Sir Elton John – An Astrological appraisal of the original “Rocket Man”

Ok guys, it's a long time since I've done a celebrity astrological profile, so I thought it might be a change to do one for once. In the news at the moment here in the UK, Sir Elton John has been openly criticizing the UK government over the Brexit deal stuck with the European Union, as it means very restrictive and expensive visa schemes for any touring artist from the UK who wants to work or perform in Europe. For worldwide artists such as Sir Elton who have a full team who have to travel around with him on tour, these are impositions that he is vehemently fighting against.

Jair Bolsonaro - The new President elect of Brazil

Hi everyone. Overnight Jair Bolsonaro was elected President of Brazil with a convincing victory in the elections held yesterday. Jair is (just) a Sun sign Aries with his Sun on the cusp of the first sign of the zodiac, therefore it sits on the Aries Point, a place where individuals with personal planets often receive acclaim or notoriety. That Sun sits square to his Nodal Axis, indicating to me that his father wasn't always the one to back and support Jair when he was young.

Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha – Fated by Uranus, Venus and a Full Moon

I have always wanted to show you the stunning effects of Astrology over the years and the tragic death of Thai businessman, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in a fiery helicopter crash last night is testament to the power of the subject I study.

You may not have heard of Vichai, but in his native Thailand and in the UK in the city of Leicester, he was totally revered. A self made businessman, Vichai was the 5th richest man in Thailand, making his fortune through the Duty Free company King Power. If you have ever been travelling, no doubt you will have noticed duty free bags emblazoned with the logo of his company. He bought out a football team in the United Kingdom, Leicester City, and Leicester started an incredible run of success that lead to a fairy-tale victory in the English Premier League. Little Leicester stunned the world in winning the most revered league title in world soccer. Their success captured global attention, and the team paraded the trophy in front of a million people in Bangkok. This man was a philanthropist, a family man and universally loved.

Last night after a match at Leicester's King Power Stadium, the private helicopter of the club owner landed on the pitch as it always did. As it took off with Vichai and his daughter on board, something went catastrophically wrong, the helicopter stalled in the air and came crashing down in a fireball in the club car park behind the stadium. There was no chance for anyone on board.

David Cassidy – Suffering with Dementia

 

It’s been announced that David Cassidy in going to stop performing because he is suffering with dementia. Apparently he’s been forgetting the lyrics of his songs and can no longer continue on in the capacity that he would like to. This obviously is a rather sad development for all of his many fans.

Nigel Farage and UKIP – Facing up to a moment of truth.

A new force in British politics and in British life is on the rise. Nigel Farage and his UK Independence Party (UKIP) is gaining in strength and in it’s influence. Formed at the London School of Economics 19 years ago, UKIP has very slowly but steadily built up a sizeable following in the United Kingdom, and it’s current leader, Nigel Farage speaks with a brutal honesty and conviction about the policies that he believes in. UKIP’s stated aim is to to break the UK away from the European Union and to keep the future of the UK in the UK’s hands. This is a message that, in the more and more vanilla world of British politics, is proving increasingly refreshing and popular to many people. Yesterday Farage and UKIP stepped into the spotlight as he and Liberal Democrat leader and British deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg went head to head in a live TV debate. In polls taken after it finished, the verdict was that Nigel Farage had won, he got a resounding 57% of the vote. In this article I will look at the Astrology of Nigel Farage and of UKIP.

David Frost – A giant in the broadcasting world passes away

I know it is a couple of days since his passing but I haven’t yet had time until now to give my Astrological tribute to one of the foremost TV interviewers in British and international broadcasting history, David Frost. David was a wonderfully talented broadcaster with an incisive mind who did create history in his interviews with former disgraced American President Richard Nixon. His career spanned 50 years on both sides of the Atlantic and across the world. He died on a cruise ship before he was due to present a speech.

Naftali Bennett – Ultra conservative with power on his mind.

I love it when I come across a character that many people in the world have not heard of, and suddenly he springs into the limelight. Naftali Bennett could be one of those cases. If you have not heard about him, trust me you will. This man could become a really big player very soon in the Middle East. Just to set the scene, Naftali is the son of Jewish immigrants from San Francisco and he has risen to prominence through becoming the leader of the young political party in Israel, “Jewish Home”. He is reportedly electrifying the elections in Israel and his party could hold the balance of power after Tuesday, a force without which Binyamin Netanyahu will not be able to hold onto the premiership. At only 41 years of age, Naftali is “the rising star” of Israeli politics as well as being a controversial voice which is growing day by day in stature.

Ravi Shankar - A master of Indian music

The world of music and the whole of India will be mourning the passing of one of the foremost sitar players in history, Ravi Shankar. His was a career of 80 years, a master of one of the most difficult instruments anyone would want to play. He came to prominence in the swinging 60’s when his friendship with George Harrison of the Beatles fame catapulted him onto the world stage. He passed away in California, a week after an operation from which he failed to recover. He was 92 years of age.

Lady Gaga – Brave, artistic and very switched on.

