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iran/israel  From: james. (08 Feb 2010 21:23): 
we are swamped with it on a regular basis with the propaganda overflowing so no surprise many are interested... they will continue to be interested until the war machine gets it's way in pumping everyone up endlessly over this too... see any parallels with iraq circa 2001?.. lets have a repeat! geez, it is hard for me to not be cynical... lets hear what marjorie has to say about it for the umpteenth time, and have someone come back and ask again in another week or two... this runs right up their with interest in the royal kids... my 2c's..
Central and South America  From: Sandy. (08 Feb 2010 21:19): 
Marjorie, I was wondering if you might comment on some of the Central and South American countries and their governments for the year ahead. In Venezuela,there's rolling electrical outages in Caracus due to insufficient infrastructure and drought, plus Hugo Chavez has just devalued their currency for the second time in five years. Honduras is insolvent. There are citizen rallies in Panama for more democratic reform with the presidency. Any thoughts?
Iran / Israel  From: Sandy. (08 Feb 2010 21:11): 
This interests me also. With Iran continuing with its nuclear program, and the West negotiating and getting nowhere, there's certainly an edgy feeling around the thought that Israel would feel the need to take action. It would be nice to keep this subject on the radar.
An Encyclopaedia of Pscyholigical Astrology   From: james. (08 Feb 2010 20:58): 
Charles Carter book written many years ago An Encyclopaedia of Pscyholigical Astrology is an interesting read.. i am not sure how he arrived at much of it, but he certainly has clear focused thoughts on the topic of medical astrology worth checking out... he is actually a very good astro writer with many other titles worth an examination.. i have never particularly responded well to his work, but i do respect his work...
sri lanka   From: james. (08 Feb 2010 20:53): 
the present leader -Mahinda Rajapaksa astrodata i can find is 18th November 1945 Weeraketiya, sri lanka with an astrologer suggesting a time with venus in the 7th.. i have used 4:34pm as a starting point to work off...it seems he continues to crack down on the disputed election results and has sarath fonseka in his target sight, putting him in jail with a possible death sentence...http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article7019554.ece ...sarath fonseka was born on 18th December 1950 at 2:04 a.m off this site: http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2009/12/02/ (ctd.)
rahu-maha-dasa-for-fonseka-from-2013-brings-immense-destruction-to-his-subjects/ they do not give his birth location which is Ambalangoda, sri lanka ... quick overview of the 2 charts.... rajapaksa has a t square involving an opposition with moon/venus possibly close to the ascendant axis pointing to mars at 1 leo, with saturn at 24 cancer and pluto at 11 leo.... fonseka has a t square with venus/uranus opp cap to cancer running thru the 3 /9th houses and pointing to saturn at the top in libra 12th house.. the overlap to the 2 charts is fonsekas mars at 1 aq, exactly opp rajapaksa's mars 1 leo.. meanwhile rajapaksa has neptune at 7 libra sitting at top of fonseka's t square and conj fonseka's saturn... this suggests rajapaksa gets to play the role of redeemer to fonseka, all the while setting the whole thing up... maybe i am reading too much into this, but all this is at a relatively quick glance.. either way the fact they have mars opposed one another and the fact rajapaksa has put him in this position suggests the strong threat that fonseka represents to rajapaksa... i am not sure how all this dovetails with the outstanding issue regarding the tamil liberation tigers but am sure it is also a factor in all this....
Medical Astrology recommendations  From: Maggy van Krimpen. (08 Feb 2010 20:39): 
Mary Jones; In addition to Marjorie's recommendations I'd recommend 3 books for you whih personally I think are good on this quite scarcely written about area of astrology.
A Handbook of Medical Astrology (Jane Ridder-Patrick) - very good at showing temperament, disposition and therefore likely illnesses (if any) or likely problems. Quite remarkable how it works and the most modern of the three.
Casenotes of a Medical Astrologer - Margaret Millard M>D> A rarity - the combination of a medical practitioner and an astrologer, motivated by the sickness and loss of her own daughter but also great insight into the children (she is a paediatrician) she worked with.
..and to finish, an oldie but goodie by Charles Carter written many years ago
An Encyclopaedia of Pscyholigical Astrology - particularly fascinating for showing particular degrees or signs relating to not illness per se, but psychological inclinations e.g. love of animals, helplessness, mathematical ability, oratory powers etc. I love this one in particular.
Temple Grandin  From: Gina. (08 Feb 2010 19:56): 
Marjorie: As always, thank you so much for your insight into Temple Grandin's chart. Yes, I also think she is an incredible person. Gina
Michael Schumacher - confident but marginally accident prone  From: Marjorie. (08 Feb 2010 19:11): 
This is post from July last year when it was thought he was going to replace the injured Massa but then didn;t pass the medical.
Michael Schumacher, the seven time world Formula One champion who retired in 2006, is a Sun Capricorn like Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, with his Sun in a square to serious, self reliant Saturn in Aries. He's got a lucky Jupiter Uranus in Libra also square his Sun with Pluto conjunct Uranus as well. His Moon is Cancer with a Taurus Ascendant.
What is troubling is that his Mars is a 2 degrees Scorpio and was picking up the trine from transitting Pluto in Feb this year when he suffered neck and back injuries in a motor cycle accident. That is a marginally risky transit. Pluto returns to this place late Nov to late Dec 09 and mid Aug to early Oct 2010 so he'd need to be careful which is tricky in a high speed sport.
He'll be hard pushed from now till early Oct 09 with tr Pluto sextile his Sun/Saturn though he'll also be supremely confident with tr Pluto square Jupiter/Pluto, a touch too much so perhaps. Though a lucky and successful tr Uranus trine Sun/Jupiter picks up in Sept 09 to compensate for one or two setbacks.
Into 2010 he'll pick up tr Pluto conjunct Jupiter/NNode from late Jan for two years ahead as well as tr Pluto square Jupiter/Uranus, both of which are successful and good for money and confidence. Mid Feb to early March 10 could be marginally accident prone as tr Uranus sextiles his Mars/Saturn.
3 Jan 1969 1.43pm Koln, Germany
Temple Grandin - one of a kind  From: Marjorie. (08 Feb 2010 18:46): 
Temple Grandin is a high functioning autistic, a Doctor in Animal Science, consultant to the livestock industry in animal welfare and a spokesperson for autism.
She was born on 29 Aug 1947 at 2.30pm Boston, MA, USA so is a 9th house Sun in Virgo conj Venus, Mercury which fits with high education and communication. She also has serious Saturn Pluto in Leo in the 9th. Her chart is bucket shaped with all the energy funnelled through the handle which is Moon in Aquarius in the 3rd. A singleton Moon is highly sensitive emotionally, rather overloaded, but in her case is really blocked by an opposition to Saturn Pluto. It also squares Jupiter in Scorpio in the 12th - so she's a curious mix of rather bleak and very confident.
She seems to have had supportive parents and good teachers which would help her a good deal, though she's never married and says relationships don't form part of her life. Her caring-career 10th house Neptune squares an 8th house Mars so she does carry a good deal of buried anger which she channels into her work.
I recollect sometime back someone asked about autistics. I can't find what I filed it under but seem to remember of the examples mentioned that Saturn Pluto Moon did seem to crop up in quite a few.
Her life clearly has been quite a struggle so it's no surprise to find her 8th Harmonic (will power) has strong aspects with a Moon Pluto opp Sun Mercury square Mars Neptune -communicative, intense, good publicist. Her 'craftsman' 5th Harmonic is also strong (quintiles) with Saturn opp Mars (Moon) square Neptune opp Venus (Sun); with Saturn Pluto trine Jupiter Uranus - determined, disciplined, caring, creative/neurotic, charming as well as an outsider and an adventurer.
She's certainly an amazing woman.
Rahm Emanuel - possibly going + +  From: Marjorie. (08 Feb 2010 17:55): 
What was always curious when Obama moved in on a cloud of euphoria were the number of his top appointees who had Neptune transits afflicting their own or their composite charts with him - Emanuel and Geithner in particular.
Emanuel has tr Neptune coming up to square his Mars in Scorpio for the first time from early March onwards which is failure, low confidence, general slump. Tr Neptune has been square his Mercury in Scorpio but this will be worse and there is maybe a tr Neptune square Moon as well depending on his birth time. Plus tr Pluto conj his Saturn from late Feb which is really really heavy going and discouraging for two years ahead. Worse his SArc Saturn is square his Mars within the next few months with is major setbacks. So all adding up to a less than progressive phase in his life to put it mildly His relationship chart with Obama is sagging with tr Neptune opp Venus, Uranus and sextile Mars and tr Uranus tr Saturn hitting the comp Mercury over recent months and up to mid 2010 and beyond. But the real scruncher will probably come when tr Saturn is conjunct the comp Sun come Oct with a less than morale-boosting Sept between them as tr Saturn is square the comp Jupiter.
Of the fearsome four whom the Luce piece talked of as the cohorts around Obama, there's most tensions between Valerie Jarrett and BO with tr Saturn conj and tr Pluto square the composite Sun this year. Though her own chart (without birth time) doesn't look to stressed apart from tr Saturn conj Jupiter before mid 2010.
David Axelrod has a singularly unpleasant SArc Sun conj Mars and opposition Neptune though that may be nearly passed. His relationship with BO is argumentative and frustrated come Oct 2010 and beyond.
But Emanuel looks most likely to be the one to go of this bunch.
From: james. (08 Feb 2010 16:46): 
that 8 am chart also has midheaven at 10 libra, so the chiron/neptune at 25 aq is also 135 to m as well...this suggests he is out, but before i confirm this, i need a birth time confirmation...
rahm emmanuel  From: james. (08 Feb 2010 16:33): 
there is an article by edward luce " America: A fearsome foursome" http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b6b4700a-10fb-11df-9a9e-00144feab49a.html?nclick_check=1 that has stirred up quite a bit of the blog sphere and i wonder if any of it will have any effect in displacing emmanuel... his chart is nov 29 1959 chicago, but i don't have a birth time for him that i am sure about - 8am... this chart has moon/mercury/mars conj 25-27 scorpio which puts the chiron/neptune conj in aquarius square to these planets.. i would imagine that would create some ambiguity regarding his continuing as point man for obama... it is also basically a chiron return for him, so perhaps some chiron issues are being highlighted as well.. his saturn at 5 cap is being transited by the saturn/pluto square at 4 cardinal as well, so i imagine that is tough slogging even without the vibe from neptune hitting those scorpio planets.... his chart is contained within the chiron/uranus opp, or the saturn/uranus 135 if one doesn't include chiron... either way, these 2 outer planets to his chart are being hit on directly and one wonders if he stays on in obamas inner circle... i am going to guess not....
From: vinod. (08 Feb 2010 16:20): 
marjorie, sorry if i have been bothering too much. i was listening to news about Dubai, they have been spending money on camel about 6.5 million dollars per each camel. seems like their credit wooes are gone? otherwise NO body will think of spending this much money for this camel which they use for racing? any comments on dubai and arab emirates. i also read your old postings on politics about UAE thank you vinod
jerry question  From: james. (08 Feb 2010 16:13): 
jerry, my impression is you have an obsession with iran/israel, not astrology... didn't we go thru this same exercise a month ago?
Astrological Aspects For Iran/ Mid to Late February  From: Jerry W. (08 Feb 2010 13:43): 
Hi Marjorie, The upcoming Mars-Pluto quincunx of February 12th will be activating the 4 Capr degree and consequently affecting by degrees of the ongoing Pluto-Saturn square. As you had pointed out, this is the degree of the natal Uranus in the original constitution chart for Iran (10/06/1906). The Mars-Pluto quincunx also happens to be coinciding with the February 11th anniversary of Iran's '79 Islamic revolution. President Ahmadinejad had declared that he will make a bold announcement on this day regarding Iran's controversial nuclear program (see article).....'Iran Will Deliver Telling Blow To Global Powers On Feb. 11' http://www.presstv.ir/detail/117545.htm?sectionid=351020101 Most likely Iran-Israeli tensions will intensify as a result. Looking at the upcoming February 28th/ 10 Virgo Full Moon and its conjunction to Jupiter, interestingly enough, the full moon will be stimulating the January 15th solar eclipse degree (25 Capr.) by semi/ sesqui-square. Iran's Oct. 7, 1906 chart is impacted with its natal Saturn at 9 Pisces. Speculation is rampant on the net that hostilities may erupt during the Jewish holy days of Purim. Although it sounds illogical because of it being a full moon, the symbolism for Jews is significant. Refer to the following Blog editorial: Could Israel attack Iran on Feb. 27-28, 2010? http://vilnagaongeula.blogspot.com/2010/02/israel-attack-iran-on-feb-27-28-2010.html What lends credence to this theory is that the Israeli government had announced two months ago that it will be distributing gas masks to all its citizens in late February.... see article: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1140016.html . Aside from the aspects mentioned here, do you see anything astrologically that would suggest a war developing in the region in late Feb/ early March?
Michael Schumachers' comeback  From: CC. (08 Feb 2010 11:50): 
I'm impressed with your work on this site Marjorie, keep it up!

I'd like to know how Michael Schumachers' recent Formula One comeback will go? He's one of the most fascinating characters in sport, and one of the most divisive ones to boot!
Temple Grandin  From: Gina. (08 Feb 2010 00:39): 
Marjorie:

Could you please give your astrological perspective on Temple Grandin? I just watched a semi-autobiographical movie that illustrates her achievements and challenges as a person with autism and who became an advocate and scholar for the humane treatment of animals during the slaughtering process. I was amazed that she was able to get through the many challenges she had and was still able to achieve so much. Thanks so much Marjorie! I really appreciate your insights.
Gina
Warren Buffett - gambling fever  From: Marjorie. (07 Feb 2010 19:12): 
Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has just been downgraded by S&P from AAA, the third major rating agency to cut its' top rating. S&P's cut is in reaction to Berkshire's recent purchase of the rest of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad for $26 billion. The Burlington deal represents a massive bet by the company and uses up a pile of the company's cash reserves, one commentator says. Berkshire has "taken all the chips from the pile and pushed them into the center of the table".
Buffett always was moving into his trickiest time astrologically now. He has been labouring somewhat with tr Pluto opp his Mars in 08/09 and square his Mercury in 09 which are major setbacks as he admitted when being caught out by the downturn. But this is the first hit of the hugely discouraging and tough going tr Pluto conj his Saturn coming up later this month to stick around for two years. His SArc Uranus is also square his Mercury almost exactly at the moment which is upsetting; and he'll be facing SArc Uranus opp his Saturn in 2011 which is doubly so. And tr Saturn will square his Jupiter Pluto in Cancer and opposition his Uranus in Aries from autumn 2010 onwards as well as being conj his Venus in 2011, all of them downbeat on the cash and confidence front - so it never looked a good time for him to be taking giant risks.
Berkshire Hathaway was formed by a merger of two textile firms on 14 March 1955, and incorporated on 27 Aug 1973, before being taken in recent years under Buffett's management into more money-oriented pastures. Both these charts show pressures rising from later this month with frustrating tr Pluto on Mars. The 1955 chart shows definite hints of over extension with SArc Pluto square Jupiter this year into 2011 which has a potential for backfiring; with a very lack lustre, muddled SArc Neptune square Sun by 2011.
Buffett said when announcing the plan to buy Burlington that 'it's an all-in wager on the economic future of the United States. I love these bets," he said.
Johnny Dankworth - music down the generations  From: Marjorie. (07 Feb 2010 17:40): 
Johnny Dankworth, one of the jazz greats - composer, saxophonist and clarinettist and husband of jazz singer Cleo Laine has died aged 82. Born on 20 Sept 1927 into a family of musicians, he formed his own band and appeared on stage with all the huge jazz names - Bechet, Parker, Ellington. He last appeared in concert in a wheelchair playing his sax in December of last year.
He was a Sun Virgo opposition Jupiter in Pisces conj Uranus in Aries square NNode in Gemini- so expansive, adventurous, tied into the public mood. His Saturn in Sagittarius was sextile his Sun with Jupiter trine it so he was also sensible and well balanced. Though he'd be argumentative with Mercury Mars in Libra square Pluto.
He married Cleo Laine, who sang with his band, in 1958 and they stayed married for 51 years. She performed on the day of his death, announcing it only at the end of the concert since it was one he was very keen should be held. Born on 28 Oct 1927 at 4.05 am, London, England, she was only five weeks older than her husband so shares many of the same aspects. But she's a highly determined Sun Mars in Scorpio; with a creative, emotional Water Grand Trine of Mercury in Scorpio (con Sag Moon) trine Jupiter Uranus trine Pluto in Cancer, formed into an even more talented Kite by Jupiter opposition Venus in Virgo. Her Mercury is ideally aspected for a singing career with the intensity of Scorpio, the charm of that driving planet Venus and confidence of Jupiter. Her husband's Mars was conjunct her Libra Ascendant so he'd certainly push her on; and his Cancer Moon fell in her 10th house of career.
They had two children both of whom have moved into the jazz business. Alex Dankworth (14 May 1960 10pm London) is a bassist with the band, and is a Taurus Sun Mercury in an Earth Grand Trine of Sun trine Moon Saturn in Capricorn trine NNode in Virgo; with a second Earth Grand Trine of Venus in Taurus trine Pluto trine Jupiter and Moon in Capricorn - so very earthy indeed. He's also got a Kite from Venus opp Neptune; with Neptune sextile Pluto and sextile Jupiter - so multi talented. His father's Mars Merciruy was conjunct his Libra Midheaven so clearly a driving force.
Jaqui Dankworth (5 Feb 1963), the daughter, was a much acclaimed Royal Shakespeare and National Theatre actress before turning to musicals and a recording career as a jazz singer. She has a marginally trickier chart with a Sun Saturn in Aquarius opposition Mars in Leo square Neptune - but still suited to a creative and public career with so much Neptune in there. Plus she's got a confident Jupiter in Pisces trine Neptune and opposition Uranus Pluto in Virgo.
What a family.
Burton and Bonham Carter in Wonderland  From: Marjorie. (07 Feb 2010 14:27): 
Director Tim Burton's new film Alice in Wonderland is out with his partner Helena Bonham Carter in one of the starring roles. Burton has a string of successes to his credit - Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, Mars Attacks, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd, Batmans etc - all tinged with bizarre fantasy so no surprises he was drawn to Alice in Wonderland.
Helena Bonham Carter known best for her early costume dramas and her odd taste in everyday wear has two children with Burton and they live a semi-detached partnership in separate though adjoining houses.
He was born on 25 Aug 1958 11.49pm Burbank, CA, US and is an exact Sun conjunct Pluto in Virgo in the 4th with Venus Uranus Mercury in Leo also in the 4th so is very inward looking and private. His 12th house Mars in Taurus squares his Mercury so he's a bundle of energy. His 9th house Moon in Capricorn (lives abroad) is trine his Mars and he's got Saturn in Sagittarius in the 7th. All of those plus his strong and not altogether easy 4th house suggest he's been sensible in opting for an unconventional domestic and emotional life.
Helena Bonham Carter, born 26 May 1966, is a Sun Mercury in Gemini square Pluto Uranus - so in a way she matches Burton's Sun Pluto, being quite controlled and rather scatty. Both have Mars in Taurus so they'll both be stubborn; and both have Venus in Fire signs so they do share a similar approach to life. She's also got Neptune in Scorpio opposing her Mars perhaps square a Leo Moon - so idealistic about her romantic life, loves showbiz and a flamboyant lifestyle.
Science helped by serial killers  From: Marjorie. (07 Feb 2010 11:51): 
There's a new book out suggesting that two of the fathers of modern medicine, the anatomist William Hunter and obstetrician William Smellie were serial killers. Between them they pioneered care of women in childbirth but it is now suggested they furthered their research by soliciting the deaths of woman in the late stages of pregnancy so that they could dissect their corpses. Charming.
Hunter, born in Scotland on 23 May 1718, had a Sun Gemini in an exact square to Pluto. With an excitable, risk-taking Mars in Cancer conj Mercury square Uranus; and Saturn in Libra opp Venus in Aries square Jupiter in Leo - so confident, lucky, but inclined to cut corners. When the killing spree started in 1749 his already emphasised Jupiter was being stoked up by SArc Mars conjunct and tr Pluto trine Jupiter; as well as SArc Pluto trine his Sun so he'd be pushing ahead with great confidence, determined to be in control. The steady supply of corpses had to be curtailed after a few years when suspicions were raised but then continued on for another decade.
A later Scottish anatomist Dr Robert Knox (4 Sep 1791) procured the services of Burke and Hare to deliver him newly murdered corpses, for which they were hanged and he lost his reputation. He was a Sun Virgo with Mars in Cancer like Hunter. His Mars was on the point of a T square to a cold Saturn in Aries opp Venus, so again similar to Hunter.
On such is the basis of science built!
From: Halia Amarelo. (06 Feb 2010 20:06): 
Hi Majorie Thanks for your post on scorpio pluto mars post!
Medical astrology  From: Marjorie. (06 Feb 2010 18:32): 
There are a variety of books on Medical Astrology which you'll find on:
http://www.wessexastrologer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=WA&Category_Code=ASTROLOGYBOOKMEDICAL
Including a new one out on Classical Medical Astrology - Healing with the Elements, by Oscar Hofman.
From: james . (06 Feb 2010 17:43): 
correction - sa ascendant to natal mars...
re Timing Predictive Effects + Euro   From: james . (06 Feb 2010 17:41): 
marjorie, i also tend to see the effects of the planets as having a different response times with some variable that one can't pinpoint having a say as well ... i have the 1999 data and believe i got that from manfred zimmel a financial astrologer, but perhaps he also uses the 2002.. i have lost track with him... the 1999 chart has some interesting dynamics, most notably in the solar arcs the sa pluto closely approaching natal mercury... at the same time the solar arc mercury/jupiter square is hitting on the natal angles... it would seem the transit of uranus to this same square the past year has helped create an impression of luck(uranus on jupiter) with the unsettled part coming later.. in 4 years, or 2014 a number of solar arcs become complete - full moon via the sa moon to natal sun, sa venus to natal uranus, sa ascendant to natal uranus, sa sun to natal venus, so it would seem 2014 marks some sort of high water mark, or turning point... having to work with 2 charts makes the task of arriving at conclusions that much harder... if that was resolved it would help...the transit of uranus to the 1999 natal moon is very exact as of the past few days... it would seem this chart has some real validity as you note transits of uranus can happen exactly.... i haven't worked with the 2002 chart though...
Timing Predictive Effects + Euro  From: Marjorie. (06 Feb 2010 15:35): 
Peter, When transits or any other predictive influence has an effect is one of the great imponderables I'm afraid. Outer planets such as Pluto for instance normally have three (or five) exact hits over a period of about two years. It used to be said the retrograde transit was the more difficult and most likely to manifest an outer event. But 'tain't necessarily so. Of transits :- Uranus tends to happen more exactly; Saturn hangs around for a while afterwards as does Pluto; Neptune is so smokescreened it slides up imperceptibly.
With people it depends to an extent on their sensitivity both in general and to the particular planet that is transitting. I used to know someone who was very Fixed and very Plutonic and would watch in wonder as the most pole-axing transits passed over his chart to zero visible effect, then watch it all happen once they have moved off the exact aspect. Whereas others will pick it up almost in advance.
Plus certain people resonate to certain of the outer planets which in transit seem to bring them more positive benefits than for others who curl up and cringe when the same influence comes round. That is dependent on how well that planet is integrated into their charts I suppose.
Secondly nothing ever works on its own in astrology. You're always juggling a fair number of variables, almost all of which have the potential to manifest positively or negatively. Last year's Jupiter Neptune brought a fair number of overly high hopes crashing down; but it also launched Avatar which has gone on to be the most stratospherically money-generating movie of all time. Both of those are sides of Jup Nep.
With countries and entities like currencies my impression is they are slower to react to even very heavy influences. I suppose it is their 'mass mind' qualities. So no simple answer, I'm afraid. It is relatively easy to see the broad sweep effects - that the Euro was going to come down was not in any doubt. It's just the When which is trickier.
In working with Earthquake chart my sense is that a variety of influences build up and build up strength and its the combination of those - some of which are over the exact aspect and some of them approaching. Then a quite small trigger sets it off. You need the critical mass but when the tipping point is? I don't think you can ever be that definite. Astrology will make a fool of you if you try to make the predictions too literal and too exact.
I use the Euro launch of 1 Jan 2002 (when the plebs got it) rather than the 1 Jan 1999 accounting currency launch. Both charts show last year as pressured by tr Saturn and tr Uranus onto a Mutable T square. The 1999 is marginally later in degree so its' got tr Uranus square the Moon exactly now but that was around last year as well. The angles of both these charts are very affected in 09/10 with tr Saturn square tr Pluto onto the 1999 chart and tr Saturn opp tr Uranus onto the Jan 2002 chart.
If you look at the 1999 chart its got in addition to tr Uranus square the Moon at the moment; SArc Pluto approaching the conjunction to Mercury (opp Moon square Jupiter) which is always most intense in the run up; and tr Pluto for the first time just into the 4th house from late Jan 10 (squabbles at home); plus tr Neptune coming to sextile Saturn on the other T square this month (sinking and confusing). So they are all pitching in their tuppence worth to the pot as it were. Its almost like a chemical reaction. But knowing quite how much of this and how much of that is going to make it boil over. Hah, we just have to keep working at the problem.
Emma Watson - flying high, wanting something else  From: Marjorie. (06 Feb 2010 14:02): 
Emma Watson, the 19 year old Harry Potter star has been named as Hollywood's highest earner. Born on 15 April 1990 at 6pm Paris, France she is an 8th house Aries Sun exactly square Saturn in Capricorn - so intense, hard working, quite understated. She has lucky talented Jupiter Cancer in her 10th (high reputation) in a Water Grand Trine to Pluto in the 2nd (money!) and trine Venus in Pisces in the 6th (work). She's emotional, self protective, creative, healing for others. Her Grand Trine forms an even more fortunate Kite with Jupiter opposition Uranus (Neptune) which then sextile onto Pluto and Venus. Uranus in the 4th is her driving planet in a highly strung, inspired conjunction to Neptune. She's quite inward looking, will always be restless domestically and emotionally. Her Sun trines a Sagittarius Moon with both sextile Mars in Aquarius. Mars is in an ambitious trine to her Midheaven and in a determined wide square to Pluto, so she's no push over.
Although she's now filming the final two Harry Potters she has become increasingly reluctant to devote her life to the Hollywood machine and wants to go to University and disappear out of the celeb focus. This fits with tr Saturn now across her Virgo Ascendant into her first quadrant for some years which is often a less ambitious, low profile time. She'll have a few sinking moments this year with tr Neptune conj her Mars. She's also got tr Pluto going through her 4th (since 2009) for years and years ahead which is a time of sorting out emotional and family priorities. Her 10th house pulls her towards career but her 4th house with Uranus, Neptune, Saturn there will be insisting she focuses on her roots and sense of inner identity.
Euro facing a hard reality  From: Peter. (06 Feb 2010 13:51): 
Thanks for your fine work, Marjorie, regarding the astrological configuration causing the Euro to finally sell off. To say the performance of the Euro has been confounding is an understatement, rarely does a currency rise almost unimpeded for more than 9-10 months. Former Russian nuclear physicist, Sergey Tarassov, developer of an advanced astro computer forecasting program mentioned in November that his own forecast for the Euro to top in October had been completely off and ascribed it to the "nature of math"! The artificial intelligence module draws out the predominant planetary influences on any given market and projects them out in the future, but when the underlying astro cycles fail to materialize it somehow puts the algorithm out of kilter. The complexity of it is mindboggling for when you mention it happened at the last gasp of the Uranus square SArc Pluto one wonders how it is possible to ascertain when in the cycle the impact will be felt and input it accordingly in the forecast work? Btw I use 1st January, 1999 Midnight 00:00 time - location Frankfurt am Main for the Euro, but could not see tr. Uranus conj SArc Mars in February, only tr. Uranus sq. SArc Pluto.
Finance Posts  From: Marjorie. (06 Feb 2010 13:29): 
Finance posts back about a year now in Politics Section. Cyber gremlin (over length problem!!) circumvented. .
Van Rompuy - invisible President  From: Marjorie. (06 Feb 2010 11:41): 
With the EU now knee-deep in panic over the Eurozone economic meltdown there's not much sign of the new President Herman van Rompuy. He's a Sun Scorpio square Pluto Mars in Leo; with Pluto, Mars, Saturn in Leo square Mercury Venus in Scorpio - so controlled he's locked in. His only Cardinal planet is Neptune in Libra so he is hardly pro-active. Unlike Nicholas Sarkozy who grasped the nettle of the first economic dip when on the six monthly revolving presidency of the EU, banging heads together with all the force of his Moon Mars in Aries plus Jupiter Uranus in Cancer.
Van Rompuy does have tr Uranus square his Uranus after mid Feb which will unsettle his normal robot-glide through life; and transits to his midpoints certainly show a degree of frustration and upset. His very Fixed chart mirrors the EU's also substantially Fixed chart - so neither finds change easy or a fast process. His Uranus is conj the EU's Midheaven which is faint hope he'll bring in reforms; plus his Pluto is conj the EU's Uranus which might just do the same- tho' could also do the opposite. But his Sun is conj the EU's dithery, head-in-the-clouds 2nd house Neptune so he'll find them evasive when it comes to outright commitments for changes especially in the financial sphere.
BAE found guilty - Pluto triumphs over Uranus  From: Marjorie. (06 Feb 2010 10:51): 
Although campaigners are yowling over the deal struck by UK defence contractor BAE Systems to end inquiries into its affairs, it has been found guilty on two criminal charges. It will be forced to pay fines of £286m ($447m) to settle US and UK corruption investigations into deals that BAE Systems secured from Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, the Czech Republic, South Africa and Hungary. It is a result of sorts and according to Robert Peston, BBC: 'The charge to which BAE Systems has pleaded guilty in the US is chronically embarrassing for Britain's biggest manufacturer.'
From an earlier Post: 02 Oct 2009 The UK Serious Fraud Office, determined to lean on corporate crime, are pressing ahead with the intention of laying corruption charges against BAE Systems PLC, the defence and aerospace firm, over alleged bribes paid in Eastern Europe and Africa. A previous attempt to lay similar charges over bribes to Saudi Arabia in 2006 was vetoed on Tony Blair''s watch on the excuse it would undermine national security. A judicial review of that decision to drop the investigation was deemed ''unlawful'' by the High Court. If successful the prosecution would dent BAE''s reputation, limiting its ability to get public contracts in Europe and the U.S.
BAE (30 Nov 1999) has a Sun Pluto in Sagittarius sextile Neptune Mars Uranus in Aquarius so controlling (Pluto), determined to go their own way (Aquarius), global (Sagittarius) and willing to do business with anyone (Aquarius again). There is a secretive Mercury in Scorpio opposition an obstinate Saturn in Taurus square Uranus so this is not a company that appreciates interference.
But with the Solar Arc Mars now conjunct the natal Uranus their security is being shaken in a major way. And it won''t improve with SArc Neptune conjunct Uranus thro'' 10/11.
What is rather intriguing is that the SFO was set up in April 1988 when Pluto was in Scorpio exactly opposition BAE''s Saturn and square the BAE Uranus - so clearly they were destined to meet in a mighty collision at some point.
Robin Cook's chart  From: xtina. (05 Feb 2010 23:02): 
Isn't it an extraordinary chart. Thanks for posting the time on this one. The Sun right on the ascendant at the point of a yod from Pluto and Neptune. And two criss-crossing Thor's Hammers (James!). His resignation speech was wonderful - intelligent, passionate, principled and clinical in its critique of the government's decision to go to war. I wonder if Jupiter transiting his Pisces stellium will bring him ( or rather his shade, since he's long dead) back in the public eye in the next few months.
Sister acts  From: xtina. (05 Feb 2010 22:45): 
Thank you for your insight into those sisters. I always enjoy it when you look at charts working together. The way you get to the nub of relationships so concisely is remarkable, like a laser. On the subject of those ladies: it must be pretty hard being the sister of a genius - especially if your vocation happens to be in the same field. But with Byatt and Drabble it's fascinating to see how differently a talent for writing is expressed by different signs. Byatt's best work is so passionate, deep and finely crafted - perfect Scorpio Moon/Virgo Sun, whereas I find Drabble arid and although erudite strangely shallow - perfectly Gemini Sun/Cap Moon. As for Woolf and Bell - a lot has been written about them, but I always wonder if either of them knew at the time quite what a genius Virginia was and just how meagre Vanessa's talents were as a painter. Still she outdid her sister in other ways. Ahh sibling rivalry
From: MARY JONES LLANFAIR P.G. N. WALES. . (05 Feb 2010 20:45): 
Dear Marjorie,
Iam very interested in learning more about medical astrology. Why some people are more likely to develop certain diseases etc.
Could you please recommend any books or web sites on the subject.?
Many thanks,
Mary.
Brown Blair - hate hate  From: Marjorie. (05 Feb 2010 19:26): 
Don't think there's going to be too much co-operating going on between Brown and Blair with tr Pluto square their composite Venus and tr Saturn opp at the moment - which will sour the mood between them for the next two years. Plus tr Neptune trine the composite Mars around Election time - April, May, June - which is distinctly undermining. No political advisor in their right mind - not even PMandelson - would think TBlair was an Election help as his reputation sinks like a stone week by week as the Chilcot drip drip continues.
Clare Short ...  From: FW. (05 Feb 2010 19:17): 
Ah, Marjorie -
If only you were a leader-writer as well as stargazer assoluta!
Thanks for the Clare Short analysis. Superb reading, as ever.
(I see that Mr Brown has invited Teflon Tony to 'help' with the election campaign ... I seem to recall you saying it would have exactly the reverse effect! Fingers crossed.)
From: james. (05 Feb 2010 16:57): 
lol marjorie! my sentiments exactly on your last post....
Scorpio - Mars Pluto  From: Marjorie. (05 Feb 2010 13:34): 
Mars Pluto works for me as Scorpio co-rulers. Mars on its own is too fiery and brash, where Pluto anchors it into a more intensely burning determination. Ebertin describes Mars Pluto as 'superhuman power' and Scorpio was always known as the miracle maker of the zodiac since once it sets its sights, it doesn't give up till it achieves its goal. Pluto gives the sense of relentlessness which I associate with Scorpio.
I thought that whole nonsense about Pluto not being a planet was another piece of scientific community flummery. They took a vote on it!! They just love anything that gets them the headlines whether it bears any relation to anything much or not. They act like brattish kids at times. And that was one of them. Changing it from one classification to another made not a whit's worth of difference.
Clare Short - blasting away  From: Marjorie. (05 Feb 2010 11:50): 
Clare Short's cannon blast against Tony Blair at the Chilcot Inquiry accusing him of lying and conning her was telling. She does have a reputation for being difficult but the evidence is stacking up from all quarters and she was in the Cabinet so in a position to know.
She was born oddly enough only two weeks before Robin Cook who did resign at the time, pre-Iraq attack and has since been proved very spot on with his judgements, though sadly he's not here to be vindicated. CShort is 15 Feb 1946 so a Sun, Venus, Mercury in Aquarius trine Jupiter in Libra - a communicator and stubborn. She's also got an angry Mars Saturn in Cancer; with a fairly flamboyant Leo Moon possibly conj Pluto. Shhe's no Earth signs so not always too practical.
Her Sun is opposition TBlair's Pluto and square his Jupiter so never a happy mix - power was always the issue between them and he wanted it. Her Mars Saturn is also conjunct his emphasised Uranus so frequent disagreements and a very ratchety interface. On their relationship chart this works out as a strained Sun inconjunct Saturn; a combustible no-compromise Mars Uranus square Mercury Venus; and a one-upmanship Jupiter Pluto conjunction widely trine the composite Sun.
Their relationship is under huge strain from now onwards with tr Pluto square the composite Sun and trine comp Saturn from later this month; and then tr Uranus and tr Saturn square the comp Uranus (Mars) later this year.
She's steaming ahead this year with a dynamic tr Pluto trine Mars/Jupiter though in general not feeling that chipper with tr Neptune conj her Sun - perhaps anxieties over the Election and the state of her party.
Robin Cook (28 Feb 1946, 7.20am Bellshill, Scotland) had a Sun, Asc, Venus, Mercury in Pisces square Uranus, trine Mars Saturn in Cancer - so a more together chart. Still rebellious, angry and determined but clearly more able to act on his judgement than Clare Short, whose wannabe-important Leo Moon and Fixed planets perhaps held her back from making the sacrifice on principle to step down onto the back benches. Though she was also persuaded (conned) by Blair into thinking he'd make a difference on the Palestine issue and insist the UN took over in Iraq post attack if she kept in line.
Finance Posts  From: Marjorie. (05 Feb 2010 10:43): 
Vinod, Thanks for your kind comments. I did pull together the previous year's Finance posts and put them into the Politics Section - but sadly a cyber gremlin ate them. The weekend should see the malevolent ones banished so will let you know when the posts finally make it there.
Europe and Euro facing a hard reality  From: Marjorie. (05 Feb 2010 10:41): 
For Peter, The Euro launch chart has finally started to make sense - having survived tr Saturn and tr Uranus hitting the Mutable T square of Pluto (16) opp Saturn (9) square Mars (16) through the past eighteen months, which personally I thought would bring it shooting down (and it didn't!) it has now succumbed to pressure. This happened at the last gasp as tr Uranus is square the SArc Pluto with tr Uranus conj SArc Mars in Feb - so the present high anxiety will run on for some weeks. Then its' Jupiter (10 Cancer) opp Venus Sun (7/10 Capricorn) pick up the dampening tr Saturn squares from late Sept 10 into 2011 with tr Pluto exerting much heavier pressure as it conjuncts Venus in 11/12 with much more following.

