Fixed Stars – Venus conjunct to fixed star Pollux

In Greek mythology the two twins Castor and Pollux were very different beings. Castor was mortal and a supreme horseman where as Pollux was immortal and an unbeatable boxer. In these two twins we had the idea of duality, of ying and yang, light and dark, good and evil, heaven and earth. Pollux represents the darker more difficult side of any issue, the alternative view, the one where you have to go through a trial of sorts, endure pain or anger. Castor is the intellectual of the two twins and he tended to use reason and logic to solve any problems. Pollux will approach the same problem from a more physical and combative way.

Any planet circling around the grand circle of constellations will encounter these two twins often in quick succession so both sides of a situation should come out one after another, for every bit of progress one makes, one has to take a step back as well.  Now Venus hitting Pollux shows the opposite view from the one shown a few days ago when Venus was conjunct to Castor. Venus is going to square to Saturn as this conjunction is made on 31st August so this indicates that taking an alternative line of action may fall foul of some sort of limitation or rules. This is especially pertinent if relationships are to the fore in your life. Perhaps something you said under the Castor influence on Tuesday or Wednesday will lead you into trouble and difficulty now?

Taking the example of the Republican Conference in Tampa, any words spoken by the delegates there will have darker ramifications now as the administration (the Democrats) respond in a forceful manner. Again we have the classic duality of Castor & Pollux coming out as the Republicans are preaching a new beginning, and the Democrats responding in kind refuting their claims to govern again. In your life, it’s time for you to get ready for somebody to throw the proverbial spanner in the works…

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Egypt’s president Mursi upsets Assad regime as he backs the rebel forces.

A real bombshell in Tehran today as Mohammed Mursi told a summit in Tehran that Assad’s was a oppressive regime and everyone there has a duty to back the uprising in Syria He went on that the current situation of the Syrian people was equivalent to that faced by the Palestinian people. In drawing this line in the sand over the civil war going on in Syria, the Syrian delegation promptly walked out of the conference. This really has opened up a can of worms in the Middle East, and if you look at Mursi’s chart against that of Syria, you can see exactly why.

Here we have the Syrian natal chart against that of Mohammed Mursi, Egypt’s new president, born just north of Cairo on 20th August 1951. The thing to look at is Mursi’s Uranus the planet of independence and rebellion which opposes the Syrian Sun (Assad) and sits conjunct to the Syrian Midheaven (the ruling regime over Syria), is square to the Ascendant and makes a supportive trine to the Syrian Moon (the population). You could not find a more compromising position for Mursi’s Uranus to be. Mursi’s freedom loving and internationally progressive Jupiter Moon conjunction in Aries opposes the Syrian Ascendant and squares the Midheaven.

Mursi’s Pluto makes a sextile over the Syrian Saturn and as in all synastry aspects, the slower planet Pluto has the advantage over the faster moving one, so Mursi’s call for change will resonate over those who administrate and run Syria – in effect Mursi should be a catalyst for the transformation of how Syria is governed. Finally, Mursi’s Sun sits on the Syrian Jupiter, so for Syrian to prosper and have freedom and international contacts again, they should listen to his lead.

It is so interesting that Mursi made his speech as transiting Mercury was at 26 Leo, conjunct Mursi’s Sun and Syria’s Jupiter as well as conjunct to the fixed star Alphard. In a previous post I mentioned that words from the heart with depths of emotion would characterize 30th August, and could bring about the transformation of a situation. So it is proving in Tehran…

Links - Mercury conjunct to Fixed Star Alphard

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Fixed Stars – Mercury conjunct to fixed star Alphard

With the Sun on the Dragon star Thuban today (30th Aug), Mercury joins the party by making a conjunction with Alphard, the star at the heart of the Hydra, the great sea serpent in the skies which connects in the skies the watery signs of Cancer to Scorpio.

Alphard can be a violent and passionate star, the emotions welling up from the depths of one's soul exploding into the light of day. Mercury brings that passion and desire right to the surface through the expression of communication. Watch for people venting their feelings in an uninhibited way. Secrets from the depths may be revealed (this is a theme which will be picked up tomorrow at the Pisces full Moon) or someone may say something that they may live to regret. If this Mercury at 27 Leo connects with any of your planets, then the need to speak up frankly may be hard to resist.

One other interesting point, the Astrologer's degree is at 27 Leo as well and it is interesting and heartening that people are now taking more and more interest in the secrets and the wonders of Astrology as technology helps us to spread the word. Alphard is helping to bring that knowledge out of the hidden depths into the consciousness of more and more people around the world...

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Fixed Stars – The Sun conjunct to fixed star Thuban

The Sun today (30th August 2012) is now in range of Thuban the fixed star which sits in the constellation of Draco, the Dragon. As you will be aware, Dragons in legend protect treasure and that which is sacred. The Sun is also making a close trine to Pluto in Capricorn the planet of control in the sign of ambition.

Is there something precious that you desperately want for yourself, something that you want to control or have power over? Quite possibly under this influence you can get some personal power for yourself or get the information you need in your life, something special that can change your prospects for the better and fulfil those ambitions.

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The Full Moon in Pisces – Will you reveal what you have been hiding?

As with any full Moon, we have the idea of completion coming to the fore tomorrow, the maturing of any task or plan that you have been working on. Here at the full Moon on 31st August is where you see the results of your labours. Now this Full Moon in Pisces highlights the sacrifice and service axis in the skies, or anything that has been hidden now being highlighted by the Sun in the mundane world of Virgo. Is there something that you have carefully sacrificing your time on which is ready to be seen in the full light of day, ready to be revealed to the world. Is it now high time for you to serve your purpose?

As I see it, with this full Moon on 31st August widely conjunct to Neptune, trine to Mars in Scorpio and sextile to Pluto in Capricorn, you do have a choice but you will tested to make a decision now to go ahead and highlight what you have been doing recently (the positive trine to Mars) or to keep your counsel and keep your ideas hidden for a while longer under the veil of Neptune. The accent is on fluid change (Pluto sextile Moon) whether you like it or not, so the choice is yours whether to come out of the closet or to remain there for a little while longer.

