunction and in competition in the same sign, there may be a battle for supremacy but the slower moving planet will always win. This time in a battle between Saturn square Ascendant/Venus and Uranus square Ascendant/Venus, Uranus did win the day, Ali had the charges eventually dropped and this provided the inspiration for his friend Martin Luther King to raise his voice on behalf of the oppressed black community in America. There was however a second link to faith on the chart. We have a grand earth trine on the chart, a store of talent & inspiration which was one of the driving forces in his life. Uranus in his public 10th house trine to spiritual Neptune in his 2nd house of self-worth trine to his Capricorn Sun. By changing religion, Ali became twice the person and his self belief would have soared. By using his spiritual beliefs in opposing war, he change society and precipitated a revolution of equality.

Of course as Ali’s glittering boxing career ended and he moved into middle age, he had another battle to fight, his one with Parkinson’s disease. I return to that Pluto in the 12th house opposing Ali’ s Sun Moon and Mercury in the 6th house of health. Pluto is retrograde and coming out of the 12th house of sacrifice and suffering.  Whenever I see an opposition across the 6th/12 house of health axis involving an outer planet (Saturn, Uranus, Neptune or Pluto) and one of the planets involved in the opposition rules the ascendant (this time the Sun), one knows that health issues may affect the subject and the body. Pluto not only opposed the Sun, but also opposed the Moon ruling that same 12th house and made an opposition to Mercury representing the brain. Parkinson’s disease is a slow degrading of the brain, exactly expressed by this opposition.

He is a amazing human being, with endless compassion and the heart of a lion. He may have been known as a warrior in the boxing ring, but I think the greatest fight he won was the stand he took in opposing violence and eventually bringing freedom to his community.

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Costa Concordia – Shipwreck a genuine mistake or a grave error of judgement?

This evening I finally got hold of the time of the Costa Concordia accident close to the Island of Giglio off the west coast of Italy. To all reports, the cruise liner struck an undersea rock on Friday evening at approximately 21.30hrs. The question everyone is asking is what the hell was a huge liner like that doing being in so close to the island of Giglio? Did the captain on such a modern ship (constructed in 2005) really lose his way? The answer possibly was given on UK Sky News this evening reporting that the new captain went close to the island because a friend lived there. To all reports, this practise of sailing close to Giglio seemed to be a tradition on this particular ship as an old officer who worked on Concordia used to live there too, and so the ship would go close to the island’s coastline and sound it’s horn as a gesture. Does this show up on the astro chart? Amazingly there is a hint that it does.

Here we have the accident horoscope chart. We have the Sun trine to a Moon/Mars conjunction so an element of danger or risk to people (Mars conjunct Moon) and with the Sun squared to Saturn there was the potential for fear, and for lessons to be learned from that time. Saturn squares are never easy and present us problems and difficulties which we have to deal with. This Saturn is very influential on this chart as it also affects a wedge formation with Jupiter opposing Saturn, the wedge being created by an almost exact Neptune/Venus conjunction as the point.
Now Neptune & Venus in conjunction is a very idealistic combination, very kind but a little wayward; almost as if you are floating on a cloud. I bet everyone on board was having a wonderful time, completely unaware of what was about to happen. Both these planets were still just in Aquarius, which is a very humanitarian sign and in the 6th house at the time. Venus in the 6th in Aquarius likes to show an independent kindly gesture when you care about somebody & Neptune in Aquarius in the 6th doesn’t like routine, it likes to do it’s own thing. Now this combination was sextile to Jupiter, which immediately signals a likelihood that one is going to get a little over confident and take a risk or too. Of course, Neptune and Jupiter also represents long distance travel (Jupiter) by sea (Neptune). I suspect, although it is yet to be proven, that the captain of the Costa Concordia got a little complacent and paid a heavy penalty for it.
Now normally, let’s say 99 times out of 100 you would get away with this sort of thing, especially if the practise of going off course was something that had been done before. The only problem was, this time around, danger was lurking at this particular time in the way of Uranus square Pluto.
At the time the ship hit the rock, causing a huge gash in the side of the ship’s hull, the ascendant on that point on earth had ticked around to approximately 15 degrees Virgo. At that point, a very focused pointer was created, rather like a Yod, but in my eyes even stronger, with quindeciles from the Ascendant to both Uranus and Neptune/Venus. The ascendant was also at that point conjunct to the Moon Mars conjunction. Look at the signs ruled by these two planets. Cancer (Moon) is on the cusp of the 11th house of friends, Aries (Mars) is on the cusp of the 8th house of death. Was the captain was potentially putting people in danger (Mars/8th) because a tradition and a friendship (11th).   
Yods or pointers like the one above are turning points, often significant moments in time. This particular Uranus as part of the Yod was particularly dangerous as it was widely square to Pluto. Uranus creates shock, accidents, things you do not expect. Connected to Pluto, we have the potential for something hidden, something destructive, something below the waterline in a nautical sense to cause death and destruction. Not only was Uranus on this occasion connected to this particular point in time with the quindecile to the Ascendant and the square to Pluto, but also it was at the midpoint of the Neptune/Venus sextile to Jupiter, as well as inconjunct to Saturn which is always a very tricky aspect with the potential for upset and unfortunate happenings. Whenever you get Uranus being affected by several tension aspects as well as being at the centre of attention as it was here on this chart, then it has the potential to severely destructive.
Over the next 3 years, because of the square between Pluto and Uranus, we will have the possibility for maybe more of these type of incidents than you would normally expect. I think especially accidents underground, maybe earthquakes and volcanoes exploding, anything nuclear based or accidents of this type where something hidden or unknown suddenly causes a major disaster.          
***** Update 15th Jan 12 *****

