Back to School: Virgo

My little boy, Nathan, (aged 5 in two weeks) attends full time school for the first time tomorrow. I will be a little emotional. The six weeks that he has been off hasn't been too bad, apart from the last week when boredom and restlessness have taken over. He can't wait to return to school again and see his friends and teachers. A couple of weeks back I decided to try for another baby with my partner, so I will see how it goes. I know the predictable broodiness has set in when one leaves the nest for school. However, this time it's planned. With Nathan I had an unexpected pregnancy when transiting Uranus was conjunct my natal Sun. It sounds stupid a grown woman saying "unexpected," I know all about the birds and bees. I won't go into it all, but it really was a surprise pregnancy and a happy one. I am looking forward to extending the family. We are currently in the month of Virgo, and this is a time we are preparing to go back to school and a normal routine (yay). You check everything is ready for school, like the archetypal Virgo: uniform, book bag, sports gear, new shoes. I have sent my little boy out for his haircut today with his dad, so I can cross that off the Virgo check list. All the practicalities need to be taken care of in this period. The last week has been the busiest (mutable Virgo earth) in the sense that we rush around preparing everything. We are all a little anxious and making sure everything is in order.

I will have more time on my hands and I need to do some more site optimisation and improve articles on the blog, rounding them out, re-editing and adding improved content. In Virgo, we need to think about how we can improve quality, usefulness and productivity. I am beginning to understand the unseen work element of both the 6th and 12th house a little more. The Mercury Retrograde period in Virgo is more powerful in the sign it rules and it reflects this introspective time. With all the kids returning to school with Mercury Retrograde. I do wonder if that will have any impact.

Mercury retrograde introduces us all to Virgo-like energy three times a year. The next time Mercury goes retrograde, note the archetypal energy all around us-the sense of patient waiting while we perform humble, routine tasks-the introspection, the industrious planning, or most important, repetition of the old task that was imperfectly completed the first time. On a Mercury retrograde, we wait, we live in the "meanwhile," the alchemical interval during which nothing at all seems to happen. We may go eagerly to the mailbox each day and be disappointed. Or we are reviewing, rewriting, reflecting. By Kathleen Burt

Chantelle and Preston: Venus Retrograde

Ultimate Big Brother is now airing on British television screens, in the fight to crown the number one winner of the whole series. The finale is occurring under the current Jupiter-Uranus conjunction, signifying the large television event. All the old housemates returned under the current Mercury Retrograde period in Virgo. The period for many people is introspective and we can evaluate and revisit the past. The return of Chantelle and Preston was awkward to watch in the beginning, they were previous contestants on celebrity big brother 6. Chantelle was an ordinary girl picked from obscurity and thrown into the house with celebrities, under the disguise that she was a celebrity too. Preston, a member of indie group, Ordinary Boys also joined the show. The couple fell in love in the BB house and shortly after were married on the 25th August 2006.

Ten months later, on 27 June 2007 they announced in a joint statement that they were ending their marriage. "After much soul-searching and tearful discussions we have sadly decided to end our marriage," they said in the statement. “We hope we can always remain friends and still love each other but we both think we put so much pressure on one another to make our marriage work that it has ended up destroying our relationship. No one else is involved in our decision." The couple insisted their relationship was genuine and denied they had rushed into marriage. “We know people will think we married too quickly on the back of Big Brother but the truth is that, what anyone thinks, we did have a whirlwind romance but we were genuinely in love with each other at the time and we will never regret our time together. We both believe in marriage and we never treated our vows or our commitment to each other lightly. We've spent hours and hours discussing whether we can salvage our marriage, give it another go, try harder, anything rather than give up. But we now both agree that we should go our separate ways. We are both young and we still have our lives in front of us. The last two weeks or so have been very upsetting and sad for us and our friends and family and we appreciate their support."

In July 2007, it was rumoured in the Daily Mail that the couple had moved back in together. However, it was then reported that Preston was dating again and the former couple only communicated to discuss business matters. The rumours of the final breakdown to their marriage were confirmed on 21 November 2007, when London's Reuters News Agency announced that Houghton had been granted a decree nisi at First Avenue House, on the grounds of her husband's admitted unreasonable behaviour. Preston did not contest the petition, and neither appeared in court for the ninety–second hearing. They were given their decree absolute certificate six weeks later. By Wiki

The show has seen them reunited once again and in the same setting that they first fell in love. The meeting is stirring painful memories for Chantelle and she is regretting the collapse of the marriage. She looks the most distressed by the situation and has broken down in tears in the diary room. It is believed that if she could rekindle her romance with Preston, she would. I was interested enough by their love story and separation to take a look at their natal charts. Astrologically both Chantelle and Preston have the planet of love, Venus, retrograde. According to Dane Rudhyar:

The same type of analysis applies for the case of Venus retrograde; with this difference, however, that Venus and Mars are retrograde only for a short portion of their synodic cycles. The average cycle between two superior conjunctions of Venus and the Sun last 584 days (about a year and 7 months) , and its retrograde phase - during which the inferior conjunction occurs - only about six weeks. This is the shortest time a planet spends being retrograde relatively to the length of its complete cycle; which means that its rarer for a person to be born with Venus retrograde than with any other planet retrograde.

Basically a retrograde planet is one that appears to be moving backwards in its orbit when viewed from our perspective on earth. The retrograde movement of Venus suggests past relationships re-visited due to unresolved issues. A re-evaluation of values and re-assessment of love appears to be a significant theme in this situation. It is obvious that they both need to resolve whatever feelings they still hold for one another. Venus rules love, relationships, harmony, desires and also rules over all forms of beauty. The relationship under review, may help them both move forward, with or without each other. Coincidentally, Chantelle is also re-gretting some of the beauty treatments she has had done and is considering re-ducing her breast size. Astrology Carol Rushman, Predictive Astrology, warns about getting beauty treatments under transiting Venus retrograde and this may also apply to those with natal Venus retrograde.