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta or Lady Gaga as she likes to be known is a fascinating character to be sure. At the moment, never one to be missing a trick, she was seen at the opening of London fashion week wearing a garish bright pink burka!! How’s that for crossing stereotypes, a Roman Catholic girl from New York who openly expresses her sexuality donning in Western eyes the most controversial of Islamic fashion. Since 2008 when she burst onto the pop world with her multi platinum selling album “The Fame”, Gaga has taken over the territory in many people’s eyes where Madonna ruled in the 80’s and 90’s. Brash, brave and highly aware, today I take a look at the astrology of a girl you cannot keep out of the newspapers.

Ann Romney – Proudly standing alongside her husband

After capturing the headlines in the US over night, I though it might be a nice idea to take a look at Ann Romney, the wife of Presidential candidate, Mitt Romney. Ann has had a difficult few years after being diagnosed with the condition Multiple Sclerosis and recently, yet her husband and family stuck by her and she seems to have conquered the disease in a remarkable manner.

Maria Sharapova – The golden girl of tennis back on top of the world.

She was pushed hard, oh so hard by Sara Errani yesterday in the final of the French open, but Maria Sharapova finally overcame her plucky opponent to complete her set of Grand Slam titles, a feat that only 10 women in history have achieved. In her speech afterwards, I sensed a real maturity in her response to her victory. The victory came after her career was nearly wrecked by a debilitating shoulder injury, and I would guess all the sweeter for overcoming it.

Jackie Chan - Father time catching up with the master of martial arts.

Out at the Cannes film festival this week promoting his latest film “Chinese Zodiac”, Jackie Chan the king of martial arts has announced his retirement from action films. He says that at 58 he is starting to feel very tired, his body aches and he senses that now is the time to bow out from martial arts movies. After 40 years in the film business and 100 action roles from stuntman to star actor, nobody could argue that he finally deserves a rest. Not that he will stop filming though. Jackie sees himself as the Chinese “Robert De Niro” and will be looking to star in more sedate and less physical roles.

Fabrice Muamba – Capturing the hearts and collective love of the sporting world.

Firstly sorry I have been away for a while as I have been doing some study in other areas of astrology. I return with a sports story that has captured the hearts of many around the globe. Fabrice Muamba who was playing for Bolton Wanderers on Saturday 17th March 12 when he suddenly collapsed on the pitch in a FA Cup match versus Tottenham without warning. Paramedics rushed onto the pitch giving him instant treatment as he suffered a cardiac arrest, and probably saved his life. How can a fit athletic 23 year old suddenly go from looking as energetic as anyone on the pitch in one minute, to fighting for his life the next? As an astrologer, I know that these critical moments in life are so often buried in the natal chart waiting there to be activated.

Gary Oldman – On his way to receiving the recognition he deserves.

Quiet, unassuming & superbly talented, Gary Oldman stars in the critically acclaimed “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” which hits the UK cinemas back in September last year. Although he has always been lauded as one of the best actors of his generation, until today Gary had never been nominated for an Oscar. I am so pleased that this anomaly in his career has now changed.

Aretha Franklin – Getting engaged at age 69

A lovely story to start the year off. Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul music is getting engaged at the relatively advanced age of 69 to her long time partner William Wilkerson, and will most likely be celebrating her 3rd marriage later this summer in Miami.

Michele Bachmann – Is America ready for a female president?

The race for the Republican nomination to challenge Barack Obama is now on and a surprise woman candidate is starting to steal all the headlines, Michele Bachmann. You know, sometimes it’s the one with the momentum, the one who comes out of nowhere who often steals the crown in American elections. Barack Obama emerged from the pack last time out having relatively little experience as a US Senator to eventually waltz away with the Democratic nomination and then the presidency, and the one I remember the most was Bill Clinton. Back a year and a half before Bill won the presidency, I read a newspaper article about this relatively unknown (unknown to those of us in the UK) politician from Hope, Arkansas who was building up a head of steam in the 1992 race. Twenty years on and the effect is happening again. Is this woman the real deal? Let’s look at the astrology.

Michele is a fiery Aries, born on 6th April 1956 in Waterloo, Iowa. I do now have an unconfirmed birth time for her, of 12.08. Is this am or pm? We have a couple of strong clues that it is pm. The first is an insatiable love for caring for children. She has had 5 herself and cared for 23 foster girls too!! The fifth house is the house of children and in her chart Sagittarius ruled by Jupiter (the planet of generosity and excess) is intercepted in the 5th. We also find Scorpio ruled by Pluto which on the cusp  which if anything increases the effect – Pluto never knows when to stop. Those foster children had eating disorders, born out by the Pluto effect. Saturn sits in the 5th house too showing a serious attitude to looking after children opposite to Venus. You can see the link immediately in the opposition, girls (Moon) with serious health problems (Capricorn ruled by Saturn sits on the cusp of the 6th house of health). Placing Sagittarius squarely in the 5th house of children, confirms the second of the two clues. Michele has strong Christian faith, also ruled by Jupiter. By placing Sagittarius in the 5th, we suddenly find that Neptune the planet of spirituality is on the cusp of the 9th house of faith and beliefs. Serious Saturn sitting in Sagittarius adding a conservative edge to her beliefs. A very nice fit indeed.  She will feel that he rightful place is at the top, and with Leo on her Ascendant and Sun and Mercury conjunct to her Midheaven, it only reinforces these desires. 

