Mars conjunct Sirius - If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen.

This aspect is exact from around late tomorrow until 4th August. The precise conjunction occurs at 14:16 degrees Cancer

Oh wow - this is a hot one!! We have Mars the planet of action force and fire conjunct to Sirius in Canis Major, the brightest star in the universe, nicknamed the shining one or the "Scorcher". This star has always had a reputation for being associated with linking humble and selfless personal action which suddenly propels one into the spotlight, or doing something sacred and worthy in making a sacrifice for the betterment of people around you. If you think of the "15 minutes of fame" that many people aspire to, then this star could well be the reason for the phrase as it promises a chance to be in the spotlight like the proverbial shooting star before it quickly fades into the night sky.

Now with Mars conjunct to Sirius and square to Uranus we have an inferno of energy here ready to burst into life. Look out for record temperatures somewhere in the world, maybe wild fires, possibly cases of arson and other unexpected explosive events connected to intense heat. Maybe the actions of someone or a group of people faced with a disaster will propel them into the limelight now?

Mars is a military planet as well as connected to the security forces especially as it is here in Cancer and this link favours direct military action as well as that carried out by the police. I can imagine that political debate may be very sharp and spiky now and any social action could initiate a very swift response.

For you, if you are doing any very focused work, it will be a great time to get excellent results. Passions will rise under this aspect and in relationships this could initiate either good or bad effects, especially as Mars is making a feisty square to Uranus as this hit occurs. It sounds fun of course your relationships are sound but if they are on rocky ground, watch out for flying knives and smashing plates. As I said, it you can't stand the heat...

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Venus conjunct Zosma - Feeling alienated and rejected.

This connection occurs at 11:30 degrees Virgo. This connection starts to be felt tomorrow and will be felt through until 1st August.

After the optimism of the Grand Sextile which is forming today, we may come down with a bit of a bump as Venus moves into a conjunction with the fixed star Zosma. This star is to be found on the back of the Nemean Lion in the constellation of Leo. Zosma is one of those stars in the sky that when contacted by the planets brings an element of suffering to bare or creates an atmosphere where victimisation can take place. This is a star of the common man, the one who tends to be on the wrong end of things, he who gets a raw deal or just has to live with regular disappointments in one manner or another. It can also indicate the care giver or the one who helps those in need.

Venus' combined with this star combines these influences with matters of society, relationships, money and possessions and historically on natal charts Robson said that it has a link to depression and unhappiness of the mind. It may be that these couple of days may see problems with relationships, in particular one partner feeling rather upset, ignored or alienated by the other, there could be difficulties over issues of money or who owns what that sparks off problems.

Venus of course is the sign of diplomacy and if the Israel and Palestinian peace talks are still going on at this time, then the intransigence of this connection does not bode so well for any kind of agreement, indeed it may provoke more problems than were envisaged. I can see the old enmities and matters of land division, the age old problems in this part of the world rearing their ugly heads again and driving a wedge between the two sides. On a related note, matters of racism or the bad treatment of a specific group in society may get into the news right now.

On a more positive note, Venus does represent love and compassion too and one way of using this energy positively would be for you to give up your time to aid people or friends who are in trouble by giving them a helping hand when they require it most...

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Astrology Readings, Reports and Consultations

I am on the look out for some new clients at the moment. As you will know anyone in business including Astrologers need to attract new clients to keep going and I am now making a concerted effort to try and boost my client base. 

If you are at a point in your life where you need some Astrological advice, an astrological chart reading or you want to find out what the future holds in store for you, then maybe I can offer you some assistance. Please go to the following link which will take you to my readings and reports page and there you can find out how to get in touch with me and what I can do for you. I am available to chat via Skype or via the telephone if this is easier.

Thanks indeed to everyone who enjoys my work and takes time to write such appreciative and lovely comments.

Paul Saunders

Click here for readings, reports and ways to contact me...

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Mars conjunct Alhena - Leading the way, step by step...

This connection is now active and is effective until 28th July 2013

Mars now is conjunct the fixed star Alhena which sits in the constellation of Gemini, the twins. Alhena is known “as the marching one” sitting as it does in the foot of one of the Twins in the constellation and is associated with following a cause or a belief that you are passionate to follow and “march” behind, however it is also connected with the celebrated wounded or Achilles heel, showing a flaw in one's character. Ptolemy is a little more downbeat about this star saying that it is said to cause trouble and disgrace, sickness, loss of fortune, affliction and danger to the knees.

Mars of course is a pro-active influence and you can see the forward nature combined with following a cause producing a time when political and social activism will be extremely visible. It may be that people around the world will shout out and for things and matters that they believe in, and through their actions you will be in no doubt where their loyalties lie.

Mars can provoke violence too and with it conjunct Jupiter and opposing Pluto, I fear that any those does go ahead may have the potential for getting very out of hand. You can already see this influence at work in Egypt now as rival factions are clashing over the future of their country. I hope cooler heads prevail, however I fear that things there might get more heated before they calm down.

In your life, if there is something that you believe in or you have the courage to stand up and follow your heart, then I think you can make great strides ahead in the days and weeks to come...

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The Grand Sextile of July 2013 – A rare opportunity, but will you take it, and how?

Now we have a beautiful planetary alignment coming up in the next few days, a very rare Grand Sextile forming in the skies above us ringing the earth. How rare are they? Well since the year 1900, this is only the 3rd one involving the major planets, Sun to Pluto. The previous ones occurred on 31st March 1954 and 21st July 1995. Grand Sextiles are made up of 6 or in this case 7 planets all at around 60 degrees to each other forming a star of David pattern.

So how are they made up? Well within this structure we have two Grand Trines, this time in Water and Earth and three oppositions. It looks pretty and the easy aspects, trines and sextiles allow the energy to flow without any hindrance, so if you set your mind on practical (earth) or emotional (water) desires, you should be able to achieve much in these areas of life. I have already looked before at the grand water trine that can solidify dreams and ideas into a more solid and practical form, and it is joined by a grand earth trine connecting Venus in Virgo to the Moon in Taurus and Pluto in Capricorn. Grand earth trines are quite enduring and stable and this one is aimed very much at transformation, materialism and especially relationships with Venus and the Moon present. There are chances to build powerful relationships and change or regenerate something into a more beautiful form, but the problem as with all grand trines remains, things will look so easy that you may not act to take advantage of the possibilities that exist while it is active.

Now opportunities do present themselves galore in this structure, and the motivation is here. If there is going to be any action, then it is here within these set of oppositions that we will see it. The thing is that these three oppositions are quite stressful ones and they will present their own set of problems to overcome. To start off with, we have Saturn opposed to the Moon which blocks emotion and may cause some suffering, heartache and loss. This opposition is across Taurus and Scorpio so we will have to balance here what we want to keep (Taurus) against what we have to let go (Scorpio).