I advise my clients against any type of beautification process when Venus is retrograde, particularly cosmetic surgery. Even permanent waves, hair colouring, hair styling, and hair cutting can be unsuccessful. My daughter and I went to have our hair cut on the day that Venus was retrograde and we both cried all the way home because we got such bad haircuts. We had each wanted a trim, but we both went home with very short hair.

I looked at Chantelle’s transits and Mercury R is currently moving through Virgo, the sign of her natal Venus. She also has a natal Jupiter-Uranus conjunction in Sagittarius, it is the same conjunction she shares with Cheryl Cole, another reality star turned pop star who has become very popular and had amazing opportunities come her way. Chantelle‘s life was similarly changed overnight. Jennifer Aniston has a Jupiter-Uranus conjunction too, in Libra. She was about to give up on her acting career and then transiting Jupiter returned to her natal Jupiter-Uranus conjunction and she won the part of Rachel in the phenomenally successful sitcom, Friends. The conjunction of these two planets can herald great opportunities. My father (died in 97) was born with the same conjunction in Cancer. He had the opportunity to teach football in Australia, but he turned it down. I could have been Australian and not English. My uncle emigrated over there and loved the place. There can be amazing, good luck but the individual may pass it up.

The current Jupiter-Uranus conjunction in Aries is trining her natal Jupiter-Uranus contact and it also trines her natal Mars in Leo. So currently she has great opportunities, optimism, and luck. The grand fire trine can, however, be too optimistic and it would be hard for her to stay grounded during this phase. Wonderful things may come and they can pass just as quickly, but she is in a good astrological phase. Transiting Neptune is also forming an exact opposition to her natal Sun and she is less than realistic at this time. Neptune tends to cloud judgment and bring a period of confusion into our lives. You can fall apart when Neptune transits the Sun and sometimes we have less of a hold on self-reality. Chantelle has been dissolving into tears and looks confused by the situation. The transit sometimes involves “giving up” on a man (Sun), but the romantic in me hopes that isn‘t the case. The Sun represents the solar and masculine principle and often describes the men we are relating too, it is like forming a relationship to a part of ourselves. She may over-idealize (Neptune) him at the moment and she is less able to see the flaws in him. Sun-Neptune can also mean that she is unusually sensitive around men at this time, and one in particular. Transiting Saturn in Libra (definition of relationship) is currently trine Chiron so whichever way the relationship goes this could be a time of healing old wounds.

Preston has transiting Saturn trine his retrograde Venus, this is the transit we looked at when Sienna Miller and Jude Law got back together and re-formed a relationship. I am hooked to the relationship and Big Brother is like that fly on the wall situation where you get to watch it all from a distance. I have really felt for Chantelle, and I hope it all ends happily, or at least has some final resolution.

Carol Rushman’s prediction:

When Saturn transits Venus a relationship needs to be understood. Partnerships are strengthened or ended under this transit. You will work on learning about what is needed and expected from a partner. New, lasting relationships can be formed. Sometimes a person from your past will resurface and want to interact once more.

Sun in Scorpio/Moon in Taurus

With natal Sun in Scorpio and Moon in Taurus there is likely to be emotional intensity, passion, sexuality, combined with stubbornness, sensuality, practicality and resistance to changing old habits. Instinctively there is a calm steady approach that is highly contrasted by the developing need for change, crisis and depth. When angered you can be like a volcano and extremely unforgiving. With a fixed nature you seek to establish permanence and that which cannot be altered or moved. This can create a rigidness and inflexibility, it can also mean you are very determined, persistent and committed. You need material and financial security and naturally you can be quite placid. However, this sharply conflicts with your dramatic and passionate side. Growth is experienced in darkness and through perceptive insights. Sun in Scorpio can create crisis and then attempt to control the situation. Feelings are expressed in concrete ways and emotionally there is a peaceable nature, unexpected changes in the environment can provoke anxiety and stubborn resistance. The Sun sign reflects your solar purpose for this lifetime, and you will be most fulfilled when emotionally committed to a goal.

Love, money and sex may well be relevant themes in your life and you have sexual and material resources. Survival can be key issues, and crisis disturbs the natural need to keep things stable. When building a sense of security, you may have to watch out for possessiveness and jealousy, which entail the difficult emotions of deep insecurity and mistrust, and this is because you need permanence, all of the fixed signs need something in their life that is constant. For you, emotional bonds are unchanging and physical objects are constant and something to rely on when life throws you against a changing environment. When you make a commitment it is rare for you to break it off lightly and you don‘t let go easily either. With such deep watery depths and practical nature this is one of the most fixed combinations.

Sun n Scorpio will help you to transform and break out of old habits (Taurus). You instinctively rely on your own resources but will also learn about other people’s resources and learn how to share. With a naturally down to earth approach, this helps to ground and realistically assess situations. You may even be a strong support to people in crisis and offer these inbuilt survival skills and powerful resourcefulness to others, helping them to deal with trauma. Your sensitive and perceptive to life and look at life’s mysteries, but you also appreciate nature, tradition and what the senses can see, taste and hear. The need for a strong union is evident and relationships tend to last, unless other factors in the chart sharply contrast with your need for loyalty, affection and stability. Being a Scorpio you will undergo transformation and learn how to let go and realize the outer power that you also possess.

You share the Sun in Scorpio and Moon in Taurus with Prince Charles and Demi Moore. Charles is publicly known to care about the environment and has an interest in organic gardening (Taurus).

I know that my ideas are sometimes portrayed as old-fashioned. Well, they may be. But what I am concerned about are the things that are timeless regardless of the age that we live in. Also I have been around long enough to see what were at the time thought of as old-fashioned ideas now come into vogue.

