Ed asked me to share this article on the blog here: A bit of media publicity for Chris Brennan, Patrick Watson and the Political Astrology Blog.
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US Election Astrology
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Moragh's day workshop at Evolution, 24th November
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Obama the Navigator
Some of you might remember me bringing in Obama's visual astrology chart when he first announced he was running for president, probably in 2006. He has Canopus as his rising star - the star that rises with the sun & the guiding star of his life. Canopus is the second brightest star in the sky but it doesn't rise this far north. His birth-place is much further south so Canopus rises there but, amazingly, is only the heliacal rising star for two days in the year - 4th & 5th August in the year of his birth.
I said back then that if Obama didn't win the election I thought he would have a significant role to play in other ways. Whilst I wouldn't want to detract from his win today, I think that his role as a navigator may only start when he leaves office. That might just be because I have a very low opinion of politics, of course. However, politicians are usually hamstrung by a variety of people and circumstances which mean they never quite achieve what they promise.
Canopus, by the way, is only the second brightest star in the sky because Sirius - the brightest - is very near to us. Canopus is a long way away but is immense. It's in the constellation of Argo Navis, a huge southern constellation which figures in many mythologies, reaching back into antiquity. Canopus himself was the chief pilot of Menelaus' fleet and died on his return from the Trojan War.
Obama has many other strong star contacts, by the way, which is hardly surprising.
I said back then that if Obama didn't win the election I thought he would have a significant role to play in other ways. Whilst I wouldn't want to detract from his win today, I think that his role as a navigator may only start when he leaves office. That might just be because I have a very low opinion of politics, of course. However, politicians are usually hamstrung by a variety of people and circumstances which mean they never quite achieve what they promise.
Canopus, by the way, is only the second brightest star in the sky because Sirius - the brightest - is very near to us. Canopus is a long way away but is immense. It's in the constellation of Argo Navis, a huge southern constellation which figures in many mythologies, reaching back into antiquity. Canopus himself was the chief pilot of Menelaus' fleet and died on his return from the Trojan War.
Obama has many other strong star contacts, by the way, which is hardly surprising.
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Mercury retrograde
As we reach the half-way point of Mercury's retrograde period, take a moment to reflect on what's happening here. Mercury (and Venus) being between the orbit of Earth and Sun appear to behave differently from the other planets. They have phases, like the Moon, and indeed if you're lucky enough to get a look at them through a telescope at certain points of the cycle, they appear as crescents rather than full disk.
Dane Rudhyar divided Mercury's cycle into four phases. The waxing phase – from inferior to superior conjunction – he called Promethean; the waning – from superior conjunction back to inferior – he called Epimethean. Prometheus was, of course, the Titan who stole fire from the gods and gave it to humans; his less famous brother is really only remembered through the story of Pandora's Box, so he's not looked upon very affectionately. Their names mean 'forethought' or 'foresight' and 'afterthought' or 'hindsight' respectively, although I don't think these terms fully explain the different manifestations of Mercury.
A waxing Mercury is adolescent: impetuous, eager and impulsive, but somewhat immature. They act first and think later. However, a waning Mercury is more reflective: they're concerned with long-term objectives and they like to weigh up all the evidence before making a decision.
At the beginning of the Mercury retrograde period, Mercury and the Sun are moving towards each other, to meet again at inferior conjunction. This is bringing a cycle of roughly four months to an end, using the insights gained to construct a new vision for the future. The nineteenth century mystic Ramakrishna, who taught that all religions led to the same goal – God – is an example of an Epimethean retrograde Mercury. (He had practised several different faiths himself, including Christianity and Islam).
Following the inferior conjunction, the still-retrograde Mercury begins to draw away from the Sun. As it does so, it looks to the future, eager to break free from social conventions or whatever else might seek to restrain its enthusiasm for the new. Aldous Huxley, author of 'Brave New World' – where anything old was considered to be of no value – is an example of a Prometheus retrograde Mercury.
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Death of World's Oldest Person
The death was announced this morning of the world's oldest person, Dina Manfredini – though of course, a successor has quickly stepped into her shoes. She was 115 years and 257 days old. She was the oldest recorded immigrant to the USA and she worked until she was 90 – but don't tell David Cameron that!
What interested me is that she's one of the very few people who've experienced a complete cycle of Mercury by progression. Think about that for a moment. Most of us will only ever experience a soli-lunar return by progression – several, probably, as the progressed lunation cycle is only about 29.5 years long. The Sun-Venus cycle – the only other one where you get the same kind of phases – is about 19 months or 594 days long, so to experience the complete cycle by progression would take around 594 years. But the Sun-Mercury cycle is a little under four months, or roughly 115 days long.
There are still relatively few people who reach this age, but their numbers are growing. Progressions are about the pattern you came in with at birth unfolding, and now a small but determined band are experiencing this cycle in full. And remember, one of Mercury's roles in mythology was psychopomp – guide and messenger between the heavens and the underworld. Which leads me to wonder whether there's a message for us in all this?
Dina Manfredini: 4 Apr 1897 (Pievepelago, Italy) – 17 Dec 2012 (Johnston, Iowa)
More details at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldest_people
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Astro-events 2013
2013 events
Times are either Greenwich Mean Time or British Summer Time.
January…………………………………………………………………………………….………
9th January(4.11am GMT) - Venus moves into Capricorn
11th January(7.45pm GMT) - New Moon @ 21⁰46' Capricorn
15th January(6.07am GMT) - Jupiter square Chiron, 6⁰43' Gemini-Pisces, 2/3
19th January(7.26am GMT) - Mercury moves into Aquarius
19th January(9.52pm GMT) - Sun moves into Aquarius
27th January(4.39am GMT) - Full Moon @ 7⁰24' Leo
30th January(11.38am GMT) - Jupiterstationsdirect @ 6°20’Gemini
February……………………………………………………………………………...………………
2nd February(1.54am GMT) - Mars moves into Pisces
2nd February(2.47am GMT) - Venus moves into Aquarius
5th February(2.56pm GMT) - Mercury moves into Pisces
10th February (7.21am GMT) - New Moon @ 21⁰43' Aquarius
18th February(12.02pm GMT) - Sun moves into Pisces
18th February(5.04pm GMT) - Saturnstationsretrograde @ 11°32'Scorpio
23rd February(9.42am GMT) - Mercurystationsretrograde @ 19°52' Pisces
25th February (8.27pm GMT) - Full Moon @ 7⁰24' Virgo
26th February(2.03am GMT) - Venus moves into Pisces
March…………………………………………………………………...…….………………….…….
8th March(8.04am GMT) - Saturn sextile Pluto
11th March(7.52pm GMT) - New Moon @ 21⁰24' Pisces
12th March (6.26am GMT) - Mars moves into Aries
17th March(5.20pm GMT) - Mercurystationsdirect @ 5⁰Pisces
20th March(11.02am GMT) - Sun moves into Aries
21st March(11.40am GMT) - Saturn trine Chiron (10°44' Scorpio-Pisces)
22nd March(3.16am GMT) - Venus moves into Aries
27th March(6.47am GMT) - Jupiter square Chiron, 11⁰05' Gemini-Pisces, 3/3
27th March(9.28am GMT) - Full Moon @ 6⁰52 Libra
31st March - (Sunday, 1am GMT) Clocks goforward 1 hour in the UK @ 1am, BST starts.
April…………………………………………………………………………………………...……….
4th April(1.50pm BST) Pluto sextile Chiron,11⁰34' Capricorn-Pisces,
10th April(10.36am BST) - New Moon @ 20⁰41' Aries
12th April(7.33pm BST) - Plutostationsretrograde @ 11°35'B Capricorn
14th April(3.37am BST) - Mercury moves into Aries
15th April(8.25am BST) - Venus moves into Taurus
19th April(11.04pm BST) - Sun moves into Taurus
20th April(12.49pm BST) - Mars moves into Taurus
25th April(8.57pm BST) - partial LunarEclipse (full moon) @ 5⁰45' Scorpio (conjunct my Nodes)
May……………………….……………………………………….………………………………….....
1st May(4.37pm BST) - Mercury moves into Taurus
9th May(4.04pm BST) - Venus moves into Gemini
10th May(1.28am BST) - annular Solar Eclipse (new moon) @ 19⁰31' Taurus - Saros Series 15 South
15th May(9.42pm BST) - Mercury moves into Gemini
20th May(10.10pm BST) - Sun moves into Gemini
20th May(11.22pm BST) - Uranus square Pluto 11⁰14' Aries-Capricorn (3rd of 7 hits)
25th May(5.25am BST) - appulse LunarEclipse (full moon) @ 4°08' Sagittarius
31st May(8.07am BST) - Mercury moves into Cancer
31st May(11.39am BST) - Mars moves into Gemini
June…………………………………………………………….……….………..…………….………..
3rd June - (3.13am BST) Venus moves into Cancer
7th June (9.27am BST) - Neptunestationsretrograde @ 5°22'MPisces
8th June(4.57pm BST) - New Moon @ 18°01' Gemini
12th June(12.19am BST) - Saturn trine Neptune (5°22’ Scorpio-Pisces) - 2/3 (1/3 was 11 Oct 2012)
16th June(9.01am BST) - Chironstationsretrograde
21st June(6.04am BST) - Sun moves into Cancer
23rd June(12.33pm BST) - Full Moon @ 2°10' Capricorn
26th June(2.40am BST) - Jupiter moves into Cancer
26th June(2.09pm BST) - Mercurystationsretrograde @ 23° Cancer
27th June(6.04pm BST) - Venus moves into Leo
July…………………………………………………………………….……………………..…..…..…..
8th July(6.13am BST) - Saturnstationsdirect @ 4°49' Scorpio
8th July(8.15am BST) - New Moon @ 16°18' Cancer
13th July(2.23pm BST) - Mars moves into Cancer (conjunct my Venus)
17th July(6.21pm BST) - Uranusstationsretrograde @ 12°31'x Aries
17th July(6.31pm BST) - Jupiter trine Saturn (4°53' Cancer-Scorpio), 1/3
18th July(1.17am BST) - Jupiter trine Neptune (4°57' Cancer-Pisces)
19th July(2.29pm BST) - Saturn trine Neptune (4°55' Scorpio-Pisces) - 3/3
20th July(7.23pm BST) - Mercurystationsdirect @ 13⁰22Cancer
22nd July(1.41pm BST) - Venus moves into Virgo
22nd July(4.56pm BST) - Sun moves into Leo
22nd July(7.17pm BST) - Full Moon @ 0°06' Aquarius (conjunct my Dsc)
August………………………………………………………………….….……………….…………
6th August(10.52pm BST) - New Moon @ 14°35' Leo
8th August(12.35am BST) - Jupiter opposite Pluto, 9⁰26' Cancer-Capricorn (1/3).
8th August(1.13pm BST) - Mercury moves into Leo
16th August(4.37pm BST) - Venus moves into Libra
21st August(2.46am BST) - Full Moon @ 28°11' Aquarius
21st August(8.15am BST) - Jupiter square Uranus, 12⁰03' Cancer-Aries (1/3).
21st August(9.56am BST) - Jupiter trine Chiron, 12⁰04' Cancer-Pisces
23rd August(12.02am BST) - Sun moves into Virgo
23rd August(11.37pm BST) - Mercury moves into Virgo
28th August(3.06am BST) - Mars moves into Leo
September…………………………………………………………………………....……….….……
5th September(12.37pm BST) - New Moon @ 13°04' Virgo
9th September(8.08am BST) - Mercury moves into Libra
11th September(7.16am BST) - Venus moves into Scorpio
19th September(12.14pm BST) - Full Moon @ 26°41' Pisces
20th September(4.27pm BST) - Plutostationsdirect @ 8⁰59' Capricorn
21st September(6.19am BST) - Saturn sextile Pluto,8⁰59' Scorpio-Capricorn(3/3).
22nd September(9.45pm BST) - Sun moves into Libra
29th September(12.39pm BST) - Mercury moves into Scorpio
October………………………………………………………………………………...….…..……
2nd October(10.39am BST) - Saturn trine Chiron(10°09' Scorpio-Pisces)
7th October (6.54pm BST) - Venus moves into Sagittarius
5th October (1.36am BST) - New Moon @ 11°56' Libra
15th October(12.06pm BST) - Mars moves into Virgo
19th October(12.39am BST) - Appulse Lunar Eclipse @ 25⁰45' Aries
21st October(11.23am BST) - Mercurystationsretrograde @ 18⁰23' Scorpio
23rd October(7.10am BST) - Sun moves into Scorpio
27th October(Sunday, 2am BST) Clocks goback 1 hour in the UK @ 2am, GMT starts.
28th October(11.00am GMT) - Pluto sextile Chiron,9⁰21' Capricorn-Pisces
November……………………………………………………………………..…………….……..…
1st November(11.14am GMT) - Uranus square Pluto 9⁰25' Aries-Capricorn (4th of 7 hits)
3rd November (12.51pm GMT) - Annular-Total Solar Eclipse @ 11⁰16' Scorpio, Saros Series 15 North
5th November(8.43am GMT) - Venus moves into Capricorn
7th November(5.04am GMT) - Jupiterstationsretrograde @ 20⁰30' Cancer
10th November(9.13pm GMT) - Mercurystationsdirect @ 2⁰30' Scorpio
13th November(6.44pm GMT) - Neptune stationsdirect @ 2⁰35' Pisces
17th November(3.17pm GMT) - Full Moon @ 25⁰26' Taurus(conjunct my Moon)
19th November(1.06pm GMT) - Chironstations direct @ 9⁰07' Pisces
22nd November(3.49am GMT) - Sun moves into Sagittarius
December…………………………………………………………...…………………...…………
3rd December(0.23am GMT) - New Moon @ 10⁰59' Sagittarius
5th December(2.43am GMT) - Mercury moves into Sagittarius
7thDecember(8.43pm GMT) – Mars moves into Libra
13th December(12.00am GMT) - Jupiter trine Saturn (18°27' Cancer-Scorpio), 2/3
17th December(9.29am GMT) - Full Moon @ 25⁰36' Gemini
17th December(3.38pm GMT) - Uranusstationsdirect @ 8⁰35' Aries
21st December(5.11pm GMT) - Sun moves into Capricorn
21st December(9.53pm GMT) - Venusstationsretrograde @ 28⁰59' Capricorn
24th December(10.13am GMT) - Mercury moves into Capricorn
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Obama - Second Inauguration
President Obama will be formally inaugurated as the President of the United States of America on Monday 21 January 2013 at 12 Noon. The following chart shows the astrological picture in Washington DC at this time.