This chart shows the accident against the launch date of the Costa Concordia on 2nd September 2005 in Sestri Ponente. A couple of significant aspects here. The nodal axis had moved round to square the natal Sun of the ship’s launch back in 2005 and the Midheaven at the time of the accident exactly hit the South Node. A Sun square often takes on the similar meaning as a Sun conjunct South Node, a place of detriment. The transiting South Node was also trine Neptune, causing misjudgement and possible confusion.
The transiting Mars/Moon conjunction was square to Pluto’s position on the launch date and was trine to natal Mars, which is a nasty combination, a potential for some sort of misfortune death to both ship and people. Transiting Pluto had moved round to sextile the natal Uranus and Sun, a time of potential accidents and destruction.  The one other significant thing here is the natal South Node. As the accident happened, the Midheaven was trine this point, Jupiter quindecile, Uranus quindecile (another pointer as on the accident chart) and Neptune/Venus was making a sesquisquare to the South Node as well. It seems that all the mistakes made were destiny bound, in a bad way for the crew and passengers on board the Costa Concordia.

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Barack Obama – How the planets have been affecting him in 2011, and are shaping his thinking in 2012.

Astrology can be a hugely complicated subject, so just for once I am just going to concentrate today solely on the position of the planets with the President, as they can still infer a lot of meaning to the chart. Sometimes even I can get bogged down at looking for the hidden meaning and nuances of a chart, when the real truth is staring you squarely in the face. With this look at Barack Obama, I go back to basics.

Ok I have taken away all the aspects, so here is the current state of play with the President. All I have to work with are the house positions of the planets and of course if those planets are conjunct to any others. Right what have we got? The Sun is moving through Barack’s 12th house, so this infers a period of service and possibly sacrifice and suffering. One tends to go into preparation mode during this phase, doing a lot of things behind the scenes in preparation for when the Sun bursts into the light of the first house. With Obama’s Saturn in the 12th, all of his authority is carried out behind the walls of the White House oval office. He doesn’t do much of the real work in the public gaze. There is much work going on behind the scenes preparing for the 2012 presidential race ahead. As the Sun in late February comes out of the shadows of the 12th house into the bright lights of his first house, watch him start to go on the offensive.

Mercury is currently in the 11th house with Pluto. This infers heated discussion over control issues with friends, groups and parties, in this case government. Now we know from the Aquarian ascendant that Barack is his own man. His 7th house Uranus which is opposite his ascendant, makes him unafraid of going it alone, and with Mars, Pluto and Uranus in his natal 7th house of dealing with other people and of open enemies, that is exactly what he will do if someone wants to push him around or into a corner. These three natal planets in the 7th bring the idea that he needs to be in control of those around him. If they won’t budge, he’ll go off and do his own thing. Now what is happening in the House of Representatives right now? A battle for control, and the President has had enough of the House messing him about, so he is doing his own thing. Pluto in Capricorn also infers transformation of existing structures, and to get his own way he is bringing in reforms to add layers of bureaucracy to government. Obama has so get moving and get things working, as he has an election at the end of the year.

