Daniel Day Lewis – The most successful award winning actor in cinematic history.

Covered in Los Angeles rain after picking up his record breaking 3rd “Best Actor” award at the Oscars, I don’t suppose that Daniel Day Lewis minded one jot being wet through. Last evening, he surpassed such greats as Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, Tom Hanks, Dustin Hoffman and Gary Cooper as the first male actor to scoop 3 Best Actor awards. Just to set the records straight, Katherine Hepburn picked up 3 Best Actress awards in her career. Daniel is a fellow Londoner with duel Irish citizenship (due to his father), and over here in the UK and in Ireland no doubt, we are justifiably proud that one of our own has set this new benchmark.

Daniel is a Taurus, born on 29th April 1957 in London (no birth time known). He has his Moon either in Taurus or Aries. If he was born before 07.17 hrs then it would be in fiery Aries, and I think this is quite possible as a birth time around 06.20am would fit very nicely on his chart. I have put the above chart at 12:00 noon as is standard practise in the occasion of no known time.

His chart is notable for a few things. He has 4-5 planets in earth signs, so this is in essence a very hands on and practical man, earth sign planets show someone who is sensual in nature, and with most of these in Taurus this would very much be the case with Daniel. He has 6-7 in fixed signs too, so here is great determination and someone who can see a project through to completion. I would imagine he is very stubborn in nature, although this would have been seen to more effect earlier in his life. As one gets older and wiser, those rough edges tend to wear off a bit, and you become more mellow and tolerant.

His Sun sits in a stellium of inner planets, with Sun Mercury Venus and possibly the Moon all in conjunction. Taureans know that through constant hard work and persistence, their efforts will be eventually rewarded and this combination of planets shows someone who appreciates beauty and design, has a creative edge and an introspective mind (Mercury retrograde). I am guessing that he also has his Moon in Aries breathing fire into his belly and ambition into his heart. Too much Taurus can get bogged down a bit plodding along, and I feel a bit of an Arian edge in his emotions if he need so to call upon them. This stellium is made into a giant t-square by Neptune and Uranus at the point of the formation.

Your can see the links here quite clearly. Neptune the planet ruling film, artistry and vision feeds into Sun Venus Mercury and the Moon, so he has a wonderful avenue for the imagination and instincts to run riot. Here he can create (Taurus is the sign of the making things) characters and look into their motivations and express them on the silver screen. Uranus squares this opposition bringing talent and a unique perspective to his creations. It also brings a detached view. Uranus square the Sun and possibly the Moon shows someone who is fiercely independent and possibly quite temperamental, especially if his Moon is in Aries. This may account for his wild antics when he was young, a time when his parents found him impossible to control. Set a fixed Taurean type off on any kind of bad behaviour, and they are notoriously hard to stop. Apparently he was brought up in a rough part of London and he was a bit of a tearaway when younger. I understand that it was his appearance as a teenage vandal in Sunday Bloody Sunday, a role which was representative of his actions in his younger years, that set the ball rolling in his acting career. Moving back to that opposition for a second, Neptune opposing his Sun conjunct Mercury and Venus square to brilliant Uranus beautifully describes his father Cecil, a poet who rose to the position of Poet Laureate in the UK.

Mars the planet of action sits in busy and tricky Gemini, so Daniel is someone who is always on the go, wanting to keep up on any information, and I would imagine he would find it difficult to relax. It makes a lovely trine to Neptune in Scorpio making him very inventive in being able to delve beneath the surface to find easy solutions to the day to day problems that he faces. This aspect contributes considerable artistic flair and a bit of charisma to his character as well. This Mars Neptune trine focuses in on Pluto in Leo which brings depth, intensity and supreme passion which he will be able to summon on at will.

Mars forms a square to Jupiter in Virgo, bringing great ambition and a will to be widely successful. Jupiter in Virgo is a wonderful position for an actor as one can see the overall picture however the Virgo element can zoom in on the smallest important details too, being able to assess and analyse exactly what is needed in any role. Jupiter in Virgo neutralizes any other excesses on a chart, not that there are too many here anyway, bringing a modest air. The success of one’s work and deeds far outweighs any personal feelings of grandeur inside.

Finally, Saturn in Sagittarius sits peregrine and alone on this chart, unconnected to any other planet by a major aspect. If you wonder why Daniel is such a serious person and actor, someone who doesn’t go in for frivolous or throw away roles, here is the reason. Saturn in this sign is rather fixed in one’s beliefs and principles, not wanting to rock the boat and and needing to know that one is totally correct in all that you stand for,and sometimes rejecting other possibly valid points of view out of hand. This Saturn dominates his chart and brings a serious hard nosed and rather cold side to him. It also makes him very aware that success does not come without putting the hard work in first. Sitting in Sagittarius combined with Mercury retrograde, it tends to suggest to me that he has a very dry and sarcastic sense of humour.

You know I have noticed that Taureans when they get to the top of their profession have a wonderful knack of keeping at the top longer than most other signs, they tend to get continued lasting success. This is certainly the case with Daniel as yesterday he won his 3rd Oscar in a career run of awards going back to 1989 when he won his first one for the character Christy Brown in the Jim Sheridan film “My Left Foot”.

This Oscar was awarded as his lucky North Node was conjunct his natal North Node (0:14 degrees), a fateful day  and successful day indeed for him. Transiting Saturn the planet of achievement was opposing his natal Sun and Venus and transiting Pluto was making a trine to both these planets, bringing power, kudos and prestige. Transiting Venus made trines to his natal Mars and Neptune competing a virtual grand trine on his chart, bringing popularity and contentment. Transiting Neptune was trine his natal Neptune, a beautiful easy going and dreamy aspect bringing dreams to life. It was also making an inconjunct to natal Uranus almost exact at an orb of (0:03 degrees). This is a separating aspect and in his case it was separating Daniel from all the myriad of actors who had gone before him; as the one with the most “Best Actor at the Oscars” wins to his name.

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Mars conjunct Ankaa and Achernar - Renewing in the face of uncertainty...

This connection is valid from now until Saturday 23rd February 2013

This is an interesting set of stars that Mars is encountering. Ankaa is the star in the Phoenix constellation and we all know how the fiery bird rises from the ashes, so here we see the same effect happening, a cycle of life and death, beginnings and endings, seeing a situation renewed, replenished or regenerated at the expense of something older and worn out. Achernar I wrote about just a few days ago on my Facebook page. The star in Eridanus the constellation of "The River", it highlights chaotic events, quick moving problems which can turn into a crisis.

