Andy Murray – Could 2012 finally be his breakthrough year?

This is a repost from an article I originally put up on 24th January 2012 during the Australian Open championships. With Nadal already beaten and dumped out of Wimbledon 2012 by Lukaš Rosol in the upset of the decade (the year will not get better for him now as we move into the 2nd half of the season), this clears the road for Murray as he will no longer face him in the semi finals. At last he seems to have finally received a bit of the luck that I predicted would come his way back in January. As a Brit, I hope that it continues…

Here in Great Britain we have been waiting and waiting for a grand slam tennis champion. Andy Murray from Scotland was born into a fiercely competitive era, possibly the best ever with compatriots Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic all standing in the talented Scot’s way. He is long overdue to produce on the undoubted ability that he has, and if he is ever going to fulfil his dream of winning a grand slam, then the stars say that in 2012, it is now or never.

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.

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.

Superbowl XLVI – Will the Giants or Patriots come out on top?

They call it the greatest show on earth, the day America stops in it’s tracks. Superbowl 46 is here and this time it is being held in Indianapolis. Kelly Clarkson is scheduled to sing the American national anthem, Madonna provides the half-time entertainment and oh yeah, there’s a game of gridiron to be played with two superstar NFL quarterbacks, Tom Brady of the Patriots and Eli Manning of the Giants. In an astrological sense there are a couple of ways you can look at the game. Looking at the individual teams and focusing on the quarterbacks. I’m going to do both to try and pick a winner.

Muhammad Ali – A look at the horoscope of the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time.

Last night the news came in that one of the most iconic sports personalities ever had passed away. Muhammad Ali had the most amazing life, from growing up from poor roots in Kentucky, to conquering the world in the boxing ring with skill and grace, in standing up for his chosen religion & dealing with a degenerative and incapacitating illness. Muhammad Ali remains one of the most awe inspiring people in sport and a name that will live on through the ages. Looking at his astrology chart, I want to try and dig a little deeper to try to explain why he was “simply the greatest”.

Tim Tebow – God’s quarterback. A look at the American football player who is capturing all of the headlines.

It is rare that a young player in the NFL captures the headlines to the extent that Tim Tebow has in his first full season in the American National Football League (technically this is his 2nd season as he was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2010 but used sparingly). The NFL is a school of hard knocks and reputations are won almost exclusively on merit and harder to keep. However Broncos quarterback Tebow has done that and more in 2011. Not only has propelled his team to the edge of the playoffs but his brinkmanship and ability to grab victory from the jaws of defeat in the final minutes of games has captured the attention of America. Tim’s story is also remarkable because he was lucky to be born at all, and his open show of his personal faith has divided opinion, more so than probably any other sportsman in the public eye at the moment.

Martin Johnson – Stepping away from England as he prepares for a new chapter in his life.

This morning, the England rugby coach and legendary player Martin Johnson formally resigned from his post after rather chaotic and unsuccessful World Cup campaign. Martin who had lead England to World Cup glory as a player in 2003 was unable to repeat the feat in a management role and the English RFU now will have to find a new man to take the helm.

Dan Wheldon –The astrology of the British racing legend killed in a fiery crash in Las Vegas.

A tragedy happened yesterday as Dan Wheldon, the current Indy 500 champion was fatally injured during a 15 car pile up at the Las Vegas speedway oval during the last Indy Car event of the season. It appears that the drivers were nervous before the race, which saw 34 cars running at high speeds on a relatively small track. The risks certainly were high and unfortunately the incident on the 13th lap claimed the life of the universally popular British racing driver.

Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries marry in California. Will it be happy ever after?

As celebrity weddings go, this was rather a big one. Kim Kardashian at the weekend married basketball star Kris Humphries in a ceremony held in Montecito, California. How do these two get on? Will their married last the test of time? Lets have a look at the astrology to find out…

Kim was born on 21st October 1980 in Los Angeles at 10.46am. She is a very sociable Sun Libra with a very sensitive Pisces Moon and a party loving Sagittarian Ascendant. Her Sun and Moon combination make her want to please others, she will be very gentle, will love romance and sincerity but she will be very impressionable. Kim’s mind is very intuitive, and she will detect very quickly when someone is being insincere to her. She will be a very self sufficient girl with most of the planets on the Eastern hemisphere (left) of the chart.

Her Sun is conjunction with Pluto so she has huge plans and a need to be recognised or be someone special; she also likes to be in control of her life. Being a Sun Libra, harmony and equality will be most important to Kim, she will fight if she feels any type of injustice. She will have a quick flexible brain, and she will become impatient with those slower than her; she may be a bit of a whizz with technical things like gadgets and computers and she may be interested in astrology. She will love animals of all sorts and may be quite talented in making things with her hands, from art to pottery or sculpture. This is a girl who needs constant excitement and mental stimulation in a relationship otherwise she will go off to find it elsewhere. The Uranus Mercury conjunction in Scorpio makes a trine to the sensitive Pisces Moon, making her excitable, unpredictable and a little wild with a spontaneous sense of fun and an outrageous sense of humour.

This Moon anchors the chart; her emotions and imagination will be extremely important to her well-being. The Moon is opposite Venus Saturn and Jupiter. This is a very powerful set of oppositions. It does suggest that she will suffer emotionally in her life, her emotions are at odds with her need for love and companionship, she will be uncertain exactly what she wants from a personal relationship. The Saturn Moon opposition says of a difficult mother/daughter relationship. They were obviously at odds with each other, and Kim would have felt the criticism and hurt from her intensely. She will be constantly battling the demons from her past and she will strive to prove her doubting mother wrong. Luckily for Kim, Jupiter sits conjunct to Saturn in the 10th house on her Midheaven conjunct to Venus in the 9th house. Venus conjunct the Midheaven often bestows model looks and Kim has used them to project her public image around the globe, her career has been carved around her image.