The FTSEEurofirst 300 index (31 Dec 1985) of top European shares is way down after the panic focus spread from the tottering economy of Greece to Spain and Portugal. This chart has Neptune Venus Sun (3/5/8 Capricorn) so in general is in a time of escalating pressure and anxiety with tr Pluto about to conj Venus later this month. More pointedly it also has SArc Mars conj Saturn intensifying to exact over the next three months which is a serious setback. This chart looks to be labouring mightily right thro' the next four years.
The FTSE is also down with tr Pluto and tr Saturn hitting the Sun/Neptune midpoint and tr Pluto sextile Mars/Saturn neither of which are confidence boosting. It was always set for a volatile year with tr Uranus square Jupiter as well as tr Pluto conj Sun/Jupiter which are ups as well as tr Saturn square Neptune plus a return of the tricky tr Pluto to midpoints later in the year which are definite downs. So highs and lows.

The European Central Bank chart is odd with tr Uranus conj Jupiter at the moment and tr Pluto square SArc Jupiter from later this month - both of which suggest over optimism, so perhaps misjudgements on how best to handle the approaching meltdown. There is a degree of change with tr Pluto sextile Uranus at the moment as steps are taken to involve the EU more heavily in Greece's economy. But hardly looks a tough stance or pro-active enough.
Although Spain is now the prime focus of worry, in fact Portugal is in a worse way in the immediate future, though as a smaller country would have less impact if its economy imploded. SArc Pluto is conjunct Mars to within two minutes as of now on the 4 Oct 1910 chart which is horror time with SArc Pluto completely blocking the Sun in 11/12; with a raft of other nasties - SArc Sun conj Uranus; SArc Mars conj Uranus; SArc Uranus conj Saturn following. The 25 April 1974 chart is no better with a natal Saturn Mars (0/3 Cancer) square Pluto (4 Libra) picking up the foll force of the tr Saturn, Tr Pluto, tr Uranus for the next three years with tr Pluto trine the Sun from later this month forcing changes for the next two years.

Spain (22 Nov 1975 12.45pm Madrid) is certainly panicked enough with tr Neptune picking up the square to Midheaven, Mercury Sun in Scorpio (25/29 degrees) for the next three years which is very undermining; plus tr Pluto conj SArc Sun now into 2011, with tr Saturn square SArc Sun into mid 2010 - so bruised and battered; with more anxiety into 2011/12 with SArc Uranus conj Neptune.
There is an earlier Spain chart for 19 January 1479 which reflects much the same - tr Neptune opp SArc Mars in 10/11 which is failure; SArc Pluto conj Mars in 11/12 which is complete paralysis with a discouraging tr Neptune conj SArc Saturn in 11/12 as well. So nothing that is going to mend in a hurry.
Appreciation!  From: Halia Amarelo. (04 Feb 2010 22:50): 
Hi James Thank you for your help. You are a smart friend!
From: Lily. (04 Feb 2010 20:24): 
FYI- "The origin of the NYSE can be traced to May 17, 1792, when the Buttonwood Agreement was signed by 24 stock brokers outside of 68 Wall Street in New York under a buttonwood tree on Wall Street. On March 8, 1817, the organization drafted a constitution and renamed itself the "New York Stock & Exchange Board". Anthony Stockholm was elected the Exchange's first president"
Sade - determined to be herself  From: Marjorie. (04 Feb 2010 19:18): 
Sade, the Nigerian singer, born on 16 Jan 1959, is a Sun Capricorn sextile quite secretive Jupiter in Scorpio. But what really dominates her chart are her Fixed planets -Jupiter opp Mars in Taurus square Uranus in Leo will make her determined to walk her ow road and not fit in with the expectations of others. Her Uranus also opposes Venus square Mars. Houses will make a difference as well to her keeping a low profile - which we don't have without a birth time.
Drabble and Byatt - sibling rivalry  From: Marjorie. (04 Feb 2010 19:14): 
Two other modern-day literary sisters - Margaret Drabble and A. S. Byatt - are very different personalities. Antonia Byatt (24 Aug 1936) is a Sun Virgo with Neptune Venus, Mercury also in Virgo with perhaps a Water Grand Trine of Pluto trine Saturn trine Scorpio Moon - so focussed, inward looking, self protective. Her Jupiter in Sagittarius trines her Mars in Leo.
Her younger sister Margaret Drabble (5 June 1939) is a Gemini Sun Mercury square Neptune in Virgo. She has a difficult and hugely controlled Pluto opp Mars in Aquarius (perhaps conj Moon in Capricorn) square Saturn in Aries - so not an easy or very co-operative individual, quite hard edged. With only Pluto in her chart in Water signs. She does have an enthusiastic Jupiter in Aries sextile her Mars; and both have the creative Uranus trine Neptune. So there are some similarities but both having strong Saturn Pluto aspects will not make them easy companions.
Their relationship chart has a power-struggling Sun Pluto conjunction, with Pluto conjunct Mercury so discussions will be intense with neither side giving an inch. Mercury also opposes the comp Jupiter square Mars - so a tendency to try to outdo the other. Plus a cool Venus square Saturn.
Toyota - gloom and doom  From: Marjorie. (04 Feb 2010 18:54): 
Toyota is on the verge of "capitulation to irrelevance or death", so said Toyota's President and that was last October before a raft of faults emerged in its new models, causing it is thought at least four deaths.
The 28 Aug 1937 chart for Toyota looks sounds enough on this basis. With a Sun (4 Virgo) inconjunct Saturn (3 Aries) which tr Pluto has been putting pressure on recently and for the rest of this year. Tr Uranus has still to pick up the opposition to the Toyota Mercury and trine Pluto into mid 2010 and beyond which will be a seriously change of direction and a major jolt. There'll be more upsets financial and otherwise into 2011 as the SArc Uranus is conj Venus; with a truly discouraging SArc Saturn in effect squaring Neptune in 12/13.
Vanessa Bell - lighter and brighter  From: Marjorie. (04 Feb 2010 18:41): 
Vanessa Bell, Virginia Woolf's sister had the same upbringing and abusive experiences, became a painter and had an open marriage to an art critic as was common amongst the Bloomsbury set. At one point she lived with her husband, her ex-lover with whom she had a child and her ex-lover's boyfriend. Very Bloomsbury.
She had a lighter chart in many ways than her sister with a Gemini Sun square Jupiter and square Uranus. As opposed to Virginia's Aquarius Sun square Saturn. There's no birth time with Vanessa so no way of knowing the house emphasis. Her Mars was in an enthusiastic trine to Venus in Cancer and sextile Pluto; with a slightly bleak Venus square Saturn. Her maybe Virgo Moon may be trine Pluto and opposition Mars which does suggest emotional strains.
Her relationship with her sister doesn't look that cosy with a close rather cool Venus Saturn conjunction and an undermining Mars Neptune trine Uranus.
From: vinod. (04 Feb 2010 18:31): 
marjorie, if you have noticed today entire stock market has started worrying about Debt from eurozone countries not only greece, protugal, spain and finally Italy. Lithuania also has problems. you very correctly and confidentlay had said in previous posts in financial astrology is that come February there will be rude awakening. how true it is. great, great predictions. i tried previous site but i can not access your previous blogs thank you and if and when you post it again on this site please let me know vinod
Alberto Giacometti - late Scorpio and mid Virgo  From: Marjorie. (04 Feb 2010 13:46): 
A sculpture by Swiss Albert Giacometti has sold at Sotheby's for £65 million (circa $100 million), a record auction price so clearly someone still has money.
Giacometti was born on 10th Oct 1901 at 1am Borgonovo, Switzerland. He had a bright, communicative 3rd house Libra Sun; though also a difficult disruptive Pluto opp Uranus square Moon in Virgo so his emotional responses would be constantly changing. His creative 5th house Jupiter in Capricorn conj Saturn was trine his late Aries Midheaven so he had the idealism, the luck, talent and the persistence to make his reputation.
At the moment tr Pluto is about to conjunct his Jupiter as his work reached a record price which is much the same as if he'd been alive. His SArc Saturn is also exactly conjunct his Midheaven with SArc Jupiter close behind which should consolidate his achievements.
What caught my eye was his intense and enthusiastic Venus Mars in late Scorpio. Two other great sculptors, Auguste Rodin and Henry Moore also have planets in late Scorpio. Rodin (1840) had Sun Jupiter in Scorpio conj his Midheaven and Henry Moore (1898) had Uranus in late Scorpio conj Saturn in Sag conj MC. Giacometti had his Moon at the same degree of Virgo as Moore's Venus and only two degrees from Rodin's Mars in Virgo. The odd one out is Constantin Brancusi (1876) who has no Scorpio or Virgo planets. Though he has a late Saturn in Aquarius opp Uranus square Pluto in Taurus. All four have heavily aspected Jupiters including to their Midheavens.
Sade - Antithsesis of Jordan  From: Jo. (04 Feb 2010 12:26): 
Hi Marjorie, after your view on the rather revolting media whore that is Katie Price/Jordan who is only to quick to sell her soul to the devil for the minutest bit of celebrity coverage, could you take a look into the chart of Sade. She is one of the UK's best selling female artists ever, beautiful, talented - and yet, incredibly elusive and someone who abhors the idea of a celebrity lifestyle. She seems to avoid it at all costs and still manages to be super successful internationally whilst walking down the street unnoticed - quite an enviable quality, really!. The complete antithesis of Miss Price in a number of ways. I can't find a birth time, which sucks, but her data is: Jan 16 1959, Ibadan, Nigeria. Also, thanks to yourself, James, Marjorie and the others for remarking on my chart earlier in the thread; I didn't expect the feedback, but it was most insightful! Thanks again! Jo :)
Anglo-French Defence  From: CC. (04 Feb 2010 11:53): 
Just a quick backround note about Anglo-French Defence projects. That despite a tendancy for the Brits and the French to play power games with each other, they have been remarkably sucessful at building military equipment together eg Jaguar (Battlefield support jet), Puma (transport helicopter). Both of which have been excellent aircraft for French and British forces. Also both machines have been exported around the world (37 nations for Puma and 4 for Jaguar). Astrologicaly speaking I think these joint ventures are most likely to come under technological rulers than ones for powerplays. Probably 11th house/Uranus influences, especialy considering Uranus rules high-technology and aircraft.
Jim Carrey - bizarre but he works  From: Marjorie. (04 Feb 2010 10:42): 
The seriously strange Jim Carrey, the Canadian-American actor, has been honoured in France for his contribution to the movie industry and managed to score a YouTube triumph spoofing with a French television news interviewer live on air.
Born on 17 January 1962 2.30am Newmarket, ON, Canada he's a Sun, Venus, Mars in Capricorn in the 3rd with Sun conj Saturn in Aquarius; with Jupiter Mercury conjunct in Aquarius also in the 3rd. So 6 planets in the 3rd house of communication, three of them in whacky Aquarius which makes him hyper-speedy and highly strung. Not surprisingly he has maverick Uranus conj his Midheaven with controlling, influential Pluto also in the 10th. An emotionally intense and private 8th house Gemini Moon trine his Jupiter Mercury; and his Pluto is in a determined trine to Mars sextile Neptune which sits on his Scorpio Ascendant.
It's a difficult chart to get hold of since, much like him, it goes off in several different directions at once. There are a good many septiles in his chart so the 7th Harmonic is the strongest - highly creative with flashes of genius and inspiration but can be precariously balanced. The 7H has Jupiter Pluto (Mercury) opp Mars square Neptune opp Saturn Midheaven with Sun trine Jupiter Pluto Mercury and sextile Mars. The septiles really pull his chart together in a more obvious way - great confidence with not much sense of social niceties (Jup Pl); huge determination and courage to take risks/foolhardy (Mars Pluto Jup); creative and neurotic (Sat Nep).
Russia - unrest on the streets, tensions at the top  From: Marjorie. (04 Feb 2010 10:03): 
Major demonstrations in Russia last weekend against the government's economic management and tight state control have unsettled those at the top. [And are a harbinger of things to come in many countries - Greece, Spain etc etc who face similar hardship.]
The Russia chart (8 Nov 1917 2.12 am Leningrad) has an aggravated tr Pluto trine Mars running till late this year and perhaps tr Neptune opp Moon if the time is right which would suggest disaffected masses. With tr Pluto opposition the Russia 10th house Pluto picking up late Feb 10 for two years there is pressure for change in the style of government. That Russia Pluto will be blocked by a tr Saturn square after mid 2010 and really knocked for six by tr Uranus square come 2012. 2011 looks a thoroughly awkward year with the SArc Sun conjunct the Russia Uranus which will produce forced changes and be disruptive in the process.
The Medvedev Govt chart is certainly edgy this year with tr Uranus trine Mars comes April 10 and repeating into early 2011. But it's Putin, the Prime Minister who looks edgiest in the short term. He's got tr Uranus square his Mars in March, Nov/Dec 10 which is insecure, impatient, prone to misjudgements and rash action. Tr Saturn is then conjunct his Sun in Nov 10 and again into 2011 when his SArc Pluto is conjunct his Neptune, which is not a positive sign. Though he'll get the odd lucky break with SArc Jupiter conj his Uranus.
President Medvedev will have his ups and downs this year with tr Uranus and tr Saturn both square his Jupiter in Gemini, highs and lows but nothing as tricky as Putin.
It will however most likely excacerbate tensions between the two men. Although Putin put Medvedev in as his man to hold the job of President till he could get it back, the puppet has been flexing his muscles more than somewhat since he grew into office. Their relationship chart is basically difficult with a Mars opp Jupiter square Pluto - so control lies at the heart of it with a good deal of anger and resentment from Mars Pluto. Plus a Pluto trine Saturn (chained together) and Sun square Saturn - workmanlike but cold. Tr Pluto is pulling on their composite Pluto and Sun this year so heavy pressures on their mutual co-operation. Tr Uranus will square the comp Saturn mid 201 which will be jolting with tensions most likely erupting into the open. And it'll get even bumpier come 2011 when tr Uranus opposes the composite Sun.
China and USA - humps and bumps along the road  From: Marjorie. (04 Feb 2010 09:35): 
There's a ramping up of tension between the USA and China over trade, selling military hardware to Taiwan and the Dalai Lama. It feels slightly odd since there is need for USA at least publicly to mollify the Chinese who are their major creditors, and whom the USA (and everyone else) want to persuade to adjust their undervalued remninbi currency.
The China/USA relationship chart has an undermining tr Neptune opp composite Sun at the moment over the Taiwan deal and the kickback. That Neptune influence returns in Oct/Nov 10. There's also a tr Uranus opposition the comp Saturn in April/May and again Sept/Oct which will be jolting and jangling. So not a happy year.
What gives with October 2010? It never does to join too many dots together in astrology but in all the financial charts it keeps popping up as a significant and not wonderful marker. The USA/China chart also has the final tr Pluto square the comp Neptune in Oct as well which is very muddled and worrying.
The Gaul For Concorde  From: Titus. (04 Feb 2010 08:05): 
Dear Marjorie,You answered my next question before I had a chance to ask it. The proposed Anglo/French venture into defence procurement. The prospect of this alliance would produce a Gallic shrug on both sides of the Channel. The only powerful European nation that we Brits have a natural affinity with is Germany. For painfully obvious reasons, defence matters are not a priority for modern, democratic Germany, so I suppose that if we really do have to share military research and development costs to keep ahead of the game - then a partnership with France will have to do. How Concorde ever got off the ground was a modern miracle in both senses of the word.
halia's question  From: james. (04 Feb 2010 07:25): 
traditional rulership over scorpio was mars, but became pluto after the discovery of pluto... pluto is not a star, and is now not considered a planet by the astronomy community... this had much to do with the discovery of ub 313, or what some have taken to calling eris.... i can't remember if ceres the asteroid between mars and jupiter got bumped up as a result...regardless, they are large enough bodies circling the sun in a way that makes them planet like, but perhaps not planet enough for the astronomy community at this time..... until such time as they decide that something will change that, this is what we have from the folks in that community!!!................. ..................this rulership idea is an old and interesting one... it would seem that their is an affinity between certain planets and signs.. some go so far as to say their is an affinity between houses and aspects, signs and planets too!!! either their is some validity to it, or it is just a coincidence that they share some characteristics together... of course we need to distinguish between all these things too, with some folks liking to keep it all very separate... planets seem to have an energy, whereas signs seem to influence or colour the energy a certain way... perhaps others here will comment on how they perceive the differences and what exactly mars or pluto might have in common with scorpio...
Strange women  From: Deidre. (04 Feb 2010 01:44): 
Greetings - great stuff on Virginia Woolf, esp the 12th house implications. Now, (if you can bear it) Coco Chanel anyone?
From: Lizy. (04 Feb 2010 00:37): 
Hello Marjorie, One of my favourite celebrity's is Linda Robson. I dont really see a lot of her on TV. I like her as a person rather than an actress. What can you tell us about her? Thank you. Liz
Virginia and Vanessa/ Drabble and Byatt/ arty sisters  From: xtina. (03 Feb 2010 23:39): 
Dear Marjorie - thanks for that on Virginia Woolf. I wonder how her chart compares with her sister's, the artist Vanessa Bell (May 30, 1879). Leonard and Virginia may not have had a sexy marriage but he certainly recognized her genius and nurtured it (Sun conjunct NN in the 7th), leaving a brilliant legacy for the rest of us to enjoy. On a slightly different note, I noticed the other day that the warring literaray sisters Antonia Byatt (24 August 1936) and Margaret Drabble (5 June 1939) seem to exemplify the difference between the writer's signs, Virgo and Gemini.
Scorpio's Planet?  From: Halia. (03 Feb 2010 22:39): 
Hello Majorie I have heard that pluto is a star, not a planet? What is the ruling planet of scorpio? I would appreciate your help. Thanks!
UK reaching across the Channel to co-operate - chuckle   From: Marjorie. (03 Feb 2010 19:51): 
On a lighter note there's a tres amusant suggestion that in future Britain needs to ally with France to share defence spending. Given how many centuries there have been of outright hostilities, translated in the last century into diplomatic ones it hardly seems a runner. Sensible fiscally but a realistic impossibility. The UK/France relationship chart is truly horrible with the Sun square a Mars Pluto conjunction - so it's a dance to the death of a power struggle. Plus Saturn squares the composite Moon which is unfriendly; and Uranus squares Venus which is on different agendas. Plus an evasive Mercury Neptune conjunction. Can't see this one as a runner at all.
As to whether the UK will keep spending on defence to allow it to punch above its weight in the world diplomatically as it has been doing. Not sure how to extrapolate the astrology on that one. Except that the next four years will change almost everything and I suspect more meltdown than build up. And after Tony Blair's Iraq dissembling and machinations have been picked over by the vultures at Chilcot, I can't see there being much stomach for new military forays in the near future. But Britain has a very long history as a military power so it won't disappear altogether.
Virginia Woolf - a life too hard to bear  From: Marjorie. (03 Feb 2010 19:40): 
Virginia Woolf did lead a tortured life, losing her mother young, being abused by two half brothers, nervous breakdowns from her teens; then into the Bloomsbury set where she had a clearly affectionate though possibly sexless marriage to Leonard Woolf and an affair with Vita Sackville-West amongst others before committing suicide when she was 59 in 1941.
She did have that exact Saturn square Sun Midheaven, as James pointed out; plus a rather bleak wide Moon Saturn conjunction. She also had a very packed 12th house with Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter and Pluto in Taurus. Plus Mars semi-sextile Pluto and square Uranus so a good many anger issues that were difficult to resolve. And with Uranus trine Pluto trine Venus in Capricorn. So there was a good deal pulling on that 12th house; with Saturn Neptune being quite neurotic anyway.
When she finally walked into the sea on 28 March 1941 during WW11 with her London house destroyed in the blitz and fearing another mental breakdown was approaching she had tr Saturn tr Jupiter and tr Uranus all going through her 12th house which would put her on edge, with tr Saturn conjunct her Neptune which is confusing and depressing. Her Solar Arc Mars was coming to square her 12th house Pluto which is hugely blocked; and tr Neptune was trine Pluto. Plus tr Pluto was approaching the opposition to her Sun Midheaven and square her Saturn which would take another six months to be exact but she clearly felt profound and difficult changes coming.
She did have a strong 7th Harmonic (septiles) with Mercury opp Mars Saturn square Sun; with Neptune sextile Mars Saturn, semi-sextile Sun, square Pluto, trine Mercury and inconjunct Uranus. So major stresses and strains along with the talent.
Her husband Leonard Woolf (25 Nov 1880) was a Sun Sagittarius in an enthusiastic trine to Jupiter in Aries with his Sun conjunct Virginia's NNode in Sagittarius and his Venus in her 8th so there would be a strong connection though hardly a conventional marriage. Their composite chart had a wide affectionate Sun Venus trine Neptune trine Mars Uranus; plus a Jupiter Saturn conjunction - so it was an idealistic match.
Vita Sackville-West (9 March 1892 4.15pm Knole, Eng) is less easy to see as a soul mate for Virginia, indeed looks fairly destructive. She was a Sun, Mercury, Jupiter in Pisces opp Saturn square Mars - so a fairly disruptive force I'd imagine; with an emotionally changeable Venus opp Uranus square a 12th house Moon so needy herself; and Neptune Pluto in her 10th. Hardly what an psychologically fragile Woolf needed.
etc...  From: james. (03 Feb 2010 19:33): 
good article marjorie, although that news on corporations having no spending limits on usa elections has been out for a few weeks.. it ought to send shudders down any thinking american... the article articulates it well...thanks for the data on monsanto... would be good to know the nyse incorporation date too, but i couldn't find that... what a horrific, corrupt company regardless.. there is an 'air' grand trine in the aug 2002 if the time is earlier in the day...
Monsanto - Mars Saturn Pluto and the rest  From: Marjorie. (03 Feb 2010 19:07): 
Monsanto was started in 1901 by John F Queeny (17 Aug 1859) so he was a Sun Saturn Mars Venus in Leo with Venus Mars Saturn square Pluto - which sounds none too pleasant and possibly a signature for what was about to follow.
He set up the company Monsanto on 29 Nov 1901 which gives a Sun Uranus in Sagittarius with Uranus opp Pluto. Sakoian & Acker remark of Uranus opp Pluto - 'connected to mass destiny, living through times of upheaval, fanaticism'. And they were clearly in the middle of most of the upheaval. There's also a money-minded batch of Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars in Capricorn with Mars opp Neptune.
Mars Saturn not only has a ruthless side it also has associations to the military - agent orange etc. And Mars Saturn repeats along with an entrepreneurial Fire emphasis in the later charts. Monsanto merged with Pharmacia on March 31 2000 and de-merged on 13th Aug 2002 (as far as I can make out from a quick net scan). The 2000 chart has an Aries Sun in a controlling trine to Pluto with Mars Jupiter Saturn in Taurus square Uranus, Neptune. The 2002 chart has a Sun Mars + Jupiter in Leo with Sun Mars opp Uranus and sextile Saturn as well as trine Pluto. That 2002 chart sounds rather like a re-run of Queeny, the founder's chart. Not the kind of people you want to meet up a dark alley.
As to why Obama has bought into it? See Johann Hari below.
http://www.johannhari.com/2010/01/29/this-corruption-in-washington-is-smothering-americas-future
monsanto  From: james. (03 Feb 2010 17:22): 
it would be nice to find a date for the latest version of jekyl.... it seems to be somewhere in 2002... the incorporation date on the nyse would be helpful to know, but damn if i can find it... "2000: Monsanto merges with Pharmacia and Upjohn, and ceases to exist. Later in the year, Pharmacia forms a new subsidiary, also named Monsanto, for the agricultural divisions, and retains the medical research divisions, which includes products such as Celebrex. 2002: Pharmacia spins off its Monsanto subsidiary into a new company, the "new Monsanto." As part of the deal, Monsanto agrees to indemnify Pharmacia against any liabilities that might be incurred from judgments against Solutia. As a result, the new Monsanto continues to be a party to numerous lawsuits that relate to operations of the old Monsanto.
virginia woolf  From: james. (03 Feb 2010 17:11): 
2 things that seem pronounced in her chart which appears to have fairly good birth data are sun/midheaven conj exact square to 12th house saturn.... as well moon is applying to a conj to saturn, so saturn figures prominently in her sun/moon and thus to her chart.. moon, the body connected to writers is 45 her gemini ascendant... uranus would appear to be a lead planet given its outside position to the rest of the chart....okay, that is more then 2 things, lol.... what a tragic difficult life...
some thoughts on jerry w's comments from early january and etc. etc..............  From: james. (03 Feb 2010 17:05): 
it would seem we are passed the window where a possible attack or something connected to iran/israel would transpire.... we talked about this about a month ago and commented on how it is difficult to predict in advance on something like this... not sure where jerry w disappeared to, but i thought i would point out it seems like nothing major took place during this window of time..................... ........................ .................... .................... ................ehud barak is not a popular politician in israel... i am happy he is articulating this, but i think it is falling on deaf ears as the israel population continues to move far right.................. ..................... ................ ................... ..marjorie i am not sure why i opted to keep everything in small letters, but it became a habit somewhere along the way.. i don't think it is a canuck thing though! there was a poet in vancouver called bill bissett who did the same many years ago...nov 23 1939 halifax as birth place.. no time available...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_bissett
Monsanto  From: christine cook. (03 Feb 2010 17:04): 
Marjorie - I am curious at the power that Monsanto wields. Many of Obama's appointments in agricultural and food safety areas have connections to that company. I would be interested to know Monsanto's astrological profile. i have found via Wiki that the company was founded in 1901 in St Louis, Missouri. I'm hoping that you or someone else on this list would be able to come up with more exact information and comment. Many thanks in advance. Christine
The long, the SHORT, and the tall ...  From: FW. (03 Feb 2010 16:12): 
Wise Marjorie!
What about Clare Short, then ?
Extraordinary performance at the 'enquiry' that we all know and love - and subsequently on telly.
Any views ? It was riveting viewing.

All power to your astrologicals - as ever -
F
Israel - Defence Minister says peace is vital  From: Marjorie. (03 Feb 2010 13:00): 
Ehud Barak, Israel's defence minister in Netanyahu's coalition government, last night delivered a blunt warning to his country that a failure to make peace with the Palestinians would leave either a state with no Jewish ¬majority or an "apartheid" regime. His language might have been unthinkable for a senior Israeli figure only a few years ago and is a rare admission of the gravity of the deadlocked peace process. There are Israeli concerns about growing ¬international criticism, particularly in the year since Gaza.
The Israel chart does have tr Neptune approaching the opposition to Mars this year continuing into 2011 which always did look like sinking failure of some sort. There are now admissions that new rules of combat were set for the Gaza attack which downgraded protection of civilians to cut military losses, which is against international law. And the Goldstone Report despite all the trashing it has received from inside Israel also dealt a blow to morale in its criticism of the conduct of the Gaza attack. The Gaza attack launched on 27 Dec 2008 at 11.30am so on a brutal Mars Pluto New Moon in Capricorn.
Barak always was an uncomfortable fit with a Netanhyahu Government and I'm marginally surprised he hasn't stepped out of line before this. His relationship chart with Netanyahu has a composite Sun at 25 Sagittarius which tr Uranus will square for a final time from just after mid this month for a few weeks so more rifts may come out in the open. The BN Govt chart is in a wobble at the moment anyway with tr Uranus back to its natal place. And Netanyahu himself has tr Pluto and tr Saturn both colliding with his Uranus at 4 Cancer and tr Neptune is about to oppose his Sun within a few days time to stick around until early March which is not a morale-boosting influence at all.
Katie Price marriage - another train crash  From: Marjorie. (03 Feb 2010 10:16): 
There is a certain bizarre fascination in the Katie Price train wreck of a life. I don't have birth dates for her kids apart from the month and year but they'll certainly be damaged by having a screeching harpie for a mother who's a hugely erratic presence in their lives.
And this quickie marriage won't last too long methinks. Alex Reid (21 Aug 1975) is a Sun Leo trine Jupiter in Aries; Saturn in Cancer square Jupiter opp Uranus; Venus in Virgo square a Mars in Gemini opp Neptune and an Aquarius Moon - so flamboyant, lucky and an entertainer plus quite up and down mood-wise (Jup sq Sat) and changeable (Sat sq Ur). At times over confident, at other times depressive (emphasised Saturn in Cancer). Charming but not realistic emotionally (Venus Nep).
Katie's Saturn (conj Mars) is close to his Sun so she'll squelch him and his Mars is conj her Gemini Sun so she'll spark his anger. The relationship chart is truly difficult with a combustible Mars Mercury Sun opp? Moon square Pluto (all in Cardinal 10 to 14 degrees). So power struggles and bitterness when that splits which it undoubtedly will starting from later this year as cracks widen as tr Saturn starts hitting that T square.
Indeed Reid will have a few sinking moments before then when tr Neptune opposes his Sun from March onwards.
Climate change - scientific disarray  From: Marjorie. (03 Feb 2010 09:48): 
The science around Climate Change is getting down and dirty with yet more glaring errors, dodgy dossiers based on anecdotal evidence and emails pointing to suppression of contrary evidence or views. Which doesn't prove much about Climate Change, man driven or otherwise, it merely confirms my view that Science is not the shining white knight it likes to portray itself as.
Raj Pachauri (20 Aug 1940) head of the UN IPCC is now refusing to apologise for the disappearing-in-30-years Himalayan glacier story - now appears to be about 300 years. He's not facing a good year ahead. His Leo Sun has a tr Neptune opposition picking up from early March with a highly strung, jangled tr Uranus opp Neptune at the moment. He is a stubborn Leo square Uranus Saturn Jupiter in Taurus with Mercury Pluto also in Leo so won't budge easily.
The IPCC itself (9 Nov 1988) has tr Uranus (aided and abetted by tr Saturn) coming up to square the IPCC Saturn Uranus in Sagittarius in April and May 2010, returning Aug/Sep 10 and early 11 - so there'll be more earth shaking moments over coming months.
Pachauri's relationship chart with the IPCC has a very volatile Mercury Pluto opp Uranus square Mars which has been elbowed recently by tr Uranus; with tr Neptune coming up to a disappointing opposition to the comp Venus in March and more significantly a tr Saturn conj Sun in late Sept 2010 - so there may well be a parting of the ways.
From: bella. (03 Feb 2010 08:06): 
Sorry to lower the tone again. But bizarrely Jordan/Katie Price has married Alex Reid in a quickie ceremony. This strikes me as being extremely ill thought through & damaging to her family. Is this a genuine relationship, or is this all done for money? I wondering what the effect will be on her children. Thank you.
Virginia Woolf  From: Deidre. (03 Feb 2010 00:32): 
Dear Marjorie et al: a lot of marvellous stuff re strong women with diffucult lives! I wonder if Virginia Woolf would resonate accordingly?
Bite the Bull-it  From: Starstruck. (02 Feb 2010 19:59): 
I like to think I'm a foodie, Maggy, so I won't tell you about the time my lunch guest broke a tooth on my rice (best not to ask). I have improved somewhat since that time, however. Honest. :) What do Ferran Adria's concoctions taste like, Marjorie? Food? Or something else?
Finance posts  From: Marjorie. (02 Feb 2010 14:13): 
On old Finance postings: I think astrology.com are getting the blogs running again this week and will put up the old ones. On this site I do archive them and should put them over to the Politics section but time and other activities usually get in the way.
From: dear marjorie. (02 Feb 2010 13:24): 
dear marjorie, i wrote recently about reading your older site postings on financial astrological articles. you had done very tremendous work on several topics like dubai,microsoft7,apple, stock market jolts to come. how do we access your old work or postings? is there a link to read your previous work ? will you please let me know at your convinience? thank you vinod
John Terry - good feet don''t make for brains  From: Marjorie. (02 Feb 2010 12:09): 
What can I say? He's a footballer! The only reason he has now registered with me is because he attempted to wield the forces of very expensive lawyers to interfere with freedom of the media to protect his lucrative sponsorship deals. In adverts the ultimate family man. In reality ambling in a minor way down the Tiger Woods trail.
Born 7 Dec 1980 he's a Sun Neptune in Sagittarius (perhaps New Moon); with Venus in sexualised Scorpio sextile Mars in Capricorn; with Mars square Jupiter Saturn in Libra. Jup Sat does have a tendency to cut down to size those who fly too high. Not much of note in his chart at the moment except that the upcoming tr Saturn, tr Pluto, tr Uranus will hit his Jup Saturn and then Mars between late 2010 and 2014 which will not be plain sailing.
His twins born 18 May 2006 have Sun square Neptune so a not entirely responsible father; and with Mars trine Uranus trine Jupiter an adventurous, lucky, successful one.
His marriage a year later - full magazine rights - 15 June 2007 has some chart. New Moon in Gemini opposition Pluto square Uranus - was always going to be a power struggle and involve huge disruptions. Plus an entrepreneurial Fire Grand Trine of Mars trine Saturn trine Pluto (& Jupiter) - not exactly a cocoon of bliss.
Ultimate foodie - another Taurus  From: Marjorie. (02 Feb 2010 11:54): 
The ultimate foodie is Ferran Adria, owner and chief chef of El Bulli, the world's best restaurant in NE Spain. [Near me and an interesting experience.] Credited with having invented molecular gastronomy he has just announced he'll close El Bulli for 2012/13 to give him more time in his culinary laboratory to dream up a new trend. He'd probably close sooner but there's such pressure for bookings they are probably committed until then.
Born on 14 May 1962 he's a Sun Taurus in an experimental square to Uranus, opposition creative Neptune and widely square conscientious Saturn. So quite a powerhouse of determination. His Moon probably in Virgo will trine his Sun. And his dynamic Mars in Aries in a passionately enthusiastic sextile to Venus Mercury is also trine Uranus so he's not short of the courage to take risks. Plus a confidently pushy Jupiter opp Pluto.
He looks successful and confident during his two year retreat with tr Pluto sextile his Jupiter in 12/13 - so there may be more going on with books etc in the interim as he frees up time.
Food for Thought etc  From: Maggy van Krimpen. (02 Feb 2010 09:17): 
Food! you were a foodie then, Starstruck, before the word was even known...of course Taurus is the gourmet of the zodiac - so why do I too have the same passion for it without any earth whatsoever? Could be the Moon in Cancer, otherwise can't explain it....have always even made my own stock and used to think it was useless to do it as in Holland you can buy it in bottles (also peeled spuds!!) but I could not sink so low.....however, the upside is good health which you appreciate the older you get - we have never eaten takeaways, they just taste so disgusting. Wonder if Marjorie is a foodie (living in France. does the competition there make you all try harder? M says Leslie Kenton was a new moon, thus Sun/Moon Cancer - what could be more food oriented than that....
Alpha Male  From: Titus. (02 Feb 2010 07:46): 
Dear Marjorie, Having disposed of Pete Doherty in your unique way, can you give us an insight into yet another celeb much in the news at the moment? Namely, the new(and maybe temporary)Captain of the England football team, John Terry and his naughty carryings on. Neither of his 'partners' seem desperately upset by his allegedly numerous infidelities. Now, his latest 'friend' is threatening to sell her story to the newspapers. I didn't see any hurt in her eyes - but did I see a pair of £ signs? I suppose their moral bottom lines - are the bottom line. Wealth and fame are all that are important. The rich and famous are 'different' that's for sure.
P.S.  From: Starstruck. (01 Feb 2010 21:55): 
I don't remember an awful lot of beansprouts (although I did grow my own at one point- aaarrrggghhh, they take over everything!!!), but I did enjoy much raw steak and fish. Am now living in the South of France, where Steak Tartare is a regular joy...cheers, Leslie!!!
Food for Thought  From: Starstruck. (01 Feb 2010 21:40): 
Maggy, what can I say? I've always been a Taurean (with an assortment of other earth signs in relevant positions) so food and nutrition have long been interests of mine, and self-discipline a given. At eighteen I was giving dinner parties, whilst my contemporaries were queuing up at kebab vans. :( I have also always cooked (even if just for myself). Devising recipes for raw carrots, however, loses its appeal after the first twenty seconds. (Zzzzzzzzzzz)
Pete Doherty - waste of space  From: Marjorie. (01 Feb 2010 19:32): 
Pete Doherty is a waste of space. Looking at his chart he's got a lot of potential which has all been dissipated. He grew up in an Army home moving constantly but got good grades at school. It seemed to have been all down hill since, drugs, working as a rent boy etc etc.
Born 12 March 1979 he's a Water Grand Trine of Sun Pisces trine Jupiter in Cancer tine Uranus - so yes he's lucky, and lost in his dream world. He's done jail time for drugs but clearly not enough. He's also got his Sun square Neptune which will space him out somewhat. Plus Mars in Pisces opp Saturn (and Moon) in Virgo which will be a disciplinarian childhood which possibly didn't do him much good. Plus an over pushy Jupiter square Pluto - a law-unto-himself.
He's got tr Pluto and tr Saturn hitting his Sun/Pluto midpoint at the moment over the death of his friend the Goldsmith girl; with tr Uranus square Mars/Pluto into late spring and autumn which is scary and accident prone. But he's also got a lucky break tr Uranus trine Jupiter as well at the same time. What might give him a major jolt is his SArc Pluto conjunct his Uranus come late 10/into 11 - and since that is hitting one end of his Grand Trine it might jolt him out of his drug rut into something healthier though I wouldn't bet on it. Where his life gets really tough is 2012/13 with tr Pluto trine his Saturn and sextile his Mars - that will bring him to a fair halt one way or another.
Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe -  From: Marjorie. (01 Feb 2010 19:10): 
It isn't entirely clear why Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe should be so interlinked at least in her mind. They were born only two months apart in 1946 and share some similarities but nothing too striking.
Mapplethorpe (4 Nov 1946 5.45 am New York, US) was a 1st house Sun Jupiter in Scorpio so intense, expansive, confident with the Saturn Pluto in Leo conj his Midheaven in his 10th so he was always destined to have a career with quite a heavy significance. [Mapplethorpe's overtly homosexual photographs caused controversy in his lifetime.] He had experimental Uranus in the 8th house of sexuality unaspected and Mars in late Scorpio also unaspected. Unaspected planets tend to act erratically - either full on or off.
Patti Smith (30 Dec 1946 6.01 am, Chicago, IL, US) had a 1st house Sun Mars in Capricorn so a fairly upfront and dynamic personality with both Sun and Mars square Neptune on the Midheaven so designed for a creative career. The Saturn Pluto in Leo fell in her 8th so close intimate relationships were never her style; and she had Uranus in her 7th which also suggests unconventional, very free relationships. She did have a Moon in Pisces like Mapplethorpe and Venus Jupiter in late Scorpio conjunct his Mars - so there was a sense of adventure with him. Her Chiron was conjunct his Sun Jupiter and his Neptune was on her Midheaven. But I suspect the connection there was more in her mind than anywhere else.
Their relationship chart was really tricky with a Mars Mercury Sun opposition Uranus square Moon - so really at cross purposes; with Sun Mercury Mars trine Saturn Pluto in the 8th so heavy, aggravated very hidden. The one bright spot was the composite Moon in the 4th which can suggest a sense of being alone together in a crazy world. So similar basic attitudes. But hardly a soul connection that I can see.
An Untouchable Rogue?  From: Titus. (01 Feb 2010 18:27): 
Dear Marjorie, Pete Doherty? 'nuff said. A subject that could preoccupy a conference on the inexplicable. How does he keep getting away with his gross misconduct? Why isn't he languishing in jail where he surely belongs? Why does his natural charm always hold such sway over the Great and the Good? I dread the thought of him coming out of his permanent drug-induced stupor and developing an interest in politics. Is he a secret, super, de Luxe Liberal? Just to make things even worse, he might find himself leading the(your long predicted eclipsed)Labour Party out of the wilderness and back into power! With Britain being celebrity obsessed these days - anything is possible. God help us...
Vancouver Olympics - Martian yod  From: Marjorie. (01 Feb 2010 17:58): 
James sounds just about right about the Vancouver Olympics - 'This manic mix of hype and gloom is a byproduct of the games' utter pointlessness.' http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/jan/31/vancouver-winter-olympics-police
Originally supposed to cost 660 million the budget is now ten times that with no hope of a return. So the Vancouver 'tough times' chart from 2011 onwards isn't far wrong.
The start of the Games is puzzling since the ski jumping appears to start on Feb 12 at 10 am and the Opening Ceremony is at 6pm. But either chart has a Yod of Jupiter sextile Pluto inconjunct retrograde Mars in Leo, so its going to be an edgy affair - with Mars sextile Saturn, Saturn square Pluto and Mars quincunx Pluto. Evidently the security force is the largest military presence in Canada since the end of WW11. Yods produce strain and with Mars involved as the focal point there'll be misdirected energy or aggression. Doesn't sound like fun. I imagine most sensible Vancouverians who had the choice like 2012 Londoners are baling out.
Uk defence  From: SD. (01 Feb 2010 15:30): 
Hi,

The UK is starting to ask questions as to its future role in world defence matters. Currently we fund our armed forces to a level probably suitable for somewhere like Italy, but we are fighting missions alongside America. This stretched state of affairs cannot continue, and the question is raised: should we seriously invest in our defence forces and maintain our status as a 'world power', or should we cut back our ambitions and budget accordingly and become a player on the level of somewhere like Spain? With the upcoming transits over the next few years to the UK natal chart it would be interesting to work out which scenario is the more likely.