Mars arriving here shows force and action, so we could see a situation where a crisis or chaotic situation is created, and then averted because of rapid action, and as such there is a new start because of the solutions found. This could be because of an accident and rescue situation, a military event or one connected to the police, maybe on water or in some sort of transportation as Mercury stations while this aspect is happening...

Look for the same issues in your life. As Mars in is Pisces, inventive ideas can renew old matters that are no longer of use to you. This option may be forced upon you as you are thrown into a situation that you were completely not expecting. Keep your wits about you in the next few days as they may be needed...

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Mercury Retrograde – The trickster of the night sky prepares to play his games again.

Oh yes, here we go once again. In just a couple of day’s time on 23rd February, Mercury Retrograde will be upon us all, this time in the watery sign of Pisces. Three and a half weeks of the most irritating kinds of difficulties and problems could pop up out of the blue and test our resolve. You know with the big problems in life we get a chance to sit and mull over what we are actually going to do to solve them, simply because the outer planets that create these changes move so very slowly. Mercury Retrograde on the other hand is so infuriating because it triggers small little testy issues that appear out of nowhere, often in quick succession, causing us any amount of grief and frustration. As such, Mercury Retrograde has gained this reputation as something bad and ominous. Is it as bad as it seems, and how do you go about things to make the best of an admittedly tricky planetary movement?

Retrograde motion happens when the planet in the sky in relation to the earth seems to loop back on itself, retracing it’s steps in a part of the sky before it stations and starts to move forward once again. Any planet that goes into retrograde motion seems to have the effect that the normal function that it carries out does not work as well as it normally does if the planet was moving direct. The planet in question moving retrograde is retracing it’s steps, going over old ground and is highlighting events and issues that it visited and triggered in direct motion, so it stands to reason that these issues need to be revisited or reviewed before final decisive (direct) action can be taken. 

Now all the planets except for the Sun and Moon go into retrograde motion at some point, however Mercury retrograde is firmly in the consciousness of many people, even those who do not follow astrology very closely. Why is this? Well Mercury is the planet that rules many mundane yet vitally important areas of our everyday lives. For example it rules communication, all forms of transportation, journeys, the brain and of thought, of books, language and writing, paperwork and details, computers and communication devices, health and doctors, brothers and sisters, the press and media, literature, lecturing, the nerves and nervous tension, tricks, jokes and mischief, schools and teachers, trade and commerce, service and routine, I could go on and on and on…

It is because Mercury has such a wide and diverse affect on all our individual lives in so many ways that we feel and are acutely aware of this particularly notorious time. When Mercury moves retrograde, all of these areas of life are liable to be out of sync, technical things don’t function or work as they should do, our minds get affected and in turn our decision making becomes questionable, other people become unreliable and we don’t pick the signs up as we should, messages and letters get lost or diverted, we misinterpret, we misunderstand and we get delays and cancellations. Be aware that some of the mistakes we initially make under Mercury retrograde may come back to haunt us much later on.

As Mercury regresses in out charts, there are things to look out for. Look at the degree that Mercury stations and see if it connects with one of your natal planets. If it does, then a theme connected to that aspect and position in your chart for the whole retrograde period may appear, one which will not be resolved until Mercury finally passes over this spot for a last time once full out of the retrograde “shadow zone”. The house or houses where Mercury is reversing will be strongly in focus and issues concerning those houses may be in review for a few weeks. At the end of this article for those of you who are not sure, I have listed some basic meanings of each house, and what they represent. If Mercury connects with any other planets, then the matters concerning the other planet will be activated for a short time too.

Look as well where your natal Mercury sits and which houses he has rulership over. I will give you the example of myself as I thoroughly dislike Mercury retrograde. My natal Mercury sits in my 10th house of career conjunct to my Midheaven, so I have a double link to Mercury retrograde, my personal profile and work. Gemini rules my 9th house of publishing, travel, learning and faith and Virgo my 12th house of hidden issues.

Whenever Mercury turns retrograde, I get matters going wrong at work, often technical problems like phones or issues with computers going wrong. I often seem to get long distance travel delays and I seem more susceptible to making mistakes in publishing my articles in my work or on my blog (9th house/10th house). Also, things happening that I was not aware of always tend to cause me grief and trouble (12th house). These are trends that always happen to me, no matter where Mercury is travelling in my chart. Of course, different matters can also crop up too depending on the particular positioning of the retrograde action.

So is Mercury retrograde all bad?  No, definitely not. It is said that those with Mercury retrograde natally in their charts tend to do better and make wiser decisions during a Mercury retrograde period. As yet I haven’t seen any direct proof in my own work to back this up. I think that as Mercury is moving at a slower in speed than during most of it’s direct motion period, we are able to review and reassess parts of our lives in clearer focus, making sure that the things we are doing is correct. I believe that we naturally sense that things are not entirely right, and so we go back to check to make sure. Have you ever had this sense when Mercury is reversing?

This actually something I stress anyone should do under Mercury retrograde, double check everything!! This is a time when you can successfully review your own decisions, look into your own attitudes and analyse if you are doings things right or wrong. It is perfectly acceptable and probably a good idea to make your mind up during Mercury retrograde, however it’s best not to sign on the dotted line confirming your plans and decisions until Mercury is moving direct. By the same token it is generally accepted that one should desist from starting any new projects, making drastic changes at work, getting any new technology (phones, computers) or items ruled by Mercury (like cars), sending important documents, booking travel tickets or making important plans.

This first Mercury retrograde period occurs in Pisces, the sign of solitude, suffering and of infinite possibilities and this is Mercury’s sign of detriment, so it will not appreciate going retrograde here. Mercury reversing in Pisces will cloud our minds like never before, so this is definitely a three week period when you must be careful what you say or write or agree to, and I would triple check rather than double check everything. On an instinctive level, I think it is great for anyone with artistic leanings. Because Mercury retrograde works on an internal level and in Pisces the mind will wander far and wide, this influence will be able to pick up ideas and influences in using one’s imagination in the most artistic and beautiful of ways. From song writing to painting on canvas, creative writing to thinking up new fashions and designs, I think this can be an incredibly productive time. Psychically and spiritually, I think we can also benefit through focusing our minds and letting our thought patterns flow to let those hidden talents out.
In the world, watch out for disruption or trouble through water transport, on ships and boats or via flooding. Matters of corruption, deceit and illegal practices may be fully drawn out by the end of this retrograde period and I would expect issues concerning faith leaders (the new Pope) or health institutions, films, movies, TV and music stars, alcohol and drugs to be in the news in some manner as these next 3–4 weeks draw to a close…  

There are three Mercury retrograde periods this year…

The first one occurs between Sat 23rd February and Sun 17th March 2013 between as Mercury reverses between 19  degrees Pisces and 5 Pisces.