Ok, working to the assumption that 12.08pm is a probable birth time, we have a 10th house Aries Sun conjunct to Mercury with an Leo ascendant too. The 10th house Sun is always a position of wanting to run things, her career and reputation will be very important to her. The Sun Mercury combination is a partisan one, she will see things her way and she will be outspoken. Aries ascendants as well as Mercury and Sun in Aries always remind me of the proverb “Look before you leap”. This is the thing that she has to learn to do as Sun/Mercury in Aries often doesn’t, landing those with the conjunction often in hot water. She will say and do things she will regret later, however if ever you want someone to lead you out of difficult situation (as the US is financially in), then there is nobody better than a forthright Aries to lead the way & Michele will be “vey” Aries in nature. That is what they were brought onto this earth to do.

The Sun/Mercury conjunction is trine to a Jupiter/Pluto in Leo conjunction sitting in the 2nd house of money and finance. Here is a need for the control of finance and this conjunction is opposite to her Aquarian Moon in the 8th house of big business and dealing with other people’s money. Michele is a finance and tax expert with huge experience. She has an emotional connection to the handling of other people’s money. With Mars in the 6th house of everyday work and Capricorn as I mentioned on the cusp of this house, Michelle will be extremely very hard working and have a very disciplined attitude. A money expert is just what America needs in these austere times? Returning to Pluto and Jupiter, Michele will have a love of luxury life and will spend hugely on making her own home as comfortable as possible. Pluto and Jupiter hate petty minded people, so watch out for her cutting down critics to size in a forthright manner, and also need to feel power and recognition, especially as both these planets sit in regal Leo.

Saturn is retrograde, as ever indicating that lack of love received from her father in her younger years (as mentioned before her parents divorced) and squares onto Pluto. This square is a profound aspect when activated by transits or progressions. Often losses or disappointments in life lead to some sort of emotional breakdown or depression, frustration and reinvention of the personality. Change comes at a cost, often through great pain – I suspect the parental split would have hit her very hard. Alongside these possibilities comes the potential with Saturn/Pluto for great achievement, high ambition and success. These people strive for the ultimate. With a square from Pluto to Venus indicating deep emotions and potential transformation through relationships, a t-square is formed. I get the feeling that when activated, this t-square has the potential for great heartbreak. Luckily for Michele at this time, that activation is someway off in the future. Saturn also trines onto Uranus, so she will have a knack for keeping the conservative values she holds true, yet pushing forward new radical ideas in the same breath. With the same old faces like Mitt Romney & Newt Gingrich seemingly towards the head of the running, and seeing that last time John McCain rain a pretty lame campaign on behalf of the Republican party, I get a feeling that they will be looking for a fresh new face to battle against Obama. Having got a taste of the female touch with Sarah Palin last time out, I wonder if Michele might just be the right woman to appear at the right time? Will her more controversial views like banning same sex marriage (conservative Saturn in the 5th of love given opposite to Venus and trine Uranus) hold up when opened to scrutiny?

There is one more t-square on the chart based around a dynamic Mars/Uranus opposition. Mars is in serious hard working Capricorn and Uranus accentuates this. Michele is a grafter, highly ambitious, disciplined somebody who will use all her energies and talents to get the job done. She will be an excellent strategist and planner and realistic in her aims. Even if she doesn’t make the top job, I can see her being very influential in the financial planning of a future Republican administration along the way. Mars squares onto Neptune in the 4th, so she has an ideal, a dream that that serious Mars in Capricorn is working towards, and she will have some innovative ideas to back her up vision. That vision I believe is two-fold, a social and spiritual vision for society in general based around her faith (Neptune in Libra) and more pertinently to her own situation a dream home full of peace and harmony. Having come from a broken home, one can certainly wish that she finds that ideal.

Finally Uranus conjuncts her ascendant from the 12th house. This gives Michelle a identification with those who are suffering. There is a very humanitarian response to those in need and her instinct reaction will be always to help. With the US in dire need of someone with financial management experience to pull the debt around, I think that this placing was very powerful and instrumental in her decision to run for the Presidency. She like to be an individual, someone out on a limb, and the conservative Tea Party, part of the Republican party but distinct in philosophy and ideas suits her perfectly.

Michele’s chart stacks up nicely alongside the US natal chart too if her birth-time is 12.08 instead of 00.08 . Her Aquarius moon is in conjunction (around 3 degrees) of the US moon, so her emotions will be picked up favourably by the American public. Her Sun/Mercury and Midheaven opposes the US Saturn; this is a huge link as her message will sit well with how the US needs to be administered. Her Neptune (dreams) trine the US Moon or public’s perceptions. Her hardworking Mars opposes the US Mercury, I suspect she may have battles with the press.