The second opposition sees Venus and Neptune at odds across the chart. This is an opposition of idealism, of wanting things so perfect (Venus in Virgo needs things to be just so) that they never really achieve the state that you wish them to be, or you may be fooled into thinking they are, or worse still you may be dishonest to get the perfection or relationship or possessions you desire. There is great creativity here to make inspirational designs and think up concepts of wonderful beauty and grace, and there is also overriding feeling here that you could provide some service (Venus in Virgo) and make sacrifices (Neptune in Pisces) in giving your time up to help others.

The third of  the oppositions has Pluto in Capricorn opposing Jupiter and Mars in Cancer. This could be very troublesome as Mars will fight against the controlling influence of Pluto, and Jupiter in the mix could blow things up completely out of proportion. Will someone or something prevent you from taking a chance or a risk that you think is worth taking? If you can harness this cardinal energy, then the sky is the limit and you can transform existing structures into something dynamic and strong.

Outside of the grand sextile, Uranus squares this very difficult Pluto opposition to Mars and Jupiter, bringing in unexpected and rebellious energy and elsewhere the Sun on the 29th July will square the Moon and also Saturn which is difficult, harsh and potentially upsetting in itself, someone or something may block your progress and stop you in your tracks, completely putting the brakes on the free flowing nature of the trines and sextiles in action.

In summary, I can see a big emphasis initiating ambitions, creating relationships, helping people out and controlling the emotional direction of your life although there will be some potential roadblocks that you will have to overcome along the way. I do think there could also be a great amount of trouble directed at you too if you do decide to take things into your own hands and people object to your methods, especially if you do things in a less than honest manner. The choice is yours to use the beneficial elements here and plough on regardless being straight with yourself and with others to make some positive and lasting changes to yourself and other people, or to succumb and get sucked in to taking the least line of resistance. Remember in life and in Astrology too, taking short cuts or gaining advantage by deceiving rarely ever works out in the end.

I think this going to be a few very interesting days to get through, and I would be fascinated to find out about your personal experiences of this very rare formation in the skies as it begins to form…

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Death toll rises in Santiago de Compostela train crash

This is an awful crash that occurred last evening in the northern Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela by all reports at 20.41 hrs. A train 247 people derailed going around a bend and all the coaches came off the tracks. The latest reports say that the train may have been travelling too fast for that section of the track and as a result of the crash a shocking 77 people have been killed and many more injured, some severely. The astrology of this incident when you look at it is particularly nasty.

The Astrology of this crash is very easy to see, but none the less devastating. At the time it happened we had several very difficult planetary placements to deal with. On the angles of this chart we have the planet of death and destruction Pluto bang on the Capricorn Ascendant opposing Mars, the planet of speed, Jupiter the planet of excess and Mercury, the planet of transportation (ruling trains) all making squares to Uranus in Aries the planet of shocks and accidents sitting in the 3rd house ruling transport.

Looking to the top of the chart, we find the planet of loss Saturn sitting almost exactly on the Scorpio Midheaven, predicting a tragic public event. This Saturn of course is now making a square to the Sun in Leo which is also very difficult and harsh energy to deal with. The grand water trine still operative gives a background picture to the event. Saturn in Scorpio shows the difficult side of the incident (Saturn loss – Scorpio through death and intense experiences) and it makes the trine to Neptune and the Moon in Pisces which suggests emotional sacrifice, chaos, suffering and confusion of the people and the other part of the grand trine involving Jupiter and Mars shows that the death toll on this violent accident will be much much bigger than normal.

I don't often look at the location of incidents via AstroCartoGraphy but this is one because of the planets on the angles that is plain to see. I have zoomed in on Northern Spain on this picture and the red line indicates the position of Saturn on the Midheaven as placed on the earth, and in yellow you can see Pluto, Mercury, Jupiter and Mars on the Ascendant/Descendant axis. See how close Pluto was to Santiago De Compostela !!

This accident shows the power of the planets when they hit the angles of a chart, especially when two or three “malefic” ones, in this case Pluto, Saturn and Mars hit different ones at the same time, indeed this time they all hooked up making a wedge formation focused on Saturn conjunct the Midheaven at the pinnacle of the chart. If anything this intensified the nature of this accident.

I have also mentioned the danger of grand trines before and the potency of them when Jupiter’s presence is felt within them. As you will have seen just this week, when things go well and constructively then the joy is expanded and overwhelming as in the UK surrounding a royal birth, but when things go wrong, then grief and suffering and destructive power is also enhanced enormously by the influence of our largest planetary neighbour. That’s the double edged sword of Astrology in general, and people do tend to forget that sometimes the aspects we look at can work in the very opposite way that the textbooks say they should. Remember that all the aspects have good and bad sides to them, and trines in particular can allow the most awful things to happen. The grand trine yesterday combined with that most difficult t-square across the angles of the chart and you saw the shocking results.

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Anthony Weiner – Another day, another scandal.

Anthony Weiner is a really interesting individual. A former US congressman and a current Democratic party member, he is currently running in the race to become the Mayor of New York. Now Weiner has more than a chequered past, having resigned from the US Congress in 2011 because of an online sex scandal. This is a guy who can’t seem to get away from controversy and now he has been implicated in another “faux pas” after he admitted having another lewd online relationship with a 48 year old woman, including sending her explicit photos. Mr Weiner is married and obviously has a very, very understanding wife, yet what is it about this man which draws him into such a mess, time and time again? The astrology shows a clear picture.

Anthony Weiner was born on 4th September 1964, in Brooklyn New York (no birth time known) so he is a Sun sign Virgo with his Moon in Leo. This is an interesting combination as the Virgo Sun is intellectual, it discriminates and always wants to be correct, and the Leo Sun wants to be recognised and adored. Now this is fine but this Sun is conjunct to Pluto, to Mercury the ruler of Virgo and Uranus all in a tight stellium. This is a lot of Virgo, and so he will be someone with a critical and very analytical and clever mind, someone with a social conscience and someone who wants and needs to be controlling, powerful and known. Just combine all this with a Leo Moon and it leads to a know it all politician, a person seemingly with all the answers who has a ego to boot. The Leo Moon wants their name up in lights, and this can lead to a rather self-righteous attitude. This is a dramatic position of someone who despite having this Virgo influence is not without confidence, a man who will want to put on a show and lacks nothing of his own importance. Anthony is someone who will thrive in any situation when the cameras are pointing at him.