The second one starts on Wed 26th June and Sat 20th July 2013 between as Mercury reverses between 23 degrees Cancer and 13 Cancer.

The third and final retrograde period happens between Mon 21st October and Sun 10th November 2013 as Mercury reverses between 18 Scorpio and 2 degrees Scorpio.

Where might Mercury Retrograde affect your life?

If Mercury is moving retrograde in your 1st House these areas of life may be affected…
The front door to one's world; the self-Image; reaction to one's environment; how others see one; physical characteristics; outer personality; how one initiates action; beginnings.

2nd House
The process of valuing; self worth; body awareness; how one develops one's natural resources; attitudes towards money and possessions; emotional attachments to objects.

3rd House
Communications of all types; the analytical mind; early and immediate environment; school years; relatives; brothers and sisters; early peer groups; using any sort of transport or making any short journeys.

4th House
Home and family issues; one's sense of belonging; psychological foundations; how one is in private; the 'background' parent normally the Mother; childhood conditioning; late years of life.

5th House
Creative instincts; the urge to express one's self spontaneously; children; how one gives love; love affairs; leisure; speculation.

6th House
Daily routine; work; practical skills; techniques; relations with employers and employees; health issues.

7th House
One to one encounters; partners; marriage; lawsuits; challenges; open enemies; how one co-operates or competes with others.

8th House
Results of what one shares; intense relationships; sex; other people's money and possessions; legacies; death and rebirth; crises; change.

9th House
The abstract or higher mind; belief systems; higher education; teachers; foreign travel and connections abroad; religion; the spirit of the law.

10th House
Public role and status; career; volunteer work; ambition; influence; how one sets out to achieve one's aims; the dominant parent normally the Father; relations with authority figures; one's tendency to be dominant or dominated.

11th House
The need to make contact with others; how one receives love; friendships; social groups; shared hopes and ideals; group activities.

12th House
The un-integrated, unconscious self; what one projects on to intimate relationships; dreams; hidden fears and enemies; breakdowns; sacrifice and service to a greater cause.

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Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp - Looking a little deeper.

A picture of happier times. I don’t know when this picture was taken, but at this point in their lives Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp looked very content in each other’s company. They appeared the perfect couple and in South Africa they were seen that way, but now their relationship will remain infamous for evermore. I have waited a few days to let the dust settle before having a closer look at how they related as people on the astrology chart and what activated the awful events of Valentine’s day at Oscar’s home.

First up, a look at the synastry between them. Oscar has a watery and intense Scorpio Sun and Reeva was an ebullient and proud Leo and both these Suns were in a square aspect. These were essentially two different people, one quiet and emotional and one loving the highlife and full of optimism, but for sure they were both very strong willed. Now fire and water don’t normally mix, however with Oscar’s Moon in Leo complementing her Sun and her Moon in steady Capricorn a good and stable companion for his Scorpio Sun, these placements would have made this fire and water mixture a little more bearable. With Reeva’s Venus in Virgo sextile to his Venus in Scorpio and trine his natal Neptune, there was definitely compassion and friendship that they shared. Her Jupiter was conjunct his Sun and his Moon could well have been sextile his Mercury and/or Jupiter (we don’t know what time she was born) so these were potentially optimistic, expansive and fun connections between them. Were they able to communicate? With his Mercury in Scorpio and her Mercury in Virgo, he would have been quiet, probing and secretive and she would have been modest, practical but also somewhat critical. At least these signs are in sextile aspect so the relationship between these Mercury’s although not perfect would have been quite satisfactory for them to get on.

Now there were three aspects here that made me raise my eyebrows. Firstly Oscar’s Moon was square to Reeva’s Saturn/Pluto conjunction and her Mars sat on Oscar’s Moon. Trust me this was not an easy combination to deal with. Saturn tends to pour cold water on the proud Leo Moon, Pluto shows control and together they would have taken the fun out of the relationship between then. At times, being together would have more like an obligation that an enjoyable experience. Yes Saturn brings stability, but these were two high profile people, and would Oscar have been willing to accept Reeva dominating the partnership as Saturn/Pluto square to the Moon is apt to do? Remember, Oscar is a Scorpio himself, and Scorpios fear being dominated and losing control of any situation.

The combination of this Saturn square as well as the Mars conjunction to his Leo Moon would have been annoying and frustrating to Oscar in equal measures, and adding in the effect of her critical Mercury in Virgo would have added fuel to the fire if she disagreed with something he did. Oscar in the meanwhile because of his Scorpio nature, would have bottled up his emotions until he was ready to explode. When that explosion came, it would have been quite violent as his Mars opposed her Sun, so he would be very direct in his anger towards her. So in time it came to pass. One other aspect takes my eye. Oscar’s Uranus is in conjunction with Reeva’s South Node. This is an association that often begins and ends suddenly, often in unusual circumstances. With Reeva’s Mercury square to his Uranus, she would have been fascinated by him but their relationship would have constantly been “on edge”, and this could have lead to sudden arguments.

With Uranus’ nature for shocking events on her point of detriment, the South Node, the constant state of tension between them through Mercury and Uranus, the critical Saturn/Pluto square to his Moon, the angry Mars Moon conjunction and Mars Sun oppositions and the fact that they were different people with different objectives, this was not the easiest of relationships despite some of the more favourable aspects and optimism that I explained earlier.

So what was happening astrologically the night that Oscar shot Reeva?  I have included 2 charts above, their composite chart and the composite chart against the planets at the time of the murder. I am a great believer that the picture of the chart tells the story and in the composite chart, Mars sits alone as an anchor point, counterbalancing the rest of the planets. It suggests to me that this was a competitive couple, active yes but also argumentative. Composite Mars was opposed by composite Saturn conjunct the composite South Node so this would have acted as a restrictive blocker, all that energy and spirit would have drained away in damaging disputes. It’s like when one wanted to do something positive, the other would refuse and say no. This would set off the disagreements. With composite Jupiter at the point of a wedge formation those disagreements may have escalated and got out of hand.

It’s a shame that this composite chart was compromised by this difficult opposition as it also showed a Sun Moon conjunction that was really settling and appreciative of each other, a Sun Venus conjunction which showed love and friendship, a Mars Jupiter trine that was active and adventurous, and a Uranus sextile to Mercury and the Sun which was sparky and individualistic. Oscar and Reeva would have really liked each other, but I believe that an uneasy truce would have kept the deeper disagreements at bay for only so long.