Whatever your decision, remember these words. Change will happen, and whatever you hide now will come out when we experience the next powerful new Moon in the practical, physical, truthful world of Virgo under the shadow of an almost exact Uranus Pluto square.

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Ann Romney – Proudly standing alongside her husband

After capturing the headlines in the US over night, I though it might be a nice idea to take a look at Ann Romney, the wife of Presidential candidate, Mitt Romney. Ann has had a difficult few years after being diagnosed with the condition Multiple Sclerosis and recently, yet her husband and family stuck by her and she seems to have conquered the disease in a remarkable manner.

Ann is a sun sign Aries having being born on 16th April 1949 in Bloomfield Hills Missouri, in the United States. Unfortunately I do not have an official birth time for her. She has a very fiery chart with a Sun Venus Mercury North Node stellium in Aries and a free and easy Sagittarian Moon. This contributes her with lots of enthusiasm and ambition, and secretly she will love any adulation and being number one. A trine from Saturn to her stellium from Saturn in Leo shows she has a level head just tempering that fiery combination a little. She also has opposition from Neptune to her Mars which does lessen her energy levels significantly and reduces any aggressive spirit of her planets in Mars.

This is a lady who is very deliberate in the way she communicates (Mercury in Taurus) and has a big humanitarian view of the world around her (Jupiter in Aquarius) - she is heavily involved in charity work, Jupiter the planet of generosity sitting square to her idealistic Aries stellium. Being the only tension aspect on her chart alongside that Neptune Mars opposition, here is her path through life, aiding people in humanitarian causes and acting to serve those in need. She has been particularly involved in several children’s charities. She will be imaginative, I would imagine quite artistic and very much a dreamer with Neptune in Libra potentially sextile to the Moon and quindecile to Mercury.

That opposition is the driver of a potential kite on her chart also connected to Pluto and the Moon. I can see a curiosity here of wanting to understand the nature of any emotional problems as well as a hugely determined streak, one which I think has driven her on to overcome her health problems of the past years.

Talking of them, her chart shows her life has been dominated by the movements of Saturn. She married Mitt in 1969 as transiting Saturn hit her Sun Venus conjunction and in 1998 as the connection was made for a second time, she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. This leads me to think that she has a late Aries ascendant with Capricorn (Saturn’s sign on her Midheaven). This would bring her Sun close to her ascendant and the Neptune Mars opposition possibly working across her 6th/12th house of health and suffering. It would bring her South Node into the 6th house too showing health vulnerabilities and would also explain her love of animals including horses. Neptune would be in that 6th house sextile to the Moon in the equine sign of Sagittarius and Saturn would be in her 5th house of sport – she has competed in dressage nationally and internationally. All this is speculation on my part until I find a true birth time.

As for her relationship to Mitt her husband, they have a Grand Trine aspect from Sun Mercury to the Moon and a fierce Saturn Pluto conjunction. This is a "me and you against the world" aspect, one where the two of them will have to stick together against pressure from those who oppose the way they live their lives. They also have a compassionate and lively Uranus Jupiter opposition squared by Mars, so they will actively want to help people in a caring and generous manner.

Her speech came last night came as Venus, the planet signifying women made a connection with Castor, on of the planets in Gemini. This connection suggested that any communication would be easy, and indicated on a more mundane level important speeches or messages broadcasted or communicated and being well received. Her speech definitely seemed to be the highlight of the evening. In it, Ann said last night that Mitt was a man “who would not fail the USA”. Will he get the chance to prove himself? Transiting Pluto is square their composite Sun, and will still be square it come the election, so their lives are definitely changing. In what way? Well we will have to wait until 6th November 2012 to find out...

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England cricket captain Andrew Strauss retires.

Andrew Strauss is retiring from all forms of cricket relinquishing his position as England cricket captain. His reign has been hugely successful with two back to back wins in the Ashes series over Australia and his captaincy saw England rise to the number one team in the world. Lately however, England has been on a losing streak and internal battles with England’s star batsman Kevin Pietersen seem to have created serious discontent in the England camp.

Andrew is a Sun sign Pisces (born 2nd March 1977 in Johannesburg, South Africa) with his Moon either in flamboyant Leo or more likely his Moon in security conscious Cancer. With no birth time and no certain placement for the Moon in a particular sign, it is highly difficult to make any definite assertions from his chart. He does have a very stressful Saturn opposite Mars square Uranus t-square which is hugely determined and fixed with a highly independent streak. For an opening batsman, you need huge determination and focus and this t-square contributes much to his success. Pluto makes a trine to Mars and an opposition to his Venus in Aries, so the relationships he has are likely to be direct, possibly combative and also transformational. Now look at the synastry between Kevin Pietersen’s chart and Andrew’s Venus.

We have Pietersen’s Saturn Mars inconjunct to Venus, Pluto opposes, Uranus makes an inconjunct and Neptune makes a trine. With all Kevin Pietersen’s outer planets aimed at Andrew’s Aries Venus which is under duress itself natally, you can imagine how once the disagreements began, it polarized the England cricket team and the relationship broke down in a professional sense irrevocably. Venus in Aries doesn't take any nonsense, and the transformation Pluto promised on Andrew’s chart has come to pass with both players now set to be out of the picture very soon. Pietersen’s planets also make multiple aspects to Andrew’s Jupiter, his philosophy and the bigger picture that he sees so we have two “pinch points” between them which may have upset what looked a reasonable and not overly difficult relationship. It is hugely interesting that Pietersen’s Mercury is square Andrew’s Nodal axis, in effect Andrew’s ultimate destiny was in the hands of what Pietersen communicated or texted, and that is exactly what has precipitated the position we are in today. Pietersen was dropped from the side for a disrespectful text message sent to the South African team, England subsequently lost the test series, losing their number one status and the row has obviously hit team moral.

