I have always been fascinated by eclipses, maybe because I am closely associated with the Sun being a Sun sign Leo by birth. The Solaris name I use came to me on the day of a solar eclipse, and the effects of them and the ramifications of the totality point is something I study with great interest. The last eclipse of 1st July caused havoc for many across the world and as I have mentioned on this blog, the effects of that cardinal cross eclipse are still being felt.
Back on the 5th March I wrote an article about Saudi Arabia, saying that I believed big changes were going to happen in late Summer this year. This was because the 1st July eclipse when relocated to Riyadh found the Eclipse degree bang on the Midheaven with the rest of the cardinal cross formed at that eclipse hitting all 3 other major angles of the chart. At the time I suspected that the revolutions sweeping across the Arab world might hit Saudi Arabia. In that assumption I was wrong, but my feeling that some significant change was due has it seems proved correct. If you wish to see the Saudi natal chart please click the following link – Saudi Arabia
Going back to the Solar eclipse of July 1st, I missed a significant little connection. As you can see above the eclipse hit very close to the Saudi Ascendant, just into the hidden 12th house so some changes to the face of the country were going to happen. The fact that the eclipse was in the 12th house meant that some sacrifice of principles were going to take place. The only other direct hit from a planet conjunct to a Saudi natal planet was from transiting Venus, which formed a conjunction with the Saudi Moon. Both Venus and the Moon highlight women. The natal Moon representing women sits also in the 12th house, hidden away. Women in Saudi culture are all required to remain behind the veil, so apt for the Moon in the house ruled by Pisces and Neptune. Today’s announcement that Saudi women will now be able to vote and even stand for elected positions in society is a huge shift in policy. It also shows that a major sacrifice has now been wrung out of King Abdullah from an increasingly vocal and critical female population.
Now moving to the transiting planets for today, we find Uranus on the Midheaven and opposite the Saudi Sun (the King) signifying an unusual change of direction by the leader. Uranus’ sign Aquarius sits on the cusp of the 8th house, the house of change. Transiting Pluto is square the Midheaven; here is a transformation in the way Saudi Arabia will operate in the future. We also have transiting Neptune making a trine to the Moon and a focused quindecile to natal Venus. Neptune’s sign Pisces sits on the cusp of the 9th house, the house when the laws of the land can be found. Putting things all together, here we have a fundamental change in the law benefitting women. Supporting these transits, we have transiting Mercury conjunct the natal Sun trine to natal Saturn so this indicates the timing of the announcement from the King about the new laws. Transiting Saturn is square to the Saudi Ascendant and makes a sextile to the Saudi Venus, again progressive change for women’s issues. Transiting Jupiter makes a sextile to the Ascendant as well as a trine to it’s natal position and natal Neptune. Jupiter highlights legal issues and bring an optimism to the country and fulfils a dream (Neptune) the women of Saudi have had since the country was formed. Across the world, these changes will be warmly welcomed.
Major changes are still yet on the way for Saudi Arabia, as the Saudi ascendant at 11 degrees Cancer will soon be opposed by transiting Pluto in 2013 and hit by a square by transiting Uranus.
The actions of Anders Behring Breivik in the last week made me go back and look at the 1st July solar eclipse and low and behold I found a link between his actions and the cardinal cross eclipse of 1st July 2011. Common wisdom in astrology says that at the very moment of the eclipse, the degrees where the planets are found are most important. When in the following weeks and months after an eclipse those degree points are revisited, bad things tend to happen. Solar eclipses through the ages have been known as harbingers of doom.
Now, the eclipse of 1st July had the following set-up. A cardinal cross with the Sun and Moon meeting at 9 degrees 12 Cancer. At the other corners of the cross we see Saturn at 10:43 Libra, Pluto, at 6:07 Capricorn and Uranus at 4:32 Aries. Also note that Mars is linked to the Cardinal Cross by a wedge formation at 7:15 Gemini. All these degrees are danger zones and any future connection to them can set off difficult, even shocking events, because of the nature of the planets.
