Living with the Stars

  The cosmos is stirring up a storm - yes, a storm - as the planet associated with rebellion and innovation changes sign from Taurus to Gemini. Yesterday, 7th July, we bid goodbye to the presence of Uranus in grounded Taurus and witnessed its entry into the communicative Gemini, where it will reside for the next 7 years. Uranus orbits once around the Sun every 84 years, which roughly means that at around that age, you may witness a Uranus return to its natal position in your chart. But what does all this herald?  Uranus is what is called 'an outer planet', meaning that it is one of the planets which lies outside of Saturn's orbit. Until the late 1700s, there were only seven planets known to mankind. With the discovery of Uranus in 1781, astrologers began to attribute certain traits to the planet. It was a time of revolution, new ideas, freedom and individuality. Let's not forget the Declaration of Independence of 1776, and the French Revolution of 1789. Even our tiny is...

  This Sunday, the 15th December, we will be seeing a big, bright moon in the sky. On the eve of that day, the Moon will be setting in the west, and as the Sun sets, it will be rising in the east. The Moon will be at 23 degrees of Gemini (whilst the Sun is at 23 Sagittarius). But before we get into the Full Moon chart, there are a couple of interesting things that caught our attention last week and the story the sky offered was in no way uninteresting. So I'll start with that first.  Story 1 : The Re-opening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. When heads of state get together under one roof, you just have to sit up and take notice. What's going on? What's the symbolism?  Consecration of Notre Dame Altar 19/5/1182 The history of Notre Dame Cathedral goes back to the 12th century when the altar was consecrated on the 19th May 1182. The cathedral, according to historians, was built on the site of a temple to Jupiter. I mention this because this is a significant detail as w...

  As promised, in this post I am going to include the information from the New Moon which occurred on the 13th November. In my apologia last week, I mentioned that the New Moon in Scorpio was quite a sizzler, and the reason for that was that together with the Sun and Moon, was a spectacular Mars opposite Uranus aspect. I also mentioned that I connected it to volcanic activity in Iceland. I don't think that volcano has erupted yet but it has kept everyone there on full red alert. Similarly the Middle East, which is so delicate and complex a topic that to analyse it from an astrological perspective would require deep study; that's for another time, perhaps. What I would like to mention is that this New Moon occurred a day before King Charles' birthday, which means that his Solar Return chart for the coming year would have contained that very energized Mars/Uranus opposition.  Briefly explained, a solar return chart is something astrologers use to predict the year ahead for th...

  A Full Moon graces the skies in the early hours of Sunday 4th June at 5:41am. This occurs just before sunrise, and sets the tone for the next two weeks. Full Moons are usually seen as a time when the intentions set at the Full Moon bloom.  A Full Moon is, as another astrologer, Jessica Adams, put it, a full stop. it is time to stop and look back. This is the reason why new seeds are never sown at full moon time, but at new moon. Traditionally, astrologers never advised new plans to be implemented at that time.  A Full Moon in Sagittarius receives light from the Sun in Gemini, the zodiac sign associated with all forms of communication and also with siblings and short journeys. If you look at the chart for this Full Moon, you can see that the Sun was rising, making this chart ruled over by Mercury (which rules Gemini). Mercury is currently in Taurus and one degree away from Uranus, the planet representing innovation, eccentricity, revolution and inspirational thinking. Me...

  Full Moon tonight! If you look to the east, you might be able to see the Moon against the background of the Gemini Twins, with Orion to the right. Astrologically, it is a Full Moon in Cancer (something called 'precession'). The picture on the left is courtesy of Stellarium, a feature of my computer software. For those of us who live in well-lit areas, the above sight is something that we only see if it is computer simulated.  So what sky story is being told here? Well, if we take the story of the Gemini Twins, I think you'll agree with me that the story being played out in the media by the princes William and Harry has captured our attention.  From what I've read, Prince William allegedly called his brother by the name 'Harold' during a 'heated discussion', which made me recall the battle between William of Normandy and King Harold I in 1066, for the throne of England (another Will and Harry event). Interestingly, William Lilly, one of England's gr...

  Yes, it's been over a month since I last posted, in fact I totally missed the New Moon post of the 23rd of November. The truth is, I was drowning in work and after-work duties. You know the ones, cooking, clearning (a new word I invented meaning clearing and cleaning) house and then doggy duties as a close family relative needed to have surgery. The dog is doing well, thank you (the owner needs to be educated into how to feed his dog; this one is overweight!) I put it all down to transiting Pluto sitting on top of my natal Saturn at 25 odd degrees of Capricorn.  Pluto had been hovering over 25-26 degrees of Capricorn since late 2020 and into late 2021, and I'm still feeling its effects: responsibilities, responsibilities and - ah wait - do this too!  Pluto does this, you see. It pulls the carpet from beneath your feet.  Talking of Pluto, it is interesting that Prince Harry has a Pluto thing going on in his chart at the moment. His progressed Sun is now conjunc...

Nothing marks the changing of the seasons like the New Moon in Gemini.    The degree at which the new moon occurs in this zodiac sign changes from year to year, but once in every 19 years, the Moon and the Sun will meet at the same degree. This year's New Moon occurs at 9 degrees Gemini, just like it did on the 31st May in 2003. The fixed star Aldebaran (follower in Arabic, as it 'follows' the Pleaides cluster) is mentioned many times in the Bible, and is called 'the watcher of the East' aka one of the four archangels, St.Michael. This archangel is a protector to all who call upon him.  Speaking of protectors, note that Mars the Warrior and Jupiter (usually known for not doing anything in small measures) are both in Aries, and very close to each other in terms of zodiacal degree. Aries is not a peace loving sign; it loves action, and what with Mercury at 26 degrees Taurus, where Medusa resides (and the mythology of her beheading), ask yourself, what is it that needs...

  Full Moon in Gemini   Hello everyone! Apologies for uploading this a few hours later than I intended to. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy this bit of writing about this morning's Full Moon. The Full Moon on the 18 th of December falls in Gemini, the sign of the Twins. This event occurred at 05:35 this morning   with the moon setting in the west. Full Moons in Gemini usually highlight issues to do with communication and movement and pertain to all those things which concern how we move about and commune in daily life. As Mercury rules this full moon (Mercury rules the sign of Gemini), we should look to its position in the chart and whether it makes any aspects to another planet or point (such as the Midheaven). In the chart, Mercury is at 8 ° of Capricorn and trines (120 ° to another planet/point) Uranus, which is currently at 11 ° of Taurus, so watch out for inspirational, brilliant, out-of-the-box ideas. Mercury is also out-of-bounds (a term which means its d...