Both the Sun and Mercury receive aspects from Saturn sitting on the other side of the chart in the opposite sign of Pisces. Now those with Saturn in Pisces have a bit of a conundrum in their lives. Saturn is the planet of order and discipline, but here he is sitting in a sign that erodes structure and in which there are simply no rules. This can lead to a person who breaks with rules and accepted practices, and where there are standards to keep, the person with Saturn in Pisces is unlikely to keep to them. In short, the boundaries that Saturn normally sets up are severely weakened and thus the character can easily revert back into bad habits as this latest episode has shown. The Saturn quindecile to the Sun brings extreme ambition to rule and administer things, and the Saturn opposition to Mercury does make him very determined and he may get rather wrapped up in his own thoughts at times, especially as Mercury is retrograde internalising his mind. It does bring a more methodical and cynical side to the way he thinks, and he may well benefit from often spending some time in solitude to collect those thoughts together. Saturn makes a square aspect to Jupiter in steady Taurus. In financial matters he will be very sound and this is very much a money making position. There is a sensible and careful attitude to finances and business, he will be very switched on and clever in this regard and he will plan for security so that he and those around him can live a comfortable existence.

This quadruple conjunction in Virgo also receives multiple sextiles from Neptune. This sextile works in very much the same way to instil a lack of structure into Anthony’s character. The sextile from Neptune generally weakens the Sun and makes it more compassionate but also less disciplined, the same with the sextile to Mercury. Here is an intuitive, creative and instinctive side to the way he thinks as well as a poetic turn of phrase, however he get caught up in his own dreams and idealise rather than being logical. This does bring a social conscience and a feel for the community rather than the individual, and this is one reason why he is Democratic and not Republican.

Now Anthony has his Venus and Mars in Cancer in a close conjunction. Whenever you find these two planets together then you can always be sure of one thing, the person will rarely be shy in coming forward. By that I mean, this is the position of a person who when faced by someone they are attracted to will make the first move. Now Cancer is a cardinal sign, one which despite it’s reputation for security and worry is naturally pro-active. Actually, Venus in Cancer is quite clingy in nature and will be reluctant to let go when the subject is in love and happy. This is a sentimental position and is very thoughtful and caring. Mars in Cancer is not that aggressive and will be reluctant to fight except for one’s inner circle of friends, colleagues and family. When any of these are threatened, then Mars in Cancer will come out and fight back to protect the people they love.

The conjunction of Mars and Venus makes someone who is very amorous and needs the excitement of love all the time, here we have a potentially high sexual drive. This conjunction makes a double sextile to Jupiter, the planet of excess and of taking a risk. Put the two together and we have someone who will always be on the look out for a potential love partner. Add in the showy Leo Moon and we have someone who will want show off and exhibit their sexual prowess as well.

Now back to the quadruple conjunction of Sun, Pluto, Uranus and Mercury. The Virgo Sun is naturally cautious, so in a personal sense Anthony will not want to show that he feels the way he feels, that’s most unlike the modest Virgo way of doing things, so he will have to find another way. Pluto is deep and secretive and rules intimacy, so here we have thoughts that stay bubbling beneath the surface. Uranus can be a perverted and unusual influence, one wants to be independent and do things in your own way. Uranus rules technology and Mercury rules communication. Now add in the undisciplined opposition from Saturn in Pisces and the illusionary and deceptive sextile from Neptune. Are you getting the picture yet?

The fact that Anthony Weiner cannot stop taking lurid photos of himself and sending them to women when he should know better, especially as a serving politician shows a lack of discipline (Saturn in Pisces). He employs a secretive (Pluto) and deceptive nature (Neptune) and he uses technology (Uranus) and communication (Mercury) to get a sexual thrill (Pluto/Mars) as he has a high and excessive (Jupiter) sex drive (Mars or Pluto). He may be a bit of an exhibitionist (Moon in Leo) having a rather forward nature towards the opposite sex (Mars/Venus) and an unusual and rather unwise way of expressing all these urges (Uranus).

Now to look at the current transits to his chart, just look at all of the planets homing in on that Virgo stellium. The North Node makes a sextile and South Node trine aspects, Pluto makes several trines, Neptune opposition, Chiron opposition, Uranus inconjunct, Mars, Jupiter and Black Moon Lilith all sextiles. The Pluto trines bring secrets into the open, Neptune shows indiscipline and deception, Chiron shows wounding of the character, Uranus indicates unusual behaviour causing him to potentially change course and Mars/Jupiter and Black Moon Lilith show taking a chance (Jupiter) over sex (Mars) of a nature that may leave his reputation finally in tatters (Black Moon Lilith). The influence of the Nodes brings fate and destiny to bare. Even transiting Venus is in the act making an opposition right now to his natal Saturn, bringing pain and suffering and harsh lessons to be learned (Saturn) over an encounter with a woman (Venus).

Anthony Weiner claims he is not going to give up in the race to become New York Mayor however in an age when politicians do need to have certain moral values, I cannot see how he is going to garner enough support, especially from the female population in New York who will be rightly disappointed in his actions, to ever have a chance of winning.

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Please note that I am still able to do readings, both written and live via Skype if you are interested. Just click on following the link here to book a report or an appointment with me. Thanks…

Get an astrology report by clicking here...

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Weekly Rising or Ascendant Horoscopes – 28th July until 3rd August 2013

As an Astrologer, one is always searching for the ideal way of presenting your work and with regard to weekly and monthly horoscopes I know that I have been chopping and changing around quite a lot trying to find a format and way of working that I am truly happy with. I tried monthly forecasts which took a huge amount of work and time and I have tried video which I did not really enjoy doing and because of technical problems; I found it very time consuming and difficult to record. I have therefore decided for the meantime to do some quicker weekly forecasts to see how these go, and for those of you who are not so up on the technical aspects of Astrology I have made a conscious effort to make them easy to understand.

As always, these predictions are based of your ASCENDANT sign and not your Sun sign and this of course is dependent on the time and place of your birth as well as the day. If you do not know your Ascendant sign, please click on the following link to find it out - FIND YOUR ASCENDANT SIGN . One other note. If you find that your Ascendant degree is towards the end of a sign, for example at 26 degrees Libra, you might find it worth your while to read both Libra and the next sign along Scorpio…

Before I forget and get on with the weekly forecasts that I have prepared for you, please note that I am still able to do readings, both written and live via Skype if you are interested. Just click on following the link here to book a report or an appointment with me. Thanks…   Get an astrology report by clicking here...

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Aries Rising or Ascendant – 28th July until 3rd August

Early this week you may be interested in having some fun and frolics with your lover or partner but unfortunately he or she may not be in the the mood to reciprocate. This is not the day to go to your bank manager and expect them to be lenient in lending you money either, although at work things may be more light-hearted and jovial. Your boss may be very welcoming and supportive in helping you during this week. Watch out for family disputes or even minor domestic accidents as tempers at home get frayed a little. If you are interested in real estate matters, doing some redecoration or changes around your house or flat, now will be an ideal time to start. Mentally you may be a little more reflective right now and you may appreciate a little time for yourself rather than meeting up with friends.