Michelle has been very vocal in the recent debt default crisis. Saturn opposite the Midheaven which is happening right now will encourage criticism of her stance on the matter. Saturn will go on to oppose both Sun and Mercury causing frustration and maybe run-ins with the media (Mercury rules the 3rd house of the press). However Saturn transits cause you to learn and by late autumn these transits will have passed. One other slightly worrying transit for her campaign is the fact that transiting Neptune will be square to her Saturn/Venus opposition for quite a while. Neptune tends to hide the truth until other transiting planets bring things into the open. Maybe there are skeletons in her closet? Also Transiting Saturn will hit her natal Neptune mid campaign which may things spinning off the rails.

At the time of the next Presidential election she will have SA Jupiter opposite her natal Sun & Midheaven which signifies luck, success and recognition, her SA Moon conjunct her natal Sun also giving her illuminated achievements and a female initiated influence. Her Solar Arc Pluto will be sextile natal Jupiter which is fortunate and hints at some sort of influential position. Solar Arc Venus will be opposite natal Uranus which gives excitement and a sense of being appreciated. All together, these are a very fortunate set of Solar Arc transits all hitting at the same time. It bodes well for her.  Oh yes, one more aspect for you to consider. On the date of the next Presidential election, transiting Saturn will be exactly trine the US natal Venus, the sign of a female influence on the administration of the country perhaps?

Having looked at all the three main candidates, I am siding to the view that Michele will be involved in some way in the shake-up in the end, but maybe not as the Presidential candidate herself. I am leaning the way that she may be possible vice-president material, possibly to Mitt Romney as the main challenger to Obama, and as a pay off to the tea party supporters who’s influence now have a firm hold within Republican circles. There is a lot of water to flow under the bridge, however Nov 2012 may turn out to be a highlight time for Michele whatever happens.

David Haye v Wladimir Klitschko – How do the two heavyweight champions stack up against each other?

I love doing this type of astrology, pitting man v man, one chart against another, who has the better planetary set up on the night. This fight to be held in Hamburg on Saturday 2nd July in the evening promising on paper to be a barnstormer. Two heavyweight champions going toe to toe and they genuinely (from the press coverage) seem to get on each other’s nerves. Do they, is it just a charade? What do the stars say? And more importantly for fight fans, who will come out victorious come Saturday night?

Right in the red corner we have David Haye, born 13th October 1980 in Bermondsey, South London. Incidentally, I do not have a birth time for either fighter so it makes my predictions and analysis a little less accurate. David is a Sun Libran closely conjunct to Pluto. Libra is a social sign and Haye will like to think that he is a man of the people. Pluto contributes to the Sun a huge determination for personal recognition. Pluto Sun is sextile Neptune, so David will sacrifice (Neptune) everything for personal glory. David’s Moon is in Sagittarius, the placement of an adventurer, somebody who aims for the stars. A Sun Libra and Moon in Sagittarius needs an active life and social interaction, so will enjoy a party. With a square between the Moon and Venus in Virgo, David will be a lady’s man too, and a discriminating one at that! He has to be careful not to let this potential distraction for a party lifestyle get in the way of the serious preparation for a fight. Luckily, He also has a Saturn/Jupiter conjunction Jupiter in Virgo and Saturn in Libra. This contributes a nice balance to his whole chart. Yes, David will enjoy himself (Jupiter), but Saturn’s inner voice will tell him when to get down to business.

David will be driven by fairness and justice, he won’t mind so long as there is an even playing field so to speak, allowing the best man on the night to win. If he thinks there is injustice in the air, it will really anger him. Jupiter in Virgo also contributes to being able to see the big picture, yet also being able to focus in on the details needed to make a strategy work. In a fight this is crucial, being able to analyse and discriminate and change tactics if needed. The Saturn/Jupiter is sextile to a volatile Mars/Uranus conjunction crossing over the Scorpio Sagittarius cusp. Here is endurance, Saturn Jupiter sextile Mars , huge enthusiasm Uranus/Jupiter and a wild vicious streak Mars/Uranus sextile Saturn. Mars in Sagittarius and Uranus in Scorpio is aggressive and unpredictable and Haye fights like this with swinging hooks and uppercuts. He has a free and easy boxing style (Sagittarius) yet is brutal with it and has a killer instinct (Scorpio).

In the blue corner is the slightly older Wladimir Klitschko. Born in Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan on 25th March 1976. Wladimir is a forward thinking Aries with a Moon in Aquarius. Again, here is a man who want’s to be socially significant. Aries is impulsive and wants to be the best and Aquarius has a social angle to it. Vladimir will want to mix in glitzy circles to make him feel good. Coming from the backwaters of Kazakhstan, I suppose Vladimir has used boxing to achieve this aim.