Andrew himself has been suffering from Neptune sitting on his natal Mercury in the past year, causing a lack of mental confidence and personal confusion leading to a loss of form and the transiting Nodes are now square to his Mercury in Pisces bringing everything to a head and facilitating the snap decision today to resign his position. I think he knew with Pietersen out of the team, England’s side needed a bit of rebuilding and it probably needed a younger face to lead a new evolving team. Transiting Saturn is also sitting on Andrew’s North Node and often this is a time of reward in a career sense, but because Andrew’s natal Saturn is bombarded by a tough t-square, Saturn’s influence is a bit debilitating on his future direction in life. Saturn forced him to make a change and a tough decision and to take a different direction. In hindsight, Andrew may appreciate that this will be a good thing for him. Cricketers have a tough life travelling away on tours for months on end, and it may well be a relief to him to finally enjoy life at home for once with his wife Ruth and his children.

I wish him well and thank him for his services to English cricket and his brilliant captaincy. Those wins in the Ashes over Australia were memories that I will treasure for a long time to come.

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Hurricane Isaac increasing in strength and heading for New Orleans?

I am keeping a very close eye on soon to be Hurricane Isaac as it heads from the Florida Keys into the Gulf of Mexico on a potential collision course with New Orleans. If it hits Louisiana on Wed 29th Aug it will be 7 years to the day since Hurricane Katrina caused huge damage there. Mars which is in intense Scorpio and Neptune will still be just one and a half degrees from an exact trine though this is luckily dissipating. Neptune of course rules water, the sea, rain & wind so Mars will be whipping the storm as it heads north. Seven years ago Hurricane Katrina featured a square aspect between the same two planets, Mars and Neptune!!! This one looks a little less destructive as Katrina had a nasty t-square and a Jupiter Venus conjunction in the mix making the whole storm huge in size, mind you we still have a Uranus Pluto square to deal with as Isaac approaches landfall, and if Pluto or Uranus are on the Midheaven as it hits the coast, there could be widespread destruction and potential flooding…

Have a look at the charts Katrina on the left and a potential scenario for Isaac for landfall late on the 28th Aug.

 

Now the paran connections for 30 degrees North, New Orleans'  latitude are not so clever. For 28th August they are as follows :-
Neptune will be setting when Alphard (Hydra) is rising bringing the possibility of "a sad, but natural disaster"
Neptune will culminate when Aculeus (Scorpio) is setting showing " A potential failed attack or weakened defences"
Neptune will be culminating when El Nath (Taurus) is rising bringing "Hopelessness and no control over unfolding circumstances; acts of nature could occur"

Please remember that these paran links are valid for all places along that coastline at 30 degrees North, not just New Orleans.  Hurricanes are dangerous things and if you are in those areas, I urge you to please stay safe...

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Fixed Stars - The Grand Circle of Constellations Part 1- Aries

In this feature on Solaris Astrology, I will be looking at the constellations of the universe that the planets pass through and make contact with on their never ending orbits around our Sun. As they connect with the fixed stars within, the planets are coloured with new influences that have a direct effect with us here on earth. I started taking note of the stars because of a simple premise. If the planets and their movements can demonstrate an effect here on earth (I have now more than 250 full page articles on this blog illustrating this fact), then why don’t the stars in our universe have an effect too? I looked and I saw the effects, and they indeed do. Come and join me on a journey as we explore the mysteries of the stars, of the folklore and the wisdom of their influence on us all that has passed down from generations of astronomers & astrologers alike. I start off with the first in the grand circle of constellations that the Sun directly contacts each year – Aries.

 

 

Aries is of course associated with the Spring Equinox, the beginning of a new cycle of growth and life. Going back in history, the Egyptians who initially until around the year 2000BC followed the sacred bull as their main God (when the spring equinox was in Taurus) started to change their allegiances to the Ram or Amen-Ra as the equinox shifted signs into the stars of Aries. The Israelites see the Ram as special, and their sacrificing of the lamb instead of the first born son comes from the story of Abraham who found a lamb in a thicket and he was instructed to sacrifice it by Yahweh (the all seeing god of the Israelites) to save his son Isaac from such a fate. The Greeks worshipped the Ram in their story of Jason and the Argonauts and the quest for the Golden Fleece. The Ram is seen as independent and strong, ready for adventure and prepared to set off on the road for success and glory in order to be the first one to succeed. Aries is a constellation where action takes place, it is a place of new beginnings and of independence and bravery.

Hamal is the main star of Aries sitting at the eastern horn of the Ram. Hamal is seen as an all action star, of strong will and of independence. Any planet coming into contact with it will see it's qualities strengthened and made more focused, be that in a good or bad way, i.e. through direct positive action, or increased anger or frustration. Through Hamal you will take life head on using those horns as a battering ram; not particularly subtle but often effective.

Hamal with the Sun brings an assertive attitude to life and encourages the need to be independent. With the Moon, Hamal channels the emotions in a forceful way making one possibly brash and free spirited, but in a loveable way. Hamal currently sits at 7:51 Taurus.

The two stars of Sheratan & Mesarthim sit on the western Horn of the Ram.

Sheratan is regarded by Ebertin as a bold but foolhardy star, one where you can hurt yourself if you act too impulsively or take too many risks.

Mesarthim is seen as a more protective star and less aggressive and impulsive than the rest of the stars in Aries.

Current positions in the sky

Mesarthim –2:44 Taurus

Sheratan – 4:09 Taurus

Hamal – 7:51 Taurus

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Neil Armstrong – The astrology of the first man to walk on the Moon.

Neil Armstrong the first man ever to walk on the surface of the moon has died aged 82. Neil had recently undergone heart surgery with a coronary heart problem just a few weeks ago, however it seems whatever problems he had then resurfaced and he passed away yesterday. In this article I look at the man, his character and an amazing coincidence of the timing of his birth.