That Mars Saturn opposition was being hit by the North Node on Valentine’s day, so fate was going to play it’s part in their relationship in some manner around this time. As has been hinted in the bail hearings so far, I think an argument set off the events of the day that lead to the shooting. Transiting Mercury, the planet of communication was inconjunct their composite Sun and was square their composite Uranus, and knowing from their synastry chart that this was a relationship that lived on the edge, Mercury would have triggered the trip wire.

Transiting Venus was at this point square their natal Mars  (by 0:08 degrees) and was approaching a square to Saturn too, thus activating that nasty Mars Saturn opposition on their composite chart, so in my estimation the relationship had hit a critical point. Transiting Uranus was opposed to composite Venus (although separating) so instability had been in the air I think for a little while, and transiting Pluto was approaching a square to their composite Sun, so this relationship would have been transformed in a big way anyway, had not this tragic event happened first.

The critical point however which was almost exact on this chart lies yet deeper. Transiting Saturn at the time of the event was 0:04 degrees from the composite Saturn/Pluto midpoint for them. This point Reinhold Ebertin calls a place of place of “hard labour, cruelty and violence”. Transiting Saturn was also conjunct the composite Sun/Uranus midpoint and Ebertin says that this connection shows “rebellion against limitation of freedom, Inhibitions and difficulties overcome through extraordinary efforts. Sudden separation, sudden loss, separation from another person carried out in haste”.

Put it all together. I think that an argument set off a series of events in their relationship which on the surface looked fine but beneath was unstable at best. Along comes transiting Saturn and Mercury to set off Oscar’s already boiling emotions. The midpoints tell the story of what happened next…  

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Posted 14th Feb 2013    Oscar Pistorius – Arrested for shooting his girlfriend and charged with murder.

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Amazing meteor over central Russia damages buildings and injures more than 500.

This is a sight you don’t see very often. A meteor this morning broke up over the Ural mountains region of Russia and near to the city of Yekaterinburg crashing into the ground, causing a shockwave that damaged buildings and injured many people. Luckily it hasn’t reportedly killed anyone and it was captured on film so we have the privilege of seeing a rare space event.

The meteor fell at 09.20 hrs local time around the city of Yekaterinburg so this is where I am basing this chart. We find Uranus close to the ascendant indicating an unusual and unexpected event happening and Pluto the planet of secrets and the unknown conjunct to the Midheaven.

Pluto is the key to this event, as it was almost exactly conjunct to the Saturn Mars midpoint at the time that it fell to earth, just 0:07 degrees to be exact. This was a relatively small meteor that caused widespread damage, just as Pluto is apt to do. Pluto is the smallest of the major bodies that us astrologers follow, but it packs the biggest punch. The trine from Saturn and Mars focusing in on Pluto shows hardship and damage (Saturn) caused by the hit, and Mars obviously shows the fire in the sky as it sped through the earth’s atmosphere.

Was this event predictable? Well looking back to the last solar eclipse in November and relocating it to  Yekaterinburg, then we find Mars the planet of fire and energy almost exactly on the descendant just into the 4th house, conjunct to Pluto and both these planets square to Uranus. Is this the unexpected fiery and destructive event in the 4th house of one’s home and environment that this relocated chart could have predicted? It is also interesting that the transiting Nodal axis at that eclipse in now within one degree of being conjunct to the eclipse degree of 21:56 Scorpio. 

I am not in the group of Astrologers that say that this is a “sign of doom” from the heavens, but it is interesting that this event in my view is shown through the astrology of the moment. If anyone has any comments and can enlighten me further on this one, I would be delighted to read them…

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Saturn Retrograde – Time for assessment.

Old father time, yes that’s the real face of Saturn, the Lord of Karma and the one planet that never, ever lets you off the hook. If you are doing well he rewards you, if you are trying to cut some corners, he will punish you. Saturn is ultimate judge and jury rolled into one. I will bet that almost all Astrologers when they first look at any astrological chart will focus in on Saturn almost immediately. On my Astro charts I colour Saturn in blue, the coldest and most conservative colour I could think of. Now in three day’s time, the focus will be back on “Big Blue” again, as he stations at 11:32 degrees Scorpio and then turns tail into retrograde motion.

Saturn retrograde begins at 17:02 hrs in London on 18th February 2013 and it will last for approximately 4 and a half months. Saturn direct allows slow and steady progress, however on any long journey, you have to stop for a bite to eat, take some rest and to work out where you will head to next. Saturn retrograde represents that moment when you pause, look back where you have been, work out if you have gone about things well or not and plan your route for the next part of your journey. As such, this is a time of careful reflection and assessment.

Saturn retrograde is really a time of adjustment rather than revolution and dealing with the things we failed to address in the past few months. Yes, you may think that you’ve made some wrong decisions, but now you can sort these out. Remember, you are already on your journey and it would be rather silly walking all the way back to the start to go in a different direction, wouldn’t it? As such now and in the next 4 months is not really the time to crash and burn in your life, unless that is you are forced to do so. In the long run, it will be a lot of hard work and there will be no guarantee that any new road you take will be any more successful than the one that you are already on. Saturn retrograde urges you to take your time in the next section of the quest, to walk the longer but safer path. Stick to the right one and when Saturn goes direct again you will be able to motor on a little faster. Those of you who think you can cut some corners may find out in the long run that you get more than you bargained for. Try to take the shorter or quicker route and you may find your way blocked by a raging river or a sheer cliff face, in essence you may find that people or those in authority over you may put up conditions that you have to adhere to or they even they stop you completely from doing what you want to do. The lesson now is to get organised, prepare for all eventualities, and not to rush.

Saturn as it turns sits on two fixed stars, Acrux and Alphecca both of which I have covered in previous posts. It is also sextile it’s partner in crime for the moment Pluto in Capricorn. Acrux represents the building blocks of our life and Saturn connecting with this star with Pluto in tow urges reconstruction and strengthening in the in the area of the chart that Saturn sits in. You may have to endure losses or shortages in this particular part of your chart (12 degrees Scorpio), but through these experiences you will get wiser and stronger for the future. Saturn on Alphecca comes briefly at the start of this retrograde period and issues a set of rules saying that you may advance, but there will be strict conditions attached to any changes that you do wish to make. Bear this in mind if you freely of your own choice change direction in the next few months. You will have a cross to bare and there will be a heavy price to pay if you do so.