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Obama - Second Inauguration
On most occasions, the Presidential inauguration will occur on 20 January. However, the ceremony is not conducted on Sundays. Hence, President Obama will be sworn in on Monday 21 January this year. Obama's first inauguration took place on 20 January 2009, with the angles at 14 TA 03 (ASC) and 26 CP 09 (MC).
This date - 20 January - has been used since 1937 for most Presidential inaugurations. The date was changed in the Twentieth Amendment of the United States Constitution on on 23 January 1933.
Section One of the Amendment says:
"Section 1. The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin."
This makes inauguration charts interesting because the angles for the occasion remain more or less the same, symbolically, from ceremony to ceremony. Of course, the actual swearing in may occur at a slightly different time from noon depending on delays etc.
(I am using the date, noon time and the MC degree as a symbolic device for interpreting the archetypal significance of the Presidential office itself, and the specific chart associated with this time as an indicator of the significance of the particular Presidential term.)
The first inauguration on 20 January was for F D Roosevelt. This occurred in 1937, four years after the Amendment to the Constitution. At the time of this inauguration, Pluto had just completed a lengthy transit of the degrees opposite the Presidential MC from Cancer. The Amendment was made just before Uranus made a square from Aries to the Presidential MC.
This makes the upcoming transit of Pluto to the Presidential 'MC' in late Capricorn a potentially challenging time for the incumbent elected in 2020 and sworn in in 2021. This Pluto transit will occur during 2020-2022.
Uranus will transit square the Presidential MC from late Aries from mid-2017 to mid-2018. The combination of the Uranus transit and the forthcoming Pluto transit, both to the Presidential MC, suggests the office may be subject to a high degree of change and transformation during the five years from 2017.
Both planets were prominently involved during the period of time between the enactment of the Twentieth Amendment in 1933, and its implementation with F D R's second inauguration in 1937.
Neptune transited the Presidential MC during 1996, the last year of Clinton's first term.
For an interesting perspective from Hellenistic astrologer Chris Brennan, on whether Obama's term starts on 20 January 2013, or 21 January 2013, see:
http://politicalastrologyblog.com/2013/01/16/obamas-second-inauguration-charts/
In my view, there may be a case for saying that there will be an inner Presidency (20 January 2013) and an outer or public Presidency (21 January 2013). The inner Presidency may be faced with great conflict (Moon square Mars), whilst the public Presidency, declared in the ceremony on Monday, may be popular and apparently successful (Moon conjunct Jupiter, trine Sun conjunct Mercury - see chart above).
The enactment of the public ritual of inauguration on Monday 21 January 2013 lends this date great power in the imaginations of the American people, and it may reflect a broad popular view of Obama's second term.
It is worth noting that Obama re-took the Oath following his first inauguration because of concerns that a small mistake my lead to his political legitimacy being contested.
For more information, please see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twentieth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_inauguration
http://www.astrologyweekly.com/data-archive/us-presidential-inauguration-dates.php
This date - 20 January - has been used since 1937 for most Presidential inaugurations. The date was changed in the Twentieth Amendment of the United States Constitution on on 23 January 1933.
Section One of the Amendment says:
"Section 1. The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin."
This makes inauguration charts interesting because the angles for the occasion remain more or less the same, symbolically, from ceremony to ceremony. Of course, the actual swearing in may occur at a slightly different time from noon depending on delays etc.
(I am using the date, noon time and the MC degree as a symbolic device for interpreting the archetypal significance of the Presidential office itself, and the specific chart associated with this time as an indicator of the significance of the particular Presidential term.)
The first inauguration on 20 January was for F D Roosevelt. This occurred in 1937, four years after the Amendment to the Constitution. At the time of this inauguration, Pluto had just completed a lengthy transit of the degrees opposite the Presidential MC from Cancer. The Amendment was made just before Uranus made a square from Aries to the Presidential MC.
This makes the upcoming transit of Pluto to the Presidential 'MC' in late Capricorn a potentially challenging time for the incumbent elected in 2020 and sworn in in 2021. This Pluto transit will occur during 2020-2022.
Uranus will transit square the Presidential MC from late Aries from mid-2017 to mid-2018. The combination of the Uranus transit and the forthcoming Pluto transit, both to the Presidential MC, suggests the office may be subject to a high degree of change and transformation during the five years from 2017.
Both planets were prominently involved during the period of time between the enactment of the Twentieth Amendment in 1933, and its implementation with F D R's second inauguration in 1937.
Neptune transited the Presidential MC during 1996, the last year of Clinton's first term.
For an interesting perspective from Hellenistic astrologer Chris Brennan, on whether Obama's term starts on 20 January 2013, or 21 January 2013, see:
http://politicalastrologyblog.com/2013/01/16/obamas-second-inauguration-charts/
In my view, there may be a case for saying that there will be an inner Presidency (20 January 2013) and an outer or public Presidency (21 January 2013). The inner Presidency may be faced with great conflict (Moon square Mars), whilst the public Presidency, declared in the ceremony on Monday, may be popular and apparently successful (Moon conjunct Jupiter, trine Sun conjunct Mercury - see chart above).
The enactment of the public ritual of inauguration on Monday 21 January 2013 lends this date great power in the imaginations of the American people, and it may reflect a broad popular view of Obama's second term.
It is worth noting that Obama re-took the Oath following his first inauguration because of concerns that a small mistake my lead to his political legitimacy being contested.
For more information, please see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twentieth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_inauguration
http://www.astrologyweekly.com/data-archive/us-presidential-inauguration-dates.php
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Kieron Le Grice talk at the Consciousness Cafe in Totnes
I've recently been in contact with Kieron Le Grice and found out that he is giving a talk down here in the South West. Some of the Exeter Group, and indeed Plymouth and Totnes, might want to attend. Thursday 28th March 2013, at the Consciousness Cafe in Totnes, 7.30pm for 8pm. Finishes at 10pm. Donation only and the venue has recently moved to the Function Room of the Dartmouth Inn, Warlands, Totnes.
If you are coming please confirm by emailing Wendy: <wendystt997@googlemail.com>
Dr Keiron Le Grice on ‘Rediscovering the Gods: Archetypal Astrology as a Guide to Psychospiritual Transformation’
Individuation, as described by Carl Jung, is a process of deep psychological transformation leading the individual towards the realization of the Self—the organizing center and the totality of the psyche. As Jung and Joseph Campbell have demonstrated, the sequence of transformations occurring during individuation is symbolically portrayed by myths of the hero’s journey. In this discussion, by exploring connections between archetypal themes in human experience and particular planetary alignments in astrology, he will present the case that astrology can be used to help illuminate the dynamics of individuation, serving as a guide to one’s own heroic journey.
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Keiron is a guest lecturer in Jungian and Archetypal Studies at the Pacifica Graduate Institute, California, and adjunct faculty in the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness program at the California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco. He is the author of The Archetypal Cosmos: Rediscovering the Gods in Myth, Science and Astrology and Discovering Eris: The Symbolism and Significance of a New Planetary Archetype. He is also founding editor of Archai: The Journal of Archetypal Cosmology. His latest book, The Rebirth of the Hero: Mythology as a Guide to Spiritual Transformation, will be released later this year. Keiron currently lives in Wales with his wife and son.
If you are coming please confirm by emailing Wendy: <wendystt997@googlemail.com>
Dr Keiron Le Grice on ‘Rediscovering the Gods: Archetypal Astrology as a Guide to Psychospiritual Transformation’
Individuation, as described by Carl Jung, is a process of deep psychological transformation leading the individual towards the realization of the Self—the organizing center and the totality of the psyche. As Jung and Joseph Campbell have demonstrated, the sequence of transformations occurring during individuation is symbolically portrayed by myths of the hero’s journey. In this discussion, by exploring connections between archetypal themes in human experience and particular planetary alignments in astrology, he will present the case that astrology can be used to help illuminate the dynamics of individuation, serving as a guide to one’s own heroic journey.
Keiron is a guest lecturer in Jungian and Archetypal Studies at the Pacifica Graduate Institute, California, and adjunct faculty in the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness program at the California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco. He is the author of The Archetypal Cosmos: Rediscovering the Gods in Myth, Science and Astrology and Discovering Eris: The Symbolism and Significance of a New Planetary Archetype. He is also founding editor of Archai: The Journal of Archetypal Cosmology. His latest book, The Rebirth of the Hero: Mythology as a Guide to Spiritual Transformation, will be released later this year. Keiron currently lives in Wales with his wife and son.
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Oscar Pistorius
Quote “You're not disabled by the disabilities you have, you are able by the abilities you have"
Oscar Pistorius Natal Chart
Fascinating chart! Ascendant and all personal planets are in fixed signs suggesting incredible strength and tenacity. Following the recent charges of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine’s Day there is no surprise to find a Scorpio stellium at the height of the chart around the MC.(Hero to Murderer overnight!) Karmically, the Sun is on the degree of atonement for Scorpio, (exact midpoint of Pluto and Uranus), Venus is Retrograde in Scorpio (Detriment) and Mercury is at the height of its station in Scorpio. Publicly he has endured years of political battling to fight for the right as a disabled athlete to compete in able-bodied competition. On a personal level it could be imagined that there would be karmic themes around misuse of power and control within volatile relationships. This is further emphasised by Natal Pluto conjunct Venus, Square Moon in Leo. Over-dramatic behaviour may not be uncommon in his relationships displayed by power struggles or violent outbursts. He was previously charged in September 2009 of the assault on a friend.(Charges later dropped). He is quoted as saying his much loved mother had the most influence on his life and he has her birth and death dates tattooed on his inner arm. However the difficult aspects to his Moon may have deeply affected his ability to relate. With such significant energies in Scorpio there may be a fascination with death, sex and a strong survival instinct. Neptune is connected too, being inconjunct Moon and sextile Venus. This could indicate themes of loss or lack of trust with loved ones possibly resulting in intense jealousy and frustrated efforts to try and control events by controlling them.
With Moon in Leo out-of-sign trine Sun in Scorpio the immediate impression is one of tremendous energy and internal resource having immense power to influence people. Additionally Mars in Aquarius in a tight square to the Sun (1st to 10th House) suggest a determined character capable of creating action and reaction in their wake. On the negative side this could result in impatience and recklessness (he was charged in Feb 2009 of reckless driving and crashing of a boat, resulting in Pistorius being hospitalised with facial injuries). On the positive side, this placement could suggest the drive for equality and human rights of disabled people. A deeply complex individual with strong intense emotions & maybe capacity to punish themself with equal intensity. There is suggestion of enormous power of will and self-control, but negatively this could be displayed in ruthless behaviour in pursuing what the mind is set on.(for example success, power & fame) This placement may also be symbolised by Oscar’s interest in firearms. Pluto and Mercury are conjunct the MC suggesting a enthusiasm and magnetism, a compelling communicator with a penchant for leadership.
Tattoo on back is the Bible verse 1 Corinthians 9:26:
“I do not run like a man running aimlessly”
Disabled from birth, Pistorius has his Chart Ascendant in Aquarius,a natural outsider both seen as and experiencing the world in an unusual way. The ruler Uranus is in Sagittarius in the 11th house opposite Chiron in Gemini in the 5th is interesting and forms a T square with Jupiter in Pisces in the 2nd house. Forming normal friendships may not have been easy as there may have been a sense of somehow being different to others and there is some suggestion of wounds around love affairs. The Jupiter in Pisces placement suggests a vulnerability to being hurt and at 13 degrees is both Square to Uranus and to Saturn in Sagittarius. The further placement of the Saturn on the 11th house cusp further adds speculation to potential difficulties in forming friendships. This T Square was significantly hit by transits on his mother’s death
It could be imagined that with Jupiter Trine to Mercury and Pluto a defence mechanism for any hurts and insecurities could be obsessive manipulation and control.
As a second chart ruler Saturn draws in Sun and Uranus as it is exactly midpoint. Pistorius’s father left home when he was 6 years old. Transiting Saturn that year moved over and then retrograde over his ascendant in Aquarius. Saturn is also significant in transit in the death of his mother where it was exactly inconjunct to the MC/IC Axis opposite its natal self and inconjunct to Pluto: pretty heavy stuff!
At the time of the alleged murder of his girlfriend transiting Saturn was conjunct to and at the midpoint of natal Mercury and Pluto.
Oscar Pistorius & Reeva Steenkamp Synastry
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With Reeva’s Mars exactly conjunct Oscar’s Moon she would have had a profound emotional effect on him. With her Mars in Leo in midpoint trine to Natal Jupiter and Uranus in Sagittarius it could be guessed that she could have been feisty in matters of independence and fairness. This Mars placement plugs into Pistorius’s emotional own possible obsessions around relating. (Moon Sqare Venus & Pluto). Her Sun and Venus fall in his 7th house and he would have experienced her as a potential true life partner. However Reeva’s Sun is opposite Oscar’s Mars and Square his Sun. This could have made for strong attraction but for a fiery relationship. Further unpredictability in the relationship are suggested by the placement of Reeva’s Uranus at the midpoint of Oscar’s Sun and Saturn. Karmically Reeva’s South Node is exactly conjunct Oscars Uranus and her North Node is conjunct his Chiron suggesting the shocking events of Valentine Day will never heal either of them. Incredibly, Reeva’s Venus is also retrograde and sextile to Oscar’s retrograde Venus. (Since Venus is retrograde only every 18 months for 6 weeks the probability that 2 people both have retrograde Venus let alone in close aspect to each is very slim.) This would suggest a karmic connection between them on the surface experienced by harmonious tastes and shared values. However Reeva’s Venus is additionally square Oscar’s Sun and she may have experienced his personality as overpowering at times and he may have felt that he was losing his identity with her.