Neil was born on 5th August 1930 at 00:31hrs in Saint Marys, Ohio in the United States. He was a Sun sign Leo with a very appropriate Sagittarian Moon and a Gemini Ascendant.In these three significators we have a mix of fire and air, the signs of travel and adventure (Gemini & Sagittarius) as well as the the proud, sitting in the limelight sign of Leo. There is enough enthusiasm, energy and get up and go here to fire one off to the Moon without the need of a rocket but as I will show, Neil in person wasn’t like that at all.

For all Neil’s great achievements, and I mean great, this was a quiet private man. His Leo Sun sat in his 4th house with Mercury and Neptune, showing that he much preferred a gentle home life to the adulation that came his way. The 4th house Sun does not want to go out and mix with people, it prefers the company of one’s partner and one’s family, the simple things in life. Neil’s Mercury in Virgo was closely conjunct to Neptune also in the 4th showing someone who had a love of books and history, someone who was very detail orientated with a wonderful imagination; the trine to Saturn tempered this conjunction adding a human touch, somebody who was incredibly down to earth, modest and unassuming, completely at odds with the fire and air elsewhere in the chart. Neil was softly spoken with Mercury and Neptune together square to the ascendant (the physical body);I wonder if this is an indicator of a physical trait in others too – I’ll need to investigate. The Moon in the 7th house square to Venus in the 5th in Virgo indicates that the women in Neil’s life were hugely important to him and he would have been quietly devoted to them; Neil I am sure would have been a big romantic with a huge heart. Not that it would have been plain sailing along the way though. The square from Venus shows that his relationships would not have been easy to deal with, and so it proved as he married twice in his life.

The careful and dutiful Mercury and Neptune which opens the mind to endless possibilities as you can see above made a trine connection to the Moon in pioneering Sagittarius. I find Sagittarius a fascinating sign, and one that maybe more than any other matures as one gets older. The fire of Sagittarius stars off with a rush of energy, one wants to go out and explore and see the world, and more often than not you get into trouble, yet that exploration and those chastening experiences allow you to learn, and as you get older and the fire dims in intensity those experiences and wisdom gained comes into play and one changes into a far more philosophical and gentle being. Often this brings the urge and the wish to spread your knowledge with others. With Neil’s Sagittarian Moon you can see that pattern. The desire and need to explore encouraged by the openness of one’s imagination (trine to Mercury Neptune) and then after he had achieve his ultimate goal and could go no further, those internal fires dimmed and he used the wisdom of his experience and the ambition of Saturn conjunct to the Moon to teach and to lecture. This 8th house Saturn is also really interested in finance and the running of big business and Armstrong took up directorship roles in several major corporations as well.

Saturn which shows huge ambition sits in Capricorn in the 8th house of extremes conjunct to the Moon as well as being opposed to Jupiter. Again this opposition highlights his career path, the expansive nature of Jupiter over time (Saturn) matured and kept his feet firmly planted on the ground. Jupiter in Cancer has a way of making those around you feel at home and accepted and I suspect when Neil did teach and meet people, he was a warm and genuinely friendly guy. Jupiter in the 2nd house attracts money and a good lifestyle, and he would never have wanted for anything if he desired it. Pluto in the 3rd house showed that this was a man who was a deep thinker and a convincing speaker when he made his few and far between appearances and he spoke, people listened. 

I don’t know if you notice but this chart seems to go off in three directions. I have already looked at one focus point, the Saturn Moon conjunction. There are two others which are linked, the Aquarian Midheaven and Uranus in the 11th house of groups. The Aquarian Midheaven which receives multiple aspects from Mars Jupiter and the Sun shows that his career path was going to be unusual, and scientifically based. Uranus and Aquarius rule the stars and space. Uranus in the 11th house was in Aries, the sign of the pioneer. It also received dynamic squares from Jupiter and Pluto – you can see the idea of pushing back scientific boundaries beyond the known limits and of extreme risk taking. Uranus was also a part of a mini grand trine connecting his Sun and Mars in Gemini in the first house. This is a hugely energetic mini grand trine giving a feeling of movement and speed. Mars represents the military and Neil with his excitable Mars in Gemini in the first house of the self combined with Mercury in Virgo was someone with dexterity, speed and accuracy of thought; perfect for a military fighter pilot. Notice that Mars was making a trine to that independent Aquarian Midheaven, so Neil would have been someone who within that group structure (11th house) who wanted to be unique and special. During his military career, as much a team environment as you can get, he was an outstanding fighter pilot and within the NASA team of course as an astronaut, achieving all those 11th house aims.

Looking at Neil’s fixed stars, did he have any significant planetary connections to them? Of course he did. Neil was born with Menkar rising, almost precisely on his ascendant (0.05 degrees from exact). Menkar sits in the mouth of Cetus the whale, the monster of the underworld which is symbolic of the human collective. This fixed star rising at birth was indicating someone who would either be famous, or infamous. That day the 21st July 1930, Jupiter was in it’s Sulpha’e phase, rising across the horizon before the Sun, so this was an auspicious day, blessed with good fortune and so Neil was also similarly bestowed with Jupiter’s riches. His rising star was Sirius, the brightest star in Canis Major, “the scorcher” bringing with it the possibility for him to shine like a beacon to the world for a brief moment in his life. Rising on the day of his birth were Hamal and Facies connected to that Sulpha’e Jupiter, the stars of pioneering and of taking on danger, hugely focused and risky but if you are successful giving a promise of huge achievement. Mars was rising in paran with Denebola the tail of the lion in Leo and with El Nath and Aldebaran, the point of the horn and the royal star in the eye of Taurus the Bull. Mars with Denebola was a link that Armstrong shared with Yuri Gagarin, men who both achieved the feats of fame by being out of the mainstream, out of the restricting atmosphere of earth gravitational pull. Mars with those Taurean stars showed bravery and maybe a foolhardy side, but success and glory if one kept one’s ethics and kept humble.