Saturn’s sextile to Pluto brings the opportunity for vital transformation and adjustment but there will be pain and some hardship along the way. This retrograde period is one of those times when some of those changes will come clearly into effect, especially early on in this retrograde period as Pluto will be moving direct until mid April, and thus he will be taking the lead in the partnership that they are forming in the skies.

In summary, this retrograde period between the 18th February and 8th July is a time for internal growth, and to fix and repair any matters that you failed to deal with during the direct motion phase that is ending. Only when Saturn thinks that you have made a correct and worthy effort to sort out these issues will he allow you to move onwards and upwards. It a time for patience, a time to hold your nerve, a time to realise and accept your limitations and a time to plan ahead.

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Oscar Pistorius – Arrested for shooting his girlfriend and charged with murder.

This morning in a suburb of Johannesburg, Oscar Pistorius, known in sport as the “Bladerunner” because of his iconic prosthetic metal running blades allegedly shot his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. As I understand it, the shooting could have been a tragic accident with Oscar possibly mistaking her for an intruder entering his home in the middle of the night, although the South African police admitted that there had been some “violent domestic incidents” at his home before. The astrology that I am about to explain suggests there may be more to this incident than meets the eye. South Africans do have a rather paranoid attitude when it comes to protecting their properties, and it may be that worry and insecurity played a part in this dreadful incident too. Oscar is currently being held on murder charges by South African police and will attend a court hearing at 14.00 hrs today.

Oscar Pistorius was born on 22nd November 1986 in Sandton, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. As for a birth time, the only information on the web comes from Astrotheme with no source quoted, so this must be taken with a degree of caution. He is a Sun Sign Scorpio with a Leo Moon, which is a very fixed combination with a need for recognition and honour combined with the Scorpio tendency for power, control and secrecy. These type of people by their very nature can get to the top through huge determination and they will milk it for all it’s worth, but as with all fixed signs when a fall comes it will be dramatic and hurtful.

Oscar’s Scorpio Sun sits in his 10th house, so his motivation to get to the top in his chosen career would have been overriding. This is very much a “me, me, me” position and in competition he would hate losing. I think we saw that side of him when he lost in the final of the 100m T43 race during the Paralympic Games when he lost his title, and he over-reacted to defeat in a rather childish and less than graceful manner, easy to blame that Leo Moon for this. The Moon and Sun are in a harmonious trine, so he came from a loving family, and his Sun is square to Mars in Aquarius his first house, so he would always be an independent soul, a man in a hurry who would hate to wait for anything. The connection from Mars in the 1st house of the physical body to his Sun in his 10th house of career shows that he had the motivation to get to the top, and be all powerful in sport.

Mars of course represents firearms and weapons, and this square I suspect brought him an interest in using them. The Scorpio Sun as I said requires to be in control, and when you hold a loaded gun, then you feel that power directly in your hands. So why would someone feel that they needed a gun? My answer is to this is if they felt any type of fear. Saturn, the planet of fear sits also in his 10th house of career in a wide conjunction to Oscar’s Sun, so fear would have been a driving factor in not only his drive and ambition for sporting immortality, but also for his need to protect himself. The Scorpio Sun fears it’s own mortality more than any other natal sign, remember the sting on a Scorpion is there for it’s protection. This Scorpio Sun held one more secret. It sat almost exactly at the midpoint of Uranus and Pluto, a position Reinhold Ebertin describes as having a place of revolution, of strong emotional tensions, over excitement of the nerves, of a breakdown or of a catastrophe!!

There is more to this incredible chart. Saturn sits in a conjunction to Uranus, the planet of technology and innovation, so from birth he would have been a person who would use this innovation in his work and career. So, what type of innovation? We move on to Chiron, the wounded healer which I don’t use very often, but here it is integral to Oscar’s chart. Chiron sits in Oscar’s 5th house of sports and games and affairs of the heart, and opposes Uranus, making a t-square to Jupiter sitting in Pisces in his 2nd house. Chiron also makes a very focused quindecile to Neptune.

Chiron shows a wound in our chart and also is the place where healing can take place. This wound shows up so clearly here if you know about medical astrology as Uranus rules the lower leg and Neptune the feet. This is where Oscar’s wound was. He was born with a congenital loss of the fibula bone in both his lower legs and when he was just 11 months old both of his lower legs were amputated. This in my view confirms Chiron’s effect on both Uranus and Neptune. Chiron also bring healing and the technological advances that Oscar has pioneered, those running blades he uses to great effect to run fast have allowed him to lead a normal life in athletics competing and beating able bodied athletes. In this regard he has been a pioneer and it has brought him international fame, money and wonderful possessions, highlighted by Jupiter sitting in his 2nd house of personal finance and self worth.

There is a second sub-plot to this position of Chiron. This position in the 5th house is placed as I mentioned in the house of affairs of the heart, the house representing his girlfriend and of lovers. The shooting today at his home (4th house ruled by Taurus/Venus) is a shock event (Uranus) which has reverberated around the world (Jupiter). If he is convicted, the the wound (Chiron) and associated suffering (Neptune) he activated in firing his gun on his lover on Valentine’s day, will be one that never does heal.

Jupiter makes a multi trine to Oscar’s Mercury, Midheaven, Pluto and Venus and this stellium also receives a multi square from his 6th house Leo Moon. The square from the Moon interests me a lot. It suggests that Oscar’s relationships were very intense and quite stormy in nature. Venus and Pluto in conjunction is really intense and bring passionate and magnetic ties between you and your lover, and the Leo Moon square to this fixed conjunction in Scorpio adds emotional fuels to the fire. Jealousy would be something that would run deep within Oscar and if someone rebelled against his overly controlling nature, then powerful emotions would bubble to the surface for sure.

His retrograde Mercury in Scorpio would make him ultra suspicious and secretive, a lethal mix when combined with controlling tendencies and a fearful attitude. Paranoia would be a natural outcome of a mix of these emotions, even more so as they would not come out readily because of the retrograde motion of Mercury, which would tend to internalize his thoughts and emotions. Think of a pot of stew bubbling and boiling with the lid on, and you have an idea of what would be happening in Oscar’s mind. Jupiter’s trine to the planets from Pisces brings an a highly sensitive side to his nature and to his brain. He would be hurt easily, and he might react violently in an over the top manner, Jupiter always provokes excess in whatever it touches.