Both her retrograde Venus and her Mercury in Virgo activate Pistorius’s Mutable T square between Saturn, Uranus, Chiron and Jupiter. As her birth time is unknown, Reeva’s Moon could be anywhere between 4 and 15 degrees Capricorn. It is likely that her Moon was conjunct his Neptune, if so there may have been themes around idolisation, martyrdom, deception and trust.
Oscar Pistorius and Transits of the Alleged Murder
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According to neighbours they heard angry shouting at the home of Oscar Pistorius and then 4 gunshots at about 4am. (Transit Chart has been elected for 4am ). It has been reported that Reeva was shot through the bathroom door. Oscar’s defence Lawyers are contesting a case of mistaken identity whilst the prosecution will be arguing a case of premeditated murder.
What is striking about the event chart that there are similarities to the one for the death of his mother. In this one the mutable T square is activated again with Transiting Mercury exactly conjunct his Natal Jupiter and Transiting Mercury.Mars and Chiron are Square Oscar’s Natal Saturn. This may suggest that Oscar’s buttons may have been pressed in themes of old wounds, insecurities and possibly mistrust. Again in this event chart like the death of his mother his Mars Sun Square is being activated in this case by the conjunction of the Sun. (The Sun at this time was also exactly opposite Reeva’s Natal Sun to the degree.) As previously mentioned transiting Saturn had entered the 10th house midpoint to Oscar’s Natal sun & Mercury in Scorpio again possibly triggering insecurities and dark themes.(Sex / Power / Control) With the transiting Nodal axis falling in his 10th house too there is no surprise that his true personality has come under the attention and scrutiny of the World.
Oscar Pistorius & The Future
At the present time the future looks bleak for Oscar Pretorius if found guilty he could be jailed for life. His Nodal Axis suggests a life path endeavouring to communicate his true self-identity (North Node 18 degrees Aries in the 3rd house) and this will receive considerable stress from transiting Pluto and Uranus over the next few years. Additionally Pluto will be entering into a 20+ year stint in the 12th house - maybe a time for considerable psychological growth.At the moment there is no suggestion of drugs or alcohol being involved in the valentine's day events.However Oscar's natal Venus is sextile his Neptune suggesting there may be such a theme within his relationships. His progressed chart is fascinating, with Mars exactly conjunct Jupiter at 15 degrees Pisces square a stellium of planets in Sagittarius and opposite Chiron in Gemini, once again triggering the natal mutable T-square. Does he attract / is attracted to partners with strong Neptune qualities ? (Reeva had a tight Sun Trine Neptune) & if so does this make him feel out of control? However, whatever transgresses one gets the impression that there is yet much more to come in the fascinating story of this unusual young man.
Asked once about his chief ambition by the Financial Times he replied:
With Reeva’s Mars exactly conjunct Oscar’s Moon she would have had a profound emotional effect on him. With her Mars in Leo in midpoint trine to Natal Jupiter and Uranus in Sagittarius it could be guessed that she could have been feisty in matters of independence and fairness. This Mars placement plugs into Pistorius’s emotional own possible obsessions around relating. (Moon Sqare Venus & Pluto). Her Sun and Venus fall in his 7th house and he would have experienced her as a potential true life partner. However Reeva’s Sun is opposite Oscar’s Mars and Square his Sun. This could have made for strong attraction but for a fiery relationship. Further unpredictability in the relationship are suggested by the placement of Reeva’s Uranus at the midpoint of Oscar’s Sun and Saturn. Karmically Reeva’s South Node is exactly conjunct Oscars Uranus and her North Node is conjunct his Chiron suggesting the shocking events of Valentine Day will never heal either of them. Incredibly, Reeva’s Venus is also retrograde and sextile to Oscar’s retrograde Venus. (Since Venus is retrograde only every 18 months for 6 weeks the probability that 2 people both have retrograde Venus let alone in close aspect to each is very slim.) This would suggest a karmic connection between them on the surface experienced by harmonious tastes and shared values. However Reeva’s Venus is additionally square Oscar’s Sun and she may have experienced his personality as overpowering at times and he may have felt that he was losing his identity with her.
Both her retrograde Venus and her Mercury in Virgo activate Pistorius’s Mutable T square between Saturn, Uranus, Chiron and Jupiter. As her birth time is unknown, Reeva’s Moon could be anywhere between 4 and 15 degrees Capricorn. It is likely that her Moon was conjunct his Neptune, if so there may have been themes around idolisation, martyrdom, deception and trust.
Oscar Pistorius and Transits of the Alleged Murder
According to neighbours they heard angry shouting at the home of Oscar Pistorius and then 4 gunshots at about 4am. (Transit Chart has been elected for 4am ). It has been reported that Reeva was shot through the bathroom door. Oscar’s defence Lawyers are contesting a case of mistaken identity whilst the prosecution will be arguing a case of premeditated murder.
What is striking about the event chart that there are similarities to the one for the death of his mother. In this one the mutable T square is activated again with Transiting Mercury exactly conjunct his Natal Jupiter and Transiting Mercury.Mars and Chiron are Square Oscar’s Natal Saturn. This may suggest that Oscar’s buttons may have been pressed in themes of old wounds, insecurities and possibly mistrust. Again in this event chart like the death of his mother his Mars Sun Square is being activated in this case by the conjunction of the Sun. (The Sun at this time was also exactly opposite Reeva’s Natal Sun to the degree.) As previously mentioned transiting Saturn had entered the 10th house midpoint to Oscar’s Natal sun & Mercury in Scorpio again possibly triggering insecurities and dark themes.(Sex / Power / Control) With the transiting Nodal axis falling in his 10th house too there is no surprise that his true personality has come under the attention and scrutiny of the World.
Oscar Pistorius & The Future
At the present time the future looks bleak for Oscar Pretorius if found guilty he could be jailed for life. His Nodal Axis suggests a life path endeavouring to communicate his true self-identity (North Node 18 degrees Aries in the 3rd house) and this will receive considerable stress from transiting Pluto and Uranus over the next few years. Additionally Pluto will be entering into a 20+ year stint in the 12th house - maybe a time for considerable psychological growth.At the moment there is no suggestion of drugs or alcohol being involved in the valentine's day events.However Oscar's natal Venus is sextile his Neptune suggesting there may be such a theme within his relationships. His progressed chart is fascinating, with Mars exactly conjunct Jupiter at 15 degrees Pisces square a stellium of planets in Sagittarius and opposite Chiron in Gemini, once again triggering the natal mutable T-square. Does he attract / is attracted to partners with strong Neptune qualities ? (Reeva had a tight Sun Trine Neptune) & if so does this make him feel out of control? However, whatever transgresses one gets the impression that there is yet much more to come in the fascinating story of this unusual young man.
Asked once about his chief ambition by the Financial Times he replied:
“I’d like to have a career without regrets. No, what I really mean is that I’d like a life without regrets. I’d like a life in which I made the most of my God-given talents and died without regrets......................"
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Pope Francis
Pope Francis: 17 December 1936, no birth time, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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| Noon chart (time unknown). Click to enlarge. |
Here are my thoughts on the new Pope Francis. No birth-time has emerged for him, so I'm going to make some observations based on the planetary noon positions only. They're not all-encompassing, they're what interested me, and I've included minor planets that appear in significant positions and seem to add to the picture.
Firstly, to state the obvious, Francis' Sun is in late Sagittarius (25Sa31), conjunct the North Node (24Sa16R) and the Galactic Centre (25Sa58). Sagittarius is a good sign for a Pope (philosopher-priest) and this position would seem to be particularly powerful. The North Node here suggests that this was always going to be his direction of travel. Add to that the fact that Quaoar (pronounced 'kwah-war') was at 25Sa29 when Francis stepped out onto the balcony to greet the crowds, incidentally at 20:12 local time on 13th March. Now, Quaoar was the name given to the creative force by the Tongva people of Southern California. Not officially a planet but a Trans-Neptunian or Kuiper Belt Object, Quaoar seems to support harmonious revolution, helping us surrender to the creative forces governing life and death. Additionally, it inspires us to acknowledge the sacredness of life and respect the natural order. Astronomically, its orbit is virtually circular and is only slightly tilted to the ecliptic plane, unlike most other Kuiper Belt objects. This suggests it has a far gentler and more balanced influence than many of its companions. Because Quaoar moves slowly, it's been on this point for some time and will hang around there for a while yet. It suggests a benign and positive influence on the Pope at the time of his election.
There's a loose conjunction between the Sun and Jupiter-Ceres, which are in Capricorn – Jupiter at 3Cp27 and Ceres at 4Cp31. Again, this would seem a very appropriate combination for a Pope: the philosopher-priest alongside Mother Church, with Ceres' glyph also resembling the bishop's crook. The fact that Jupiter and Mercury (11Cp14) are both in Capricorn suggests a conservative mindset (not unusual among holders of high office in the Catholic Church), but as a Jesuit he's likely to have independence of mind and a radical social conscience that transcends the usual dualities of left and right or traditional and liberal.
Both Mercury and Venus (7Aq09) rise after the Sun, so are evening stars. This indicates that Francis is reflective rather than impulsive in both his intellectual and emotional response to issues. He'll take his time to think things through, and won't be hurried into making decisions.
Returning to the Jupiter-Ceres conjunction, this is being squared by Eris (2Ar50) and opposed by Makemake (6Ca38). Both these have dwarf planet status. Makemake was the creator-god of Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Every year the islanders held a competition to see who would be the first to get a sea swallow egg from a precarious breeding site at the tiny islet of Moto Nui. This was a high-adventure contest, requiring contestants to traverse dangerous cliffs and swim through shark-infested waters. Needless to say, not all contestants survived. I chuckled when I read this. Okay, maybe the conclave was not quite as dangerous as this, but I'm sure it was still quite an ordeal.
Astrologers are still getting to know Makemake, but some suggestions for what he symbolises are:
- leadership as protector and provider for the people (Francis is the Good Shepherd of his Flock);
- proper use of resources, both natural and financial (until we discovered them, the Easter islanders were managing very well on a small speck of land in a vast ocean with no natural source of fresh water. At one time, their population was as high as 13,000. After we'd carried some of them off into slavery and given smallpox to the rest, it was reduced to 111. It's now back to around 5,000. Population control is, of course, one of the contentious issues that Catholicism has to deal with);
- heeding the signs of the times and creating environmental conditions supportive of a healthy, prosperous and abundant life for all souls (not sure that the Pope will embrace environmentalism, but as the Good Shepherd he should be concerned with the welfare of those in his care, in every sense. He must also heed the concerns about priestly misdeeds and the like, because the Church is so badly damaged by the various scandals swirling around it).
So Makemake is opposite Jupiter and Ceres. He has won the greatest prize, but perhaps it'll be a bit of a poisoned chalice. We're hearing about some possible dark deeds in his past (but then, after 76 years on this earth it'd be surprising if there weren't any). More important are all the controversies facing the Catholic Church. Square to both of these father-god figures (at 2Ar50) is Eris, Goddess of Strife and Discord. Eris is a Daughter of Night. Her fury knows no bounds. Feeling slighted when she was the only goddess not invited to a wedding (would you invite Strife to your wedding?), she set in motion events that eventually led to the Trojan War. That's taking things to extremes! This is the rage and fury of the victims of the Church. Eris is also about natural justice (and has been suggested as the ruler of Libra). This is something that Francis will have to deal with, especially as Eris is currently at 21Ar58 – opposite his natal Mars (19Li17). Some say that Mars and Eris were siblings, by the way. Unlike Quaoar, Eris has a very eccentric orbit. She's inclined to the ecliptic by 45o(we used to think Pluto's inclination of 17o was extreme) and her path is so elliptical it takes her in as far Neptune's orbit at one extreme and out into the unknown regions beyond the Kuiper Belt at the other. She is virtually at her furthest from us at the moment, and as a result she'll spend around 120-130 years in Aries. That's why Francis' Eris is only on 2Ar50, despite her having first entered Aries in 1922. Again, Eris is operating very much on a collective level and one that goes beyond a single generation. It's perhaps not surprising therefore that Francis, as Head of the Church, has Eris in such a prominent position. He has to put the Church on a path that will ensure its survival well into the future – it's not a sticking-plaster job.
The Saturn-Neptune opposition (at 16Pi29-18Vi57 respectively) can be interpreted in a number of ways. It could represent the growing struggle between faith and materialism during Francis' lifetime. He wasn't a supporter of liberation theology (a very Neptunian concept!) but he wasn't keen on the relentless advance of market societies, either. There again it could be the practical demonstration of his faith and compassion (such as washing the feet of AIDS sufferers). It could even represent the presence of both science and religion in his life: he trained as a chemist initially, and later went on to teach theology. His progressed Sun at the time he became Pope was at 12Pi52 – about 2.5-3 years away from his natal Saturn. I wonder if this suggests anything about the length of his papacy?
Some final thoughts (not necessarily astrological ones):
Back to Jupiter again. Does Jupiter in Capricorn represent his simple lifestyle? I know Jupiter is usually associated with good living rather than austerity, but Capricorn has a miserly side to it. I like the way he got on the bus with the rest of the cardinals after his election, and when he turned up at his lodgings to settle the bill the following day. Somehow I can't see Benedict doing that. By the way, everyone assumed he'd taken the name Francis because, like St Francis of Assisi, he lived a simple and humble life. However, he's a Jesuit, not a Franciscan. It's just as likely that he took the name in memory of St Francis Xavier, one of the early Jesuits who did missionary work in Asia and who was canonised on 12thMarch 1622 (the conclave began on 12th March). Nevertheless, the message Francis of Assisi received from God does seem very apt: 'Francis, rebuild my Church. It is in ruins.'