Thanks
Patti Smith / Robert Mapplethorpe  From: noah. (01 Feb 2010 15:23): 
Hello Marjorie, Patti Smith is in the news and giving interviews about her relationship /friendship with the famous artist and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe..
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/jan/31/patti-smith-robert-mapplethorpe

it sounds like quite a striking ´soulmate¡ connection...
"I did feel I could enter him and he me," she agrees, "and I still feel that." They recognised something in each other; they had, as she writes, "never been strangers".
i would be fascinated to read what you have to say about their composite chart, or if there is any sign of a deep bond or connection astrologically...thanks for all your work, noah.
USA - Iran - Saudi Arabia  From: Marjorie. (01 Feb 2010 11:01): 
President Obama has clearly had enough of playing nice diplomacy with Iran and put his foot down with a defence shield going in to protect US allies in the Gulf. The charge sheet against Iran's obdurate Ayatollah Khameini is lengthening with two pro-democracy activists being executed last week; no shift on nuclear negotiations; Iranian support for Hezbollah in Lebanon (see post below Jan 21) and fears of a proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia in Yemen.
Both the US and Saudi Arabia relationship charts with Iran show a distinct slump come April 10 with definite jolts before that in March and early April. The Saudi Arabia country chart indicates both panic and jolts at similar periods. The Ayatollah Khameini Leadership chart is deeply unsettled at the moment - to put it mildly - with tr Pluto conj Uranus and tr Saturn square Uranus till late Feb and returning later in the year; with the SArc Sun building in intensity in opposition to that Uranus as well over coming months. So at some point it will all go up in the air.
Lesie Kenton - New Moon in Cancer  From: Marjorie. (01 Feb 2010 10:41): 
Leslie Kenton is definitely a New Moon in Cancer so must be around June 24th. I had her chart years ago for a Sunday Times piece but has gone walkabout. But I definitely remember that New Moon Cancer on point of a T square to a Mars opp Neptune.
kd lang and Patsy Cline - Neptune soul connection  From: Marjorie. (01 Feb 2010 10:38): 
kd lang, the Canadian singer, whose interest in Patsy Cline started her musical career, was also abandoned by her father when she was 12. So there may be a connection there as well as a musical affinity.
Lang (what gives with the Canadian dislike of capitals?) was born 2 Nov 1961 2.03 am Edmonton, Canada so is a Sun Scorpio conj creative Neptune widely conj Mars in Scorpio. She's got the Saturn Jupiter in Capricorn of that year in her 5thhouse of entertainment; and Pluto on her Virgo Ascendant conj a 12th house Moon Uranus in Virgo.
Cline's very positive Jupiter Neptune Sun in Virgo fall on Lang's Ascendant and conj Lang's Virgo planets so KD would be drawn to her warmth and optimism despite her difficult circumstances. Both have Earth Moons and Mars in Water signs.
On the relationship chart there is a Sun Neptune conjunction which often brings a telepathic connection; and Uranus falls on the composite Ascendant which suggests a pairing that felt themselves to be mavericks in some way; with Jupiter in the 5th so confidence in entertaining.
kd lang may be going lower profile for a while with tr Saturn into her lower quadrant for some years ahead, so not as keen on outer ambitions.
The Kentons  From: Maggy van Krimpen. (01 Feb 2010 09:16): 
See-saw Marjorie Orr ? sorry, couldn't resist, you've done a couple of those in the last posts; in my experience these people come across as quite Libran as they seem always unhappy to make a decision one way or the other in case they're missing out. Stan Kenton's chart is heavy I'd say; Sun opp Pluto, Moon Venus (in Scorpio - difficult)opp that Saturn Mars plus a preponderance of fixed planets (stuck in his ways) - does make you wonder about his own background which looks very far from sweetness and light. He had Mercury in Capricorn (using birth time you gave) benasp Venus/Saturn/MC with his Sun benasp asc/mc so he definitely had a strong presence and will.

I had to laugh at the amazingly stalwart Starstruck going ONE WHOLE SUMMER on this diet, even reading the books (and remembering Leslie from her days in white at Harpers) made me feel I would never ever look a bean sprout in the face again! It was so odd the day after your posting to see her again (in the dreaded Daily Mail) after all these years - at last, not in white! - if she ws born 21 June 1941 she had that Moon/Jupiter/Sat/Ur all together in Gemini rising in front of her Sun at the powerful 0 degrees of Cancer...her father had no air in his chart at all, thus objectivity and any sort of reasoning wuld be beyond him. Her Moon/Jupiter conj in Gemini shows humour or a certain lightness yet she is a very strong lady to forgive him, love him even - I was amazed she had attempted suicide in her youth, perhaps she has had years of counselling - or all along been trying to "purify"herself through eating well, the Sun/Mars/Neptune square certainly gives her charisma but the probability of never being able to understand her father, or men generally - thus the fathers of her four children were all different, I wonder what she has learned from that?

Now I'm keen to get the book and look at the charts to see what transits/solar arcs/progs and midpoints were activated at important times. Thanks M for your hard work again
how odd, indeed  From: Sarah. (01 Feb 2010 05:34): 
Marjorie, I was offline for a couple of days because our server wasn't working so I was surprised NOT to find a posting for Salinger. And even after I posted, I neurotically scrolled down to double-check that I hadn't missed it. Some critics complained about Salinger's love for his characters. John Updike wrote: Salinger loves the Glasses (fictional family) more than God loves them. He loves them too exclusively. Their invention has become a hermitage for him. He loves them to the detriment of artistic moderation. I think that comment fits a water grand trine in the 7th harmonic, no? I, too, wish we had a birth time. thanks again, Sarah
The Raw Facts  From: Starstruck. (31 Jan 2010 20:16): 
I lived, for the duration of one summer many years ago, completely on raw foods as advocated by Leslie Kenton, and I did feel good, I have to say (although I was already a vibrant teenager, and would doubtless have felt good on any diet encompassing lots of fruit and vegetables). However, there are some foods which need heat to release certain of their individual nutritious benefits - tomatoes, for example, which release more lycopene when cooked. So a diet of purely raw foods should not necessarily be the aim...the trick is to research which foods offer more nutritional value raw, and which are more beneficial cooked. (This is the earthiness in my chart coming out - sun sign Taurus, thus very interested in food and cooking - so is obviously entirely relevant to an astrology site!)
From: vinod. (31 Jan 2010 19:58): 
dear miss orr, on your previous site astrology of financial news you did a perfectly terrific article on what is next for stock market and other old articles like one on china and remnibii how can i access those articles or can you just refresh those topics at your convinience. thank you vinod
k.d.lang  From: james. (31 Jan 2010 19:54): 
marjorie, k. d. lang is said to have been a complete idol of patsy cline's and she fashioned herself after patsy in many ways.. she was a trailblazer, unorthodox and really pushing the envelope on a few significant levels.... you would enjoy seeing the cross overs with the 2 charts... k.d's birthdata is edmonton alberta, nov 2 1961 2:03am...
Rip Torn  From: Gina. (31 Jan 2010 17:03): 
Marjorie:
Thanks so much for posting about Rip Torn. I loved his role in Wonder Boys as a puffed up writer rather full of himself with Michael Douglas as well as his defense attorney character in Defending Your Life with Albert Brooks. Ironically, I guess he will be defending his life on some level. I really hope he will get the help he needs even if it is later in life for him.
Thanks again, Marjorie.
J D Salinger - see saw  From: Marjorie. (31 Jan 2010 15:50): 
How odd. I wrote this when he died and thought I'd posted but clearly not. Reading the obits he does seem even odder, attracted to much younger women, fans in particular. Rather a sad and probably not very nice person.
28 Jan: JD Salinger has died aged 91. Author of the 20th Century classic 'Catcher in the Rye' a novel of teenage angst, alienation and rebellion which gained cult status and still sells hugely, he has been a recluse most of his life. This was his one novel though he did write essays, short stories and poetry. He disappeared off the public scene after the publication of 'Catcher' in the early 1950s and hasn't reappeared since.
No birth time unfortunately, but he had a very see saw chart. A Sun Venus and perhaps Moon in Capricorn opposed a determined, confident, but controlling Pluto Jupiter in Cancer. His Mars in independent-minded Mars opposed Neptune; and he also had Uranus in Aquarius opp Saturn in Leo. His excessive secrecy must be down to the houses since Mars Neptune is usually keen on publicity and Saturn in Leo certainly likes to be important. His enthusiastic and expressive Mercury in Sagittarius is widely trine Neptune and Saturn, and sextile Uranus.
His 7th Harmonic - flash of inspiration creativity - is strong with a Water Grand Trine of Venus trine Jupiter trine Uranus (Moon); and Venus square Saturn Pluto - both of which suggest a powerfully driven inner life but a disinclination to give of himself. His 5th Harmonic, the other creative one, is also strong and difficult with a Mars (Pluto) opp Neptune square Saturn; and Venus (Saturn) opp Uranus square Neptune (Moon) - strongly aspected Saturn and Neptune may also hint at a need for solitude.
Though would be great to get a birth time.
Rip Torn - needs a calm retreat  From: Marjorie. (31 Jan 2010 15:44): 
Emmy Award winning and Oscar nominated character actor Rip Torn has several convictions in recent years for drink driving but appears to have gone right over the top this time in holding up a bank while under the influence.
Born on 6th Feb 1931 at 2.35 am Temple, TX, US, he's got a chart that veers in difficulty towards Patsy Cline's. He's got a sharp witted 3rd house Aquarius Sun sextile Uranus which is all fine. But he's also got Saturn Mercury in Capricorn opp Jupiter Pluto in Cancer in the 8th square Uranus in the 5th. With Mars in Leo in the 8th/9th; and a 10th house Libra Moon widely opp Uranus square Jupiter. So he's quite a mix of depressive and over confident; stuck and wildly disruptive. He's certainly designed for showbiz with a 10th house Moon and focus on his 5th house of entertainment. But behind that he's a bundle of trapped energy desperately looking for an outlet.
At the moment he's got tr Pluto trine his Neptune which is muddled and confused and that certainly fits. Plus tr Saturn and tr Pluto are just recently away from hard aspects to his 3 degree Libra Moon which is emotionally and professionally pressured and discouraging. Pluto is just into his 2nd house of personal finances which often starts with a cash breakdown phase. So perhaps in his muddled state he thought that lifting some from a bank was the way to go. Jupiter Pluto can override social niceties and indeed the law when it gets stoked up.
Sad. He clearly needs to go away somewhere very quiet.
J. D. Salinger, Literary Recluse, Dies at 91  From: Sarah. (31 Jan 2010 03:43): 
Marjorie, Just read the obit for J. D. Salinger in the New York Times. He was thought at one time to be the most important American writer to emerge since WWII, but who then turned his back on success & adulation, becoming the Garbo of letters, famous for not wanting to be famous. Jerome David Salinger, born, Jan. 1st, 1919, New York, N.Y. Any insights to this enigmatic author? Thanks in advance, Sarah
Rip Torn  From: Gina. (31 Jan 2010 01:23): 
Marjorie:
Can you share any astrological insight about the actor Rip Torn? He was just arrested for breaking into a bank near his home with a loaded revolver while intoxicated. I have seen him in several movies and think he is very talented. I was not aware of his previous alcohol arrests but apparently this is a difficult barrier for him. Thank you.
Also what is your professional opinion about full moon cycles effecting behavior?
Patsy Cline - a life and a half  From: Marjorie. (30 Jan 2010 19:35): 
Ooh, what a heavy, fated chart Patsy Cline had. Quite upsetting but what a gutsy lady. Mars Pluto in Cancer conj Venus in Leo opposition Saturn in Capricorn in the 8th square Uranus in Aries. Makes me feel tired just looking at it. Life for her was a tough process, death defying - and indeed she nearly died once in childhood from illness and again from a near fatal car crash at 29, before dying in a plane crash at 31.
What possibly kept her together was an upbeat Jupiter, Neptune, Sun in Virgo in the 4th trine a Capricorn Moon. So despite all her trials and tribulations she'd look on the bright side. She was born a few days after her mother's sixteenth birthday and they moved twenty times during her childhood with her father finally abandoning them when she was 15. Her Neptune in the 4th would give her a sense of responsibility in looking after her mother and siblings.
Her childhood rheumatic fever deepened her voice which became her trademark. That was when she was 13 when Saturn had moved half a cycle into Cancer to be conj her Mars Pluto and resonating that truly difficult T square. Tr Pluto was opp her SArc Saturn which is bleak; but tr Pluto was also conj her SArc Venus, by then into her 3rd - so it had a silver lining in producing a wonderful voice.
She became successful from 1957 onwards as tr Pluto had moved into her 4th. Her father died then which is perhaps instructive and she pulled out of a restrictive marriage to become a star - I Fall to Pieces, Walkin After Midnight, Crazy, She's Got You etc.
She was in a near fatal car crash on 14 June 1961, when tr Saturn had returned full cycle to be exactly on her Saturn Return with tr Uranus Mars conj her SArc Mars Pluto. So again all of those heavy duty planets being triggered.
When she died tragically young, seemingly with foreknowledge that she was likely to die soon, her SArc Mars had moved to conjunct her Midheaven exactly; her SArc Ascendant was exactly conj her natal Mars (Pluto) and exactly square her natal Uranus. And her SArc Uranus was sextile her natal Mars. What a poignant and tragic life.
As a side note - from working more with Solar Arcs recently my impression is that the Solar Arc Ascendant is more often tied into major events than the SArc MC.

ADB says 11.05 pm. 8 Sep 1932 Winchester, VA, USA
patsy cline birth data  From: james. (30 Jan 2010 18:42): 
11:15pm winchester virginia sept 8 1932
Mel Gibson - on the edge  From: Marjorie. (30 Jan 2010 18:16): 
Mel Gibson has a new movie out, his first onscreen performance in seven years, based on a hugely successful UK TV drama series of years back 'The Edge of Darkness'.
I was looking again at Gibson's chart - 3 Jan 1956 4.45pm Peekskill, NY, US. It gives him a Capricorn Sun on his Descendant which is largely unaspected except for very wide square to a Libra Moon, and as very wide trine to Jupiter. What fuels his chart is a fearsome 5th house Mars Saturn in Scorpio square Pluto Jupiter which make sense of an entertainment career playing violent heroes. But until the fuss over the gorily horrific and sadistic Passion of Christ which he directed (2002/4) and details emerged about his father I hadn't realised quite how difficult a personality he was. Plus his anti-semitic rant at police when they stopped him on a drink drive offence.
His father is super-religious, a conspiracy theorist, a holocaust denier and holds extreme views abut the Catholic Church - if reports are to be believed that the Pope is a Communist agent, under the control of Jews and/or Muslims, not really a Catholic etc etc. Not quite on the same planet as the rest of us by the sound of it. A Mars Saturn Jupiter Pluto father is something to be on the receiving end of!
Hutton Gibson (26 Aug 1918) is a Sun Virgo on the point of a mini Grand Trine to a powerfully confident Jupiter Pluto in Cancer trine Mars in Scorpio - so reasonably ego-centred (emphasised Sun) and ferociously determined (Pluto trine Mars in Scorpio). He's also got an autocratic, contradictory Saturn opposition the singleton Uranus on the handle of a bucket chart - so a maverick. Plus Mars square Neptune Venus in Leo, possibly Mars opp Taurus Moon so emotionally volatile, confused and confusing.
HuttonG's pushy Jupiter Pluto opposes MelG's Capricorn Sun so definite control issues. And his Uranus opposes MelG's Pluto and squares Mars Saturn which would be a quite explosive combination if it weren't all so locked down by that Mars Saturn Pluto in Fixed signs. But there's a huge powder keg of resentment in there which I suspect has never and will never be addressed, hence perhaps MelG's alcoholic tendency.
Interestingly when Mel Gibson made the Passion of Christ, which sounded thoroughly offensive in terms of bloody savagery, his Mars Saturn had moved by Solar Arc to straddle his Capricorn Sun. So arguably unleashing all of his deep seated and really brutal aggression, sanitised as a religious epic.
Mel Gibson has both tr Uranus trine his Mars Saturn this year and tr Neptune moving across the square through 09 to 11 so a confusing, uncertain time for him. He'll bounce a bit in 11/12 with tr Pluto sextile his Sun/Jupiter but there'll be some downers as well.
From: james. (30 Jan 2010 17:37): 
he - she
patsy cline  From: james. (30 Jan 2010 17:37): 
i am reading a book on her right now and he has some similarities to the kenton story... when i get thru it i will try to do a post on her... meanwhile this is the musical i'm playing in - a closer walk with patsy cline - at the chemainus theatre...8 shows a week keeps me busy!! it is a lot of fun and a joy to be a part of...
the kentons  From: james. (30 Jan 2010 17:19): 
i am going to guess leslie was also born in wichita, but i don't know... either way it is a disturbing story on a man highly regarded in the jazz music community... based on the taurus saturn opp scorpio moon/venus conj, i am going to guess this story is no doubt correct...sad when stuff like this happens to a child and alters everything in the innocence of their world.... what is it about shattering something so precious that adults seem oblivious to? ....................... .......................sun/pluto opp and saturn venus opp and a seesaw chart....saturn and pluto seem to need to go through a vital transformation if they are ever to amount to anything in a persons chart... is it possible to avoid the darkness implied in this story, or does one have to go through a similar experience in order to get to another level with these planets? one wonders and of course i am dumping a lot on the doorstep of the sun/pluto and venus/saturn dynamic of the chart....................... ........................ .................. ..............it is also interesting how a man well known to the music world could lead a private life so at odds with the level of respect he held in the broader community.. perhaps the saturn/midheaven/mars conj in taurus paid a heavy price in the scorpio equation of the chart and unless one was able to peer into his inner emotional world, they wouldn't be able to see this... one wonders how much he was able to see of it too, or if he cut himself off of his roots, while at the same time being extremely driven by it too... thanks for the overview and data marjorie...
A and maggy comments and etc  From: james. (30 Jan 2010 17:03): 
majorie - how about empirical astrology as a title?............. ....................... ...............A the poster - is this the same A from adb from a few years back? hope you are doing good and hope you offer some of your astro insights if so............... ................. .................. ................ .................. ....maggy, i think i understand your position.. mine is staying open to something new and thus i work with ideas that have been in the astro community since about the 1980's in an attempt to explore areas that might help us all understand the nature of astrology better.. to me there are too many questions and not enough in the way of solid evidence to back much of the theories around astrology... i think this is due the fact we are reluctant to change, but i see it as necessary...of course i am the same when it comes to music - pushing for freedom to explore and go in new and different ways then tradition only has outlined...strong uranus or pluto in my chart i guess...
Stan Kenton - talented but hugely flawed  From: Marjorie. (30 Jan 2010 16:37): 
Stan Kenton the jazz musician, was the father of health guru Leslie Kenton who has written a book about being raped by her father when she was in her early teens, called oddly 'Love Affair'.
He was born on 15 Dec 1911 10pm Wichita, KS, USA making him a Sagittarius Sun. It's a very see saw chart with Sun opp Pluto, Mars opp Jupiter, Neptune opp Uranus, Saturn opp Venus (Moon) in Scorpio; with Mars Saturn conj his Midheaven in Taurus. So he'd be constantly trying to get the opposing sides of his personality pulled together, reaching for relationships which he'd then push away. His second wife shot herself, and a son is in prison for conspiracy to murder; while Kenton himself died after a long battle with alcoholism. Hugely talented but not a happy man.
John Phillips of Mamas and Papas about whom a similar book was published recently written by his daughter McKenzie also has a chart riddled with oppositions - Sun Neptune opp Saturn, Uranus opp Jupiter (Mars) and Pluto opp NNode. His is a bucket chart with a singleton Saturn in Pisces.
Both McKenzie Phillips and Leslie Kenton have strong Mars Neptune and Sun Mars aspects. McKenzie Phillips (10 Nov 1968 9.35 pm Alexandria, VA, US) has a 4th house Neptune, Mars, Sun in Scorpio with Sun Mars square Uranus. Leslie Kenton (circa 24 June 1941, circa 1pm - 9th house New Moon) has a Mars in Pisces opp Neptune in Virgo square New Moon in early Cancer. The Sun Mars father is aggressive. Mars Neptune is described by Ebertin as 'activity paralysed - the conscious direction of the will without the ability to take action, misuse or abuse of physical energy, feelings of inferiority'.
In both cases in the synastry there are similarities. In McKP's case her father's Sun (opp Saturn) fell on her Pluto; his Saturn was in her 8th; his Mars Jupiter was conj her Sun Mars and square her Uranus; his Uranus square her Neptune Mars; his Pluto conj her Ascendant. In Leslie Kenton's case - her father's Pluto was conjunct her New Moon; his Mars was conj her Saturn in the 8th with his Saturn probably also in her 8th; his Neptune was conj her Venus; his Sun square her Mars opp Neptune; and his Mars trine her Neptune. So control (Pluto), aggression (Mars) and confusion (Neptune) are the key elements.
In the relationship charts. MckP and her father's composite chart had a vague/disappointment Sun Neptune; with a chained together Saturn opp Pluto; an erratic Venus square Uranus; and a controlling, over the top Pluto square Mars Jupiter.
LeslieK and her father's composite chart had a separative Sun opp Uranus; a scary, heavy control Mars square Pluto; Mars trine Jupiter; and a Saturn sextile Pluto. So again fair similarities.
Not sure I feel any better having delved into this but still - useful to see what's where.
Colin Firth & Tom Ford - a felicitous encounter  From: Marjorie. (30 Jan 2010 13:19): 
Now being talked of as a possible Oscar nomination for his role in The Single Man, Colin Firth is already the recipient of several awards for the film which was the directorial debut of Tom Ford, formerly head designer of Gucci.
Both Firth and Ford are Sun Virgos born only a year apart. Ford (27 Aug 1961) is a controlled Sun Pluto in Virgo with a Pisces Moon, Mars in Libra, Venus in Cancer and the Jupiter Saturn conjunction in Capricorn. While Firth (10 Sep 1960) is a wide Sun Pluto in Virgo with Venus in Libra, Mars in Gemini and a Taurus Moon - so they are relatively similar types.
What is intriguing with this rather unexpected success for Firth playing out of his normal role as an ageing homosexual professor is that Ford's Solar Arc Jupiter is exactly opposition Firth's NNode conj Virgo Sun at the moment. Makes you wonder if there are relationships between solar arcs and ANother's natal chart bringing people together at felicitous moments (or otherwise). So much to explore still!
Books et al  From: Marjorie. (30 Jan 2010 12:08): 
Hi Yes on books since I have just managed after a superhuman struggle to master Adobe Indesign to get the formatting right and input my first Lightning Source book. It's as bad as sitting an exam worrying about whether every last fadgy setting is right. So that's a reprint of Lovers' Guide on its way to be followed soon by a reprint of the Astrological History of the World, marginally updated.
Then I can set sail on doing new ones. I certainly had in mind for the next one after AHOTW to be an 'empiric' astrology book. Astrology in Action or some such title though I think that title has already been taken.
The publishing world has changed out of all recognition with the advent of Print on Demand and Amazon which is such a joy to those of us who found old style publishers sooo slow and restrictive. OK if you're Dan Brown and JK Rowling but for us lesser mortals rather a depressing process.
On Leslie Kenton - I suspect the Detox mention of me was more in hope than anything else that I might step onto the path of righteousness food-wise. Raw food does make you feel amazing but it's such a hard discipline and I fear I tend to reach for what's handy which isn't usually bean sprouts (or ever!) I see she has a memoir just out about her father Stan Kenton, the jazz musician, a la McKenzie Phillips, so will do a post.
Relocation, etc  From: Maggy van Krimpen. (30 Jan 2010 09:08): 
James, although I am slowly learning how to do the solar arc thing that you and Marjorie are so keen on, I am slow at understanding it still. The book that helped me most years ago in sorting out important points in a chart was The Art of Chart Interpretation by Tracy Marks. There is a synthesis worksheet in it which I still use for every chart to make sure I don't miss something (like nodal aspects, exact aspects, parallels which enforce other aspects etc) - I then use a cosmodyne program which weights planets, signs, houses etc with sometimes surprising outcomes. Progressions to Sun/Moon, asc mc always work in a well timed chart. Then again, I am stuck in a way as I never consider Chiron, asteroids, karma, solar arc (until now) - everyone finds something that works for them (electional charts fascinate me, and on the very odd occasion I've used them they too seem to work) but I suppose everyone has to have a method of getting to the heart of the chart. Relocation is great too, but I have always found the original chart to work most clearly when compared to a relocated one. Other people will surely have their own good methods, mine are fairly simple comparatively I think.
"Dr Wakefield  From: Maggy van Krimpen. (30 Jan 2010 09:00): 
Thanks for such a swift, fulsome answer Marjorie.....the whole thing has been going on for years, that always makes me wonder where the truth is, as if its put paid to it is usually forgotten. You see that Mars/Jupiter as a drawback in the chart - Charles Carter always said Mars/Jup opposition was the most dangerous (from the view of recklessness and losing everything on the toss of a coin, etc) but indeed pioneers need it, just to have the courage to take the next step sometimes whatever the consequences.

A is calling for you to write a book - last week I went into a bookshop here and was rummaging through and bought a few. When I opened the first one at home (Leslie Kenton's book 10 Day Cleanup Plan - lo and beheavens, there is a dedication in the front "For Marjorie Orr"- so you must have encouraged her to write it! it is very Virgo (the topic!) but almost killed me reading about what you had to do to survive it!!!
Double dips in markets  From: LarryC. (30 Jan 2010 01:34): 
Perhaps off-topic but for use as a non-astrological verifier. The mutual fund newsletters I subscribe to have been warining for about a year now of a double-dip in markets. A false spring thru the summer/fall, then the bottom falls out, taking a deeper dive than the original flush. Not being an alarmist or suggesting the end is near (2012!). Just offering an outsider's perspective to parallel what has been offered on Marjorie's site. Thanks!
From: A.. (29 Jan 2010 23:11): 
Marjorie, one of the most interesting things you do on this site is, in my opinion, when you compare the charts and aspects of people who shows specific behaviors or characteristics, like the "artificially enchanced celebs", or the multiple/ adopting moms, or the Fritzl's out there. Are you thinking of collecting them into a book sometime? It could be a starting point for other astrologers who might be interested in making astrology more "empiric". These are in a way empiric observations if you see what I mean.
kms and maggy comments  From: james. (29 Jan 2010 21:03): 
kms - thanks for the kind words and i agree with you that business is necessary for artists as well as everyone else... i suppose it's the manner in which business has taken over so much of what goes on, including the olympics, that i thought i'd express this... thankfully marjorie did what i thought of which was to dredge up an actual time for the city of vancouver, as it is more central to your question then my comments on the canuck chart.... sometimes events are a microcosm of issues that we all face collectively on the planet and i think the olympics is one good example of this..................... .................. ................. ........................ ...................... ................... .......... .maggy, thanks for your sharing on the relocation angle as well... i have found that with myself the relocation chart is quite powerful... this might have to do with the fact (to use marjories words) that slightly fanatical Uranus square Neptune of the time is mid-pointed by my midheaven in the toronto chart, but on the angles for the vancouver island location... according to the literature on relocation/astrocartography or locational astrology there may be some difference if a person is only passing thru as was your experience of whistler, whereas the idea of someone changing the place or the space part of the chart does make a very big difference.. i tend to believe the later based off my own experiences, but i can't know for sure... it is interesting what you say regarding pluto and the netherlands location either way... i do believe this is a missing piece in the astro puzzle that could explain a lot that is lost without its inclusion by an astrologer... but in the end, i can only go on my own experience, and perhaps what appears like the experiences of others... thanks for sharing..
EU - cracks widening  From: Marjorie. (29 Jan 2010 18:53): 
Germany has triggered a near-panic flight from southern European debt markets by warning that there will be no EU bail-outs. The German Finance Minister said "A few European nations are exhibiting dangerous weaknesses. That could have fatal consequences for all countries in the eurozone". Despite the warning, he said each country must solve its own problems. George Soros commented: 'Germany is not in a mood to be the deep pocket for what they consider profligate, southern neighbours."
In the background there's the usual squabble going on between those in the EU who want assistance for struggling EU countries as a move towards full fiscal union. This is fiercely opposed by Berlin who'd be the main givers. There are reports that Berlin is deliberately bringing the crisis to a head, hoping to force the Club Med states to reform before it is too late. If so, this is a risky strategy. German banks have huge exposure to Greek, Spanish, and Portuguese debt.
The EU chart itself is muddling through this year with tr Pluto sextile the 2nd house Neptune and tr Uranus square SArc Neptune; but with sharp arguments along the way especially in March and Nov/Dec as tr Uranus squares the EU Mercury. Where the reality check comes is probably October 2010 when tr Saturn starts to square the 10 degree Capricorn Sun.
The Euro fell today over the German statement as tr Uranus squared the Euro SArc Pluto suggesting an upheaval; with tr Uranus in a highly insecure and argumentative conjunction to the Euro SArc Mars in late Feb/early March. These influences are the tail end of what's been running with little noticeable effect over the past year or so. But perhaps the Euro Pluto opp Saturn square Mars is such a stuck Plutonic chart that control would only be released when at the absolute last gasp.
Greece is the headline debtor at the moment with no indications that PM Papandreou's stalwart efforts will make much headway this year. On the Greece 1974 chart tr Neptune undermines Mars by opposition in a run of panicky failure. That picks up from March 2010 and continues for a year. Plus on that chart there's a Venus, Mercury, Saturn in Cancer square Moon Pluto in Libra from 3 to 11 degrees which is going to be constantly battered by tr Pluto, tr Saturn and tr Uranus until 2013. The Greece 1821 chart is in no better shape with Sun, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn in Aries square Uranus Neptune in Capricorn from 3 to 14 degrees so ditto and ditto. The relationship chart between Greece and the EU is under intense pressure this year, gloomy in the autumn, worsening at the year end and into 2011 there's a definite gulf. Greece could be in a worse state by 2012 with SArc Mars conj Pluto.
Spain is also in bad shape economically with youth unemployment at 44%. They'll be feeling the pinch even more from the autumn of 2010 with tr Saturn square Moon, conj Venus, Pluto and opp Jupiter. Though their worst years look like being 2011/12 with tr Neptune square the Scorpio Sun; and a highly strung SArc Uranus conj Neptune. Their relationship chart with the EU looks over its worst anxieties at least until 2013 so they'll be less likely to pull out of the eurozone.
Italy looks in a dire state with Sun Jupiter in Cancer opp Saturn square Mars in Libra from 6 to 10 degrees which will catch the full effect of the tr Saturn, tr Pluto, tr Uranus - and a heavy impact from SArc Pluto squaring Saturn first in late 10/11 with SArc Pluto conj that very emphasised Mars in 2012. Their relationship chart with the EU is very fractious this year with tr Uranus and tr Saturn square the composite Saturn and comp Mercury; with a good deal of oneupmanship going on as tr Pluto trines Jupiter. It'll be at stand off come this October with tr Saturn conj the comp Sun. If any country is likely to bale from the eurozone I'd have said it would be Italy.
Portugal is in no better a sitation with a whole raft of tough going tr Pluto trine Saturn; tr Uranus square Pluto and opp Venus Mercury this year - as well as tr Saturn conj Mars Sun in October 2010. SArc Pluto is conj Mars at the moment which is absolute stuckness and fear and is conj the Portugal Sun come 2012 at the same time as SArc Mars is conj Uranus. So a very bumpy ride indeed. Austria is also sagging badly this year, never mind the Eastern European countries.
The key to the EU is of course Germany who is the biggest net contributor. Although German is over the worst of their blip they've still got tr Neptune square the SArc Sun this year and tr Saturn square the 10 Capricorn Sun come the autumn. There's going to be some real jolting and jarring moments between Germany and the EU in Feb 2010 as tr Uranus squares the composite Saturn; with worse to come in Sept/Oct 2010 as tr Saturn squares the composite Pluto, Sun and Mercury. It suggests the differences between Germany and the EU will widen sharply through this year.
France is panicked at the state of the EU this year but largely in line with standing firm, though clearly disappointed in Germany.
US finances - the Jupiter effect  From: Marjorie. (29 Jan 2010 17:25): 
The US economy grew at 5.7 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2009, the fastest rise in six years and far ahead of analysts' expectations of 4.8 per cent. The data contrasts with Britain's feeble 0.1 per cent rise in GDP reported this week, ending the longest recession in postwar history.
Which solves another astrological puzzle - I had wondered quite what effect the Solar Arc Sun trine Jupiter on the US chart would have this year. And it has moved to the exact degree as of this moment and will stay in place for the rest of 2010. The US chart rather like Canada's is cushioned to some degree by having Jupiter tied into its Cardinal planets, conj Venus, Sun etc. Though tr Pluto opposition Jupiter although confident can have a bounce-back effect if pushed too far. Plus there are still huge problems with US unemployment and there will be dips when tr Saturn squares Venus, Jupiter, Sun thro' this year as well so a fairly stop start way ahead. It may also be the growth in the final 2009 quarter was a reaction to the sharp reverse in the first three quarters - and it may not maintain.
The US dollar is up today on bad news from the Eurozone. But it's still very pressured through this year and stuck. With challenges and a discouraging feel to this coming autumn and into 2011.
Canada, its comparison with emerging economies (job wise) & fears of double dip.  From: KMS. (29 Jan 2010 15:52): 
Thanks a lot Marjorie for your prediction. Your study,views & predictions are always exceptionally good & thats why I always keep a track of this forum. You have said that Canada will be in better position than many other countries but will it be in better shape (jobs wise) than emerging economies India (has many more jobs than Canada at this moment) & China? These economies are said to be leading the world out of recession for the time being atleast. A report in The Wall Street Journal says that 'Experts see another global dip ahead'. Should I say that this fits in with the world trouble Astrology is forecasting since long? Here is a link to the same - http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704094304575029200234924446.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsThird#articleTabs%3Dcomments Thanks again for the analysis.
$?  From: bluestar. (29 Jan 2010 15:51): 
Marjorie,
Am sure you have answered this b4 but given current climate, what is your outlook for US Dollar?
Kind regards,
John
Canada - Vancouver - better than most but not unscathed  From: Marjorie. (29 Jan 2010 11:23): 
Vancouver has an incorporation date of 6 April 1886 which if it holds good as a chart suggests a major upheaval as tr Pluto squares Uranus from Feb 10 onwards for the next two years. Tr Uranus is also opposition Jupiter which brings lucky breaks into the spring but tr Saturn is also conj the Vanc Jupiter till mid 2010 so it'll be win some, lose some. It looks slightly sticky ahead on this chart with a frustrating tr Pluto trine Mars in 11/12 and tr Saturn opposing the Aries Sun in 11 as well.
The Athens Olympics didn't do Greece's economy much good - of which more in EU posting soon.
Canada on the whole is better protected from the upcoming tr Saturn, tr Pluto, tr Uranus than many countries because it has natally a Sun trine Jupiter and tr Pluto will sextile the Canada Jupiter in 11/12 - and that is partial good news. But Canada does have that triple whammy of planets hitting its natal Sun Uranus, starting in the autumn of 2010 onwards for three years. Part of this may be a spin off of meltdowns elsewhere. All of Canada's relationship charts with EU, China and India will be fairly battered through these years. China and the EU start picking up real pressures from tr Saturn first this autumn and then the rest following. And the India/Canada relationship chart is littered with early to mid Cardinal signs so it'll pick up the effect as well. Canada also has its SArc Saturn square Sun Uranus picking up in effect from late 10 thro' 11 which will be a sobering time.
Andrew Wakefield - ifs buts and maybes  From: Marjorie. (29 Jan 2010 10:38): 
Andrew Wakefield, the anti-triple vaccine doctor has a birth date from the net of 30 Nov 1956. It looks relatively OK vis a vis the events of 1998 onwards. He published a paper then suggesting a link between autism and the triple vaccine. But could be out by a day or two.
Anyways this chart makes him an enthusiastic and serious Sun Saturn in Sagittarius in an experimental trine to Uranus; with teeth-gritting Saturn trine Mars in late Pisces. Plus that slightly fanatical Uranus square Neptune of the time. Where it gets a little questionable is a Mars opp Jupiter square Mercury in Sagittarius. Mars Jupiter can be a chancer, overly adventurous, impulsive, not always of sound judgement. Sakoian and Acker remark of Mars opp Jupiter: 'their holy crusades are designed to promote their own material well being, their sense of importance or both. They are opinionated and aggressive - which trait often antagonizes others ----'
When the 1998 paper came out with the subsequent furore tr Pluto was conj his Saturn Sun and trine Uranus - so heavy pressures; with tr Neptune square Neptune and right on his mid life crisis of tr Uranus opp Uranus. That sounds as if it fits.
I am second to none in my dislike of the arrogant and often tunnel visioned, self serving medical establishment. The history of science, including medicine, is littered with instances where the old dinosaurs at the top blocked advances out of stubborn ignorance - and didn't fight clean either. It's also true that it needs a maverick to stand up against the establishment and mavericks by their very nature are often flawed and easy to pick off. But if this birth date is sound then I would put serious question marks over Wakefield's judgement and motivations.
If it is right he's not facing a great time ahead with tr Saturn and tr Uranus both hitting his Mars op Jupiter this year; and SArc Neptune square over the next two/three years.
There's always risk with vaccinations of any variety - Gulf War Syndrome? - and for the 98 they protect there's always two who suffer adverse side effects. They've been trying to find the cause of autism since it was first established as a condition. Interesting study done a couple of years back where they found much higher incidences of autism in Silicon Valley - it could be pollution there of course. But it could also be overly-left brained parents play a part in it. Not that that's to blame parents but autism exists on that very fine dividing line between neurological disorder and psycho-genic. And it may well be there are several reasons for it occurring. A genetic predisposition waiting for a trigger.
Astro query on Vancouver & a note on Olympics.  From: KMS. (29 Jan 2010 10:00): 
Thankyou James for the Astro analysis of Canada & for your perspective on Olympics. I thank you specially for taking out time in your busy schedule & my best wishes for your theatre show. I totally agree to your view of Olympics being more of mcdonalds & coca cola. However if one looks at it from a different perspective it is also a boost to different sportsman who are toiling & practicing since very young edge. In a way promotion of health, well being via sports. What to take & what not to take from such events, how much & how to indulge is up-to one's own discretion. Advantages & dark sides always there in every walk of life. If one looks at the hotel bookings it is a boost to the tourism industry, whether you call it accommodation, food, tourist buses & co-lateral benefits like increase in shopping & spending giving boost to retail & other services. For example I am an Artist(from India but thinking of migrating to Canada) & and though I cannot call myself rich but my livelihood is connected with such super-rich who reside or enjoy vacation in whistler or similar parts of world. All of us are connected whether we like it or not. A visit to an Art Gallery by an Olympics visitor may help in selling a painting for an artist from Squamish. It may give some business to Yoga & Meditation place over there too. Yes, it is going to increase the debt like all other stimulus but isn't this a way of stimulating business & activity in a place which lives on tourism & sports? Inspite of the trade connection with US, today Vancouver bc is much less affected than Ontario in Canada because Ontario has Auto sector. I wanted to know how will it be in 2011-12-13-14 specially in comparison with India-China-Europe & rest of the Canada from Astro point of view. Marjorie, I would love to have an Astro analysis from you in this regard. Thanks again James for the beautiful reading & for the time you have given.
Olympics, Canada etc  From: Maggy van Krimpen. (29 Jan 2010 09:50): 
James, had a laugh about Whistler - its not only rich people who go there, we went, my husband, son and I and rode on those quad bikes down the mountain - I was the only woman, with 8 men behind me and I could feel their fury at me holding them up....not only did I do that, going round a bend, I fell off the mountain, complete with bike which went 3km down the hill!!!!! Never again.....astro-cartography does work (regarding the chart). Have lived everywhere but for 20 yrs or so in the Netherlands where my Pluto line sits. I was not thrilled to see that but indeed it has been a Plutonian place....I would still think the natal chart, as is, is more powerful instead of the relocation chart, it still does work better as far as I'm concerned. I never did look at Whistler chart....should take a look.
Dr Andrew Wakefield  From: Maggy van Krimpen. (29 Jan 2010 09:42): 
Marjorie, if you ever have time, is it possible to look at Dr Andrew Wakefield's chart? I can't find his birth details, perhaps someone else can help....? I see in the news yesterday they are trying to strike him off the medical register. He has been vilified and accused of all sorts of things in regard to his theory that the triple vaccine (MMR) caused autism in children. I remember meeting someone 35 years ago who told me (then childless) never to have those jabs as her two children were perfectly normal until they had them. They were both autistic, I remember thinking ït can't be to do with that" because I don't understand what would be in it for the medical establishment to really enforce (as they did, whe C Blair famously did NOT have her baby innoculated with the triple vaccine) that method, with all sorts of scares for people who disagreed. But he has a large and devoted number of parents who believe him utterly.