Taurus Rising or Ascendant – 28th July until 3rd August

This week begins with problems with your spouse, partner or maybe your business associate as they may restrict your personal freedom and disagree with the things you believe in. There could also be problems between the one you love and your mother or other female relatives, your relations with neighbours and brothers and sisters will be more harmonious though. This is a great week to go out for an excursion or a trip in your local area so long as you have the time to do so, you may be overly busy with errands to run, phone calls to answer and unexpected events to respond to. This week is likely to be very busy and a whirr of activity. Enjoy the intense love feelings you have right now and the passion should continue to flow all week with you.

Gemini Rising or Ascendant – 28th July until 3rd August

Early this week work colleagues could be critical of you over communications, letters or emails you send, however as much as you may hurt inside be careful not to bite back as this will serve you no purpose. This is a great time for pouring over your personal finances and working out how best to use your money as your mind will be attuned to these things now. Relations at home with your family may be more cordial and you may want to go out to enjoy some retail therapy this week to let go of any stress, be careful not to overspend. Friends may upset you and cause you some problems this week however hopefully those bad feelings should not last too long and this is a time when you and may thoroughly enjoy entertaining them at your abode. Time spent with the one you love should be highly fulfilling, so enjoy...

Cancer Rising or Ascendant – 28th July until 3rd August

Children or lovers may cause you some stress and frustration at the start of this week as they affect your self esteem. You might not be able to carry out any creative or personal projects in the the way you had intended now. The one thing in your favour will be that you will be able to communicate and find the right words to calm down any tense situations, indeed if you will be keen to get your message across to as many people as possible now. You might be asked to do some unusual tasks at work and you may want to argue the case that you need a bit more freedom than you are actually getting. Don't get so frustrated if this is the case and your efforts are blocked. It might be an idea to get away for a couple of days in your local area or countryside, so you can relax your over extended mind.

Leo Rising or Ascendant – 28th July until 3rd August

You may be confronted or told by your mother or women in your family to stop being so self-centred now, (a Leo Ascendant being overly proud and self-centred, now there’s a thing !!), however you will be determined to make sure that your needs do come first. This week, you may be in a more benevolent mood to those outside you family circle and if you can help someone in a less fortunate position than yourself then you will feel a sense of well-being and contentment. People at your work can assist you now and you may be interested in learning a new skill, maybe connected to science, technology or new age subjects like Astrology. Try not to argue too strongly if you have legal issues now as this maybe counter-productive.

Virgo Rising or Ascendant – 28th July until 3rd August

A neighbour's words or criticism from brothers or sisters can hurt your feelings now and you may feel like you want to hide away for a while. There is also a possibility that you may make some sacrifices to help out elderly people in your community. Networking with friends and connecting with group and associations will be well worth your while this week and you may be asked to organise group events and functions. This week you may be intensely attracted to the one you love now, so go and act on those feelings while they last; indeed matters of sex and intimacy will be particularly on your mind now. Try not to contest or fight against your partner, especially over matters of money otherwise you may find they will rebel against you.

Libra Rising or Ascendant – 28th July until 3rd August

You may find this week that you are stressed out about money issues and you may have to ask friends or groups to help you out. At work you will be willing to give over your time and sacrifice your personal time to help out your boss or your father, you maybe asked to work out of hours or put in a special effort for them. At work you will be very motivated to get things done now and you may find that you are burdened with a lot of communications, paperwork and tasks to carry out, in short you are likely to be rather busy. Be careful not to upset business associates, bosses or your partner/spouse this week as you could be rather outspoken, major disputes may occur, and relations may be soured.

Scorpio Rising or Ascendant – 28th July until 3rd August

This week you may be rather difficult to your father or someone in seniority as you may flatly refuse to cooperate in a professional sense, or someone at work may decide to limit your own personal freedom. You will feel better being able to learn something new and this may be possible through the intervention of a friend or colleague, or you may decide to join a group or association to expand your life and your knowledge. This week you may also start taking work training courses to expand your skills. Be particularly careful if you are on your travels as unusual and unexpected things may happen to you. You may lean on friends quite a lot this week and you might want to get back in touch with ones you haven’t seen for a while. Call them up and reconnect.

Sagittarius Rising or Ascendant – 28th July until 3rd August

During this week you might find that somebody challenges and rejects you beliefs or your philosophies and any attempt to expand your knowledge or learn something new may be mysteriously blocked or rejected. You may be involved in new more creative projects at work and you might find that you get a chance to settle some debts or financial agreements this week. This is also a week to have some fun with the one you love and if you are single you could meet some interesting and exciting people who may become friends or even lovers in the fullness of time!! Keep your eyes wide open for any possibilities that may present themselves.

Capricorn Rising or Ascendant – 28th July until 3rd August

This is not the best week for going to banks or financial lenders to ask for assistance as you may not get the desired result you want. Friends may be harsh or critical of you and you may feel rejected or rather lonely as a result. You could make associations or friends with people of different cultures or from far away places this week, or you may decide to book a trip, visit an art gallery, a museum or a place of interest. You might even decide to try to learn a language – go ahead and do something new and exciting. In the middle of the week, be careful that tempers don't overspill and turn into full scale arguments with partners or spouses. If you are doing any one to one business deals, things could move forward this week.

Aquarius Rising  or Ascendant – 28th July until 3rd August

You are likely to be rather burdened with work this week and this could backfire on and business relations as you may not be in the most pleasant of moods, indeed you could also be sharp with relatives or neighbours too. Work colleagues may also may be acting a little unpredictably this week and you may get upset with their behaviour and you may find that someone is playing power games on you from behind the scenes. Away from work however, this week is a good time to enjoy some fun with the one you love as well as for going out to a local gym or for looking after your health and well-being, so it's not all bad.

Pisces Rising or Ascendant – 28th July until 3rd August

You may be questioned about what you believe in this week and if you are studying or learning you might find that this is a time of hard graft and little pleasure. You will find that you will derive a much more enjoyment from your hobbies, playing sport, doing creative pursuits, spending time with the one you love and with children too. Friends can be a source of strength this week and socially you will be able to relax and have more fun than maybe recently was the case. Be very careful not to go out, be reckless and spend too much on items you don't particularly need, as doing this is a distinct possibility, and if you are doing any risky or dangerous activities, please take precautions.

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Mars and Jupiter conjunct Murzims - Having the courage and desire to speak out

This aspect is active now (with Mars) and continues with Jupiter until 2nd August

We have both Mars and Jupiter now conjunct the fixed star Murzims which sits in the constellation of Canis Major, the large dog. This star is nicknamed "the Announcer, as it rises before the great star Sirius, the brightest star in the skies and is connected with carrying a message or having something important that others should hear or read. Ptolemy mentioned that this star gave good qualities, charity and a faithful heart, but violent and dangerous passions.