Uranus was moving forward on the day of the eclipse, but went into retrograde motion (moving backwards) on Monday 11th July, and then it revisited the degree point on Tuesday 19th, just 3 days before Breivik made his move. In my related piece about Breivik, (see link below), I noted how Uranus was the trigger for him to launch his attack on the people of Norway. The movement of Uranus was very slight but in my view significant. Incidentally once Uranus returns to forward motion, it will revisit 4:32 Aries on 25th March 2012, another date to keep your eyes on. (**see below)
This coincidence made me start to look ahead to see if we will have any potential instances of this happening again in the future months as the other planets move around the chart. I then came upon the 27th November. In the original eclipse chart, Pluto is in retrograde, meaning it would stop reversing and start moving forward again and would hit that 6:07 Capricorn point at some date. It does on 27th November. Not only that, on 27th November, the Sun will be opposite the Solar eclipse Mars and trine the Solar eclipse Uranus. Finally, transiting Mars will be at 7 degrees Virgo, exactly square to it’s 7 degrees Gemini point of 1st July.
If we assume that the same effect will follow as happened with Uranus, then 27th November could be a very explosive time. Pluto is associated with mass destruction, elimination and cruel acts. Mars is tremendous force. The Sun’s relationship to Mars and Uranus over that time period could also be seen as a trigger point. The square between Pluto and Uranus which runs through until 2015 will still be firmly in place, and I think that some nasty event is almost bound to happen around that time. Where exactly on earth, and in what form is a question I cannot answer. Maybe it will be a destructive earthquake or an attack of some sort. All those details will be determined by the Ascendant and Midheaven degrees, as surely a malefic planet will be conjunct the Midheaven and/or Ascendant when any incident occurs. All I can say is the conditions look ripe for something to happen. Having looked at Astrology for many years and seen many nasty events connected to Solar Eclipses, I thought it best to point out the potential of what may occur.
Those of us in astrology are not doom mongers. I work with the facts of the planetary placements and work with evidence of what has happened in the past, to point us in the direction of what could happen in the future. On seeing this future potent connection in relation to the past solar eclipse 4 weeks ago, and seeing the shocking events of what happened in Norway last Friday, I see it as a moral duty to point out anything that I see in the future. Hopefully someone more clever than myself can work out what may happen in November as the planets line up to revisit those dangerous degree zones.
Do you have any views on what could happen? Please leave your comments below, they are truly valued and appreciated.
Please also see – A look at the next eclipse on 25th Nov 2011
** I have seen and predicted the exact duration of personal relationships who met under the same type of Uranus transit, the couple met as Uranus was moving forward, were temporarily separated as Uranus then retrograde passed the same degree point, and finally split several months later as it revisited the degree point (moving forward) for a final time.
Links – Anders Behring Breivik post and the link to transiting Uranus
The United Kingdom is being buffeted by the current hacking scandal which is extending into Parliament, the press, the police and into everyone’s consciousness. The current situation exploded into life on 4th July when a lawyer for the Milly Dowler family found out from the police that her mobile had potentially been hacked by a News of the World journalist. The latest solar eclipse happened on the 1st July and when put against the UK natal chart one can see immediately why this eclipse is rocking the UK to it’s foundations. So far the eclipse has claimed the scalps of several former News of the World employees (Andy Coulson, Rebekah Brookes), News Corporation and News International employees close to Rupert Murdoch (Les Hinton), John Yates, the assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan police and the fallout may continue to spread to those in Number 10 Downing Street and across the globe to wherever Rupert Murdoch had media interests, maybe in Australia and in the US.
The UK natal chart harks back to the formation of the Union of the UK on 1st January 1801 in Westminster, London at midnight. This gives a Capricorn Sun in the 4th house of democracy directly opposite the Midheaven representing the head of State (the Queen) & the Moon in Cancer which represents the people is in the 10th house of government – the perfect place for a democratic system where the people have the ultimate power to hire and fire. The Cancerian Moon shows a propensity for security of the nation at all cost, hidden emotion behind an outer shell, the “stiff upper lip” we are known for, and a openness for women to get to the top. With a Libran Ascendant, the British play by the rules and expect everyone else in the world play fair too, and as a result the people get rather upset as when those expectations are flouted by others. Saturn showing government and authority is in the 11th house of groups and associations, very representative of a party political system. We find Uranus conjunct the Libran ascendant and this gives the UK a quirky individualism and a national tendency for rebellion and protest. Venus and Pluto in the 5th house is hugely creative as is Neptune in the 2nd house which is in a most musical position, the UK has been at the forefront of music and culture in the world, but Neptune here also shows the propensity to make money through the sea and sailing (the UK once had a huge merchant shipping operation) as well as it contributes confusion over finances – the UK’s financial record has always been very bumpy. Mercury in the third in Sagittarius screams free press an open tolerant attitude to religion (Gemini ruled by Mercury is on the cusp of the 9th house of knowledge & beliefs) and Mars in the 8th in Taurus shows a very steady and dedicated armed forces and an aggressive attitude to financial relations with other countries. Indeed with Aries ruled by Mars on the cusp of the 7th of foreign relations, one can say that the UK has a pioneering spirit, although sometimes too aggressive for it’s own good.