Waiting with baited breath for the Chilcott news this evening....
THE LONDON OLYMPICS ...   From: FW. (29 Jan 2010 07:54): 
Ah, James - if you want Olympic BS, and then some, COME TO LONDON - The home of the Olympics in 2012! The BS is flowing in torrents already, the money is flowing out in even greater torrents - and we will no doubt take years to recover from the shock of it all ... your analysis of the whole grim affair is spot on - no matter which unfortunate city hosts.
Moon Saturn and mother  From: Bri. (28 Jan 2010 20:52): 
The Moon Saturn thing - my Moon (aquarius) is one degree away from Saturn (also Aquarius). Theyre in House I right on my Aqua ascendant. Good times. My Mom expects me to run around for her doing errands all the time. Like I don't have my own life to live. So agreed about the Moon Sat = burden for a mother. It sucks
canada''s chart / olympics bs  From: james. (28 Jan 2010 16:48): 
sun/uranus conj is at 8 cancer and much of the challenging dynamics involving transiting saturn/pluto and uranus are in this same area... 2011 and 12 will probably be more challenging as some of these will hit more directly on canadas sun/uranus... solar arc saturn will be square this same point in another 1 1/2 years as well.. saturn is connected to finances in canada's chart and i wonder if that might be a part of the malaise? solar arc sun is approaching a 135 to the rising neptune as well, so definitely some lack of clarity as to canada's sense of self during all of this.. the solar arc is also squaring the midheaven, as sun/uranus are exactly opposite the m... to me the olympics are more about coca cola, mcdonalds and the promotion of grand events for marketing purposes... i wish i felt different about the whole thing, but it seems some folks like all the pomp and excitement around these types of events as well, although it is usually the less fortunate that are cut out of them, while our gov't goes into debt to fund them... whistler is a haven for the jet set rich folks from around the world and close to vancouvers backyard... it is the last place on earth i would want to go, not because it isn't beautiful, but due the fact i am not into stuff like that... just trying to maintain a level of sanity and i find the whole olympic thing a bunch of bs...
maggy/ kms/ comments and etc..  From: james. (28 Jan 2010 16:39): 
maggy - thanks for the info! western hemisphere emphasis.. do you still live in new zealand? curious to know if you have worked any with your own relocation if not... i have been reading steve cozzi's planets in locality which is a slightly different system that also relies on relocation data... ................. ................ ............ .kms - thanks for asking... i am super busy and finding not much time, in spite of my love of astrology... i am tied up in a theatre show til the end of february that is quite full on.. not sure if i will find some time to reflect on much or comment, so perhaps marjorie can take this one on too! thanks marjorie for all the interesting astro analysis..
What do stars foretell about Vancouver?  From: KMS. (28 Jan 2010 14:52): 
Hi Marjorie & James(who is from Vancouver), Whistler, which is very close to Vancouver is hosting the Winter Olympics between 12 Feb to 28 Feb and paralympic winter games going on till 28 March. Many countries from all over the world participate, which brings many viewers & is expected to boost lot of business for Vancouver for that time & for the rest of the year. Vancouver as everybody knows is one of the best tourist destination & livable place in the world. It has major trade with US & China. You have said that Canada is a lucky country but will not escape totally the world trouble specially in 2011 - 12. Could you please tell me what do stars foretell for Vancouver specifically for years 2010 - 11 - 12 & 13? Will it have less shock then rest of the Canada or how good/bad it be Thanking you in advance.
Geithner et al  From: Marjorie. (28 Jan 2010 13:05): 
I'm not sure there's much to add to the previous posting about Timothy Geithner (below).
I had another look at the Fed Res Bank chart. It's got tr Saturn square the Saturn Pluto until mid 2010 which is depressed, hard slog time; then tr Saturn is conj the SArc Saturn Pluto in Oct 10 when many of the market charts also show a sharp intake of breath. If the 9am birth time is accurate for this chart then it's also got SArc Neptune conj Moon building in effect through 2010 which is pretty lacklustre. There are slight notes of cheer from tr Jupiter conj the SArc Sun, Mars, Venus in coming months - but basically still very heavy; with more pressures as tr Pluto and tr Uranus hit the SArc Saturn Pluto by 12/13.

Nov 2009 post: The odd Senator is now starting to call publicly for Timothy Geithner and indeed Larry Summers to go given rising unemployment in the US and suspicions that the Wall Street bailout was an overly-generous gift.
Neither Geithner's nor Summers' charts looked cheerful when they were installed by Obama - and they're not improving anytime soon.
Timothy Geithner only a few days younger than the President is a Sun Uranus in Leo which tr Neptune is undermining by opposition till late 2010, after which Neptune opposes his Mercury in Leo thro' 11/12. So a slipping, sliding, dithering time. He also has Mars at 1 degree Libra which has tr Pluto in a highly frustrating square to till late Nov 09; but tr Saturn will continue to conjunct with jolting setbacks till mid 2010. His relationship chart with Obama is highly strung and disappointing with tr Neptune opposition the composite Uranus NNode till late 2010; and a highly insecure tr Uranus opposition Mars continuing from 2009 thro' 2010 - so plus ca change.
Larry Summers if anything is in an even more ego-destroying slide with tr Neptune coming up to conjunct his very emphasised Mars in 2010/11 - his Mars is in a brutally forceful opposition to Pluto square Mercury in Scorpio. So this year hasn't been great for his morale, and next will be a good deal worse. It looks more likely that he could part company with the President since their composite Sun is at 10 Libra which tr Saturn will hit from late 2010 - and it is a separating aspect. And there are major pressures before then.
Bonnie Raitt - taking it slowly  From: Marjorie. (28 Jan 2010 12:00): 
Bonnie Raitt, the singer and activist, was born on 8 Nov 1949 at 4.08pm Burbank, CA, US. She's a 7th house Scorpio Sun square a 5th house Pluto so intensely controlled; and with her Gemini Moon square Saturn (and Mars) in Virgo she clearly didn't have an easy time growing up. What certainly helped her along the way is a successful 10th house Jupiter in Capricorn in a stabilising trine to Saturn.
She's had a tough time over the past three years with an emotionally intense, probably anguished SArc Moon conj her Pluto in 06, a confusing SArc Pluto conj her Neptune in 07, a downbeat SArc Saturn conj her Sun in 08 and an aggravated SArc Mercury conj her Mars in 09/10 - so she's almost certainly worn out.
Tr Uranus sextile her 10th house Jupiter in March will give her a career lift and with tr Saturn now in her 6th she's not about to leave her ambitions totally behind. But I'd think her health might be a minor concern since she's got Neptune in the 6th natally which can be quite fragile. She needs to look after herself. Tr Saturn in the 6th often doesn't bring huge achievements. She'll do better by 2012 as tr Saturn is into her 7th; tho' she's got an overly stressed SArc Mars conj Uranus in 11 and a physically lacklustre SArc Neptune opp Moon by 2012/13.
Still she's a fighter and with tr Pluto trine her SArc Uranus this year giving her a nudge into taking a new direction and a highly determined tr Pluto trine her 5th house Mars in 11/12 she will make the effort. Though progress may be quite slow.
Joel Klein - learn learn learn  From: Marjorie. (28 Jan 2010 11:36): 
Joel Klein, Chancellor of NY Education Dept, was born 25 Oct 1946. And is he ever a determined soul. He's an intensely enthusiastic Sun Jupiter (Moon) in Scorpio square Saturn Pluto in Leo with Mars Mercury also in Scorpio square Pluto. He's got Venus in thoughtful Sagittarius.
He looks as if he's going from strength to strength with tr Pluto coming up to sextile his Jupiter by 11/12; and sextile the Sun/Jupiter midpoint in the meantime.
Dominique de Villepin - cleared  From: Marjorie. (28 Jan 2010 11:29): 
I wrote the below just before the verdict was announced but I'll leave it to stand as is.
Dominique de Villepin, former French PM under Jaques Chirac, should know very soon the results of his trial last year, when he was accused of plotting to discredit the then interior minister and now president, Nicolas Sarkozy. It is alleged that de Villepin tried to manipulate a corruption investigation to spoil Mr Sarkozy's chances of winning the 2007 election. Sarkozy once threatened that he would "hanged from a butcher's hook". If cleared as he expects de Villepin is hoping to rekindle his political career, perhaps to re-challenge Sarkozy in the next presidential elections in 2012.
Born 14 Nov 1953 at 1.35pm Rabat, Morocco, de Villepin has a ery intense chart with an exact Pluto in 6th opp Aquarius Moon square an intellectual 9th house Sun Mercury in Scorpio. He's also got an obsessively determined Saturn Venus in Scorpio in the 8th; with Mars and Neptune also in the 8th in Libra.
The recent January Solar Eclipse was conjunct his NNode in Capricorn so he's definitely at a key moment. Tr Jupiter is now just over his Ascendant which usually begins a better, more confident and outgoing phase and with tr Jupiter also trine his Venus and Saturn he'll get some lift from that as well in the next few days. Plus a good luck tr Uranus trine Jupiter/Pluto at the moment into Feb should just about let him off the hook.
But his chart is still very much on edge with tricky Uranus transits to midpoints - Neptune/Pluto, Sun/NNode, Mercury NNode at the moment which suggest a degree of anxiety. He's also got his SArc Pluto and SArc Moon square his Uranus through 2010 which suggests a major upheaval. The way ahead doesn't look that clear for him despite a confident SArc Jupiter conj Pluto by 2012; since by that time his SArc Pluto will conjunct his Neptune and his SArc Moon oppose Neptune which is generally complete muddle.
He's certainly got a hugely complicated chart.
Chilcot Post July 2009  From: Marjorie. (28 Jan 2010 10:42): 
Last July 2009 post as Chilcot Inquiry is launched: The long awaited third Government Inquiry into the Iraq War has been launched with yet another mandarin at the wheel. Sir John Chilcot is regarded as a safe pair of hands but not forensic enough to cross-examine ministers who'll include Tony Blair and Gordon Brown forcefully.
Chilcot is a Sun Taurus conjunct Saturn in late Aries with both square Pluto - so is a solid enough though rather douce personality. His Uranus in Taurus trines Mars in traditional Capricorn trine Neptune which makes for a practical, earthy, not always imaginative type. With his Neptune being opposition Jupiter Venus in Pisces which could be slightly wishy washy.
The Inquiry was announced on June 15th and launched on July 30 09, both of which charts have Jupiter Neptune strongly aspected - so high expectations but not a solid result. However one faint hope comes from the emphasised Uranus on the point of a T square on both (June 15 - Sun opp Pl squ Ur; July 30 - Venus opp Pl squ Ur). Uranus will have moved to close the square to Pluto exactly by April 2011 when the Report is due to release. Crossing fingers that Uranus might just make a radical difference.
Chilcot's Uranus in Taurus is conjunct TBlair's Sun so there might be a few sparks flying. Usually with this synastry the Uranus individual has a few surprises in store for the Sun person. Chilcot's Saturn also falls close to Blair's impulsive Mercury in Aries so he may put a damper on TB's wilder flights of self justification. Their interaction is highly pressured from early in 10 with tr Uranus conj the composite Mars which makes for insecurity and irritability, and then tr Pluto squares the composite Venus (opp Neptune) which make take the shine off good feelings.
GBrown may also not take kindly to the mandarin's austere approach since Chilcot's Saturn falls close to Brown's Ascendant, dampening his confidence. And C's stalwart Pluto is in GB's 5th house so C's reforming and disciplinarian approach may not go down too well, since it'll take away from Brown's need to dominate the spotlight. Into 2010 (and earlier) GB may wonder why he got pressured into this since there's a major amount of insecurity and uncertainty showing up between himself and Chilcot with tr Pluto square the composite Neptune, which is opp Sun square Saturn in the relationship chart. Not a meeting of minds and hearts, that's for sure.
Interesting to see how it plays out though the Inquiry launch charts do have major question marks over them in terms of effectiveness and incisiveness.
More Blair - Solar Eclipse on Midheaven  From: Marjorie. (28 Jan 2010 10:37): 
Not sure there's a huge amount to add to Tony Blair from Jan 24th post below. No one is expecting any smoking guns or les grand mea culpas, far from it. He'll pas de deux round the Inquirers, oozing pious sincerity, perplexed concern about why he's so misunderstood etc etc etc.
However always good to have a second look at charts. The recent Eclipses for one are catching TBlair's chart full on. He's got a 26 Capricorn Midheaven which the Jan 15 Solar Eclipse was conjunct so definitely at a crossroad career/reputation-wise; and the Dec 31 09 Lunar Ecl was conjunct his very emphasised Uranus so giving him an attack of the wobbles.
His birth chart is effectively made up of three T-squares. A Fixed 10th house Moon opp Pluto square Taurus Sun. A Cardinal T Square of Venus in Aries opp Saturn Neptune in Libra square Uranus in 3rd. And another Cardinal T square of Saturn Neptune opp Mercury square Midheaven. You can make these last two a Cardinal Grand Square if you use very wide orbs.
So the recent Eclipses are seriously pounding at that Cardinal Grand Square. Plus the Fixed T Square has moved by Solar Arc to have SArc Pluto within minutes of a square to his natal Uranus. So in a way the thrust of his entire chart at this juncture in his life is all focused on these very scattered Cardinal planets, especially Uranus.
Cardinal T/Grand squares tend to be hyper-active, going off in all directions at once, often never quite finishing what they started. And Neptune Saturn Mercury square Midheaven will tend to be vague though find that Saturn's unflinching tendency to bring chickens home to roost constantly gets in the way. However having said that, like GWB, he's got a lucky Jupiter. In Blair's case his Jupiter in Taurus conj Gemini Mars and Ascendant is trine his MC.
I thought at the beginning when the Chilcot Inquiry was launched, despite all media comments to the effect that Chilcot would turn out to be another wimpy Lord Hutton, that it wouldn't be an easy ride for Blair or Brown.
It was announced on 15 June 2009 and has a 24 Gemini Sun which tr Uranus is exactly square now as the tension mounts; with tr Uranus returning to its natal pace by late Feb - so more fireworks to come. Blair's relationship chart with John Chilcot has an irritable Mars square Uranus, trine Saturn. There'll be more comeback even after Blair's testimony tomorrow since tr Uranus is conjunct Mars later in Feb. Brown's relationship with John Chilcot is less aggravated, more a disappointment with underlying tensions. There's a Sun opp Neptune which tr Pluto will square Neptune by late Feb onwards which may be when GB has to give evidence. That's very confusing and undermining.
Education standards  From: Deidre. (28 Jan 2010 08:51): 
Loved your comments re adding the Saturn spice to the Neptune dish to get the old mojo working! Just what I needed. But something more timely to us all: In Australia they are attempting to enact legislation to make schools accountable for the standards of teaching. In New York, a remarkable man called Joel Klein is instrumental (Mr Bloomberg is behind him) to do just that and he claims great results in uplifting the standards of education. I feel that Mr Klein is an enlightened soul and I would be interested in his astrology, and in the field of changes to education generally. He has been very supportive of Australia's initiatives, via articles, television linkup interviews and speaking visits. Many thanks in advance.
Moon/Saturn etc  From: Maggy van Krimpen. (28 Jan 2010 08:07): 
James, birth info is 2 August 1948, Lower Hutt, New Zealand at 7.24 p.m. Moon/Saturn transits are very trying I think.....but (promise last comment on Jo's chart, hope you don't mind Jo) - the easy going t-square connected to asc will give an attractive, sympathetic character so that Moon/Saturn conjunction may be the thing that pulls the chart into balance, it is dutiful and business before pleasure so gives the chart more backbone (in my opinion). We all do have Bits We Hate but in the end probably understand their nagging message!

Dying to hear what Marjorie says about Chilcot, specifically Blair, how he can even turn up there just amazes me though I doubt he will slide away this time.
From: robert. (28 Jan 2010 02:26): 
Dear Marjorie, Blues singer Bonnie Raitt seems to have taken a long-term break from recording following the deaths of her parents and older brother Steve from brain cancer last April. What do you see in her future? Semi-retirement or is she just taking time to reflect on these losses?
Drew Barrymore  From: Gina. (27 Jan 2010 21:18): 
Marjorie:
Thanks so much for your insight into Drew Barrymore's chart. I always appreciate your shared knowledge. I knew Drew had serious "Mother issues" (based on her interviews and media info)and I guess that is one reason I was drawn to learn more about her astrological aspects. I had noticed that she has Lilleth in Pisces as do I. I also have a moon opposition ascendant which doesn't appear to have been much fun. My own mother is diagnosed with schzophrenia so finding my bearings in life has been a challenge at best. I have always been drawn to studying aspects of astrology even though I don't know how to read a chart; I just look up aspects. I do hope Drew finds her way though. She is very talented.
just a quick note  From: james. (27 Jan 2010 18:21): 
moon is separating from saturn which is different then when it is applying... moon is also applying to a trine to jupiter in pisces, but even closer is the 135 to sun... moon/saturn is the focal point to the chart, all other planets contained in the wide venus/pluto opposition... complex chart.... back much later...
Drew Barrymore - lost in protective dreams  From: Marjorie. (27 Jan 2010 18:19): 
Drew Barrymore, the wild child actress, on coke at 9 and twice in rehab in her teens for drink and drug addictions is a 10th house Sun Pisces in a Water Grand Trine to Uranus in the 5th and Saturn in Cancer in the 2nd (conj Cancer Moon). 10th house Suns often reflect the empty mother who tries to live out her identity through the child's success so the individual never feels able to take credit for their achievements for themselves. It often occurs in the charts of public types. A Water Grand Trine is highly emotional and self protective, often lost in an inner world of dreams, healing for others but never quite able to do the same for themselves.
Her Moon aspects are fairly stark with not just a cool Moon Saturn but also Moon in opposition to an 8th house Mars. Lots of buried anger and a sense of being unfairly treated by her mother. But all covered over by the sugary smiles of Moon trine Venus Jupiter in Pisces.
Drew has also got her Sun square Neptune in the 6th; with an intense Mercury trine Pluto, sextile Neptune adding more emphasis onto Neptune. Nep in 6th or 12th are quite common placings for a drug or drink habit.
Her mother Ildiko Jaid Barrymore, was a Hungarian born in a Displaced Persons Camp in Germany on 8 May 1946 and an aspiring actress who clearly never made it. She's a real toughie with a Taurus Sun square Mars Pluto, perhaps conj Moon, in Leo; with a frustrated Jupiter opp Mercury square Saturn in Cancer. With only Saturn in Water signs she was not well designed to cope with a highly sensitive and overly emotional daughter. On a quick read thro' the wiki background, Drew appeared to clean up when she left home which is certainly an indication of unwanted pressures.
Their relationship chart has several difficulties - one is a Jupiter opp Saturn square Sun, so this is the mixed-message mother, one moment sweet supportive smiles and the next Saturnine critical. There's also a Mars Neptune conjunction which is - only-room-for-one-ego in here. If one achieves the other feels diminished. Jupiter trine Pluto - a push pull for the upper hand. Venus Jupiter - more syrup; Venus opp Neptune idealised but disappointing.
Drew at the moment is feeling the winds of change blowing through her life with tr Pluto sextile her Sun and sextile her Uranus in 09/10 which aren't hugely strong but they are two ends of that Water Grand Trine so possibly threatening to tip her out of her comfort zone. Plus she's got her SArc Midheaven at 4 Aries so definitely a forced stop and think about what and where comes next. Plus a couple of Neptunes coming up in 10/11, so she may be slipping and sliding a bit.
drew barrymore  From: james. (27 Jan 2010 18:17): 
i have a too busy day today, but maybe i can get to this much later... thanks for the data marjorie...
chilcot inquiry  From: james. (27 Jan 2010 17:56): 
thanks for keeping us up to date on this marjorie as it is fascinating from an astro pov as well... the passage of pluto in the 8th does seem to capture much of blair during this time and on.. not an easy thing to live with, in spite of the financial position his previous actions have brought him...
Drew Barrymore - Moon Saturn  From: Marjorie. (27 Jan 2010 17:46): 
Drew Barrymore is another Moon Saturn (in Cancer) to chew over. 22 Feb 1975 11.51 am Culver City, CA, US. Will post at more length in a moment.
maggys comments  From: james. (27 Jan 2010 17:39): 
it might be true someone with a feature in their own chart can say more on it then someone without it.. we all experience a moon transit to saturn even if we don't have the aspect natally... while the conj is a strong aspect i have found looking at the close aspects helpful in shedding more light on the moon in question if one is going to use it to reflect ones connection to their mom, past and etc... in jo's chart the moon is applying to a very close trine to jupiter which is indeed favourable.. this would suggest a philosophical optimism that is very different then the moon/saturn conj and has to be taken into consideration when putting all the chart together.. the t square in her chart involves soft planets - venus/jupiter/neptune and may indeed be soft, but i don't know if it makes it any easier in the long run as wasted opportunities are not something that sit well with anyone in my opinion! .... jupiter is a key planet in the chart as i see it, as all other planets are contained within the moon/neptune aspect... these 2 planets - moon and neptune seem to be a reoccurring theme to the chart! one could even say the moon/saturn forms a biquintile to the neptune, but one can't get this directly off it but must work with the moon/saturn midpoint at 13/20 cancer... perhaps their is so special talent that helps in all this too? jupiter in pisces in the 7th would seem to suggest very fortuitous relationships and indeed we have spent a bit more time on jo's chart then is usual here at marjories site!!! i do agree with your thoughts on her chart... .................. ................. ............. ........ ............i do seem to remember your sun/pluto combo with saturn in leo although i don't know if you have ever shared your birth data..don't feel obliged to!! mine is a sun/pluto 135 - that aspect that i continue to comment on here often!!!!
From: Jessica. (27 Jan 2010 16:03): 
I think a lot of things have to be looked first. My Moon in Gem is opposite Saturn in Sag, and my mother I have a very close, loving relationship, although she thinks I'm too serious and high strung (which isn't untrue of me!). An analysis of my natal chart and our synastry explains things. Saturn/Moon rules my ASC/DC axis (Cap/Can). Put against her chart, that opposition is tightly in conjunction to her ASC/DC(Sag/Gem) from the 1st/7th house.
Swine flu aftermath  From: Greta. (27 Jan 2010 15:43): 
Marjorie,your comments on the Chilcot Inquiry are welcome as I was feeling that it is a waste of time and will soon be forgotten.Forgotten in the same way that the swine flu episode has been. I noted what you said about WHO and was in agreement but I feel the alarmist attitude and waste of money surrounding the swine flu months is almost corrupt.It seemed quite fishy when the WHO changed the definition of 'pandemic'which enabled the WHO and government to have emergency powers.There is a notice on their site saying that they were not improperly influenced by the pharmaceutical industry but,as you say,there was a huge benefit to the drug companies.There should probably be an inquiry about this organisation!
Moon Saturn  From: Marjorie. (27 Jan 2010 12:56): 
One thing I've noticed about Moon Saturn is its guilt-inducing properties. Those I've known who had it in their chart feel duty bound to care for the mother who never cared for them. It's difficult to break away from that cycle. Yet so necessary if people are to start giving to themselves.
Chilcot Inquiry hotting up  From: Marjorie. (27 Jan 2010 12:49): 
The Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq War wends its merry way this week with ex-Foreign Office lawyers undermining ex-Foreign Secretary Jack Straw's deeply-sincerely-expressed testimony of last week. He will re-appear in about a month's time which should be interesting.
Straw (3 Aug 1946) is a Pluto Sun Mercury conjunction in Leo with Saturn also in Leo, all sextile Neptune in Libra so stubborn, controlling, determined on his own way and slippery. He's also got a passionately enthusiastic Venus Mars in Virgo in an excitable square to Uranus. Like most of the other main protagonists he's had a very sweaty run into giving his testimony with frustrating, trapped and scary tr Pluto trine Sun/Mars, Mars/Pluto and a very confused tr Pluto trine Saturn/Neptune across the NYear and through January. His Venus Mars conjunction square Uranus is being elbowed at the moment and in the two months to come by tr Uranus opp Venus, Venus/Mars and Mars - which are insecure; plus tr Neptune square his SArc Venus and SArc Mars - which is sinking failure.
He's also like TBlair bothered by this weeks tr Mars in Leo which has bounced across his Pluto, Sun, Mercury since last Sunday's papers came out with the likelihood of the Foreign Office lawyers contradicting him - high levels of irritability.
Up today is Lord Goldsmith, the Attorney General, who was forced into delivering a judgement on the legality of the Iraq invasion very late in the day when the military types refused to put their soldiers into battle without legal cover. From all the evidence he appears to have shifted from an earlier Non the previous year to a Oui. Born 5 Jan 1950 he's a sensible Sun Capricorn trine Saturn in Virgo, square Neptune; with Uranus in Cancer widely opposition the Sun and square Mars in Libra. He's very edgy at the moment with tr Uranus opp his Sun/Mars; and like the others has had a very tense and unsettled run up this month with tr Pluto trine Saturn/Pluto and tr Pluto tr SArc Uranus.
There's no doubt he was under extreme pressure at the time he appears to have changed his advice in early March 2003. At that point tr Pluto (opp tr Saturn) was exactly square his natal Saturn; and tr Neptune was in a confused and depressed square to his SArc Saturn.
Just as background from BBC News: 'There was strong legal advice against a war and everything hung on the attorney general, whose opinion is by convention taken as the last word on the legality of any British government action. If Lord Goldsmith had opposed the war on legal grounds, Britain could not have taken part.'
Everyone - mainly TBlair - must be cursing GBrown for launching this Inquiry, intended initially to be held in camera, but forced out into the open with fascinating results, none of which reflect well on the Government. Brown was supposedly going to give his testimony post-Election but has now said he'll attend any time, mainly it is thought to stop Blair dishing him when he gives evidence this Friday. The Blair/Brown relationship chart has a very stressed, strained, downbeat and deeply resentful tr Pluto square and tr Saturn opposition the composite Venus at 4 Aries at the moment.
It's like watching a nest of baby hyenas, all trying to inflict as much damage as they can on their sibling rivals.
It also begins to make sense of one thing which has always puzzled me. Why TBlair has tr Pluto going through his 8th at the moment and for years to come. Often that coincides with a time of debt which is clearly not the case here as he loads himself down with more Champagne/Handbag and Hedge Fund contracts for mega-millions. But essentially what Pluto in the 8th does is make people feel trapped usually by old obligations or circumstances which they cannot shift. There is a viciously amusing piece today (URL below) describing Blair's future as that of a social pariah - one of the Undead. Worth reading. All the money in the world can't make up for that. Plus last night's TV Newsnight popped up the interesting question of whether it is safe for TBlair now to visit certain countries who have Crime of Aggression legislation and could therefore arrest and try him for an illegal war/war crimes, as the UK attempted to do with Pinochet. Trapped wouldn't be an apt description for that scenario.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/matthew-norman/matthew-norman-irrespective-of-chilcot-blair-will-always-remain-a-pariah-1879727.html
From: vinod (modivinod62@gmail.com). (27 Jan 2010 12:41): 
Dear miss Orr, in past i read your post on timothy geithner on financial astrology. it seems that your predictions has come true, he seems to be in hot seat and looks to me that may he is about to be sacrificed? would you please elaborate more on his chances and what is going on with secretary of treasury and federal reserve when you get chance. thank you as always vinod
Saturn, t-squares, etc  From: Maggy van Krimpen. (27 Jan 2010 07:43): 
James, I still do think if you have an aspect, say that Moon/Saturn, you can say more about it than people who do not. Experience gives far more insight, and thus makes for more understanding about other people's issues....esp Saturn. I also think its pretty hard to get rid of "nice father", "horrible mother"and vice versa. Its been said that positive signs are father's children (that fits me for sure) and negative incline more to the mother (for obvious reasons astrologically) but it always remains hard to look at your parents objectively. You can come to terms with it but all the feeling experiences as a kid still stay in there somewhere.....

Jo's t-square is quite "soft" in my opinion. Venus opp Jupiter square Neptune - Marjorie says rightly that discipline is needed to combat the Neptune, to get organised, but in Jo's case the Venus is in Virgo, and rising, so I would think she is capable of being organised - though that Jupiter in Pisces will always wink at Venus across the horizon and say "sod it, lets go to the pub!" It's a kind hearted chart and people like her, she would be an excellent charity campaigner or something I think, the really nicely aspected Mercury gives her good communication skills and the nice aspect to the MC, to me means ease of using that talent.

Don't talk to me about Sun Pluto James! my mother was a Sun/Pluto opposition and I am a Sun/Pluto conjunction- ow!!!
Drew Barrymore  From: Gina. (27 Jan 2010 04:54): 
Marjorie: Could you please share some astrological insight about Drew Barrymore's chart? I used to really admire her because of her perseverence in spite of her lack of parenting she endured from an early age including her later struggle with drug addiction. I used one of those astrological programs but I am not an astrologer so I don't know how to read charts. I did notice that Drew had Lilleth in Pisces which I also have in my chart. I take it to mean that there are deep issues that must be worked through (I know that I have had to deal with this). Anyway, some gossipy websites have been commenting on Drew's rather strange behavior during award shows and rumors continue that she may have started using drugs again. Of course when someone like Drew Barrymore or any other high profile person deals with these struggles publicly you can't help but root for them to ovecome their challenges.
I also tried to check to see if you have previously discussed her and if you have could you be so kind and tell me the date that i can find it on this blog?

Thanks!
Gina N.
saturn and projection  From: james. (26 Jan 2010 23:07): 
thanks for pointing out the moon/saturn in my chart maggy... if i could say one thing about it, perhaps as it is so close to my ascendant it is harder to project it onto others, but on the other hand much more subjective and something i am less aware of as a consequence... i think there is a tendency to project onto others when saturn is involved, which can be a stumbling block as the projections often say more about us then they do about the other.... i know that i played the role of some of the squares and opposition to this same moon/saturn duo and i am sure this is the way it often works in general with planets in hard aspect, but i think saturn has to mature to a point of accepting their own responsibility in life, as opposed to projecting onto others all the difficulty often associated with saturn... this is really more on learning to make saturn a friend in your chart, as opposed to an enemy, or source of pain.... thoughts to ponder...
Neptune in 4th  From: Marjorie. (26 Jan 2010 21:45): 
That's Neptune in the 4th to a T - and you've got it magnified! Family pull you one way and your individual identity pulls you the other. With Neptune in the 4th it seems as if you can't have both. The family can take over your identity or they'd like to. You become the sacrifice for the family if you don't watch out. So good you are fighting back with your creativity.
Jo''s Saturn, etc - Maggy  From: Jo. (26 Jan 2010 21:40): 
Hi maggy, I'm not too sure about the adopted thing, but I have read elsewhere that 4H Neptune can give the individual thoughts of feeling different to the rest of the family even thinking they might be adopted - In my case, I'd hoped, lol! Its funny, Marjorie mentioned the negative aspects to some people born with Pisces moon, as mother inhabited such qualities. The way I interpreted my T-Square was, my family and emotional core were pulling me in one direction and my ambition to be creative were pulling me in another - thus the conflicts were dissipating my creative energies and I was becoming highly strung and scattered (mutable element?). I like to write and paint on big canvases, and this year I'm determined to buckle down and achieve something. If western astrology didn't want to give me a leg up, sod it - I've got the year of the Tiger on my side from Feb 14!
maggys comments/jo''s chart  From: james. (26 Jan 2010 21:34): 
hi maggy... i like many of your astro ideas and appreciate you voicing them!! the one of thinking of your kids as someone elses is probably really wise advice when raising them, although i have never had to do that, so i can't say... sometimes i wish my mom had of approached me that way, but her sun/pluto in cancer would never entertain such a thought, at least not publicly!!!.........................................my comment on adoption was purely off the neptune at top of t square on the 4th house cusp and square to ascendant... the moon/saturn conj in cancer could feed into it, but my thought was nothing more then this...i would imagine some of the challenge in jo's chart is also in the saturn/moon conj squaring to the mercury/pluto conj in libra.. perhaps it is easy for jo to take the merc/pluto side of this square while projecting the saturn/moon more onto her mom... something to consider and of course this puts the water and air elements into action, both coming from very different positions of understanding and perspective, but both having a strong need for the other...
turkey  From: james. (26 Jan 2010 21:24): 
thanks for your comments on turkeys chart marjorie... i agree the natal ascendant/mars square looks challenging with the upcoming uranus/pluto/saturn transits into 2011 and etc... it is coming up to it's 90th anniversary which puts the whole solar arc chart 90 degrees to itself... the chart has some real strengths to it - uranus conj midheaven - a leader) trine pluto rising - a powerful force for change, with sun/jupiter in scorpio - very favourable monetarily), and with mercury/saturn conj in libra - a strong diplomatic position that is seeking balance and harmony.... the one obvious challenge is the mars/pluto square off the ascendant, which does indicate power struggles from time to time and which appears to be the case here if true...i think their are 2 very different energies pulling in 2 different directions in turkey - one wants to move forward and be a part of the euro union - very forward progressive and westernized, and the other perhaps more supportive of the military and the old traditions of islam and not in much if any hurry.... perhaps this is coming to more of a head, but i have been very impressed with turkeys prime minister Tayyip Erdogan - birthdate feb 26/1954) ability to walk the many fine lines required to move his country into the 21st century with finesse... i don't have a birth time for him...
Jo''s Saturn, etc  From: Maggy van Krimpen. (26 Jan 2010 21:08): 
Jo, James too (from his birth info) has a MoonSaturn conjunction, so I am sure he knows what he is talking about. However, I am intrigued to know why he thinks you may be adopted......I always thought adoption charts had Moon/Neptune squares/oppositions, James - though Neptune in 10 or 4 can mean a step-parent.....with a Virgo Ascendant and Gemini Midheaven (Mercury ruling both) and this planet trines the Midheaven (career point) I would imagine Jo to be intelligent and directed - the planets are quite well distributed, with a lower count in Fire (which sometimes can give lack of confidence, though no reason for it). Somone once told me the best way to handle my kids was to stand back and pretened they were someone elses!!! I sometimes think this is good advice when lookignat our own charts, as we all ahve bogeys and tend to focus or zoom in on one thing which bothers us. Mercury mars Urans and Pluto even make good aspects to your Midheaven, Jo, and you have a good mix of easy and challenging aspects to your ascendant, so there is plenty of scope in your chart, and opportunity.
jo  From: james. (26 Jan 2010 18:37): 
no bristling here jo, and sorry if i gave that impression... thanks for sharing..
T Square - Marjorie and James  From: Jo. (26 Jan 2010 18:34): 
Thanks both to James and Marjorie for replying. I have quite a few books in my library, but felt frustrated with what info I was being given, hence I had to ask. Will get that book your mentioned Marjorie, thanks. James, yes, the moon/saturn conj is is completely accurate in regards to the mother - cold, calculating, manipulative. Have also been having counseling to sort through the past/family for the past few years and feel more positive about the future - Could be that wonderful little Pluto fellow transiting my 4th house these last few years :)! Sorry if I made you bristle, James - bad habit of seeing myself through my mothers eyes instead of my own :) Well, I'm off over to Amazon to search out this book. Thanks to you both! Jo
Turkey President  From: Marjorie. (26 Jan 2010 18:30): 
Turkey add-on. President Abdullah Gul's Presidency chart
(28 Aug 2007) does have a distinct wobble coming up when tr Uranus squares the Pres chart Pluto come March and Nov/Dec 2010; with a really sinking feeling come 2011 as tr Neptune opposes the Pres chart Saturn. He's also probably facing a degree of public tension with tr Pluto trine Sun and sextile Moon on that chart as well.
Turkey - coup denial and history  From: Marjorie. (26 Jan 2010 18:26): 
The head of the Turkish Army has been forced to deny rumours of an impending coup which have appeared in the media. Turkey has a history of coups and the military still have a strong background political presence. (Turkey 29 Oct 1923, 8.30pm Ankara, Turkey).