Mars as you will know is a determined and action based influence and this this is a message that is loud and clear. Here is the truth and the news being proclaimed loud and clear and what is said now may anger people or cause them to be irritated and upset. Indeed in the next three days while this aspect is active you may be more inclined to speak what is on your mind very forthrightly.

Jupiter is more connected with knowledge and wisdom so after the initial outburst we may find ourselves becoming more melancholy, philosophical and wise after the event and this burst of energy. Here we are encouraged to look for connections to religion and faith in the way we are communicating, or to find a more conciliatory manner of putting our message across. This is a time or recording events and putting them down for posterity, for publishing our ideas too. Jupiter of course is the sign of the young Prince and the announcement of the name of the newest member of the British Royal family will go down in the history books for ever more.

For you now, any announcement you can may make, be it shouted from the rooftops, broadcasted or written (maybe in the form of an advertisement) well be worth while, especially as this connection is also linked to the Grand Water Trine in the skies over us connecting to Saturn and Neptune. What we say to the world now can help us to achieve and to solidify our dreams and ambitions.

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Royal baby is born to William and Kate – It’s a boy called George !!!

At last, the most anticipated baby this year has been born. The drama began at 5.30am this morning as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were slipped quietly into the side door of the St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington in London and finally at 16.24 today, William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge became parents to a new son who they named George. This first child eventually will inherit the throne of the United Kingdom and so we are looking at the birth chart of a future monarch.

Back on 15th January, I pinned my colours to the mast and predicted that this baby would be born on the 22nd July 2013 and although I initially predicted a girl, otherwise I was pretty much spot on. Why did I plump for this date? Well, my motivations were based around the stars and the connections therein. Often when a new royal baby was born there would be some celestial sign. Prince William was born on a day of a Solar Eclipse, an auspicious day, and one day assuming nothing changes in the interim, he will assume the throne and become King. This time around there were no eclipses, but we did have a Full Moon in Aquarius, a “Blue Moon” too (maybe there was a sign I missed) on this day and Venus was closing in on a conjunction to the Royal Persian Star, Regulus, the star in the heart of the Lion, a star of kings and of great honours bestowed. Princess Diana had her North Node just over a degree from Regulus, and she became a Princess through marriage.

The new Prince and 3rd in line to the throne is a Sun Cancer, like his father William and also his now deceased grandmother Diana. Often you find direct links between babies and the family skipping a generation and there are more as I will explain later on. Cancerians are protective of their loved ones and of their circle of friends, they are generally sunny in character but they do have the tendency to be rather moody, to worry and to fret. The Sun sits in his 8th house bringing a understanding of power and how to use control. This is a position that is characterised by a life which is much drama, great highs and deep difficult lows, and he may use his influence to transform the lives of many people. Transformation is also indicated by his Scorpio Ascendant, and this influence brings a secretive side as well as an iron will and need to be in control of situations. The Scorpio Ascendant wants to know oneself, and he will be a very honest critic of himself and able to accept that he was wrong if he knew that he was.

For sure there will be an instant strong bond and love of his mother Kate and the Capricorn Cancer opposition effective here brings not only a strong link to the parents but to the UK national chart too, the UK has a Capricorn Sun and a Cancerian Moon. This opposition squares onto Saturn showing a boy who will be serious and dutiful in his emotions. The 11th house Saturn shows a prince who will dearly want to be loved and adored and I feel that this may be quite a shy and reserved young man as he grows up and rather very sensitive to criticism too.

His Capricorn Moon indicates that this young Prince will tend to carry a great burden on his shoulders and the tendency with this placement is not to let on that you are feeling the pressure or strain, Capricorn Moons rarely if ever ask for help. This is the position of someone with a very loyal attitude to one’s friends and companions although he may not be able to relax and enjoy life as much as he would like to. The Moon sits in the 2nd house like Diana had and his sense to be a social servant to his subjects will come through. It is interesting that this position indicates someone who will be a collector, maybe of antiques, family heirlooms and things of the past. If ever you wanted someone who would want to look after the pennies and run a tight budget, then this young man will embody these attributes.

Venus sits in the modest sign of Virgo and this is a very benevolent position and this royal child will have a kind heart and will appreciate those who have one too. In relationships, those with Venus in this sign are quite careful and discriminating about who they are interested in, this is not a position of someone who rushes into love. There is a tendency here for trying to improve one’s partner and a critical side can come out if one is unhappy with what one sees. Virgo is an analytical sign, so here we have someone who can discriminate something which is beautiful and valuable from something that is not. We may see a love of the countryside in him, the environment and animals in particular and this is also a position that will be careful about expenditure, extravagancy is certainly not a trait associated with Venus in this sign. Sitting in the 9th house, we have a love of travel and far away places and culture and of course he will be able to enjoy the chance to travel extensively because of his status. This Venus shows a love of all peoples and cultures, perfect as the future king of a multitude of peoples far and wide and in an ever more multi-cultural Britain. This Venus makes a sensitive opposition to Neptune showing a very romantic and gentle side to the nature and this child will be longing for the perfect love, with potential disillusionment if one can’t be found. As this opposition is combined with an opposition between Sun and Moon, we may find that this child might be quite emotionally discontent at times. There could be musical or artistic talents on show here too which could be an outlet for the emotions.

A wonderfully optimistic and outgoing Jupiter Mars conjunction in Cancer trines Saturn in Scorpio and Neptune in Pisces. This is a very instinctive formation, able to make any dream (Neptune) a reality (Saturn) - well this will be true seeing this is the chart of a royal baby. This chart shows administration (Saturn) over a wide international area (Jupiter) and over military connections (Mars) and the Anglican church (Neptune/Jupiter). On a more human level, this grand trine shows great sensitivity, imagination, instinct and appreciation of philosophy and knowledge. This is the chart of a boy who will want to learn and has great capacity to do so. Neptune trine Mars is very creative and tends to prefer a more peaceful solution to problems than a heavy handed approach. Mars and Jupiter both in Cancer are not very forceful in nature especially in an aggressive manner, but they are very welcoming placements for making all people feel happy and accepted; this is someone with a very caring heart. Neptune trine to Jupiter is quite religious in nature, idealistic and tolerant and this indicates someone who will always try to find the easiest, but not necessarily the best way out of any difficulty that they will have to face. Neptune itself in Pisces in his 3rd house brings a dreamy and creative quality to the way he will communicate. This is a gentle and sensitive position and the young prince may be rather intuitive in nature.