And now for an amazing coincidence. The Sun rose in paran with the star Phact in the constellation Columbae, the dove which carries an olive branch through the heavens. Amazingly, the Apollo 11 mission official insignia had an eagle representing the United States also carrying an olive branch. The paran connection symbolizes an explorer of places and ideas, a headstrong individual who does not need to take any advice. Is a coincidence, or was it a heavenly sign that Neil Armstrong would go to places no other man had gone before?   

Neil passed away as his chart ruler Mercury was under severe pressure from opposing Neptune, a trine from Pluto and a square from the nodal axis. It didn’t help also that his South Node in his 6th house of health was starting to receive a final conjunction from Saturn too. As ever when somebody passes away, Jupiter is involved somewhere and the Pluto Uranus square in the heavens were connecting his natal Saturn Jupiter opposition.

You can see the end of cycles here denoting the end of his life. Neil was born under a Uranus Pluto square and he passed away under one too. Neptune had made an exact half cycle of his chart and the Nodal axis was also crossing his ascendant starting a new cycle. Maybe for the next great achievements of mankind, we should be looking to someone who has been born under this current Uranus Pluto cycle, indicating the pushing back of unlimited boundaries and of human endeavour, and in the process revealing the greatest of the secrets of the universe and of the space that surrounds us here on earth.

Neil Armstrong, I salute you for your bravery, your pioneering spirit and for your humble attitude. May you rest in peace.

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Empire State Building shooting in New York City as 2 people killed and 10 people injured.

A quick note on the Empire State Building shooting reported this morning during the rush hour in NYC - it happened at the corner of 5th Avenue & 34 St if you know New York. I understand so far that 2 people were killed and at least 10 injured. This is a part of New York I personally know quite well as a few year ago on holiday I stayed just a few blocks from this corner.

Neptune today is in an exact quindecile aspect with Mercury. Neptune in paran aspect over New York with fixed Star Alphecca, a connection that brings sadness and confusion. Mercury was today rising as star Altair (a star in the constellation of Aquila, the Eagle) was setting. This star is associated with boldness of action, possibly with military connections as well as with relationship issues. The story so far goes that an employee of a local business, at or near to the ESB was fired, he left and then returned with a gun to exact some sort of revenge. Police soon entered the scene and a gun battle ensued down the street close to the Empire State building. Over New York, Pluto is in paran with star Zosma (Leo) which shows that this area is victimised and sadness is in the air.

One other thing that fills out the picture. Mars has just entered Scorpio after enduring a conjunction with Saturn in Libra. Mars conjunct Saturn in Libra highlights frustration in relationships, and as Mars moved out of range of Saturn and into decisive Scorpio, this shooting occurred. Looking at the fixed star connections above, it all fits together. Jealousy, revenge and making bold black and white decisions are all part of Mars in Scorpio.In a way, I am not surprised. Some will have to be prepared for a rough month as Mars releases all that pent up tension after being in indecisive Libra.

New York will get over it as it is a tough determined city, but all the same it is a sad day for the people of the Big Apple…

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Lance Armstrong – Are his past actions catching up with him?

Lance Armstrong is back in the news as he surprisingly dropped his opposition to drug charges aimed at him through the US anti doping agency, the USADA. I say surprisingly, but it was not a surprise to me. If the charges are upheld, he may be banned from the sport of cycling and his 7 Tour de France titles may be stripped away from him, however this decision by Armstrong is a “clever” move as he will no longer be publically questioned over his actions, yet  his continued protestations of innocence will throw doubt over any ban imposed. Seven years after his last victory, a rich man who is thankful for even being alive after suffering testicular cancer, Lance I think is prepared to leave the memories of those 7 yellow jersey wins in the world’s toughest race as a testament to his sporting greatness.

Lance Armstrong’s chart is one that has always troubled me. He was born on 18th September 1971 in Plano, Texas ( nobody seems to have a birth time for him). He is double Virgo with both Sun & Moon in the sign of the Virgin and they are joined in the sign by Pluto and Mercury. The thing that hits me about this chart is a complete lack of emotion. No planets in water signs, and the Moon lacking in pure emotion in precise and critical Virgo. If you are a bike rider in the Tour de France, any stray emotion saps your strength, so this is one reason why he was undoubtedly a successful bike rider. This chart also has 7 planets in mutable signs and this indicates a supreme strategist, someone who can adjust his position to suit the situation. As such, Lance Armstrong is cold and hard, very intelligent, logical & flexible and that is how he approached his cycling career and life in general.

Now with an ultra critical approach to his existence in questioning every aspect of it (Sun, Moon and Mercury in Virgo), a cool and ambitious Saturn square to Mercury, a need for recognition Sun Pluto conjunction I am making Lance out to be robot on a bicycle and when he entered competition, effectively that is what he became. He was not an exciting cyclist, he used team strategy and a relentless approach to drive his maybe more talented opponents into the dirt. However he does have a far more congenial side to his nature too with Venus in Libra, which is popular and inclusive and attracts people to him. This is the sign of the mediator, someone who can see all sides of a situation and react to them accordingly. Pluto also connects to Venus bringing with it an intense nature especially within relationships of any kind. When you see Lance speak, one is often struck by the passion and intensity of his arguments & statements; this is the work of Pluto on his Sun and on his Venus.

Lance’s Saturn (work and ambition) is in Gemini, and this explains his profession. Gemini is the sign representing local transportation (bicycles) ruled by Mercury and these two planets are in a tense square aspect. Saturn is one part of a grand air trine connection Mars in Aquarius and Uranus in Libra. There is only one fixed planet on this chart in Mars, and the will to win here is very determined indeed. Receiving a trine from Uranus pushes this determination to be victorious through the roof, and add in the ambition of Saturn and we have a circuit of energy that refuses to be beaten. To win any endurance race, one needs a store of not only talent, and there is plenty here because the the influence of Uranus and Aquarius, but also of unbreakable spirit. There is no break in the cycle of energy of a grand trine, and the one is one of the most powerful ones I have seen in a sportsman, but it is also troubling.

