The Twelve Gates

The Grand Trine

For this topic I want to explore the astrological meaning of the grand trine. This subject has become more of an interest to me since my son was born with a Grand Earth Trine. Reading up on the various theories of this particular configuration has left me at times conflicted in the many different interpretations of this supposedly “blessed” astrological pattern. The question that plagues me when there is such an harmonious grouping of planets in one element is whether or not this greatly benefit’s the individual’s life. Astrological literature today clearly tells us that what was once thought to be a beneficial chart configuration in the natal chart can describe an individual who is some respects - rests on his laurels, and takes a lazy approach to his affairs.

I have always enjoyed the research aspect of astrology and I like discovering the answers for myself. I don’t believe in the whole “one interpretation fits all” scenario, but a similar thread can often be seen in the lives of people who share a similar configuration, we all on one level or another share similar life themes. What defines a Grand Trine? Basically, a Grand Trine is a triangular aspect pattern involving there or more planets separated by an angle of 120 degrees each. The planets in the signs are in the same triplicity and due to the harmonious nature of the trine aspect, the planets cooperate in an easy flowing manner. According to traditional textbooks the grand trine is seen as an extremely fortunate asset, implicating special talents, favourable circumstances and good opportunities. Modern Astrologers have come to view the lack of tension in the grand trine as an indication that the native can have a certain inertia or laziness present because there is no real impetus that pushes the individual into action.

There are four elements in astrology consisting of Fire, Earth, Air and Water, and thus there are four types of Grand Trines which can be formed in the birth chart. The Fire Grand trine will consist of planets in Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. The Earth Grand Trine consist of planets in Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. The Air Grand Trine encloses planets in Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. Lastly the Water Grand trine which has probably received the most coverage due to singer Kurt Cubain’s Grand Water Trine and his suicide, consists of planets in Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. Evidently what you will find when there are planets comprised heavily in one element, is that another element can sometimes be seen to be lacking altogether. Where we gain in abundance we also create an imbalance and lopsidedness in the personality. Finding chart examples for this topic was easy, which means that the Grand Trine configuration appears frequently enough to say that it is not an ‘uncommon’ aspect.

The Water Grand Trine could bestow creative gifts and imaginative talent and Kurt Cobain is an example of a creative artist in the music world. Or, we could also take a look at Princess Diana’s chart and associate her sympathy and compassion with others, along with great sensitivity to her Grand Trine in water involving the more recently discovered Asteroid, Chiron. The Earth Grand trine may show the ease one has when dealing with the material world. Carole Rushman gives a an example in her book Predictive Astrology of a Grand Trine in earth, and of an individual who comfortably lives on benefits, and who does not need to go out and work for a living. Some Grand Trine Earth people can inherit a small fortune and survive quite comfortably. The Fire grand trine would therefore have vision, self -expression and optimism in abundance. The Air Grand Trine may possess talents in the communication field and could have the gift of bringing people together. I don’t fall into the thinking that Grand Trines deny success, but much depends on the rest of the chart. I don’t think that consciously we seek to develop a trine any further, and as the saying goes “If it aint broke don’t fix it”. In the next part I will begin looking at the Fire Grand Trine.

Ambitious Moves: Iron Will (Sometimes the Goat Needs that Extra Push up the Mountain)

Where Saturn falls in Aries and the first house, Mars the ruler of Aries is exalted in Saturn’s sign. Mars in Capricorn expresses’ it’s will in a disciplined way which guarantees the fulfilment of high ambitions. Mars has risen to its highest position in mountain climber Capricorn and his energy is steady as a rock. Mars when placed in this goal setting sign shows a strong desire for recognition and status. The high impulsive energy of Mars is harnessed in Capricorn and the native has the enduring powers of self-control. Depending on the overall tone of the chart this placement of Mars can show executive ability. Mars in Capricorn can control their aggressive impulses to some degree. Mars here is only aggressive if the situation calls for it and it is realistically appropriate. They always aim to utilize their energy constructively and towards their desired goal.

Mars in Capricorn also speaks profoundly about the use of the will to overcome all obstacles, and the key to success is the ability to face challenges head on. Sometimes you have to roll up your sleeves and do the hard work that is necessary to achieve personal goals. Mars in Capricorn sets goals and these people are self-reliant. Mars in the birth chart represents independent energy and Capricorn hates to rely on other people, and above all he values self-sufficiency, and they will do it alone if necessary. They have excellent organisational and executive skills. Capricorn does not waste their energy on useless pursuits because the will always has to be directed towards a goal. In its most positive form these types display great maturity in their actions, and all risks are carefully considered and calculated. Mars is about being persistant and he keeps going no matter what. The following movie is made for Mars in Capricorn, and the determination needed to win.

Alan Leo States;

The red ray of Mars may be expressed in the three deadly sins; anger, lust and greed. Anger through an uncontrolled Aries, lust through an uncontrolled Scorpio and greed through an uncontrolled Capricorn influence.

Mars challenged in Capricorn or the 10th house can show conflict with authority or with superiors. If you are the boss you may dismiss people when angry and especially if they don’t follow your own strict rules of conduct. Mars in Capricorn may be accused of acting cold and calculating to further promote their ambition and achieve status. They will always strive for the top spot and can turn into a workaholic. Forcibly controlling and perhaps merciless. A less glowing example here and more on Mars in Capricorn.

Janis Joplin: Leading woman in rock (Mars in Sagittarius in the 10th house square Neptune in Libra 7th house)

Her rise to fame was fast and her friends told workaholic Jan to slow it down before she burns outs. A friend claimed her drug choice was heroin to keep her going on her self-imposed rigid schedule. Mars is in a more adventurous sign in Saggittarius, a sign that is optimistic and fun loving. According to Jeff Green in Pluto II " Typically, the Mars in Sagittarius Soul has had a series of recent lifetimes in which life was very intense or cataclysmic in a variety of ways. As a result, they desire to learn about the lighter side of life- that life can be fun and light." Jeff Green does say some freaky sexual stuff in his second book on Pluto, and I haven't quite made my mind up on his theories. Janis Joplin also explored sexual relationships with both men and women, perhaps refelcted by Mars in freedom loving Sagittarius and square to Neptune in Libra in the 7th house, sexual boundaries slipped (Neptune) in relationships.Mars in Sagittarius and in the 10th house would need to expand her horzon's with her career and life in the public eye, most of all she needed creative inspiration. She was more motivated by ideals than materialism. Mars in the 10th house will show the same ambition, but will they have a different style and motivation towards success.

I have all Liz Greene's books and I always look forward to reading anything by Greene. Most of her books contain seminars that have been published. However, Saturn a New Look at an Old Devil and Astrology for Lovers, along with Relating are all favourites of mine (non-seminars). I still enjoy all her work, but I hope more books are in the pipeline. Here is one of my favourite interviews by Liz Greene, and I liked this quote below in particular:

To enlarge the PDF click the box in the right hand corner:

My favourite moment of Saturn in Libra so far (bear in mind we have just entered Libra) has to be when Anastasia achieved darts history after she defeated van der Voort 5-4. It was her first ever win on television and it was the first time a woman had beaten a male professional darts player in a major televised darts competition since Deta Hedman defeated Aaron Turner and Norman Fletcher in the 2005 UK Open Darts. She still finished bottom of the group, however, as van der Voort unexpectedly beat Taylor 5-1 two days later. Read more here.

I was discussing this online with a friend and we were deciding what type of sports we would like to see men and women compete against each other in. I think we both agreed that Darts and Snooker 'should' not divide the sexes because there is no physical contact invloved in either of these sports. With Saturn's entry into Libra she is concerned with fairness and impartiality. Saturn in Libra is an excellent time for building bridges between the sexes. Saturn's transition through the seventh sign needs to ensure that everybody gets a fair hearing and in the case of Darts that both players are treated as equals.

When it comes to making Judgements she has to be fair and impartial. I think this is a good time to wonder if we have judged others wrongly and unfairly. I should remain fair and equal in this post and not show any bias towards either sex, and I think us women should celebrate our victory with maturity and respect for the other side. What fun would that be :-p.

Fun Pics

I love fun pics and I do throw a few on the blog. I enjoy all the different pictures you can make. Here is the best on my search list for pictures. This one below always makes me laugh. I put Tom Cruise's head on a dancer and he's smiling and having a good time: The program cleverly finds the face in the picture. Here is the link to the site Photofunia. Hasn't technology moved on...

FunPhotoBox also has some intersting images too, and they are all easy to use. Here is another site BeFunky you can turn photo's into digital artwork. I haven't tried a picture out on this site yet. I really enjoy LoonaPix too. You might also like FunnyPhoto. Another good site is Photo Effects it has some Astrology frames and numerous others to play around with. Go and have some fun with your pics.