In Prince Charles’ astrology chart he has Sun in Scorpio in the 4th house, representing an intensely private and emotional man. The fourth house also rules one’s heritage and background and gives him a sense of identity. It could reflect the powerful family line and a sense of pride concerning his roots. Away from the public eye he experiences many inner changes. With his Moon in 10th house it often signifies someone involved with the public and he may be sensitive about his reputation.The public may view him as practical, stubborn, enduring, down to earth, if not a little predictable. The Taurean moon has a “traditional” role to play in public life and he follows in his mother‘s footsteps. It is well known by astrologers that his Moon is conjunct his mothers Sun in his 10th house. Charles is pretty loyal and committed to his family and public life.

In Demi Moore’s astrology chart she has Sun in Scorpio in her 8th house and Moon in Taurus in the 2nd house. Her life is characterised by crisis, drama and intensity and her early life was far from stable. Demi has a large and expensive doll collection at home and some are antique collectables. Moon in Taurus can become emotionally attached to possessions and they are famously known for collecting, possessing and owning. Taureans consider these objects to hold great value, they treasure and hold on tightly to what they own. Demmi has over 3000 dolls.

Neptune in 1st House

Those with Neptune in the 1st house often feel lost and confused around their identity. Neptunian's are not always clear about what they want in life. The lines become blurred when the individual attempts to establish a solid and grounded sense of self-definition. The Ascendant is our place of birth; it is the house of identity, potency, approach to life and personal outlook. If Neptune conjuncts the Ascendant there may be a dreamy, sensitive, other-worldly, mysterious and far-away quality in their appearance. Neptune in the 1st house often mirrors the needs of others unconsciously, rather like slipping in and out of character. The trait was particularly evident in Marilyn Monroe's personality. The Hollywood pin-up, actress and singer had Neptune rising in Leo.

Thousands, even millions of American men projected their internal feminine onto Marilyn Monroe. Projections without personal contact can damage the person receiving them. We have to say that Marilyn Monroe called for these projections as a part of her power and longing, and her disturbance must have gone back to victimization in childhood. ~ By Robert Bly.

In Bly’s view such projections can be dangerous. Nonetheless, Marilyn had the gift of pleasing others and ability to mirror others emotional needs whilst fulfilling untold fantasies. With Neptune here the individual may be a channel for the expression of ideals, longings and dreams. Neptune in the 1st house represents a mutable, feminine, water planet and is both sensitive and impressionable, but others may play on this vulnerable exterior. This person is also uniquely gifted in picking up the emotional tone in the atmosphere and responding sensitively. Neptune acts like an emotional sponge and tends to pick up the qualities of the last person it has come into contact with, representing the chameleon and watery side of the planet.

The Ascendant will often describe one's birth and the circumstances surrounding it. This can even stretch into early childhood events.

The experience of physical birth may be felt by the person with a 1st house Neptune as a process in which he or she has no volition or choice. It is the mother’s will, or perhaps that of the doctor or midwife, but not one’s own; and the archetypal Martial component of struggle, inherent in the birth process, is often curiously absent. I have seen this placement in the charts of many people whose mothers were drugged into unconsciousness during the birth process, and both mother and infant share in the topor and lassitude which results. The whole experience takes place, as it were, under the water. Later in life the individual tends to deal with external reality with the same lassitude and passivity. ~ Liz Greene

Life possesses a strange unreality when viewed through a cloudy and emotional lens. Neptune in the 1st house lies directly opposite the house of one-to-one relationships, both public and personal (7th). Relationships are sometimes comprised of the victim/saviour dilemma, and with Neptune’s addictive propensities, it can lead an individual to be dangerously needy of others and emotionally manipulative. The fear of separateness can dominate and the need to fuse with others can be just as powerful.

However, Neptune here may also indicate a highly compassionate nature and someone who looks to others for an emotional connection. This person may be attracted to healing and counselling roles that suit their capacity for empathy, sympathy and ability to enter into another's feelings. Neptune has weak boundaries and merges with the immediate environment.

Imaginative, artistic, psychic or even musical, those with Neptune placed here can happily drift into different spheres of creative expression. Neptune also rules escapism and so some may be drawn to drugs and alcohol as a way to escape the challenge of life. On this path, the individual will take the line of least resistance and has a tendency to drift. The Asc rules the physical body and so there is sometimes tiredness and general lethargy and sometimes confusing illnesses. A bove all, the sensitive qualities are highly unique and when used positively this person expresses great compassion towards everyone thy meet.

Courtney Love has Neptune in the first house in the fixed and intense sign of Scorpio. The singer is most famous for her dangerously "addictive" and toxic relationship to partner Curt Cobain, he committed suicide and possesses a very Piscean chart (Neptune).  According to Love, her mother named her after the alcoholic, fledgling debutante protagonist of a 1956 "dime-store novel" called Chocolates for Breakfast by Pamela Moore. Love’s family separated after her birth, and her mother and friend presented letters implying the father had given the three-year-old LSD.

The allegations were denied and he passed a lie detector test. However, it did lead to he mother retaining full custody. Neptune's involvement here describes plenty of scandal and deception around the star's early childhood. Love has also been treated for an accidental overdose of Oxycodine. The physical health of Love has raised many concerns and she has been warned to stop her smoking and heavy drug use after looking particularly frail and weak in appearance. River Phoenix is another Neptune in 1st house; he collapsed outside of a nightclub and was full of heroine and cocaine when examined. Obviously some of these cases represent the more negative, extreme and addictive personality types.

Blackout: Uranus conjunct Pluto - 1965

On November 9, 1965, there was a serious disruption to the power supply in the northeaster provinces of America and Canada. The major incident occurred when a maintenance worker set a protective relay to trip too low a value. As a result, an area covering 80,000 sq miles, including Ontario in Canada, and Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New York, and New Jersey in the United States, was plunged into darkness and did not regain power for 12 hours. The power cut affected 25 million people, and only those areas with independent old-fashioned generators were able to maintain power. Sparks from the affected power stations were widely reported as ‘fireballs’ in the sky, and these in turn became inflated into sightings of U.F.0.s. The official explanation of the ‘fireballs’ was made known the following day.