And in case you're wondering how he stands regarding the prophecies of Malachy, the final pope on the list is Petrus Romanus and has often been referred to as the Black Pope. Indeed, many were expecting a black pope this time. Well, whilst this title didn't apply to Francis himself as he wasn't their leader, the head of the Jesuit order is known colloquially as 'the black pope.'
Update 16/03/13: At a press conference today, he confirmed he took his name from St Francis of Assisi and - for probably the first time in the Church's history - the Pope said it should be a 'Church for the Poor.' He also said that humanity 'was not having a good relationship with Nature at the moment' so maybe he'll take more of an interest in the environment than I thought. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21812545
Update 16/03/13: At a press conference today, he confirmed he took his name from St Francis of Assisi and - for probably the first time in the Church's history - the Pope said it should be a 'Church for the Poor.' He also said that humanity 'was not having a good relationship with Nature at the moment' so maybe he'll take more of an interest in the environment than I thought. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21812545
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Annual Spring Seminar - Nick Campion, on Astrology, History and Horoscopes. Some photos from the day.
PHOTOS FROM THE DAY.
As per request, here are a few photos from our annual spring seminar, held Saturday 20th April 2013 at the Friends Meeting House here in Exeter. Dr Nick Campion spent the day talking to us on "Astrology, History and Horoscopes"
It was lovely to see everyone, and to see several new faces, and the day went very well. Thanks very much to Nick and to all of you who came along!
As per request, here are a few photos from our annual spring seminar, held Saturday 20th April 2013 at the Friends Meeting House here in Exeter. Dr Nick Campion spent the day talking to us on "Astrology, History and Horoscopes"
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| Nick Campion. Click to enlarge image. |
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| Click to enlarge image. |
It was lovely to see everyone, and to see several new faces, and the day went very well. Thanks very much to Nick and to all of you who came along!
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27 Club charts.
Richard Burch gave an interesting talk on Sunday 8th September 2013 about the infamous '27 Club' - musicians who died at that age. The six were (in order of birth date): Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janice Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse. Without going into all the details here, but for those who attended, here are the charts of the 6 musicians and also bi-wheels of the birth charts with transits for the time of their deaths, . Click on the images for a larger version.
Note, the age of 27 coincides with the progressed lunar return - when the secondary progressed Moon comes back to the same position as it is when born. Richard looked at this and reported that all the secondary progressed lunar returns were within 3-6 degrees of orb at the time of death. Richard's talk highlighted the importance of the Moon in the 6 charts - most were either in dignity (Moon in Cancer) or in exaltation (Moon in Taurus). The group noticed during the talk that the nodal axes also seem to be prominent in the charts - in 4 cases being across the Asc/Dsc axis, and in the other two cases involved in aspect patterns. And at this age generally the transiting node is also at it's half-return - so transiting North Node will be on natal South Node and vice versa. This was much closer for some of the group than others, notable Amy Winehouse. LOTS of food for thought and further study here.
These are the transits for the deaths of the six musicians (again, click for a larger image):
Brian Jones drowned in a swimming pool at around midnight on the night of 2/3 July 1969.
Wikipedia:* "At around midnight on the night of 2/3 July 1969, Jones was discovered motionless at the bottom of his swimming pool at Cotchford Farm. His Swedish girlfriend, Anna Wohlin, was convinced Jones was alive when he was taken out of the pool insisting he still had a pulse. However, by the time the doctors arrived it was too late and he was pronounced dead. The coroner's report stated "death by misadventure" and noted his liver and heart were heavily enlarged by drug and alcohol abuse."
Jimi Hendrix - details of his death, from Wikipedia:
Janice Joplin - details of her death, from Wikipedia:
"On October 4, 1970, producer Paul A. Rothchild became concerned when Joplin failed to show up at Sunset Sound Recorders for a recording session. Full Tilt Boogie's road manager, John Cooke, drove to the hotel Janis was staying at (Landmark Motor Hotel in West Hollywood). He saw Joplin's psychedelically painted Porsche 356C Cabriolet in the parking lot. Upon entering Joplin's room, (room 105), he found her dead on the floor beside her bed. The official cause of death was an overdose of heroin, possibly combined with the effects of alcohol. Cooke believes that Joplin had accidentally been given heroin that was much more potent than normal, as several of her dealer's other customers also overdosed that week. Peggy Caserta and Seth Morgan had both stood up Joplin the Friday immediately prior to her death, October 2, and according to the book Going Down With Janis, Joplin was saddened that neither of her friends visited her at the Landmark Motor Hotel as they had promised.
Joplin's will funded $2,500 to throw a wake party in the event of her demise. The party, which took place October 26, 1970, at the Lion's Share, located in San Anselmo, California, was attended by Joplin's sister Laura, fiancé Seth Morgan and close friends, including tattoo artist Lyle Tuttle, Bob Gordon, Jack Penty, and road manager Cooke."
Jim Morrison details of death from Wikipedia: "Morrison died on July 3, 1971 at age 27. In the official account of his death, he was found in a Paris apartment bathtub (at 17–19 rue Beautreillis, 4th arrondissement) by Courson. Pursuant to French law, no autopsy was performed because the medical examiner stated that there was no evidence of foul play. The absence of an official autopsy has left many questions regarding Morrison's cause of death. In Wonderland Avenue, Danny Sugerman discussed his encounter with Courson after she returned to the United States. According to Sugerman's account, Courson stated that Morrison had died of a heroin overdose, having inhaled what he believed to be cocaine. Sugerman added that Courson had given him numerous contradictory versions of Morrison's death, saying at times that she had killed Morrison, or that his death was her fault. Courson's story of Morrison's unintentional ingestion of heroin, followed by his accidental overdose, is supported by the confession of Alain Ronay, who has written that Morrison died of a hemorrhage after snorting Courson's heroin, and that Courson nodded off instead of phoning for medical help, leaving Morrison bleeding to death.
Ronay confessed in an article in Paris that he then helped cover up the circumstances of Morrison's death. In the epilogue of No One Here Gets Out Alive, Hopkins and Sugerman write that Ronay and Agnès Varda say Courson lied to the police who responded to the death scene, and later in her deposition, telling them Morrison never took drugs. In the epilogue to No One Here Gets Out Alive, Hopkins says that 20 years after Morrison's death, Ronay and Varda broke their silence and gave this account: They arrived at the house shortly after Morrison's death and Courson said that she and Morrison had taken heroin after a night of drinking. Morrison had been coughing badly, had gone to take a bath, and vomited blood. Courson said that he appeared to recover and that she then went to sleep. When she awoke sometime later Morrison was unresponsive, so she called for medical assistance. Hopkins and Sugerman also claim that Morrison had asthma and was suffering from a respiratory condition involving a chronic cough and vomiting blood on the night of his death. This theory is partially supported in The Doors (written by the remaining members of the band) in which they claim Morrison had been coughing up blood for nearly two months in Paris, but none of the members of The Doors were in Paris with Morrison in the months prior to his death. According to a Madame Colinette, who was at the cemetery that day mourning the recent loss of her husband, she witnessed Morrison's funeral at Père Lachaise Cemetery. The ceremony was "pitiful", with several of the attendants muttering a few words, throwing flowers over the casket, then leaving quickly and hastily within minutes as if their lives depended upon it. Those who attended included Alain Ronay, Agnès Varda, Bill Siddons (manager), Courson, and Robin Wertle (Morrison's Canadian private secretary at the time for a few months). In the first version of No One Here Gets Out Alive, published in 1980, Sugerman and Hopkins gave some credence to the rumor that Morrison may not have died at all, calling the fake death theory “not as far-fetched as it might seem”. This theory led to considerable distress for Morrison's loved ones over the years, notably when fans would stalk them, searching for evidence of Morrison's whereabouts.
In 1995, a new epilogue was added to Sugerman's and Hopkins's book, giving new facts about Morrison's death and discounting the fake death theory saying, “As time passed, some of Jim and Pamela [Courson]'s friends began to talk about what they knew, and although everything they said pointed irrefutably to Jim's demise, there remained and probably always will be those who refuse to believe that Jim is dead and those who will not allow him to rest in peace.” In July 2007, Sam Bernett, a former manager of the Rock 'n' Roll Circus nightclub, released a (French) book titled "The End: Jim Morrison". In it Bernett alleges that instead of dying of a heart attack in a bathtub (the official police version of his death) Morrison overdosed on heroin on a toilet seat in the nightclub. He claims that Morrison came to the club to buy heroin for Courson then did some himself and died in the bathroom.[58] Morrison's body was then moved back to his rue Beautreillis apartment and dumped into the bathtub by the two drug dealers from whom Morrison had purchased the heroin. Bernett says those who saw Morrison that night were sworn to secrecy in order to prevent a scandal for the famous club, and that some of the witnesses immediately left the country. There have been many other conspiracy theories surrounding Morrison's death but are less supported by witnesses than are the accounts of Ronay and Courson."
Kurt Cobain - details of death from Wikipedia:
"Following a tour stop at Terminal Eins in Munich, Germany, on March 1, 1994, Cobain was diagnosed with bronchitis and severe laryngitis. He flew to Rome the next day for medical treatment, and was joined there by his wife, Courtney Love, on March 3, 1994. The next morning, Love awoke to find that Cobain had overdosed on a combination of champagne and Rohypnol. Cobain was immediately rushed to the hospital, and spent the rest of the day unconscious. After five days in the hospital, Cobain was released and returned to Seattle. Love later stated that the incident was Cobain's first suicide attempt.
On March 18, 1994, Love phoned the Seattle police informing them that Cobain was suicidal and had locked himself in a room with a gun. Police arrived and confiscated several guns and a bottle of pills from Cobain, who insisted that he was not suicidal and had locked himself in the room to hide from Love. When questioned by police, Love said that Cobain had never mentioned that he was suicidal and that she had not seen him with a gun.
Love arranged an intervention regarding Cobain's drug use on March 25, 1994. The ten people involved included musician friends, record company executives, and one of Cobain's closest friends, Dylan Carlson. The intervention was initially unsuccessful, with an angry Cobain insulting and heaping scorn on its participants and eventually locking himself in the upstairs bedroom. However, by the end of the day, Cobain had agreed to undergo a detox program. Cobain arrived at the Exodus Recovery Center in Los Angeles, California on March 30, 1994. The staff at the facility were unaware of Cobain's history of depression and prior attempts at suicide. When visited by friends, there was no indication to them that Cobain was in any negative or suicidal state of mind. He spent the day talking to counselors about his drug abuse and personal problems, happily playing with his daughter Frances. These interactions were the last time Cobain saw his daughter. The following night, Cobain walked outside to have a cigarette, and climbed over a six-foot-high fence to leave the facility (which he had joked earlier in the day would be a stupid feat to attempt). He took a taxi to Los Angeles Airport and flew back to Seattle. On the flight, he sat next to Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses. Despite Cobain's own personal animosity towards Guns N' Roses and specifically Axl Rose, Cobain "seemed happy" to see McKagan. McKagan later stated he knew from "all of my instincts that something was wrong." Most of his close friends and family were unaware of his whereabouts. On April 2 and 3, 1994, Cobain was spotted in numerous locations around Seattle. On April 3, 1994, Love contacted private investigator Tom Grant, and hired him to find Cobain. Cobain was not seen on April 4, 1994. On April 7, 1994, amid rumors of Nirvana breaking up, the band pulled out of that year's Lollapalooza music festival.
On April 8, 1994, Cobain's body was discovered at his Lake Washington home by an electrician named Gary Smith who had arrived to install a security system. Apart from a minor amount of blood coming out of Cobain's ear, the electrician reported seeing no visible signs of trauma, and initially believed that Cobain was asleep until he saw the shotgun pointing at his chin. A note was found, addressed to Cobain's childhood imaginary friend "Boddah", that stated that Cobain had not "felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music, along with really writing . . . for too many years now". A high concentration of heroin and traces of diazepam were also found in his body. Cobain's body had been lying there for days; the coroner's report estimated Cobain to have died on April 5, 1994.
A public vigil was held for Cobain on April 10, 1994, at a park at Seattle Center drawing approximately seven thousand mourners. Pre-recorded messages by Krist Novoselic and Courtney Love were played at the memorial. Love read portions of Cobain's suicide note to the crowd, crying and chastising Cobain. Near the end of the vigil, Love arrived at the park and distributed some of Cobain's clothing to those who still remained.[89] Dave Grohl would say that the news of Cobain's death was "probably the worst thing that has happened to me in my life. I remember the day after that I woke up and I was heartbroken that he was gone. I just felt like, 'Okay, so I get to wake up today and have another day and he doesn't.'" He also believed that he knew Cobain would die at an early age, saying that "sometimes you just can't save someone from themselves," and "in some ways, you kind of prepare yourself emotionally for that to be a reality."[90] Dave Reed, who for a short time was Cobain's foster father, said that "he had the desperation, not the courage, to be himself. Once you do that, you can't go wrong, because you can't make any mistakes when people love you for being yourself. But for Kurt, it didn't matter that other people loved him; he simply didn't love himself enough."
A final ceremony was arranged for Cobain by his mother on May 31, 1999, attended by both Courtney Love and Tracy Marander. As a Buddhist monk chanted, his daughter Frances Bean scattered his ashes into McLane Creek in Olympia, the city where he "had found his true artistic muse."Cobain's artistic endeavors and struggles with heroin addiction, illness and depression, as well as the circumstances of his death have become a frequent topic of fascination, debate, and controversy throughout the world. He is one of the well known members of the 27 Club."
Note, the age of 27 coincides with the progressed lunar return - when the secondary progressed Moon comes back to the same position as it is when born. Richard looked at this and reported that all the secondary progressed lunar returns were within 3-6 degrees of orb at the time of death. Richard's talk highlighted the importance of the Moon in the 6 charts - most were either in dignity (Moon in Cancer) or in exaltation (Moon in Taurus). The group noticed during the talk that the nodal axes also seem to be prominent in the charts - in 4 cases being across the Asc/Dsc axis, and in the other two cases involved in aspect patterns. And at this age generally the transiting node is also at it's half-return - so transiting North Node will be on natal South Node and vice versa. This was much closer for some of the group than others, notable Amy Winehouse. LOTS of food for thought and further study here.