I have the book Nostradamus by Peter Lorie and Astrologer Liz Greene. It is an interestng read and I purchased the book out of curiosity a year back. It has a chapter of the Plan for America. The book detailed that is would be quiet in the years of 1996-2012 and that the period would be relatively calm for 15 years from the period of 1998. I guess it depends on your definition of calm because America had the September 11 attacks in 2001. However the book is still an interesting read and through-out Liz Greene's work she usually makes it clear that you can' always successfully predict the future. She has helped out with the astrology in the Nostradamus book describing the planetary energy for that time. She was expecting to see a woman president or candidate in 2004 when transiting Uranus conjuncts America's Moon. I live in England and don't really keep up on everything that goes in the world. Politics whooshes past the Piscean's head. I looked online and it states Carol Braun was a candidate in 2004. Is she the first woman candidate? In England we had a woman Prime Minister so America is behind the times. Liz Greene says there should have been great change in terms of the role of women. She also says there is a fundamentalist religion, that would in turn reflect a kind of emotional "breakdown" state.

2014-2016

Mars threatens us with it's warlike strength, 70 times will he cause blood to flow: fall and ruin of the clergy and more for those who wish to understrand nothing from them. The scythe joined tot he pond towards Sagittarius at the height of it's ascendant, plague, famine, death by military hand: the century approaches its renewal. For 40 years the Iris will not appear, for 40 years it will be seen every day: the arid earth will grow drier and great floods when it will appear.

By Liz Greene below:

If we remember, we applied this to the precise date of January 16th, 2015, using the referance to the pond and the scythe at the ascendant of Sagittarius. Once again, according to the natal time in our birth chart for America the ascendant is Sagittarius, which means Saturn will cross the country's ascendant during this period, a time therefore of great soul searching and having to come face-to-face with hard reality. In an individaul, such a transit involves a redefinition of a whole life pattern, weeding out the unnecessary and consolidating what is sold. It is not necessarily a terrible configuration, but a sobering one.

Saturn will also transit in opposition to America's natal Uranus in Gemini, that suggests a reevaluation of all that was hitherto considered "free" in America. Another important transit during this same period is that which occurs as Pluto enters Capricorn, bringing it into opposition with America's Venus, Jupiter and Sun all in cancer. thsi transit reflects a complete shift in America's relationship with other countries, economically and through involvements such as NATO. It refelcts conflict and competition on the economic and political level. Most importantly it reflects profound change in the nature of the goverment.

It is an interesting book, there is a part at the end of the book that I want to share. It doesn't concern all this conflict and it can get depressive all with all these doom and gloom prophecies. The book is still a good read, and I will link to it since I quoted quite a bit. Nostadamus The Millenium & Beyond.

Margot Kidder's most famous part is that of Lois Lane in Superman, and she did make a feisty reporter, she played the role well. I was surprised to read that she had a mental breakdown in 1996. I was curious to see her natal chart and transits for that period in her life. Margot was born under the sign of Libra and she is conscious of imbalance and has an innate sense of justice. Libra can be accused of continually adjusting their behavior to create a smooth and harmonious environment. In my earlier studies I used to have preconceptions about Libra being a "weak" sign, the Sun represents individuality and it falls in the sign of Libra. For a long time I thought that perhaps these natives were weak in personality and individuality.

However, I came across quite a few women with their Sun in Libra who are just the opposite of what I thought they would be like according to old textbooks. A while back I looked at Sigourney Weaver's chart and in a lot of her roles she has played high powered women. In Working Girl she played the uncompromising Boss. In Alien she played a manly and took the lead role and she pulled it off in style. I was surprised to see that she was a Libra, and Sigourney's Sun is in exact conjunction with Neptune. However, she also has Mars conjunct Pluto in Leo and this combination is far more self-expressive and aggressive. Margaret Thatcher also has her Sun in Libra and and she shares a Mars-Pluto contact in her chart. Libra is a masculine air sign and is an intellectual, some individual's born under the sign do seem to exude the sweet, light and charming aspects of Libra. Other women born under this sign express the masculine side of their personality with ease and grace. This side of Libra is explained by Liz Greene in Astrology for Lovers and it concerns the polarity of Libra:

"It's a curious thing but many Librian men have an appreciation of the feminine side of life - beauty and culture, the arts, harmony, relationship. Not that they are effeminate. In fact, this touch of the artist makes them devilishly attractive to women. But it's as though the need for balance means, amongst other things, they're trying to balance the sexes as well, within themselves. That's where Tiresias comes in-he tries both. Some Librians, of course, do this literally. More often it's in a psychological way-an interest in women and the feminine things in life. And many Librian women possess a fine intellect, the gift of strategy, of statesmanship, of organization. Margaret Thatcher, with the Sun in Libra, is an excellent example. Her manner is completely soft spoken and subtle. But her mind can function with as much strength and clarity as society has traditionally thought only men's minds could. Whether she's hated or loved, whatever one's political persuasions, this aspect of Libra is evident in her character. Many Librian women have this gift of clear sight and logic and intellect, and need some sphere of life where they can put their gifts to use beyond the sphere of the home and family".

My brother's wife has Sun in Libra and she is exactly like this; on the one hand she is very concerned with her appearance and will buy every beauty product on the market because she cares about her appearance, but she does have an extremely sharp intellect that surpasses many in her field of work. She has passed numerous business degrees and has certificates in any area of business. His wife works in negotiation and she is highly intelligent and always handles herself professionally. I diverted a little but I wanted to share all these ideas on the Librian woman, here is a list of Sun in Libra women.

Mars in trouble

The only planet in any real difficulty in Margo's horoscope is natal Mars in Sagittarius and both sign and planet form an adventurous and optimistic combination. Sagittarius being both a mutable and a fire sign conjunct Chiron and square Saturn in Virgo may explain the serious accident that she was involved in. The accident put a halt to her career and caused serious financial problems. Sagiitarius is known for it's accidental qualities and in traditional terms this is a malefic contact. Regarding mental health problems she was diagnosed as a manic depressive and this difficult combination could explain her lack of motivation and depressive episodes. For manic depressives I would look to fire signs or planets severely stressed by Saturn or Pluto. Margo also has Saturn square Neptune and in Astrology and your Health Jeanne Avery links this contact to the manic depressive.

Meltdown Moment: In April 1996, the whisky-voiced actress, who hit it big as Superman's sweetie Lois Lane, suffered a manic-depressive episode while in L.A. and spent several days living on the streets, sharing a cardboard box with a homeless guy named Charlie. By the time police found her hiding in a stranger's back yard, she was dirty, dazed, missing her front dental bridge, and had hacked off her hair to escape detection from CIA agents and one of her ex-husbands (she was experiencing a wee bit of paranoia).

Dysfunctional Dialogue: "Mental illness is the last taboo," the actress told Barbara Walters shortly after her episode, admitting she had suffered from depression for decades. "It's the one that scares everyone to death, and I have to include myself in that until the last few months."

The Aftermath: According to Kidder, she's been able to keep her illness in check without drugs, instead relying on a combination of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. "For me, the solution was finally getting away from psychiatric drugs and actually healing my body so I wouldn't have the symptoms that are called mental illness,"

The Transits

The transits at the onset of her mental breakdown shows transiting Pluto in Sagittarius conjunct Mars and setting off the Mars-Chiron-Saturn configuration. Pluto rules paranoia and it can show a loss of control. A Mars-Pluto transit can show an episode of extreme violence, depression, and powerful feelings of anger that she has bottled up for a long time. Years of depression had finally erupted and she suffered a meltdown.

Essentially Pluto seeks to unearth what we haven't sufficiently dealt with in the past. Pluto takes us away from our civilised state and can put us into a situation were we need to fight for our survival. Pluto is the prime significator that indicates that things are about to 'blow' in the psyche. Pluto symbolises a volcano erupting that releases years of suppression and is seen as an act of purging. It's not like a day at the spa, but Pluto helps us to let go of painful emotions and this can be extremely cathartic, cleansing and releasing. Years of torment, shame, secrets can be released as the body/psyche clears itself of all those poisonous feelings. I hope she has made progress since then and has found healing and release.

I haven't really touched upon the nodes in this blog, and I used to have a real fascination with them in the natal chart. Over time I came to believe they were not the most relevant things to look at first when reading a chart. I am not saying they are dumb notes in the chart, but a reading leading too much from the nodes can go a bit wrong. I have read Jeff Green's evolutionary astrology and he swears by the nodes, and highly recommends you read the nodes (with rulers) and Pluto to gain an accurate picture of the individual's soul path in this lifetime.