To Neptune in his first house. To the country at large, Obama has seemed to gloss over the promises that he set out on becoming President. Of course, Neptune in his first house creates a veil, a cloud of confusion over his personality. What you see with Barack is not what you get. On the outside is the wonderful vision, behind which is the stark reality. This is rather a debilitating position for Neptune to be in as it weakens the view of the personality. How many times have I heard that this is a President who is weak, who dodges the issue. All this is the effect of slippery watery evasive Neptune.

Venus is currently moving through the 1st house, which does bring a more conciliatory mood to the President than normal, but conjunct to Neptune he is likely to be a bit evasive. If ever he is going to be in a mood to compromise, now while Venus is in his first house will be the time. He will need to as transiting Mars is in his 7th house, currently conjunct his own natal Mars. Now this is the house of his permanent partner Michelle and Mars is going to be here for half the year. There are going to be some battles between himself and his wife. If anything, Venus in the first will make him come to his senses and I suspect he will be the one to tow the line. You may have seen the recent interview where Michelle Obama who tried to dispel the rumour that she is a controlling wife. With aggressive Mars in critical Virgo & Pluto and Uranus in proud, pompous Leo all in the house representing his marriage partner, do you think she was telling the whole truth?

Transiting Uranus is in the 2nd house of self-worth, money and finances. Here we see Obama trying to grapple with the shifting complicated, unpredictable finances of the US. Uranus causes shock and unusual behaviour and of course this planet is his chart ruler, so this is one planet that affects him very personally. Uranus is a very kind and humanitarian planet, and always favours the weak over the strong, the oppressed over the powerful. Here we see Obama diverting money from the rich to the poor. I have heard of Obama being socialist in nature. What do you expect with a President with an Aquarian ascendant, Aquarian Moon and a 6th house Sun in the sign of the worker?? The astrology does not lie.

This approach is echoed by transiting Saturn in the 8th house of big business and investment. Here is Obama laying down the law to corporate America. The 8th house is the house of other peoples values and intense encounters with powerful people. Here is his battleground for now and over the next 10 months while Saturn is in the 8th house. This is a transformational house too, and Barack will have to adapt and learn to appreciate other people’s point of view, especially the business leaders in the US. If he does become President for a second term, then his gaze and tests will shift to the international 9th house of foreign affairs as Saturn brings tests of strength there.

As for rewards, I look to Jupiter. Jupiter in the 3rd house highlights travel, so Obama at the moment will feel more accepted abroad than he will back in the US. For most of his presidency however it has been passing through his 2nd house of finances, so this explains his spend to reduce the deficit policy, one which has increased the American national debt exponentially. Jupiter is expansionist and makes you spend far more money than you ever plan to. Of course, after the gain comes the pain, and America will really have start to feel the pinch, if this deficit is to be addressed. Believe me tough times lie ahead. We in the UK know all about this right now, as austerity measures are hitting home very very hard!!

Back to Jupiter’s present position. When in the third house, Jupiter affects your mind, your wisdom, and your consciousness. Jupiter traveling through the third house allows you to broaden your mind, and as such your ideas for the future will be bigger, hopefully better and more expansive. The fear here is that your vision can be bigger than you can personally deliver. He will be able to talk the talk, but will he be able to walk the walk? November 6th 2012 will be the reckoning day, when we find out.

Closer to the election date and once we know the two candidates who will battle it out for the Presidency, I will do a proper head to head analysis. I will be occasionally looking at the GOP race between now and convention time, as the field whittles down from six candidates to one.

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Steven Spielberg – A lifetime making movies

Another year, another Spielberg blockbuster. The film maestro was in London this week for the premiere of “War Horse” his latest epic set in the UK and Europe depicting a story of a boy and his horse (Joey) at the time of World War One. From Jaws, to ET, the spellbinding Schindler’s List to Saving Private Ryan, Steven has struck gold on the silver screen many, many times, and is now one of the most powerful men in the film industry.