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| Brian Jones - note, Rodden Rating is C so not an exact time. |
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| Jimi Hendrix |
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| Janice Joplin |
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| Jim Morrison |
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| Kurt Cobain |
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| Amy Winehouse |
These are the transits for the deaths of the six musicians (again, click for a larger image):
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| Death of Brian Jones. |
Brian Jones drowned in a swimming pool at around midnight on the night of 2/3 July 1969.
Wikipedia:* "At around midnight on the night of 2/3 July 1969, Jones was discovered motionless at the bottom of his swimming pool at Cotchford Farm. His Swedish girlfriend, Anna Wohlin, was convinced Jones was alive when he was taken out of the pool insisting he still had a pulse. However, by the time the doctors arrived it was too late and he was pronounced dead. The coroner's report stated "death by misadventure" and noted his liver and heart were heavily enlarged by drug and alcohol abuse."
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| Death of Jimi Hendrix |
Jimi Hendrix - details of his death, from Wikipedia:
"Although the details of his last day and death are unclear and widely disputed, Hendrix had spent much of September 17 in London with Monika Dannemann, the only witness to his final hours. Dannemann stated that she had prepared a meal for them at her apartment in the Samarkand Hotel, 22 Lansdowne Crescent, Notting Hill, sometime around 11 p.m., when they shared a bottle of wine.She drove Hendrix to the residence of an acquaintance at approximately 1:45 a.m., where he remained for about an hour before she picked him up and drove them back to her flat at 3 a.m. Dannemann said they talked until around 7 a.m., when they went to sleep. She awoke around 11 a.m., and found Hendrix breathing, but unconscious and unresponsive. She called for an ambulance at 11:18 a.m.; they arrived on the scene at 11:27 a.m. Paramedics then transported Hendrix to St Mary Abbot's Hospital where Dr. John Bannister pronounced him dead at 12:45 p.m. on September 18, 1970.
To determine the cause of death, coroner Gavin Thurston ordered a post-mortem examination on Hendrix's body, which was performed on September 21 by Professor Robert Donald Teare, a forensic pathologist. Thurston concluded the inquest on September 28, and concluded that Hendrix aspirated his own vomit and died of asphyxia while intoxicated with barbiturates.[187] Citing "insufficient evidence of the circumstances", he declared an open verdict. Dannemann later stated that Hendrix had taken nine of her prescribed Vesparax sleeping tablets, 18 times the recommended dosage."
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| Death of Janice Joplin, heroin overdose. |
Janice Joplin - details of her death, from Wikipedia:
"On October 4, 1970, producer Paul A. Rothchild became concerned when Joplin failed to show up at Sunset Sound Recorders for a recording session. Full Tilt Boogie's road manager, John Cooke, drove to the hotel Janis was staying at (Landmark Motor Hotel in West Hollywood). He saw Joplin's psychedelically painted Porsche 356C Cabriolet in the parking lot. Upon entering Joplin's room, (room 105), he found her dead on the floor beside her bed. The official cause of death was an overdose of heroin, possibly combined with the effects of alcohol. Cooke believes that Joplin had accidentally been given heroin that was much more potent than normal, as several of her dealer's other customers also overdosed that week. Peggy Caserta and Seth Morgan had both stood up Joplin the Friday immediately prior to her death, October 2, and according to the book Going Down With Janis, Joplin was saddened that neither of her friends visited her at the Landmark Motor Hotel as they had promised.
Joplin's will funded $2,500 to throw a wake party in the event of her demise. The party, which took place October 26, 1970, at the Lion's Share, located in San Anselmo, California, was attended by Joplin's sister Laura, fiancé Seth Morgan and close friends, including tattoo artist Lyle Tuttle, Bob Gordon, Jack Penty, and road manager Cooke."
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| Death of Jimi Morrison, accidental - mistaking cocaine for heroin? |
Jim Morrison details of death from Wikipedia: "Morrison died on July 3, 1971 at age 27. In the official account of his death, he was found in a Paris apartment bathtub (at 17–19 rue Beautreillis, 4th arrondissement) by Courson. Pursuant to French law, no autopsy was performed because the medical examiner stated that there was no evidence of foul play. The absence of an official autopsy has left many questions regarding Morrison's cause of death. In Wonderland Avenue, Danny Sugerman discussed his encounter with Courson after she returned to the United States. According to Sugerman's account, Courson stated that Morrison had died of a heroin overdose, having inhaled what he believed to be cocaine. Sugerman added that Courson had given him numerous contradictory versions of Morrison's death, saying at times that she had killed Morrison, or that his death was her fault. Courson's story of Morrison's unintentional ingestion of heroin, followed by his accidental overdose, is supported by the confession of Alain Ronay, who has written that Morrison died of a hemorrhage after snorting Courson's heroin, and that Courson nodded off instead of phoning for medical help, leaving Morrison bleeding to death.
Ronay confessed in an article in Paris that he then helped cover up the circumstances of Morrison's death. In the epilogue of No One Here Gets Out Alive, Hopkins and Sugerman write that Ronay and Agnès Varda say Courson lied to the police who responded to the death scene, and later in her deposition, telling them Morrison never took drugs. In the epilogue to No One Here Gets Out Alive, Hopkins says that 20 years after Morrison's death, Ronay and Varda broke their silence and gave this account: They arrived at the house shortly after Morrison's death and Courson said that she and Morrison had taken heroin after a night of drinking. Morrison had been coughing badly, had gone to take a bath, and vomited blood. Courson said that he appeared to recover and that she then went to sleep. When she awoke sometime later Morrison was unresponsive, so she called for medical assistance. Hopkins and Sugerman also claim that Morrison had asthma and was suffering from a respiratory condition involving a chronic cough and vomiting blood on the night of his death. This theory is partially supported in The Doors (written by the remaining members of the band) in which they claim Morrison had been coughing up blood for nearly two months in Paris, but none of the members of The Doors were in Paris with Morrison in the months prior to his death. According to a Madame Colinette, who was at the cemetery that day mourning the recent loss of her husband, she witnessed Morrison's funeral at Père Lachaise Cemetery. The ceremony was "pitiful", with several of the attendants muttering a few words, throwing flowers over the casket, then leaving quickly and hastily within minutes as if their lives depended upon it. Those who attended included Alain Ronay, Agnès Varda, Bill Siddons (manager), Courson, and Robin Wertle (Morrison's Canadian private secretary at the time for a few months). In the first version of No One Here Gets Out Alive, published in 1980, Sugerman and Hopkins gave some credence to the rumor that Morrison may not have died at all, calling the fake death theory “not as far-fetched as it might seem”. This theory led to considerable distress for Morrison's loved ones over the years, notably when fans would stalk them, searching for evidence of Morrison's whereabouts.
In 1995, a new epilogue was added to Sugerman's and Hopkins's book, giving new facts about Morrison's death and discounting the fake death theory saying, “As time passed, some of Jim and Pamela [Courson]'s friends began to talk about what they knew, and although everything they said pointed irrefutably to Jim's demise, there remained and probably always will be those who refuse to believe that Jim is dead and those who will not allow him to rest in peace.” In July 2007, Sam Bernett, a former manager of the Rock 'n' Roll Circus nightclub, released a (French) book titled "The End: Jim Morrison". In it Bernett alleges that instead of dying of a heart attack in a bathtub (the official police version of his death) Morrison overdosed on heroin on a toilet seat in the nightclub. He claims that Morrison came to the club to buy heroin for Courson then did some himself and died in the bathroom.[58] Morrison's body was then moved back to his rue Beautreillis apartment and dumped into the bathtub by the two drug dealers from whom Morrison had purchased the heroin. Bernett says those who saw Morrison that night were sworn to secrecy in order to prevent a scandal for the famous club, and that some of the witnesses immediately left the country. There have been many other conspiracy theories surrounding Morrison's death but are less supported by witnesses than are the accounts of Ronay and Courson."
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| Death of Kurt Cobain - suicide - shotgun. |
"Following a tour stop at Terminal Eins in Munich, Germany, on March 1, 1994, Cobain was diagnosed with bronchitis and severe laryngitis. He flew to Rome the next day for medical treatment, and was joined there by his wife, Courtney Love, on March 3, 1994. The next morning, Love awoke to find that Cobain had overdosed on a combination of champagne and Rohypnol. Cobain was immediately rushed to the hospital, and spent the rest of the day unconscious. After five days in the hospital, Cobain was released and returned to Seattle. Love later stated that the incident was Cobain's first suicide attempt.
On March 18, 1994, Love phoned the Seattle police informing them that Cobain was suicidal and had locked himself in a room with a gun. Police arrived and confiscated several guns and a bottle of pills from Cobain, who insisted that he was not suicidal and had locked himself in the room to hide from Love. When questioned by police, Love said that Cobain had never mentioned that he was suicidal and that she had not seen him with a gun.
Love arranged an intervention regarding Cobain's drug use on March 25, 1994. The ten people involved included musician friends, record company executives, and one of Cobain's closest friends, Dylan Carlson. The intervention was initially unsuccessful, with an angry Cobain insulting and heaping scorn on its participants and eventually locking himself in the upstairs bedroom. However, by the end of the day, Cobain had agreed to undergo a detox program. Cobain arrived at the Exodus Recovery Center in Los Angeles, California on March 30, 1994. The staff at the facility were unaware of Cobain's history of depression and prior attempts at suicide. When visited by friends, there was no indication to them that Cobain was in any negative or suicidal state of mind. He spent the day talking to counselors about his drug abuse and personal problems, happily playing with his daughter Frances. These interactions were the last time Cobain saw his daughter. The following night, Cobain walked outside to have a cigarette, and climbed over a six-foot-high fence to leave the facility (which he had joked earlier in the day would be a stupid feat to attempt). He took a taxi to Los Angeles Airport and flew back to Seattle. On the flight, he sat next to Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses. Despite Cobain's own personal animosity towards Guns N' Roses and specifically Axl Rose, Cobain "seemed happy" to see McKagan. McKagan later stated he knew from "all of my instincts that something was wrong." Most of his close friends and family were unaware of his whereabouts. On April 2 and 3, 1994, Cobain was spotted in numerous locations around Seattle. On April 3, 1994, Love contacted private investigator Tom Grant, and hired him to find Cobain. Cobain was not seen on April 4, 1994. On April 7, 1994, amid rumors of Nirvana breaking up, the band pulled out of that year's Lollapalooza music festival.
On April 8, 1994, Cobain's body was discovered at his Lake Washington home by an electrician named Gary Smith who had arrived to install a security system. Apart from a minor amount of blood coming out of Cobain's ear, the electrician reported seeing no visible signs of trauma, and initially believed that Cobain was asleep until he saw the shotgun pointing at his chin. A note was found, addressed to Cobain's childhood imaginary friend "Boddah", that stated that Cobain had not "felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music, along with really writing . . . for too many years now". A high concentration of heroin and traces of diazepam were also found in his body. Cobain's body had been lying there for days; the coroner's report estimated Cobain to have died on April 5, 1994.
A public vigil was held for Cobain on April 10, 1994, at a park at Seattle Center drawing approximately seven thousand mourners. Pre-recorded messages by Krist Novoselic and Courtney Love were played at the memorial. Love read portions of Cobain's suicide note to the crowd, crying and chastising Cobain. Near the end of the vigil, Love arrived at the park and distributed some of Cobain's clothing to those who still remained.[89] Dave Grohl would say that the news of Cobain's death was "probably the worst thing that has happened to me in my life. I remember the day after that I woke up and I was heartbroken that he was gone. I just felt like, 'Okay, so I get to wake up today and have another day and he doesn't.'" He also believed that he knew Cobain would die at an early age, saying that "sometimes you just can't save someone from themselves," and "in some ways, you kind of prepare yourself emotionally for that to be a reality."[90] Dave Reed, who for a short time was Cobain's foster father, said that "he had the desperation, not the courage, to be himself. Once you do that, you can't go wrong, because you can't make any mistakes when people love you for being yourself. But for Kurt, it didn't matter that other people loved him; he simply didn't love himself enough."
A final ceremony was arranged for Cobain by his mother on May 31, 1999, attended by both Courtney Love and Tracy Marander. As a Buddhist monk chanted, his daughter Frances Bean scattered his ashes into McLane Creek in Olympia, the city where he "had found his true artistic muse."Cobain's artistic endeavors and struggles with heroin addiction, illness and depression, as well as the circumstances of his death have become a frequent topic of fascination, debate, and controversy throughout the world. He is one of the well known members of the 27 Club."
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| Death of Amy Winehouse - alcohol poisoning, morning hours of 23 July 2011. |
Amy Winehouse - details of death from Wikipedia:
"Winehouse began binge drinking in 2008 after kicking a drug habit. By summer 2011, she had fallen into a pattern of abstaining for a few weeks, and then relapsing. One such relapse led to her death by alcohol intoxication in the morning hours of 23 July 2011.
Winehouse's bodyguard said that he arrived at her residence three days before her death and felt she was somewhat intoxicated. He observed moderate drinking over the next few days. He observed her "laughing, listening to music and watching TV at 2 am the day of her death". According to the bodyguard, at 10 am he observed her lying on her bed and tried unsuccessfully to rouse her. This did not raise much suspicion because she usually slept late after a night out. According to the bodyguard, shortly after 3 pm, he checked on her again and observed her lying in the same position as before, leading to a further check in which he concluded she was not breathing and had no pulse. He said he subsequently called emergency services. At 3:54 pm BST on 23 July 2011, two ambulances were called to Winehouse's home in Camden, London. Winehouse was pronounced dead at the scene. Shortly afterwards, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that she had died. After her death was announced, media and camera crews appeared, as crowds gathered near Winehouse's residence to pay their respects. Forensic investigators entered the flat as police cordoned off the street outside. Police recovered one small and two large bottles of vodka from her room.