I have read Kevin Burk's complete Node book, and his work is applied easily, the readings do get repetitive, but they have been accurate at times. I think it helps greatly when the sign and house are applied in synthesis together. I shared the reading below with a man who worked with troubled teens and his daily life at work was filled with drama and intense relationships at work as he dealt daily with these young men. Natally he had South Node in Scorpio in the 6th house and North Node in Taurus in the 12th house. Here is some of Burk's interpretation.

You encounter the gift of transformation , change, and emotional strength in your daily routines. This 6th house is related to your job and work environment, which is an essential part of maintaining your existence. Your relationships with co workers, and your work environment in general is apt to be very intense and emotionally charged. You may find that you are drawn to jobs that involve a great deal of pressure and that require the ability to manage emotional crisis. As the 6th house is also a place where we look to be of service to others, this energy often relates to health care as well as to psychology and psychiatry. The trap of the South Node in Scorpio is to become too personally involved in trauma and drama in your daily life. While part of the gift of the Scorpio South Node is the ability to heal and transform, to help others through their most traumatic experiences, you must learn to do this without being drawn into these experiences yourself.

The reading is very accurate for this individual, and sometimes the nodes can read precisely, but sometimes they miss the mark. This is the reason why have drifted away from the Nodes in the last couple of years. In the next few posts I will continue to explore the Nodes again and I may change my mind on them.

Are You an Obsessed Web Stats Whore

The Stats Whore

I found this article very amusing, and I am seriously starting to worry about my obsession with stats!! I remember my first day of blogging and I did check my stats all the time for signs of life on my blog. My first couple of days probably showed about 4 people who had visited. Back then I was happy, and I was pleased that anyone visited my blog home. Over time I became paranoid over stats, and if I have less views then it reflects that people are losing interest. I am not completely new to communicating over the net and I was part of an astrology forum for a few years. I was moderater for a while, but my own behavior was worse than any of the members I was moderating!! I stepped down from the position (Mars in Aquarius square Uranus is taking the rap for that one). A rebellious figure lived inside of me and stirred up far too much trouble. I was a bit nervous going it alone because with forums you are guranteed readership and you can communicate your ideas everday. You get feedback straight away too. I always had people there to have ongoing discussions about astrology, and I don't have that with family and friends. The internet and groups are formed in the 11th house of the natal chart, and here we gravitate towards people who share our interests.

Wherever I Lay my Blog that's my Home

I first began blogging on wordpress, but they have higher security on there, and it's difficult to manipulate the design of your blog, unless your internet savvy. I moved to blogger in May this year. It matters less where we blog from everyone has their own choice, but everyone wants their blog to be reasonably successful. I enjoy writng, creating, and the joy of putting a post together. This post here echoes my own thoughts on the blogging experience. Blogging can also turn into a part time job after a while and you need to enjoy to keep it up. It also takes time to gather ideas for a topic, and get the charts set up to analyse. I then have to write it up, and find pictures to go with the post.

Blog Stats Again

Anyway back to blog stats, when I first started on blogger I got about 12 hits a day. After I had posted more it slowly increased to 20, 40, 60. a day. It settled on about 90 hits a day for a while. A link from the lovely Lynn Hayes (Astrology Musings) nearly gave my blog a heart attack with the sudden surprise in increased traffic. My blog stats spiked up and settled to about 150 hits a day (on a good day). I will admit I am a stats whore, and I will compare my stats to all the other blogs in the same catergory. I need to see how well my blog does in the big wide world. I check my stats for google searches and see what people are searching for and what topics interest them. My fave google hit for this blog has to be "The Twelve Gates of Hell". It was funny and they landed in the right place.

Here is my graph line for web hits this year.

I don't really know how to analyse this, it peaks and falls all the time. The blue line is page hits and the green line is blog hits.

I guess the day I should feel worried is if my blog shows this line and there is no life pulsating through my blog.

For the meantime my blog's heart is still beating due to plenty of food (posts) health checks (editing) and new fancy clothes (templates). Although It seems I haven't allowed my baby to socialize much. I am looking at that too. I don't want my blog to grow up anti-social. Otherwise he is doing fine in his development, he is still young and still has a lot of time to grow and progress.

Blogging is a fifth house thing. You know all the advertisements "Start a Blog - Express yourself". Blogging is about personal creativity and it also rules our children. The 5th house is ruled by the Sun and rules the heart, and we feel alive, full of energy and our inner child needs to create. The 5th house is our inner vision and we need to have loyalty to this vision. Pleasing others is not part of this process but you hope that others will see it and appreciate your creation. The 11th house is the audience and they still play an important part in keeping your heart beating, but you need to feel that the source of creativity burning deep within.

What would you do if all your visitors disappeared and went elsewhere? I always feel you have to be in that "happy place" to create and worrying too much about audience approval drains my energy. This is a lesson I have slowly been learning since the beginning of blogging. I do lose confidence in myself far too easily (Sun-Saturn). If your hearts not in blogging, I do suggest giving it up for a while until that vision comes back. If blogging fills you with sunshine and you love to express yourself. Keep marching on. At times I have found my blogging mojo has disappeared, but that usually means I need a break and time to refresh myself. The 5th house is the 'heart' of blogging and the 11th house (audience) represents the ECG machine connected to the blog. Aquarius (ruler of 11th) and his electrical waves showing the rythym of life.

I was in the top 5 on Top 50 for ages (according to stats). Other blogs have bumped me down the list (pouts). I am currently 8th place on the ~~leaderboard~~ I mean on the top 50 list, the list is live too and changes over 24 hours. The two top positions never move. Sasstrology seems to have a very healthy audience.

The Stats whore is signing off. I won't check my stats all day (going cold turkey). The article made me laugh because it hit so close to home.

Gangsters and Thugs: Antonino Accardo

What qualities would you expect from a "hard man"? I think we would expect someone who is ruthless, determined, strong willed. Gangster's like to have power and control. A desire to make a lot of money and will use underhand methods if necessary to achieve that goal. Gangsters are a group of individuals who are involved in organized crime. Crime and the underworld in astrology terms belongs to Pluto and you would probably also look to Saturn aspects for organisation, authority, and control. This is a good topic to do under our current Saturn-Pluto climate. We might also look to other planets for rebellion (Uranus) deception and drug dealing (Neptune). I will move onto some chart examples and see how this works out.

Antonino "Joe Batters" Accardo (April 28, 1906 – May 22, 1992), also known as "Big Tuna", rose from a small-time hoodlum to the position of day-to-day boss of the Chicago Outfit criminal organization in about 1943, to ultimately become the final Outfit authority in 1972, until his death in May 1992. Accardo moved The Outfit into new operations and territories, greatly increasing its power and wealth during his tenure as boss.

It was during Prohibition that Accardo received the "Joe Batters" nickname from Capone himself due to his skill at hitting a couple of Outfit traitors with a baseball bat at a dinner Capone held just to kill the two men. Capone was quoted as saying, "This kid's a real Joe Batters"' The Chicago newspapers eventually dubbed Accardo, "The Big Tuna," after a fishing expedition where Accardo caught a giant tuna. In later years, Accardo boasted over federal wiretaps he participated in the infamous 1929 St. Valentine's Day Massacre in which, allegedly, Capone gunmen murdered seven members of the rival North Side Gang. Accardo also claimed that he was one of the gunmen who murdered Brooklyn, New York gang boss Frankie Yale, again by Capone's orders to settle a dispute. However, most experts today believe Accardo had only peripheral connections with the St. Valentine's Day Massacre and none whatsoever with the Yale murder. However, on October 11, 1926, Accardo may have participated in the assassination of, then, Northside, Chicago, gang leader Hymie Weiss, near the Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago.

The astrology

Acardo has three planets in Taurus (Sun, Venus and Mars). Taurus is assocaited with money and security. Accardo had established a solid reputation making money for the company. He also had a solid marriage and there were no reports that he cheated on his wife. Taurus is a fixed sign and they usually stay committed to their endevours. He may refuse to abandon a secure job, stable relationship, house etc. Taurus the bull is known for his strength and tenacity but he is known to be slow in movement, yet he can be very powerful and purposeful. However, Taurean desires may need 'taming' and it Taurus can represent strong physical appetites or material accumilation.

Taurus waits patiently and doesn't rush headfirst into a situation and for this reason he can be somewhat disarming, because he can appear peaceable, patient, and slow but he will often take many opponant by surprise with his volatile temper. His rage can be slow to surface but once it is unleashed it can have devastating impact. Values and tradition are deeply important to the Taurean and he will build something solid and permanant - but he hates change. Taurus needs security. Read the fate of the men below who invaded his security.