The story which is now unfolding is shown through the planets clamped around that Scorpio Midheaven. The Midheaven is the place of public perception and Scorpio here shows the potential for one being incarcerated (Pluto conjunct Midheaven) through a destructive incident (Pluto) to a woman and his lover (Venus), a crime of passion (Pluto conjunct Venus square Moon) caused by a destructive argument or jealousy (Pluto conjunct Mercury?) one which has captured the attention of the world (all the planets trine to Jupiter). This would show a potential transformation in his life (Scorpio/Pluto), from the most famous athlete in South Africa to an infamous convicted murderer.

The transits on the day of the shooting show Saturn sitting close to his Midheaven and conjunct to Mercury in that stellium at the top of his chart. Note that Mercury rules his 5th house of his lover and the 8th house of death and violent acts. Transiting Mercury, Mars and Chiron sit conjunct on his natal Jupiter square to natal Saturn and trine to his natal Mercury. The Saturn and Mercury connections suggest an heated conversation or maybe argument which expanded into something far bigger. Saturn rules the 12th house of issues behind the scenes, maybe a secret came out during an altercation which prompted a more violent Martian response? Saturn has been part of a mini grand trine in the skies exact right now trine to Mars focusing in on Pluto. This violent connection the skies was activating his chart through Mars and Saturn on that Jupiter trine to Mercury Midheaven Pluto and Venus.

Recently, transiting Uranus and Jupiter have been forming a sextile in the skies and this sextile is creating a yod pointing directly at that Pluto Venus conjunction, activating an unexpected and shock incident (Uranus) which got out of hand (Jupiter) bringing the death (Pluto) of a woman (Venus). Transiting Uranus is making a square to his natal Neptune, so I would suspect that maybe this incident is due to something that came to light, maybe some deception, mistake or misunderstanding that occurred under this fateful meeting. Maybe the truth will be revealed when this case comes to trial.

Saturn does turn retrograde in the next few days and it will be passing over his Midheaven, Pluto and Venus. The heavy hand of the law (Saturn) will be judging harshly on him during the next 4 months. His status and reputation will irrevocably change as Saturn hits the top of his chart and with Pluto, and so will his permanent home (Taurus 4th house ruled by Venus) if he is convicted.

Oscar is a classic case of a Sun sign Scorpio who has to deal with violent changes in his life. From the disabilities he suffered early in his childhood to the heights of his athletic career and now his life has exploded under this incident. From worldwide hero and revered disabled athlete to facing spending the rest of his life behind bars, astrology never ceases to amaze me, and I hope that you find the astrological story of Oscar Pistorius incredibly fascinating too… 

REEVA STEENKAMP NATAL CHART

I only have info from Wikipedia about Reeva, born 19th Aug 1983 in Cape Town, so the following assessment is speculative. I think she was born near to 14.00 hrs as transiting Pluto at the midpoint of Saturn and Mars would have been conjunct her natal Moon right now bring a difficult emotional situation to a head. A 14.00 birth would bring Cancer ruling the Moon ruling her 7th house of permanent partners and 8th house of death and violent incidents. Mars in her 8th house trine to unpredictable Uranus and Jupiter and square to a brutal Saturn/Pluto conjunction would have possibly indicated the manner of her death, being shot in a violent manner and the nature of the incident making international headlines.

She was an international model, Sun in the 9th house of travel and Venus in Virgo conjunct her Midheaven giving her beauty and good looks, and the trine from her 12th house Neptune to her Sun made her a very kind, sensitive and compassionate person. She would have been a tough cookie though and very driven to success, with Saturn and Pluto at the midpoint of the trine between Sun and Neptune.

My condolences to her family and friends…

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Posted 20th Feb 2013 - Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp - Looking a little deeper...

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Neptune conjunct Sadalmelek - Opening the floodgates

This aspect is active from tomorrow 14th Feb until 11th April 2013

Tomorrow on Valentine's Day, Neptune enters within one degree of orb with the fixed star Sadalmelek, one of the most prominent stars in Aquarius the constellation of the water bearer. This star sits on his shoulder and is seen as one of the most lucky stars in the sky, indeed Al Sa'd al Malik in Arabic means "lucky one of the king". What's more we have a confluence of water here, the water bearer pours a stream of talents and skills from his urn. Neptune of course is the ruler of water, of inspiration and dreams, so for the next couple of months we have a potent mix of watery energy in the water sign of Pisces.

This is a lovely inspirational and very psychic combination of planet and star. More than ever in the rest of February and into March your imagination can run wild, ideas and ideals can mix with your abilities and desires; the possibilities can be simply endless. In the unforgiving world of Saturn in Scorpio and Pluto in Capricorn, this aspect brings light and colour to contrast against the unforgiving dark and gloom that we have been experiencing through the depths of winter (here in the Northern hemisphere). This connection is much needed, it is like the breaking of a drought with plentiful rainfall, a monsoon which will bring life and lush pastures to parched fields and plains.

In your chart, look to the house where Neptune is moving and here is your chance to break the drought that lies within. Neptune at 3 degrees Pisces is a place of fortune and inspiration that can help us to attain our deepest wishes.

In the world, Robson says that this position is favourable for gain through companies, stocks and shares, so maybe the financial markets will feed off this energy? There is much sympathy and kindness here too, so maybe we will start to see a bit more caring and compassion between people? With the other influences active now it is difficult to imagine this, but maybe this conjunction will soften moods a little? This is a spiritual union which brings favour to the new Pope when he is selected, and in weather terms I can imagine incidents on water and flooding to be more prominent in the rest of this month and into March, the amount of watery energy is enormous and free flowing.

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North Korea scares the world with a third nuclear test.

North Korean carried out it’s third official nuclear test this morning occurring at 02.57 am causing a minor earthquake according to USGS. The test had been expected by the world community but it still sent shockwaves out across the world, especially as last month North Korea sent a rocket into orbit. Tensions are mounting again on the Korean peninsular as Kim Jung Un flexes his muscles as supreme leader.

 

This latest test happened as Pluto was just one degree from the midpoint of Saturn and Mars. On the North Korean chart 9/9/48 Pyongyang at 12.39 (rectified by Jamie Partridge), Neptune this morning was almost exactly square to the Ascendant and natal Moon which rules the NK 8th house of underground secrets and trine to Mars, a military test of hardware shrouded in mystery. Remember transiting Mars is still within orb of Neptune and was probably the trigger to get things moving in approving the timing of this test.

Transiting Jupiter is opposing that Ascendant and Moon conjunction and trine to Mercury bringing a triumphant announcement to the people of the nation. Transiting Pluto is square the rather neurotic Mercury/Neptune conjunction in the 10th house of the leadership, a link to the nuclear ambitions of this one party state. In another trigger for this test, transiting Venus which natally sits in the 8th house of financial dealings with other countries was opposite natal Pluto in the 9th house of international affairs. I wonder if North Korea and Kin are trying to use the nuclear option as a bargaining tool to get international finance, something that North Korea on the quiet desperately needs, as it is ostensibly very poor in economic terms?

