The Sun sextiles Uranus today: A bright start to a bright day.  Maybe you slept unexpectedly, contrary to your usual insomnia pattern, and feel re-aligned.  The Sun also squares Jupiter, so there is a possibility of overreaching yourself in enthusiastic efforts, e.g. pruning the bushes in the garden.  Just know your own boundaries, and those of your neighbours.  Tomorrow the New Moon occurs in the sign of Aquarius at 2 degrees – Another bright start to another bright day.  A time to launch or relaunch social initiatives, and look at life in a new, and perhaps whackier, way.  Group consciousness is favoured, and mind-melding.  Subsequently, Mercury trines Mars and an energetic trek or fitness drive may be supported by the Universe.  If you have strident words to say, you may find clear but inoffensive ways to say them. This time you can set things precisely right, if you have been awkward in your past efforts.  On Tuesday (24^th) Mars is stationary prior to turning retrograde – having taken two steps forward this week, plans may begin to stall, leaving you only one step forward.  The expert on retrogrades Erin Sullivan says of Mars retrograde: “When transiting Mars stations and turns retrograde, all externalized drive and focused energy reverses its direction.  The daily progress of which one normally takes no note suddenly becomes filled with effort.”  As if to illustrate this, Friday (27^th) brings a square between Mercury and Saturn, which could bring beaurocratic delays to your documentation, rather like a retrograde Mercury action or non-action, but shorter and sharper and more embodied in a particular event.  Plans may take a step backwards but remember if you made the most of the headway early in the week, you are still one step forward from where you were at the beginning of the week, the snakes are now behind you and there are a couple of ladders in sight!  Mercury then goes into Aquarius in the early evening of Friday, bringing a fresher mental outlook, and stimulating discussion if you are socializing.  If you are spending a quiet Friday night in, it is a good time to actively start a new project, rather than sit mesmerized in front of the television (I hope I will be able to walk my talk).  Mentally you can turn things around now, because another boost arrives on Saturday (28^th) in the shape of Mercury sextile Uranus.  Again it’s at tea-time in the U.K., so again more socializing is on the cards, and some of it could be quite electrifying.  If  you are having a traditional tea, it won’t be sedate!  If you are having a housewarming party there could be some welcome surprises.  And if you are attending a reunion, mentally you will be reeling.  Estrangements may be healed.

In your Dancing on Ice update for this week, the stand out surprisingly wonderful performers of last week (Chico and Matthew Wolferton) have proved elusive in the search for birth dates. Maybe these will emerge as the series continues.  Jennifer Ellison, who skated first last Sunday, won the culinary challenge Hell’s Kitchen a few years back in 2004, when Uranus was exactly square to her Uranus.  With Sun/Mars (high energy) opposite natal Jupiter/Uranus, she relishes a challenge and is a risk taker.  She has made a good start, and should do well.

Veteran fitness guru Rosemary Conley (my age bracket) according to the commentator performed a tortilla wrap (I could manage one in the kitchen).  Natally she has Venus conjunct Jupiter, a very sociable feature, and called Dancing on Ice: “The Most Wonderful Show on Earth”, which is a superlative befitting her Venus/Jupiter enthusiasm.  If you’ve ever wondered where she gets her inexhaustible energy from – it’s directly from the Centre of the Galaxy where she has her Sun (she’s a rare creature, and I wish her well in the competition!).  Like Jennifer Ellison and Heidi Range, she has the high energy conjunction between Mars and the Sun (it is not that common!).

Holywood actor Corey Feldman  was lagging behind in training – making 2 films at the same time – and appeared in the skate off, possibly not for the first time.  He has a sensitive chart, with Sun in Cancer square Chiron, and Jupiter conjunct Neptune.  His partner Brooke Castile has Moon conjunct Jupiter and  the Sun, Chiron and Mercury in Gemini.  The pair have their Venuses conjunct, plus his Uranus trines her Sun.  Uranus currently trines Corey’s Neptune, so he may be learning personal and impersonal lessons of sensitivity through his participation in the show, whilst multitasking in his film ventures, Uranus stimulating his ability to take on complexity (Neptune) which may not enable him to stay long in the competition.  It’s a spinning plate he may not be able to maintain.

Sebastien Foucan, a French runner specializing in freerunning and parkour, is someone I was unaware of, not being of a sporty disposition.  But he seems to have taken the contest by storm, with an unusual twist in that his fierce independence (natally Mercury/South Node trine Uranus) created distance between him and his skating partner Brianne Delcourt.  He performed well, and it is intriguing to see whether he takes note of his partner in his next performance.  Philip Schofield said he brought passion to the contest, and this may be his Venus/Chiron conjunction in Aries, but in many ways he has a private chart.  Incidentally, he is a Gemini, and running is the sport most associated with Gemini.  I associate ice dancing with Pisces.