"In 1978, while Accardo vacationed in California, burglars brazenly entered his River Forest home. Within a month, five of the suspected thieves were found strangled and with their throats cut. Prosecutors at the time believed Accardo, furious that his lair had been violated, had ordered the killings".

Accardo has Mercury in Aries at the apex of a t-square involving Uranus and Neptune and he needs intellectual challenge and he can produce innovative ideas, he intiates plans. Mercury in the natal chart rules all communcation, travelling trading, cars, trucking, newspapers etc. Read below about his legal investments. Cardinal t-squares are known for their business and leadership skills.

In later years, Accardo spent much of his time in Palm Springs, California, flying to Chicago to preside over Outfit "sit-downs" and mediate disputes. By this time, Accardo's personal holdings included legal investments in commercial office buildings, retail centers, lumber farms, paper factories, hotels, car dealerships, trucking companies, newspaper companies, restaurants and travel agencies.

Accardo also has two mutable squares with Saturn in Pisces square Jupiter and Pluto in Gemini. Jupiter in Gemini does well in anything involving trade, travel, communcation. With Jupiter square Saturn he will struggle with his need for expansion (Jupiter) and contraction (Saturn). He can have good organisational skills and under his leadership the gang implemented slot machines and vending machines. Saturn-Pluto is in a wide square and this can indicate a workaholic nature and need to dominate others or the fear of domination.

My first gang leader example was pretty interesting and he was no Scorpion but indeed a Taurean. If you have read Liz Greene's Astrology for Lover's she touches upon our shadow sides showing the opposite traits of our natal planets. I hope you have all picked a Gangster name for yourselves. Here is some helpful hints. I have seen it all now. Teenagers today will emulate these people and for most of them it ends in death or their life is completely destroyed. It is still worth exploring their inner world and motivation and orientation to life.

Jennifer and Brad have this aspect in synastry it is a very close contact in their chart. Venus square Mars can generate a lot of excitement and desirability in a relationship. There is a lot of sexual attraction between these two. In mythology Venus and Mars had a passionate love affair, behind her husband's back. In this light the aspect alone is not one of marital stability, it tells us about each individual's desires and drives and how they tend to rub each other the wrong way. Both have very different styles and approach to getting what they want (Mars) and what they desire (Venus). With this combination if they are not able to meet each other's desires it can cause one to look elsewhere.

Jen has Venus in Aries and she likes the challenge of a relationship but she doesn't really like her relationships to become too predictable and at times the pursuit of an elusive love object can be more comfortable. Venus in Aries can have a strongly competitive spirit and if she can win her lover this fills her with self-worth and makes her feel more desirable and attractive. Jennifer had bagged one of the most desirable men in Hollywood at that time!! However losing in love and especially to another woman (if that was the case) it would have affected her quite profoundly.

Rumours have it that Brad and Jen still talk and that she has tried to win Brad back. Who knows what to believe. Newspapers and magazines need these stories of passion, betrayal and reconciliation to sell more issues. Whatever the truth, there is a conflict of desires in the relationship and it can inflame the passions between them, but love can also burn out quickly with this contact. Brad has Mars in Capricorn and he approaches life with great determination and he is committed to long term goals. Jennifer's Venus in Aries may not reach such an agreeable compromise, Venus is in detriment in this sign, it can show selfishness in love. But it can just as easily show a real independent streak and reflects a woman who needs to satisfy her own needs and desires first before making those long term plans or taking on too much responsibility.

Aries never likes to be bossed around and Capricorn likes to be the authority on the matter. Actually Brad has four planets in Capricorn and this is most fitting for his role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, for most Capricorn's are born old and grow younger in spirit, but in his case body too. Both Aniston and Pitt separated after 7 years, the seven year itch!! The reason for the split was irreconcilable differences. Not long after the breakup he was seen with Angelina Jolie. A scandal broke out in Hollywood and Jolie was cited as the main cause for their separation. Whatever the truth is we still often when talk about Jennifer, Brad and Angelina in the same breath.

Both Jennifer and Brad share the love of challenge together which can be sexually exciting, Jen's need to do her own thing and Brad's need to plan ahead can cause some friction. To successfully work it out both would have needed to reach a compromise which can be more difficult for this combination, in extreme cases of this apsect we can have War of the roses. Brad can use defensive tactics and she asserts her desires more strongly. To be honest these two had a good run in their relationship. Seven years in today's 'short term romances' is a committed relationship. A look at Jen's chart at the time of the breakup is quite revealing in terms of how she was feeling. At the time of the divorce transiting Saturn in Cancer in the 9th house (approaching her Midheaven) squared her natal Saturn in Aries 6th house. We are forced to look at our long term commitments under Saturn transits and sometimes separation is indicated. A decision made at these times is often serious, with long term consequences. Transiting Pluto conjuncts her natal Moon and her emotions are extremely raw and powerful, and it can reflect feelings of betrayal, and it can symbolise a death of some kind. Plutonian deaths are not always of the physical kind, it can symbolise a relationship ending. It would seem the situation reflected a final outcome. This conjunction triggered off her natal Moon square Pluto and her turbulent relationship with her mother.

JENNIFER ANISTON hasn't spoken to her mother NANCY for four years - but it is only now that she feels real pain about the estrangement.

The sexy FRIENDS actress, 32, has revealed that her marriage to hunky actor BRAD PITT, 38, has helped her get over the problems she has with her mother, and accept responsibility for things she has done as an adult - rather than blaming them on uncaring Nancy.

In a frank interview, Jennifer sobbed as she said, "I still can't believe I got married and my mother has never met this person I married." The climax of Jennifer's anguish was the "torturous decision" to exclude her mother from her wedding to Pitt last year.

Jennifer says of living life with her ex-model mother, "I don't know if I would have known how beautiful she was if she wasn't always pointing out how unbeautiful I was."

This was a time to heal those old wounds from the past and feelings of betrayal, but Pluto has a tendency to destroy all security first. The people she believes in and those she trusts can do things which seem unforgivable. However, in her case there always an element of mistrust within her resulting from the unforgivable relationship with her mother. I can't help but root for Jennifer she seems such a nice person. It was a very difficult time for Jennifer and hopefully she has healed past hurt and doesn't hold resentment.

Killed by Lightning

In astrology Uranus rules sudden shocks, if we relate Uranus to the world of communication (Mercury or the 3rd house) ideas can strike us fully formed through a sudden flash of inspiration. When Uranus touches upon our relationships (Venus or the 7th house) we may meet somebody suddenly and fall in love in an instant. Whatever planetary energy Uranus touches it takes that energy into the world of ideas, inspiration and far seeing awareness. Uranus is the urge to understand the overall pattern in our lives and acts as a bolt of lightning jolting us into awareness. Today, I want to take a look at the natal charts of those struck by lightning and killed, and see how Uranus figures in these charts. Prometheus (Uranus) the awakener is a powerful player here either in transit or natally. This post isn't about delving deep into the psychological implications of Uranus but portrays the power of this planet in transit.

Samuel Brashear Avis (February 19, 1872 – June 8, 1924) was an American politician who represented West Virginia in the United States House of Representatives from 1913-1915.

Avis was born in Harrisonburg, Virginia where he attended the public schools and Staunton Military Academy. He was graduated from the law department of Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia. Admitted to the bar in 1893, he commenced practice in Charleston, West Virginia.

Avis was commissioned senior captain of Company A, Second West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, during the Spanish-American War in 1898. He served until 1899, when he was honorably discharged. After the war, he served as prosecuting attorney of Kanawha County, West Virginia from January 1, 1900, to December 31, 1912. Later, he was an assistant United States attorney for the southern district of West Virginia from August 22 to November 15, 1904.

He was elected as a Republican to the Sixty-third Congress (March 4, 1913-March 3, 1915) but was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1914 to the Sixty-fourth Congress. After leaving Congress, he resumed the practice of law. He was killed by lightning in Charleston, West Virginia June 8, 1924 and was interred there in Spring Hill Cemetery.

The Astrology

On the day that lightning struck transiting Uranus was conjunct his natal Mars in Pisces exactly!! This aspect indicates an increased level of Uranian energy. It can indicate a rebellious time and we need to channel this energy into something which excites us and uses up this high level of Uranian impulse. Mars-Uranus is linked to sudden accidents in general and it often reflects a physical energy that is overflowing with excitement and during this time you can become a bit of a live wire sparking off in new directions. It can also be a time of sexual liberation or experimentaion in whatever field Mars-Uranus occupies. Mars-Uranus contacts are often associated with dangers involving machinary, electrical equipment, fireworks and lightining. Transitng Saturn also squared Uranus at the time of his death and he was powerfully aware of Uranus. Saturn rules old structures and reliable forms of security, and when saturn-Uranus meet it can shatter existing reality and old forms collaspe to make way for a new vision. In the case of Samuel the Uranian impulse was stronger at this time. Uranus broke through violently and entered right into his body. Natally Samuel had Mercury in Aquarius square Pluto, and this describes new revolutionary ideas. He had penetrating new insights.