Pyongyang says there may be more tests to follow.  If they do carry another test out, I think there could be one as close as 22nd February, as Mars begins to oppose the NK Sun and Midheaven, and makes an inconjunct aspect to the North Korean Pluto.

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Saturn conjunct Alphecca - Accepting a change but a price to pay.

This aspect is effective from today until 25th February 2013

Saturn in the next few days starts to make contact with the fixed star Alphecca which sits in the constellation of Corona Borealis, the woman's crown. This constellation represents a garland of flowers but laced with thorns. As such you may get an honour, a gift or an advancement in your life or position, but it will come with a price attached or a cross that you have to bear. Often you have no choice in the matter as the "gift" comes through a moment of fortune or through an association that one makes.

Saturn represents slow steady advancement in life, restrictions and the passage of time and connecting with this star one can assume that any advancement made now will have as it's price some strict conditions that you will have to adhere to, maybe time restrictions may apply to you. Maybe the gift you will receive will be an arduous one where you will have to work diligently to get any type of reward? If you make any advancement now through meeting someone, maybe the fortune coming your way will be through the actions of a senior person in your life, someone to whom you will remain accountable to in the future?

In the world I suspect that governments around the world will use this aspect to reform parts of their economy that are failing or are corrupt, by putting them under severe pressure to tow the line. Remember Saturn while making this contact will be sextile to Pluto, so this connection will especially apply to big business, the banks, financial institutions and heavy industry as well as the black economy and behind the scenes dealing too.

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Pope Benedict announces his resignation

Pope Benedict has announced his resignation as Pontiff at the end of the month citing his old age and inability to carry out his papal duties as the main reason. It will naturally start a great amount of speculation of who will be voted in by the cardinals as his successor in the coming weeks. Joseph Ratzinger to give the Pope his real name has been the leader of the Catholic Church since he was elected in 2005 following the death of his predecessor Pope John Paul II.

This shock announcement comes as Benedict's natal Saturn is receiving a host of aspects, a square from the Moon, as well as from Mercury, Mars and Neptune, a trine from Uranus and an opposition from Jupiter. The trine from Uranus shows an unexpected and yet easy decision for him to move on from his current work to new things – that of retirement. Uranus via Aquarius rules his 12th house of hidden issues and is currently moving in his 1st house of the physical body and the self, making his health rather unpredictable and he will be feeling this. Uranus in the 1st house also needs personal freedom, and he may feel that being Pope is restricting his life more than he would like to admit.

The multi-square is also operating out of this hidden 12th house and indicates motivation (Mars) to make an emotional (Moon) announcement (Mercury) because of his failing health (Neptune square Saturn). This would only become worse in the next few months as this square between these two outer planets tightened. The Pope’s Saturn sits at 6:56 Sagittarius and Neptune in Pisces will in the next couple of years make an exact square to this position. He will be feeling the effects already in the approach phase and at 85 years of age, his health is unlikely to radically improve.

Jupiter opposite to his natal Saturn may have indicated to him that he was now unable to carry out his international, theological and faith based (Jupiter) commitments (Saturn) to his satisfaction and he knew that now was the time to hand the baton to a younger generation. Jupiter rules his Midheaven or career status, and aging (Saturn) was hampering his ability to work. Saturn has now just entered his 8th house of change and death, and one can understand if he is starting to feel his mortality. Transiting Pluto which rules this same 8th house is also starting to close in on a natal opposition to his own Pluto at 13:51 degrees Cancer, an aspect which will be close to exact in just over a year’s time and one that will change his perspectives and most probably his life forever.

In the light of these upcoming aspects, I can see why the Pope has made his decision. The Catholic Church does need an energetic person leading it these days, as the tone of the position changed with John Paul II who took the Church to the peoples of the world. With the far more international nature of the position and with Africa and South America two of the hotbeds of the Catholic faith now, the requirement of the Pope to travel extensively across the world to properly represent and meet the faithful has increased. If Pope Benedict no longer believes that he has the energy and physical ability to do this, then it’s best for someone who is more able to take over…

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Justin Welby – The astrology of the new Archbishop of Canterbury

Just a couple of days ago, Justin Welby was ordained as the latest Archbishop of Canterbury, taking over the post from Rowan Williams who has held the position since December 2002. Justin is the former Bishop of Durham and a rising star in ecclesiastical circles and yet he admitted that his nomination to the highest post in the Anglican church was a complete shock. He now takes over a church which has seen declining numbers attending to church as Britain becomes a more sceptical and secular society in general.

   

Justin was born in London on 6th January 1956 (no birth time is known) so he has a Capricorn Sun and his Moon sits either in watery Scorpio or in egalitarian Libra. My bet is that this Moon is just into Scorpio in a very close conjunction with Neptune, the planet of spirituality. The Capricorn Sun brings Justin a modest yet ambitious streak, which with a Scorpio Moon he would not let on to; you know secretly I think he would have yearned for this promotion.

Whether his Moon is in either Scorpio or Libra, this is a tremendously fixed chart, with 7 or even 8 planets in fixed signs. Determined he may be, but he will lack flexibility. Once Justin’s mind is set on a course of action he will stick to it. This tells me that this Archbishop may have one or two fights on his hands during his time at the top of the church. People with fixed planets generally have to learn the hard way in life.

This chart is unusual as we have two peregrine planets here, Sun and Venus. Peregrine planets sit in the chart unaspected by a major aspect (conjunction, sextile, square trine or opposition). The Sun in Capricorn is strict and conservative and Venus in Aquarius is very friendly, cool and intellectual and these qualities are amplified; not only the ambitious side of him but also the loving side too, I suspect that the “love of God” and the word “love” in general will become a trademark of his tenure of the post of Archbishop.  Both these planets make quindeciles to Uranus in Leo so we have huge compassion here and a very, very independent attitude. I can see Justin being a reformer, but his ideas and philosophies may not be to everybody’s tastes. The effect of Aquarius is to go against the grain, and this Uranus which is very self willed and egotistical in Leo and it has a lot of influence across this chart. My feeling is that his message may be quite hard line and strict in it’s adherence to the real meaning of the bible as he understands it, however the manner that it will be broadcasted will be progressive to fit in with a more modern society. 