The Week in Bullet Points:

• Today – Bright and enthusiastic (up the ladder)
• Tomorrow – New ventures and energy (up the ladder)
• Tuesday – Take stock (down the snake)
• Friday  - Slow down and assess things carefully early on (down the snake) but later offers a fresher mental outlook (you could have a cat nap in between).  Up the ladder again
• Saturday – Electrifying! (definitely up the social ladder)

So…looking at Mitt Romney’s chart, I am not bowled over, but then, as I say, I am biased!  He has no Earth planets, so could be said to be ungrounded.  He has the past-life Warrior Archetype in the shape of the Nodal Axis square to his Mars, and may be part of a warrior group.  On the plus side, he has the Moon exactly conjunct Jupiter, which is buoyant, and has been labeled “guilelessly optimistic” in the past.  He also has a balanced Jupiter trine Saturn, but a dark Chiron square Pluto.  On the date of the election, neither Romney nor Obama have easy aspects, but Pluto is trine Obama’s Pluto, and if he were to win it would mean he would be coming into his own power, and may have more of a chance to deliver on his original ideals.  Jupiter will be trine the U.S. Saturn, and so there may be a sense of uplift in the mood of the continent.

Nancy’s Blog (see my Contact page for the link) said spookily accurately of Mitt Romney on 2^nd January, before Iowa:

“Mitt Romney does well in Iowa but may share the winnings with Paul and Santorum. He has a very strong win in New Hampshire.  South Carolina and Florida are disappointing, but he remains very aggressive throughout January and February and regains his strong momentum from mid-February onward, winning Super Tuesday (March 6) decisively. May is likely to be his official crowning as nominee.”

This morning Venus sextiles Jupiter, making it an excellent day for socializing, wining and dining.  Tomorrow, Venus conjuncts Chiron and healing hopes could be raised, and in some cases realized.  On Wednesday (18^th) we have a recurrence of Jupiter semi-sextile Uranus, which last occurred on 13^th December, if you can resurrect your old diary.  At that time, I wrote:

“Jupiter from 0 degrees Taurus is semi-sextile Uranus at 0 degrees Aries [they have now reached 1 degree], very fundamental positions being tested against each other.  Some Gandhi-like negotiations might be needed, in order to avoid the collapse of the whole.  In your own life one area may look to be holding up, but faces a challenge from another area of your life which somehow you know could go either way.  Expand your consciousness and see things from a larger perspective, where things are already unified and whole.”

In actual fact, I found it to be a buoyant, co-operative and productive day on a personal level and between people, so the contact between Jupiter and Uranus can work well, in such a mildly uneasy aspect.

On Thursday (19^th), there is a square between the Sun and Saturn, and there may be a little nugget of inertia infiltrating your plans, so you may need a little nugget of persistence and optimism to overcome this.   Unless the signals are prohibitive, you should be able to proceed. Friday (20^th) brings a change of Sun Sign, from the sluggish Capricorn to the more dynamic Aquarius.  Overnight, people may have slept on the difficulties of the previous day, and dreamt the solutions, and brought new energy to the table.  For instance, if you baked a Mary Berry recipe the day before and felt disheartened, you might try it again with a new twist on the Friday, surprising everybody.  Later the same day, our positive input will be rewarded by a supportive sextile between Venus and Pluto.  While reviewing events of the day, there is a sense of deep fulfillment, especially when reviewing baking.  People will understand more easily where others have been coming from.

A new series of Dancing on Ice has begun, and anticipating tonight’s show I thought I would look at a random batch of contestants’ charts – there are always a great number at the beginning, and that is twice as many if you look at the charts of the professional skaters too.  The four I have chosen are all female, partly because I hardly know most of the men’s batch, but my interest usually warms up as the series goes on.  Heidi Range was a co-founder of Atomic Kitten with Kerry Katona, many years ago.  She always has a dazzling smile, and performed well with her then partner a few years ago on Mr and Mrs.  In the first show of this series, Heidi was in the skate off, and so we could lose her in an early round.  She currently has her Saturn Return, and in addition Neptune is trine her Saturn, so she feels tested but will find herself through the experience, though she may not stay long in the competition.

Charlene Tilton, who was Lucy Ewing in Dallas in the 1980s, impressed me with a gracefulness that Lucy never showed.  She has a difficult and high energy Grand Cross in her natal chart, but the chart is balanced by some strong trines as well.  She was off to a steady start somewhere in the middle of the leader board, with Mars trine her natal Mars in support, and the North Node conjunct her Venus.

Jorgie Porter from Hollyoaks was enormously popular.  A Christmas Day baby, she has great character as shown by Sun/Mercury/Venus/Neptune in Capricorn, a line-up of great talent.  She has balance (Jupiter trine Saturn), which is always a good quality on ice, inspiration (Neptune close to her personal planets) and a revolutionary spirit (Uranus exactly square her Nodal Axis).  Jupiter is working up to a transit of her Sun, which happens on Sunday 5^th February, so expect a spectacular performance around that time.  There are positive links between her chart and that of her skating partner Matt Evers.