The “cause” of the North American blackout is shown quite clearly by the exact Uranus-Pluto conjunction in Virgo. Historically, Uranus-Pluto has coincided with the introduction of the contraceptive pill, silicone chip and the computer and technological revolution and is also linked with nuclear power. When Uranus contacts Pluto it is said to represent the most transformative and far-reaching changes that society can experience. According to astrologer Sue Tompkins, “As With the myth, Uranus is the planet to be associated with castration of all kinds and here one can include any situation where something has been cut out or cut off. An individual ‘cutting out’ and becoming emotionally detached from their feelings is another example of Uranus at work”. Uranus rules all things that operate at lightning speed and anything that has an incredible amount of voltage energy, like: shocks, revolts, lightning and flashes. Uranus coincided with the dawn of the technological age. In the idea that man should not be limited by nature.

Pluto, on the other hand, destroys and forces us into darkness. When in Pluto mode we are forced to rely on our survival and primitive instincts. Astrologer Liz Greene ties the Uranus-Pluto conjunction in Virgo with the whole concept of the flower-power generation of 1960’s , the sign of Virgo rules over daily life, natural cycles and the conjunction created radical thinking about the quality of daily life. The energy crisis of 1965 is also linked to the ongoing Uranus-Pluto square today and amplifies the need for renewable forms of energy, and to revolutionize the way power is used. The power (Pluto) cut (Uranus) is symbolic of this heavy outer planetary conjunction. Pluto is the planetary ruler of crisis and Uranus rules disruption and chaos, Virgo is the sign of daily life, work and order. The blackout created all kinds of chaos to normal routine and the functioning system of society. With all the great progress that humanity has made and the way in which we illuminate our world with technological advancement and revolutionary spirit. Pluto represents forces out of our control and we can be plunged into darkness with only our instinctive nature and inner resources to rely on (Pluto). Depending on how well prepared we are for crisis shows how well we cope in times of change.

I recall the blackout and all the fuss about it. My parents spent the day running around to provide us with lights, heat and food. We ate hot dogs cooked over the fireplace in the living room and played games. My Dad had a little transistor radio that provided updates about the blackout and general news.

I clearly recall sitting on the front steps of my house with my good friend Barbara, who lived next door, that night. We were singing, laughing, and killing time while the world sat dark and silent. We sat on the front steps singing our hearts out until about 10:30 or so that night. I recall it being a very crisp typical New York fall night.

One man described the conjunction as “An unexpected (Uranus) crisis (Pluto).  Criminals in prison (Pluto) also used this time as a prime opportunity to create a full scale riot (Uranus). Here is a video report about the sudden (Uranus) blackout (Pluto) that disrupted the lives of over 25 million people for 12 hours.

Pluto in 4th House

At the deepest roots of their life Pluto will be cleansing and transforming in the sphere of family relations and sense of belonging.The fourth house is closely connected with our deepest self, psychological roots and feeling of protection.

Those born with Pluto in the 4th house may have experienced something dramatic in the family home, and whatever it was it can sometimes make them feel isolated and rootless. Perhaps there was much that was hidden or secret in their childhood, and this has changed them indefinitely.

According to modern astrology the fourth house rules the father, and everything we inherit from our immediate family. Pluto in the 4th house can show early intimidation, and the father may appear threatening to the child, even if his behavior has unwarranted this powerful reaction. On the other hand, the father may have had a profound affect on the individual growing up, and his absence leaves psychological wounds. Another possibility is that he had difficulty in expressing his emotions, suffered from deep depression, and so when he erupted the violence of his reactions frighten a young child. The father may have been over-demanding, over-controlling, over-protective or jealous.

The 4th house can also signify the death of one of the parents, or actual abandonment. Sometimes the death of a family member has effected the child deeply. The parents may have been struggling to come to terms with a significant loss. The family may have broken up, lost its home, suffered bankruptcy, etc. Pluto in the 4th house is deeply private and secretive about their home life. One of the best outlets for this placement is to "dig up" the family history, and explore old secrets. The complexes and traumas formed in early childhood, if unresolved, often seethe below the level of conscious awareness, and the individual carries a hefty weight of grief and resentment over old hurts

The individual might want to cut off their feelings altogether, it may feel as if something dangerous underneath threatens to overwhelm them. Pluto in the 4th house represents heavy emotional baggage, which must be explored and healed. There may have even been something considered taboo about their roots and parentage, and the family might have been persecuted in the past. A parents paranoia, obsessive behavior or depressive moods, may have permeated the environment.This can all affect how you feel about family and living at home.

When Pluto is placed in the house of the home, they may want to relocate, emigrate, utterly reinvent where they are living, or build a new place to live. This will usually happen when they feel they have outgrown phase of their life.Sometimes forces beyond their control part them with their past, but they will discover a renewed sense of belonging and transform in the process. Pluto in the 4th house may be involved with tearing down old homes and rebuilding them. The home might have been badly damaged and in need of repair. The situation often forces them to tap into their inner resources.

Uranus Transits: 8th House

When Uranus transits the eighth house, it can indicate a change in joint finances and a partner’s income may alter. Unexpected changes in fortune either way can occur. A new way of looking at shared investments and resources within partnership, but long-time financial frustration will erupt at some point during this transition. An experimental attitude towards finances and sometimes a surprise inheritance. New business partnerships are formed or an existing one is tested if Uranus forms difficult aspects. A deeper interest in the occult, research, astrology and psychological subjects may begin at this time. There is an urgent need to discover the truth regarding hidden subjects. The eighth house also rules intimate relationships and there may be disruptions that involve sudden emotional eruptions and difficult confrontations. A rebellious attitude towards finances can upset a partnership. We gain a clearer understanding of emotions such as revenge, jealousy and hatred that we have repressed for a long time. Uranus transits tend to shock us into awareness and hidden resentments are suddenly revealed

We may need to alter our view on permanence, stability and fixed attachments. Astrologically, Uranus is changeable in nature and a transit through the fixed address of the eighth house may rip apart our sense of emotional security. Sudden deaths, new births and material change. Relationship disruptions and divorce is also common. During this 7-year transit, we are developing our potential by approaching intimate relationships on a different level. The cycles of birth, death, loss and survival are things that we are more aware of throughout this process. Emotional blow-ups can shatter our sense of safety and survival. Uranus rules accidental discoveries and something is unearthed that threatens the relationship. Perhaps we see clearer what has really been going on. Issues hidden in the bedroom are viewed objectively and this may be a breakthrough period. We may explore new sexual techniques that we feared to try before.