Uranus wants to push back the boundaries of sport and achievement and it’s influence is considerable. How would Lance do this? Firstly, through achievement in riding his bike, the square aspect emanating from Saturn, one of two “exit doors” from the grand trine. By the way, for all this stored trine energy and talent to be released, one needs a channel of tension or of action down which it can pass. The other exit door is through an opposition from Saturn to a close Neptune Jupiter conjunction in Sagittarius. Now this is interesting because Jupiter in Sagittarius is open to anything that can expand one’s life for the better, can bring international adulation and fame (remember the desire of Sun Pluto) and Jupiter in Sagittarius will take any amount of risks to achieve this. Neptune here expands the possibilities even further. Neptune is inspirational but also cloudy, deceptive, it rules drug use and illegal practices. Pose the aspirations of Saturn against the possibilities that Neptune and Jupiter can bring and you have a big choice (opposition) to make. Neptune allows one to hide what one is really doing on, to deceive others into thinking one thing, while you are doing another. The nature of deception within the structure of a grand air trine is also discussed by Bil Tierney in his excellent book “Dynamics of Aspect Analysis”. In it he says that those with grand air trines can use their powers of persuasion and their cleverness to coax others to work on their behalf for their advantage. In accordance with this idea, the Saturn to Jupiter Neptune opposition makes a wedge formation to that diplomatic Venus in Libra conjunct Pluto, so I think he could have used his charm and his popularity (Venus) and through technical and medical means (Virgo Stellium) to keep a huge secret (Pluto) from everyone.

The question is, did Armstrong cheat? Taking in his cold calculating Virgo nature, his adaptable clever approach to life, the ambition of the grand air trine and the questions posed by Saturn’s opposition to Jupiter and Neptune, I think it is highly probable that he used whatever means were at his disposal to achieve the adulation that this chart desires!!

 

The problem with Neptune is that eventually the mists do clear and the truth is unveiled. Right now, Neptune is square to the Nodal axis and this has been doing a considerable amount of damage to people’s reputations recently. Look at the chart above and you can see the North Node, point of destiny conjunct to that Jupiter/Neptune conjunction. When the doping charges were announced on 29th June 12, the South Node was sitting bang on Armstrong’s Saturn hurting his career name. You can see imagine how that have moved around clockwise. Neptune square to the Nodes is exposing all that is hidden now. Neptune is also making an nasty inconjunct to his Sun and Pluto which is deflating and defeatist to him personally.

Strong nodal connections in my view force you to change the direction of your life as fate takes it’s course and things you don’t expect hit you between the eyes. Take note of them, for they are as powerful as any planetary transit, if not more so. For Lance Armstrong, such a vocal and strident voice in the sporting world, it seems as if he has accepted that he can’t fight what is happening, and to do so would only hurt his reputation more and as well as his legacy. People can take away titles but they can’t take away memories, and who’s to say that other cyclists in those races weren’t using hidden illegal tactics against Armstrong? He is taking the clever path as he always has, a hero for some and a controversial and polarizing figure for others… 

***** Update 16th January 2013 ****

Lance Armstrong met with Oprah yesterday to finally come out about his life of doping and cheating. This is happening as transiting Jupiter in retrograde closes in on his natal Saturn at 6:32 Gemini (Jupiter is now at 6:46 Gem) and squares his Mercury, the planet of the media at 9 Virgo.

Transiting Jupiter is activating his natal Saturn opposition to Jupiter and Neptune. Now we will see the real truth (Saturn) in an interview (Mercury) on TV (Neptune) as this conjunction will expose all his excesses (Jupiter) about doping (Neptune) to an expectant worldwide audience (Jupiter). It just shows you that if you have done wrong, Jupiter is not all sweetness and light as some think it is.

Focusing on his natal fixed star connections, his Saturn is in paran with star Zosma active for his middle age, which shows suffering associated with his work and career. That is now coming to pass.

Armstrong's Mars has a paran connection with Sadalmelek, the somewhat lucky star in the constellation of Aquarius, active for him in the early part of his life. This in a sporting sense (Mars) shows someone "who made his own luck", and good things would thus have happened to him because of his obsessional efforts.

Finally, his Sun was in paran with Antares, the royal Persian star of passion and obsession in Scorpio also in his early years. Here personal success comes through one's hard work and focus, but the Royal stars always promise that success can come, but at a price. The Sun here is connected to a star that is associated with transformation, and in doping he transformed himself into an athlete who seemingly could not be beaten. The thing is, if you abuse a Royal star, you will pay the penalty later on in your life and all the gains you made will be lost forever...

Now is the time for Armstrong to really face the music and lose all that he gained and much much more...

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Is Anders Behring Breivik a psychopath?

Back in July 2011 I looked at Anders Behring Breivik and his horoscope and showed his link to the Norway twin terror attack? Since then, the debate has raged on to whether he is a psychotic, a bit of a lunatic or just very focused and dangerous with it. Today in light of the debate raging in Norway over his conviction as being totally sane in carrying out his atrocious acts, I once again I attempt to take a slightly more detailed look into the mind of a mass murderer.

To determine how someone reacts mentally to any situation you have to focus in on Mercury which rules the mind and also on his conditioning earlier on as he grew up, i.e. how he was treated as a child. Even though as an astrologer one does subscribe to the view that from birth you come into life with a pre-destined set of energies that you will have to cope with, the influence of your parents is a very important factor in what behavioural context you will tackle those pre-destined challenges. It would be easier for an astrologer if we also had a birth time for Anders, but no official time has ever been given.