Chemmy Alcott, as expected, has high-energy features in her chart: Mars conjunct Pluto and square the Sun, but they are tempered by the involvement of Saturn.  She impressed the judges last week, but they took into account her brave recovery from a leg injury sustained while ski-ing just over a year ago as a professional Skier.  She has no up close and personal aspects to Chiron (the wounded healer) and so her courageous re-building is even more impressive from an astrological point of view.  Her astrological transits are quite buoyant at the moment, including Uranus (surprise) trine her natal Uranus (risk).  Her professional skating partner Sean Rice has a trine at the moment between transiting Jupiter and his natal Jupiter, which contributed to a good start. There is good co-operation between them as his Saturn trines Chemmy’s Saturn.

The Week in Bullet Points:

Today – Come Dine, or Party Party

Tomorrow – Healing initiatives

Wednesday – Seismic shifts and tectonic plates in the human experience; Possibly buoyant, co-operative and productive day on a personal level and between people

Thursday – slow and steady wins the race

Friday – the tide turns more briskly

Today Mercury enters Capricorn, and we leave behind the frivolity of the holiday period and knuckle down to our New Year purposes.  Mercury trines Jupiter, which broadens our minds, magnifies the benefits of our transactions today, and ensures good movement in business and sales.  Our minds are able to reach out and expand, especially if we are working on serious projects.  But there may be pitfalls, as later on in the day Uranus squares Mercury, and we need to be sure of our intent and aware of possible loopholes.  It is as if the Universe entices us to dream big, then shows us where the failings are in our plans.  We need to be aware of the trees as well as the wood.  Two heads are better than one in this respect, as one person may be able to spot something the other would miss.  Insomnia may occur overnight for that reason, and because there is a Full Moon in Cancer tomorrow – too much to digest mentally and emotionally.  You definitely need to ask your Guides to process some of it for you, until you can encompass it all!  If you are good at emotion, ask them to process the mental stuff tonight, and if you are good at intellectual gymnastics ask them to siphon off some of the emotion for the time being.  If you are always a good sleeper, your Higher Self may process it all effortlessly overnight.  Either way, the focus tomorrow will be on the emotional content of the issues in your life, perhaps family affairs.  It is an emotional high tide.  We have two trines, then two conjunctions, on Friday (13^th) so the struggles of the early part of the week may actually pay off in terms of things falling into place by Friday.  First the Sun trines Mars, and we will be fired up energetically, with the more strident aspects of life to the fore. Plans for the Olympics will be proceeding apace!  The Arab Spring and Occupy movements may take a step forward.  Weather may be warmer.  Then Venus trines Saturn, and in human relations loyalty and support will be easier to give and to receive.  Again, this may relate especially to family life.  It is a good time to examine the heart, and assess whether you are going through the motions,  whether you are undergoing a dry and dutiful exercise, or whether your higher ideals are fuelling efforts to do the best by the recipients of your loyalty and support, without beating yourself up.  It is just a good time to see how things really are in relationships.  This may save you from the pitfalls of a later aspect on Friday which is Mercury conjunct Pluto, where again there is the possibility of mental and emotional overload.  If you have done the soul-searching from the beginning of the week, you may have really deep insights at this time.  If not, you may be on the receiving end of some angst, e.g. someone may tell you exactly what is in their subconscious mind (Diane Abbot may tweet you).  Be ready to engage with life, fully but constructively.  A further conjunction between Venus and Neptune completes the Friday 13^th package, which can go either way.  Idealism or illusionment in love are on the sides of the divide, and again you need to go in there fully conscious.  Therefore meditation between aspects today may help regulate them and derive the best from them.  I would recommend meditating first thing in the morning (the first trine being at 4.46 a.m. in the U.K.) and then again early lunchtime, before the conjunction between Mercury and Pluto at 13.03 p.m.  This could be a tricky exercise at work, e.g. in the Office, as you may have to swop a lunch break time with a workmate, or lobby that your Office provide a meditation room.  You may find yourself expanding your heart and your compassion, especially if you are working with the meditation, and may be able to see things in a heart-centred and compassionate way (Venus conjunct Neptune) while also in a detached and expanded state (Venus at the end of Aquarius and on the cusp with Pisces).  The week’s journey concludes with Venus entering Pisces on Saturday (14^th) and if you feel you have been processing your life through a fine toothed comb throughout the week, you will relax into your emotions on Saturday, into the collective pool of emotion, and this may feel like a release.  If you are not a Piscean, you may worry that this is chaotic, letting go and letting God.  But you may by that time have no choice but to stop struggling and start surrendering.  Some moments are like that.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – a mental work-out
• Tomorrow – an emotional high tide
• Friday – a bonanza of life experience
• Saturday – let go emotionally

January

16^th: There were floods all over the globe last week: in Australia, Brazil and Sri Lanka, creating unexpected devastation.  I wonder if this presages the entry of Neptune into its own water sign of Pisces in April this year.