The most recent previous coups - 27 May 1960, 12 Sep 1980, 12 March 1971 - all had major aspects to the Turkey late Gemini Moon. As does this coming year with tr Saturn and tr Uranus in square as well as tr Neptune trine by 2011 - which is perhaps why the fear is being stirred up. However all of the previous coups had very panicky Neptune influences which aren't around at the moment.

Just for interest to see what kinds of influences accompany Government overthrows:- The 1960 coup had Tr Uranus conj the SArc Pluto conj the natal Neptune to within a couple of degrees which sounds about what you'd expect. Plus tr Neptune conj Sun and SArc Neptune square Moon.
The 1971 coup had tr Pluto square the Turkey Moon; tr Saturn within two degrees of square Neptune; and SArc Neptune just over the conjunction to Mars.
The 1980 coup had tr Saturn square the Moon (from Virgo) plus tr Pluto conj the SArc Neptune, tr Uranus square Neptune, tr Neptune conj SArc Saturn.
There's not the heavy emphasis at the moment on the highly strung, fanatical and confusing Uranus Neptune Pluto kind of aspects. Though there is tr Pluto and tr Saturn hitting the Turkey SArc Mars at 4 Capricorn at the moment and extending on for a while. Turkey's economy is not in a great way which may be part of that. Where the problems lie ahead are when the tr Saturn, tr Uranus, tr Pluto hit the Turkey Mars in Libra square Pluto in Cancer at 7/12 degrees which will make late 2010 to about 2014 really downbeat and probably risky.
t squares jo''s comments  From: james. (26 Jan 2010 18:11): 
jo - if you're really interested in understanding this stuff, picking up a book wouldn't hurt and marjories suggestion is a very good one... moon/saturn conj in your chart can often indicate a tendency to focus on the negative rather then the positive and i think it is a driving feature of your chart until you really come to understand yourself better... it would seem the relationship with your mom is underneath much of this.. your chart also has a focus on the 4th house, as well as the fourth sign - both connected to your relationship with your parents, possibly your mom in particular.. possibly you were an adopted child which could create more confusion in this area... having a mercury/pluto conj in your chart, i am sure you will get to the bottom of things... pick up the book marjorie mentions and continue working towards understanding your emotions better so that you can have some detachment from them, as difficult as that may seem at times...
Saturn  From: Marjorie. (26 Jan 2010 18:05): 
No Saturn isn't anything to do with the T square - it's just that with an emphasised Neptune you need to get your practical, organisational, disciplined side into gear to help Neptune on its way. Anyway you've got oodles of earthy Virgo which is good as well.
Your Saturn anyway trines Jupiter which is excellent. Helps to balance out an overly sentimental streak of that Jupiter to Venus and Neptune.
Try not to see only the negative meanings of the planets. There's an upside as well. Admittedly Saturn isn't at its best in Cancer, but there's always a way of turning it round to get the better end of it.
I'd think focussing on home, family, sorting out the muddles of the past and seeing how to connect with your deeper roots (4th house) is the way to go.
Northern Ireland - Good Friday gone sour  From: Marjorie. (26 Jan 2010 17:59): 
Talks are ongoing involving Gordon Brown, the Irish PM and all parties in NIreland aimed at averting the collapse of the devolved government there. Hillary Clinton has also been in on the discussions.
The Good Friday Peace Agreement, always lauded as Tony Blair's great achievement, was finalized on 10 April 1998 at 5pm in Belfast, NI; and enacted on 2 Dec 1999 10.30 am.
The 1998 chart has the SArc Midheaven at 25 Gemini and the SArc Asc at 29 Virgo - so the tr Saturn opp tr Uranus has been rocking it on its axis thro' recent months with a failure to agree justice and policing powers; plus the family troubles of Peter Robinson (errant wife) and Gerry Adams (paedophile brother) causing a degree of politician questioning as well. The 1998 chart also has tr Pluto trine the SArc Saturn which certainly makes sense of the bleak mood of the moment. The original 1998 chart had a truly difficult Sun, Saturn, Mars in Aries in the 8th so it was never going to be a cakewalk to get it into gear. Too much deep seated stubbornness, anger and bitterness. With tr Pluto going to take till 2014 to clear the trine to that SArc trio of Sun, Saturn, Mars - it's going to be a very long haul. With high anxiety in 10/11 as the SArc Neptune is conj Uranus.
The 1999 chart has an undermining tr Neptune square the Midheaven at the moment - so the charts make sense.
T-Squares...  From: Jo. (26 Jan 2010 17:41): 
So, Saturn is the steering wheel to the wheels of the t-square? My 11H Saturn is in Cancer (ill-placed, I feel),I've read that this placement brings about great loneliness and distrust of people and groups - its all so depressing! I would assume, to make a t-square work, this is the area that would be the most beneficial when you break away any of the fears one might have of the above? Jo :)
Configurations  From: Marjorie. (26 Jan 2010 17:35): 
Bil Tierney is good in his/her? book: Dynamics of Aspect Analysis - looks at Grand Trines, Grand Squares, T Squares in detail with all the planets mentioned in all the triplicities - and Yods.
T Squares - driving energy  From: Marjorie. (26 Jan 2010 17:29): 
T squares aren't necessarily negative. I rather like them. Think of the opposition as tension which is pulling in two opposite directions. Then the focal point planet square to each end of the opposition is the one that pulls that tension into focussed action. The focal point planet is the channel through which the tension is released constructively instead of constantly wobbling from extreme to extreme. Think of squares are producing dynamic tension rather than as negatives.
It makes a difference what planet is on the focal point and in what Triplicity it is - horrible word that - means Cardinal, Fixed or Mutable. It adds to the emphasis on one of these three - So Cardinal T squares are definitely all systems go; Fixed ones really quite stubbornly enduring; and Mutable T squares quite highly strung and scattered.
Obama has Neptune on the point of a Fixed T square - so a dreamer, an idealist, not always practical but he'll hang on in there anyway. A Mutable Neptune focal planet can be absent-minded, daydreamy. But the good end of Neptune is it offers creative, communicative or spiritual abilities which need to be developed through concentration, self discipline and practicality. Neptune on its own isn't enough. You need to get hold of your Saturn and make it help out.
T Squares....  From: Jo. (26 Jan 2010 17:24): 
Sorry James, lol! Middlesbrough, UK - I thought I'd put it in! Very Neptunian of me :)
t square question /maggys dave kelly comments  From: james. (26 Jan 2010 17:10): 
the uk is a big place... for an '''exact''' rising degree and chart one needs to know more then that! perhaps this is an example of the vagueness that can accompany a neptune at the top of a t square, where one needs to be as clear as possible in order to get the clarity you may seek................... .................. ............... ......... ............... ............... ................ .......... ................... .............maggy, hopefully one day birth data will be more easy to get or readily available... it would make our study of astrology, dave kelly in this example much more rewarding and helpful... thanks for your comments..
T-Squares Explained  From: Jo. (26 Jan 2010 16:20): 
Hi Marjorie, could you please explain how T-Squares work? Being a beginner in astrology (or dummy that is!), I'm getting a bit confused. Very confused actually. I've realized after all this time I have a T-square,(12H Venus-4H Neptune-7H Jupiter)all in mutable signs (Sep 11 1974,Uk,5.45am). So, its telling me about my unconscious/Home-family/partnerships are involved in the t-square in stressful aspects. Neptune is the focus point and the only element in a fixed/fire sign, which is classed as a singleton. Jupiter, is also a singleton, I think, as its the handle to my bucket shaped chart. Are all t-square's looked upon negatively? Does that mean Neptune here is interpreted as deception/illusion within the family home? Or am I reading it wrongly? Also, Just found today, that in order to find a solution to the t-square conflicts, you must look at the 'empty leg' of the t to which house/sign it falls in. Depending on what house system is used, mine is 10th house/Gemini - Or right on the MC. So, does that mean the Gemini traits (communication)and career is what I should focus on? I feel myself disappearing into a rabbit hole of foggy possibilities on the t-square subject! This is where astrology becomes a quagmire for a beginner like me, because it starts to become just a little bit too complex. Hope you can help :)
UK Election  From: Marianna. (26 Jan 2010 15:25): 
UK election is looming, everybody is itching to know which Political Party might be the ,lucky' one. According to the press, the date of Election might be on 6 of May 2010, but Government did not confirm it yet. Dear Marjorie, is it possible to see which of this Political Parties - Labour, Conservatives, UKIP, BNP - might receive some favour/disappointment from stars on the 6 of May, astrologically speaking?
Thank You.
Best regards
David Kelly  From: Maggy van Krimpen. (26 Jan 2010 09:54): 
Marjorie & James the First: thanks for the info on this subject. One of the striking things about DK's chart is the exact fixed square between Moon (aq) Mercury (Taurus) Pluto (Leo at 6 degrees - so tight! The Merc was also conjunct Venus 11 deg), which was his vocational indicator - no wonder he loved walking, the countryside, good aspect for a landscape gardener too on its own but Mercury being the focal point of the T-square makes it hugely important. His prog. Mercury had passed from conjuncting the node in the last months as well. He does have a rather significant midpoint at 6 Taurus, if you care to look...On the day he died, tr. Neptune squared his Venus...his ascendant indeed James, would make a big difference to an astrological look. He looks very airy and indeed his main bias is earth/air; thus someone who was practical and intellectual - Jup/Pluto in fire, Mars in Water - thus one would not expect such a drastic end as suicide, he was too logical, even under all that duress. His remark on the day of his death about "dark players" is terrible - and an earlier remark to a colleague that he'd be found dead in the woods if Iraq was invaded....having been in many political scenarios he had probably witnessed dissenters disappearing or being got rid of from their jobs on many occasions. The man had integrity and stuck to his guns (all that fixity) - surely the truth cannot be concealed forever. Its hopeful that a group of doctors are persisting in this - they are establishment themselves and won't be shut up. Hurrah!
Michael Fournier - another mad high flier  From: Marjorie. (26 Jan 2010 09:51): 
Michael Fournier has made several attempts but always failed to do a high freefall because of problems on the ground. The point of the seemingly mad exercise being to test astronauts' ability to parachute down in the case of a spacecraft malfunction on re-entering the atmosphere.
Fournier was born on 9th May 1944 - a week earlier than Dr David Kelly and on the same day as Scottish sculptor/writer Jimmy Boyle who served prison time for murder.
Like Baumgarten he's a Sun Taurus and like Kittinger he's got an expansive Sun square Jupiter.
Of the above three - two out of the three have Sun = Uranus/Neptune; two have Jupiter = Uranus/NNode; two have Mars = Sun/Saturn; two have Pluto = Mars/Jupiter.
I would think Fournier might be getting a touch old to subject his body to the kind of strain involved. Though he's got SArc Jupiter coming up to sextile his Mars over the next eighteen months and his SArc Sun conj his Mars as well - so maybe he might be mad enough to try.
"House Systems"...to each his own...  From: Melanie. (26 Jan 2010 04:34): 
Thanks again Maggy and James (for the link to "the houses -temples of the sky") :D
Hi-diving from balloons  From: LarryC. (26 Jan 2010 00:02): 
Reading about the high sky dive brought to mind Michel Fournier. His attempt in 2008 (Saskatchewan) was nixed when the balloon lifted off w/o him because of a technical problem. Have not heard of any recent attempts by him to try again.
david kellys death  From: james/sandstone. (25 Jan 2010 18:33): 
http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2010/01/23/the-brits-buried-evidence-on-david-kellys-death/ may 14 1944 is the date given for his birth... i wonder if any actual birth time was discovered? date of death july 17th 2003... mars/sun 135 in the transiting chart hitting his sun/chiron 45 in the natal chart and at the jupiter/neptune midpoint...uranus is also in their as it is square chiron... this is a mystery where an actual birth time would be helpful to get more info from...
Brad & Ange - No means Yes  From: Marjorie. (25 Jan 2010 17:27): 
The Hollywood denial machine has swung into action over the Brad Angelina split but there's no gainsaying the astrology which has been stressed and strained for some considerable time. Their relationship chart has an exact Mercury opp Uranus which both tr Pluto and tr Saturn are in hard aspect to at the moment - so mega intense discussions with compromises not being easy to find. Plus a sinking, failure tr Neptune conj the composite Mars exactly now; and an upheaval tr Uranus opp Pluto in Feb.
It was always a very controlling relationship with a Sun opp Pluto in the composite so it would take a good deal to pull it apart. But with both tr Saturn last year and tr Uranus into this year as well elbowing that Sun Pluto it had to snap at some point.
When tr Uranus opposes the composite Pluto in Feb it also squares Brad Pitt's Sagittarius Sun so he wants freedom. Tr Saturn also squares his Sun/Moon midpoint in the autumn of this year which is when he'll really feel the split. That's when tr Saturn is square Ang's Mars Moon in Aries which looks anguished and angry.
Chemical Ali - when Earth meets Fire  From: Marjorie. (25 Jan 2010 17:13): 
Chemical Ali - Ali Hassan al-Majid - a cousin of Saddam Hussein was executed today. He had been given four death sentences for various offences including ordering the killing of 5000 Kurds in Iraq in 1988 by spraying them with mustard gas and nerve agents.
Born on 30 Nov 1941 he was a Sun Sagittarius in a Fire Grand Trine of Sun trine Mars in Aries trine Pluto in Leo - which has a potential for ruthlessness (Mars Pluto). He also had an Earth Grand Trine of Venus in Capricorn trine Saturn Uranus in Taurus trine Neptune in Virgo. So he was a real 'steamroller' of a Fire Earth personality.
At the moment over his execution his Earth Grand Trine has moved by Solar Arc to hard aspect his natal Fire Grand Trine - thus his SArc Saturn Uranus was conj his Pluto and SArc Neptune conj his Sun. It has been in aspect now for a couple of years as he sat through multiple trials - with SArc Pluto opp his Mars in 08/09.
James - hang onto your name  From: Marjorie. (25 Jan 2010 17:12): 
James/Sandstone - I may be entirely wrong but methinks it is the same emailer, under a plethora of different names and email addresses, who keeps asking the same tedious question about the young Royal princes and foreign brides.
It had gone quiet recently and I thought it had all gone away. But (sigh) seems not.
guess i am going to have to change my name here  From: sandstone. (25 Jan 2010 17:06): 
now that another james can come by to write in a non capitalized manner.. marjorie, from here on in, i am going to use the name sandstone.....doesn't seem fair, but hey.... it is probably jotown in another guise for all i know...
From: james. (25 Jan 2010 14:32): 
bored , ignore it ?why? i think i have the same right to another people and i just cant understand why you reply another ones why did i say wrong? i just posted what i saw in the reading ok thank you you're very nice
Cadet Wales  From: Marjorie. (25 Jan 2010 13:39): 
Hi If you are James Cadet Wales asking about William taking a foreign bride then I'm am bored with the question and will ignore it.
From: james. (25 Jan 2010 12:58): 
hi i've observed you have replied another people but me why? did i do something wrong?
David Kelly - Cancer Eclipses  From: Marjorie. (25 Jan 2010 12:04): 
Dr David Kelly, the WMD expert, who died supposedly by suicide, cutting an obscure secondary artery with a blunt garden knife, was born on 14 May 1944 so was a Taurus Sun sextile Mars NNode in late Cancer. When he died on 17 July 2003 the Sun was in Cancer close to his Mars. With the Lunar and Solar Eclipses 09/10 in Cancer/Capricorn it isn't surprising there is a renewed focus on his death. A group of doctors are demanding a proper inquest; and the media plus Liberal leadership will be leaning heavily to get such info out in the open.
It isn't clear that the very establishment Lord Hutton whose original inquiry did nothing to clarify anything of substance has the legal power to suppress the post mortem results for 70 years. Hutton, born, 29 June 1931, is a Sun, Mercury, Jupiter, Pluto in Cancer - so he's catching the Eclipse effect as well. Although he's got the remnants of a lucky tr Uranus trine his Jupiter this year, he's also got tr Pluto square Neptune (conj Mars) thro' 10/11/12.
The David Kelly death chart has Saturn at 5 Cancer so it picks up the tr Pluto trine from late Feb for two years - so it'll be a tough slog to get clarification. But in the end I suspect they can't hold it back.
Felix Baumgarten - falling from space  From: Marjorie. (25 Jan 2010 11:28): 
Extreme sky diver Felix Baumgarten hopes to make the highest ever parachute jump this year from well into the stratosphere, breaking the speed of sound and breaking a record that has stood for 50 years.
The previous high-faller, US Airforce colonel, Joe Kittinger, jumped from a high altitude balloon in 1960 at a height of 19.5 miles, falling at 614 mph. Kittinger's previous jump, a year earlier, nearly killed him. Falling from 76,400 feet his equipment failed, causing him to lose consciousness. His body went into a flat spin, turning at a speed of 120 mph. The G forces on parts of his body were calculated to be 22 times the force of gravity.
Baumgarten, born 20 April 1969, is a Taurus Sun, with a confidently adventurous Jupiter Pluto Uranus conjunction opposition a NNode in cosmic Pisces; with high risk Mars in fiery Sagittarius square Pluto and trine Venus (and widely trine Saturn) in Aries.
Kittinger, born 27 July 1928, has a more obviously flamboyant chart with a Fire Grand Trine of a Leo Sun Venus trine Saturn (Moon) in Sagittarius trine Uranus in Aries; formed into a Kite by Saturn (Moon) opp NNode in Gemini. Jupiter in Taurus is in a confident (OTT?) square to his Sun Venus and is on the midpoint of his Uranus/NNode; with Mars in Taurus square Neptune. His Jupiter is sextile and his Uranus square Mercury Pluto in Cancer. His has the feel of being a stronger and luckier chart.
When Kittinger made his record breaking falls in 1959/1960 his SArc Uranus was conj his Jupiter which is lucky break time and tr Uranus was square his Mars - so a mix of good luck and a serious adrenalin rush from Uranus Mars. Plus tr Jupiter was in Sagittarius helping his Fire Grand Trine along.
Baumgarten has his SArc Uranus coming up to conjunct his Pluto over the coming year which at a stretch could be seen as also picking up his Jupiter. But it is nothing like as strong as Kittinger's influences were in 59/60.
More On Harry And Juanita  From: Titas. (25 Jan 2010 09:04): 
By an amazing coincidence, BBC Radio 7 is broadcasting two linked dramatisations of their story this week and next. Here is the link should anybody be interested in pursuing their story and wishes to learn more... http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b007jz3h/The_Other_Side_of_the_Hill_Its_a_Long_Way_from_Talavera/ Cut and paste this address into the address bar of your preferred browser. I use Firefox personally. Brought to you as a public service by a regular reader of Marjorie’s pages.
From: james. (25 Jan 2010 02:45): 
ditto maggys comments marjorie.. thanks for sharing all your hard work here.. and thank you for the link on the multiple marriages which i found enjoyable to read in part...
Chilcot  From: Maggy van Krimpen. (24 Jan 2010 20:59): 
Thanks for your hard work today, M esp ont he Chilcot enquiry. I was totally appalled to read that there are secret papers never made public and not even known to exist for at least a year after the enquiry into David Kelly's suspicious death, which are being kept "secret"for the next 70 (!) yes 70 - years in order to "protect David Kelly's family"- poor family to have to read such lies, being sanctified by law, and TB appearing next week with the glazed eyes and sorrowful empathy....the man really has no shame.
More Paul & Nancy  From: Maggy van Krimpen. (24 Jan 2010 20:53): 
Marjorie, good comments about Paul & Nancy.....as others have probably pointed out t. Saturn conjuncts her Venus shortly, and t Pluto conj natal Saturn....tr Saturn conjunct Node...that all sounds so heavy but her chart has Saturn/Neptune/Pluto all benasp one another. One seldom sees the "heavies"this nicely aspected but perhaps it helps those hard transits and means consolidation, rather than a split? Her privacy could be considered obsessional with the Merc/Jup square Pluto and indeed her chart has more gravitas than his, somehow I would imagine that with the Sun/Mars thing as well in Scorpio this is someone who will never become involved financially (probably never has been) and that her need to manage would be almost a barrier to legal ties between them. She is hard-headed.....Paul with Neptune on the asc (ruling hsi house of partnerships) . being transited by Saturn, and the Uranus bumping up into the 7th too, might get a shock - I can imagine she is msore conservative than he is but her reputation probably matters more to her than money ever would. His progressed Sun trining Jupiter (co-ruler of 7th) could mean a happy ending I suppose but in a way he may be far too visible for her, she is not one to give up her own identity, nor the intense need for discretion - for anyone.
Direct Nodes  From: SD. (24 Jan 2010 20:30): 
Hi, What does it mean if the nodes of the moon are in direct motion in a natal chart? I am struggling to find out any substantial information about this on the net and was wondering if anyone could help. Thanks
Imran Khan in it for the Long Haul?   From: Diane Wolf. (24 Jan 2010 20:09): 
Dear Marjorie, I do admire your astrology. However,,,, on this occasion let's take a friendly bet re. Imran Khan. Mars/Saturn as you mentioned the difficulty,in the composite chart, could be a 'long-haul', in it for the duration and indeed challenging aspect. I suspect with Imran Khan the aspects may produce results instead of disapointments. Anyway what do I know (not nearly as much as you do!).
macca fan comments  From: james. (24 Jan 2010 19:05): 
here is another way to look at the possible position of her moon... for it to be close to his mars/pluto would be something she would naturally gravitate towards anyway being a scorpio with a strong mars in scorpio to boot! this energy is something she is naturally familiar with... whether her moon in last degree of cancer or early leo is very speculative but this is another way to consider how she would likely feel quite comfortable around energy of this nature - mars/pluto....it suggests that in her chart with her planetary placements....
nodal connections  From: james. (24 Jan 2010 18:58): 
the node always refereed to is the moons nodal axis.. all the planets have nodal axis, but the moon is the only one that has traditionally been included astro chart and in observation.. it is thought to represent some sort of connection and can be coloured by the planet that it's connected to either natally or by association through another chart... node/pluto might take on a fated quality, but perhaps a bit more proactive as the north node seems less fated then the south, although pluto often is thought to have this characteristic of fatefulness too...as marjorie points out with this aspect, it is not a make or break aspect... i would be tempted to say the same on all nodal connections.. it is just another layer of information on a chart where much already exists... the saturn and inner planet connections are much more significant from my experience...
Pluto on North Node  From: Marjorie. (24 Jan 2010 17:03): 
One person's Pluto on the other's NNode can be useful for a mutual involvement in social reform. Though the likelihood is that the Pluto individual (Nancy Shevell) will find the NNode (Paul McC) rather light-weight, lacking depth. It's not a make or break aspect - but her chart really is much heavier duty than his. He's a pop singer from a working class background who has made it big. She comes from a very different cultural milieu altogether. Be interesting to see how it all shakes down.
Climate Change - do they know what they''re doing?  From: Marjorie. (24 Jan 2010 16:56): 
The UN IPCC Climate change body (9 Nov 1988 10.45 am Geneva, Switzerland) is going through a few ups and downs at the moment as well as the UN.
It has an intense - Sun Moon Pluto and Mercury in Scorpio - and rather excitable - Uranus, Saturn, Neptune square Mars - chart. Tr Uranus is about to square the Asc/Desc later this week which will rattle its image; with tr Pluto sextile Mercury bringing forceful discussions in coming weeks as well. Plus tr Uranus and tr Saturn square the IPCC Uranus Saturn in late Sag towards spring and again later in the year. So it won't be steering a very steady course.
Like the UN it has a Venus Neptune - in the case of the IPCC - a Neptune square Venus, well intentioned but none too practical, which was elbowed by the Dec 31 Cancer Lunar Eclipse; and the 22 degree Libra MC was squared by the mid Jan Solar Eclipse.
Clearly the IPCC needs to sort out a few realities before it gets onto a sensible track. If there is a major argument in man-driven Climate Change then they seriously need to get their act together since at the moment they're shooting themselves in the feet all over the place. The Himalayan Disappearing Glacier theory you would have thought would have flagged up huge question marks at the time if those in the know had been on their toes.
UN - Haiti Earthquake - a failure of leadership  From: Marjorie. (24 Jan 2010 16:03): 
The UN (24 Oct 1945 4.45pm Washington, DC, USA) was in a wobble when the Haiti earthquake occurred with tr Uranus trine the 4th house Mars in Cancer which is insecure and agitated, moving on to trine Saturn this week which might show some improvement. My impression was they were very upset by their own people being killed in the earthquake which would be reflected in the 4th house Mars in Cancer being elbowed. Also the mid Jan Solar Eclipse fell opp that Mars Saturn conjunction. The UN chart also has an 11 degree Capricorn Midheaven which the Lunar Eclipse of 31 Dec 2009 had hit exactly and the mid Jan Solar Eclipse was square the Ascendant at 20 Aries. So it was always going to be an edgy time for them. Plus their SArc Sun being in an applying square to their 6th house Neptune Venus over the coming year - Venus Neptune in the 6th natally is high ideals and good intentions but not always too practical.
The present Secretary general Ban Ki-Moon is also reckoned not to be a huge success and is not popular inside the UN. That composite chart BKM/UN has Saturn NNode at 11/15 degrees Cancer which the Dec Lunar Eclipse was square on. Saturn = sensible organisation, and the Eclipse clearly brought a crisis in that area of his leadership. And there's more of tr Neptune opposition the composite Mars to come through this year, continuing on last year's mediocre feel of slip, slide and failure.
It's a pity Kofi Annan couldn't have stayed.
Tony Blair - on parade in front of the Chilcot Inquiry  From: Marjorie. (24 Jan 2010 15:39): 
Tony Blair is up in front of the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq War this coming Friday with a drip drip feed of blame having been pointed in his direction in recent weeks. A string of mandarins, military types and a few politicians have been getting their own back and distancing themselves from his support-GWB-no-matter-what decision.
Just before him on Wednesday is former Attorney General Lord Goldsmith whose controversial decision to give legal backing to the Iraq attack gave rise to allegations that he had been pressured to alter his initial ruling against - which he has always denied. There are also hints that on Tuesday the senior Foreign Office lawyer of the time will give evidence that his firm view given to No 10 was that the Iraq War was illegal without a second UN Resolution. So should be an interesting week though no one expects TBlair to get down on his knees and apologise for a major blunder and failure of judgement. He'll ooze charm, put his hand on his heart and say 'gee I just did what I thought was right.' But it's a defence that is wearing very thin.
The most notable aspect on Blair's chart is his Solar Arc Pluto - hugely emphasised in his natal chart opp Moon square Sun (Jupiter) - which is within minutes of the exact applying square to his Uranus - with Uranus also natally emphasised being square a Venus Mercury opp Neptune Saturn. Pluto on Uranus suggests a huge upheaval, collapse of the old order etc. And given that this is the first challenge of one T square on his chart moving by Solar Arc to hit his other T square - it does suggest an upset or change of major impact.
On his Tertiary Progressions also he has his Tert Prog Saturn retrograding towards an applying opposition to his natal Sun (less than a degree) at the moment which is discouraging and morale-dampening.
The early part of this week will be uncomfortable for him with tr Mars retro opp his 10th house Moon which is angry, emotional. Tr Mars is anyway going through his 4th house at the moment which is not good for outer ambitions. He's got some insecure, muddled tr Uranus to mid points - Mercury/Saturn, Mercury/Neptune and Mars/Uranus. But he's also got a couple of lucky Jupiters - SArc Asc sextile Jupiter, and Tert Prog Sun conj Sec Prog Jupiter - so he'll no doubt as per usual weasel his way out of facing any kind of responsibility.
From: Greta. (24 Jan 2010 15:16): 
Marjorie, I am wondering why The UN is so inept at delivering aid to Haiti. They seem to be focusing on 'health and safety'and are also blaming 'logistics'.The newspaper reports and the comments of the journalists and doctors in Haiti suggest that the UN is bound up in red tape or are they just hopeless?
On a different subject, a report in The Times says that 'The UN climate panel used bogus claims to win grants'Iwould appreciate your thoughts.
brad and ang and jen  From: mg. (24 Jan 2010 14:43): 
thanks for the brad and angelina analysis. it's was announced that they really have split up. just as an aside, i'm sure jennifer is pleased :-). it's very unlikely brad and jen will get back together but i'm sure she feels vindicated in some way. angie does seem like a bit of a nutcase from what i've gleaned from interviews, sorry is that sounds harsh, it's only my opinion.
Brad and Angelina - moment of truth arrived  From: Marjorie. (24 Jan 2010 14:24): 
This from April 2009 post: Their composite chart with an unstable Pisces Sun opp Pluto Uranus has been under pressure for some time with tr Pluto wending its challenging way in hard aspect. But it will come to a head soon with tr Uranus opposing the composite Pluto from late April onwards. Tr Saturn then also starts picking up that central composite Sun Uranus Pluto opposition from mid 2009 onwards which will bring a sense of coolness and separation. With tr Pluto then attacking the composite Uranus by square in 2010/11 to create more disruptions. And as if that wasn't enough tr Neptune is conjunct the composite Mars in 09/10 bringing disappointment.
Brad Pitt is a Sagittarius with tr Uranus about to square his Sun from late April 09 for a year thereafter which will bring tensions out into the open since he won't put up with compromises any longer. His Solar Arc Venus is this year also opposition his natal Uranus which again points to a need for freedom.
Angelina Jolie, a Gemini with an Aries Moon, like Madonna has difficult Moon aspects, almost more difficult, since her Moon is opposition Pluto, conjunct Mars square Saturn so her emotional life is a turmoil of angst and great tensions; plus a 4th house Uranus suggesting a childhood which was constantly on the move and never felt secure.
Brad Pitt on the other hand has a contented 4th house Jupiter natally so home for him is an easier energy. His career is heading for greater heights, while Angelina Jolie's is in the doldrums for a while ahead.
prince william reading  From: james wales . (24 Jan 2010 09:25): 
hi marjorie i am james i must say i love your readings , see, i love tarot and i am studying it but must admit i'm not too good at that though, well a friend and me were watching a magazine and we reat a reading about prince william and i decided to do a reading i saw the ten of cups and it was reversed i saw like a new relationship,new love a saw the queen of pentacles so that girl is younger and after i saw a travel , the ocean, so may it means that that girl is foreign , he will travel ? as i said i am not good at that so i would like much if you would be able to help me
brad and angelina splitting up?  From: mg. (24 Jan 2010 09:10): 
i know i shouldn't believe rumours but is it over between brad and angelina? thank you so much.
thank u James for the McCartney - Saturn info  From: #1 Macca Fan. (23 Jan 2010 22:31): 
Thank u james...i just got the time to look back and see what you wrote. Thank you - absolutely brilliant. I have heard that 29 cancer in someone's chart is the millionaire's degree. so...i betcha a million bucks that her moon is 29 cancer. but....that would make her moon conjunct HIS mars and HIS pluto that's a lot.....of pluto stuff going on.
A Black Week  From: Lost Cat (in search of his soul). (23 Jan 2010 12:59): 
This week has been catastrophic for the progressive sectors of the American political spectrum. It is not only that the victory of Senator Brown represents a very serious reversal for the Democratic Party and legislation toward a more progressive health care system, but America Air - the alternative radio broadcasting corporation to the influence of neo-fascist talk radio - petitioned for bankrupt protection and, more ominious than everything else, the Supreme Court came with this patently absurd decision confirming that corporations should be treated as persons and money is a form of speech. The interpretation of free speech that prevails now in the USA is exactly Orwellian.

Now, I want to address the astrological dimension of this national calamity. Remember, please, that the December 31 Moon eclipse happened with the Moon in conjunction to USA natal Sun. Morover, both the Moon of the eclipse and USA natal Sun are in the sign of Cancer, a sign related to both the homeland and care. Contrary to speculation claiming longer duration for the effects of a lunar eclipse, I think that its effects will manifest priomordially during the immediate moon cycle that follow the eclipse. The Moon of the eclipse is transiting now toward the last quarter of that Moon cycle. I do believe that nothing comforting will happen to the value sustem represented by the sign of Cancer. Keep in mind the what has been mortally wounded has been healthCARE legislation. The judicial victory of corporate interest is far from supporting the caring values represened by the archetype incorporated in the sign of Cancer.