With Anders Behring Breivik, taking the influence of his parents first, even without a birth time, the Moon and Nodal axis representing the mother is affected by a conjunction to Saturn, so I am in no doubt that his mother was cold, strict and uncaring yet, with a conjunction, there would have been a bond between the two. With the relationship to his father, Saturn is retrograde and we now know that his parents divorced when Breivik was just one year old. This completely holds up the delineation of Saturn retrograde, namely the he failed to receive love from a father figure in his upbringing. From the evidence on the chart from the relationship to the parents, one can assume that Anders was brought up in a rather unloving, cold harsh environment. Aquarian children are very self willed and independent, so maybe young Breivik seemed cool and unemotional, but the hurt of his childhood stayed inside him, making him feel unloved and lacking in self-worth.

Looking at Mercury which represents the mind, we have to consider it’s sign and the aspect to it. In Aquarius we can safely say that Anders’ mind was pretty sceptical and yet objective. The principle action of an Aquarian mind is to question any statement to it’s validity as they see it. Aquarius is a fixed sign, and Aquarians do not change there mind unless they are given proof to do so. Even then, they can be so fixed as to see the proof and then still keep their views valid in their eyes. The early lessons learned through their upbringing stay with them until they are convinced enough to change their views. Aquarians say it as they see it, however with a compassionate edge. If they disagree with you, they will not hold back in telling you, however they will do it such a way as not to overly offend. Now conjunct to the Sun, Anders would speak and think with his views foremost, and conjunct to Mars in Aquarius, the mind is decisive, fast and direct and quite argumentative. This is someone who would speak the truth, even if it was quite unpalatable. Now Mercury received two more aspects from planets. Firstly a square from Uranus in Scorpio. This contributed a interest to the mind of difficult topics, from taboo ones to underground ones. Uranus in Scorpio can make one have extreme views in extremist subjects, like death and destruction, sex, the occult, in truth anything underground and hidden. Yes, I can see one becoming fanatical and obsessed with a point of view when Uranus in Scorpio squares to Mercury. It heightens the senses of an already aggressive Mercury conjunct to Mars. However can you call someone with extremist and fanatical views a psychopath? I could see him being unpredictable and dangerous but not psychotic?

The last connection to Mercury convinces me that Anders Behring Breivik knew exactly what he was doing on 22nd July 2011. This is the quindecile between Saturn and Mercury. Saturn in Virgo if anything steadies the mind and brings a technical, precise quality to it. It makes you cold and calculating. Aquarians are the coolest of cool customers normally, and adding a Saturn quindecile to Mercury brings a chilling focus to how they think and difficult to read in a physical sense. Rarely would you find an unintelligent Aquarian with Mercury in Aquarius and Saturn in Virgo. Inwardly, they may worry and fret, but outwardly you would never know it. These people can lead you a merry dance and enjoy watching you trying to work out where you are coming from.

It is also worth just looking at any connections from his natal planets to fixed star to see if there were any pertinent ones. One stands out head and shoulders over the others. Breivik’s Venus connected by trine to his ambitions (Saturn) and his emotions (Moon) was on the day of his birth conjunct the fixed star Facies, the eye of the archer in the constellation of Sagittarius. This is a very dangerous place in the sky if activated. Mercury was on this spot back in 1963 when JFK was shot, and here Venus brings a social angle to his ambitions. Brady says it brings “anger at injustices, and seeking a new social order”. She goes on that it gives a “black and white attitude in judgement of social issues”. On this count, Breivik was not insane in his objectives, he totally believed the quest he was on was a just and moral one.

In conclusion, the answer in an Astrological sense to those experts in Norway who have been pondering whether Anders Behring Breivik is psychotic, is in my mind, a resounding NO, and in that sense the judges at the Breivik trial came to the correct decision. With a psychopath I would expect to see some link between Mercury and Neptune, a link with unreality, dreams, believing things that are not really there, having nebulous delusional thoughts. There must be a direct link between Mercury and Neptune for one to sink into a psychotic state, and on Breivik’s chart, Neptune and Mercury are 67 degrees apart, just too wide for me to count a sextile aspect normally 60 degrees) as significant. Even on the midpoint chart there is no link between Mercury and any Neptunian midpoint position.

There is one last midpoint aspect on his chart that I did not look at when I first did his analysis. That is his North Node sitting square to his midpoint of Mars and Pluto. It was his destiny to destroy and to kill the general public in Norway, and this is a destiny unfortunately he carried out with ruthless efficiency. I hope he is never let out to freely walk the streets of Oslo ever again.

Link - Anders Behring Breivik – The horoscope of the Norwegian twin terror attacker.

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Prince Harry – The playboy Prince living up to his reputation in Las Vegas.

Oh my, when will he learn?? Prince Harry while he was obviously having a good time in Las Vegas has been caught in what you might call a “rather embarrassing” set of photos showing him naked; photos which have gone viral across the web. Not that scandal is new to young Harry. From wearing a Nazi outfit to a party which caused a storm of protest, to a string of boozy nights out with him staggering out of nightclubs, Prince Harry enjoys his social life to the full, but this time I can imagine he is going to get a proper dressing down from his family and especially one would expect from Prince Charles and his grandmother when he gets back home to the UK.

Harry was born on 15th September 1984 in London at 16.20hrs. He is a Sun sign Virgo with a steady Taurean Moon and has a Capricorn ascendant. This is a very stable collection of personal indicators and they all work very nicely together. The Sun and Moon combination shows Harry as a very practical and down to earth guy, who obviously will enjoy (and get) the finer trappings in life. The Taurean Moon needs to have a routine where one can build one’s life from, and serving in the armed forces (Harry’s Virgo Sun wants to serve), Harry has all that and more.

The position of Harry’s Sun says so much about his whole character. The Sun in Virgo is modest, careful and even shy at times but it sits in the 8th house, a house of extremes. It is interesting that he comes over at more formal occasions as a very dutiful lad, almost hiding away at times. That Virgo modesty and his conscientious side comes shining through and is also reflected in the Capricorn Ascendant. Capricorn rising can show great confidence one minute, then a fear of life itself the next. Those with Capricorn ascendants feel the weight of expectation on their shoulders until they have learnt that life can’t hurt them if they act sensibly and responsibly. There is great potential and leadership qualities within Harry, and time will eventually bring these qualities out to the world around him. 