23^rd: With Jupiter jumping ship from Pisces and into the fire of Aries, it is off with the old (3 U.K. resignations – Alan Johnson, Andy Coulson and Brian Cowen) and on with the new:  Ed Balls (with his Venus at the beginning of Aries) and gloriously clutzy Sagittarian Miranda Hart who received 3 trophies at the British Comedy Awards.

30^th: And the event of the week goes to – Egypt.   But the unravelling started in Tunisia when Mars moved into Aquarius, and just before Jupiter moved into Aries.  How did Tunisia come to occupy that ignitory role?  In its natal chart, its birth being during the year of the Suez crisis, there is a powerful exact conjunction between Jupiter and Pluto in Leo, trine the Galactic Centre.

February

6^th: The big question of the week seems to have been whether or not the President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak would stay or go, and if he would go, when.  Wider than the personal fortune of a dictator, there is also the nail-biting question of whether Egypt can do what no other country in the Middle East has so far done – created a democracy out of the ashes of a dictatorship.

27^th: Three weeks ago I wrote: “The big question of the week seems to have been whether or not the President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak would stay or go, and if he would go, when. “  Now substitute Libya for Egypt and Gaddafi for Mubarak, and I have another set of charts to consider.  Libya though is a different matter altogether than Egypt, and Gaddafi very different from Mubarak.

March

6^th: On the world stage, Saturday (12^th) is the most important day, as Uranus re-enters Aries, joining Jupiter who has been holding up the success of the revolutionaries singlehandedly.  Revolution 21^st Century-style is due to ratchet up its pace.

13^th: Within hours of Uranus entering Aries, a large scale disaster unfolded on our screens coming from Japan: earthquake, followed by tsunami and then nuclear plant meltdown.  The national chart of Japan shows the sword of Damocles which has been present in the form of a Grand Cross between the natal Mercury, Saturn, Uranus and Chiron.

20^th: There is so much going on this week that I have a split-screen in my mind of Libya on one side and Japan on the other, and though Libya has overtaken Japan on the news at this moment, there is really a lot more going on in Japan.

27^th: There seems to be even more going on this week, and I am wondering how to pack it all into one little blog.  Of course I can’t contain it here…Harry Hill may be able to manage the week’s TV viewing in one little TV studio, but even the news broadcasters are having difficulty fitting in follow ups to the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

April

10^th: You may feel that you were losing the plot last week, or that events in the world were going round in circles.  Has there been any progress in Libya, you might have wondered?  And what is going on in Japan?  In the UK, the government announced that they would not immediately be implementing their new NHS policies, to give time to “pause, listen, reflect and improve” them, playing for more time in order to “explain to the public”.

24^th: I don’t like to fuel stereotypes but most of the women I have spoken to intend to watch a little of the Royal Wedding on the T.V., while most of the men intend to make it an excuse to do something else…

May

1^st: My highlights were:  the delicately laced dress, the tree-lined Abbey, the beauty of the Abbey itself (aerial photography has come a long way), the spine-tingling hymn “Jerusalem”, and the spiritual clarity of the sermon by the Bishop of London.

8^th: This week on “Question Time” they could have debated the issue ad infinitum: whether or not Osama bin Laden should have been killed.

29^th: The tide does change on Saturday (4^th) with a refreshing new emphasis brought about by Jupiter entering Taurus.  It has completed its work in Aries in forgeing the fervent Arab Spring.

June

12^th: This week has seen further international pressure for Syria’s government to stand down or at least stop killing its own citizens.  President Bashar Al-Assad heads another dictatorship in the Middle East, but one being treated very differently than that of Muammar Al-Ghaddafi in Libya.

July

3^rd: Meanwhile the International Monetary Fund came back into prominence in the news last week. The natal Venus (which represents money) of the International Monetary Fund lies exactly at the Galactic Centre, which is very appropriate for such an Institution.  This week Christine Lagarde was appointed the new Head of the IMF, close to the New Moon eclipse which fell exactly opposite her natal Sun.

10^th: On Thursday, the day that Jupiter trined Pluto (huge endings) it was announced that the last ever edition of the News of the World would be published this Sunday, it was the premier of the last in the Harry Potter series of films (transiting Jupiter squaring the magical Mars/Neptune conjunction of the natal chart of the first film), and the final launch of the space shuttle Atlantis marking the end of the space shuttle program(me) a day later.