Hernán Gaviria Carvajal (November 27, 1969 – October 24, 2002) was a Colombian football central midfielder. Gaviria died on October 24, 2002, when he and teammate Giovanni Córdoba were hit by lightning during a practice session with Deportivo Cali.

Gaviria was killed instantly, though he was not pronounced dead until arriving at Valle de Lilli Hospital; Córdoba died three days later. Nicknamed "Carepa", he left a wife and two children; he was only 32.

The Astrology

In this case transting Uranus was in an 8 degree orb on his natal Mars in Aquarius. Transitng Mars was conjunct Uranus on that day. Transiting Jupiter opposed his natal Mars in Aquarius exaggerating his Mars in the electric sign of Aquarius.

Geremis Segundo González Acosta (January 8, 1975 – May 25, 2008) was a Venezuelan right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers. In his rookie season he led the Cubs with 11 wins, but he was unable to continue that success in later seasons.

The Astrology

González died after being struck by lightning in Punta Palma, Zulia on May 25, 2008. At the time of his death Geremis had Transiting Uranus in Pisces squaring his natal Mars in Sagittarius. He also has a natal Mercury square Uranus contact.

Katie's Venus in Scorpio is conjunct Tom's Neptune. Tom's Venus in Leo also trines Katie's Neptune in Sagittarius. The mutual contacts between these two planets show a highly idealised romance. Toms beckons with his boundless emotions and he longs for her mysterious and passionate love. Katie's relationship style is all about deep passionate and intense loving and she doesn't enter realtionship lightly. She is like the forbidden fruit in this realtionship (Venus in Scorpio) and Tom seeks his solace and redemption in Katie. Tom's secret passions and longing for emotional fusion can feel emotionally healing to Katie. Tom's idealisation of Katie makes her feel more beautiful and worthwhile (Venus).

Neptune in synastry often reflects our feelings back to us. There is a powerful romantic tone to this relationship, it is both soulful and poetic. Tom's idealisation can at times be overwhelming. However, Neptune in Scorpio can become a little too addicted, obsessive and fantasy driven in his longing for the perfect fusion. Too much idealisation can be too much to bear for any 'mortal' woman and she is at times bound to dissapoint. Boundaries are less defined in love with this contact and the two of them may completely fuse together like a 'tomkat'. The press tend to fuse all our famous couples names together these days. I have always found it a little silly at times but we all go along with these cute pet names nonetheless. Sometimes the aspect is reminiscent of the artist and his muse. Tom's great poetic passion finds unity in Katie's secret passionate depths (Venus in Scorpio). On another level Katie's idealises Tom's creative and fiery vision of love (Venus in leo), she may simply admire him as an actor and she seeks her longing for fusion in him.

Now is the time for the real juicy stuff in their synastry, as we have seen they have mutual aspects between Sun-Uranus and Venus-Neptune these are on the whole pretty harmonious. However, Tom and Katie also share a mutual hard aspect between Jupiter and Neptune. This aspect brings up the controversial issue of Katie following Tom's Scientology. We all know Tom is full on into his religion or spiritual practice and he has become there most famous follower. We are worried about our little Dawson's Creek star and we speculate whether or not she has been sucked into this religion through her relationship with Tom. We watched her grow up on Dawson's Creek and so we all feel we have parental rights to interfer if we need to!! The following reading by Liz Greene is quite startling and revealing on the Jupiter-Neptune aspect. A contact that repeats in their synsatry chart - Read on ...

" Neptune playing mirror to Jupiter's grandiose schemes, may feed Jupiter's natural propensity for inflation, and the Neptune person may offer himself or herself as the obedient devotee and disciple rather than realistic partner and natural critic. When pursuing God in the form of worldly ambition, they may create a mutual naivety which is undermining or even downright dangerous to both people's material and adaptation to the outer world. The dark side of the coin of faith is fanaticism, and Jupiter and Neptune can sometimes encourage each other to assume the mantle of absolute knowledge." Wow, their relationship themes are powerfully reflective of how we have all perceived them. When synastry aspects repeat through-out a chart the themes are highly significant for the couple in question".

Katie and Tom also share a mutual Jupiter-Saturn opposition in their synastry chart. This aspect can have a dampening effect on each others beliefs or view of life. They can both can swing back and forth from feeling wildly optimistic, confident and having faith to unconsciously feeling the others pessimism, doubts and facing reality. Over time this may prove a more positive mutual aspect considering the over idealism present in other areas of their synastry chart. They may need to test their faith in the goodness of life.

Katie needs to have faith in her confidence, vision and believe in her own creative potential (Jupiter in Leo). Tom's authority and strong sense of social responsibility and his fears of not fitting in or becoming "too ordinary" (Saturn in Aquarius) can oppose Katie's natural faith in her own vison of life. While Tom's Jupiter in Pisces and his attraction to spiritual and new age subjects is opposed to Katie's Saturn in Gemini and she fears expressing her thoughts with such complete spontaneity. Katie's mind is usually deep and serious and there can be a fear of the irrational. Katie's Moon in Leo is also opposed by Tom's Saturn in Aquarius and she can feel restricted in her emotional responses, this synastry contact has often been called the child-parent aspect and sometimes Saturn can be critical towards the emotional needs of the Moon. This can be acted out unconsciously and Saturn may show his resentment through coldness and defensiveness. There can be a disapproving manner in the way he may unconsciously respond to Katie's needs for emotional security. However, the bond here can be binding and both of them may have formed the relationship through emotional insecurity. Moon-Saturn is a strong contact for an enduring relationship and meaningful bond.

Tom and Katie's whirlwind romance moved quickly to the engagement phase. After dating only two months, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were engaged. They had an elaborate staged wedding on November 18, 2006 in Italy.On April 18, 2005, the twice-divorced Cruise called Holmes for a private meeting at his office. It was reported that they had an instant connection during the four-hour meeting. Dates on his motorcycle and private jet followed. On April 27, 2005, Cruise and Holmes, dubbed "TomKat" by the media, made their first public appearance together in Rome for the David di Donatello Awards.

A month later, Cruise infamously jumped on Oprah Winfrey's couch during her show and declared his love for Holmes. Then, he went backstage to pull out a shocked Holmes to the stage. Barely two months into dating, the couple became engaged after Cruise proposed on June 17, 2005, over a candlelit dinner at the Jules Verne restaurant in the Eiffel Tower, presenting Holmes with a five-carat diamond ring. The size of the diamond has been much commented on in the media. On October 6, 2005, Cruise and Holmes announced they were expecting a child, showing to the world Holmes's very visible pregnancy. On April 18, 2006, the couple had a daughter, Suri. On November 18, 2006, exactly seven months after Suri's birth, the couple married in Bracciano, Italy.

Tom and Katie have had some strange press coverage around them, and their whirlwind marriage was a shock to most people. Katie is much younger than Tom, and she quickly adopted to his way of life. A lot of people have said that Tom Cruise is controlling of Katie. It was rumoured that Katie had to have a silent birth because of their shared belief in Scientology. And of course there was Tom's OTT declaration of love on Oprah's couch. This relationship has been a highly unusual one so far.

Venus the planet of love, relationship and affection conjuncts Uranus in both of their natal charts. Uranus rules shocks, surprises and being different. When Uranus is connected to Venus the individual is asked to find new ways to relate to others, and a normal stable routine in realtionship is often difficult for them to maintain. Often Venus-Uranus breaks away from what society considers a 'normal' relationship. Katie has Venus in Scorpio and Tom has Venus in Leo and they both square eachother, so there is a clash in values here. Tom's Venus-Uranus aspect is considered wide in orb by most astrologers (9 degrees) but I use a 10 degree orb for conjunctions. Tom and Katie also have Venus square Uranus exact in their synastry chart and Venus conjuncts Uranus in Libra in the composite chart. A powerful theme does emerge and makes the statement that there is something magnetic, unusual and exciting about their relationship. It can also speak of unpredictability and unstabalizing conditions between them both. The rest of the synastry chart will clue us in on how unpredictable the relationship really is underneath.