The Sun receives a lovely trine from the Moon in his 4th house, so he loves his family and will get considerable support and comfort from them; it also reveals that he would have been especially tied to and fond of his mother. Neptune makes a square to the Sun from the secluded 12th house, bringing with it a real sensitivity and a true understanding of suffering and service. There is a selfless compassion here which is quite lovely, and Neptune combined with Jupiter shows generosity to those who need help. I am sure that these are gifts handed to him from his mother Diana, and as he gets older he will follow in her footsteps in the charity work that she began.

The Sun also receives a square from all action Mars in Sagittarius. This is a vibrant connection which pushes Harry to go out and see and meet the world. You cannot hold back the Mars in Sagittarius in his 11th house and this is where the fun really starts on this chart. Mars is conjunct Uranus and this doubles or even triples the need for this Mars to take risks. Mars of course signifies the military and the 11th house stresses teamwork and camaraderie and of course Harry is drawn by the joy of exploring the world with his regiment in the British forces, the action lifestyle of a soldier and the physical elements that are involved. He thrives on them, and he’ll be a fantastic soldier too, not only to himself but also to those around him. Harry’s Mercury is in Virgo in the 8th house sextile to Pluto and square to Uranus so he has a very analytical and technically focused mind, one that can compute exactly what he needs do in the most extremely pressurised situation. When everyone around him maybe losing their heads, he won’t be. For a soldier, keeping cool under pressure is vital and when the heat is on, Harry will excel.

The problems come when he is away from that military and team environment. In the 11th house you can replace his regiment with a collection of high spirited (Mars) rebellious and unpredictable (Uranus) friends (11th house) who love to party (Sagittarius). I said earlier that you can’t hold Mars in Sagittarius down, and out of all of the signs, Sagittarius cannot resist a good night out. Mercury’s square to Uranus gives him a wicked sense of humour and a bit of a wild and crazy side too which adds to the mix. These connections to the Sun are made all the more potent, because the Sun, Mercury and Venus absolutely have to experience the darker side of life. Anything out of bounds, underground or taboo will hold enormous fascination for Harry, and this will lead him down many dark alleys and cause him no end of trouble. This fondness for experiencing the extremes of life also extend to Neptune and Jupiter. Neptune is the planet of escapism, of alcohol and drugs, of getting away from it all and Jupiter (which rules Sagittarius) enhances the temptation to take these escapist experiences to excess. He won’t fear them, he’ll embrace them instead. If he was not in the royal family, I would really fear for him, however thankfully his family and his position in life can put the necessary brakes on him every so often so that he doesn’t go off the rails. See the purple Moon Saturn opposition above on the chart? Saturn in Scorpio is clamped to his Midheaven showing complete control and authority (Saturn in Scorpio) over his public image (Midheaven). The opposition from the Moon in the 4th house (extended family) counterbalances his over the top elements in his public life. In simple terms, when he is caught doing something he shouldn’t be doing, they will read him the riot act!!

The Moon Saturn opposition as well as the position of Venus also explains the reasons why he has not been able to settle down in any permanent relationship. Saturn opposite to the Moon brings disappointments and difficult choices, in his case balancing his military work which takes him abroad (Saturn in 9th) with his home life (Moon in 4th). Venus is in friendly Libra, so Harry will be hugely popular and very gregarious (Venus is sextile to Mars), and people will be fascinated by him and drawn to him, but it’s 8th house position means that his personal relationships will be tumultuous, passionate and transformational affairs. With Cancer on the sign of his 7th house of marriage he will care deeply that his relationships have so far have not held out well, and once he does find the right girl, I suspect that he will be as loyal as any guy could be. I have seen those with a strong Cancerian influence or a prominent Moon completely change in character once they meet the love of their life, and by the look and feeling I get of this chart, I think Harry will completely curb his party lifestyle if he meets her.  The birth sign of his mother Diana was Cancer and I rather suspect that the girl who will eventually snare Harry will be the one who most reminds him of her. You wait and see…

The scandal hitting all the newspapers occurred as Harry was having his half nodal return (the transiting South Node connecting with his North Node and visa versa). When this connection is made, often fate steps in to force you to change the course of your life. The real killer here however is that the Nodes were also square in the skies to Neptune which rules images and photography. Transiting Neptune is currently opposite Harry’s 8th house Mercury, the planet of communication sitting the house of secrets revealing a most intimate picture of him, and trine to Pluto the planet of intimacy and sexual affairs in his 9th house of international contacts. In life you can learn hard lessons and I think Harry will now have to adjust his lifestyle, and be far more circumspect in the future.

Backing up the Nodal aspects, transiting Mercury was and still is making a harsh square to his 9th house Saturn (conjunct his Midheaven) bringing his reputation down through the media (Mercury). Transiting Mercury also made a trine to Uranus and transiting Uranus a trine to Mercury showing the shocking (Uranus) nature of the news (Mercury) and a quindecile to his Virgo Sun showing the unexpectedly personal side of the incident. Jupiter moving through Harry’s 5th house of fun and games shows him in a jocular mood (5th) abroad (Jupiter) but the opposition to both Mars and Uranus also shows a propensity to take huge risks too. Pluto was also trine to Harry’s Mercury revealing a private side to his character that he probably wishes now was kept secret.

Looking into the future a  bit further, Harry’s life is going to change radically when Pluto hits his Ascendant as 11 degrees Capricorn. Pluto rules his public image (Midheaven) and with Scorpio on the cusp of the 10th house, I am fascinated exactly how this will translate into his life. This occurs between March 2013 and the end of 2014. Will he have to take on some huge responsibility? In Summer 2014, his Saturn which rules his Ascendant will also connect with his Midheaven, providing a major landmark in his life. What exactly happens at that time may well have a profound effect on Harry, and could indeed change his life forever…      

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