17^th: All sorts of side stories have had to be pushed aside this week, in order to look at the all-encompassing story of the dissolving empire of media mogul Rupert Murdoch.  A generation of minds have been infiltrated by the culture of sensationalizing the news which certainly was the style of the now defunct News of the World.  In a world where over the centuries power was associated with politics (temporal power) or religion, he found a way to general domination through a new source: the modern media.

24^th: By the time you read this it will be old news, at the rate events are moving.  A standout event of the last few days was the appearance of father and son Murdoch in front of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee last Tuesday. Their body language was captured by media Psychologist Peter Collett in the Guardian.  He analyzed Rupert Murdoch’s posture (intending to show he was fully involved), his pauses (showing a dominant individual) and his table-tapping “- a sure sign that he’s used to giving commands”.  Apparently James Murdoch was a “model of courtesy”, making sure by eye contact that all committee members felt included.

31^st: Amy Winehouse is the Janis Joplin of her generation (at the age of 61, I have seen too many of these over the decades), dubbed a member of the “27 Club” of music greats being cut short at this age.  This is the age just before the Saturn Return marker, which is a challenge to the structure of one’s life.  She had not been able to find the right structure for her life, and in addition was facing a Nodal Reversal, which involved the Mars/South Node conjunction around that weekend (so there was a significant karmic element to the timing of her passing).  Let us hope for a breakthrough in the understanding of addiction, and the true role of Rehab for the next generation, so that such huge talents are not snuffed out before time.

August

14^th: All Astrologers were able to predict that last week held the potential for violence, and that it would be on a grand scale, with a T-square between Mars, Pluto and Uranus.  The surprise was that it happened in England, first on the streets of London, and then spreading to other cities.

September

4th: This week is about questions. The whereabouts of Gaddafi are still unknown. And the issues thrown up by the London riots (violence, poverty, social alienation, policing, parenting etc) are just beginning to be unravelled.  In order to arrive at solutions, the problems need to be fully understood. Rarely, we only have one aspect this week: Mercury opposite Neptune, which we met in late July and then early August during the English riots.

25^th: I can no longer avoid blogging about the world economy this week.  Every week the noises about being on the brink of meltdown become louder, so that now I can’t hear myself think.  The big figures on the financial stage seem to be Christine Lagarde, Barack Obama, Angela Merkel and George Osborne, but the general impression seems to be indecisiveness and the question leveled being “Who’s in Charge”?  Astrologically the question seems very complex, and the general consensus is that the crisis is due to the square between Uranus and Pluto.

October

9^th: The new line up in the current series of Strictly Come Dancing looks promising!  In particular, Jason Donovan and Anita Dobson seemed to shine initially.  Jason has his Venus, Sun and Mars in Gemini, the sign of Neighbours, but does not have a traditional dancer’s chart.  So I was pleasantly surprised.

23^rd: Gaddafi met his end last week.  Muammar started out thinking of himself as a liberator.  As the Guardian Obituary tells us: “With Nasser as his idol – he too later titled himself colonel – the 14 year old Gaddafi was caught up in the surging pan-Arab emotions of the time, in the ideals of Arab renaissance…Expelled from school for his political activities, he continued his secondary education at Misrata, on the coast, and there, with some of his classmates, he decided to join the army as a means of overthrowing the monarchy”.

November

6^th: Interesting synchronicity that Joanna Lumley was finishing her Greek Odyssey on our screens as a Greek drama unfolded on the Eurozone scene,  in the crescendo of the week.  In the final programme of the series, Joanna was told that the series would be successful by an elderly Greek lady who was reading her coffee grounds.  Unfortunately, she did not pronounce on the future of the Euro.

13^th: Meanwhile, nuclear threats are gathering in the Middle East in remembrance week – the U.S. and Israel are in a quandary about what to do, or whether to do anything, about Iran’s gathering nuclear capability. Let’s hope they choose the way of the Tao, rather than the way of Blair-Bush  (Pluto is approaching a trine to Iran’s Saturn next year, which will support its nuclear plans).

20^th: The Arab Spring has the energy of Uranus in Aries, as does the Occupy movement.  We are in the throes of inner and outer revolution.  As a human race we now demand freedom from slavery, and also in our personal relationships.

December

4^th: The Eurozone crisis is still threatening the stability of the world economy.  This week the crisis has been held squarely in the hands of Angela Merkel, so she’s got the whole world in her hands.  I think that makes her woman of the week, though hubby disagrees…In May 2010 I wrote that “Her natal chart shows an interest in personal finance (North Node and Chiron in the 2^nd House) and public finance (Jupiter, Uranus and the Sun in 8^th House).”

11^th: Now none of this human posturing (in politics) or angst (in conscience) or communication difficulties (inwardly and outwardly) may be of any importance relative to the issue of global warming which was shown graphically on the last episode of “Frozen Planet” by David Attenborough tele-visually this week (a programme which I happened to catch).  On the Andrew Marr show this morning, David Attenborough reminded him that the melting of the ice was not in dispute, but it was the contribution of mankind which was in dispute.