A coroner's inquest reached a verdict of misadventure. The report released on 26 October 2011 explained that Winehouse's blood alcohol content was 416 mg per 100ml (0.416%) at the time of her death, more than five times the legal drink-drive limit. According to the coroner, "The unintended consequences of such potentially fatal levels was her sudden death."
*See Wikipedia for more biographical details and sources in all cases.
"Winehouse began binge drinking in 2008 after kicking a drug habit. By summer 2011, she had fallen into a pattern of abstaining for a few weeks, and then relapsing. One such relapse led to her death by alcohol intoxication in the morning hours of 23 July 2011.
Winehouse's bodyguard said that he arrived at her residence three days before her death and felt she was somewhat intoxicated. He observed moderate drinking over the next few days. He observed her "laughing, listening to music and watching TV at 2 am the day of her death". According to the bodyguard, at 10 am he observed her lying on her bed and tried unsuccessfully to rouse her. This did not raise much suspicion because she usually slept late after a night out. According to the bodyguard, shortly after 3 pm, he checked on her again and observed her lying in the same position as before, leading to a further check in which he concluded she was not breathing and had no pulse. He said he subsequently called emergency services. At 3:54 pm BST on 23 July 2011, two ambulances were called to Winehouse's home in Camden, London. Winehouse was pronounced dead at the scene. Shortly afterwards, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that she had died. After her death was announced, media and camera crews appeared, as crowds gathered near Winehouse's residence to pay their respects. Forensic investigators entered the flat as police cordoned off the street outside. Police recovered one small and two large bottles of vodka from her room.
A coroner's inquest reached a verdict of misadventure. The report released on 26 October 2011 explained that Winehouse's blood alcohol content was 416 mg per 100ml (0.416%) at the time of her death, more than five times the legal drink-drive limit. According to the coroner, "The unintended consequences of such potentially fatal levels was her sudden death."
*See Wikipedia for more biographical details and sources in all cases.
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The Female Centaurs
I gave a talk about the Female Centaurs a few days ago. Don't worry – I'm not going to reproduce it in full here. However, one or two remarks made set me thinking and I'm going to explore those a bit further. I'm also going to reflect on what led me to work with these particular Centaurs. And I'm going to do it in digestible chunks.
First of all, a brief history of the Centaurs. Chiron was, of course, the first to be discovered back in 1977. Although named after a centaur, he was classed as an anomalous object at first because he didn't fit in to any of the existing categories. He was sometimes called a planetoid. He was given an asteroid number, even though his orbit – between Saturn and Uranus – was far beyond the main asteroid belt. Some years after his discovery, as he moved closer to the Sun, he developed a tail and was designated a comet. He still retains both his asteroid and comet number to this day.
Then in 1992, another Chiron-like object was discovered, this time orbiting between Saturn and Neptune. It was named Pholus, after the only other wise centaur. The following year a third body was discovered, this time with an orbit that ranged between Saturn and Pluto. So we had three Chiron-like objects, each acting as a bridge between Saturn and the three outer planets – and each revealing themselves in the correct order. Isn't the Universe amazing sometimes?
Anyone who was interested in Chiron from the early days will remember that he was considered a bridge between the traditional planets and the outer ones, because his orbit ranged between the two. He and his fellow Centaurs turned out to be a bridge between astrologers and astronomers as well, as a dialogue was established between a small but dedicated band of the former and an open-minded group of the latter. Anyone interested in this can read more on Zane Stein's website (http://www.zanestein.com/bio.htm). Astrologers formed the Centaur Research Project to study the characteristics of these small astronomical bodies that were turning up with increasing frequency (http://www.kentauren.info/menu/index1.htm?page=/menu/home1.shtml). They suggested names based on their studies, many of which were supported by the astronomers involved and in turn accepted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The third Centaur, Nessus, was the first whose name was proposed by astrologers and accepted by the astronomical community. There are now dozens of known Centaurs but only 17 have been named so far, the latest – Rhiphonos – as recently as July 2013.
So where do the female Centaurs fit in? Well, these are bodies whose orbits aren't quite like those of the other Centaurs. They tend to be gentler and less markedly orbit-crossers. Their stories are also gentler and less bloody. Anyone who has read about the centaurs – in Ovid's Metamorphosis, say – will know that they're a pretty savage, uncivilised bunch who can't hold their drink and usually meet a violent and bloody end. In fact, only one of the female centaurs dies and that's by her own hand – the only suicide among the centaurs. But more of that later. All you need to know for now is that, as with the first three Centaurs' journeys, which took us from Saturn out to Pluto, the females bring us back again … in their order of discovery.
The first female Centaur – Hylonome – was discovered in 1995. She orbits mainly between Uranus and Neptune but just dips a toe into Pluto's realm. The second one – Chariklo – was discovered in 1997. She orbits between Saturn and Uranus, just like Chiron (she is, in fact, his wife). Her orbit, though, gets closer to Uranus than to Saturn, whereas Chiron's does the opposite. The third – Okyrhoe – was discovered in 1998. She orbits between Jupiter and Saturn, crossing the orbit of the latter.
So what drew me to work with these particular Centaurs? If only I could answer that. At the beginning of the year I'd got a pretty good idea of what the next three years had in store for me, which was a course of postgraduate study. With time on my hands during the Christmas break, I started delving into the minor bodies that have been discovered in the last twenty years. I wasn't even primarily interested in Centaurs – their names were strange, they weren't particularly nice characters on the whole and they didn't resonate with me. When I came across mention of female centaurs, I thought the idea was faintly ridiculous: 'there's no such thing.' Next thing I found the dry, dusty corridors of academia receding hurriedly into the background and I was running with the wild mares of Thessaly, as Centauros, the father of the centaurs had done. And it was exciting! More than that I cannot say. There was no conscious decision on my part; I was suddenly swept up and I just had to go with it.
Of course, the transiting Neptune square to my natal Sun, Mercury and Jupiter might have played a part. As might the fact that all three female Centaurs have been journeying through Sagittarius (of all signs) for nearly the last two years, at varying times opposing that same stellium and then my natal Mars. Who knows? All I can say is that, so far, I'm enjoying the ride.
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Hylonome
One of the good things about giving a talk is that you learn a lot about your subject as you prepare for it. Another is that people's responses can bring to your attention something you've noticed but haven't really taken into account. I mentioned one of these at the end of the last post – namely the fact that all three female Centaurs have been moving through Sagittarius for the last couple of years and opposing various planets in my natal chart during that time.
I was aware that Hylonome was discovered during the later stages of the Uranus-Neptune conjunction but I hadn't given it much thought. However, when someone flagged it up I thought 'Yes, of course – these are the planets she moves between!' Later on, in a quiet moment, an image suddenly came to me of Hylonome emerging from the union of these two planets. As I reflected on this, I began to see similarities to the emergence of foam-born Aphrodite/Venus from the sea (Neptune) after Uranus' severed genitals had been cast into it. Venus, a lower octave of Neptune, is about relating to others. Does this have any bearing on how Hylonome functions?
Let's begin with a few of her vital statistics. Hylonome was the first of the female Centaurs to be discovered and is the furthest from the Sun. She orbits between Uranus and Neptune, which she goes just a little bit beyond for a brief period, so she has no contact with any of the personal or social planets. She was discovered on 27 February 1995 and it takes around 125-6 years for her to complete an orbit.
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The Uranus-Neptune conjunction heralded many technological innovations during the 1990s, including the World Wide Web and the Hubble telescope, which has brought us so many amazing images from deepest space. Two events that happened in 1992, shortly before the first exact conjunction, were the discovery that Chiron was not alone, leading to a whole new category of minor bodies; and – with the Kuiper Belt's existence confirmed – that Pluto was not alone, a discovery which contributed to his eventual demotion to dwarf planet status. (I believe both these events have major implications for astrology).
But there's more to the Uranus-Neptune cycle than change and technological innovation. Neptune is about mass consciousness and interconnectedness. In this context, Neptune is asking how you can use these changes and inventions for the good of all. One example of this is the humanitarian response to the Asian tsunami in 2004, which if you remember happened over Christmas when all our politicians were on holiday. While they struggled to get back and get to grips with the scale of what had happened, people around the world were fund-raising or getting involved in any way they could. Neptune provided the compassion, Uranus the technological means of bringing it to mass consciousness.
Does any of this relate to Hylonome? Let's take a look at her story, which is short and tragic. She is a young and beautiful centaur, deeply in love with a handsome young centaur named Cyllarus who is killed when fighting breaks out between the Lapiths and Centaurs at Pirithous' wedding. Grief-stricken, she pulls out the arrow that killed him and falls on it herself. (I said it was short!).
Serennuhas given a very interestingevaluation of Hylonome's story (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=245x89841– original no longer seems to be available). She points out that Mars is retrograde in Leo in Hylonome's discovery chart, which could represent a self-inflicted attack to the heart. But she also says that Hylonome's heart was pierced before she fell on the arrow, because it happened as soon as she saw Cyllarus lying there dead. By falling on the arrow shewas simply acting out on a physical level what had already happened on an energetic one. This suggests that Hylonome is deeply intuitive, picking up all the vibes around her and feeling them in her body. As such, if Hylonome is working though you, you need to cultivate a gap between feeling and doing or your actions might not turn out well. If you're overly sensitive, you can take on the pain of the world and you simply won't be able to function at all. However, if you can keep a sense of proportion you can use your empathy or compassion for the greater good.
This led me to wonder when the expression 'I feel your pain' came into general use. If you google it, the answer you get is that Bill Clinton used it on 26 March 1992 during his first presidential campaign. Of course, he wasn't the first person to utter the phrase in public but that's the one that has stayed in the public's memory. If you dig more deeply, you discoverthat he said it out of exasperation rather than empathy (he was being harangued by an AIDS activist, and Clinton gave as good as he got). But such is the power of the image-making machine – another manifestation of Uranus-Neptune – that it's now remembered as showing Bill's ability to empathise. Here's the chart (time unknown but I've assumed it was in the evening):
Note that the only aspects Hylonome makes are an opposition to Venus and a trine to Uranus-Neptune (remember the Birth of Venus earlier?). Incidentally, Hylonome was in exactly the same relationship to both Venus and Uranus-Neptune at their first exact conjunction less than a year later, on 2 February 1993. |
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So Hylonome can be empathic, or paralysed by grief. There is something of Miss Havisham about her – a fictional character from Dickens whose life stops when she discovers she's been jilted shortly before she's due to be wed. She orders all the clocks in her mansion to be stopped at twenty to nine (the moment the news reached her) and from thereon lives a twilight existence, still clad in her wedding gown and with the wedding feast mouldering away on the table decades later. In fact, there's a condition known as 'the Miss Havisham effect' for people who suffer a painful longing for lost love, and which can become an addictive pleasure. Hylonome also carries the feeling of being the tragic, or sacrificial, victim. It can range from the mild but pathetic 'poor me I'm looking for sympathy' to the person for whom grief is an event and not a process; their life effectively ends when a tragic event occurs, the body remaining but the heart and soul no longer present, as with Miss Havisham. It may be that people who campaign for social justice after a tragedy has befallen their family are manifesting the positive side of Hylonome (Uranus-Neptune: acting for the greater good after their own life has been changed forever). Although there've been many such cases in recent years, I haven't been able to test this theory as their birth data isn't available. Indeed, all of this is still very much work in progress.
Just one or two other things I'd like to mention. There's a Centaur named Cyllarus and it would seem natural to look at both him and Hylonome together in a chart. However, I haven't felt drawn to work with Cyllarus so I haven't done any work with them as a pair. I've found a strong bond between Hylonome and Nessus, though. Their orbits are a similar length, they were very close to each other for much of the twentieth century and they both seem to deal with raw, indeed, visceral, emotions. Whereas Hylonome is about deep grief, Nessus is about rage and a desire for revenge which stretches beyond the grave. (I have southern Mediterranean blood in me – I am no stranger to these themes!). Another interesting thing about this pair is that over the last four hundred years the furthest apart they've been is a sextile, apart from in the Noughties when they reached the giddy heights of a quintile. I don't know whether this means they always move in tandem or that their cycle is so vast we're only seeing a small part of it. I mentioned the relationship between this pair in my talk but, fascinating though it is, it would take too long to go into here.
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Chariklo
I have to declare an interest where Chariklo's concerned, because she's the Centaur I feel closest to and the one I've done the most inner work with. I think this is because I'm coming up to my Chariklo return, which occurs around the age of 62-3. Now that living to 90-100 and a second Chiron return is no longer an impossible dream, Chariklo's is the first return that is definitely not going to be repeated, so to me it's special.
Let's look at her vital statistics. Chariklo was the second of the female Centaurs to be discovered, on 15 February 1997. She orbits between Saturn and Uranus, whose orbit she just grazes. Her orbit is the gentlest and most 'contained' of all the Centaurs. She is also the largest of the Centaurs (around 160 miles or 258 km in diameter), apart from the one they lost (1995 SN55, which was observed several times after its discovery but then astronomers lost track of it. Presumably it's still out there somewhere!).
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Note the perfect Grand Sextile that forms when Chariklo is added to the chart, and that Chariklo's opposition to Uranus was exact the next day.
Chariklo orbits in the same space as Chiron, but he's closer to Saturn and she to Uranus. This reflects their different natures. Chiron is the teacher or mentor who draws on tradition – which by its very nature comes from the past and is very steady and weighty (all Saturnian qualities). Chariklo, however, looks more to the future than to the past and is concerned with how things could be. They make an ideal couple, you might think, and you'd be right. Chariklo is Chiron's wife. Also relevant is that Chariklo is not a centaur. She's a nymph, or nature spirit. Sometimes described as a water nymph, sometimes as a mountain nymph, she is still closely linked to the land but more ethereal than Chiron, the man-horse who lives in a cave.