We have to become more aware of our own power, resources, and hidden aspects of our own personality. Reveal what we have repressed. Uranus’ transit through the eighth house holds some deep revelations and awareness creates a sense of power and powerlessness. Understanding where we resist growth and transformation is the way forward. Liberation occurs through detachment and rebelling against existing and outdated attitudes to sex, money, death, secrets, shared resources. We will have more freedom in the way we share our resources and ourselves once the transition is over.

Jupiter conjunct Uranus 2010

I have rattled on about this Jupiter-Uranus conjunction for months and I uploaded my you tube video concerning the great conjunction (every respectable astrologer has one and I‘m looking my best as usual :-p). With this conjunction I have noticed changes in the blogging platform; we now have a new template designer, stats to view with fancy maps. Even the editing of posts have improved and we can preview an article in its proper format, before submitting. You can even upload your own background. I have also learned that I am a really bad blog designer and my templates never look right. I will still stick to blogger templates from the web. The Jupiter-Uranus conjunction describes advances on the Internet and since millions use blogger it has a large effect. It is not a major worldwide event but improves the blogging experience. Uranus rules the net and technology and so advancements here are easily predicted. I was hoping astrology would have benefited more, but perhaps I don’t see the full spectrum of what has been happening or has occurred. I will have to investigate some more.

The Bigger Story

Astrologers said that breakthroughs would occur with this conjunction and they were right. The first 24 hour flight by a solar powered plane (Solar Impulse) was completed last month. I think the concept picture looks  futuristic which is another aspect of the conjunction, it moves us forward in time. I liked the way the plane is called impulse, and plays to the zodiac sign of Aries. This has to be a considered a big breakthrough. I have noticed how 3D movies have been populating the screens too, everything is three dimensional and even my sky package has a new 3D channel. I will keep you all updated on other events which happen that are connected to the great conjunction. Maybe we have more exciting things to look forward to.

Pisces: The Ten Commandments

I will be writing a series of posts on the 10 deadly sins of each zodiac sign, and I am sure there are more evils we could all commit.  Don't forget that these descriptions are overly distorted and kind of like a caricature picture with over pronounced facial features. The interesting thing about astrology is that some of these character traits always come back round full circle and all can be in evidence at once in an individual. For example, Pisces, if they are alcoholics and addicted to drugs also lie and need to deceive others. They often need to hide their habit and refuse to face reality and in such a situation they can be taken advantage of by others, and take others for a ride. Under the influence they are not discriminating and are easily seduced. We can continually circle around the same problems once we are trapped in the maze of Piscean dilemmas.

1. Thou shall not live through compulsions such as alcoholism, drugs, and other means of escapism in an attempt to blur out reality. Pisces co-ruling planet is Jupiter and so there is a tendency to do things in excess. There is also dependence and co-dependency, with addictions that ravage both mental and physical health. The Disintegration of the personality often comes through experimenting with stimulants. Losing their sense of self in order to achieve a higher state of feeling. It is often also used as a way to forget about their daily problems.

2. Thou shall not be passive. Too much passiveness leads to self-destructiveness and ultimately self-undoing. Aimlessness with an addictive personality can be a lethal dose. Pisces at their worst tend to drift through life without concrete goals and end up achieving NOTHING. Here is a song that reminds me of Pisces when in this state.

3. Thou shall not escape into daydreams and therefore use the imagination (like those who use drugs) as a means of avoiding reality. Pisceans hate tedious and monotonous routines. Restrictions placed upon them make them feel trapped, limited and bound to the material world. The first reaction is to swim away and not deal with the problem. Practical matters tend to bore them and they find it difficult to face facts. They’re pulled between the spiritual world and the worldly one. Pisces often attempts to live in both worlds simultaneously. Although, dreaming is not a bad thing, sometimes they become overly self-indulgent in this fantasy world and not enough time is spent in the real world.

4. Thou shall not view life through rose coloured glasses. Sometimes Pisceans don’t have the clearest view of people, it’s not that their intuition is off, but a of lack discrimination when choosing friends and lovers can create a difficult situation. Thus, in extreme cases, they will give too much time and money away to hopeless losers. As a Piscean I do love cats and a pitiful meow has me wanting to take every stray cat home. However, you have to set limits to who you give your sympathy to regarding humans. Being so empathetic and such an emotional whirlpool perhaps describes why Piscean sympathies rarely run dry. They become an endless source for the type of people that don’t want to help themselves.

5. Thou shall not be taken advantage of. Out of all the signs Pisces has the worst reputation for being a doormat. It could be down to the fact that these types are easily manipulated, although some Piscean types have been found to play on the sympathies of others in the same way. The multiple sign’s gullibility and taking the bait too easily leads to them being easily lead on.

6 Thou shall not be a shape shifter and display a multiple personality. Since Pisces is the chameleon of the zodiac, they constantly change colour by absorbing the last person that they touched. Pisceans have the ability to identify with EVERYBODY and take on the qualities of others. They are like a giant sponge soaking up everything. Plus, those moods change rapidly and like the ocean that possesses a tranquil, sparkling and translucent nature the sea can turn murky and the emotions stormy.

7. Thou shall not be easily seduced, we are back to the discrimination factor and these types can be caught hook line and sinker. The worst often occurs in their over active imagination, but the sign is considered to be weak willed with a tendency to be easily swayed by their emotions rather than judging how healthy a situation is.

