The Astrology of the BBC – Crisis time for Auntie Beeb.

Here in the UK, our main broadcaster and a respected name around the world is in meltdown. A sex scandal involving one of the BBC’s main stars Jimmy Savile who passed away last year broke in the past couple of months with claims that Savile molested girls on BBC property and even during the recording of programmes. It has since transpired that Savile may have been one of the UK’s most prolific sexual abusers. This scandal deepened as an investigative “Newsnight” programme into Savile just after his death was pulled off air at the end of last year in favour of a celebration of his life, and a second “Newsnight” edition in the past couple of weeks made completely unfounded child abuse claims against a former Conservative Member of Parliament, Lord McAlpine. This lead to the resignation of George Entwistle, the Director General of the Corporation. The BBC is now leaderless and it seems rudderless, being guided by an acting DG in Tim Davie who started work today. Much of this can be seen in the natal chart of the BBC which I investigate in this article.

I get the BBC chart from the day the Corporation was reformed as a Public Service Broadcaster. The BBC was initially founded on 18th Oct 1922 by the general Post Office and 6 telecommunication companies to broadcast radio services. This company was however was dissolved on 31st December 1926 to make way for a new National Broadcaster for the UK born the next day. This is where I take the BBC horoscope from, on midnight on 1st Jan 1927.

This chart has a Capricorn Sun, an internationally wide looking Sagittarian Moon and a public orientated and social Libran ascendant. Quite appropriately, the Sun sits in the 4th house showing that the BBC’s heart lays in home grown output, however with Mercury in Sagittarius in the 3rd house, it’s news and media side of the business is wide-ranging and aimed at a world market. The BBC’s foreign news content has always been praised for it’s comprehensive, straight and unbiased tone, and with that Saturn Moon conjunction in the same 3rd house, you can see the serious and strictly accurate message of the news is something that comes naturally to the corporation. Mercury makes a trine to Neptune, which shows a link to music, TV, dance and all creative media. This is the aspect of dreams and vision, perfect for a company of this nature. Mercury also makes a quindecile to the Midheaven, so despite the creative talents here on display, journalism lies at the heart of the BBC. Venus in the 4th house indicates that the corporation see the employees as an integral part of their family, and I suspect there is a lot of affection and love for Auntie Beeb not only from those of us who have seen the corporation shape our lives here in the UK, but also by and for the people who work there and create the magic we have watched on our TV screens. Mars sits in the 8th house sextile to the Cancer Midheaven and trine to the Sun, so here is a determined passion to be independent, foremost and first regardless of the implications of their work. This can be a place of undoing for Mars as some projects will succeed but many will also will fail, however Mars in Taurus is nothing if not persistent and the BBC will always look to push forward, whilst keeping the status quo of what they do best, firmly stable and secure. 

One criticism of the BBC especially recently is that it’s administration is huge and unwieldy. With administrative Saturn at the point of a t-square with confusing Neptune and Jupiter, that claim holds very true. Jupiter expands and Neptune distorts and knows no limits. Just on this aspect alone, any astrologer would say that this is a case of “too many cooks spoiling the broth”. There is no chance here of a lean and efficient management structure. Nonetheless, this aspect also brings real quality, innovation, and wisdom to the people who represent the BBC, the people of the corporation represented by the Moon. Cancer rules the 6th house of the workers too, and with Uranus sitting here, there is real talent and experimental genius that sets their programme making apart.

Now, of course there are skeletons in the closet, as we now know. Pluto in the 10th house opposes the Capricorn Sun, so the BBC leverages great power and wealth and there is a very driven and dare I say it, secretive way that the corporation is run from the top of the tree. That Pluto hints at smoky meetings behind closed doors, an unusual need for power and domination over the media scene, and suggests to me big power decisions made in the bowels of a huge organisation made by a small select and elite boardroom. With Pluto in the 10th there are dirty secrets at the top of this chart, Pluto is the planet of sex and indecency and those in the know I suggest knew these secrets. Also just look at that Black Moon Lilith sitting in the hidden and repressed 12th house, trine to Venus and opposing Uranus, the planet of perversion. In the light of this aspect, I wonder how many nasty allegations still lie hidden?

Now, kook at these horrible transits. Pluto on the South Node, a place of detriment where a lot of the dirty linen will be exposed, opposing the BBC Midheaven and hitting all 4 angles of the chart. This is the whole fabric of the corporation being ripped up and put under the microscope for the severest examination. Pluto is the planet of investigation seeking the dirty truth, no matter how sullied and unacceptable it is. Transiting Saturn is opposing the 8th house Mars so problems and justice (Saturn) being served on actions (Mars) over these sex allegations (8th house). Uranus being square to Pluto is also hitting all of the angles of the BBC chart from a place close to the descendant which it will hit in the next couple of months. I rather suspect that Uranus and Pluto will uncover far more as time moves on. Neptune now direct is still opposing natal Neptune lifting the fog of uncertainty that has shrouded the actions of the BBC and this is being enhanced by the transiting Nodal axis which is exactly square Neptune and Jupiter. Sagittarius rules the 3rd house of the media and this exact connection comes as the botched investigation came out into Lord McAlpine. Nodal connections bring problems out of the blue, and of course the South Node here is moving through the BBC’s 8th house of sexual conduct. These reports (3rd house) against the former MP have been misleading (Neptune) and over-exaggerated (Jupiter).

The BBC is likely to suffer a serious and complete reorganisation as Pluto hits 9 Capricorn at the start of 2013, a year of major transformation I think for the UK’s public broadcaster. With Saturn entering the BBC’s 2nd house, it’s public funding status is something that is going to be a bone of contention right now, and with Saturn in Scorpio, I suspect that the BBC will be powerless but to accept a regime of more streamlining as the UK government puts yet more rigorous conditions on how the BBC is paid for by the British public.