Tom's natal Venus-Uranus is conjunct Katies Leo Ascendant. This shows us why the relationship happened so quickly and why the couple fell in love so soon after meeting. There is a powerful fixed magnetic quality to their attraction here. Tom's Uranus in Leo is square to Katie's Venus in Scorpio and this jolts Katie into awareness of her own deep sexuality and sensual beauty, and she becomes aware of her own values. Tom on this level plays Uranus in the relationship and acts as a lighting rod to her powerful affections. However, it can at times get a little too uncomfortable because she values privacy, intimacy and deep love. Katie seeks a partnership that provides emotional depth. She might have felt a little exposed when he broadcasted his love to the world. Tom, however has Venus in Leo and he thrives on high romance and drama. When Tom Cruise is in love he is proud and expresses how he feels, even if he appears to be "showing off". Leo in love is often loyal and generous to a fault. Both Venus in Leo and Venus in Scorpio are placed in fixed signs and they both tend to be loyal and fixed in their affections. Tom's Uranus in Leo awakens Katie's identity. The ascendant represents who we are becoming and Tom's ease in expressing his creativity and unique vision freely awakens Katies own need to actualize her personal destiny and his crazy antics free her self-expression. When these two met they were both surprised and shocked but their synastry reveals that there is a unique and unusual quality in their interaction. Venus is conjunct her Ascendent and shows he loves her physical appearance, identitiy and personal expression.

"I really just knew. It was an explosion. And she is just magic. And I really think that all men should celebrate their women. … They should all jump on couches for them. … When you find that woman, you should absolutely be unabashed about it. That's how I feel about it."

"Tom makes me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world and has since the day I met him. I love being with him. I love calling him my husband."

Tom and Katie have a mutual Sun trine Uranus aspect and this can mean that they have a liberating effect on one another. Katie has her Sun in Sagittarius and Tom's natal Uranus trines her sense of individuality. Katie wants to pursue truth and knowledge and she needs to travel on physical and mental journeys which help expand her horizons. Katie needs to be free and is happiest exploring all forms of knowledge which aid her growth. Tom's unique creativity and vision work well with her individual purpose. Tom's Cancer Sun needs emotional interaction and he needs to feel connected to the past and his history and Katie is breaking free and finding new and insighful ways to be in intimate relationships and break sexual taboos (Uranus in Scorpio). His sensitivity and tenderness helps her explore the deeper side of human nature. These two can be friends and find new and excting ways to achieve their individual goals in life.

"From the moment I met him it just felt like I'd known him forever. I was blown away. He's the most incredible man. He's so generous and kind, and he helps so many people, and, um, he makes me laugh like I've never laughed, and he's a great friend.… Tom and I will always be in our honeymoon phase.… Tom is the most incredible man in the world."

Katies Moon in Leo conjuncts his Venus in Leo and this is one of the most easy and comfortable apsects to be found in the synastry chart.There is an instinctive harmony and blending of emotions and artistic values. She expresses her feelings with great intensity and she is a proud woman. Katie enjoys being centre of attention and needs some theatrical drama in her life. This side of her may not have felt shy with Tom's grand display of affection. Katie has a natal Moon square Venus aspect and these two sides of her feminine self are in conflict. It can sometimes represent someone who is confused by their different values and security needs and she may have a too accomodating nature. There is drama and intensity here and on the lunar level she needs warmth, joy and to feel special, so she may reject her more possessive nature (Venus in Scorpio). Katie may show contrary behavior in her relationships at times. Part of her needs to withdraw in private and may show a more jealous side than she feels comfortable with. This can also show in her choice of partner. Katie's needs and desires are in conflict and she has two very different feminine faces.

Kiss me Quick

Venus in ARIES seeks the ongoing challenge of relationship and she enjoys competition in love. Fighting for a relationship tests her strength and inner resources. Aphrodite affirms her self-worth and beauty through gaining the affection and admiration of her prize lover. Venus in Aries is the pursued but she can also be the huntress and her trophy is winning the love her heart desires. Love is often direct and uncomplicated with this type and new conquests affirm personal potency. However, Venus in Aries can fall in lust and love a little too fast.Venus placed in the first sign of the zodiac goes after what she wants and usually gets it . She is extremely passionate in relationships and headstrong, and she never sacrifices or loses herself in a relationship. Venus wants to maintain her independence and if she feels this dear quality of hers is being threatened she will pull away. Venus in Aries is attracted to those who have a strong sense of self and who's nature is as deeply passionate as her own.

The act of love for Venus in Aries is to actualize fierce independence, but love is also an adventure and she needs to know that the relationship is always moving forward. When Venus is placed in a fire sign her acts of love become more dramatic and exciting. Venus would hate a relationship that has become too predictable and stifling. Aphrodite when placed in the inferno sign has a sexually alluring aura around her. Venus in Aries knows how to get others excited and she turns up the heat. The love energy here is strong and it is very similar to the experience of falling love for the first time. When love beckons new feelings take over and she just loves the adrenaline rush of first love. The first stages of a relationship are full of wonder and excitement and the doors are open to all kinds of new possibilities. The sexual hormones kick in fast and she feels that heady rush of love. She can't wait to say I love you, and in extreme cases like that of Elizabeth Taylor she can't wait to say "I do" and usually before she has really thought it through. Venus in Aries can rush down the aisle too fast or perhaps like our George Clooney maintain his feirce independence in relationships.

Venus in Aries won't deliberate about love she can be rash in her affections. Aphrodite in the sign of Aries can be attracted to the physical appearance of her mate and sex needs to be wild and exciting. Venus is in detriment in Aries and on the negative side she expresses love narcissistically and selfishly. Alternatively she may end up in relationships where the partner exhibits these characteristics. It has been said that this placement of Venus is popular with the opposite sex. Sometimes her love can burn out quickly and so she needs constant new challenges to feel the buzz of falling in love all over again. Our fair maiden can also get herself into hot water with her mate and she may find herself in the middle of two men battling for her affections. Venus in Aries loves the attention and she can't help but fall in love with a man willing to fight for her heart, and she feels valued just like a prized possesion.

Acts of courage, bravery and show of strength can appeal to her and these qualities act as a powerful aphrodisiac. However, she can have a roving eye and is quick to spot the next possible new conquest. Venus can hunt her lovers down and she likes to win her heart's desire and beat all competition. Venus in Aries might thrive on short bursts of passionate love and she can come on too strong at times. Men with Venus in Aries may be drawn to high energy women who live life in the fast lane. He is attracted to her sexy style and aura of independence, and most of all that feisty nature. It is her strong sense of self that attracts him and wins his heart. This type of woman reflects something that he values deeply and he begins a 'budding' romance with this courageous lady.

The above reading is the essence of Venus in Aries and doesn't take into account the house placement of Venus or aspects. The individual chart needs to be looked at for a full examiniation on the love nature. Here are some examples of the male and female celebs that represent this category - with quotes on love.

Cate Blanchett

Quote: I love strange choices. I'm always interested in people who depart from what is expected of them and go into new territory.

Eva Longoria

Quote: When I first saw him, he took my breath away; it was lust at first sight.

Elizabeth Taylor

Quote: My mother says I didn't open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw was an engagement ring. I was hooked.

George Clooney

Quote: I'm the old-fashioned type who prefers to meet a woman in a more normal setting. I don't like to feel that I'm being hunted down. I've always liked to do my own hunting when it comes to meeting women.

Albert Einstein

Quote: How on earth are you ever going to explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love?

George Carlin

Quote: Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.

Patrick's Mars's is conjunct Lisa's Saturn in Scorpio, and this is a powerful conjunction in the chart. Seething sexuality, coolness, control and passion all come together. Lisa's cool character only heats up Patrick's Mars in Scorpio. We all know Mars is sexually excited by a challenge and that is what Lisa represents. Traditionally this is a malefic contact and has been linked to physical and sexual violence in a realtionship. It can be an indicator of this, but it depends on how the couple handles this difficult conjunction. Here is Liz Greene's take on this contact in synastry, "We are issued stern warnings by various writers that a Mars-Saturn tie between two charts bodes nothing but trouble, even the "harmonious" aspects. One is left with the impression that two individuals who find this contact existant between them should run in opposite directions. One might assume, on superficial interpretation, that this aspect ought to cause repulsion and dislike paticularly on the sexual level, as Mars symbolises the physical desires and passions. Why then do Mars-Saturn contacts appear with such great frequency when a serious emotional comittment or involvemnet occurs, perhaps more often than the Mars-Venus connection which is supposed to designate strong attraction? And why, rather than repelling, do they seem at the beginning, at least- to be concurrent with such intense and almost feverish sexual attraction?