8. Thou shall not be confused; it’s not hard to spot this trait. The fish pulling in opposite directions represent this dichotomy. It is difficult for them to walk along a straight path when there are so many possibilities and clear headedness is difficult, usually a pocket of confusion exists somewhere in their life.

9. Thou shall not wallow in self-pity. Dissatisfaction, disillusionment and the inability to accept the real world can lead Pisceans to feel sorry for them-selves. Don’t forget their sympathy is boundless and maybe more so when it hits close to home. Get out of your “I need to suffer to serve” mentality. Sometimes Pisces will carry too much guilt. It is often not their personal responsibility but they tend to bear other peoples problems. Even on a collective level they may feel guilty for not doing enough. Virgo would say that, “every little helps” and sometimes that is enough. Pisces is prone to suffering far too easily and enduring things that they don’t need to experience.

10. Thou shall not be deceptive. It is often said that truth is a grey area and pretty subjective. Pisces have been given multiple answers at their disposal. How are they meant to give a straight answer? However, I won’t defend the downright deceitful or the emotional manipulators and those that seduce others into believing those lies.

Pluto Transits Moon: Death of Love, Father, Exposed and Abused

Pluto transits to the Moon offer us the opportunity to delve deeply into our feeling nature. The Moon rules the past, mother, family and early emotional bonds. The Moon also signifies the physical body and this transit may signify a time when we can go through massive physical changes, or hidden, undiagnosed health issues may rise to the surface. Motherhood and relationships with women can also be affected. It often indicates a time of grieving and dealing with all the psychological problems that haven't been dealt with in the past. Security is sometimes threatened through betrayal, loss, death, separation and pain. We might have to deal with taboo subjects such as abuse and death. Manipulative, dominating and abusive people may surface in our life, along with old issues that need to be resolved. Death forms on many different levels from the emotional, physical to the psychological death of our beliefs.


Domestic (Moon) Abuse (Pluto)

Elizabeth’s Taylor's first marriage was to Nicky Hilton, the heir to a hotel fortune. She married him when transiting Pluto conjoined Jupiter (chart ruler) in the 8th house of wealth. Jupiter-Pluto is symbolic of a large fortune, and in the 8th house it shows a merging of finances. Transiting Pluto also squared Liz’s natal Moon in Scorpio. Elizabeth later confessed that he was a heavy gambler and boozer and after they consummated the marriage on the third night, he became abusive, mentally and physically. On one occasion, when she was pregnant, he kicked her so hard in the stomach that she lost the baby. Pluto transits can indicate profound encounters and we can descend into the underworld. Moon-Pluto transits are often present when we are forced to face unhealthy and toxic behavioural patterns. There are powerful emotional confrontations, jealousy and abuse.

Dan Fogelberg is a singer-songwriter, composer and instrumentalist. In May 2004, he was was diagnosed with advanced prostate Cancer. He underwent therapy and achieved partial remission, which did not eliminate the Cancer but reduced it and stopped its spread. After battling Cancer for three years, he succumbed to the disease in 2007, he was 56 years old. The diagnosis of the Cancer occurred when transiting Pluto was at 21 degrees conjunct Moon and Chiron at 27 degrees. Chiron is symbolic of expereinces that we deem unfair and there are deep emotional issues that would have risen to the surface. Transiting Neptune was in the 8th house opposed his natal Sun-Pluto conjunction in Leo I have seen Neptune transits to the Sun when there is a period of illness. 

In 1952, Marilyn faced a scandal when one of her nude photo's was featured in a calendar. The old images appeared under the transit of Pluto opposite her Moon. In astrology, Pluto rules all things hidden and taboo and the Moon relates to the past, women and family. Secrets may surface and we might feel emotionally exposed at such a time. Transiting Jupiter also conjoined the M.C and so her reputation was enhanced. The exposure created more career opportunities (Jupiter/10th) due to the added publicity and the public felt sympathy for her, and this feeling is consistent with the transiting Neptune trines that dominated her chart.

Emotional Loss/Grieving Brad

End of a relationship and in mourning - Jennifer Anniston

At the time of the divorce from Brad Pitt, transiting Saturn squared natal Saturn on her Midheaven, and she is forced to look at long-term and permanent commitments. Saturn rules self-sufficiency and concrete goals. Decisions made at this time are often serious and have long-term consequences. Transiting Pluto is conjunct her natal Moon and Jennifer's emotions are extremely raw and powerful.  Moon-Pluto can signify feelings of betrayal, jealousy, vulnerability and purging of emotional attachments. It was also symbolic of the grieving process she was going through. Pluto transits are often coincident with the onset of depression and are also the catalyst for psychological growth and transformation. Pluto transits symbolize death and re-birth and letting go of security blankets. Jennifer had a poor relationship with her mother and she would have confronted those issues too. Changes in the domestic sphere also occur during this transition.

Gulian Pavarotti is the daughter of the great late opera singer. In 2007, when he died she was undergoing a transit of Pluto to her natal Moon. Pluto also squares the Saturn-Pluto opposition which is often a configuration that is seen when there is a death in the environment. The analysis of all the transits of a chart should be examined. When Pluto transits over the Moon, emotional issues are naturally intensified and once we clear ourselves and heal from our the grief, we may eventually see that we are made more aware of how we feel. It is like shedding old emotional baggage and renewing our emotional selves for the next leg of our unfolding journey.

Uranus Transits: 7th House

When Uranus transit’s the 7th house there can be dramatic changes in relationship and sudden making and breaking of partnerships. During this transit a marriage can go through some unsettling changes and divorce is sought. Sometimes the changes are exciting and liberating and it often happens quickly and unexpectedly. Some people experience love at first and get hitched. I met my partner when transiting Uranus was conjunct my seventh house cusp and we have been together for 7 years. Uranus transits in the 7th house don‘t always mean that a relationships is divorce prone or uncooperative at this time.