Uranus makes a trine to a very powerful Saturn Mars conjunction in Scorpio. This conjunction is extremely hardworking and Justin will know that he will not achieve anything unless he toils night and day to achieve it. This man not only demands discipline from himself but also discipline from others under his charge too. I wonder how popular he will be with the other bishops in the Church of England? His nature seems to be very much at odds with his predecessor who was a very gentle, popular and philosophical man.

Mars Saturn in conjunction in Scorpio makes a square to a Leo Jupiter Pluto conjunction, another powerful aspect which very much highlights his successful career in heavy industry and the oil industry. Pluto rules resources under the ground and big companies, Mars rules engineering, Jupiter brings success, international links and good fortune and Saturn brings the link to career. This connection also has a separate meaning. Jupiter is the sign of faith and knowledge, and this connection brings power (Pluto), energy (Mars) and ambition (Saturn) within the church.

Pluto and Jupiter make a sextile to Neptune and the Moon in conjunction, a deep and very spiritual connection which is forgiving and highlights a need to learn the deeper meanings in faith and scripture. I think Justin will be a great scholar and reader of faith based articles and he will forever want to explore the reasons for his and other’s beliefs, and he will immerse himself in a search for the ultimate truth. This Neptune Moon conjunction really softens the personality and makes Justin very much a dreamer and a sensitive soul. He may look quite innocent on the outside but he’s strong on the inside, the type of love he preaches is love tinged with reality.

Finally I move onto the Uranus Mercury opposition squared by Neptune and the Moon. This t-square is very intellectual and sharp, and affect his style of communication. The Neptune Moon square to Mercury softens his voice and opens his mind, he will be a very progressive thinker and technologically I think he will be “tuned in”. I would not surprised if he used the internet in an attempt to bring younger people and believers back to the fold of the Anglican Church.

Just look at the aspect on his natal chart as he was ordained. The triple conjunction of Mercury, Neptune and Mars opposed his Jupiter Pluto conjunction, made a trine to his Neptune and Moon, a square to Saturn and Mars and an inconjunct to Uranus activating all of the major formations on his chart. This shows a major shift and progression (Uranus) in his life in a spiritual sense (Mars/Neptune/Mercury opposite Jupiter), increases his personal power (Mars/Neptune/Mercury opposite Pluto) in a career manner (Mars/Neptune/Mercury square Saturn). Venus at the time was conjunct to Mercury activating his natal t-square and transiting Jupiter made a lucky trine to Mercury as well showing an announcement (Mercury) about faith (Jupiter) was due around this time, as well as a likely increase in his personal income (Venus).

One other interesting point of note. Transiting Saturn in now conjunct the fixed star Acrux, the brightest star in the constellation Crux, the Southern Cross. This is not normally a religious aspect, but I find it rather ironic that a Sun sign Capricorn (ruled by Saturn) should be anointed as one of the most powerful faith leaders on the planet while sitting conjunct the most powerful star in the constellation of the cross. You know, sometimes the signs from the heavens paint a picture far better and more accurately than anyone can imagine…

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Australian Drug Scandal - Drug taking widespread in competitive sport.

In Australia, it has been reported that rampant drug use in sport is tainting their national reputation, and the government has vowed to stamp it out. For such a competitive country, this is a hard pill to swallow and there will be a lot of soul searching and anger about the situation that is unfolding. There was a news conference in Canberra today where the government there vowed to crack down on anyone found to be breaking the rules. As yet, no particular sport or perpetrators has been singled out, although it is thought it is connected to organised crime syndicates.

The current triple conjunction in Pisces, Mars (sport), Neptune (drugs) and Mercury (information) is currently in the Australian 10th house, exactly square to the natal Nodal axis, a twist of fate that will change attitudes forever. This is what the Nodal axis does, turns things on their head just when you least expect it to happen. Neptune and Pisces in particular does highlight underground and illegal practices and as this conjunction came together, the scandal came out. The huge mature of the discovery is made worse as this conjunction is square to natal Jupiter, this planet is always connected to matters of excess.

The process of breaking the scandal was aided by Pluto which purges things out into the open, conjunct to the natal Sun and also trine to the Aussie Mars which sits quite appropriately in the 5th house of sports and games.  This Pluto Mars trine is forming a mini grand trine focusing on Saturn, so rules and laws as well as government action all ruled by Saturn will now click into gear. Something tells me that with the 9th house of international affairs highlighted here, the roots of this may exist beyond Australian borders in the international betting rings of the far East. If my hunch is true, this will make the Australian governments job of getting to the bottom of it even more tricky. By the way this mini grand trine is the same formation that precipitated the wild fires that swept though Southern Australia and Tasmania recently.

You know, this was a situation just waiting to come out into the open and yet again Saturn sextile Pluto has done it’s work. More to come me from this devastating sextile in the future me thinks…

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Mars conjunct Fomalhaut - Making magic and fighting the ideological fight

This aspect is forming now and is valid until Friday 8th February 2013

Mars is now approaching one of the Royal Persian Stars in the heavens, Fomalhaut the fish that drinks the water flowing from the urn of Aquarius sitting in the constellation Piscis Australis. This star is known as the "Watcher of the South" and it has a reputation for bringing magical and mystical properties. If one finds this star in your chart connected to a planet or angle, greatness can be yours but often you will have to be brave in treading a different path from the rest of society - you may have to fight against the odds, stick to your guns when everyone else says you are wrong. There is always a warning that comes with Royal Stars, and here it comes with excess pride, arrogance, and associated dishonesty. If you convince yourself or others into thinking that you can get away with murder, you take people down a road that is deceptive and wrong, then a great and mighty fall from grace will come your way.

Just to show you, Adolf Hitler had Fomalhaut in paran with his Sun and so did Abraham Lincoln. Both were leaders who dared to take a different stance, one was honest and was heralded as one of the greatest Presidents of the United States, and one tried to take over Europe by force and suffered a great defeat and humiliation. Two more examples - both Osama Bin Laden and Charles Darwin had Fomalhaut in paran with their Mercury. Both had beliefs which ran against the main stream of society - we know who was honest and true in his endeavours, and who took the wrong approach and paid the price.

Mars making contact with Fomalhaut, brings increased energy to walk a different path from those around you. This may be artistically, ideologically, deceptively or even aggressively. Mars is in conjunction now too, so you can use the charisma and inspiration of these influences to find different and clever solutions to problems we may have. When Mercury joins Mars on this star on 7th and 8th, we can express our ideas or plans and thus put them into action. Matters of deception, faith, spirituality and ethics may be in the public domain now, and issues associated with health, hospitals or care of the sick or suffering may be highlighted.

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