The chart is based around 3 oppositions which make 2 t-squares. Like Haye, there is a Sun/Pluto aspect, this time an opposition, thus again a drive for personal fame backing up the Sun/Moon combination. There is also a free and easy Jupiter/Uranus opposition which instils a great need for personal freedom. This squares onto the Aquarius Moon. To get the freedom and social status and glamour Wladimir craved, he had to take up a career where he would be able to travel. This is born out as on the other side of this opposition is a wedge formation – a sextile and trine coming off the opposition with Mars at the point. The way out was through fighting (Mars). Like with Haye, Mars connects with Uranus in Scorpio, this time in a trine as part of the wedge, so you still see the killer instinct and brutality of Scorpio, however Mars here is in defensive Cancer.

Saturn is also in Cancer and Saturn is the planet associated with fear. There is a huge desire here to protect one’s personal security. Straight away, without even seeing the boxers fight, one knows that Wladimir will have a far more considered defensive style than Haye does as the Cancerian effect will kerb that aggressive Mars trine Uranus. Saturn trines to Mercury which adds huge concentration and steadies the mind. Wladimir won’t mind repetitive, tedious work (he rather enjoys it) and one thinks he will hide behind a sledgehammer jab, while Haye comes out swinging, waiting for the moment to strike. Vladimir’s Mars is square his Sun, which can show anger and possible impatience. What Haye has to do is to stoke up the fire in Wladimir by baiting him, and maybe he will lose concentration allowing Haye to pick his spot. Astrologically it is a beautiful match up, attack versus defence.

Putting the two charts together, there some irritating aspects between them that stokes the fire up even more. Haye’s Saturn opposes Wladimir’s Sun (Haye will tend to dominate Wladimir’s personality), Haye’s Saturn also squares Wladimir’s Mars, this is very annoying as they will be at cross purposes with each other and Haye’s Uranus trines to Wladimir’s Saturn. This describes the match up beautifully – the unpredictable Haye against the solid and more conservative Klitschko. Interestingly in all three of these key planetary match ups, Haye’s planet is the slower moving. I was always taught that if there was a connection between planets, the slower moving one would always dominate the faster moving one. On that score then, Haye to win.

Ok, how does the current planetary positions affect each boxer? Wladimir has some rather difficult transits on the night of the 2nd July. Transiting Uranus is conjunct his Sun so he will be rebellious and erratic, maybe a shock is coming. Transiting Uranus is also square natal Mars, so he will be accident prone (or liable to get hit on the chin a lot). Transiting Jupiter will be square to natal Moon, so possibly emotionally complacent and opposite natal Uranus, will he be too open for his own good? The real clincher for me that he will have a bad night is a couple of Sun Pluto aspects. Natal Pluto squares Wladimir’s Sun and the transiting Sun squares natal Pluto. Pluto always shows transformation, something must be destroyed before new growth can be made. In this case, it is Wladimir’s life which has to change. The square aspects mean that this change is inevitable, something that he will be unable to withstand. To me it tends to signify the end of an era in his life. Looking at the more long term Solar Arc progressions, Wladimir does have a lucky SA Jupiter sextile Sun and SA Jupiter trine Moon, which signify reward and success however he also has SA Uranus sextile Pluto and SA Pluto conjunct his natal North Node. Both these progressions suggest a changing of the status quo, moving on to pastures new.

With David Haye against the same planetary setup, the picture is a bit kinder. Transiting Mars will be opposite natal Moon and square natal Venus. He will be impatient and in a selfish mood.  It will also be quindecile to natal Uranus, Haye will be liable to take big risks. Transiting Uranus will be quindecile his natal Sun which is excitable but also reckless and Uranus also opposes natal Saturn. This says to me that progress (Saturn) will only be made if he takes the risky (Uranus) route. In essence, this aspect is encouraging Haye to go on the attack. If he does, he will move on in his life. Haye does also have transiting Jupiter quindecile natal Sun. This a driving ambition for fame, success and reward. This is the “I am the greatest mentality” and a very lucky transit. On the long term Solar Arc progressions for David there are just 3 active just now. SA Mercury trine natal North Node, signifying a meeting with others in a public arena (the fight) and weirdly SA Neptune square natal Sun and also square natal Pluto. Neptune is incredibly difficult to equate as it can represent from inspiration to the loss of ego, even deception and illegality. According to Noel Tyl, SA Neptune square to Pluto can come up with unusual problems, peculiar experiences and even death experiences. Maybe a controversial verdict will affect him in some way?

Right, down to prediction time. Just on what I see in the astrology alone, I favour Haye to win over Klitschko, possibly by knock-out in the early to mid rounds. The longer it goes, the more I see an even fight. As I am British, you will expect me to favour the London boxer, however Haye’s Solar Arc transits from Neptune do worry me somewhat. Maybe there will be a strange happening, or unexpected event to throw doubt over the whole evening – maybe a strange decision after 12 rounds by the judges?

Overall I just think from what I see that it is Haye’s time to shine in the spotlight, while Wladimir’s transits suggest that he is ready to move on to pastures new. However, this is heavyweight boxing after all, and nothing is 100% certain. Many weird happenings have happened in the ring before, and will again, and I would never advise anyone to bet on the outcome of the fight based my predictions alone, especially as Neptune is heavily involved on David’s progressed chart. If you do decide to do so, it is at your own risk.