Steven Spielberg was born on 18th December 1946 in Cincinnati, Ohio at 18.16 hrs. He is a knowledgeable Sagittarian with a deep emotional Scorpio Moon and a Cancerian ascendant. The Sun Moon combination shows somebody who needs to keep on top of absolutely everything going on around them. A Scorpio Moon shows quite controlling secretive tendencies and if that control and information flow is disrupted, then the subject can go into panic mode; the need to know is paramount. The Sun being in a fire sign shows inspiration and enthusiasm, and this with the Scorpio Moon is controlled into a solid form. All those grand ideas from the Sagittarian Moon and all the emotion from the Scorpio Moon as well as the Cancerian ascendant (which is in trine with the Moon) also in a water sign make a very powerful combination. Of course the form that Spielberg uses to meld all those energies is through film.

There is a great amount of creative force on this chart. Three planets sit in the artistic 5th house, that very powerful Scorpio Moon (the chart ruler with Cancer on the ascendant) which here is in a playful mood. This is a very expressive place for the Moon to be, all the emotions are fully on tap. Notice how many of his films involve children, which are highlighted in the 5th house We all know Steven and his general manner is quite quiet and understated. That is because this Moon receives a square from a powerful Saturn/Pluto conjunction. The Saturn influence tones down the outward emotion of the Moon making Steven more shy than you would expect. His self confidence, especially early in his life would have probably been quite low. However there is such emotion here that it has to come out, in this case through his creative talents as a director and maker of films and his thus his work.

Also in the 5th house sits Jupiter and Venus. This a wonderfully colourful, optimistic combination, hugely idealistic with grand pretentions. Any films that Steven does will be have an element of social outreach. These films will have to be popular, big in scale and even if they have a dark nature with the Scorpio influence, here there is almost always an optimistic thread running through them; Jupiter Venus in Scorpio is the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. When I say big by the way, I mean blockbuster big. Jupiter in Scorpio square to Pluto is as big as the universe, maybe even bigger than that; Steven was never meant to make small art-house movies.  The Jupiter Venus conjunction in the 5th makes a trine to the Pisces Midheaven, a sure sign if ever there was any doubt that Steven’s work (Midheaven) was going to be in TV and the movies (Pisces/Neptune).

Another signature for movie making is seen in Pisces’ ruler Neptune which sits in the 4th house in social Libra at the point of a mini grand trine completed by a trine between Mercury in the 6th house in Sagittarius and the Saturn/Pluto conjunction in the 2nd house of money and possessions. Here Mercury brings a technical excellence to his filmmaking. The Mercury 6th house shows a real attention to detail, as does the Sun/Mars conjunction. Steven is a real perfectionist and everything from the editing, special effects and music will be approved and overseen by his careful hand on the tiller. He will be a very well read as a man, making sure he has all back up work and history to hand before he does a project. Mercury in Sagittarius need a wide breadth of knowledge on which to call upon.

Saturn/Pluto in the 2nd house is hugely interested in making money. The reason is fear, a fear that at some point in your life you will run out, so you work hard and diligently to make sure you have enough. Pluto here makes it a compulsive, obsessional pursuit. Steven will not only crave huge wealth, but also huge personal power. Filmmaking was always going to prove to be big business for him with this money making combination connected to his filmic Neptune. The trine from Mercury to Saturn and Pluto shows a real determination and a very organised attitude and it is complemented by the Sun Mars conjunction also in the 6th house that brings great energy and drive to your everyday work.

Now not all was well as Steven grew up, as Neptune in the 4th house shows a disrupted family life. Here he would daydream (Neptune), while the family fought around him. Notice that the chart seems to be in two almost separated sections. There bottom section of planets seemingly well connected together and a separated t-square connecting the Sun Mars and Uranus to the Midheaven. Whenever I find a split like this, with the Sun in one formation and the Moon in the other, I always suspect that there was a split in the family. True enough, the parents went their separate ways when Steven was in his teens, and he chose to live with his father. The Sun (representing the father) conjunct Mars opposite Uranus shows a very independent man who was active if a little unpredictable and aggressive. Steven’s relationship to his mother with that brutal Saturn/Pluto square to the Moon (representing the mother) looked far more difficult, so I am not surprised that he left to live with his dad. His childhood also upset him. One other little clue for all budding astrologers out there. If ever you see a chart with most of the planets in the bottom hemisphere of the chart, you know that the upbringing for the subject would have been difficult. Steven was rather afraid of his Jewish roots (note religious Neptune in the 4th house) especially as his grandfather was an orthodox Jew. He received much abuse from the kids at school lowering his self esteem (Saturn in 2nd house).   