On Tuesday (13^th) Jupiter from 0 degrees Taurus is semi-sextile Uranus at 0 degrees Aries, very fundamental positions being tested against each other.  Some Gandhi-like negotiations might be needed, in order to avoid the collapse of the whole.  In your own life one area may look to be holding up, but faces a challenge from another area of your life which somehow you know could go either way.  Expand your consciousness and see things from a larger perspective, where things are already unified and whole.  Mars also squares the Nodal Axis on Tuesday, so issues of self-assertion versus karma and integrity arise to be dealt with.  Ask yourself what power you have and why you need it, and whether you are willing to join your own power with others for a higher path.  You cannot lose your own Soul, that’s the bottom line – it will always be there, however buried!  Wrestling with the bigger issues in your life is important these few days, and getting them right according to your own conscience, because when Mercury turns direct again on Wednesday (14^th) you’ll be in a position to act and implement again on the detail and the documentation.  Those who find Mercury Retrograde difficult can do a dance or hold a celebration.  In theory, this will be good for the Christmas post and rail networks (I have to declare that I have suffered, this last week, at the hands of Mercury Retrograde as applied to the rail network, in rain, frost and wind).  It is possible that I might be in a position to start writing my Christmas cards.

Now none of this human posturing (in politics) or angst (in conscience) or communication difficulties (inwardly and outwardly) may be of any importance relative to the issue of global warming which was shown graphically on the last episode of “Frozen Planet” by David Attenborough tele-visually this week (a programme which I happened to catch).  On the Andrew Marr show this morning, David Attenborough reminded him that the melting of the ice was not in dispute, but it was the contribution of mankind which was in dispute.

The week in bullet point:

• Tuesday – seismic shifts and tectonic plates in the human experience;

Plus karmic patterns in connection with warriorship

• Wednesday – full steam ahead academically, intellectually, workwise and in matters of communication

This time he has asked for the blog to appear in paragraphs, to make it easier to read.  Bullet Man, if you’re reading, I forgot to ask if you needed subject headings for the paragraph, so please contact me through the comment box or privately to indicate what is required.

So if you (dear readers) want to skip the politics then go straight to paragraph 2.

The Eurozone crisis is still threatening the stability of the world economy.  This week the crisis has been held squarely in the hands of Angela Merkel, so she’s got the whole world in her hands.  I think that makes her woman of the week, though hubby disagrees…In May 2010 I wrote that “Her natal chart shows an interest in personal finance (North Node and Chiron in the 2^nd House) and public finance (Jupiter, Uranus and the Sun in 8^th House).”  Looking now at her chart in more detail, she has the Sun tightly conjunct Uranus in Cancer, so she is always going to provide leadership which benefits her own country.  This conjunction is square to her natal Neptune and she might be torn between divide and rule or unite and rule.  At the moment her policy is fiscal union, and a tight leadership of Europe with Sarkozy of France.  Also natally she has Mars at the Galactic Centre, so she has leadership of Europe but also access to a more cosmic wisdom than maybe even she realizes.  We are fortunate to have her birth time, which reveals a Sagittarian Ascendant which will be transited this month by the North Node (a karmic balancing or reckoning, a chance to ask the Cosmos how she is doing).  Angela is personally in tune with the European Union chart, having Mars conjunct its Mercury (able to act on its behalf) and Moon conjunct its Venus (she has her heart in it).  She has some oppositions between her chart and the Euro(zone) chart, but her Pluto is trine its Sun, so she would do her best by it from a very fundamental place within.  Nicolas Sarkozy’s Jupiter conjuncts Angela Merkel’s Uranus so together they make a sparky Entrepreneur, and this would give them the oomph to try and make a fist of the Eurozone problem. However, their composite chart (“Merkozy”, as they are now being dubbed) shows Venus conjunct Neptune (financial idealism) in the 12^th House which makes their idealism hard to manifest.  Saturn is currently sextile Angela Merkel’s Mars which shows the constraints she is under in acting, but also the steady and deliberate way in which she is dealing with things and responding to the needs of the times.

Read on if you are specifically interested in the week ahead:

Today the Sun conjuncts Mercury but Mercury is retrograde and squares Mars.  If you are able to keep Mercury on the straight and narrow, you could achieve a great deal in terms of research or philosophical thought.  If you are several years into a long-running thesis, you may be able to revive it significantly today, and it may be something that makes you angry which gives you the fuel to do it, e.g. the thought that if only you had completed it earlier your life or society may have changed for the better.  If you found Friday’s Sun square Mars incident-prone, that theme may continue with today’s Mercury square Mars.  Heated words may erupt if your language faculty is not harnessed in a constructive direction.  Mechanics may play up, and dogs may be irritable.  Tomorrow Venus trines Mars and that is helpful if you are trying to kindle or re-kindle a romance, or a failing economy (but not major enough to provide a long term solution).  A good day for Merkel to cozy up to a Sarkozy and create a Merkozy, perhaps.  But it’s only One Day, and that could turn out to be Groundhog Day (oh stop!!!).  On Tuesday (6^th) the Sun conjuncts the North Node in Sagittarius (close to Angela Merkel’s Ascendant) and the Force could be with you if you are operating under not just European Law but spiritual law as well.  Make sure your karma is properly aligned, and you could shift on your way to a positive and optimistic future life.  You might know if you have achieved this straight away because on the same day Jupiter trines Chiron and you may achieve some miraculous healing or the means to it, such as a flash of great insight or a Eureka moment.  On Thursday (8^th) Mercury semi-sextiles Pluto so there could be a slight counteraction of the healings of Tuesday, but these may be in the form of your doubts, or some difficult travel.  You are being tested, so don’t let a tiny flaw or awkward detail de-rail the overall path or vision.  If you can do something about it though, then that’s one more step towards perfection.  On Saturday (10^th) Uranus turns stationary prior to direct and the spanner in the works reveals its mysterious ways and begins to pull some slightly more pleasant surprises.  I have to be careful here that I am not being too Sagittarian.  Balance can be provided by Capricornian fiscal genius (we have too few of them in the world) Raymond Merriman.  On his blog for this week he writes: “…the master of the unexpected and surprise – Uranus – turns stationary direct. This is not only wild and volatile, it can also be highly disruptive and unstable”.  For the full context, please find his link on my Contact page.  What could skew the energies on Saturday is another eclipse, a Full Moon in Gemini, which will make it hard to agree on policies between two people.  A third opinion may have to be sought – do you think Merkozy will let Cameron in?

If you would like an insight into the way of the Sagittarian we have the third in the Zodiac Masterclass series here:

http://www.lanawooster.co.uk/blog/2011/11/the-sagittarian-guide-to-optimism-by-marion-kobylinski/

For those even too busy to read the second paragraph…

The week in bullet points:

• Today – Tricky, but could be very productive
• Tomorrow – Cozy/Kozy
• Tuesday – Alignment and Healing
• Thursday – Notice the detail
• Saturday – Stress and possible breakthrough

http://www.lanawooster.co.uk/blog/2011/11/what-astrological-level-are-you/

The week in bullet points:

• Today – Oneness
• Tomorrow – analyzing the Oneness
• Wednesday – bringing it all together (make it last till next week)

Continuing my survey of the lighter side of life: The still-new Strictly Come Dancing series seems to have thrown up some real talents this year: one of which is Holly Valance.  Like Anita Dobson, who is also doing well, she is a Taurean trooper.  She has the North Node (karmic mission) a few degrees away from the Gemini Sun of partner Artem Chigvintsev, and more significantly, her South Node in Sagittarius is almost exactly conjunct his Neptune (planet of dance) indicating they may have danced together in past lives, especially Latino ones.  Meanwhile, Latina Nancy dell’Olio is at the other end of the leader board, and may not survive tonight’s results programme.  As far as I know, Nancy has not revealed her birth date to the world, but we know that she is Cancerian, and Anton has 3 skilful planets spread out in the sign of Cancer to cover any of her moods.  It was not enough to control her feather boa in her first dance though, and now that Edwina Currie has gone, it does leave her vulnerable with the viewing vote.

This week begins with the entry of the Sun into Scorpio at tea-time in the U.K.  If you are reading this before 6.30 p.m. you are in the last throes of the Sun in Libra – take advantage of any last minute opportunities for diplomacy and negotiation, any olive branches coming your way and any fly pasts by doves.  At 6.30 p.m. you will need to be more on your mettle, more alert to what is going on in your life, and less dreamy and idealistic.  If you feel you need to bring out your inner warrior, assemble your tools: your pet scorpion, your hypnotic laser eyes, and your will to overcome any obstacles.  I am hoping to post the second Zodiac Masterclass around that time, which has been written by a real Scorpio with real life experience (not just a theoretical Scorpio), if you feel you don’t have enough Plutonian energy to rise to the occasion.  The Sun trines Chiron tomorrow, and to the new Scorpio influx of energy are added the healing rays of Chiron.  This is an excellent aspect for regeneration, and coming back from a difficult situation or health issue.  Wednesday (26^th) is the most eventful day, starting with a sextile between Mars and Saturn, representing controlled and steady action, the precision of the surgeon, at the start of the day, which sets a helpful tone.  A New Moon in Scorpio comes along later in the day, which again represents the regeneration of life force, and a new understanding for us in terms of the mysteries of life and the life cycle.  Finally that day Mars squares Venus, so if you are at a party in the evening you might need to watch for inappropriate social behaviour, the inappropriately intimate pinch, or leer…!  It seems to me it happens all the time on Strictly.  On Friday (28^th) Mars squares Mercury and there could be all-round general irritability, and carelessness, especially in relation to Geminis and Virgos.  Drivers be extra vigilant when parking.  The biggest aspect of the week, Jupiter trine Pluto, also takes place on this day, so there is an important balancing of power, and one which may have been an on-off feature for you this year.  People will need to take accounts of rights and wrongs, and they will need to form a group to evaluate the situation, as this is not an aspect where one person can act alone without consequences.  But within yourself, you may come to a special place of integrity, where you know that your actions will be right when you carry them out into the world.  The next day, Saturday 29^th, that integrity can be carried through with others as the Sun joins this trine, opposing Jupiter and trining Pluto.  Others may be interested in your projects, and the only drawback may be overconfidence or over-enthusiasm – you need some boundaries or even structure, because Rome was not built in a day.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – switchover from mild manners to more gutsy ones
• Monday – healing processes can begin
• Wednesday – precision, regeneration and flirtation
• Friday – nerves on edge, but getting it right in the bigger picture
• Saturday – working with others on the bigger picture