Who do you think will win and why? Please feel free to comment…

Enjoy the fight and may the best and strongest fighter win…

Michael Fassbender – Deep, ambitious and a true perfectionist at heart.

Michael is one of the rising stars of the film world right now. Fresh from X-Men 2, he will be seen making a cameo role in a remake of the classic Charlotte Bronte novel, Jane Eyre in September and before the year is out he will star in 3 more films to be released this year and 3 more next year.

Born in Heidelberg, Germany on 2nd April 1977 (no birth time known as yet), Michael moved from Germany to Ireland with his German father and Irish mother at the age of two. A progressive Sun sign Aries, Michael has a critical Virgo Moon. Here is a fierce critic, not only of himself but of others. One would imagine he is very much a perfectionist. The overriding need of a Virgo Moon (the Moon shows need in a chart) is to be correct in all that one does. When someone does not come up to Michael’s exacting standards, he would not be shy to tell them so. Mercury is also in Aries so this criticism would be done in a forthright and combative style. I get the feeling that Michael would not be an easy person to work or live with.

There are three planets in Aries, the Sun, Mercury as just mentioned and also Venus and all of these are opposed by Pluto. The Sun opposite Pluto is deep and intense, this is a man who craves personal recognition and he will keep on going until he receives it. Mercury is quindecile Pluto, the quindecile is even more intense than the opposition and Michaels mind will always be probing under the surface, not trusting anyone fully – even being paranoid of other’s motives towards him. it shows a defensiveness in his character which will appear when he is challenged. This mind is perfect for getting under the skin of a character and getting to the root motivations of why someone acts as they do. For the film Hunger, Michael lost copious amounts of weight and literally went on hunger strike in “getting into character” to play Bobby Sands, just to feel what it was like before he played the role. Michael will seemingly go to any length to get the details of the part correct before he plays it.

The last opposition is Pluto opposite Venus which is retrograde. Venus in Aries is normally very straightforward and sociable especially in love and in relationships BUT Venus retrograde makes one insular. Yes, all the passion and deep emotion from the Pluto opposition is there, but it doesn’t come out on the surface in the normal way. Michael in a relationship will be very secretive, reticent even to talk about his affairs of the heart even to those he knows well. No “Hello” or “OK” magazine spreads for Michael for sure…

The Sun/Venus opposition are the driving planets in a creative kite formation, with Saturn and Neptune on the wings. Immediately you see the motivation of the man. A drive for recognition  (Sun/Pluto) and to make it to the top of his profession through hard work and ambition (Saturn in Leo) in the creation and film world (Neptune in expansive Sagittarius). Saturn is retrograde, so Michael would have missed the love of his father during his formative years. His father was a restaurant chef, so you can imagine that each evening after he had finished school, he would rarely have seen his father, as he would have been busy in the kitchen.

This is such a creative chart. The Moon squares Neptune so there is a dreamy imagination, although one that can be mislead emotionally. Mars in Pisces also squares Neptune – here is more evidence that Michael would never like to lead a drab boring existence. His imagination is colourful, sensitive, poetic and his energies would be directed into artistic pursuits of some sort. Mars trines Uranus so independent ventures will attract him as well as unusual pieces of work and those with difficult subject matters, as well as action roles like in X-Men. Michael will not be one of those actors ever to be type-cast, switching from one type of role to the next with versatility and ease.

Jupiter in steady Taurus shows that he will work to make sure that he will have a comfortable lifestyle and financially he has his head switched on, Jupiter in Taurus is not one to take risks. Jupiter is quindecile to Neptune (everything on this chart seems to feed into Neptune) so he may have intense faith and/or be vulnerable to excess drug and alcohol use. This is another indication that he will want his creative talents (Neptune) be seen on a world wide stage (Jupiter) – he has said unusually that he prefers film to theatre or live acting which is generally against the grain for most actors, but in this case reinforces the Jupiter angle and influence on his Neptune. 

Looking at the transits and progressions of the day for Michael, his Solar Arc North Node is opposing Michael’s natal Jupiter so he is favourably in the public eye and Solar Arc Mars has been conjunct to his Sun and opposing Pluto for the past year, so a period of intense work is now coming to an end. Solar Arc Neptune is trine his natal Moon so emotionally he is going to be very settled right now. There are changes coming for him though. On the transits chart, transiting Saturn will conjunct natal Pluto in around a month’s time. This will light up the natal kite and life will not be so easy, maybe with personal and work problems. Saturn will go on to oppose natal Venus in late September/early October so his relationships (work and personal) will come under deeper scrutiny and pressure. If his current ones are on rocky ground than this may be time for a split or break-up.    

Seve Ballesteros – Passionate, inspirational and fun, Europe’s greatest golfer dies at 54

I always enjoyed watching Severiano Ballesteros playing golf. Learning to play on the beaches near his home, Seve burst onto the golfing scene and his daring shot making and sheer love of the game was infectious. He was true “box office” being universally popular and successful, winning the British Open 3 times and the Masters twice. In the past three years he battled a brain tumour, unfortunately he lost that battle last weekend, he was just 54.