Now as I mentioned the UK has cardinal signs on the angles of it’s chart, the UK Midheaven is at 9 degrees 20 minutes Cancer and the Solar eclipse of the 1st July at 9 Cancer was a direct hit on that Midheaven, and this being a Cardinal cross formation, all 4 angles of the UK chart were affected. Saturn was close in conjunction to the UK ascendant, Pluto close to the IC at the bottom of the chart and Uranus within striking range of the Descendant. Solar eclipses are known to be malefic wherever they strike on a chart, and especially if they hit an angle. This is huge pressure on the UK and with Uranus, Pluto and Saturn involved we could guess that there would be a shock, scandal or shake up of major proportions (causing authority & government to be brought to bare) and eventually leading to a transformation of some kind (Pluto).
Looking at where the eclipse actually hit, it was just into the 9th house of international communications and the law courts (relating to international presence close to the top of UK government), Pluto was in the 3rd house of communications and the press. Pluto of course can refer to underground, sadistic and wholly unpleasant actions. Finally Uranus sits in the 6th house of the workers and also of national services including the police. In addition to the cardinal cross, transiting Neptune was going through the house of celebrity and entertainment and conjunct to natal Pluto. The ascendant of the eclipse was directly opposite natal Pluto.
This scandal and previously hidden and illegal actions (Neptune) started through celebrity (5th) phone hacking (Pluto in 3rd) trials (9th) and spread to the general public (6th), involved the press (3rd) where the shock (Uranus) of the public’s (6th) revulsion to the hacking of the phone messages of murder victims (Pluto) and the families of soldiers (6th) killed in action. The proprietors of the newspapers involved (3rd) came from abroad (9th) and had close connections to the prime minister (Midheaven) and those in administration (Saturn). It lead to the closure of the News of the World (Pluto in 3rd), the shock (Uranus) sacking of it’s employees (6th) and will lead to legal cases (9th), probable controls on the press (Pluto in 3rd), shake up the activities of the police (Uranus in 6th) and will change the whole face of UK society through parliamentary pressure (Saturn in 1st conjunct ascendant). It may even eventually lead to a purge at the very top of government (Eclipse conjunct Midheaven). When an eclipse strikes the Midheaven those in charge may be struck out of office, or at the very least their public reputation is heavily tarnished from then on. As the Independent newspaper so aptly put it soon after all this broke, the UK may be facing it’s own Watergate moment.
My thanks to Astrologer Marjorie Orr who noticed the connection between the Solar Eclipse and the UK chart.
Marjorie Orr astrologer homepage
Other Phone hacking articles - News of the World closes Astrology of the Murdoch family Andy Coulson
Earthquakes are so frustrating for Astrologers. It is possible to see the after-effects of an earthquake on a set of astrological charts put alongside each other, but almost impossible to predict where one will hit – just simply as you need to see the astrological conditions of the day one a single point on planet earth in relation to the astrological conditions on the day and time that the eclipse happened relocated to that same point on earth. Phew, that’s complicated enough isn’t it? Sometimes you get clues as often the disaster happens under the path of the previous eclipse, but not always, as is the case with the latest quake to hit Christchurch, New Zealand.