As well as not being a centaur, there are no stories about her – she just gets a passing mention or two – and yet for me she possesses a power and a radiance unlike any other Centaur. She sees life from a completely different perspective and constantly questions what passes for reality. Her nature is very much that of the Saturn-Uranus cycle, with the emphasis on the Uranian side, always challenging the Saturnian fortress of the status quo. Anyone who is strongly Saturnian and prefers to keep things how they are because they've always been like that (and it's safer that way) will not respond well to the call of Chariklo as she blows a hole in the fortress wall to find out what lies beyond.
Also of note is that, when you think about it, she's the only female figure in the heavens who reaches maturity. Goddesses don't – they either are mature or they aren't. The other female Centaurs don't. In terms of astrological cycles, she's the only female figure whose return occurs in later life. Venus returns and asteroid goddess returns occur too often to be hugely significant, in my opinion; and dwarf planets' cycles are well beyond the length of a human life.
Continuing her connection with Saturn and Uranus, the Chariklo return links the second Saturn return and the waning Uranus square, making a transition period of about five years between the ages of 58 and 63. The Saturn return is an opportunity to look back on your life and appraise both your successes and your failures. This clears the ground for the Uranus square and the Chariklo return (either of which could come first). Both of them are future-oriented. They're about leaving a legacy, not one built in stone with your name emblazoned on it nor money in the bank, but one which results from the distillation of ife experience. They have a wider perspective and better judgement about what works and what doesn't than they had when they were younger. They know what's important and what's ephemeral and they can see through the posturing, gesturing and strutting about on the world stage that passes for leadership these days. Because they know they're entering the final stages of their life, there is also a sense of urgency – this might be their last chance to make a difference, while they still have their health and vigour. Where they differ is in their approach. Chariklo works in a quiet, compassionate way and can temper the worst excesses of iconoclastic, disruptive Uranus. Whereas for Uranus revolution is an event, for Chariklo it is a process.
There is much about Chariklo that is Uranian. She is spirited and independent, restless and always searching. But she does have a sense of duty too, which she gets from Saturn. Her husband, Chiron, was mortally wounded but, being immortal, couldn't die. We can imagine her trapped in a situation not of her making, tending and caring for a husband who is sick but cannot die, and wondering when or even if she will ever have her freedom again. How many people have found themselves in a similar situation with a family member? I did recently, when my father was diagnosed with a terminal illness but couldn't die. Like Chiron, he didn't want to live and longed for release from his suffering but it took fifteen long months before he departed. Okay, it's not quite eternity but it was something that hung heavy on both of us. He had lost his independence and I had lost my freedom, in that my life was to a large extent put on hold during his illness. The longer it continued, the more trapped I felt, as if I was never going to be free again. Although there's no obvious astrological explanation for this in our charts, and I don't consider my father to be a Chironic figure, while preparing my talk it suddenly hit me that I had been living part of Chariklo's story.
Another Chariklo quality is her sense of social justice. I used the example of Joan Baez in my talk to illustrate Chariklo energy (she has it closely conjunct her Descendant). I'm guessing that most people will be familiar with her life story, so I'll just put her chart up and a link for people who want to explore this further (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Baez). I'm going to look instead at someone who is probably not as well known: Louise Michel, the Red Virgin of Montmartre. I heard her life story on the BBC Radio 4 'Great Lives' programme recently and it was somewhat more rounded than this account, but for those who don't know of her: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Michel.
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Louise Michel has Chariklo conjunct Jupiter and, as Jupiter is conjunct Neptune, it can be seen as a triple conjunction. As such Chariklo works very differently here from how it works in Joan Baez's chart. Very briefly, Louise was the result of a liaison between servant and master and as such she received a good, liberal education. She went on to run a school in Paris but she earned very little money because she didn't like turning away poor children.
She also became involved in revolutionary politics and joined the short-lived Paris Commune of 1871, at first as an ambulance woman, treating the wounded, and later joining the National Guard, which involved carrying a gun and wearing a (man's) military uniform. I'm not sure whether she actually shot anyone (though she certainly offered to shoot the man who suppressed the Commune). At her trial she dared the judges to sentence her to death: 'If you let me live, I shall never cease to cry for vengeance' (for the suppression of the Commune). However, determined not to give her the martyrdom she craved, and possibly also afraid of the public reaction if they did, they sentenced her to a period of transportation instead. She and other rebels were transported to New Caledonia, where life was very tough as they were literally dumped there with no resources like food or shelter. Remember, these were Parisian urbanites and they now found themselves forced to live a Robinson Crusoe existence. Undaunted, Louise befriended the local Kanaks, educated them and supported them, morally if not actively, in their 1878 revolt. She also undertook an early anthropological study while on the island.
She returned to France in 1880 and continued with her activism, which led to several short terms in prison. She died on 9 January 1905 (aged 74) while touring France, lecturing on behalf of anarchist causes. Greatly admired during her lifetime, the local community in Paris still maintain her grave to this day.
Obviously neither Chariklo alone nor in combination with Jupiter-Neptune can explain the whole of her life. But Chariklo energy can be seen in her choosing to dress in men's clothing – not unheard of at the time (e.g. Georges Sand) but considered unconventional. Louise never married, she was wedded to the cause – again, unusual for the time she lived in. Significantly, her Chariklo is quincunx Saturn, which I see as Chariklo jabbing at the establishment, wanting them to see there are other, better ways to live (I have Chariklo in as close a quincunx to my Sun-Jupiter-Mercury, so I know what it feels like). She was a thorn in the flesh of the establishment for the whole of her life.
Whilst revolution is usually the territory of Uranus, the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction also contributes to this part of Louise's life. Alexander Ruperti (Cycles of Becoming, pg 239) describes them as being concerned with collective action. Neptune's idealism and interconnectedness shine through her life story, for example in her association with collectives like the Commune rather than treading a lone path, which would be more Uranian. The Chariklo-Jupiter connection is evident in her career as a teacher, with Neptune's idealism there too in her teaching pupils for free and encouraging the Kanaks in their uprising. And the Chariklo-Jupiter-Neptune combination is shown in her defiant bid for martyrdom.
This is just one example of how Chariklo works in the life of an activist – one that was a bit of a rough diamond, perhaps, but a woman who stuck to her principles and gave her all to whatever situation she found herself in.
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Okyrhoe
I must confess I find Okyrhoe the most difficult of the three female Centaurs to connect with. Perhaps if I'd discovered her when I was about twenty, approaching her first return, I'd have felt differently. However, though I have to try harder with her I will admit to a shiver of excitement when I do manage to attune to her energy.
Let's look at her vital statistics. Okyrhoe was the third of the female Centaurs to be discovered, on 19 September 1998. She moves between Jupiter and Saturn, whose orbit she crosses. She comes closer to Jupiter than any of the Centaurs named so far, although she doesn't stray inside his orbit. Her orbit is the most elongated of the female Centaurs, which gives a clue to her nature – she is more adventurous and more impetuous. In myth, she's the daughter of Chiron and Chariklo.
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Note: It's 15 years to the day since she was discovered!
What's immediately obvious is that Okyrhoe is riding high with Jupiter at the top of the chart. They are, in fact, right at the beginning of a 24 year cycle that began just a couple of months earlier. But there's something even more interesting going on here. Okyrhoe is also conjunct the star 51 Pegasi, which was the first star similar to our own discovered with a planet orbiting around it, back in 1995. With this discovery, we learned that our solar system was not unique.
More interesting still, the exoplanet, informally named Bellerophon, is of a type known as a Hot Jupiter because – as the name implies – it has Jupiter-like characteristics but because it orbits much closer to its sun, it's much hotter.
Incidentally, Bellerophon was the Greek hero that tamed Pegasus (the flying horse) and killed the monstrous Chimera but then pushed his luck too far by deciding to fly to Mount Olympus, the abode of the gods. As punishment for this hubris, Zeus/Jupiter sent a gadfly to sting Pegasus, who then continued on the journey to Olympus. Bellerophon, however, was thrown and fell to earth. His final days were spent in misery, living as a hermit.
So we have themes of Jupiter, horses, hubris and punishment, all of which are relevant to Okyrhoe. We've already seen her relationship to the planet Jupiter. As daughter of Chiron, she is at least part-Centaur (her mother, Chariklo, being a nature spirit), and the story that comes to us from Ovid is that she was punished by the gods for revealing to Chiron his fate. Her punishment was that she was turned into a horse:
'The fates forestall me, and forbid me to say more. My words are checked; too dearly bought were these powers which have drawn down heaven's wrath on me. Would that I did not know the future! Now I seem to see my human form stolen away; now meadow grass is my food, to gallop over the broad plains is my delight. I am changed into a mare, a creature to which I am already akin. Yet why should I be wholly such? Surely my father is half human?' Even as she spoke, the last part of her lament was barely intelligible, for her words became blurred. Then the sound seemed to be neither human speech, nor yet the neighing of a horse, but it was like someone trying to imitate a horse. In a little while, she gave vent to shrill whinnyings, and drooped her arms towards the grass. Her fingers grew together and a thin hoof of smooth continuous horn bound her five finger nails. Her head grew larger, her neck lengthened out, the greater part of her trailing robe became a tail, and her loosened hair, as it streamed down her neck, fell as a mane on her right shoulder.
There again, maybe she would have spoken out anyway, regardless of the consequences.
The final example I'm going to give is one that not only exemplifies Okyrhoe in action, but which also has the two other female Centaurs prominently placed. It therefore seems a fitting way to end my exploration of the female Centaurs. The individual concerned is Malala Yousafzai, and for further details of her life you can click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malala_Yousafzai
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(Birth time not know, so I've done a chart without houses and of course the Moon's position could be considerably different).
I'll begin by saying that she was named after a Pashtun poetess and warrior woman, and her name means 'grief-stricken.' Now look at the Centaur Hylonome in her chart: it's in very close conjunction to Mars. I find that quite extraordinary.
Her father has apparently described her as ' something entirely special.' From an early age he allowed her to stay up late, after her brothers had gone to bed, and talk politics. This is unusual enough, but remember that Malala lived in the Swat Valley at a time when the Taliban were moving in. She started speaking publicly about education rights as early as 2008, when she was about ten or eleven. Her speech was publicised throughout the region. By the end of 2009 she was appearing on television to advocate publicly for girls' education. This is clearly Okyrhoe operating in her chart, and perhaps the ease with which she stepped into this role at such a young age is due to Okyrhoe's conjunction with the South Node. This was something she obviously felt comfortable doing – had she perhaps done it before?
By 2012, when she was 14 or 15, she was planning to organise the Malala Educational Foundation, which would help poor girls go to school. This is probably not the first thing you'd expect the average teenage girl to be devoting her time to. Then she started to receive death threats. When these failed to silence her, the Taliban set out to kill her. A gunman shot her in the head on 9 October 2012. She survived the attack, was flown to England for treatment and has been allowed to remain in the UK, along with her father.
I think this, and her subsequent speech at the UN on her 16thbirthday, is a sign not just of Okyrhoe but also of her Chariklo energy emerging. Chariklo is conjunct her Mercury. She spoke out as an advocate for the education of children world-wide. She herself said she will not be silenced and she is not afraid of the consequences.
By progression, the Sun will be conjunct her natal Chariklo in April 2017, when she is a little short of her twentieth birthday. It will be interesting to see if she really comes into her own then.
It's also worth pointing out that she was born just five months after Chariklo was discovered. Maybe there's a new energy coming into the world, and the combined energies of Chariklo and Okyrhoe will be a force to be reckoned with in the years to come.
I hope you've enjoyed reading about these three Centaurs and that some of you will be tempted to explore them further. Thank you for your interest.
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Official Membership
Up until this year we haven't had an official membership as such: basically, our 'members' were anyone who turned up. At the AGM back in May we decided to change this so that regular attendees could become official members to distinguish them from people who just come once in a blue moon and give them a few benefits.
So as from September, if you'd like to be a member, an annual fee of £5 is payable. This is on top of the usual monthly £3 (currently), but it means that you can attend the Annual Spring Seminar (Melanie Reinhart in 2014!) at a members rate - which will probably save you more than £5 right off - though we haven't finalised this year's ticket prices yet. And attend the AGM for free. So actually, if you are a regular attendee and you would come to the Spring Seminar anyway, you're better off for doing this!
10 of us are official members as of the September meeting, and we're expecting more over the next few months.
October 2013 will also see us drawing up a very simple 'constitution' for the group, even though we've had some issues with that in the past.
So as from September, if you'd like to be a member, an annual fee of £5 is payable. This is on top of the usual monthly £3 (currently), but it means that you can attend the Annual Spring Seminar (Melanie Reinhart in 2014!) at a members rate - which will probably save you more than £5 right off - though we haven't finalised this year's ticket prices yet. And attend the AGM for free. So actually, if you are a regular attendee and you would come to the Spring Seminar anyway, you're better off for doing this!
10 of us are official members as of the September meeting, and we're expecting more over the next few months.
October 2013 will also see us drawing up a very simple 'constitution' for the group, even though we've had some issues with that in the past.
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Guest speaker Alex Trenoweth comes to us in February 2014
Alex Trenoweth - Growing Pains: Astrology in Adolescence
Our next guest speaker, Alex Trenoweth, will be with us on Sunday 9th February 2014, in our usual afternoon monthly talk slot, 2.30-5.30pm.
Drawing on her extensive experience as an astrologer and secondary school teacher, Alex Trenoweth demonstrates the pattern of growth and development during adolescence, the time of the first Jupiter return followed by the first Saturn opposition. The placement of these planets provide valuable clues to how a person learns and then finds meaning in the lessons of life.
Alex Trenoweth (click to view her website) studied astrology for many years with the FAS and also worked with the Wheel of Astrologers at Glastonbury Festival and the Big Green Gathering. She was also a speaker at the United Astrology Conference in 2008 and is the current editor for the Astrology Quarterly. She works as a Humanities teacher at a London secondary school where she is also head of year 9. In her spare time she writes fiction and plays the trumpet in the South London Jazz Orchestra. "Growing Pains" is her first book but there are others pending publication.
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Astro-events for 2014.
2014 events
Lunations, eclipses, planet ingresses, major aspects and stations.