These experiences toughen you up though and eventually you do build up confidence. Steven took the active independence of his father with him as he grew up, and I am sure it was this influence in his chart inherited that encouraged him to create his own studio DreamWorks (notice the Neptune influence in the title) and break away from the Hollywood moguls. Like his father broke away from the family, he divorced himself from the Hollywood filmmaking fraternity to go it on his own. Just goes to show the lessons we learn in early life become useful later on. For example, in so many of his films there is conflict between the parent and the child or a complete lack of the parent to guide the child. It is a theme that he took from his own upbringing into his work, starting from the classic film ET where Elliott’s father was never even shown.

Steven has gone on to become (arguably) the greatest filmmaker of a generation. Next year, he plans to release Lincoln with Daniel Day Lewis in the lead role (he never does a bad film) and there are rumours that a film about Martin Luther King are in the pipeline. Plenty then to keep the ever busy Mr Spielberg in his director’s chair.

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Israel and Iran – Tensions rising to boiling point.

The murder of an Iranian nuclear scientist yesterday, Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan blown up outside a Tehran university has raised the temperature of the already strained relationship between Iran and Israel. Now there is no proof that Mossad agents were to blame for the unexplained attack, however veiled threats coming out of Israel that Iran should “expect unusual events this year” has left the Iranians rather unhappy. Very unhappy indeed…

Many people have been speculating when Iran and Israel might go head to head in conflict and we are coming up to a crunch point sooner rather than later if the astrology is anything to go by. The natal chart (inside ring) has a nasty triple conjunction of Pluto Uranus and Saturn, square to the composite Moon. There is bad blood between these two. The main sticking point you will not be surprised to find out is faith. Jupiter conjunct the composite Midheaven is square the Nodal Axis, so the disagreements over the matter of belief will always come into the public arena.

Look above. A very busy chart going on here as the planets circle around the Israel/Iran composite chart. The main thing to look at are Pluto which has just crossed over the composite ascendant. Pluto is transformational and destructive, and now entering the first house bring a lot of underground hidden loathing out of the shadows (12th) into the light of the open air, and complementing this, the transiting Nodal Axis has in recent weeks been square to natal Pluto. Combine this with transiting Mars in the 9th house and it shows secret (Pluto) aggression exported (Mars in 9th). The major problem here is that Mars is going to be staying in the 9th house for half of 2012, soon going into retrograde action. The Nodal Axis naturally goes in a clockwise direction, so it is heading for squares with Uranus and Saturn in future weeks and months.

The other thing to look at is transiting Uranus which is approaching a conjunction with the composite Sun. Quite frankly anything could happen when Uranus makes a conjunction, just because the composite Uranus is in a Pluto Saturn sandwich. Uranus is shocking, and it’s effect has already been felt with Uranus opposing the composite chart ruler Venus as this unprovoked attack happened. It is also making very stressful quindeciles to Jupiter and Pluto.

So was Israel to blame? No-one knows for sure except the Israelis themselves, but the planets point to some underhand stuff going on. One thing is for sure. Whether they were behind it, tensions are rising between these two bitter enemies. Keep an eye on them as I think it’s going to be lively in the least. Just look at this run of planetary connections to the composite chart through Winter/Spring 2012

24th Jan 12    Transiting Nodes square Uranus/Pluto midpoint
20th Feb 12    Transiting Uranus conjunct Sun
27th Feb 12    Transiting Mars conjunct Pluto
28th Feb 12    Transiting Pluto conjunct Mars/Saturn midpoint
9th Mar 12      Transiting Mars conjunct Mars/Saturn midpoint
20th Mar 12    Transiting Mars conjunct Uranus
13th Apr 12     Transiting Nodes square Uranus/Pluto midpoint
10th May 12    Transiting Mars conjunct Uranus
21st May 12    Transiting South Node conjunct Moon
24th May 12    Transiting Uranus inconjunct Uranus
24th May 12    Transiting Mars conjunct Uranus/Pluto midpoint
25th May 12    Transiting Pluto square Mars/Saturn midpoint

If Iran and Israel can avoid a conflict after this run of aspects, then the world and it’s peace makers deserve a pat on the back. This is a nasty set of transits, hitting all the wrong places and taking place mainly in 8th house of transformation, destruction and death. As the Uranus/Pluto square tightens through until June, this is one hotspot that may well feel the full effects.

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