If we are in a current relationship we may feel alienated and no longer feel a close bond. Maybe others expectations of the relationship/marriage lasting forever are making ud feel trapped. Uranus transits usually indicate restlessness and the need for freedom and space, and a long-term marriage may experience a bout of frustration and will probably need to be taken to a new level to avoid it becoming stale. A breakthrough in the relationship is another possibility and normal patterns of relating are about to change. Often the people we attract are different and we learn how to relate differently. I joined an astrology group for the first time during this transit.

The purpose of this transit is to help us gain awareness of limiting patterns in relationships and to breakout of a rut. If we are staying together for the children's sake or because of financial reasons like a mortgage then the transit is likely to be far more challenging. We might find that one of us in the relationship is rebelling against the confines of societal expectations. A normal steady relationship is hard to maintain during this period, and sometimes it represent a time of plenty of change and flux in  a steady relationship and routines may be constantly shifting. A partner may begin behaving differently and therefore shatter the security element in the relationship.

I wouldn’t worry about acceptable definitions of partnership during this transit and try to learn how to be more flexible and progressive. The ability to cope with constant flux in the relationship during this seven-year stretch of Uranus is often needed. Whatever the scenario a certain amount of detachment and objectivity is helpful, and this doesn’t mean cold detachment, but a free-spirited attitude to social interactions. In all relationships, personal and public, expect the unexpected!

Uranus Transits: 6th House

When Uranus transit’s the 6th house, there can be sudden changes and breakthroughs at work. Erratic routines and daily habits change rapidly. The 6th house is an earth house and relates to work habits, health routines and employer-employee relationships. The material side of life will need to be understood on a totally different level. If you feel unsatisfied at work and loathe your job, now is the time to breakout out of working patterns and try something new and untested. Frustrated feelings are hard to digest and if you are caught in a situation that makes you feel trapped then it is time to shake things up and think about future possibilities. Perhaps you decide to quit work or lose a job unexpectedly. Work may even require you to learn more about computers and technology.

If working conditions are oppressive it is likely to stir up a rebellious attitude. Perhaps there are changes in the company and they are currently shifting and moving offices. It could take time for things to settle down again and feel ‘normal’. New working methods could be introduced that require you to be more flexible and step out of your old routine. This can frighten some and be uncomfortable. The opportunity is here to try new things and introduce a more revolutionary spirit into working practice. Self-employment could be something you consider at this time, or work in fields considered less traditional. Perhaps you want to do something that is completely different and it surprises everyone. When Uranus transit’s the 6th house it is sometimes associated with health problems which appear ’out of the blue’ or are unexplainable. Conventional ideas about the body do not apply now. Alternative health methods may be explored or even a new fitness routine.

Katoucha Niane: Astrology of Drowning

Katouche Niane was a French model nicknamed the Peul Princess she worked and authored books under the name “Katoucha”. As a child she was forced into exile after her father came under conflict with the Guinean President. She lived with her uncle in Mali, and at 17, married and had her first child. She has remained one of the best known models in France and recently worked as host of the television programme France’s Next Top Model.

Katouche lived in a houseboat on the Seine, near the Alexandra Bridge in Paris. On February 1, 2008, she returned to her houseboat from a party. This was the last time she was reportedly seen alive. On February 4, 2008, police opened a missing person’s case. Her purse was found untouched outside the door of the boat. Police believed that no foul play was involved and that she was likely intoxicated and fell into the Seine. Her body was found on February, 28, 2008. The 47-year old model is believed to have died from drowning.

I won’t colour the transit readings with any bias and I will quote the astrologers predictions for the event. No astrologer can predict the exact outcome of a transit and death cannot be predicted. However, the symbology of the planetary energy is present. I will refer only to the most relevant parts of the interpretation. The time of the drowning occurred under her Jupiter Return and transiting Jupiter was conjunct Sun and opposite Mars. See chart here for all the transits.

Sun-Jupiter "The person is overly expansive in judgement and may act spontaneously and impulsively. She forgets her limitations and thinks constantly of freedom and adventure. She may overextend herself in all areas of life. The person must be careful not to indulge in excessive food, drink or sensual pleasures." 

Mars- Jupiter: "Her ego expands and she lacks caution, moderation and restraint. The person’s judgment is affected by overpowering desires and she may behave impulsively and carelessly. The person has to be careful around machinery and explosives. Accidents are possible because the person is impatient and works too hurriedly."

Jupiter-Jupiter: Feelings of expansion increase and she is jovial, content, positive, and hopeful. She does things in a big way and is in danger of going overboard in her commitments because of idealism, self-satisfaction and confidence. The transit does not, of its own, cause a great deal to occur in the person’s outer world. If Jupiter is severely afflicted in the natal birth chart (she had Mars and Saturn aspecting natal Jupiter), then transiting Jupiter’s conjunction to natal Jupiter may only expand the inherent difficulties." James Braha, How To Predict Your Future, Secrets of Eastern and Western Astrology.

Saturn conjunct Pluto: "It defines investments, insurance, wills and joint finances, Assets and building estate. There can be a death in your environment and a definition of you personal power can be realised." Carol Rushman, Predictive Astrology

Neptune conjunct Venus: "We could find ourselves attracted to losers or victims, people who just can’t seem to get their lives together and look to us for emotional of financial support. Or we play the needy, weak one - the ailing hero or the damsel in distress - and look for a saviour to rescue us. However, the transiting square and opposition (and difficult aspected transiting conjunction) can ‘make’ us more gushy and sentimental than usual; we are so desperate for love and affection that we seek it anywhere we can find it, a situation could give rise to promiscuity or lack of discrimination in our choice of partners. The urge to transcend the mundane realities of life can also manifest itself in an inordinate amount of pleasure seeking, and frequently an over-indulgence in drugs and alcohol." Howard Sasportas. The God’s of Change.