Seve was born on 9th April 1957 in Padron, Spain at 12.35 hrs. His fiery Aries Sun sat in the 10th house in close conjunction to Venus. His Moon we find in  proud Leo in the first house and his ascendant in emotional Cancer. The Sun/Venus and Moon are part of a talented Kite formation, the other feature of note is a stressed Neptune/Mercury/Uranus fixed t-square.

Forming the axis of the kite is a Mars and Saturn opposition, Mars in Gemini in the 11th house and Saturn in the 5th House in Sagittarius. Mars in Gemini is someone who was always on the go, restless and forever living on nervous energy. He would love to pit his wits against someone else in competition, yet here was somebody who thrived in team play too, especially when he would be leading the team. Saturn opposite sits in the house of games and competition. He would be driven to be someone special in his chosen field taking his responsibilities seriously, driven by feeling the weight of responsibility of his ambitions on his shoulders. Mars opposite Saturn is often representative of the the one who takes on everything and everyone on his own. This Saturn would be the dominant part of this talented kite and would give him the determination to reach the top of the golfing world.

Saturn trines out to the Moon and Sun Venus making a grand fire trine. With the Moon in the first house in a very self sufficient position and the Aries Sun in the 10th giving huge incentive to move forward, to be the best (Aries) in his profession (10th house) and the serious aspect of Saturn in his sports endeavours (5th house), here was a powerful source of incentive he could always tap into and rely on. What made Seve unique in his day, was not only the pioneering spirit of this grand fire trine but also his invention and devil may care attitude on the course. Alongside the Moon in the first house in conjunction was Uranus in Leo. Uranus in the first is the rebel, the one who wants to be different and compared to all who went before him in the golfing world in the 70’s and 80’s, Seve was certainly that – a breath of fresh air. Uranus conjunct the Moon craves excitement and loves to take risks. Uranus is at the point of a mutable t-square with Neptune opposite Mercury completing the formation. Neptune opposing Mercury is very imaginative and and in mutable signs adaptable. Seve used his imagination and adapted his game to any situation, being able to conjure shots out of the most impossible situations. One always remembers him getting out of a car park on the way to one of his British Open victories – genius at work and Seve was blessed with daring, a showman’s attitude and fiery passion.

Seve would have seen golf as a way of making the finances that he craved; Pluto in the 2nd house of personal finances almost demanded that he was constantly adding to his wealth, as Scorpio is on the cusp of the 5th house we know that money making desire would come through competition and sport (5th house). After his playing career, he continued to construct golf courses with Saturn in the 5th as the builder, as well as administer his own golf tournaments, among them the Seve challenge in Spain. It was very ironic that the Spanish Open was being contested as he passed away this weekend. Jupiter in the 3rd in Virgo gave him an analytical mind and a modesty that belied the passion that he showed in competition. He was always someone who thought of others ahead of himself.

Seve had 6 planets in fire signs and was the embodiment of a fire individual. Flames need fuel to keep burning brightly and as his career suffered with constant back complaints, so Seve’s flame dimmed as there was not the fuel of competition to keep him at the top. In the last years of his life Seve battled against a brain tumour. Brain tumours are of special interest to myself, as my mother passed away with one too. Mercury represents the brain in Astrology and Seve’s Mercury is part of that mutable t-square opposite to Mercury and square to Uranus. You can see the brain function both inspired and disrupted by both these outer planets. The outer planets I find are both blessed and destructive, being outer planets they are beyond our control and when they are activated by transits or progressions then they can bring on events in our lives that shape our very existence; they represent double edged swords of good and tough experiences. My mother had a natal Uranus square Mercury too, and looking at cases of people who have suffered brain tumours I have noticed that commonly you find that Mercury is being affected by square or trine to disruptive Uranus or destructive Pluto and/or Uranus is sitting in the 3rd house of communication and the mind.

On the day that Seve was first diagnosed with his tumour (6th Oct 08 in Madrid after he collapsed at the airport), transiting Saturn was square the Mars/Saturn opposition, illuminating the whole natal kite and weakening the whole persona. Transiting Pluto was trine it’s natal position signifying a transformational happening. By Solar Arc, the Mars/Saturn opposition had moved round to conjunct and oppose Seve’s natal Uranus, thus activating that mutable t-square and the critical Mercury/Uranus square affecting his mind. At the same time, the Venus and Sun conjunction in Aries was being opposed by Solar Arc Pluto and his natal ascendant was sextile to Solar Arc Uranus. Aquarius sits on the 8th house cusp of change, these events would change Seve’s life forever. This would be a difficult and transformational time for Seve. Three years on and on the day that he passed away, transiting Uranus had moved around to conjunct his Midheaven and trine his natal Uranus activating the mutable t-square again and transiting Pluto was almost exactly trine his natal Mercury affecting him on a transformational level for one last time. That day there were also a lot of pleasant transits on Seve’s chart, transiting Venus/Mercury conjunct Venus Sun and transiting Neptune trine Neptune and opposite Pluto which suggests that he lost control of his life however at the same time it relieved all the pain and suffering that he had endured.