I have additional comments on the effects of the most recent Moon eclipse on the USA natal chart, but that will be for later. I also will comment on some intriguing astrological aspects related to Ms. Coakley's electoral defeat.
Shilrey Bassey - packing a vocal punch into a new phase  From: Marjorie. (23 Jan 2010 12:39): 
Shirley Bassey, the singing sensation from Cardiff with an international career has quite a chart. Born on 8 Jan 1937 at 9am in Cardiff, into poor working class family, she had her first child at 16 and her career took off shortly after that. She has a 12th house Sun Jupiter in Capricorn. But what really dominates her chart is Mercury on her Aquarius Ascendant opp Pluto conj her Desc square Mars in Scorpio opp Uranus - so she's feisty, determined, argumentative, stubborn, happy to take risks and not always co-operative. Her passionate enthusiasm probably comes from Venus in musical Pisces trine Mars, sextile Jupiter. She's also got the creative, though worry-prone Saturn opp Neptune in her 2/8th house squaring onto a Sagittarius NNode. So she would get neurotic at times especially about money. Her 12th house Sun trines Neptune and sextiles Saturn - so she's very keyed into her creativity. She's also got a Scorpio Moon conj her Midheaven trine her Pluto - so she's a powerfully intense lady.
With her first album out in years there's not much of Jupiterian note in her chart which I'd expect to see with a rip roaring success. Though she does have her SArc/Progressed Sun now trine her Midheaven with her Sec Prog Mars also now just into her 10th which has probably re-booted her ambitions. Plus she has tr Uranus trine her Pluto and her Moon in a few weeks time and again through this year which does suggest career changes. Plus of course tr Uranus will trine her Midheaven either this year or next year depending on the accuracy of the birth time which again suggests a positive career move. Where she'll really bounce is towards 2012/13 when tr Pluto is conj her Jupiter and Sun/Jupiter.
Jean Simmons - entertainingly ambitious  From: Marjorie. (23 Jan 2010 12:38): 
Jean Simmons, one of the old Hollywood greats has died. Born on 31 Jan 1929 at 8pm London, England she had her Aquarius Sun in the entertainment 5th house exactly trine her Gemini midheaven and trine ambitious Mars in the 10th. Her 2nd house Scorpio Moon was opposition an 8th house Jupiter widely square her Sun - so money was important to her and she was lucky with it. Her Mars opposed a 4th house Saturn squaring onto Venus in Pisces in her 7th. She had a tougher life emotionally than many but covered it all over with a charmingly sweet Venus in Pisces smile.
She was custom built for the unreal Hollywood world with her Jupiter trine a 12th house Neptune trine Saturn - so a mix of dreams and hard reality. Her Venus was conj Uranus so relationships would tend to come and go. Though in reality she only had two marriages.
Willie Apiata - Jupiter Pluto Mars  From: Marjorie. (23 Jan 2010 11:55): 
Willie Apiata, the New Zealand Victoria Cross medallist for bravery under fire in Afghanistan in 2004, has returned there with the latest NZealand military contingent. Born on 28 June 1972 he's a Sun Cancer opposition Jupiter square Pluto in late Virgo and widely square Uranus in Libra. His Pluto is sextile Mars in Cancer. So he's confident, (Sun Jup Pl), controlling (Pluto) and definitely courageous (Mars Pl). Though perhaps inclined to take risks from over confidence at times. He has tr Pluto conj his Jupiter this year which is generally upbeat. Though he's got some wobbles from tr Uranus hitting his very emphasised Pluto and trine his Mars in May which could be insecure or disruptive. He also has tr Pluto trine his SArc Mars from late Feb this year - which is very pressured. But a posting to Afghanistan is not likely to be a walk in the park, so these may just be normal living out there. But certainly a touch risky.
Multiple marriages  From: Marjorie. (23 Jan 2010 11:54): 
I'm not familiar with the idea of 9th for second marriage, 11th for third - or 11th for second and 3rd for third marriage depending on who you read. There are some interesting theories in Carol Rushman's book which you can read on google about applying aspects to the Sun.
http://books.google.com/books?id=0OJgX88KKMsC&pg=PA29&dq=carol+predictive+astrology+natal+marriage&ei=cgY9StL4L4XuzASuzMC6BQ#v=onepage&q=carol%20predictive%20astrology%20natal%20marriage&f=false
shirley bassey  From: Caroline. (23 Jan 2010 11:07): 
WILLIE APIATA  From: Jennie (nottus@maxnet.co.nz). (22 Jan 2010 22:13): 
Hello Marjorie, would you comment on Willie Apiata's chart (born 28 June 1972, Mangakino, New Zealand). He is New Zealand's only living Victoria Cross recipient and is currently on deployment in Afghanistan. His presence in Afghanistan was exposed when a French photographer took his photograph after the attack on the Presidential Palace on Monday. It has since been published in the media and now people here are concerned for his safety. Since Sir Edmond Hilary died Willie has become our national hero.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Apiata
Im so sorry james....i didnt see your post....Pluto to N. Node  From: #1 Macca Fan. (22 Jan 2010 21:39): 
James...I'm so sorry - i just checked in today hoping someone had found the evasive nancy shevell birthday....pretty odd - in this day and age....its no where to be found. i have come to the conclusion that her moon must be about 29 cancer -- since we JUST had a eclipse at 29 cap...and it had the venus and north node with it briinging IN something like a marriage proposal should it affect personal planets...and bam...right after the new year.....we hear they are engaged. i had the pleasure of meeting her and working on her in nyc in december, and in person - she is very receptive and a lot LESS stiff than in the pix with paul when she is stiff as a statute. she is inquisitive....like a scorpio would be and quite direct and very sharp and at the same time spacey. she is much prettier in person than in those stiff pics with paul. she is bone thin tho - and she is at least 5"9.. she is tall and maybe 80 pounds soaking wet. she is absolutely bone thin. what does pluto on his north node in the 12th house mean anyway? past life connection?
Houses and Marriages  From: Kaja. (22 Jan 2010 21:36): 
To Macca Fan and others: Regarding your comment on Paul's third marriage. I always wondered about the houses and marriages. Some astrologers (Carol Rushman, for instance)claim that the first marriage is the seventh house, the second is the eleventh house (not the ninth house) and the third marriage is the third house.. I wanted to ask Marjorie, if she could perhaps share her experience in this area. Many thanks!
for the record macca fan  From: james. (22 Jan 2010 20:48): 
i guess i'm feeling left out! i was the one who pointed out the pluto north node connection fwiw...
re Houses - Sky Temples   From: james. (22 Jan 2010 20:41): 
thanks marjorie... i agree in the end one has to find something that works for them, based on their own first hand experience.. i think reading articles like this allow for the possibility of remaining fluid in ones thinking one house systems... what one uses is up to them and hopefully it is helpful in understanding charts better.. i have ordered this book and may comment on it at a later date... what i am particularly interested in is a comment that was made regarding the idea that houses are not the same as signs and that the meaning of the signs can't be applied in the same manner... what i find interesting about this is that the signs are cyclical in nature and one can see the progression... with houses it doesn't seem as apparent, but more static... the boundaries near the cusps become increasingly vague as their is no natural cyclical dynamic at work, or at least their doesn't appear to be... i find this difficult to fathom, but might discover something in this book...
Paul & Nancy, etc  From: Maggy van Krimpen. (22 Jan 2010 20:37): 
...I just hope there are not 2 Nancy Blakeman's who are secretaries of companies in NY!!! #1 Macca Fan,I had to laugh about you saying no wonder she's so thin (yes, I agree this is not someone who when everyone is out of the way eats 7 choc bars, all the ice cream, and tomorrow's dinner!) Her East Coast sleekness....somehow I see Virgo in her (I have a vision in my head of her looking at hems, examining the quality of every single thing that crosses her path, she even looks Virgo, i.e. not sexual, puffed up, modest clothes, etc- her physical body suggests mutability, but she does have broad shoulders (would YOU like to have yourself in a bikini at age 50 flashed around the worl!!!?) Perish the thought....! I do think she has a sense of humour with mercury conj Jupiter in Sag, though it does square Pluto EXACTLY so "black"it would be, the humour. She is (despite starved, toned, low-key appearances) an emotional person (mostly fire/water) though as Marjorie points out there is toughness indeed. The Sun/Mars in Scorpio alone would send off most of the world in it's efforts for privacy (esp with the clannish Cancer Moon) but it does trine that Sun/Mars which suggests a pretty together person, though her word will be law and woe unto him who disagrees....
Transit Pluto is about to conjunct her Saturn squaring Venus - wonder what that means?! though her prog. Venus is about to conjunct Jupiter which seems very loved up, financially advantageous and Lotsa Luck in Everything.... Progressed Moon is just into Gemini so she will be chopping, changing, moving about, maybe more in the media (she has a lot of fixed planets and seems to prefer a couple of places). Transit Saturn is approaching her N.Node also...

Paul's prog. Sun is just into Virgo - any ideas anyone? He has a low count in cardinal signs (that surprised me, we know John Lennon was the driving force but I thought PM would be more gung-ho, pro-active, but he is highly mutable, with a bit of fixed too.....His prog Venus conjuncts Pluto which looks very significant.

Marjorie made me laugh out loud at the Venus/Pluto posts - I LOVE THAT Joyce Wildenstein, she is witty, but its a pity, all that dreadful surgery, she looks now like the MGM Lion who used to roar in the old days just before the movie started. Marjorie also mentioned Sarah Ferguson, she has definitely had something done to her face as the rest of her sort of moves around it......which makes me think there ARE advantages in not worrying about your un-Botoxed face and looking like a real person.
N. S. Pluto is on Macca''s North Node  From: #1 Macca Fan. (22 Jan 2010 16:17): 
How Profound is THAT one - Nancy's Pluto is conjunct Pauls North Node in the 12th house...and he has a loaded 11th house - which represents his 3rd marriage. He has pluto conjunct mars...and his moon is close bye too - so that could easliy represent a power-magnet millionaire heiressfor a 3rd wife. What is really interesting is that Pluto N. Node connection. Many many lifetimes together these two have been connected. Dont you think? thank you so much Maggy and Marjorie.
thank u sherlock holmes a/k/a maggy von krimpen  From: #1 Macca Fan. (22 Jan 2010 15:54): 
o my gosh thank u so much maggy i have looked and looked and looked all over for her birth data i even looked up real estate records in nyc on acris.com YOU KNOW THAT IS PUBLIC INFO and the shevells own LOTS of real estate and her name came up under blakeman - bruce with her ex hubby it makes sense that she is a scorpio who else could be so disciplined to be so slim at her age? other than jupiter in cancer paul has no water planets she lives in nyc and he lives in england except for the summertime when he lives in the hamptons so they do have an international on again - off again when both are in respective homes with their kids she has a teen ager and he has a toddler - who is 6 somehow they must get along, eh? thank u so much sherlock "maggy von krimpen" homes
Artificial enchancement - Jupiter to blame  From: Marjorie. (22 Jan 2010 15:34): 
A spare thought on artificially enhanced Celebs. Joyce Wildenstein, the direly over-done cosmetic surgery freak (5 Aug 1940) has a Sun Mars in Leo square Jupiter Saturn in Taurus - so again the overly-expansive Jupiter at work, with the masochistic Mars Saturn accompanying it. Perhaps also Saturn square Sun making her feel the 'real' her wasn't good enough.
The equally repellent Katie Price ( 22 May 1978) also has a Mars Saturn in Leo and a heavily emphasised Jupiter - conj Venus, square Pluto trine Uranus.
Dolly Parton has never admitted to surgery but has definitely gone for the not-me look with over-blonde big hair plus plus plus. Born on 19 Jan 1946 she's got Mars Saturn in Cancer opp Sun Venus in Capricorn square Jupiter.
Too much Jupiter is definitely one element of all this. Heidi Montag lacks the Mars Saturn but does have Sun opp Jupiter square Uranus. With her Saturn pn the Neptune/Pluto midpoint which can lead to a degree of inner torment. Her Jupiter is also sextile Mars, trine Pluto and very widely square Saturn.
Sheikh Hassan Nasrullah - tensions rising in Hezbollah  From: Marjorie. (22 Jan 2010 15:23): 
Sheikh Hassan Nasrullah, the leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon since 1992, was born on 31 Aug 1960. He's virulently anti-Semitic and credited with ending Israel's 18 year occupation of the Lebanon in 2000 which gave him popularity amongst his followers and status in the Arab world.
He's a Sun Pluto in Virgo trine Saturn in Capricorn, sextile Neptune in Scorpio - so tough, controlling, idealistic. He's also got an adventurous Jupiter in Sagittarius (conj Moon?) trine Uranus; with an impulsive, self justifying Jupiter opp Mars in Gemini square Venus.
His chart does fit the Lebanon Ceasefire which was claimed as a great victory for him - with his NNode in Virgo exactly conj the LC Ascendant Mars and his Mars on the LC Midheaven; with the LC Pluto on his Jupiter.
He is reputed to have been poisoned in Oct 2008 in an assassination attempt tho' it's denied. It's possible it did happen since at that point tr Neptune was opp his Uranus; his SArc Mars was moving to square his very emphasised Neptune; SArc Neptune was conj his (Moon) Jupiter and tr Pluto was square his focal point Venus - all of which are highly strung, confusing and frustrating.
His chart through 2010 is under considerably pressure with tr Pluto starting to trine his Pluto from late Feb; as well as tr Uranus opposing his Venus and tr Saturn conj from March onwards. Tr Uranus on Venus will stoke up his excitable Jup opp Mars square Venus. Late March he picks up a dangerous tr Uranus trine Mars/Pluto and then he's got a high risk, fairly violent tr Uranus trine Sun/Mars from April onwards. His relationship charts with Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu also looked subject to pressure and fast change from now onwards.
Nothing is irrevocably cast in stone - but clearly an area to watch.
Lebanon Ceasefire - more thoughts  From: Marjorie. (22 Jan 2010 14:33): 
Several things strike me about the Lebanon Ceasefire chart (see below) with hindsight!
1. The very obvious and volatile Mars Asc opp Uranus Desc. One might reasonably have expected that hair trigger Mars Uranus to blow fairly rapidly but it is held together by Pluto on the point of the T square which is very controlling. With Pluto involved my feeling is that events take longer to manifest since the hang-on factor does precisely that, until there is such a major build up of influences even Pluto has to let go. So a later wobble might have been expected rather than earlier.
2. It's got a good many Fixed planets - Sun Saturn in Leo opp Neptune square Jupiter in Scorpio - which again take a fair pushing to shift.
3. There's a Fire Grand Trine in the hidden houses - Pluto 4th, Aries Moon 8th, Sun 12th - influences to planets in the buried houses again are often slow to turn into outer events.

As far as I gather despite nothing much having been written about both sides in the interim since 2006 there has been a steady build up in preparation for a renewed round of hostilities. So all those hidden houses, manipulative Pluto and 'bland smile' emphasised Jupiter will have been operating in the background.
It may hold of course but that Ceasefire Pluto is square a NNode in Pisces both of which are being rattled very soon.
Imran Khan - talking to the Taliban  From: Marjorie. (22 Jan 2010 10:52): 
Imran Khan, the former international cricketer, playboy, ex-husband of Jemima Goldsmith, now involved in independent Pakistan politics, has offered to be the mediator in talks between the Pak Govt and the Pak Taliban.
It is a risky move for someone who has put himself in the way of danger in recent years trying to improve the situation in his native country and root out corruption. He ended up imprisoned at one point by President Musharraf, as he campaigned for the re-instatement of the Chief Justice whom Musharraf had deposed.
Born on 25 Nov 1952 in Lahore he's a Sagittarius Sun sextile an independent-minded Mars in Aquarius; with a confident Jupiter in Taurus square Pluto tied in by aspect to a cause-oriented Aquarian NNode.
It's questionable whether Zardari's Government would be keen to see him gain profile in this way. President Zardari certainly dislikes him - and it's mutual - with an aggravated Mars Saturn conjunction in Scorpio in their relationship chart. There certainly is pressure on their relationship through this year with tr Pluto square and tr Saturn conj their composite Sun; and tr Pluto sextile Saturn - moving on in 2011/12 to tr Pluto sextile the comp Mars. But whether that brings movement or just deadlock - time will tell.
Khan is not facing an easy time ahead with his SArc Sun conj his Mars within a year which normally brings shocks and high anger; and his SArc Pluto conj his Neptune over the same period which can be devastating and confusing.
Houses - Sky Temples  From: Marjorie. (22 Jan 2010 10:38): 
Sorry James. I had read the Houses - Temples in the Sky piece. Thanks for that. I meant to add a not very useful comment yesterday but got diverted. It really confirmed for me what I'd always thought - that delving too deeply into the whys adds to confusion and doesn't really help in deciding which to use. Someone years ago said to me they had researched into the mathematical choices which lay behind the different house systems and it was sooooo complicated he'd given up.
At the end of the day the choice on house systems has to be on what gives the most useful info.
Scott Brown  From: Marjorie. (22 Jan 2010 10:38): 
Scott Brown - 12 Sep 1959, no birth time regrettably. It was more the tr Pluto square and tr Saturn conjunct his 4 Libra Mars NNode over the Election which is surprising. That sounds pretty poleaxing especially with natally his Mars square Saturn in Capricorn. Yet he won. Interesting to see how his term works out.
I hadn't remembered he also had a Venus Pluto con - they seem to be all over the place this week.
saturn transits  From: james. (22 Jan 2010 10:32): 
i still haven't looked at these folks charts lost cat... one reason is you never left any data on them, but only some astro comments on the data... to be quite honest when you mentioned the saturn transit to browns chart it caught my curiosity as it is a funny thing, but it seems saturn transits can have the exact opposite effect some seem to expect...without specific birth times it's harder to know, but why wouldn't saturn just as easily reward for hard work done, as punish for work left undone? i recall a specific moment in my life that showed a lot of promise and it came connected to a jupiter transit, but it amounted to nothing... i wouldn't generalize about jupiter transits in this way as i have found them to be often fortuitous, but i have also found that saturn transits can reward also in a very substantial way when the time is right.... without looking at these charts, it appears to be the case....
Of Archetypes & Defeats . . . usual.  From: Lost Cat (a.k.a. CT). (22 Jan 2010 05:37): 
There is much to say, and little available time. I will be catching mice early tomorrow:

On archetypes: Astrology is not restricted by rigid and dogmatic rules. It is all about interpretation. Archetypes serve that purpose. In fact, I began trying to read for the second time James Hillman's A BLUE FIRE, a book I did put aside sometime ago. What I gather from its initial remarks is that archetypes are always on the making. We interpret them accordingly to our own experiences.

Now on defeats, this is a topic which I find more urgent to deal with as a humble Massachusetts, USA resident. For now, I have three brief points: First, and from reading Marjorie's revisitation of Mrs. Coakewy's chart. Yes, Neptune is a big problem for her, either as a natal or afflicted by transits, progrsdsions, etc.Also, when it is transited by others planets. This could be President's Obama situation as well. Not now, but chronically.(i.e., the Saturn thing). Second, Mr. Brown's Venus-Pluto conjunction in his natal chart. From what I gather, it seems this conjunction will come to give him trouble. This trouble could be personally to him, and socially to the GOP. The racy videos are already circulating on the Internet. A note of caution: I can't care less about his, or his family, private live. Thirdly, what on earth is the meaning of somewhat coming out of the political blue came to celebrity nder such harsh transits as those of Saturn, will Mr. Brown come to regret his victoy? A terminator, or a Trojan horse?
article/pdf file from yesterday  From: james. (22 Jan 2010 00:17): 
if anyone reads it, i'd be curious to know what, if anything they get from it... thanks..
Lebanon Ceasefire chart  From: james. (21 Jan 2010 22:57): 
that lc chart is a wild chart! i vaguely remember talking about this and i am sure most concluded it wouldn't hold... i wonder if other events alter the duration of a particular chart? regardless what is more interesting to me is how many can be wrong on something...one way to look at it is that we are only looking at a part of the chart while ignoring another, or that we don't fully understand what it is we are looking at... i note some favourable solar arcs to this chart as well, specifically sa venus on natal mercury, with natal mercury the ruling planet of the ascendant.. perhaps another alternative is possible... thanks for your insights marjorie...
Venus Pluto   From: Marjorie. (21 Jan 2010 22:00): 
Sarah Ferguson, Prince Andrew's ex has Venus Pluto in Virgo on the MC - and while she isn't into major surgical enchancement she is definitely obsessive and determined to make an image for herself. GB Snr has Venus Pluto in Cancer - keen to control his family? Cancer etc. Or at least boost them over their talents into high places.
Venus Pluto in Scorpio is very powerful and if going the wrong way can be rather unpleasant.
pluto venus conjunction  From: Thomas. (21 Jan 2010 21:46): 
Think Bush Senior has Venus conjunct Pluto in the 10th. Obviously a very different manifestation of that energy.
Lebanon Ceasefire creaking into 2010  From: Marjorie. (21 Jan 2010 18:45): 
The Lebanon ceasefire with Israel (which all we astrologers on the ADB forum thought would never last) was agreed on 14 Aug 2006 8 am Beirut, Lebanon. That Ceasefire chart has a Mars Ascendant opp Uranus Desc square Pluto in Sag in the 4th. Tr Uranus is coming for the final time to square that Pluto late this month into Feb, as stories start to emerge of increasing tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, see URL below. The SArc Pluto being three degrees further on is also being squared by tr Saturn and tr Uranus through this year all of which is very unsettled - hinting at a total upheaval.
The horror scenario is that Israel attacks Iran and then Hezbollah, a much more sophisticated force than Hamas, attacks Israel.
The Lebanon 1943 chart (22 Nov)does have an overly confident SArc Mars conj Jupiter this year; with a jolting tr Uranus square Saturn late Jan/Feb 10; and also an undermining tr Neptune square SArc Mars at the moment; with signs of a change of direction towards the spring and beyond from tr Uranus trine the Scorpio Sun.
The Hezbollah chart (16 Feb 1985) has the same mix of high confidence from SArc Jupiter conj Sun; and very droopy tr Neptune conj Sun, Mercury and square Saturn; as well as a violent and frustrated tr Pluto trine SArc Mars from late Feb onwards.
The Lebanon 1943/Israel relationship chart is exceedingly edgy at the moment with a volatile tr Uranus trine Mars (conj Saturn); and a lessening of confidence with tr Neptune conj the composite Sun in Feb.

Heidi Montag - blank persona  From: Marjorie. (21 Jan 2010 17:20): 
Heidi Montag, is evidently a kind of Reality TV un-person, with a fetish for plastic surgery. She was born on 15 Sep 1986. There's no birth time which is a shame since houses are useful if there are hints of mental illness around.
She's a Sun Virgo which isn't normally too enhancement-oriented. But her Sun is in an expansive square to Jupiter and squaring Uranus - so she'll opt for the quick n' easy solutions in life (squ Jup) and not listen to advice probably (Ur). Her Sun is also in an impatient square to materialistic Mars in Capricorn. What strikes my eye though is a Venus conj Pluto in Scorpio. The negative side of Ven Plu, magnified since in Scorpio, is both hugely sexualised, extremely manipulative and obsessive.
Her Aquarius Moon isn't too involved in her chart except perhaps a sextile from Uranus; although it might be on the midpoint of Mars/Jupiter which again would push the idea of excess.
I'd think much is down to greed and ambition - wannabe a perfect body so the cameras will love me and the money and fame will follow.
From: johanna. (21 Jan 2010 02:07): 
Neptune and Uranus myths. Thank you Marjorie for your thoughts. Have my own special obsession with interpretation Neptune/religion,e.g. men wearing frocks, sipping wine and sexual antics and nailing Christ figure on cross. Pisces/duality can be very cruel indeed (12th house is a tricky landscape). The Ouranus/Promethean myth, knowledge versus animal biology, again, Aquarius is quite steely..we paid the price for knowledge in the 11th house of friends/compassion versus loneliness. Saturn co-ruler is no fun to be with either, depression.
Heidi Montag  From: bella. (21 Jan 2010 01:24): 
Sorry to lower the tone! But I'm curious about Heidi Montag. Shes a US reality TV person. She recently had 10 plastic surgery procedures in one day. I find this very disturbing & she now looks totally blank. I actually think she might have mental health problems. We all know how often celebrities spiral downwards, get procedure after procedure. Is Heidi going to be ok, or is she going to go the Michael Jackson/Joan Rivers path in life? Is her husband Spencer controlling her & making her do this?
iinformative article from a book on houses  From: james. (20 Jan 2010 23:28): 
http://www.skyscript.co.uk/temples/Chapter8.pdf this is from deborah houldings book 'the houses - temples of the sky...
more p and n   From: james. (20 Jan 2010 21:51): 
air and water combo too....this is a popular combo it seems... they also have jupiters opposite each others saturn as well - jupiter/saturn opp in the composite.. i think this helps take the edge off the saturn, but might also imply they swing between periods of optimism and not...any relationship that takes an approach of maturity and responsibility has a great success rate and i do think it is suggested with the line up of the saturns in their charts...
re Paul and Nancy  From: james. (20 Jan 2010 21:44): 
i am going to guess nancy has moon in very early leo.. be cool if we had an actual time but thanks maggy for finding this... lunar harmony is important...that is why i guess if they actually live together this would help much.............. ............... .................. ................ ................... .............. ......i am always fascinated by the saturn connections between charts.. here we have her saturn opp his sun and his saturn opposite her sun - what is a sun/saturn opposition in the composite chart... isn't a 7th house saturn supposed to be exalted? she has a venus/saturn square in her chart so the attraction to someone older does fit... her libra venus works well with his gemini planets as does his venus in taurus to her scorpio planets... and by golly there is a pluto/north node connection too... an interesting combo that does have some possible longevity to it given the saturn connections...
Paul and Nancy - opposites attract  From: Marjorie. (20 Jan 2010 18:51): 
Thanks Maggy. If Nancy Shevell is 20 Nov 1959 it's a quite strange match. She's a fiery, determined, impatient Sun Mars in Scorpio square Uranus; with a pushily confident Pluto square Mercury Jupiter in Sagittarius; and a gritty Saturn in Capricorn trine Pluto. With probably a Cancer Moon and Venus in Libra.
While Paul McC is very Air Fire. He's got a Gemini Sun (conj Jupiter in Cancer) square Neptune in Virgo on his Ascendant. With a ferociously determined Mars Pluto in Leo sextile Saturn Uranus in Gemini; with Moon in Leo as well square Venus in Taurus.
Both of them have bundle charts so are quite self contained and focussed.
There are some awkward cross overs with her Uranus conj his Moon so he won't find her easy to tie down; and her Saturn opposition his Jupiter so there is something about her slightly severe Sat in Cap approach which may not sit easily with his relaxing-at-home-with-the-family Jup in Cancer.
It isn't the kind of love match he had with Linda since there the composite had a Sun Venus conjunction; with a Moon Neptune square Jupiter which would help to smooth down a few rough edges. Linda was a Sun Libra with a Jupiter in Gemini close to his Sun which is a more obvious match.
With NancyS his relationship chart has an adventurous Mars Jupiter conjunction which could be good for fun, travel and a give them both a morale boost; but it has an opposition from Saturn - so the mood will swing from high spirits to impatience reasonably quickly.
He may turn his fans weak at the knees but from the odd murmurs one hears he's not the easiest personality and NancyS is certainly no pushover. She'll do her own thing no matter what.
There may be a few bumps along the road this year since he has tr Saturn and tr Uranus both hitting his Sun square Neptune; and NancyS has tr Neptune square her Sun which is rather undermining plus a tough-slog tr Pluto conj her Saturn - though that may be business worries for her as well. But their composite has tr Uranus opp Mars in March and Nov/Dec 10 which could cause a few flare-ups and insecurity.
Definitely an odd couple if her data is right. Though not quite so odd as the previous wife, Capricornian Heather.
Paul''s latest squeeze  From: Maggy van Krimpen. (20 Jan 2010 15:49): 
Marjorie, I googled Nancy Shevell under her married name, Blakeman, and on some company document it said her birth date is 20 November 1959, Nassau County, NY - no time though. Sun/Mars Scorpio, lots of water....but you'll tell us the rest!
Astrology and Myths - Neptune and Uranus  From: Marjorie. (20 Jan 2010 11:42): 
The problem with the old myths is that they often arose out of gods from different cultures merged into later versions. Poseidon who was a re-invented Neptune certainly was violent and vengeful though the earlier Neptune gods weren't so much so. But I do think Neptune in modern astrology, in so far as I was taught initially, is not quite on the right track. Many top sportsmen have strong Neptunes and they don't win without a tank full of testosterone. Pisces (ruled by Neptune) can be cosmically chilling and cruel. And there's my own special obsession - why are presumably highly Neptunian religious freaks so often a) anti-women; b) so dishonest financially and sexually; and c) often murderous. So religious Neptune is not all about kind, caring, wimpy doormats of daydreamers. Jung tacked the Pisces myth onto Christ which is perhaps misleading; unless you take into account the gory torture involved in the Crucifixion symbol which is the other side of Pisces/Neptune.
Liz Greene years ago connected Uranus to Prometheus. Though even just taking Ouranos as a myth on its own, he was the Sky god as opposed to Gaia, the Earth mother which does fit with Uranus being in the forefront of all tech advance. The one thing I take with me about Uranus from the Ouranos myth is the anti-biology feel of its energy. Which fits with the Promethean myth of giving man knowledge which pulled him away from his animal existence. In both there is a sense that the biology has been damaged in the process of staying so high/gaining knowledge. Ouranos lost his genitals and Prometheus is constantly having his liver torn out.
But you can toss myths around every which way since there are so many versions of them.
Kate McGarrigle - Aquarius   From: Marjorie. (20 Jan 2010 11:16): 
Canadian folk singer, Kate McGarrigle, half of a duo with her sister Anna, has died of a rare form of cancer at 63. Rolling Stones said: 'Specializing in tart, tuneful songs that marry the resonance of folk to the emotional immediacy of everyday life, the McGarrigle sisters are probably the finest singer/songwriter team ever to go ignored by the American public. The McGarrigles' music has less to do with the ephemeral quality of fame than with the enduring values of family and tradition.'
She was the mother of Rufus and Martha Wainwright from her brief marriage to folk singer Loudon Wainwright.
Born on 6 Feb 1946 she was a Sun, Mercury, Venus in Aquarius - all heavily aspected, being opposition Pluto, trine Uranus, inconjunct Mars Saturn in Cancer and widely trine both Neptune and Jupiter in Libra, perhaps setile an Aries Moon. So she was a complicated woman - airy, communicative, inventive, detached on the one hand, yet controlling, rather strained on the other because of that Mars Saturn inconj Sun Venus. Though there does seem to be this odd connection between Mars Saturn and singers.
Her sister Anna McGarrigle (4 Dec 1944) is a Sun Mars in Sagittarius opp Uranus, trine Pluto - so fiery, independent-minded, restless and quite forceful. She has a Mercury in Capricorn opp Saturn in Cancer square Neptune - so is certainly musical from Neptune but again a hint of a complicated and not entirely easy childhood.
Kate's daughter Martha Wainwright also has that Mars Saturn in Cancer - Mars Saturn is tricky at the best of times and possibly least happy in Water signs. Rufus Wainwright, her son, has a Cancer Sun Mercury square Uranus opp Mars Moon - so a family of strong individualists, noisy and not always in agreement I'd imagine.
When Kate died she had her SArc Uranus opposition her Sun (on a 12pm birth time exactly to the minute). Her sister Anna has her SArc Neptune conj her Sun.
Massachusetts - lessons to be learned  From: Marjorie. (20 Jan 2010 10:03): 
Scott Brown, the Republican, did win in Massachusetts with tr Saturn conj his Mars NNode and tr Pluto square. Which just goes to show - I'm not sure what - except that different people respond to the same transit in different ways. He did have a couple of handy tr Jupiters to Jupiter midpoints which you often get over Election wins and Martha Coakley didn't.
Interestingly Kevin Rudd won the Australian election in 2007 with tr Pluto square his Sun Mars, though it was effectively a tr Jupiter conj tr Pluto which would have helped.
With hindsight (useful to have around) Martha Coakley's SArc Saturn Neptune opposing her very emphasised Jupiter in Gemini was a definite downer. More to the point tr Pluto had been opposing her Sun/Jupiter which can bring great confidence but too much so. She thought she was a shoe-in and didn't put in enough Saturnine slog to make it work. She's definitely got a depressed late Feb/March as she contemplates her failure.
Obama's does have his Sun/Saturn midpoint at 23 Scorpio 56 mins which tr Pluto is almost exactly sextile to the minute this midweek which is discouraging; and he doesn't lose the discouraging tr Uranus trine Mars/Saturn (not winning on any front for the past few weeks) till the final few days in Jan. He doesn't pick up much that looks cheerful till late Feb when a tr Uranus trine his Mars/ Jupiter should give him a lucky break or two for a few weeks. With a positive change of direction as tr Uranus trines his MC come April onwards.
House systems etc  From: Maggy van Krimpen. (20 Jan 2010 08:59): 
Melanie, every house system will have the same ascendant, and the same midheaven. These are the axes of the chart - the fixed points which determine (according to which house system you use) the cusps. Placidus system is very popular in the US, like Marjorie I was taught Equal House (while glancing at the others) but ended up using Koch. There is/may always be a lot of fretting about if a planet is at the end of one house or the beginning of another - in fact, it OFTEN is and astrology does not always fit into neat boxes. Just as you can have a void of course Moon (29th degree of a sign - some will say it is OUT of that sign and into the next, but there is no 30th degree.....so you have to make a judgement yourself. For women I think that would be quite easy, if you read your Moon description you would probably identify stronger with one than the other. In the end its as marjorie says: it is what works. If any planet is right on a cusp, it does not need to be put in one house or the other as it straddles both - this happens often but you may struggle with what it means. A planet or a cusp is what it is, and that's the way its meant to be. Try a couple of different house systems and see where your chart makes most sense to you. Nobody can do it for you, trust y our own judgement, watch the transits (past) to see what events were triggered.

A tip: if you have, say, Gemini or maybe Cancer on your 4th cusp for instance - look at the rulers of both (Mercury alwayss rules Gemini, the Moon rules Cancer). See where both those planets are in the chart as whichever is more pertinent to your 4th house experiences, is probably the ruler of that house. It could often mean your birth is earlier or later, but if you can't decide and they both seem to be relevant, they ARE. The ruler of a house will always relate back (wherever it is in the chart) to the houses it naturally belongs to. Astrology is not always convenient or symmetrical. Good luck with that.
Sage advice from James  From: Melanie. (20 Jan 2010 08:04): 
THANK YOU JAMES...:)
melanie question on criteria for making a decision  From: james. (20 Jan 2010 07:41): 
melanie, their are more choices then i actually mentioned... one can pick a house system and see if it makes sense(works) or not.. that's also an option... one could also decide that because someone else is using a system, that is good enough right their... or perhaps the 3rd option is to understand what these house systems are based on so that it is more of an informed decision out front.. perhaps the first option of picking one and seeing if it fits is the easiest and the one most people first learning astrology do.. they see someone else using a system and they go with it while learning more along the way... it almost sounds like picking an ice cream flavour down at the corner ice cream vendor... if it tastes good then obviously it is the one for you! the criteria i was referring to is having some understanding of what these house systems are built on... perhaps buying 'a house' without knowing anything about the foundation is okay...
THANK YOU - re ''house systems''  From: Melanie. (20 Jan 2010 07:21): 
To Marjorie, James, Maggy and xtina....thank you for your considered responses to my question re th different 'house systems'....James you say that "the fact is they are all based off different criteria.. it then becomes important to understand what that criteria is" - is this 'criteria' you speak of what Marjorie means when she says that "Liz Green always used to say Placidus made more sense for her psychological approach. I think being quite Libra I aimed for a middle-of-the-road system which Koch is" meaning Placidus = psychological while koch = middle-of-the-road 'criteria'.....or am I so far off the track you are wondering what planet I am on :)
Kate McGarrigle  From: Patrick. (20 Jan 2010 04:36): 
Kate McGarrigle lost her battle with cancer. French-Irish Canadian singer, sister of Anna, mother of Rufus and Martha Wainwright. She has Sun, Venus, and Mercury in a close conjunction in Aquarius in a Grand trine to Uranus in Gemini and Neptune in libra, truly the voice of an angel who could make you laugh or cry. Pluto makes a kite. Aries Moon square Saturn and Mars in Cancer, which also could make a mystic rectangle. Looking around you tube, she sang harmony with so many singers and they recorded many songs she wrote with her sister. Very sad.
Archetypes and defeats  From: Lost Cat (a.k.a Losing Feline). (20 Jan 2010 00:49): 
Just for the record, I am not endorsing Tarnas's book. It is an interesting and daring book, superbly researched and somewhat carelessly written. I am pointing it out because the author deals extensively on the topic. Regarding the diversity of interpretations associated with astrological planets. I think in part that is what an archetype does, it proivides a vast gamut of meanings based on a common denominator (e.g., Jupiter = expansion, etc.). Oftentimes astrologers abuse the plasticity of planetary meanings. More on this topic, any time soon.

Now, regarding the Massachusetts election. The electoral colleges close at 8:00 PM (in 20 minutes of my local time) and at 6:30 PM I was still getting phone calls from Mrs Coakley's campaign to get the Democratic vote out. Also, at noon when I went to vote I only saw the followers of Mr. Brown on th street. I still have no idea where the followers of Mrs. Coekley went. It simply does not bode well. Besides Salon.com has already publishing pieces assuming that Mrs. Coakley and the Democrats lost Senator's Kennedy's senatorial seat. Still the local skies have Mrs. Coakley's natal Venus transiting the MC at the time the colleges will close at 8:00 PM. What does it mean, if anything? I do not know, but I told myself that I should have looked also at the progrssed charts of the candidates, but now it is too late. I will live with my pronostic and with my defeat, if it comes to pass.
From: james. (19 Jan 2010 22:15): 
two - too...
cycles  From: james. (19 Jan 2010 22:14): 
a sun transit thru the houses based off any house system is a cycle of the sun... the starting point is??? it can be off the obvious point that is automatically given us with traditional 12 house systems - the ascendant, but it can begin at the point of origin - the sun - as well... it can really begin at any spot in the chart.. this is how i understand cycles... if one opts to only think in terms of houses i think it is helpful to keep in mind that these two are connected directly to cycles.. saturn return? it is a cycle where saturn returns to its position in the birth chart... birthdays? solar return.... these are cycles...
houses / maggy and marjories comments  From: james. (19 Jan 2010 20:22): 
maggy quote "James, when you talk about cycles - can you specify? The Sun passing through each house of the chart has reliably informed me where I should be focusing my energy for the month - finance, kids, health, nearest & dearest etc - it is such a routine, and though it may seem not cyclical,..." that is a cycle involving the ascendant, and perhaps the midheaven depending on what house system you use maggy...a cycle can have any particular starting point, in your example the ascendant is the starting point for the cycle... one can go backwards or forwards on it too... 1st house to 2nd house is counter clockwise.... why wouldn't clockwise work as well? these are the types of questions i continually ask!!................... .................... .................... ...............as for your comment on a strong 'earth' focus and the '6th' house, do you think the planet saturn at the top of a t square would give a similar strong earth focus? i am curious... also do you think having a greater concentration of squares in a chart would give an 'earth' focus? these are more of the questions i ask of astrology... i find that the presence of an earth planet like saturn or mercury which relate to the elements air as well, if in a position in the chart lined up a certain way can suggest this same 'earth' focus that you may think only comes out of the 6th house focus... and, i am not discounting the idea of the 6th house giving this either, i am just pointing out the duplication going on in astrology and how it is easy to overlook this when one settles into an ingrained view that relies heavily on a particular house system.... ........... .................. ................ ................ ............... .........i don't think i have a particular attachment to a house system, but the obvious value of working off the ascendant for equal houses is clear and simple... one can do this same division of 12 to all of the planets and points in the chart, the next most obvious one being off the midheaven axis... i am not convinced of the marriage of the ascendant with the midheaven and having to make these 2 axis merge when one is based off a space context and the other off a time context, but who am i to challenge the mainstream thinking on this that has been adopted by many astrologers who may have looked at it much more closely then i and come to a different conclusion... i am just one viewpoint trying to be clear on why i remain open minded on the nature of houses and their value in adding meaning to a birth chart...
archetypes and house systems  From: xtina. (19 Jan 2010 20:12): 
The characters from the classical myths do work for the old planets but I sometimes have my doubts about the new ones. For example, Richard Tarnas wrote a little book about how Uranus is more like the mythological Prometheus than Ouranos. Another example is Neptune - in myths a fighting fierce fellow but astrologicallly he's associated with sacrifice and movies. On the other hand, Pluto is certainly the Lord of the Underworld. So the astrological archetypes are close to the mythological ones but often not quite the same. I'm very wary of an astrologer who bases their understanding of the planets mainly on the myths. It's much too rigid an approach. As Marjorie is always saying, you have to check and see if it really works. If it does not, discard it. I agree with Maggie on houses. They do really work. Check out the transits of Mars in your own chart over a year to see where the action is. Again you have to be empirical. In answer to your specific question: which describes your experience of ninth house issues more accurately - Taurus or Aries, Venus or Mars? That's may be the key to which house system works for you. I use Regiomontanus (usually) - I cannot remember why exactly I plumped for this one eventually - but it works for me. Also as Marjorie says, be wary of the cuspal planets because sometimes they are kind of leaking into both houses. To rectify your chart though, just concentrate on the MC/IC and Asc/Desc and the rest will click into place.
Houses, etc  From: Maggy van Krimpen. (19 Jan 2010 19:46): 
OOh, had to lie down in a darkened room when I read James'hypothesis of "no houses"! ugh!!! that would be totally terrible- how could I hope to explain the awfulness of having No Earth BUT BUT BUT 3 or 4 planets in the 6th house (an earth house) without which I would surely be floating on drugs/booze/other dimensions??? James, when you talk about cycles - can you specify? The Sun passing through each house of the chart has reliably informed me where I should be focusing my energy for the month - finance, kids, health, nearest & dearest etc - it is such a routine, and though it may seem not cyclical, even the simple passage of the Sun through the houses every year, without fail, I have found to be (a) a wake up call to what is Now (b) a reminder that we all have habits, memories, experiences and need to find out, by re-visiting, the same questions/problems we had last time round (c)the comfort of the Agenda beign raised, same time every year, about how you've done - a gentle reminder from the Universe of re-addressing your focus, input and expectations. As Marjorie, so strongly identifying with her 12th house says, she wouldn't be herself because of the degree of familiarity/comfort - somehow knowing your house placesments DOES confirm you - in your individuality, your issues (recurring) and every single house placement of mine I find relevant to a T.