With Mercury conjunct to Jupiter and Mars we have someone with a quick mind and a sharp tongue as well as a broad overview of any situation. This is someone who thinks on a big scale and will not be afraid of taking a risk or two. Mercury in Cancer is very interested in the past and in one’s heritage and this person will look to history and be very sentimental of what has gone before and he/she will think in human terms, using intuition and feelings rather than being strictly logical. Mercury opposing Pluto gives a searching and enquiring mind, looking for the truth below the surface of any issue. This is a boy who is likely to have a restless mind but who has very sharp sense of humour with Mercury square to Uranus, and he should have an interest and possibly a talent with technology and science. Uranus sits in his 4th house and it indicates to me that this boy will be allowed some freedom to grow up in his own way allowing him to have quite a lot of independence, maybe following on from the lessons and precedents that Diana set up in bringing up her two sons.

Moving onto the t-square here, Pluto’s opposition to Jupiter Mars and Mercury enhances the feeling of power and control on this chart. Pluto opposite to Mars shows huge passion, intensity, a powerful will and I suspect this child will endure huge power struggles during his lifetime, possibly of the matter of money finances and possessions. The opposition between Pluto and Jupiter is inordinately lucky in financial terms especially sitting across the 2nd/8th house financial axis of the chart and this aspect favours international travel, which will figure heavily in this baby’s life. Most interestingly of all, his fortunes may change greatly during his lifespan due to this Pluto Jupiter opposition – I wonder what this signifies for the future of Britain?  Jupiter in the 8th house shows a considerable inheritance from one’s parents in time, we all know what that eventually will be and there is a dynamic, rather risky and experimental feel to Uranus square Jupiter and Mars, but also a sense of danger or upset too. Certainly he will love to test himself to the full in maybe sport or through adventure activities, and I expect that he will much enjoy every challenge presented to him. This is a position of a very rich and fulfilling love life too despite the rather critical eye and modest feel of Venus in Virgo, this a combination that I think may see him dating a number of beautiful women in his time!! With Taurus on the cusp of his 7th house, then when he does find his true love then he will be very loyal to her. I preface this just by the fact that Uranus square to Mars can be a sign of an interest in different and untraditional kinds of love relationships, and say it very quietly but I have seen a homosexual tendencies with Mars square to Uranus before!! There is a potential down side here as well as when this very tense and potentially potent aspect is activated by difficult planets, accidents or great misfortune or tragedy could befall this young Prince sometime during his life.

With regard to the fixed stars on the day I have already mentioned about Venus conjunct Regulus but there are a couple of other connections active too. Mercury now direct is sitting on the brightest star in the heavens, Sirius. When these two influences connect up, then an important announcement may be made and true to form this was happening. In regard to the character of the baby boy, this brings potential skills with languages and words and I think good communication skills are guaranteed. Uranus sits on the star Alderamin in the constellation of Cepheus, the King, another royal indication. This connection shows that this child should have a connection to the common people and will link himself to community and social projects. Under this influence often a popular leader arrives on the scene.

Three other conjunctions catch my eye, those of the North Node conjunct to the stars Acrux and Alphecca. Acrux in the Southern cross is a star of stability and the establishment assuring that this baby will have to adhere to conservative values and traditions. The connection of Alphecca is an interesting one. This star sits in the constellation of Corona Borealis, the Woman’s Crown. This is a sign of receiving a gift but one where a price has to be paid too. Of course this new born boy will become a monarch, but with this comes a lack of a private life and will always be in the world spotlight. Neptune is also on a royal Persian star, this time Formalhaut in the the constellation of the Southern Fish. This could bring this child an artistic touch, a sense of magic, a mystical air and certainly an aura of charisma, however this star has a downside if you believe your own hype and you feel you are too big for your boots as a fall from grace can come very readily.

You often find that there are links back to older relatives of the new arrival and this is definitely the case here. This baby has it’s natal Saturn sitting on Prince Charles’ South Node, square to his Ascendant and Uranus is conjunct to the Prince’s Aries Midheaven. His Ascendant also mirrors his grandfather’s natal Sun. With the late Princess of Wales Diana, his Pluto is very hauntingly and almost exactly opposing her Cancerian Sun and Saturn is almost exactly square to her Jupiter in Aquarius. His Moon also sits on the same degree as Diana’s Saturn was sitting.

And so a new royal era and a generation begins. My sincerest congratulations to William and to Kate and their new son George. I wish them all health and happiness.

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New Moon 22nd July 2013 - Balancing your needs against those of others.

We have just experienced a “Blue Moon”, the first of two in a row to occur in the sign of Aquarius. As you will know Full Moons show the completion of a cycle and maybe this is why parlance goes that maternity wards always seem to get busier around the time of a full Moon. This one in Aquarius stresses logic and free thinking as well as stressing the need of the many against the needs of the individual.

Now this Full Moon is being held to account by the square from Saturn that is telling us in no uncertain terms to balance our needs between your own personal and individual ones and the needs of other people, of groups and/or your friends. I think Saturn will force you I think to make a choice between the two now, or to set some kind of limits that you will just have to adhere to.

This is a complicated chart as we have the grand water trine working in the background still helping us to fulfil our dreams and with Mercury moving forward and Mars in conjunction with Jupiter we can make a big impact if we decide to act now. Pluto opposes these three planets and it may be that we have to overcome some powerful people or opposition if we are to progress on and anger could surface reacting against any blockages. Uranus squares to Mercury, so we can find innovative and logical solutions to problems if we have them.

Now if things aren't going well, then the Venus opposition to Neptune as an outlet for the grand water trine could lead to some disillusionment and the potential to be dishonest or evasive in any kind of relationship or with finances, so watch out and be careful.

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George Zimmerman - Saved just in time by Jupiter and Neptune

The George Zimmerman case has been one that has rumbled on in the US for some time. He was accused of killing Trayvon Martin and on Saturday he was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter. Zimmerman claims he shot Martin in self-defence and it seems as if the jury accepted the view that he used justifiable force in the incident.

George born 5th October 1983 in Manassas, Virginia (no birth time known) had his Sun at 11:50 Libra under attack from the Uranus Pluto square, with Pluto square his Sun from authoritarian Capricorn and Uranus opposing from Aries turning his life upside down, his freedom being compromised and of course this trial will in no doubt will change his life forever. He will now be a marked man despite being found not guilty wherever he goes

Now George was also having his Saturn return right at this time and so the grand water trine was also hitting this Saturn. Saturn returns are a time of growing up and can be very stressful periods of one's life, however crucially at the time of the verdict, transiting Jupiter and Neptune were making favourable aspects to this conjunction. Jupiter in particular was making an exact trine to his natal Saturn (0:07 degrees orb) bringing him fortune and luck in dealings with official people. Neptune can make dreams come true and possibly for the moment at least the trine here to his natal Saturn softened and dissolved the nature of the case against him?

Without an official birth time for George it is very difficult to make further assumptions however I do suspect that once Jupiter moves away from this spot and this trine dissipates in the next few months, the gloves will be off again against him and civil cases may be filed. I don't see this as the end of this affair just yet, and the nature of Saturn in Scorpio makes sure that any potential wrong doing is dealt with in the end.