Amityville Horror

On November 13th, Ronald DeFeo J.r. the son of a prestigious Italian family killed his parents and four younger siblings in Amityville, Long Island, U.S.A. The case is the inspiration for the book and film entitled The Amityville Horror. The day of the murders he burst into Henry’s Bar in Amityville, Long Island, New York and declared: “You got to help me! I think my mother and father are shot!” Defeo and a small group of people went to 112 Ocean Avenue, and found all six members of the same family dead in their beds. The victims were Ronald Defeo (43), Louise Defeo (42), and four children: Dawn (18); Alison (13); Marc (12); and John Mathew (9). All the victims were shot around 3.00 in the morning.

The following day after intensive interviews with police, Ronald DeFeo Jr. confessed to the killings. He told detectives, “Once I started, I just couldn’t stop. It went so fast.” Defeo’s trial began on October 14, 1975. His defence lawyer pleaded insanity, claiming that Robert heard voices in his head that urged him to carry out the killings. The insanity plea was supported by the psychiatrist for the defence. The psychiatrist for the prosecution, Dr. Harold Zolan, maintained that although Robert was a user of heroin and LSD, he had an anti-social personality disorder and was aware of his actions at the time of the crime. On November 21, 1975, Defeo was found guilty of six counts of second degree murder and was sentenced to six consecutive sentences of 25 years to life.

Haunted, Evil and Possessed

The house had been built-in 1928 on the site of old Indian graveyards, and was said to be haunted, evil and possessed by Indian spirits. Hans Holzer and his team began an investigation of the property on January, 13, 1977. The next people to move in, the Lutz family, moved out in 28 days. The natal chart of Defeo might hold some clues to his innate character and what triggered these murders. The horoscope shows: Sun opposite Jupiter, conjunct Saturn and square Chiron. Sun-Jupiter can have an excessively high self-opinion and exaggerated sense of inflation/self aggrandizement. Ronald's Sun in aspect to Saturn signifies he desperately needed to feel important. The Sun in the natal chart relates to the father and he may have felt that his individuality was not recognised. Saturn often symbolises a controlling and rigid father and one that may not have spent enough quality time with his son. He was unable to build a solid relationship with his eldest boy. Reports revealed that his father was an over-controlling, harsh and violent man.

The repercussions of this on his natural inner sensitivity to authority figures, rejection and criticism (Sun-Saturn) are that he looked for external reinforcement and feared his own insignificance. Ronald is a jovial character (Jupiter) and is someone ready to seize opportunities, but there is great fear of failure, and constant need to prove him self which was driven by a sense of personal inadequacy. Highly defensive, wounded (Chiron) and self-exaggerated, he swindled money from his family and was an unpredictable and reckless character.

Fierce Competitiveness

The difficult relationship with his father and abusive childhood may be shown by a Mars-Pluto conjunction in Leo. This contact displays great ruthlessness, fierce competitiveness and a deeply fixed nature and is sometimes indicative of a childhood where the youngster’s natural self-assertive instincts are blocked. It could be said that at some stage there was a feeling of powerlessness. Typically it is not always viewed in such a direct way through the personality and can show indirectly through depression, illness and self-destructiveness. Kylie Minogue is considered to have a pleasant and social personality and she also has a hard Mars-Pluto contact. Physically her sexuality is evident, however, the competitive instinct is less on show. The tiny pop star developed breast Cancer in 2005 and began the fight (Mars) for survival (Pluto). Whatever the contact, Mars-Pluto has a strong survival instinct and can fight tooth and nail with tremendous force. Margaret Thatcher (first lady PM in the U.K) also has a natal Mars-Pluto aspect and she had to be competitive in a field dominated by men. Mars-Pluto also relates to distrust in men and buried rage.

The Mars-Pluto conjunction in fixed Leo shows deep pride and attention seeking attitude. Personal desires are incredibly strong. The Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus cardinal T-square in his chart, represents a challenging, imbalanced but energetic combination. The resultant tension of the polarizing planets creates enormous pressure on the focal planet of the t-square. In Ronald’s T-square the apex planet is Uranus. And when the energy is acting destabilized the worst “character traits” of Uranus come to the fore. Therefore, his insecurity around his identity and relationships (Aries-Libra) can create disruptive, rebellious and wilful behaviour. Relationships are thrown out of balance and result in anti-social problems and breaking the law. The authority figure within (Saturn) was projected onto his father, police and other formal outside symbols. Jupiter and Saturn squaring Uranus also signify a rebellious spirit. The fiery rebellious nature dominated and he may have sided with Uranus and basically screwed all authority (Saturn). Defeo’s natal Sun-Saturn was difficult to integrate. Astrologers would advise him to become his own authority and not rely on outside symbols because they would not be forthcoming. Self-sufficiency, self-reliance and real sense of identity and worth comes from inside and through achieving success without external help.

The transits leading up the night of the murders reveal that Saturn had been passing over natal Uranus and setting off the stressful T-square. Transiting Neptune trine Jupiter was showing a sort of passive confidence, heightened fantasy and perhaps even delusion. Realism is less evident with this contact. Pluto was passing over his Sun-Saturn conjunction and in astrological terms indicated the time was ripe for self-transformation and confronting limitations. This particular planetary configuration can also mean death of father/authority figure or depression and obsession and unhealthy patterns formed. With this whole transit, he was literally thrown into the depths of his complexes and psychological motivations, and nothing is taken at face value. The need to dig into the core of his fatherly archetypal dilemma signified by natal Sun-Saturn is triggered. Howard Sasportas, transiting Pluto aspecting the Sun:

"In some cases, Pluto-Sun transits may indicate the father himself experiencing a difficult or disruptive period - illness, retirement, or various emotional and psychological crises. Sometimes these transits correlate to the death of father - an event that inevitably will have a profound effect on us. When a parent dies, all the old issues and conflicts surrounding that parent come to the surface. Feeling of anger and resentment or guilt to with the father will re-emerge." God’s of Change

The un-resolved conflicts re-emerging profoundly altered him and triggered his self-destructive behaviour. The man was possessed by Pluto. Astrologically Pluto signifies our inner demons, obsessions and compulsions. Perhaps he was overwhelmed with resentfulness towards his father, and rather than attempt to heal the pain, he chose to destroy it all.