However, I also see the point of the famous quote "There is no truth, only points of view"which is basically what Marjorie reiterated about the comfort zone. We do, indeed, all make excuses to explain our own reality - the older you get, the funnier it is, but to do away with houses, to me would be heresy.... in anyone's life, the reality should show. A COMMUNITY MINDED person wil always have a big 3rd, 7th, 11th house - it is not a theory, it is a fact (in my opinion only). Houses which bulge with planets wil always figure more prominently in the life....if you look at your own chart you will see he emphases, the houses which mean a lot, the houses which mean less.....an empty 5th, 7th, 8th can mean a really lone wolf, someone who does not have casual relationships, close ones, or sexual ones - but whatever, if those houses are empty they WILL emphasise the houses their planets fall in. They may have a big 11th, thus be group people, into causes, etc or a big 2nd with an emphasis on accumulation (proeprty, money, thigns) or a big 4th (property again, family name, staying in the same place, doing the family tree etc) but I do think houses are exceptionally revealing, which I did not know unti you posed the hypothesis of NO HOUSES - TERRIBLE!!!! Does this mean I am brainwashed, or perhaps you are a leader of thought as far as astrology goes - at any rate, your theory jolted me out - well out - of the comfort zone..
Ian Botham - wild Sagittarius  From: Marjorie. (19 Jan 2010 19:38): 
Ian Botham, reckoned one of the best all round England cricketers, is a Sagittarius Sun square Jupiter Pluto so sporty, energetic, pushily confident. His Sun is also in a lively trine to Uranus, so he liked to go his own way Ur). His Pluto Jupiter trine Venus in Sagittarius and all three sextile a Mars Neptune conjunction in Libra. So he'd be charming, seductively so (Pl Ven Jup) and revelled in the showbiz pzazz of international sport (Mars Nep). He's also got a tough, stubborn Pluto square Saturn Mercury in Scorpio, with Saturn perhaps trine a Pisces Moon.
It's difficult without a birth time. But Saturn undoubtedly mellows with age and more importantly for him that Sun square Jupiter which would be unrealistic and impatient initially, wanting it all NOW, would with maturity get its feet on the ground more sensibly. He also has a North Node in Sagittarius which can be wayward early in adult life and tends to go off in too many directions at once.
Nancy Shevell  From: Marjorie. (19 Jan 2010 19:17): 
No birth date for Nancy Shevell. If anyone has I'd be grateful
Houses   From: Marjorie. (19 Jan 2010 19:17): 
Most people start with Equal House when learning astrology since it is simpler and works reasonably well. Then having acquired some understanding of the houses and their meanings you just need to try your own chart and those of people you know specially well - and see what makes most sense to you.
I'm utterly ruthless about going with what works whether the reasons for it make sense, or indeed whether there are any reasons at all. By the latter I mean Solar Arc Directions and Progressions really don't gell in my head with anything that makes any kind of rational sense but they undoubtedly produce solid results in terms of information.
Liz Green always used to say Placidus made more sense for her psychological approach. I think being quite Libra I aimed for a middle-of-the-road system which Koch is - while being wary of planets near cusps in terms of absolute interpretations.
Archetypes noah question / house systems melanie question  From: james. (19 Jan 2010 16:57): 
noah - it's a great question and one astrologers ask.. maybe the book lost cat mentions will help answer this question............ ............... ............. ............. ................ ............... ................. ................. ............... ..melanie - most house systems are derived from a blend of the 2 primary angles - the ascendant/descendant and the midheaven/nadir... most astrologers experiment with the thought of discovering which system works best.. the fact is they are all based off different criteria.. it then becomes important to understand what that criteria is in order to better understand the differences between them, but ultimately something works better then not for some and they usually go with it.. i like the idea of the cusps being stronger vibrational points or phases that are on the peak of a cycle, as opposed to boxes with definite walls... good luck with this!!!
Ian Botham  From: Jonathan, London. (19 Jan 2010 16:43): 
Marjorie,

I'm a big fan (as many are!) of the English cricketer, now commentator, Ian Botham. In a recent interview he said he was entering the best period of his life (despite all his past heroics...and occasional womanising/drud misuse of the past!!). I looked up his birthdate as 24th November 1955 - no info. on time/ascendancy etc. With thanks, Jon
Women''s hearts break around the world  From: #1 Macca Fan. (19 Jan 2010 14:52): 
The news has said that Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell are engaged to be married. Women were crying hysterically and breaking hearts could be heart world wide. Can you please discuss the charts of Sir Paul and his Lady Nancy? Thank you. Signed - #1 Macca Fan
"House systems".....  From: Melanie :D . (19 Jan 2010 13:15): 
To Marjorie or James or anyone else, I know this is a board reserved for the discussion of external events but I have a (albeit personal) question that maybe others have encountered when calculating their own natal charts and therefore will benefit too - here it is - using astrodienst to calculate my natal chart and having to choose which 'house system' to use (koch, placidus, campanus etc) this has an impact on not only the placement of planets in the 'houses' but also varies the house cusps - under 'koch' my 9th house is 27 Aries ruled by mars - or - under 'placidus' my 9th house is 2 taurus ruled by venus. Just one direct example of the muddle that occurs - which house system should be used, which is the most accurate (I see that Marjorie likes Koch) - there is a total of 14 on offer at 'astrodienst' - any guidance from the people in-the-know is hugely appreciated - Thanks in advance guys, from all of us in cyber-space who have wrestled with this problem...:)
Archetypes  From: Lost Cat. (19 Jan 2010 11:57): 
Richard Tarnas's COSMOS AND PSYCHE addresses extensively the topic of archetypes and astrology, particularly pages 61-138.
Archetypes  From: Marjorie. (19 Jan 2010 11:39): 
Hi, I've no idea. Presumably astronomers named the planets as they were discovered. Just have to put it down to syncronicity or being unconsciously guided to pick the right myth. Anyone who has staggered through a major Pluto transit knows just how Plutonic an experience that is. Ditto Uranus. I fear just another of the great unanswerable unknowables.
Afghanistan - North Nodes and destiny  From: Marjorie. (19 Jan 2010 11:36): 
Five hours of explosions from suicide bombers and gun battles engulfed Kabul, the Afghan capital, yesterday as the Pakistan-trained Taliban sought to pressure Hamid Karzai, the already lame President. He is struggling to fill Cabinet posts with the Parliament rejecting his selections for the second time.
The Afghan chart (19 Aug 1919, 12 am Kabul) has a Fixed T Square of Leo Sun opp Uranus (conj MC) square a 12th house Taurus Moon. Tr Neptune is wending a debilitating path round that T square at the moment till late 2011 by which time Neptune will be conjunct the Midheaven and heading into the 10th which tends to be directionless in the years thereafter.
At the moment the SArc Saturn is almost exactly conjunct the Afghan Scorpio NNode and the SArc NNode is coming up to conjunct Uranus within a year. So there is a sense of a moment of destiny being around. Not that it means it will be picked up and used. Saturn on the NNode is about taking responsibility, paying the price for past actions and being realistic. The Scorpio NNode is about letting the past go and starting from scratch. Uranus on the NNode is about freedom and again moving away from old ways and attitudes.
But with a corrupt, enfeebled government and interference from murderous fundamentalists on the one hand and Western occupiers on the other, there seems to be a grand impasse.
The one cheerful note comes from SArc Jupiter which will be trine the MC by 2011; and tr Pluto sextile the MC this year. So there are some albeit minor openings for improvements. But its going to be a very stop start process for years to come.
Karzai himself has tr Pluto conj and tr Saturn square his 2 degree Capricorn Sun this year with tr Pluto also trine Pluto - so he's being forced to change and loosen his control under enormous pressure. Again his SArc NNode is conj his Sun in coming months - so another major challenge landing on him to alter his ways. He'll have a downbeat 2011 (if he survives) with SArc Saturn conj his Venus; but may perk up in 2012 with SArc Pluto conj his Jupiter.
His most recent Government chart (19 Nov 2009) has the Saturn Pluto square moving to close over coming months to exact which suggest his deadlock will continue. His First Presidency chart (7 Dec 2004) which had a controlling Sun Pluto conjunction is also moving to close that conjunction by Solar Arc to exact by 2011 so another stalemate.
When in a hole stop digging - might be a motto to consider for those seeking to interfere in a country that has never been defeated.
The Archetypes of Planets  From: noah. (19 Jan 2010 11:32): 
Hello Marjorie, i know this is not directly related to todays news, but i have a question about how does the archetypal symbolism of a planet come to be accepted? i mean with regards to the name of a planet, its mythological stoy, and therefore its astrological_archetypal significance.
as an example, the people who decided chiron would be called chiron, presumably were not led by the astrology. i suppose i am confused about how the wounded healer myth of the name is then applied to practical astrology - what if it was caled something else?
ï am sorry if this doenst make much sense, or if this is the wrong place to discuss it.
thanks for all your hard work.
noah.
Dennis Hopper - creative and driven by demons  From: Marjorie. (19 Jan 2010 10:53): 
Another early iconic success who never quite regained his former glory is actor Dennis Hopper, oddly enough like Orson Welles a Sun Taurus. Born 17 May 1936 8.45pm Dodge City, KS, USA, he was in his mid thirties when his acted/directed Easy Rider shot him to fame in 1969. He then had a drug-fuelled (of elemental proportions) lost decade ending up with a breakdown in 1982. Since then he has had a varied and acclaimed though secondary career as an actor and painter/sculptor/photographer.
He has a hugely complex chart with a Mutable Grand Square of the creative though also marginally paranoid Saturn opp Neptune square a 1st house Jupiter in Sagittarius opp Mercury in Gemini - so high wired, overly scattered, going off like a windmill in a storm.
Saturn, Neptune and Pluto are all heavily aspected in his chart. His 8th house Pluto sits on the point of a mini-Grand Trine of Sun in Taurus conj Mars in Gemini trine Midheaven; Pluto also trines Saturn and squares his Aries Moon. That deeply buried Pluto would pull him down into his darkness, but also give him great persuasive power to pull others down with him. Now that I look he has a half Grand Sextile of MC sext Pluto sext Sun sext Saturn. Talent came easily to him but he probably didn't put much value on it. He's also got an especially strong 'mad genius' 7th Harmonic (septiles) and creative 5th Harmonic (quintiles).
Easy Rider came out as Jupiter was crossing his 10th house; but with Pluto approaching his Midheaven for a decade plus thereafter he'd be searching for a meaningful direction in life - which he clearly didn't find as his reputation was steadily eroded. In the 1980s when tr Pluto had cleared his 10th he started to pull himself together.
He is now dying of prostate cancer and is unbelievably divorcing his fifth wife - mainly as a way of limiting her payout from his will. Not an easy man to relate to - stubborn, controlling, driven by irrational possessiveness and an even deeper fear of being controlled.
Election in Massachusetts  From: Lost Cat (& Not Found Yet). (19 Jan 2010 00:52): 
Although I have 12 pages of printed material on the topic, I will try to be brief. If you look at the natal charts (TOB unknown in both instances) of Scott Brown and Martha Coakley, it is evident that Scott Brown is a stronger politucian. So far, the facts confirm it. Massachusetts was supposed to be a walkcake for the Democrats, and the most recents polls have Mr. Brown ahead. Moreover I would say that his natal chart indicates that if Mr. Brown wins the Sanatorial seat he will show enormous destructive capacity. I am nor saying it because he is a Republican - who happen to be people with enormous destructive capacity - but because of Mars, one of the rulers of the natal chart, is conjunct to Lunar NN in Brown's chart. The other ruler, Saturn, is in trine with Pluto. Moreoever, Pluto is conjunct with a fallen Venus in Mr. Brown;s Scorpio. I will not speculate on the matter but, if I had a daugther I would not be at ease knowing tht she is dating someone with Mr. Brown's natal planets. The trasnsit of Saturn conjunct Brown's natal Mars, which squares Pluto in his natal chart, is far from promising. Only if you like to be hit by a hammer this is promising. Literally it seems as the doors of hell may get opened (at least for liberals) with Mr. Brown's electoral victory. I live in Massachusetts, and I am at the left of liberals, so, by now you may guess how I may feel.

Now, I plotted Mr. Brown's and Ms. Coakley's natal planets on tomorrow's Boston's noon skies, I feel somewhat hopeful. Yet, Mr. Brown's natal Jupiter is on 7th house of the event's chart, a sign of victory. Assuming that the noon chart is the most representative astrological map for the election, the chart shows that Saturn in Libra is disposed by Venus in Aquarius. The Venus of the event's chart is on the chart MC (Venus 1º Aquarius 23', MC 00ºAquarius 55'). By all means the natal Saturn of tomorrow's electoral event is oriented by Venus. Although Ms. Coakley's natal chart has a partile Sun in Cancer square Neptune in Libra (nice guys, but not succesul
effective politicians), Ms. Coakley's natal Lunar NN (3º Aquarius 16') is a promising sign because a strong Venus could dominate an obnoxious Mars. But we hope, yet never know.
Orson Welles pt 2 9th harmonic  From: james. (18 Jan 2010 21:27): 
marjorie i noticed i was repeating you on a few things on welles chart, so apologies for that... i noticed the 9th harmonic chart is very focused and wonder if he was quite content to remain in his own world without having to deal with the pressure of being out in the world more... sort of the same idea as we have both suggested with the saturn/pluto rising, but perhaps reinforced strongly with the 9th harmonic? more speculation and that is about it...
Orson Welles speculation / house harmonic  From: james. (18 Jan 2010 20:55): 
as for his incredible success in his 20's with the lack of follow thru, i wonder how much of this has to do with the saturn transit? saturn/pluto close to the ascendant gives an intensely personal approach that is subjective and less focused on worldly success as i see it.. during his 20's saturn would have been rising up towards the midheaven in his chart indicating his success and sense of achievement but once he hit 30 the journey would have been an inner one for the next 14 odd years anyway... perhaps during this time he opted to stay true to his more secluded and private self while ignoring the worldly challenges offered or presented to him... there is a real clash in his chart with the saturn/pluto in the 1st on the one hand and the sun/uranus square on the other, with all these planets tied together in a pronounced opposition in the 4th harmonic chart... that is sun/uranus conj and being opposed by saturn/pluto conj... worldly success might not be all it is cracked up to be??? ............ .......... ................ ................ ..................... ..................... ................... .................... ................. ....just wanted to also mention that the 12 house idea as it relates to equal houses specifically is essentially a 12th harmonic off shoot... it gets murky when one combines the midheaven to arrive at more abstract house systems based on an integration of these 2 important angles and the harmonic element is basically lost unless the midheaven happens to be close to square the ascendant...
Love and War in bygone days  From: Marjorie. (18 Jan 2010 19:25): 
Sir Harry Smith, an English military commander and latterly Governor in Cape Colony, SAfrica - who fought in South America, the Peninsular War, South Africa and India becoming eventually a Lieutenant General, was born on 28 June 1787. At 25 when in Spain he was asked to protect a Spanish lady and her 14 year old sister. He promptly married the young sister a few days later. Juana Maria de los Dolores, born 27 March 1798, was straight out of a convent, but she remained with him throughout the rest of the war, accompanying the baggage train, sleeping in the open on the field of battle, riding freely among the troops. 'Her beauty, courage, sound judgment and amiable character endeared her to the officers and soldiers'.
He was a Sun Cancer widely square Neptune so patriotic (Cancer) and idealistic (Nep). He also had an Air Grand Trine of Venus Jupiter in Gemini trine Neptune trine Pluto - he was thoughtful, confident, seductively charming. He also had a rather ruthless Mars in Taurus square Pluto, no doubt useful in 19th Century battles.
His very young bride was a feisty Sun Aries on the point of a T square to a Mars in Capricorn opp Saturn in Cancer. So she was tough minded. With Jupiter also in upfront Aries. Her Venus in Pisces opposed Uranus designing her for adventures, and was trine Neptune sextile Mars so she'd also be a romantic. Her Uranus trined Mars sextile Neptune giving her courage and a liking for life in the fast lane. Plus a Water Grand Trine of Saturn trine Pluto trine Neptune so she'd be a healing presence for others in difficult circumstances though emotionally self protective.
Their composite chart has an adventurous and disruptive feel to it with a Uranus opp Pluto square Jupiter Sun Mercury. She accompanied him on all of his postings. They might not have survived well together as a bourgeois married couple in a more settled life style. But together they revelled in a constantly moving life with a good deal of excitement and change.
Georgette Heyer wrote their story in The Spanish Bride and Harry Smith's autobiog published after his death also tells the tale.
PS Titus. Now that I look it up I had an ancestor on my father's side, born 1782, who fought in the Peninsular War Toutes D'honore, including the battle whereafter Smith met his lady love. He was a lowly sergeant but still - a hint of reflected glory. He also had a (Sun) Mars opp Pluto probably a necessity in those days for fighting.
The enigma of Orson Welles  From: Marjorie. (18 Jan 2010 18:56): 
Orson Welles is reputed to have made the two best films ever in Citizen Kane and the Magnificent Ambersons in the early 1940s but he never regained that form and rather wandered for the rest of his life.
Born on 6 May 1915 at 7 am Kenosha, WI, US (astrotheme) he has a Saturn Pluto conj on his Gemini Ascendant so would be a rather forbidding, heavyweight, secretive personality to meet. He had an 11th house Sun Mercury in Taurus, with Mercury on the point of a mini-Grand Trine to Neptune in the 2nd trine Jupiter in Pisces in the 10th - so film-world Neptune much emphasised and he had an early ambition to go into music as well plus a lucky, talented Jupter in the 10th in Pisces.
His Mercury Sun also square Moon Uranus NNode in Aquarius in the 9th. So he was innovative, restless, stubborn, outspoken. He also had a passionately enthusiastic Venus Mars in Aries sextile Moon Uranus so wouldn't hold back when his interest was aroused, emotionally or at work. His Jupiter widely squared Saturn so he'd be scared of failure
His Saturn Pluto trined his MC and his Moon Uranus trined his Ascendant so he was powerfully driven to succeed and would be regarded as a definite maverick.
Quite why he peaked in his mid to late 20s and then never really regained his form - I'm not sure. When he made Citizen Kane his SArc Jupiter was conj his Mars and his Moon Uranus had moved to sextile his Sun over that early 1940s period. But then his SArc Saturn Pluto was on his Neptune which may have thrown him off track somewhat - but why he never got back in gear I'm struggling to see. His Saturn is trine his MC so he should have had the stamina. Though Hollywood success is a fickle beast at the best of times.
He didn't have the easiest start in life with his parents splitting when he was 4, mother dying when he was nine and his alcoholic father when he was 15. But often that gives people more grit rather than less.
His 7 Harmonic is strong which is the 'flash of inspiration' genius creative harmonic - with Sun opp MC square Uranus, plus Jup trine Uranus sextile Mercury, plus Mercury trine Mars Neptune sextile Uranus. His craftsman creative 5H also has a Jup opp Uranus square Sun Neptune. His strength of will 4H is very difficult with a Sun Uranus opp Saturn Pluto. My slight sense is that Saturn Pluto weighed him down. Plus perhaps an emphasised Jupiter Neptune - but frankly I've no idea.
Yushenko - Orange dreams to dust  From: Marjorie. (18 Jan 2010 18:05): 
Viktor Yushenko (23 Feb 1954) who was swept into the Ukraine Presidency by the Orange Revolution, though suffered dioxin poisoning along the way, is out of the Electoral race altogether as his popularity has sunk like a stone in the past five years.
When he came to power in 2004 tr Uranus was conj his Pisces Sun which is perhaps a hint that what came suddenly would disappear just as quickly. He also then had SArc Jupiter trine his Mars and tr Jupiter trine his SArc Mars - so a double boost of Mars and Jupiter. At the moment he has tr Pluto sextile his Sun which might seem OK, though it is also conj his SArc Saturn which is not good news for winning. Plus his SArc Pluto is square his Uranus now - with his Uranus natally opp NNode square Neptune it is a key part of his chart. So major upheavals, perhaps because of his overly Neptunian pie-in-the-sky approach to life.
Prince William in AU and NZ  From: Marjorie. (18 Jan 2010 17:56): 
Prince William will probably find New Zealand more to his liking that Australia. Relocating his chart to Au gives him an impatient Mars Saturn in the 4th so not settled. Plus an under-loved Venus in 12th; though he'll cover it over well with a sociably outgoing Jupiter Pluto in the 5th. His relationship chart with Au is also rather wobbly as well as stuck - so grin and bear it time.
Relocated to New Zealand it puts his New Moon in Cancer exactly on the NZ Asc so he's quite a draw; with a friendly Venus in 11th - plus some muddles with Mars Saturn in 3rd and he does have his Pluto on the IC in NZ which can be tense and rather challenging. His relationship chart with NZ has Venus on the IC so more at home though also Saturn Pluto in the 8th so at an underlying level very stuck.
He's quite touchy feely which may not sit well in either Capricorn country, especially Au.
Prince Charles had his adventurous Mars Jupiter line thro Au so it brought out a livelier side of him.
William does have tr Neptune square his Venus on the point of that Yod to a Neptune sextile Pluto - so something is trying to shift into gear, though whether tr Neptune is quite the planet to do it I'd doubt. It may wait till his SArc Pluto opposes that Venus by 2014/15 for it to get onto the right track.
He does have two or three good tr Jupiter to midpoints so he'll probably pull it off well enough to earn a few plaudits.
Shakespeare birth data  From: james. (18 Jan 2010 17:17): 
hi meredith... thanks for that tidbit! i haven't followed any of those details so this is all new to me.. this date that you point out is interesting in that it highlights a very strong uranus as focal planet.. it is at 0 degrees libra as well.. if one could consider 0 degree cardinal signs as the angles for the world, a planet at this particular spot could be viewed in a larger context to imply a more central role in the unfoldment of the worlds consciousness, in this case with an uranian flavour which i think would seem to fit with shakespeare... i have always thought the combo of saturn/neptune is a real artistic combo of planets together and having the sun on this same combo would emphasize this as well....sun/neptune conj - strong imagination... saturn in solar 10th - a strong sense of purpose and desire for achievement thru goal setting... thanks for this...
houses verses cycles  From: james. (18 Jan 2010 17:07): 
i think it's necessary to create structure to gain understanding.. a few things stick out to me on houses.. i have mentioned solar houses seem to hold meaning.. this is another manner of creating structure but off the sun as opposed to the more nebulous (when birth times are uncertain) ascendant (equal houses) or ascendant/midheaven (placidus, etc)... to me whether one uses 2, 4, 8 or 12 houses it's all relative to the major dissections of asc/desc on the one hand and midheaven/nadar on the other... one can just as easily do this off the sun to gain a better understanding of the relationships between the sun and other planets/points in a birth chart... how much of this is about cycles and phases? is our view on houses too static? can we see that houses are a part of different cycles going on based off the ascendant, or both angles and that we can just as easily get information using this cycle framework off any particular planet or point in the chart? i suppose it is a hierarchy where emphasis is put on the angles over all else, but these other cycles are going on at the same time as well.....................lets go back to stoppard and his mars in scorpio... that would be a solar 5th house placement, emphasizing a 5th house dynamic as far as his cancer sun and planets are concerned... i think these relationships and ways of seeing cycles are valuable and think that it helps astrology to emphasize the cyclic nature over the static structures arrived at in various ways.... perhaps this view is static too!!! it depends on what does with ones view.. back to examining ones own ideology!!!! if i could say one last thing - perhaps if we hold to the idea of houses we can keep in mind the larger picture that houses are but a part of these cycles that form the basis for houses.. losing sight of this lets astrologers get bogged down in different ideas on houses systems.. there are so many ways to look at something! i have a tendency to push in a certain direction and apologize if any of this is viewed as an unfriendly challenge to the use of houses.. i do think they are helpful if one understands how they have come into use and what the basis is for them..
Houses and a constructed life  From: Marjorie. (18 Jan 2010 12:08): 
House positions make a good deal of sense to me. I know, I know - there are myriad different systems none of which bear looking into in great deal as to why they are calculated as they are. And there are problems about cuspal planets. But I still think they give useful, indeed vital info.
I'd be an entirely different person if all my present 12th house planets were in the 5th or in the 10th for instance. As indeed would any of us. Outer planet transits through the houses also work well in my experience.
The key thing about working astrology is to see what works - ie. gives useful information that matches a life.
I used to be obsessed with cracking the great unified theory of why astrology dances to the tune of the universe (or the other way round). But the older I get the more I accept that we don't know most of the reasons why of anything much. All we can do is refine our understanding of what is practically useful.
I suppose if pushed I'd say the 'boxes' of house systems are a little like mental constructs which we have to put in place to impose some order on the chaos/profusion of life. Yes they are artificial. But so is our essential mindset. In order to cope we instinctively impose an artificial/self-constructed order, which means putting limits in place.
This is way beyond astrology but anyone looking for broader reading on consciousness and how man copes with the complexities of life having stepped away from an exclusively biological way of living - two thoughts. Ernest Becker: The Denial of Death. ' Man lives by lying to himself about himself and about his world. The individual has to protect himself against the world, and
he can do this only - by narrowing down the world, shutting off experience - We don't want to admit that we are fundamentally dishonest about reality, that we do not really control our own lives." The other is Julian Jaynes book on The Bicameral Mind.
2 questions  From: Elaine. (18 Jan 2010 11:57): 
Hi Marjorie, New Zealand and Australia are currently in the grips of Prince William mania - looking at his personal chart how do you think he responds/feels about these two countries? (Aust = 1 January 1901, 1.25 pm GST, Melbourne. + NZ = 17 January 1853, probably at 00:00 hrs)
Also, would love to read what insights you can offer about the late actor/director Orson Welles = 6 May 1915 at 07:00 AM Kenosha WI, USA. A thousand thank yous in advance Marjorie....love your work.
Venus Mars - Beckett 1906  From: Marjorie. (18 Jan 2010 11:38): 
Oops, apologies. I mis-typed Samuel Beckett's birth year. Is 1906 not 1905 which gives Mars and Venus in Taurus - too wide to be a conjunction really.
What Stoppard's Mars opp Venus made me think of - apart from passionate enthusiasm - was a degree of carelessness about the other in a relationship. His first wife evidently said she knew if she dropped dead in some ways it wouldn't really impinge on him since his writing was the most important thing in his life. That may just be spurned wife gripe but there's a mite of truth in it.
Sorry I should have picked this up earlier since I read your post James and thought I didn't remember Beckett with Mars in Scorp. But only just got round to checking.
Playwrights/Shakespeare/Addey  From: Meredith. (18 Jan 2010 11:20): 
James,Maggy,Marjorie: It may interest you to know that John was a most fervent advocater of William Shakespeare being a pseudonym for Edward de Vere (Earl of Oxford). De Vere's chart carries several hard aspects conspicuously absent in the Stratford man's likely chart, e.g: Venus square Mars; Sun conjunct Neptune square Saturn.
Birth data: 12 April 1550, Castle Hedingham (Earls Colne, Essex) - JULIAN calendar. (my favoured birth time would be soon after 4pm giving the early degrees of Libra rising, with Moon conjunct Mars - in square to a ruling 9th house Venus in Gemini)
Number, harmonics, etc  From: Maggy van Krimpen. (18 Jan 2010 08:46): 
James, thanks for the Mars/CVenus thing in writers charts - the conflict of opposites, symbolising creative power. It shows passion doesn't it? and those writers REALISE that in atually produing such art. It is always the hard aspects which produce something....even Ptolemy with his huge view of the universe and four books on astrology (Tetrabiblios) did not believe astrology to be a reliable science. Hwas looking for (like Marjorie) what works and explored every possible thing, openly, and noting his observations. He treated astrology practically, as another tool, not the answer to anything, but as part of the puzzle. I like that - I remember beign very smug learning it thinking I had so many answers other people didn't - haha!!! I BELIEVE HE WAS THE FIRST TO MAKE THE ASCENDANT (THE STARTING TIME OF SOMETHING) RISE ABOVE THE EASTERN HORIZON, TRYING TO GET SOME LOGIC INTO THE SUBJECT, BLESS HIM.....HOW did THEY DO THAT IN THE 2ND CENTURY bc, AND HOW DID HE CART ALL THE STAR MOVEMENTS and have his description of the universe accepted for 1,000 years until Copernicus came along? It is all number, maths and ever since that time astrologers have given extra weight to exact aspects, esp the hard ones (i.e. Merc/Saturn square in Stoppard's chart) - an exact anything will be a dominant theme in a person's life, a notable observation for others and something the person himself feels defines him - it is more intrinsic and has-to-be-dealt with than a looser aspect. You'll know from personal experience the same applies to transits, progressions - an applyign one is more powerful than a separating one and amazingly, the aspect does take on the nature of the planet. That is, e.g. an applying Mars to a planet will often happen slightly BEFORE exact (the nature of Mars being hasty and get on with it) whereas a Saturn transit often happens AFTER the technical exactitude of the aspect......
I am ashamed to say I haven't done anything concerned with harmonics since learning all about it for exams 20 odd years ago but I am going to remedy that!!!
books being recommended  From: james. (18 Jan 2010 08:26): 
thanks for the ideas on books on numbers marjorie and xtina...i am bogged down with reading material at this moment and have a few biographies lining up that i want to read as well... not enough time in the day and i am finding my work load is getting bigger - a saturn transit no doubt!
hamblins views and etc..  From: james. (18 Jan 2010 08:20): 
i think hamblin articulated some very salient observations on astrology in the harmonics book, specifically that astrology has many tools some of which appear to directly conflict with one another... as a consequence i think he felt it necessary to consider astrology in a religious context partly as a way to deflect it from being bogged down in some scientific straight jacket and also as a way of considering that all these different techniques in astrology can't all operate side by side with one another as some appear to rule the others out...the example he used in the harmonic book was the french couples work where planets in cadent houses take on a completely different meaning then they have in traditional astrology circles... the 2 don't co-exist with any real ease and comfort... either an astrologer feels directly challenged to reconsider some of what they thought was valid, or they continue on oblivious to new discoveries that cast a different light, or completely negate previous astro ideology... perhaps the only conclusion hamblin could come to and also a way of diverting the issue of 'scientific proof' or bs box was for him to express the idea that astrology sort of works under the category of 'religion' as a certain part of it clearly is 'faith' based.. i would have to say i agree with this view.... personally i am not looking for scientific proof of astrology as my own experience is enough, but i think to move astrology forward it is important to question what does and doesn't work and just why something does work.... a desire for truth would seem to be a minimum requirement for anyone interested in being involved with astrology on a serious level.......................... .................................................. .................................................. .......................................has anyone taken john addeys work, or this work of hamblins and gone to a deeper level of study with any of it? house position seems to me to be the most murky of areas and yet it is an area that is used regularly to explain the 'why' or 'what for' for many astrologers... i am much more comfortable with planetary aspects in so far as it is an extension of the 'cycles' idea mentioned the other day... all planets have some type of relationship with one another and it is captured in an undisputed way via the geometric relationship between those planets... planetary pictures involving more then 2 are even better... the 'boxes' approach seems suspect and as mentioned previously, my least favourite way of using what i know of astrology to gain some unique and worthwhile perceptive using astrology.. old ways of seeing need to be challenged with newer ideas.. the french couples work appears to have done just that, but it seems to have fallen off a cliff too, as i don't see anyone carrying on these areas of exploration in such concrete terms... where are the addeys, hamblins, and gauguelins of today? astrology needs to continue to produce leaders to continue to grow and expand the understanding of astrologers...
Numbers, waving  From: xtina. (17 Jan 2010 22:50): 
Thanks for that, James, I'm following the trail now. May I recommend a wonderful book on numbers by the Harvard professor Annemarie Schimmel. It's called the mystery of numbers (I think) and it's a scholarly overview of the esoteric meanings of numbers. She was an expert on Islam, especially Sufism
Massachusetts race - vital for Obama  From: Marjorie. (17 Jan 2010 19:47): 
Scott Brown, the Republican candidate, in the forthcoming Massachusetts seat left vacant by Teddy Kennedy's death was born 12 Sept 1959 so is a Virgo Sun, Mercury, Pluto, Venus. He does have Mars NNode at 4 Libra square Saturn at 0 Capricorn. Both tr Saturn opp Mars NNode and tr Pluto square don't sound like a recipe for success. Quite the opposite. He does have a couple of handy Jupiter transits to Jupiter midpoints which are good over the Election but I couldn't imagine they'd outweigh the megaton Pluto Mars.
His opponent Martha Coakley ( 14 July 1953) needs to win for Obama's sake since the loss of this seat would be an ego-dent of major proportions and probably disrupt the Health Care bill's already bumpy passage. She's a Sun, Mars, Uranus in Cancer square Saturn Neptune in Libra with Jupiter in Gemini trine her Saturn Neptune, sextile Pluto - so she's luckier than Brown and more amiable. She's got her SArc Saturn and SArc Neptune opposing her Jupiter which I'd hesitate to put an interpretation on - could be added responsibilities, could be a setback after overly high hopes. She does have tr Pluto opp Sun/Jupiter right now which again suggests great confidence and she's also got SArc Mars coming to square her Jupiter soon which is also good news. But its just as well this race wasn't run late Feb to May 10 when she'd probably have lost with tr Pluto trine Mars/Saturn and Mars/Neptune.
Ukraine - Orange lost its sheen  From: Marjorie. (17 Jan 2010 19:36): 
Five years on from the Orange Revolution, Ukraine is back at the polls in an entirely different mood with the euphoric 'change' of 2005 having turned to ashes with grandiose promises unfulfilled.
The two leading contenders are the present lady Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko (27 Nov 1960)and Viktor Yanukovych (9 Jul 1950) who was rejected last time round as too pro-Moscow but is now coming back into favour as a viable prospect.
There are no birth times so as per usual this has question marks over it. Tymoshenko has her SArc Mars conj her Pluto which is usually a dead halt with some rather droopy Neptune transits to her natal Uranus and SArc Jupiter. She does have one upbeat SArc Mercury conj her Jupiter which may help to lift her glooms but the immediate few months look insecure, impatient and rather discouraging.
Yanukovych has tr Pluto trine his SArc Jupiter which is definitely good news plus a tr Uranus square Mars/Jupiter over the result which is also upbeat. But if he does win he'll have moments when he wished he hadn't with a risky, bad tempered tr Uranus opp his Mars/Saturn through the spring and beyond. Plus a failure tr Neptune opp Sun/Mars at the same time. His life is definitely in a state of upheaval this year with tr Pluto trine his SArc Uranus and tr Pluto opposing his natal Uranus. If anything 2011 and 12 look really panicky times for him.
On the 1918 Ukraine chart ( 22 Jan 1918, 9.54 am GMT, Kharkov) the Orange Revolution happened as the SArc Pluto moved to trine the Aquarius Sun but with SArc Pluto conj ars two years later it was never going to be smooth progress into prosperity. With a Cardinal T square of Pluto opp Mercury square Mars at 3/7/2 degrees in the 2nd, 8th, 5th houses - money will be a major problem over the next four years; with a real downer in 2012 as SArc Sun squares Neptune.
The Ukraine 1991 chart (24 Aug 1991 2.31pm GMT, Kiev) is equally showing difficulties in the time ahead with tr Uranus in an insecure opposition to Mars this year; along with undermining tr Neptune opp Jupiter, Mercury, Venus this year and 2012 is also flagged up as a Neptunian year which is generally not good news.
Astrology and Numbers  From: Thomas. (17 Jan 2010 17:20): 
Think you're right about the science not being up to speed with the astrology rather than the other way around. This is certainly true of mathematics: many developments in mathematics have been delayed or, if developed, ridiculed until the scientific understanding of their value came up to speed. Non-euclidean geometry comes to mind as just one example of this.