As I have mentioned before in previous posts, the last solar eclipse took place on 4th Jan 2011 at 09.02 GMT. Relocated to Christchurch we have a late Cancer ascendant and Venus conjunct the IC at the bottom of the chart. Saturn square Mars conjunct the eclipse degree at 13:38 Capricorn. The eclipse hit the Mars/Pluto midpoint, indicating great force, power, even violence. The interesting thing for me is that the eclipse was quindecile (165 degrees) from the ascendant (representing the point on earth in Christchurch). Quindeciles produces a force or intensity of energy – like a laser (see below the gold line). If one had seen this on 4th January, you could be sure something would happen when that ascendant at 29 Cancer or the eclipse degree was activated by a transiting planet in the next 5-6 months, releasing that Mars/Pluto energy. See also that Uranus is trine that ascendant sitting at 27 degrees Pisces. Uranus is also part of a Grand water trine made into a kite formation by the midheaven and Venus, a store of energy on this particular chart. All grand trines (or the kite in this case) need an outlet for that energy to be discharged (normally an opposition or square), but in this case the outlet is that quindecile from the ascendant out to the eclipse and the trine from the midheaven through Mars conjunct the eclipse; the energy then travels onwards through the square to Saturn where the chain stops. Uranus always is the bringer of shocks and unpredictable events. It only had to transit on 2 degrees and that trine would be exact and fully activated. Saturn traditionally represents the earth – look at the pattern. All the planets are connected up except Saturn - in this chart it is almost as if she is acting as a lightening conductor.
Ok, lets look at the chart for when the earthquake hit in comparison to the eclipse chart. Transiting Uranus has moved round to almost exactly trine the eclipse ascendant. At the bottom of the chart, transiting Saturn along with transiting Moon are exactly conjunct eclipse Saturn; the top and bottom of the pattern were connected up, with emotional overtones (Moon). The Sun had moved round to quincunx (150 deg) this connection indicating a change, a release, a letting go. Transiting Jupiter is squaring Pluto (destruction on a large scale),the Midheaven at the time of the quake trine the eclipse Pluto suggests a difficult time, with rebuilding needed.
At some point we may find some way of predicting catastrophic events like earthquakes, as it relatively easy for astrologers to see the effects after the event, but it probably needs people to look on a grand scale at the astrological weather and to correlate their efforts to send out accurate warnings in advance. Maybe though the internet in the future…
The world has watched in disbelief in the past weeks as the people, first in Tunisia and then Egypt, rose up as one against a leader who had “overstayed their welcome” and forced them out of power. It is a big thing for the people to take on the establishment, filled with risk. Let’s look at the astrology.
In the background of the revolutions across North Africa and the Middle East right now is the Solar Eclipse that occurred at 09.02am GMT on 4th Jan 11. That eclipse according to Bernadette Brady is part of the group 13 North of eclipses. She says that this group of eclipses is associated with large, ambitious group projects which require the breaking of a bond that already exists. A very apt description of the people rising up against a leader who had overstayed his welcome and forcing him unceremoniously out of power. The ripples from this eclipse will be felt for another 4-5 months to come.
The eclipse itself had Uranus conjunct Jupiter (revolution given belief) trine Venus conjunct the Midheaven. Venus in Mundane astrology on a mass level can mean the afflicted or the suffering, the Midheaven represents an ideal that the society attains to. There was also a rather angry Mars conjunct the Eclipse square to Saturn. Authority being affected by action & force. If you look deeper the eclipse landed on the Mars/Pluto midpoint, a combination of energies that Ebertin describes as the ability to demonstrate extraordinary force, obsession, great ambition, attaining one’s objectives through ruthlessness, brutality or cruelty. This was an unusually powerful solar eclipse.
Putting the eclipse chart against the Tunisia natal chart is very revealing. Transiting Uranus/Jupiter conjunct Natal Sun (the ruling authority in the the 10th house of government). The eclipse hit on Tunisia’s Mars/Moon opposition – Mars (action) by the people (Moon) and was trine natal Venus in the 11th – group action by the afflicted. Sure there may have been civil unrest at this time anyway but I believe the effect of the eclipse was a galvanising factor in the background. Looking at the Solar Arc transits we see a similar picture. Uranus exactly on the IC opposite the Midheaven just about to enter the 4th house – a revolt against those at the top. Solar arc Moon was also square natal Saturn. The people against the ruler – in this case President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Within a couple of weeks he was driven into exile. Under the pressure being exerted on the Natal Tunisia chart, the outcome was almost inevitable.
I move now to Egypt. The natal Egyptian chart is interesting as it has a natal Saturn/Neptune square Uranus/Mercury. It is almost prone to revolution with such a configuration – tension constantly between a potentially evasive conservative ruler and progressive independently minded radicals. The current natal chart was formed off the back of the the 1952 revolution in the country.