Times are either Greenwich Mean Time or British Summer Time.
January…………………………………………………………………………………….………
1st January (11.14am GMT) New Moon @ 10⁰57'Capricorn
11th January (9.35pm GMT) Mercurymoves into Aquarius
16th January (4.52am GMT) Full Moon @ 25⁰58'Cancer
20thJanuary(3.51am GMT) - Sunmoves into Aquarius
30th January (9.38pm GMT) New Moon @ 10⁰55'Aquarius
31st January (9.16am GMT) Jupiter(retrograde) opposite Pluto, 12⁰17'Cancer-Capricorn,
31stJanuary (2.30pm GMT) Mercury moves intoPisces
31stJanuary (8.50pm GMT)Venusstations direct, 13⁰34’ Capricorn
February…………………………………………………………………………...………………
5thFebruary(7.52pm GMT) Jupiter(retrograde) trine Chiron, 11⁰45'Cancer-Pisces, 2/3
6th February (6.22am GMT) Mercury stations retrograde, 3⁰19' Pisces
13thFebruary(3.31am GMT) - Mercury (retrograde) moves back into Aquarius
14thFebruary(11.54pm GMT) Full Moon @ 26⁰13'Leo
18thFebruary(5.59pm GMT) - Sunmoves intoPisces
25thFebruary(10.30pm GMT) Plutosextile Chiron, 13⁰00'Capricorn-Pisces,
26thFebruary(7.29am GMT) Jupiter(retrograde) square Uranus, 10⁰33'Cancer-Aries, 2/3
28thFebruary(2.01pm GMT) - Mercury stations direct, 18⁰10’ Aquarius
March…………………………………………………………………...………….…………………
1st March (8.01am GMT) New Moon @10⁰39' Pisces
1st March (4.25pm GMT) Mars stations retrograde, 27⁰32’ Libra
2ndMarch (4.19pm GMT) Saturnstations retrograde, 23⁰19' Scorpio
5thMarch(9.04pm GMT) Venus moves into Aquarius
6thMarch(10.42am GMT) Jupiterstations direct, 10⁰26'Cancer
16thMarch(5.09pm GMT) Full Moon @ 26⁰02' Virgo
17thMarch(22.25pm GMT) Mercurymoves intoPisces
20thMarch(4.57pm GMT) - Sunmoves intoAries
22ndMarch (2.19pm GMT) North Node moves (retrograde) intoLibra
30thMarch(1.00am GMT) British Summer Time begins – clocks forward one hour
30thMarch (7.46pm BST) New Moon@ 9⁰59' Aries
April………………………………………………………………………………………………...…
5thApril (9.32pm BST) Venus moves intoPisces
7thApril(4.36pm BST) Mercurymoves intoAries
15thApril (00.47am BST) Plutostations retrograde,13⁰34'Capricorn
15thApril(8.42am BST) Total Lunar Eclipse, 25⁰15' Libra
20thApril(4.55am BST) - Sunmoves intoTaurus
20thApril(8.29am BST) Jupiter square Uranus, 13⁰29'Cancer-Aries, 3/3
21stApril(00.26am BST) Jupiteropposite Pluto (retrograde), 13⁰34'Cancer-Capricorn, 3/3
21stApril(7.39pm BST) Uranus square Pluto (retrograde), 13⁰34'Aries-Capricorn, 5/7
23rdApril(10.17am BST) - Mercurymoves intoTaurus
29thApril(7.14am BST) Annular Solar Eclipse, 8⁰51'Taurus
May……………………….……………………….………………….………………………………
3rdMay(2.22am BST) - Venus moves intoAries
7thMay(3.58pm BST) - Mercurymoves into Gemini
14thMay (12.37pm BST) - Jupitertrine Chiron, 17⁰08'Cancer-Pisces, 3/3
14thMay(8.17pm BST) – Full Moon @ 23⁰55'Scorpio
20thMay(2.32am BST) – Mars stations direct, 9⁰02' Libra
21stMay(3.59am BST) - Sunmoves intoGemini
24thMay(6.47pm BST) - Jupitertrine Saturn (retrograde), 18⁰59'Cancer-Scorpio, 3/3
28thMay(7.41pm BST) New Moon @ 7⁰21'Gemini
29thMay(2.47am BST) - Venus moves into Taurus
29thMay(10.13am BST) - Mercurymoves into Cancer
June…………………………………………………………….……….………..…………….……
7thJune(12.58pm BST) – Mercury stations retrograde, 3⁰10' Cancer
9thJune(8.50pm BST) Neptunestations retrograde,7⁰35'Pisces
13thJune(5.13am BST) – Full Moon @ 22⁰06'Sagittarius
13thJune(6.21am BST) - Saturn (retrograde)trine Chiron, 17⁰44'Scorpio-Pisces, 2/3
17thJune(11.06am BST) – Mercury(retrograde)moves back into Gemini
20thJune(1.45pm BST) Chiron stations retrograde,17⁰45'Pisces
21stJune(11.51am BST) - Sunmoves intoCancer
23rdJune(1.35pm BST) Venus moves intoGemini
27th June (9.10am BST)New Moon @ 5⁰37' Cancer
July…………………………………………………………………….……………………..…..…..
1stJuly (1.51pm BST) - Mercury stations direct, 24⁰23' Gemini
12thJuly(12.26pm BST) - Full Moon @ 20⁰03' Capricorn
13thJuly (5.46am BST) - Mercury moves intoCancer
16thJuly(11.30am BST) - Jupiter moves into Leo
18thJuly(3.07pm BST) - Venus moves into Cancer
20thJuly(9.35pm BST) Saturnstations direct, 16⁰38' Scorpio
22ndJuly (3.54am BST) Uranusstations retrograde, 16⁰30'Aries
22ndJuly(10.41pm BST) - Sunmoves intoLeo
26thJuly (3.26am BST) – Mars moves into Scorpio
26thJuly (11.43pm BST) - New Moon@ 3⁰52' Leo
31stJuly (11.47pm BST) - Mercury moves intoLeo
August…………………………………………………………………….….……………….……
5thAugust(5.12pm BST) - Saturn trine Chiron (retrograde), 16⁰50'Scorpio-Pisces, 3/3
10thAugust(7.10pm BST) - Full Moon @ 18⁰02' Aquarius
12thAugust(8.25am BST) - Venus moves into Leo
15thAugust(5.45pm BST) –Mercury moves into Virgo
23rdAugust(5.46am BST) - Sunmoves intoVirgo
25thAugust(3.14pm BST) – New Moon @ 2⁰19' Virgo
September………………………………………………………………………….....……….….…
2ndSeptember(6.39am BST) –Mercurymoves into Libra
5thSeptember(6.08pm BST) - Venus moves into Virgo
9thSeptember(2.39am BST) - Full Moon @ 16⁰19'Pisces
13thSeptember(10.58pm BST) – Mars moves into Sagittarius
23rdSeptember(1.36am BST) Plutostations direct, 10⁰59'Capricorn
23rdSeptember(3.29am BST) - Sunmoves intoLibra
24thSeptember(7.15am BST) - New Moon @ 1⁰08'Libra
25thSeptember(7.19pm BST) - Jupitertrine Uranus, 14⁰59'Leo-Aries
27thSeptember (11.40pm BST) - Mercury moves into Virgo
29th September (9.53pm BST) - Venus moves into Libra
October……………………………………………………………………………………...….…..
4thOctober(6.03pm BST) – Mercury stations retrograde, 2⁰19'Scorpio
8thOctober(11.50am BST) Total Lunar Eclipse, 15⁰05' Aries (conjunct Uranus)
10thOctober(6.28pm BST) - Mercury moves into Libra
23rdOctober(12.57pm BST) - Sunmoves intoScorpio
23rdOctober(9.53pm BST) - Venus moves into Scorpio
23rdOctober(10.57pm BST) - Partial Solar Eclipse, 0⁰24'Scorpio
25thOctober (8.18pm BST) – Mercurystations direct, 16⁰46'Scorpio
26thOctober (2.00am BST) British Summer Timeends– clocks go back one hour.
26thOctober (10.44am GMT) - Marsmoves into Capricorn
November………………………………………………………………………..…………….…….
6thNovember(10.24pm GMT) - Full Moon @ 14⁰26' Taurus
8thNovember(11.10pm GMT) – Mercury moves into Scorpio
16thNovember(7.05am GMT) - Neptunestations direct,4⁰47'Pisces
16thNovember(7.05pm GMT) - Venus moves into Sagittarius
22ndNovember(9.38am GMT) - Sunmoves intoSagittarius
22ndNovember(12.33pm GMT) – New Moon @ 0⁰07'Sagittarius
23rdNovember(11.44pm GMT) Chiron stations direct,13⁰05'Pisces
28thNovember(2.27am GMT) – Mercury moves into Sagittarius
December…………………………………………………………………...…………………...…
4thDecember(11.58pm GMT) - Mars moves intoAquarius
6thDecember(12.28pm GMT) - Full Moon @ 14⁰18' Gemini
8thDecember(8.41pm GMT) Jupiterstations retrograde, 22⁰37'Leo
10thDecember (4.43pm GMT) - Venus moves intoCapricorn
15thDecember (6.15am GMT) - Uranus (retro) square Pluto, 12⁰36'Aries-Capricorn, 6/7
17thDecember (3.54am GMT) - Mercury moves intoCapricorn
21st December(10.46pm GMT) - Uranus stations direct, 12⁰34'Aries
21st December(11.03pm GMT) - Sunmoves into Capricorn
22ndDecember(1.37am GMT) - New Moon @ 0⁰06' Capricorn
23rdDecember (4.34pm GMT) - Saturnmoves into Sagittarius
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Venus rising
Venus is about to make a return to our skies as Morning Star after a short period of invisibility, during which she joined with the Sun at her inferior conjunction. In my experience, few astrologers pay much attention to the cycles of Venus and Mercury, which have distinctive rhythms owing to the fact that they orbit between Earth and the Sun. Because Mercury is so close to the Sun, he's much more elusive than Venus and there's not the same level of mythology concerning his cycle. However, as one of the brightest objects in the sky, people through the ages couldn't fail to notice Venus as she comes and goes, growing brighter and dimmer, and as morning star and evening star. It's not difficult to see why she was associated with beauty, rhythm, harmony and so on.
But there's so much more to Venus than the superficial gloss we apply to her in chart analysis. Actually, the very word 'analysis' is anathema in this context. Venus doesn't analyse, she flows. She moves between phases and she moves between worlds, as in her Sumerian guise of Inanna and her descent to the Underworld, where her dark sister Ereshkigal reigned.
I've worked with Venus' phases for many years but recently I read a book called 'The Light of Venus' by Adam Gainsburg which takes the Venus cycle to a whole new level. He defines thirteen distinct phases – way beyond the four I was using. (You can find out more from his website http://www.soulsign.com/). But he also has some very interesting things to say about Venus herself. I think there's a tendency to trivialise Venus in astrology, linking her to a love of luxury and acquiring 'stuff,' wanting harmony in life and good décor in the home, and generally being nice to people because she wants everyone to love her. All surface stuff. Yet there's so much more to her than that, and as one of only two planets that embody feminine energy in the chart Venus deserves much better. (Yes, there's also a whole host of female asteroids, plus some female Centaurs and minor planets but they don't fulfil the same function as Moon and Venus, in my opinion).
So it seems only right to mention that behind the fairly nondescript figure of the Roman Venus stands a line of formidable – and at time terrifying – goddesses. I've already mentioned Inanna, who was stripped of everything as she moved deeper into her dark sister's realm. And still Ereshkigal demanded more of her, so that eventually Inanna gave up her life and her corpse was hung on a meat hook, rotting for several days before her rebirth and return to the upper world as Queen of Heaven and Earth. Then there's Aphrodite, the Greek Venus. No ordinary birth for her: she was the result of the union between the severed genitals of Ouranos, the sky god, and the sea (which is where his dangly bits landed). When you take into account the fact that the Erinyes (Furies) sprang from drops of Ouranus' blood, you get an idea of the power and energy behind the birth of Aphrodite. And, closer to home, we have the Irish Morrigan, goddess of love, sovereignty and death. In the latter form she was known as the Battle Crow, who fed on the corpses of slain warriors. The Irish hero Cuchulainn once spurned her. Tired out after a day on the battlefield, he declined her invitation to make love – not a wise thing to do to a goddess. It led to his downfall in the end, when he was faced with an impossible choice. All Irish heroes had many obligations or taboos laid upon them. Two of Cuchulainn's were never to refuse hospitality when offered, and never to eat dog (his totem animal). So when an old crone at the roadside invited him to join her in a meal of dog, he was doomed whatever choice he made. The crone, was, of course, the Morrigan in disguise. Cuchulainn died on the battlefield later that day and the other warriors only believed he was dead when the Battle Crow came to peck at his flesh. Oh, and the Morrigan's name is usually translated as 'Great Queen'– another nod to Venus.
This gives us a much more rounded picture of Venus and the kind of energy she embodies. She is the essence of femininity, encompassing love, war, relating and the desire to connect with others. In her morning star phase – when she rises before the Sun and is visible in the morning sky – she is assertive, aggressive even, and at times war-like. As evening star, having returned from her longest period of invisibility and her furthest point from Earth at the superior conjunction, she is much more measured, reflective and altruistic. She has travelled to the other side of the Sun and wants to use what she learned there for the greater good of society, humanity and ultimately the entire Earth community. Venus, like Neptune, is about interconnectedness but, as a personal planet, it's through Venus that we can bring that concept and understanding into our daily lives.
Another thing I think we tend to forget is that Venus is Earth's twin. The two planets are very similar in size and sit next to each other in the solar system. Though the length of their orbits are different, they're locked into a harmonious pattern. This means that for us on Earth five cycles of Venus are equal to eight Earth years. (As many of you will know, Venus' cycles during this period trace a beautiful five-pointed star around the zodiac). On a personal level this means that every eight years we experience a Venus return, to within one or two degrees. I will give a striking example of this in my next instalment.
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