Just a thought though: just as the planets revolve around the sun, they also exert a gravitational pull on the sun itself, much as the moon influences the tides on earth. Maybe resulting solar winds and flares influence our experience here. I have heard, for example, that the last time the sun was this "quiet" was in the years leading up to WWI. If we are indeed heading to a major global conflict right now, the parallels are interesting. I suppose that, like the Deists, I view our cosmos as something of a wind-up toy.
Trouble And Strife  From: Titus. (17 Jan 2010 16:32): 
I’ve just read a remarkable story about Captain Harry Smith of the 95th and his remarkable wife, Juana María de los Dolores de León. They first met at the bloody siege of the fortress city of Badajoz, Spain in 1812, during the Peninsular Campaign of the Napoleonic Wars. As a keen student of military history I had made a special pilgrimage to that city in 2001. The breached and ruined city walls and cratered revetments pay mute testament to the horror of the events that had taken place there. Once British troops finally breached the walls and broke into the city all hell broke loose. The Duke of Wellington and his staff had lost control of their army as redcoats ran amok: I could go on, but the purpose of this enquiry is to get astrological profiles of both Harry and Juana. They appear to have had a long and very happy marriage. A partnership that became almost legendary. The more I read about Harry’s career and achievements the more I wonder why a film has never been made about him; or for that matter - a film about Juana. If they had been American I’m sure Hollywood would have picked up this tale, decades ago. I can just imagine it in my mind’s eye. “RKO Radio Pictures proudly present James Stewart as Lieutenant Harry Smith, and also starring Joan Crawford as Juanita de Leónâ€. Alas, in modern Britain our authentic hero’s have been replaced in British eyes at least by “Reality TV†and the cult of celebrity. The Pete and Jordan saga would almost certainly attract more public attention. Sad!
From: sue. (17 Jan 2010 12:30): 
Marjorie: just as a follow up to my just posted question regarding the MA senate race, Scott Brown, the Republican candidate has Mars and North Node at 4 Libra. thanks
From: suie. (17 Jan 2010 12:26): 
Marjorie: any thoughts on the Massachusetts Senate race on Tuesday? thanks
Astrology and Numbers - into the unknown  From: Marjorie. (17 Jan 2010 10:59): 
Hmm this is not an easy area to put it mildly. When I was learning astrology I firmly put the WHY question to one side and focussed on what works and what doesn't. I've never believed the planets necessarily exerted an influence, apart from the Moon - though they may do. Robert Hand said to me years ago that a planet-less astrology is perfectly possible - more boring admittedly. But it all comes back to the numbers which is the Pythagorean view. And the planetary movements give us the base numbers to work with.
I don't agree with Hamblin's later paper on Astrology as Religion. For me it's not a matter of belief. If it didn't work (however imperfectly or perhaps just not well enough understood) I wouldn't do it. He sounded worn out at that point with trying to fit astrology into an acceptable science model. I just think it's the science model that is flawed.

Present day science can't cope with the complexity of a universe which works simultaneously at - 1. An Implicate level of possibilities and an Explicate level of kick-it reality; 2. An irrational/unconscious level which is by definition 'unknowable' to the conscious mind and conscious reality; 3. Sub-atomic which is unmeasureable and Table surface which is; 4. Left Brain and Right Brain operating at the same time.
Koehler: "Each science has a sort of attic into which things are almost automatically pushed that cannot be used at the moment, that do not quite fit -- We are constantly putting aside, unused, a wealth of valuable material [which leads to} blocking of scientific progress."
Oliver Sacks: "A discovery is premature if its implications cannot be connected by a series of simple logical steps to canonical, or generally accepted knowledge."

We don't have a scientific view of the universe at present into which astrology fits, except perhaps implied in some of Theoretical Physics (which I don't understand).

What has always seemed to me fascinating about astrology is that different astrologers working with different techniques will arrive at valid conclusions, sometimes the same, sometimes just illuminating a different facet of reality. The same is true of mathematics - there are often several routes to the same conclusion. I hesitate to use the description 'magical' to numbers but mathematicians who pursued studies into the nature of numbers did eventually hit a wall of the 'unknowable'.

Marie Louis von Franz , the Jungian, wrote a small book on Numbers which is worth reading if you're interested. Some points:
'Number is a psychophysical energy pattern'. It has both qualitative and quantitative aspects.
' For this reason Jung suggested coining the term "synchronicity," so that certain aspects of reality which are not included in the causal description of nature can be interpreted as synchronistic events without the necessity of regressing into an archaic form of magical-causal thinking. Similarly it seems to me desirable to introduce a new qualitative concept of number to complement our hitherto prevailing quantitative number concept without falling back into magical-numerological speculations on this account."

Syncronicity has become a bit of an over-worked cliche and doesn't actually explain anything - except that it illuminates the complexity of a universe which can't all be explained in terms of present-day scientific studies.
Odd other thoughts tucked away on this site: http://www.astroinform.com/index2f.asp?page=forum_articles.asp
Mariah Carey - more Precious  From: Marjorie. (17 Jan 2010 09:54): 
Mariah Carey, the pop diva, is also in the movie Precious, stripped of her usual glitz playing a dowdy social worker. And from all reports she's a a great success in the role.
There's a good background piece in today's Guardian (URL below) which puts some background onto her life.
Born on 27 March 1970 at 11.45am (astrotheme) in Long Island, New York she's a fiery Sun Mercury in Aries with her Sun in a rebellious exact opposition to Uranus; the Sun also trines a vague, more sensitive Moon Neptune in Sagittarius in her 5th house of entertainment. She has a 4th house Jupiter in Scorpio opposition Saturn in Taurus, which is conj Mars in Taurus - so determined, stubborn, ambitious, a hard worker, used to hardship and scared of failure. She had the usual disrupted childhood with her parents' splitting, signalled by Uranus in her 4th with Pluto conj the IC from the 3rd.
It's a see-saw chart so she'll be constantly wobbling from extreme to extreme trying to find a middle point of balance especially in relationships which she both wants and pushes away.
At the moment tr Pluto is about to sextile her Jupiter indicating success, confidence, more cash with her SArc Pluto conj her Jupiter this year as well which will do the same. She will find some difficulties when tr Saturn squares her Sun and Uranus after mid 2010. Her life will change profoundly through 2011/12/13 with tr Pluto and tr Uranus both hard aspecting her natal Sun opp Uranus.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jan/17/new-year-new-cool-mariah-carey
astrokazam for xtina   From: james. (17 Jan 2010 07:02): 
best to read lots and ask a lot of questions!!! keeping an open mind is the top top trait to have! best answer to your question is to read the book, but i will give you a few quick ideas to ponder.. boxes - houses, or signs where everything is held within the lines (my own least favorite approach to astrology)..... waves - peaks and valleys coming off different vibrations, numbers being central to this.. here's an example - 12 - 12 different signs or houses (could just as easily be 4, 8, 2, 3 etc) where the (30 degree) line is the peak of the wave and the area between the valley (a more favourite approach personally.) ................................... cycles - new moon, first quarter, full moon, last quarter( the number 4 being imposed here) where something starts and ends and has different stages along the way.. this is another favourite approach for viewing astrodata for me.... spirals would be an extension of this idea where one doesn't necessarily come back to the beginning but gets on a different, but new starting point... i like this idea too, but doesn't get discussed much in astrology... read the book if you want to familiarize yourself with hamblins ideas on harmonic charts.. i think its a very good book on this specific topic...
astrokazam  From: xtina. (16 Jan 2010 23:00): 
"boxes", "waves" and "cycles" !!!??? Can you expand. I am agog. Or should I just get the book? I agree about close aspects - especially when you're looking for a way in to a very integrated chart.
hamblin quote on close aspects  From: james. (16 Jan 2010 22:42): 
..."the one point which has most impressed me is that close aspects are extremely strong." page 302 in the book... i have a theory which i have called 'the closest aspect' theory that is based on the idea that the most exact aspect in a chart is a defining one... i was happy to note hamblin seems to support this idea in research he has done into astrology and thought i would mention this theory of mine again...
Astrology as religion - article by hamblin  From: james. (16 Jan 2010 20:08): 
http://www.rudolfhsmit.nl/p-reli2.htm
re: Thor''''s Dramatists / john addey  From: james. (16 Jan 2010 19:59): 
thanks for the data and look at these people marjorie... i notice how samuel beckett also has mars in scorpio opposite venus in taurus like stoppard... all the others have a mars/venus in hard aspect as well(david hare has a conjunction with them in taurus) which is interesting.......................... ......................... ................................................. ........................................ john addey died quite a while ago and i am wondering if anyone has gone further with the work he was involved in... if anyone knows i would be interested, thanks... the final chapters in david hamblins book - harmonic charts are quite good... in them he raises some very good questions that need answers on an individual and broader basis in the field of astrology... he discusses the concepts of "boxes", "waves" and "cycles" which are topics anyone interested in understanding astrology must take a closer look at...
Bigamists  From: Suzy. (16 Jan 2010 17:18): 
Thank you so much Marjorie and xtina for the information on bigamy in birth charts.

I do think it makes sense about there being an emphasis on dual signs and Libra as the person's chart I've been looking at (not a celebrity) has 4 planets - including the Sun - all conjunct each other in Sagittarius. They are squared by Mars and in opposition to Pluto. The Moon is in Libra.

Thank you again.
Wyclef Jean - Capricorn NNode  From: Marjorie. (16 Jan 2010 14:01): 
Wyclef Jean, the US-Haitian singer/record producer who is leading an appeal for the earthquake victims was born on 17 Oct 1972. He has a Sun Uranus in Libra conjunction square a NNode in Capricorn - which the SEclipse was aspecting - and opposing his SArc Saturn. So not an influence he was going to miss feeling the effects of. His SArc Neptune is also exactly square his natal Mars (conj Pluto) at the moment which is panicky and undermining. He's been involved for some years in helping Haitian children with educational scholarships.
Kenneth Branagh - pluses and minuses ahead  From: Marjorie. (16 Jan 2010 11:52): 
10 Dec 1960 4.50 pm Belfast, NIreland.

SEPT 2008 POSTING: An enthusiastic, and exceptionally hard working Sagittarius (Sun in 6th house) he doesn't on the face of it have a hugely high profile chart. Though on closer examination (with the benefit of hindsight!) he has a Jupiter Saturn conjunction in Capricorn which is exceptionally well aspected. Jup Sat does occasionally move people onto iconic status - and certainly indicates a personality for whom ideals have as much importance as material gain. He needs to do what gives him meaning as well as earning an income. Interestingly Jupiter comes before Saturn by degree so he'll get his good luck first and the setbacks come later. And his career did get off to a rousing start and he then retreated into a less obviously successful time. His 7th house Saturn Jupiter trine a 4th house Moon, Pluto, North Node in Virgo and sextile onto a 5th house Neptune. The 5th house is very much the chart area of the entertainment business and Neptune rules both creativity and the movies - and that is where the focus of all that Jup Saturn and Pluto, Moon, NNode energy is funnelled.

He had an unsettled childhood in Belfast, moving to England when he was 9 to escape the Irish troubles then starting up in Belfast. This is well reflected in his Uranus in the 4th (= a disrupted home life) and Pluto in the 4th (= fear) as well as the Moon in the 4th (= affection for his roots). The North Node there suggests that sliding back into ambitions is easier for him than finding a contented family life as an adult. His awkward and tumultuous 4th house planets might have caused more problems for him but since they are all well aspected - Uranus trines his Sun giving him an innovative streak and the ability to think out of the box; and the others focus very much on his creativity - so he is obviously to use the distractions and fears of a disrupted childhood to good end.
He's also got a 1st house Mars opp Saturn which is disciplined though quite hard-edged, and accepting of hardship.

When he was the media darling and focus of clearly unwanted public attention, married to actress Emma Thompson, the triple conjunction of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune was moving through his 7th house crossing Jupiter and Saturn so it was always going to be a hugely difficult time relationship-wise. He was at his height with Saturn crossing his midheaven in 1994 when his acting/directed Mary Shelley's Frankenstein came out just after his film Much Ado about Nothing. Award nominations and wins followed. He is now coming out of a brief lower profile time starting in 2003 as Saturn crossed his Ascendant, when he remarried. With Saturn now into his 4th he is obviously gearing up for a new cycle of energetic and successful work for years and years ahead.

Jan 2010: Where he's at now with Saturn into his 2nd quadrant still moving through his very large 4th house will push him out to do more with a great deal ahead of him on that Saturn career cycle, not hitting his next peak till the 2020s. Tr Pluto is also trine his Jupiter come 2012/13 which is successful, confident and encouraging. But he does have a few setbacks as well in the next couple of years which may in part be family related. His difficult natal Mars opp Saturn has moved by Solar Arc to hit his 4th house Pluto in late 10/11 and his SArc Uranus also crashes into his natal Saturn opp Mars thro' 10/11/12. So it will be unsettling. Tr Neptune is now across his Midheaven moving through his 10th for many years to come so doing what he enjoys will work better for him than being too ambitious. Tr Jupiter is there until 2011 so there'll also be successes along the way. Tr Pluto is now into his 7th house so he'll be more intense in what he does as an actor though it could cause strains in close relationships.
Thor''s Dramatists  From: Marjorie. (16 Jan 2010 10:38): 
I was looking thro' a few other playwrights' charts to see how Mercury and Air figured and guess what? Two of them have Thor's Hammer configs.
Arthur Miller (17 Oct 1915, 5.12 am New York) has a Mercury in Scorpio square Mars sesquiquadrate Jupiter in Pisces. And Sam Shepard (5 Nov 1943, 3.45pm Fort Sheridan, IL, US) has Sun Mercury in Scorpio square Pluto sesquiqu a Pisces Ascendant.

Of the four I looked at briefly - three have Mercury in Water signs. The only one who didn't - Samuel Beckett (13 Apr 1906 8.14pm Dublin, Ireland) - had Mercury in Aries but square Neptune and square Uranus. David Hare (5 June 1947, UK) has Mercury in Cancer square Neptune.

Miller has a visibly well aspected Mercury which is square Neptune Mars, trine Pluto widely square Uranus. Beckett's also squares Nep, Ur and sextiles Jupiter, semi-sextile Venus and Saturn.
No great conclusions except that Water signs and Neptune figure obviously.
Rush Limbaugh - testing the limits of bad taste  From: Marjorie. (16 Jan 2010 10:15): 
The appalling Rush Limbaugh, another of the US's rabidly right wing shock jocks, has managed to hit a new low by suggesting people don't donate to the Haiti earthquake fund and turning it into a race issue which favours Obama.
Yesterday's Solar Eclipse was conjunct his 12th house Capricorn Sun so undoubtedly a time when he'd reached a fork in the road (SE conj Sun) and a time of stirring up anxieties and fears (SEcl in 12th). It's too much to hope he might topple off the cliff though he does have his SArc Pluto conj his Neptune in 10/11 which can be devastating; with tr Saturn square his 6th house Uranus which could be a job change. But regrettably he's also got tr Pluto sextile his Jupiter in 11/12 and trine his SArc Jupiter at the same time which are generally upbeat.
However even he does seem to have hit a new low and there's now pressure to campaign the company which owns the radio station which gives him a platform. See :
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/jan/15/rush-limbaugh-haiti-earthquake
12 Jan 1951, 7.50 am Cape Girardeau, MO, US.
Maybe good news on Fox front  From: Marjorie. (16 Jan 2010 09:50): 
Interesting conjecture in today's papers that the bullish Roger Ailes, CEO of Fox News, may be losing Murdoch's support. (See posting below Jan 12). Murdoch evidently doesn't like attention-grabbers - only one star in his firmament. And it's telling that son-in-law Matthew Freud spoke out publicly against Fox's rabid output. The standard exit for Murdoch out-of-favour lieutenants is a year or so of cold shouldering.
This would certainly fit not just with Ailes' chart but also the Ail/Murdoch composite relationship chart. This latter shows tr Pluto trine Uranus at the moment and thro' 2010 which is upheaval; plus tr Uranus trine Pluto from late this month for a few weeks which is more of the same. Then tr Saturn is in an impatient square to the comp Mars later in 2010 and opposes the comp Mercury, Venus, Sun into 2011 which are definitely separating influences. Tho' Murdoch himself is not doing that well from mid 2010 onwards as tr Saturn opposes his Uranus, squares his Jupiter Pluto etc.

From Jan 12 2010: Ailes is not feeling as upbeat as his image sounds with tr Neptune square his Sun at the moment and tr Uranus (and tr Saturn) moving to square his Mars soon; with tr Uranus returning to do so in 2011. 2011 looks a tough slog year for him with a huge upheaval in 2012.
Fox News itself (7 Oct 1996) - a fiery Libra Sun sextile Mars in flashy Leo, square a money-oriented Jupiter in Capricorn - is also not having as easy a ride ahead is one might think. 2011 looks real tough going with SArc Pluto trine Mars and a highly insecure SArc Uranus opp Mars in 2012.
Quadriform  From: james. (16 Jan 2010 09:46): 
This is an aspect configuration is known by several different names: Quadriform, Arrowhead, Thor's Hammer or God's Fist. It consists of two planets in square aspect (90 degrees) and both in an octile or sesqui-quadrate aspect (135 degrees) to a third planet. The energy of this aspect pattern is a little like a T-square, since it has stressful, dynamic energy. However, the octile aspects (based on dividing the circle into 8 pieces) tend to be a little more complex than the square or opposition (based on dividing the circle into 4 pieces). Some astrologers see the energy originating in the tension of the two square planets, which finds an outlet through the third (apex) planet. This means the apex planet must find a creative way to resolve the conflict of the square, or else it could vent that tension destructively. This perspective reflects the image of an Arrowhead. Other astrologers see the energy flow originating in the apex planet, which then must find a way to wield the power and dynamic stress of the square planets. It's a little like holding a live grenade - what do you do with it?? You need to find a way to use it constructively and creatively, or the energy can become destructive. This image is like a Hammerhead or God's Fist. By cultivating support for the energy of the apex planet, it is possible to give it strength to work constructively and creatively with the square planets. Pronounced: QUAD-rih-form. See also: Aspect configuration, T-square, aspect, square, octile. http://www.evolvingdoor.ca/glossary/glossary_pq.php
stoppard additional comments   From: james. (16 Jan 2010 09:40): 
marjorie thanks for the additional thoughts on the astro to stoppards day chart... mars in scorpio doesn't strike me as indicating a sharp comic wit either, but one searches for astro explanations when none appear, which is especially the case when no specific birth time is available... there are many areas of astro which are overlooked... another one that crossed my mind while away for the day was declinations... planets in parallel or contra-parallel are one such example of an area largely overlooked by astrologers today... the parallels with stoppards sun/mercury/pluto all in the 23 degree north declination area bring these planets together...i don't think this technique is all that popular today but it might explain another facet of stoppards character.......................... ......................... ................................................. ................................................. ................................quinn, thanks for mentioning the thors hammer name for this configuration...i had heard that before, but like marjories name for it better, lol... i do have one of these things in my chart, which would partly explain why i pick up on them more quickly... my impression of the word hammer is that it is a tool that can be used in a constructive or destructive manner.. the choice is up to the individual on some level... at least that is my hope!!! thanks for pointing this and the data on the new moon out...
From: Frances. (16 Jan 2010 08:21): 
Hi Marjorie : Kenneth Branagh (D.O.B. 10 Dec 1960, Belfast, N.I.) Haven't got time of birth. Can you please look into his chart. At present appearing in "Wallander"
on BBC1. This forum is getting more intriguing day by day.
Appreciation to all contributors for the various insights.
yods again  From: quinn. (15 Jan 2010 20:52): 
hi James and Marjorie,I was going through posts from the last couple of days and noticed a discussion about the "yod" that had the sesquiquadrates and square,isn't this the one that is referred to as Thor's Hammer? or is it something different to that? Had a sneak peak at the next new moon chart and that has2 yods and a golden yod (2 bi quintiles with a quintile )
Tom Stoppard - rambles  From: Marjorie. (15 Jan 2010 19:29): 
That Stoppard's chart is tantalisingly complex and difficult to grasp may well be - almost certainly is - a reflection of the man himself.
I googled down some of the better pieces about him in the Guardian/Telegraph/Times. Here's some of quotes:
1.' The range and variety of his work - everything from plays about quantum mechanics (Hapgood) and chaos theory (Arcadia) to uncredited rewrites on the Indiana Jones movies - make him unclassifiable. "Clever Tom", a master of the swirl and dazzle of language, celebrated for the abundance and occasional indiscipline of his ideas.'
2. 'He unites the mind of an intellectual with the methods of a clown.'
3. 'A master playwright whose plays return repeatedly to the past as part of his ceaseless search for meaning in a bewildering universe while demonstrating farcical cleverness alongside profound humanity".
4. "Accident and wilfulness" are central features in Stoppard's world. Ken Tynan wrote. "For Stoppard art is a game within a game, the larger game being life itself, an absurd mosaic of incidents and accidents. We cannot know what that something is, or whither it is leading us; and it is therefore impermissible for art, a mere derivative of life, to claim anything as presumptuous as a moral purpose or a social function."
His chart is so interlinked that it may well be there's no one driving planet. Certainly Mars in Scorpio is very key being on the focal point of a Kite opp Venus Uranus onto the Earth Grand Trine (Neptune, Venus Uranus, Jupiter); plus being on that odd 135/135/square to the Saturn Mercury. [Needs a name - a Jamsesquare.] But the Sun is also pointed up being on the mini-grand trine to the very creative Uranus trine Neptune. As is that Pluto opp Jupiter trine Mars. Etc etc. Most of the planets are heavily aspected.
I always think of Uranus being mischievous so maybe that's partly where the wit comes from. Mars in Scorpio never struck me as a comic turn - and in his 8H it is Mercury Saturn Mars opp Pluto which is very bleak indeed.
I would suspect his very tied-in Mars in Scorpio is more to do with the underlying thrust of his work towards the Beckett notion: 'I am a human nothing'. The comedy act is a shield, a defence which came almost certainly out of his ruptured and very contradictory childhood - wrenched out of Czechoslovakia to be dropped fatherless into the English Raj in India and thence to suburban England.
He doesn't seem to introspect much, nor like being analysed - very Cancer and Scorpio that. It may also be that he moved to theatre and film work rather than novels because his creativity is more than just words (Mercury). Drama and movies have a wider dimension than books, are more than the text. Which isn't to understate his skill with words. But a dramatist needs to visualise in a different way when it is going to be acted out. Perhaps that's why he is Water Earth rather than Air.
Endlessly fascinating.
Haiti President and ex - Eclipse effects  From: Marjorie. (15 Jan 2010 17:59): 
The present President of Haiti, Rene Preval (19 Jan 1943), with his Sun at 28 Capricorn clearly was in line for the Solar Eclipse effect since it only feel three degrees from his Sun. He's a complex, talented man though controlling man. He's got a Grand Trine of Sun (conj Mercury in Aquarius) trine Saturn Uranus in Gemini trine Neptune in Libra; with Sun Merc opp Pluto forming a Kite. He's got tr Uranus coming to square his Mars with all the insecurity that brings in a few days' time.
Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the ousted ex-President (15 July 1953) is offering to return from South Africa. His chart also caught the full brunt of the Eclipse since he has Uranus Mars Sun in Cancer which was opposed by the Eclipse which was like his Sun square his Saturn Neptune in Libra. He also has an emphasised Pluto being on the point of a mini-Grand Trine to Jupiter (Venus) in Gemini trine Saturn Neptune. An impulsive, highly emotional and seemingly idealistic man he could never quite root himself in power in Haiti, being forcibly returned at one point after a military coup by Bill Clinton. Aristide's relationship chart with Haiti has a Mars Saturn Sun conjunction so is always going to be a volatile interface.
yods verses sesquisquare triangles / maggy comments  From: james. (15 Jan 2010 17:56): 
marjorie, i agree the sextile isn't the driving force in the yod....the quincunx aspects are... with the 2 sesquisquares and a square triangle it is more goal and task focused as their is more pressure built into it then the yod pattern given the combo of aspects involved.. this is my take on it.. i think the sextile in the yod allows for some ease which this other triangle formation doesn't have... i think as a consequence it is more demanding or challenging... in stoppards chart the mercury/saturn square is clearly a central feature of the chart given how exact it is... the inverse midpoint happens to have mars on it which creates a much stronger focus with an outlet to mars in scorpio... perhaps the witty and cunning screenwriting comes out of the mars in scorpio flavour in all of this... just more astro speculation for the astro woodpile!.......................... ......................... ........................................maggy, as bizarre as it may sound i have yet to read a john addey book!!! i would like to though as he is often quoted in books that i value, hamblins harmonic charts being one of them....i am just rereading this book again as he has a lot to say about harmonic charts... thanks for your comments...
USA - July 2010  From: Marjorie. (15 Jan 2010 17:35): 
Have you any idea what arguments were put forward astrologically for July 2010 being so dodgy? Frankly there's nothing much showing up. The July Solar Eclipse is at 19 Cancer which is conj the US 13 Cancer Sun but it's not that close. The 2011 Capricorn/Cancer Eclipses are closer and in more difficult aspects.
There's not much showing on midpoint transits either to the USA chart.
There's only one pointer if you take the 11 am USA chart which is tr Saturn just on the Virgo Ascendant for the 3rd time and heading into the lower profile first quadrant. So Uranus is opposition conj Desc (2 degrees) and Pluto is in the 4th conj IC (5 degrees) so that axis is being rattled. But Uranus Jupiter are together in Aries which should bring some cheer.
There's nothing much showing up on Obama's birth chart though the July 2010 Eclipse will oppose his First Admin chart's Mars at 19 Capricorn to within six minutes of a degree which will cause some anger and upset.
August might be stickier with tr Pluto opposing the US Venus with tr Saturn square. But again tr Jupiter is also square which will help take the edge of some of the pressures.
Rosie''s concern  From: Lost Cat. (15 Jan 2010 16:08): 
Now that you mention it, I have been very worried about the current evolution of political events in America. Too many brown shirts drinking tea and partying but, of course, the social problems of this nation are deeper than that. Only that gullible, disinformed people dominated by deep fears make the problems worse.

Astrological speaking President Obama's Sun-Neptune square has been far from being helpful. Having a Sun-Neptune square in angular houses myself, I know for certain that one of the effects that square is that sometimes we are perceived in the wrong way. In President Obama's case just consider all that nonsense about being born in Kenya, being a cryptic Muslim, being an anti-white racist, and the like. It is amazing that all these urban (or rural?) legends have been so successful in damiging his image. Of course, there is always the problem of the deep seated racism, xenophobia, and sheer paranoia that afflicts significant segments of the American public, but the latter have nothing to do with astrology.
Squares and sextiles  From: Marjorie. (15 Jan 2010 08:52): 
James, I agree squares have more driving tension than sextiles. But I never think of the sextile driving the Yod - it's more the strain of the two inconjuncts which looks for a resolution. On their own they can't find it but have to wait for an outer trigger. Once they click into place the sextile provides the equilibrium. Though that is always somewhat fragile since the off-track aspect of the inconjunct is always there.
Writers etc  From: Maggy van Krimpen. (15 Jan 2010 08:12): 
James thanks for all your hard, good work on the midpoints/harmonics on this one - as Marjorie says, have to dig a bit more, it is just habit (laziness?) that I expect an obvious Mercury in a writer's chart...xtina you're right about the Moon/Mercury sextile, in water (this to me is more like the signature of a romantic lady novelist!) as with mercury near the Sun it sort of affects the whole personality and makes it harmonious.....therefore makes you wonder how that major tight square between Merc/Saturn contributes - not only that of course, but that aspect is either hell bent on gaining diplomas/education or despises it altogether. Stoppard's Venus si very focal and traditionally that planet is strong in writers'charts also. The cosy Sun/Moon/Mercury aspect would not indicate the struggle, passion and blows most writers undergo in order to give their work the feeling/expression that makes it art though...James, in two days I hope to have more time to look at your comments in depth, haven't used harmonics for years though I do love the story about John Addey (you must have his book Harmonics in Astrology, the classic) who used astrology so successfully that he was banned from every betting shop in Cambridge where he lived! In the front of that I wrote a quote from Mario merz (painter, 1883 which was in an art exhibition here in the Hague called The Spiritual in Art...... he said:
"Numbers and geometric bodies as in figures liek circles, crosses, squares, carry within themselves specific occult and ethical knowledge. Knowledge of numbers imparts knowledge of the Universe itself....." so I am inspired to go back and read that book.

EARTHQUAKES & ECLIPSES & HAITI  From: FW. (15 Jan 2010 07:34): 
Well, mg, it looks as though your mum is right.
So much for old wives' tales.
the USA in July 2010  From: rosie. (15 Jan 2010 00:16): 
for years its been talked about how the us has terrible transits for this coming july... i have read everything from the big one, (earthquake), to terrorist attacks, and now it looks like the fed reserve might be the issue...what do you think? might there be a run on the banks? might it be a social/civil clash of wound up right wingers (a la kent state)? can you have a look?
earthquakes and eclipses  From: mg. (15 Jan 2010 00:04): 
my mum says there's usually an earthquake around a solar eclipse. i'm not sure if this is an old wives tale.
From: Starstruck. (14 Jan 2010 19:54): 
Well that's very interesting, Marjorie, because I have loads of physical symptoms around the time of New Moons and eclipses, and my Chinese Year is the Year of the Monkey!!!
Eclipse effects  From: Marjorie. (14 Jan 2010 19:14): 
I know Eclipses have an effect on monkeys I think - makes them jittery - more so than usual. So it must have a biological/physical effect. Though I don't think anyone has worked out why. Or at least I've never seen a reason. Women possibly are more affected because of the make up of their brains - this is just wild theorising since again I've never seen it argued. But women in general tend to be less left brain dominated (the linguistic side) so more in touch with the emotional right brain. Hope that is the correct way round, I'm very left/right challenged. And it may well be that what is out there in the ether - electro-magnetic/gravitational whatever is picked up by the more sensitive receptors in that side of the brain. Just a speculation.
From: Starstruck. (14 Jan 2010 19:06): 
Evening all. I was wondering, Marjorie, if you know whether eclipses and/or New Mooons have a physical effect on people in a similar way to Full Moons affecting (particularly) women? Would make sense that a Full Moon would not be the only phenomenon to do this...
From: Halia Amarelo. (14 Jan 2010 18:08): 
Hi Majorie I would like to know Prince Harry's chart? I heard Chelsy davy & Harry will marry before Prince William! Please let me know. Thank you! Halia
triangles  From: james. (14 Jan 2010 17:44): 
unfortunately unlike the 'finger of god' term for 3 planets where one is a focal point with 2 others 150 degrees away and 60 degrees apart to each other, the use of 1 planet that is 135 degrees away from 2 others that are in square aspect to each other has no name in astro lingo as of yet... needless to say, i wonder if this explains why it is so easily overlooked... a square would seem to be a much more powerful driver then a sextile to my way of understanding...
Stoppard part 2  From: james. (14 Jan 2010 17:26): 
given how the jupiter/neptune midpoint is so central to the chart, i think this would explain the philosophical dimension to his screenwriting... theatre strikes me as a neptunian type of expression... one could look at his chart as split in 2 as well with the neptune/jupiter trine with mars at midpoint on the one side with all personal planets within the saturn/pluto on the other.... the reaching out in a social sense would be done thru the neptune/jupiter = mars part of the chart...
Stoppard  From: james. (14 Jan 2010 17:17): 
mars in scorpio is the most focused planet in the chart from my pov... i know nothing of this person, but just finished reading wikipedia on him... mars is 135 to both mercury and saturn which pulls the 3 planets into a strong configuration, mars being the one planet which experiences opposition from venus/uranus on the other side... the 8th harmonic show these 3 - mars/saturn/mercury as conjunct and in a loose opposition to pluto...these 3 planets are also at the midpoint of the jupiter/neptune... mars in scorpio can suggest a lot of things... in aspect to mercury could indicate one of biting and cutting tongue that does well in any verbal type battle...mercury/saturn in square is an analytical detached pair that don't allow emotions to interfere with their mental calculations as a rule.. this might be altered some with mercury in cancer and i think the idea of being a writer - working tirelessly with words does enter the overall picture as well with these 2... perhaps the way in which mars brings together the venus/uranus conjunction is equally significant and would explain his humanitarian and human rights issues focus, as venus/uranus is about these issues, while mars is a fighter for them if pulled into the combo.... all in all, mars to my mind is the driving planet in the chart and one can only see this if they take a look at the 8th harmonic, or consider the significance of the 45/135 aspect set....
Stoppard and Pinter - Mercury in the depths of their charts  From: Marjorie. (14 Jan 2010 13:43): 
In fact Tom Stoppard's Mercury is 22.5 degrees (quarter square) from Pluto so shows up on the 4th Harmonic. That 4H - to do with strength of will - is very strong with a tight Mercury Saturn opp Mars square Pluto, inconjunct Uranus. His creative craftsman 5th Harmonic also has a strong Mercury, showing up as a Mercury conj Neptune square Saturn Jupiter, trine Pluto and widely square Uranus.
Pinter also natally has a Mercury square Saturn, sextile Mars. As with Stoppard his Mercury is much more heavily aspected in his Harmonics: His 4H Mercury in a mini grand trine being sextile Uranus, trine Venus; and square Pluto. His 5H (quintiles) has Mercury trine Neptune sextile Venus, square Sun. And his even more creative 7H (septiles) has Mercury trine Pluto trine Sun, sextile Venus, square Mars.
It's difficult without birth times but neither of them would instantly leap out as writers from their charts, without delving into the less visible aspects.
George Bush Snr - Neptune and Uranus  From: Marjorie. (14 Jan 2010 13:19): 
It's a long time since I looked at GW Bush Snr's chart. Two things strike me.
1. He's got an exceptionally heavily aspected Neptune in the 12th house of secrets. It is the point of a mini-Grand Trine of a 10th house ambitious Gemini Sun trine a money-oriented 2nd house Saturn Moon in Libra. It also opposes a no-compromise Mars in Aquarius squaring onto a stubborn Mercury in Taurus. And is trine Jupiter.
2. He's got a 7th house Uranus in Pisces on the point of a T square to a Sun opp Jupiter - so he's overly confident, an adventurer (politely put) and quite divisive. A Mutable Uranus is highly strung, scattered and over blunt.

When he became President in 1989 his natal Sun opp Jupiter square Uranus had moved by Solar Arc to pick up transits from Pluto square SArc Jupiter and tr Jupiter conj SArc Uranus and square SArc Sun.
He doesn't look an easy man to have in a relationship with a need-to-be-free-from-constraints 7th house Uranus and Venus conj Pluto square Moon Saturn. Rather bleak emotionally and battened down.
Stoppard''s Chiron and Mercury  From: xtina. (14 Jan 2010 11:56): 
It looks like his Cancer Mercury is sextiling his Taurus Moon, which is a classic writer's signature. That Chiron in Gemini on its own in air must be in its maverick/trickster mode. Stoppard's plays are always playful. Maggie, I too find Chiron elusive but I think it may be because we're always hearing about the wounded healer rather than The Magician. Is it too wide to count as on the point of a yod from Mars sextile Jupiter? Stoppard also has a configuration called the "mystic rectangle", although I think of it as "table", since it seems to go with solid worldly success through talent rather than woo woo stuff. It goes pluto sextile venus trine jupiter sextile mars and back to pluto again. Very strong and stable. Guessing rising signs is fatal but surely he must have air on the ascendant but I can't decide which one.
Japan heading for fiasco; China easing back  From: Marjorie. (14 Jan 2010 11:43): 
Two astrological thoughts on recent financial news/comments on China and Japan's economic situation.
One is further weight to the theory that Japan is heading for real trouble which could create a global wave. See posting Dec 26 2009 and URL below.
China had looked to be one of the few countries riding the storm. The Bank of China had tr Pluto conjunct Mars Jupiter in Capricorn last year which is a touch over the top confidence-wise so was throwing money into the economy but the risk of that turning into an inflationary bubble has now clearly caught up with the authorities. Tightening is starting as tr Pluto moves towards a trine to Saturn in Virgo from Feb 2010 onwards. Which makes astrological sense since Pluto on Saturn is precisely that - learning to do with less. Tr Pluto continues to conj the BoC Mars Jupiter till late 2010 which will hold confidence up to a degree with tr Pluto sextile the SArc Mars Jupiter into 2011 but there won't be the same degree of chutzpah around.
On the China country chart as well tr Pluto is aiming for the opposition to the China Uranus from late Jan 2010 and the trine to the China SArc Uranus from late Feb 2010. So there is going to be a major shift in China's policies and expectations. This is especially true since the China Uranus squares the 8th house (international finances) Libra Sun which will catch the downbeat tr Saturn conj Sun after mid year and into 2010. With more rocking and rolling into 2011/12 as tr Pluto and tr Uranus hit the Sun as well.
htmlhttp://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/finance/ambroseevans-pritchard/100002951/a-global-fiasco-is-brewing-in-japan/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/china-business/6976229/China-heightens-bubble-fears-as-it-tightens-monetary-policy.
WRITING ABOUT PLAYWRIGHTS  From: FW. (14 Jan 2010 08:24): 
Magnificent Marjorie!
Thanks for your splendid pieces about Stoppard and Pinter -two extraordinary playwrights who in their entirely different ways turned the legitimate theatre on its head and opened it up.
Like it or loathe it, their work, once seen, is not easily forgotten.
And that's the way the theatre should be.
g h w bush  From: james. (14 Jan 2010 07:00): 
june 12 1924 milton mass...11:45 am
"Poppy" Bush  From: Thomas. (14 Jan 2010 02:16): 
Marjorie,

Do you have a chart for George H.W. Bush? I'm reading Family of Secrets right now about the Bushes, which I highly recommend, and am curious to see if his chart bears out the books assertions, which I will not mention here for fear of libel.
Tom Stoppard  From: Deidre. (14 Jan 2010 01:14): 
Dear Maggie and Marjorie: Thanks so much for the sage commentary re Tom Stoppard. I have always been so fascinated by Stoppard (perhaps my 6 x planets in virgo picking up his earth trine) and have read all his plays. Phew! I favourite is "Indian Ink". Thanks again.
Tom Stoppard''s Mercury  From: Maggy van Krimpen. (13 Jan 2010 20:18): 
Interesting, Marjorie, but would you not consider his Mercury to be conjunct Sun? even widely? and therefore be sextile Uranus Pluto etc As you say, that Merc sq Saturn (exact) is perhaps the only strong aspect if you don't regard the numerous Sun aspects (do you believe the "translation of light"theory, i.e. if one planet is loosely conjunct others they pull it into orb?) but the Mercury does quintile Neptune which is part of that big set up you mention of outer planets, also conjunct Chiron - do you use Chiron, I simply wouldn't know how to interpret it. It would be so ideal to get an accurate birth time, or anything near, - probably we'd see the answer lies in the midpoints, or aspects to angles...I've seen him twice in person and he comes across as v. uranian - personally as well the impression is air,that dry intelligence and casual confidence, but there you go - wrong!!!