So says Dr. Bruce Goldberg at the frontispiece of his book “Past Lives  Future Lives”.  This time last week I was completing the Future Life Progression practitioner training course with the leading edge future life teacher Anne Jirsch, which you can imagine was amazing. What you can also imagine are the debates I had when I got home to my scientist hubby. “Well” he said “I can see how you can travel back to the past” (I have been a past life therapist for 21 years) “But I can’t see how you can travel to the future”. To me, it’s equally logical.  Great fun! And time will tell, but from where I stand now future life progression looks to be life-changing, and a wonderful tool for problem solving and raising consciousness, needed now as much as ever.   More soon, but…back to the present.  In the U.K., Defence Minister Liam Fox left us dangling this week as to when he would resign, over the enigma of aide Adam Werrity’s role in political life.  Fox himself has a very interesting birth chart, with Venus conjunct Uranus hinting that he has unusual relationships.  There is a lot that he’s balancing in this lifetime, with Mercury conjunct Mars in Libra (excellent for defence and diplomacy work) squaring Jupiter conjunct Saturn (checks and balances).  He is a follower of Margaret Thatcher, and the relationship is shown in their charts by Thatcher’s Neptune (inspiration) sextile Fox’s Mercury (ideology).  When he took his appointment as Secretary of State for Defence, there were three oppositional transits to his chart: Uranus opposite his Sun, and Neptune opposite his  Venus and Uranus.  This might suggest it was not an easy balancing of interests.  At the time of his resignation of Friday, Neptune had returned to the same position in relation to his Venus-Uranus, reinforcing his personal difficulties and the spectre of scandal which was undetected for a considerable time.  Adam Werrity’s Saturn lies on Liam Fox’s Venus, and this can mean loyalty in a relationship, but can certainly in this case be seen to have brought about Fox’s downfall.  Both were thoughtless about the consequences of their political and personal arrangements.  In Fox’s case personal need was involved (Venus/Uranus) and in Werrity’s status (Saturn) was a consideration.  Could Future Life Progression have saved them?  Common sense or the intervention of a helpful friend would have easily nipped the problem in the bud.  But certainly Future Life Progression would have picked it up.  What problems this week can be nipped in the bud with a little foresight from the knowledge of planetary aspects?  We only have three, and they are reasonable ones to work with.  Today Mercury sextiles Pluto, so it is a good day to look at issues from a deeper perspective, and talk them over.  If you are working this weekend, much can be accomplished, and determination and focus will be intense, and one of the keys to success.  Tomorrow Mercury is opposed by Jupiter, and minds will be more scattered, and you may need to travel to communicate your interests.  This aspect is not too problematic, but holds the tendency of overstretching resources.  Geminis and Sagittarians may find their interests opposed, with Geminis recognizing the need to focus and Sagittarians wanting to diversify.  If they can resolve this, they’re in business!  And, lastly, just before midnight on Friday (21^st) the week concludes with a trine between the Sun (at the end of Libra) and Neptune (at the end of Aquarius).  This is a fine aspect for realizing dreams and wishes, and firming up your ideals.  It’s also creatively and artistically inspired.  If you’re having lunch with friends, talk about your hopes – they may be eavesdropped by light beings helping you create your future.

Bullet points for Busy people:

• Today – Accomplishment
• Monday – Mental and physical travel
• Friday and Saturday – You’ve got to have a dream

The week in bullet points:

• Today – you can sort it out
• Tomorrow – the cat’s among the pigeons
• Tuesday – out of the mouths of babes…; new ventures get off to a tricky start
• Wednesday – take a good look at what is going on, then attempt to express it in words
• Thursday – new energy springs up in the morning; emotions fall flat in the evening (not to mention finances)
• Friday – pick yourself up again