Mohamed Bouazizi – From street vendor to revolution martyr

Following on from my last post looking at the fire of revolt sweeping across North Africa and the Middle East, I am today concentrating on the humble man who became a martyr after standing up for what he thought right. Yesterday, I connected the recent Solar Eclipse of 4th January to the events now happening. The man who sacrificed himself and whose actions precipitated all this was connected to the eclipse too.

Below is Mohamed’s birth chart. We don’t have a birth time which is a shame as a lot of crucial detail is lost by not having it, but the basic outline of his character and thus his motivations remain. 

 

Mohamed’s Aries Sun was square to Jupiter and trine to Uranus which gave him an independent streak, generosity and an optimism to succeed in life, however he would struggle with limitations imposed on him. His Moon in gentle Pisces bestowed a kind and sympathetic nature, however beneath was a far deeper intensity. Normally those with Aries Suns are full of vim and vigour, however an Aries Sun with a Piscean Moon dissipates all that energy, the need to be first is not so prevalent but rather the need for ideal is what he will search for. This Pisces Moon really smoulders with intensity as it trines Pluto in Scorpio. The Moon/Pluto trine formed a grand mini trine with Neptune in Capricorn at the point. Here was the signature of this ideal, the ultimate (Pluto) sacrifice (Neptune) to show the authorities (Capricorn). This Neptune was also at the point of a wedge formation feeding out to a Pluto/Mercury opposition.  This is a quite difficult aspect as Mohamed would have questioned everyone’s motives, not trusting anyone, feeling paranoid. He would have had powerful convictions and would have wanted to prove a point. He certainly did that!! 

Mohamed’s Saturn was retrograde suggesting that he missed the love of his father through his childhood. True enough, Mohamed’s father passed away when he was just 3 years of age. Even though his mother remarried, Mohamed at the age of 10 became the principle breadwinner in his family due to the ill health of his stepdad. Life must have been hard as he towed his barrow 2km each day to town laden with fruit & vegetables to sell, so that he and his family could earn enough money to exist. He would have been an hard willing worker, with a Saturn sextile Jupiter and generous with it too. Venus in Pisces is very gentle and selfless allowing those he loved to become overly dependent on his actions.  This generosity and selflessness is accentuated by the Jupiter square to the Sun, he would have kept optimistic throughout any troubles looking after those in need even if he had little himself, although anyone limiting his actions would have been hard for him to deal with. How would he have reacted if someone curtailed his business, thus threatening his ability to look after his loved ones? Look to Mars and the answer was there. Lying beneath that gentle exterior was a peregrine (unconnected to any other planet by major aspect) Mars in vengeful Scorpio. That Mars would harbour a fierce “I’ll show you at any cost” temper.

I understand that throughout his life, Mohamed had been subject to intimidation from the local police, being made to feel totally inadequate, and it was after one such incident when he was fined for selling without a license and having his scales and produce confiscated that his patience finally snapped. He went to the local administrator to complain, however no-one there was available to hear it. At around 11.30am on 17th Dec 10 having bought a can of petrol and in front of the administration building in Sidi BouZid probably angry and confused, he carried out the ultimate sacrifice; the act that had been lying in wait 26 years on his chart since his birth – he set fire to himself. Looking at the transit chart for that moment, the Uranus/Jupiter conjunction (having the belief to rebel) that had been one of the signatures of the recent uprisings was trine his natal peregrine Mars in Scorpio and square to Mars was transiting Neptune, the planet of sacrifice. Transiting Mars was square his Aries Sun making him feel angry, and transiting Mercury was exactly conjunct his impressionable Neptune causing confusion. In the background looking at his Solar Arc chart for the day, Mohamed had Solar Arc Pluto almost exactly conjunct his stand alone Mars in Scorpio as well as having Solar Arc Neptune being sextile to natal Mars, a mirror of what was happening on the transit chart.  Under all this planetary pressure, he vented the anger and rebellion inside him the only way he knew.

The suicide attempt provoked an uprising in the local community outraged that a popular young man had been treated in such a fashion. As anger grew and in a vain attempt to stem the rising tide of disaffection against his rule, President Ben Ali visited Mohamed in hospital (above). It was to no avail as the protests grew in size across Tunisia. Mohamed died on the 4th January of his burns and injuries, the day of the Solar Eclipse I mentioned before (see link below). The eclipse landed on his natal Jupiter. Natal Jupiter hit by a solar eclipse can be associated with spiritual enlightenment, a belief that you cannot fail, it has an international flavour across nations and boundaries, an influence beyond one’s normal environment. Also at that eclipse degree was the transiting Mars/Pluto midpoint (Mars representing the action of setting himself on fire – Mars rules Aries, the archetypal fire sign/Pluto represents a sacrifice, death and regeneration). Mohamed’s actions and his legacy encapsulated in the heavens; for him it signified martyrdom, and immortality right across the Arab world.

Please also see :-

Tunisia & Egypt revolutions - Seeds sown by a Solar Eclipse...