Looking at the Solar Arcs first, Solar Arc Sun is conjunct Pluto so those in charge due a drastic change. Pluto reminds me of a wildfire – from the ashes of a destroyed forest rises new growth. The Uranus/Mercury conjunction had moved to conjunct the Egypt’s natal Moon – the people being whipped up into a revolutionary frenzy by news – news of the Tunisian revolt days earlier. Uranus/Mercury perfectly describes the internet and I understand it was in the internet cafes where a lot of the organising took place. Without the internet and news being transferred quickly, this revolution may not have got off the ground. Looking ahead on the solar arcs, there may be more instability and confusion in around 4 years time approximately 2015/16 when SA Pluto hits the natal Saturn Neptune conjunction.
Egypt’s natal chart opposite that same 4th Jan eclipse chart demonstrates the violent and confusing reaction that eventually ousted President Mubarak. The eclipse was located in Egypt’s 4th house opposite the Sun/Mars conjunction in Egypt’s 10th house – a change was heralded in the homeland affecting the government. Also in the 4th transiting Pluto was opposite natal Mars and transiting Mars was opposite Uranus/Mercury square Saturn/Neptune. Add in transiting Uranus/Jupiter square the natal Sun and transiting Saturn square Uranus Mercury. No wonder there was violence and confusion with all this disruptive energy, you can almost visualize the two factions pro and anti government opposing each other from all the 4th/10th house oppositions. In the background there was an exact to the minute transiting Neptune from the 5th house trine the natal Sun. Mubarak at the start tried to hoodwink the protesters with false promises of early elections. It was a gamble that failed miserably.
Looking at Bahrain, the Solar Eclipse picture is nowhere as severe as in Egypt however the revolutionary Jupiter/Uranus conjunction opposed Bahrain’s natal Pluto so changes are on the agenda too. What type? Well Transiting Mercury was exactly to the minute conjunct Bahrain’s natal Sun, will the secretive insular monarchy (Sun in 4th) headed by Sheikh Al Khalifa be forced to communicate major changes and concessions?
The Eclipse hit directly opposite Libya’s Uranus, so revolution is definitely in the air however as far as I see General Gadaffi will not give up without a fight. Libya’s chart has a brutal Saturn/Mars conjunction (rule by violent suppression) and the eclipse squared this with transiting Saturn right on this conjunction and transiting Mars squaring the natal Mars. If there is to be a revolt, I fear it will be a bloody one – Gadaffi will use all force at his disposal to crush any rebellion.
In Iran, the eclipse was trine Iran’s Sun, the transiting Uranus/Jupiter conjunction that has been fundamental to the shake-up in North Africa & the Middle East square Iran’s midheaven. Transiting Pluto was square Iran’s Moon and transiting Mercury conjunct Neptune, so maybe suppression of the people through blanking out the media and the internet may be the tactic used by Iran’s rulers to hold things in check. I suspect this will only be stoking up the fires as in 2012/13 solar arc Uranus hit’s Iran’s midheaven and enters it’s 10th house and Saturn opposes Iran’s Sun. At that point we may see a overhaul of those in power.
Very worryingly Saudi Arabia looks in a perilous state if the eclipse chart is anything to go by. The eclipse hit very close to Saudi’s descendant – a change in the public face of Saudi is imminent. Transiting Uranus/Jupiter this time is opposite Saudis’ Sun/Mercury and square the natal Moon (sounds like an uprising of some sort) and transiting Mars square natal Uranus and opposite natal Pluto. That is an explosive combination if ever I have seen one. The ascendant of the eclipse chart relocated to Riyadh hit bang on Saudi’s natal Uranus. This is a bomb waiting to explode. By solar arc Pluto is exactly square right now the Saudi natal Ascendant, the end of an era is due very soon. The health of 87 year old ruler King Abdullah has been reported to be in decline. I can see all hell breaking loose if there is forced to be a change in leader, a change that could upset the whole balance of the Middle East.
Revolution is in the air in my view caused in a large part by the Solar Eclipse of 4th January. I haven’t had time to look at Yemen, Jordan Algeria and Morocco although looking initially I think Israel will be unaffected for now. Maybe I will at a later date…
Please also see
Mohamed Bouazizi - From street vendor to martyr...