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Grand Water Trine of 2013 – Time to get things moving at last.

If you hadn't noticed, Mars today moved into watery Cancer and now is moving closer to a conjunction with Jupiter and thus joining the Grand Water trine which so many Astrologers around the world (myself included) have been going on about. This finally as I am about explain will bring some much needed energy to a planetary formation that is sitting there above us with so much potential to help us all.

Now the thing about trine aspects is that the energy flows easily, and around a grand trine it is almost too easy. In Astrology and in life itself, you need tension or motivation to get anything done. You may have a great talent, but it can go to waste if you don't actually use it and make the best of what you have. That's the problem with a grand trine. The energy sails around in a circle without having a motivational outlet. In the same manner, I suspect if we found things relatively easy, most of us if we were left to our own devices wouldn't act at all, simply because there would be no need. Many of us are not pro-active enough (especially those with planets in Libra in their charts) and we do need a kick up the backside (butt for my American readers) before we begin to get going. So does this grand water trine as it blithely sails along.

Now Mars is the planet of force and action and joining up with Jupiter, this grand trine is finally going to get a jolt of action to get it moving. Finally we have some impetus here to get these outer planets working for us. You may already be feeling the need to get your self and life in order, certainly I am starting to feel it with Cancer ruling the part of my chart concerned with work and career, and I suspect from today and in the next week, you will start to feel it too.

Trust me, in the next week you will feel the need to activate new plans and ideas, maybe to take a risk or to make you do something that has been in your mind for some while now so that you can turn things around in your life. Great expansion can be made and those dreams can come true if you get your act together. Mars is bringing that motivation and I urge you to use it. I will be..

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Randy Travis – Country music star critical in hospital with heart complaint.

Randy Travis is one of the most well known country music stars in the US and right now he is in hospital fighting for his life in a Dallas hospital after a virus he picked up caused a serious heart condition. Randy one of the most decorated musicians in the United States has had a chequered past recently crashing his car in August last year with the police finding him lying on the road blind drunk and naked, and a couple of weeks later he was charged with a drunken assault after fighting outside a church in Plano Texas. The illness he is suffering right now is clearly seen through the Astrology of his natal chart.

Randy was born on 4th May 1959 in Monroe, North Carolina at 06.14 hrs (info from Astro databank) so he is a Sun Taurus with a Taurean Ascendant and a direct and straight forward Aries Moon. The combination of Sun and Moon here shows a need to be at the top of the tree in all his aims, and the nature of the Taurean Sun would give him the patience and perseverance to keep on going build and building  his life, his work and towards his dreams. The double Taurean influence here impels him to make something beautiful and with grace and charm and this certainly meant that in his music career he was never going to be a rock god; no his particular style would always be more subtle and graceful.

His Taurean Sun sits in the background of the 12th house and I have found that this position does not indicate that the subject will hide away (as in old astrology textbooks), no I feel that the subject is most effective and most powerful when working and influencing behind the scenes. This is where his best work will be done, in Randy’s case in the preparation and the writing of his material. This Sun also sits on the fixed star Menkar, so he can tap into the collective soul of the population with his music and renditions. This is a position of fame and also of infamy. His Sun opposes artistic Neptune in the 6th house of everyday work, and since he was 8 years of age, that is what Randy has done, sing, perform  and write music. This aspect brings sympathy, compassion and heightens the emotions and intuition.

This is a man with talent as this opposition squares onto Uranus in his troubled 4th house. Uranus rules his Midheaven (through Aquarius on the cusp of the 10th house) and this link is a to his father indicating a difficult relationship with him (10th house) at home (4th House) and it is known that they fought often. Randy was often in trouble as a youth, seen through Uranus and Pluto sitting in the 4th indicating a wild, trapped and brutal home life, and often this leads with young men to trouble on the streets and into crime. Despite all this, Randy I think was a bright young man, the t-square connecting Midheaven to Sun, Neptune and Uranus shows huge potential and creative and individual talent, but also a tendency to go off the rails through unpredictable behaviour as well as having escapist tendencies via potential use of drink and drugs. Uranus makes a trine to his Moon Mercury conjunction so here was a brilliance in conveying direct emotions (Moon in Aries) through communication in an uncomplicated and coherent form (Mercury in Aries).

This is a man with great patience and fortitude (Sun trine Saturn and Saturn opposite Mars) yet one who functions best I feel when he works in solitude, with just himself and his guitar. Saturn in Capricorn sits on Facies, a most direct and focused star and this brings a true passion and direction to his work. Randy i think would always keep to his vision and work tremendously hard in the process. There is a serious and stern aura about him for sure, Saturn in Capricorn is very judgemental and uncompromising, and the square from this powerful Saturn to his Moon in Aries would not only bring him into relationships that would fail and break apart in his early years, he would then be able to put to use those emotions through his work and creations. Mars opposite to Saturn and square to the Moon as well as Mercury says this is a man with a non nonsense temper, a sharp brain and tongue as well as being a  hard task master on himself, but also hugely ambitious.

There is so much more on this chart. The quindecile between Venus his chart ruler and Saturn highlighted the two musical signs Taurus and Capricorn and linking them across the finance houses. This is where he would make his fortune and his money. Jupiter quindecile to the Sun brings a wide optimistic outlook as well as a gambling instinct combined with a need for freedom and space. Jupiter’s square to Pluto would have brought him luck and fortune from powerful and influential individuals, just when he would have needed it, indeed that 7th house Jupiter in Scorpio brings a joviality and luck to most one to one relationships in his life and also a need to take every experience to the absolute limit. His Mars is conjunct the star Sirius, the dog star nicknamed “the scorcher” propelled him from an ordinary background into the limelight. This connection indicates brilliance in a narrow field of work, his dedication to country and in a lesser extent gospel music.

Randy’s health problems can be seen by transiting Saturn stationed bang on his natal Neptune in his 6th house of health rocking that natal t-square from Midheaven to Sun and Uranus. This is a huge amount of pressure being exerted as Saturn will be sitting pretty much on this spot in the next month. The transiting South Node is also coming around to sit on his natal Sun (which rules the heart) in the 12th house of hospitals and suffering, and this is not a nice influence to have either. Transiting Venus (ruling that 6th house of health too) has just come across his Uranus in Leo, probably initiating this virus rapidly taking him into hospital and again hitting another of the corners of that natal t-square. This was probably the trigger aspect which started this crisis in his life off. Transiting Uranus is very close to his detrimental South Node on the cusp of that 12th house of suffering and square to his natal Saturn and Mars. Again, this aspect very troubling and disruptive to his energy and his overall direction in life.