This contact has a reputation for producing passion before marriage and increasing coldness and sometimes violence afterwards. Here the qualities of Saturn's sign , or element, or quadruplicity are inflamed by Mar's being placed there; they appear full blown, concentrated, rendered slightly aggressive, overt and sometimes slightly arrogant, and they are chanelled not only in the will energy and drive but, more importantly from the perspective of relationships, into sexual style and drive as well. Mars symbolises passion, Saturn fear. It is no wonder that the unconscious individual caught in this kind of contact is fascinated like a bird before a snake". It would seem Patrick's determined and passionate Mars in Scorpio wants to get past Lisa's defences and the physical energy is usually highly disciplined in this partnership. There is great endurance, courage and willingness to overome any obstacle. The patnership works best when they pursue goals with passionate commitment. Obviously there is the need to be aware that this can be a difficult contact and they have had their fair share of psychic conflicts that can at times spill out into violence of some sort. Lisa's control and distance can create passionate fury in Patrick's Mars. The couple have faced a lot in their relationship and this shows in their more difficult contacts. Patrick has battled alcohol, cocain and a riding accident that almost left him paralyzed, and his final battle was the fight against Cancer.

Soon after meeting Lisa, he moved to New York to be a ballet dancer. When Lisa came to New York, she moved in with him - but the romance remained unconsummated for a year.'I had to propose before we felt our relationship was serious enough to have sex with each other,' he said. Their relationship has been more romantic than any of his roles: he always maintained she was the most beautiful woman he ever saw, his best friend, and a better dancer than he.

Not long before his death, he paid tribute to her: 'I have no greater respect for any other human being on this earth like I have for her. Part of me says I couldn't have made it through without her, but, of course, the other part of me says I could have, but not nearly as elegantly as I have.'

I have demons in me. If I try to control those demons, they kill me... I have learnt to embrace those demons. That's why I jump out of aeroplanes and surf and ride, and test the skills I have.'

Patrick's Saturn in Libra is square to Lisa's Venus in Cancer, and this can represent Swayze's heavy work schedule. Saturn represents career, duty and responsibilty. Swayze may have felt a bit inadequate with Lisa, she feels the same in other Saturnian areas of their synastry. Venus-Saturn can be insecure in love and he may demand demonstrations of love and affection. The couple never had a family of their own and Patrick has stated in interviews that their lack of children was an abiding regret. The aspect can correlate with deep insecurity in the realtionship and possessiveness. It can also bind these two together and make for lasting commitment and longevity

Patrick's Pluto in Leo is opposite Lisa's Mars in Aquarius and can symbolise a hot and heavy relationship here. These two fight for survival and this can bring out some raw emotions. Mars in Aquarius is more ethical and detached and will ditance themselves from the unconscious powerful ego of Swayze and his all his sexual drive (Pluto). It can show power and control, agression and dark sexuality. The relationship had it's difficult conflicts and perhaps there were some magnificent jealous and angry outbursts. Lisa often felt angered with Patrick's slide into addiction and he was dangerous to his own health. He smoked 60 cigarettes a day and has stated that he was a bit of a wild boy. However, these two have amazing sexual chemistry together. Both were excellent dancers which no doubt channeled all this powerful energy onto the dancefloor. A great couple who fought many battles together. It was not written in the stars that this was going to be an easy ride. However, for both of them it has been a journey of transformation, healing and soul searching. The relationship touched some very dark depths but there is no denying these two were a strong couple. Through crisis and tough emotional upheaval they have developed both strength and courage. The final test was letting go of one another as death inevitably breaks all relationships apart.

“I thought during the 22 months of my husband’s illness that it gave me all this time to get used to the idea of losing him. And I found for myself, when I actually got to that point, I said, ‘N-n-n-n-n-No.’ It wasn’t the same at all. The actual loss – it’s like an animal all of its own... It made all the sadness and grief previous to that look like an intellectual concept. This sadness was on a cellular level.”

Luckily, she has good friends on which she can rely, friends who’ve told her she can ask for their help whenever she feels despair is taking over. Niemi has been very self-sufficient thus far, which is one of the main reasons why she initially had some issues with turning to others for help, but she eventually got over that when she realized there was no way she could cope with the loss on her own. As for regrets, she has more than plenty – but her biggest one is not telling Patrick “I love you” enough.

“When the grief takes you, it’s like your body is not your own. I’m just going with the flow. I know I have to go through it. I’ve spent two thirds of my life with him... My regret is that I didn’t tell him that I loved him enough over that entire 34 years. I am so grateful for what I had and my connection to him, and part of me believes that I will see him again, and I’m just going to have to go on until then.”

Here are the couple in a beautful dance together. This is very emotional to watch. It's sad to see such an amazing couple parted. Until they are reunited again in spirit, here they are in true harmonious synastry.

Love for a Lifetime: Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi Synastry Part One

I haven't done much on love and astrology and I have a quite a few planets in the Librian house and in Pisces. Today I thought I would do a really nice post on the long standing marriage of Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi. As we all know Patrick lost his battle against Cancer this year, and he is deeply missed by us all. I have grown up watching Dirty Dancing and it is such a timeless and great film. Patrick and Lisa have been together for most of their lives and this is a rarity in Hollywood. Lets take a look at their synastry contacts and see what magic superglue contacts are present in their charts which indicate such a long committed partnership.

Swayze was married to Lisa Niemi from June 12, 1975 until his death. The couple first met in 1970 when Swayze was 18 years old. Niemi, 14 years old at the time, was taking dance lessons from Swayze's mother. Swayze and Niemi had no children.

Soon after their marriage, the couple moved to New York to pursue their dance careers until the late 1970s, whereupon they headed West. In addition to dancing and filmmaking, the couple ran a construction business and raised horses together.

She has lived on a five acre homestead near the Angeles National Forest since 1985, along with a "menagerie of dogs, prized Arabian horses and rodeo cattle." She also has a 20,000 acre ranch in New Mexico. In a 2008 interview, Swayze stated that Niemi was the inspiration for his 1987 hit song, "She's Like the Wind". Niemi is a licensed pilot and flew her husband to his cancer treatments before his death.

The Synastry contacts between Patrick and Lisa

Patrick's Sun conjuncts Lisa's Jupiter in Leo, and this is such a positive contact for any couple this aspect enhances and expands the experience of the couple. Her Jupiterian faith, creativity and generosity ties in nicely with the man that Patrick is at heart. She inspires him and he feels centred. They both enjoy creative projects together. His masculinity and his need to shine and feel special is enhanced by her faith in him as an individual. They both feel they have a positive future together filled with endless possibilities. Creativity is meaningful to them both and they enjoy the journey of self-discovery and adventure that awaits them. Jupiter rules horses, and this connection helped with the running of their ranch. She seeks freedom in expression and he identifies with this vital need and supports this aspect of her personality. They can pursue great wealth or higher knowledge together. They are a popular couple and they are generous and helpful towards one another.

Sitting in our beautiful ranch home in New Mexico with the sun beaming down on the mountains, I realize yet again how much more I want to do in this life. Together with Lisa, I'll keep on pushing, keep on believing. Because that, in the end, is the greatest gift we have.

Patrick's Sun in Leo is square Lisa's Saturn in Scorpio, these two have a few difficult aspects to Saturn, and this planet is often thought of as a malefic planet in relationships. However, it turns up frequently in long term relationships. Saturn is always willing to work hard at a relationship, the planet is exalted in Libra the sign of partnership. In this relationship Lisa is the controlling and "sober" partner she brings the reality checks home to her man. Lisa sees Patrick as the outgoing confident one, and she sometimes falls in his shadow. Lisa is the one to apply the discipline and conservatisim to the relationship. Overall, Lisa is the one who teaches him about responsibility and playing by the rules. She represents authority, tradition and boundaries. He teaches her about fun and creativity and allowing yourself to let go and be creative. Lisa fears betrayal and humiliation (Saturn in Scorpio) so the relationship needs to be a fixed and committed one (Leo and Scorpio are both fixed signs). Both partners need loyalty. However, she may try to repress her possessivness and jealousy but deep down she longs for emotional dominance. Both partners want to achieve a great deal in this partnership but its not without it's fairshare of struggle and hardship. Together they can build a solid foundation that contains both loyalty (Sun) and respect (Saturn).

Patrick's Sun conjuncts Lisa's Pluto and this describes a very dark passionate and intense relationship. Lisa brings depth and immense feeling, and he shines the light on her intensity and obsession. When she is around Patrick it brings out her dark unconscious feminine power. This contact is very signifcant because they have both gone through a highly Plutonian relationship, he has battled for his life, and she has had to dig deep into her own powerful resources (Pluto). Natally Patrick has Sun conjunct Pluto and Lisa has Mars opposite Pluto these two are both survivors and have faced life changing experiences. The couple are on an evolutionary journey of growth and transformation.

Patrick's and Lisa's time together will have have been emotionally exhausting at times and they will have had their fair share of drama together - on and off camera! Through crisis these two learn more about eachother in one lifetime than most people will ever experience. This can be an emotional and sexually committed relationship. When Pluto is involved there is often a fated and destined feel to their meeting. Patrick's addictive personality (Sun-Pluto natally) did harm the relationship and she left him until he could sort out his drinking problems. She described him as being a danger to himself. In some ways Lisa has probably felt she has been psycho-analyzing him (Pluto) and perhaps she been a little bit of therapist for him, but he has forced her into these deeper emotions of hers, and she usually finds it tough to handle emotional expression. Lisa tries to repress and deny this side of herself (Saturn in Scorpio). However, this same contact means that she is reliable and dependable through crisis. This relationship can have it's emotional storms but it can also be a powerful and healing relationship.

"A relationship survives because of keeping the friendship alive and learning how to fall in love over and over again and never taking the other person for granted and seeing things in a new light with new eyes. We're big believers in, arguments are okay as long as it's not about your ego, but it's about a mutual goal-trying to create something special."

Patrick Swayze on his battle with Cancer:

"Fighting cancer has been the most challenging and eye-opening experience I've ever had, and it has sent me on an emotional journey deeper than anything I've felt before. Facing your own mortality is the quickest way possible to find out what you're made of. It strips away all the bullshit and exposes every part of you -- your strengths and weaknesses, your sense of self. Your soul".

Patricks's Moon in Leo is conjunct her Uranus and this symbolises an unpredictable element to their relationship. This aspect can bring excitement. Lisa is probably the more willful of the partnership. Considering both Uranus and Pluto touch on Patricks's personal planets. Uranus is an intellectual planet and Patrick has said that Lisa was the smartest chick he has ever met. He said he was mysteriously intrigued by Lisa but she acted as cool as ever! This could also be down to Lisa's natal Mars in Aquarius she is inventive, clever and original and she can fly planes too! Her Mars squares off with his emotionally intense Mars in Scorpio. Uranus in astrology rules detachment, freedom and coolness.

Part two to follow soon...

Unusual Accidents/Deaths: Suicide During Live Broadcast

I thought I would add more unusual deaths to my blog. I do find them fascinating in a strange sort of way. You can catch up on the previous post here. I was discussing how our own nature is out to get us, and that tradegies often do occur according to our own natal disposition. I do mean this in the broadest sense, but I do think it is strange that the one man who dies of electrocution has Sun in Aquarius at the 11th degree (Aquarius is the 11th sign) and square to Uranus! The sign needs to make waves in the collective and will often attempt to shock us into awarness, this is more so under hard aspects. The lady who burnt up in flames has a violent configuration between Mars-Saturn-Pluto. Lets see what new astrological revelations the next batch of unusual deaths will reveal. My favourite part of astrology is when I read a biography or a peice of interesting information about someone, and I love to unveil the chart and see what it will reveal, sometimes I will guess what type of aspects I expect to see. It's a surprise every time and I never tire of it. So lets move on with more interesting cases. In the first part I only focused on accidents but this time I have included other types of death.

Christine Chubbuck: Death by Suicide During a Live Broadcast

On July 15, 1974, eight minutes into the broadcast, the depressed reporter said "In keeping with Channel 40’s policy of bringing you the latest in blood and guts, and in living color, you are going to see another first: an attempted suicide." With that, Chubbuck drew up a revolver and shot herself in the head.

Chubbuck spoke to her family at length about her struggles with depression and suicidal tendencies, though she did not inform them of her specific intent beforehand. She had attempted to overdose on medication in 1970 and frequently made reference to the event. She had also been seeing a psychiatrist up until several weeks before her death. Chubbuck's mother chose not to tell station management of her daughter's suicidal tendencies because she feared she would be fired as a result. Her focus on her lack of relationships was generally considered to be the driving force for her depression; her mother later summarized "her suicide was simply because her personal life was not enough." She lamented to co-workers her 30th birthday was approaching and she was still a virgin who had never been on more than two dates with a man. Her brother Greg later recalled several times she had gone out with a man, before moving to Sarasota, but agreed she had trouble connecting socially in the beach resort town. He believed her constant self-deprecation for being "dateless" contributed to her ongoing depression.

She had her right ovary removed in an operation the year before, and had been told if she did not become pregnant within a year, it was unlikely she would ever be able to conceive. Apparently, she had an unrequited crush on co-worker George Peter Ryan. She baked him a cake for his birthday and sought his romantic attention, only to find out he was already involved with sports reporter Andrea Kirby. Kirby had been the co-worker closest to Chubbuck, but she was offered a new job in Baltimore, which had further depressed Chubbuck.

Chubbuck's lack of a romantic partner was considered a tangent of her desperate need to have close friends, though co-workers said she tended to be brusque and defensive whenever they made friendly gestures toward her. She was self-deprecating, criticizing herself constantly and rejecting any compliments she was given. Three weeks before her suicide she had asked the station's news director if she could do a news piece on suicide. After her suggestion was approved, she visited the local sheriff's department to discuss with an officer methods of suicide. In the interview, an officer told her one of the most efficient ways was to use a .38 caliber revolver with wadcutter target bullets, and to shoot oneself in the back of the head rather than in the temple.

A week before her suicide she told Rob Smith, the night news editor, she had bought a gun and joked about killing herself on air. Smith later told the Washington Post he had chided her for the comment. On July 12, 1974, she had an argument with news director Mike Simmons after he cut one of her stories to cover a shoot-out instead. Robert Nelson, the station owner, had tried to convince staff to concentrate on "blood and guts."

Presbyterian minister Thomas Beason delivered the eulogy, stating "We suffer at our sense of loss, we are frightened by her rage, we are guilty in the face of her rejection, we are hurt by her choice of isolation and we are confused by her message."

The Astrology

Christine has a dominance of planets in Virgo - Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Chiron. Virgo likes to utilize time in the most efficient way, and their efforts are directed at ordering the world. It is difficult for this sign to get out of their immediate view of life with it's rituals and routine and see a broader future. Virgo also has an intense need for privacy and they withdaw when they find human beings intolerable. I think this was the breaking point that Christine had reached. She seemed far too critically focused on her lack of relationships. She was the "stereotypical" Virgo in the sense that she was approaching her 30th birthday and was still a Virgin. She constantly criticized and berated herself which is another Virgo tendency, and she found it difficult accepting compliments. Venus is in a tight conjunction with Chiron in Virgo, and can show wounds to her sense of self-worth and lovability. Mars the planet of aggression and rage is conjunct Neptune and she opted to act out her anger indirectly by suicide (Neptune).

At the time of her suicide she was still under her Saturn return in Cancer, and this marks the point of real adulthood, but Cancer fears lonliness and abandonment and these issues are brought into powerful awareness. Saturn in Cancer has extreme sensitivity to rejection, and she may have felt that time was ticking away without a family, during Saturn transits we really do begin to feel our age. Transiting Pluto was conjunct Neptune - this is a generational transit but it occurs frequently at the time of suicides. Transiting Jupiter was opposite her natal Venus-Chiron conjunction in Virgo making her more aware of love relationships, and at this time she can feel widly enthusiastic about someone but feelings and affection are not always consistant under this transit. Christine also had transiting Neptune in Sagittarius square Jupiter in Virgo, and she was definitly on a suicide mission. The aspect can show a belief in a worthy cause and the need to "do good". She wanted to cover a story on suicide but it was cut, and she went ahead with the story anyway in a martyr like fashion (Neptune). Here is a reading on the natal aspect by Liz Greene which offers great insight into this transiting configuration.

Both planets resent the limits of mundane reality, although for different reasons, and both disregard these limits in their pursuit of the sublime. Jupiter may cajole Neptune into folly, particularly of a financial kind, through presenting glorious future plans which are not unobtainable, but may fly in the face of obvious material or legal boundaries. Neptune playing the mirror for Jupiter's grandiose schemes, may feel Jupiter's natural propensity for inflation.

The emotional excesses of the hysteric may owe much to Jupiter-Neptune, for it can be intensely Dionyisian in its love of self-abandonment and theatrical display. The aspect may contribute to the capacity for self-delusion and self-aggrandisement. Generating heartbreaking losses, dissappointments and tragic acts of self-undoing.

The Twelve Gates

The Grand Trine

Mars in Capricorn (10th)

Liz Greene Interview

Saturn in Libra: Balancing the Sexes

Fun Pics

Nostradamus

Margot Kidder

Nodes

Are You an Obsessed Web Stats Whore

Gangsters and Thugs: Antonino Accardo

Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt: Venus square Mars

Killed by Lightning

Tom and Katie Part 2

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes: Part 1

Venus in Aries: The Bold and the Beautiful

Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi Synastry Part 2

Love for a Lifetime: Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi Synastry Part One

Unusual Accidents/Deaths: Suicide During Live Broadcast

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