In truth this does not look like a very nice set of aspects for him to endure and with Jupiter starting to oppose his natal Saturn sitting in that 8th house of death, the house that Jupiter rules through Sagittarius on the cusp of this 8th house, I very much fear for his health. I wish him well in this fight against this illness.

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Taking a deeper look at the Astrology of the San Francisco air crash.

I was looking a little deeper at the San Francisco plane crash of a couple of days ago where quite remarkably all but 2 of the 300+ people on board survived. It seems like the aircraft came in a little too steep to a notoriously tricky place to land by the water’s edge in San Francisco bay. The aircraft appeared to catch the edge of the water and the runway, just before the pilot tried to abort the landing, ripping the tail off the aircraft sending it spinning before crashing on the grass verge. The airline Asiana have ruled out a technical failure so it seems pilot error may have been the deciding factor. The Astrology does not rule this out.

Now on the chart for the crash there we have Mercury retrograde which may have had a bit of an influence, however I focused my attention on the two 165 degree aspects here in gold, Mars making a quindecile to Pluto on the chart below and Neptune making one to the Virgo Ascendant.

Mars of course is in Gemini, the sign of transportation and the paran connections for Mars for San Francisco (latitude 37 N 45) had Mars in paran with the fixed star Phact, a very risky and adventurous star in the constellation of Columba, the dove. Here we have the risk of fire and disaster or at the very least living close to the edge. The dove represented by the star Phact is a star of finding one's way, the dove sits on the bow of the Argo, the great ship of the skies and so it is a star of travel and exploration, how appropriate is that? Mars was also in paran with Aculeus, one of the nebulae in the sting of the Scorpion in Scorpio. This influence is one of hardship or a severe test of resolve. The people in the stricken airplane as well as the rescue services certainly endured this.

Now Pluto for San Francisco had it's closest paran connection to the fixed star Fomalhaut, the royal Persian star and one filled with dreams and idealism. This is a star where one can get blasé, over-confident and taken in by the moment. A pilot who had just 43 hours of flying experience with a Boeing 777 landing at a runway where pilots need special training to land an aircraft, even if he has an experienced captain as a co-pilot? Sorry, but that shows a serious amount of complacency on behalf of the particular airline to me.

Talking of confusion and being over confident brings me to Neptune quindecile the Ascendant which is too much idealism, looking at a situation in a dream like state. Things go wrong when Neptune is involved, especially self-deception. Neptune was making a paran connection to the star Ras Algethi, which sits in the constellation of Hercules, the Kneeling One. This traditionally is an aspect of failure, of losing one's grip and of failing to live up to the prestige and power that you are given.

Put those influences together in a very focused and testing aspect between fiery Mars and destructive Pluto and add in the problematic position of Neptune casting doubt over that particular point on earth (the Ascendant), and you can see how a transportation crash was likely to occur at that very moment...

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Egypt – Disruption, violence and confusion reigns

In Egypt since the military coup last week taking down the government of Mohamed Morsi, the now former President, there has been celebrations, violence, more protests and still no-one has stepped into the breach to officially take over to lead the country out of the confusion that now has a hold over the population. In looking at the transits and the history of this chart, you can see repeated themes popping up through the years.

Egypt’s natal chart (this is one endorsed by Nick Campion in his “Book of World Horoscopes”) was formed at the time of the military coup in 1953 when the Republic of Egypt became effective and this shows the ruling Sun conjunct to military Mars (the chart ruler), making a trine over to a very restrictive in spiritual terms Saturn/Neptune conjunction. This conjunction in the 6th house of the national services (ruling the police and the army) is the cornerstone of a very strong t-square connection with revolutionary Uranus and Mercury ruling that 6th house opposing the Midheaven (the people in power). Notice Mars also making a quindecile to the top of the chart showing the military hand taking on the levers of power in the country. This the chart of a military takeover, no doubt about it.

Ok so what do we have here on the transits chart? Well the grand water trine (everything I write now has connections to this formation in the sky) of Jupiter in Cancer, Neptune in Pisces and Saturn in Scorpio is acting upon the natal Egyptian Mars, the sign of the military, the ruler of the chart and one of the co-rulers of the Egyptian 1st house. Saturn in Scorpio (the ruler of the Midheaven) at the same time is squaring the Nodal Axis, bring about a return of a situation from the past, a military coup seeing a change of government. Effectively, Jupiter gave the Egyptian military the confidence and the need to take a risk, Saturn in Scorpio activated a hard line all or nothing approach and a fateful moment for the country and Neptune brought ideals and the will of the collective onto the streets to call for change.

I think it significant that transiting Pluto is making a trine to Venus, which co-rules the 1st house through Taurus, Venus’s sign being encased here, bringing a swift transformation to the face of the country, trines of course allow fast action and the removal of Mohamed Morsi was rapid in the extreme. It is interesting to note that a few days ago transiting Mars was making a direct trine to the Saturn/Neptune conjunction in the 6th house, also bringing action to remove the current hard-line Islamic leader. Mercury now retrograde is opposing the Midheaven, and of course as I mentioned from earlier on, you will appreciate that Mercury rules the 6th house of the services, conjunct to natal Uranus and square to that natal Neptune and Saturn thus activating the natal t-square and the oppositions to the Capricorn Midheaven. Mercury turning where it did in the house of the opposition close to natal Mercury I think turned the ordinary people against a leader who was already proving very divisive.

This t-square in the natal chart of Egypt is very responsive to change on a national level. Back in 1970 when president Gamal Abdel Nasser passed away, transiting Saturn was making a double inconjunct aspect to the Saturn/Neptune conjunction. Inconjunct aspects are ones of separation and this saw the a leader pass away. Nasser was replaced by Anwar Sadat who was assassinated on 6th October 1981. On that date, transiting Jupiter was sitting bang on the Saturn/Neptune conjunction and transiting Mars the chart ruler was on the natal Pluto. Hosni Mubarak replaced Sadat at that time and he ruled until 2nd February 2011 and the Arab spring uprising, when (yes you guessed it) transiting Saturn was applying a conjunction to the Saturn Neptune conjunction and making a close square to natal Uranus. Mohamed Morsi was elected on 30th June 2012 when transiting Saturn still in conjunction to the Saturn/Neptune square was now making a square to natal Mercury, the planet of course which rules ballots and votes. Now irony of ironies, that Mercury now turning retrograde at the nadir of the Egyptian chart has got rid of him.

It all fits together quite neatly, however now the military leaders have to find the right person to take over and this will not be an easy task. By waiting at least until Saturn is moving directly then they have at least got a chance of some stability, however by making an appointment under Mercury retrograde, especially when it is opposite to the Egyptian Midheaven, confusion will tend to make things worse. The submission of Mohamed Elbaradei, the pro-reform leader has been put on hold just as Mercury retrograde promises, and maybe it will be a while still before a suitable candidate that all the factions, parties and the military in Egypt will agree upon can be truly found.

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