She is a hard working girl (Mars sextile Saturn), loves beauty and and may be creative in this field (Mercury sextile Venus) and will look endlessly for that perfect dream love (Neptune square Venus). Neptune in the first house close to the ascendant does encourage escapism – would she marry to escape all the insecurities she has felt in her life? Has she found the right guy? Lets look at Kris Humphries, her new husband.

Kris was born on 6th February 1985 in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the US. Unfortunately I have not found a birth time for him. Does anyone know it? Please email me if you do. So he is a Sun Sign Aquarius with either a Leo or Virgo Moon. If Kris was born before 07.00 then he has a Leo Moon, otherwise the Moon is in Virgo. Emotionally it makes a huge difference. The Leo Moon loves the limelight, wants to be special and is just a little proud, stubborn and overbearing. The Virgo Moon is self-critical, a rather shy, perfectionist and a bit of a worrier. Those with Virgo Moons do have quick reactions and have good common sense. If I were to hazard a guess, it needs a big personality to accompany the showbiz caravan which surrounds Kim, so I would lean towards a Leo Moon, although a Virgo one would suit her gentle Pisces emotions far better.

Kris’ Moon potentially squares his Saturn, so like Kim, he may have had a difficult relationship with his mother. We find Saturn also in rather a wide conjunction to the  North Node if anything increasing the effect. Maybe this common factor was one that brought them together? The Moon is trine to Neptune, so Kris will have a soft impressionable heart, and he will sacrifice everything to make sure that harmony is kept in his emotional life. He will not like upsets and turmoil. Both Mars and Venus are in go ahead Aries, so in love Kris will be a no nonsense type of guy. He will be have been looking for his dream girl (Venus square Neptune) and he will want to live out his dreams and fantasies (Mars square Neptune). In Kim, he seems to have found all of these things. He would have been the one to make the first move; Venus  conjunct Mars is always pushy in love, but if there are problems, he will be the one to move on first. He will not want to fight and battle as I explained earlier.

Kris will value loyalty highly (Venus trine Saturn) and he will work hard to make this relationship work (Mars trine Saturn). He will be rather self protective and a bit secretive with his Saturn in Scorpio. Letting others into his private world is difficult for him, he may rather fear deep emotional intimacy.

Kris is a bit of an perpetual student, always wanting to know and learn more; he will have an insatiable thirst for knowledge. He may as he gets older have a desire to teach or instruct those younger than himself; a potential basketball coach of the future perhaps? Jupiter and Mercury are both in Aquarius like the Sun so he will without doubt be a progressive thinker and planner as well as fiercely independent. Pluto makes a square to this conjunction of Jupiter and Mercury. His mind will always be looking for the motives under the surface, the mind of the detective. He needs to be careful of this, as one can start suspecting things that are not true, jealousy and paranoia are possible with Mercury square Pluto. Pluto square Jupiter is very lucky, quite often people with this aspect literally attract money and prestige without trying too hard. Kris will be an opportunistic type of guy, ready to seize upon any good ideas that come his way. He certainly was opportunistic when Kim came along, wasn’t he?

Now, let’s look at the synastry chart. The synopsis is not too bad. The one stand out aspect for me is that Kris’ Aquarian Sun conjuncts with Kim’s South Node. There will be a karmic connection between them, almost as if they have known each other all of their lives. Some say that people with this connection did meet in a previous life and have issues still to settle in this one. Kim’s Moon connects nicely with Kris’ Venus and Mars which shows good friendship and Kris’ Jupiter makes a trine to Kim’s Jupiter and Midheaven and squares her Sun bringing fortune and public awareness to them both. Kris’ Venus makes a lovely trine to Kim’s Mars, so there is attraction aplenty between them. Kris’ Pluto is in wide conjunction with Kim’s Sun, so he may overpower and control her and her Neptune is square his Neptune which can be a bit depressing. His Mercury is square to her Sun so he may say hurtful things to hit her pride along the way. Her Saturn does oppose his Mars and Venus – this could be a tad tricky if she is in a bad mood as she may put the brakes on. When he wants to go, she will say stop, in both an emotional and a physical sense.

They are not perfect in a synastry sense although I have seen far worse. There is not really good line of communication which I always like to see. Mercury in both charts are in fixed signs, so I fear a stand off if there are problems. The Saturn opposite Venus Mars could cause problems.

On the Composite chart, which shows a combination look at the couple as a pair and how they will relate to each other, we see more difficulty. There is a very stressful opposition from Venus up to a Sun Mercury & Neptune conjunction. Sun Mercury and Neptune is very idealistic and sensitive, but is also rather delusionary and deceptive. It does suggest that their communication will get better as the relationship develops, but the chance of ultimate disappointment is definitely there. The ideals and hopes at the start tend to be too high, and when reality does set in, you are let down in a big way.

Depending on Kris’ birth time, there may be a Sun Moon opposition. This creates great attraction between the two but also competition and a sense that something is not quite right, there is an imbalance between the two personalities which causes tension. Now this Venus Neptune Sun Mercury opposition makes a wedge with Saturn and Pluto at the point. Saturn and Pluto in a composite chart shows they two will have difficult times together and that staying together will be a struggle, but these difficulties will come from the outside world. Either you fight to keep the relationship stronger, and in a way this benefits both of you in the long term bringing you together as one force against the world, or you give in and split. Some succeed with this conjunction but many often fail. This shows how much you do love each other and how you cope with adversity as a couple.

Uranus and Jupiter together in conjunction shows that the two of them will need room to breath within the relationship, being stuck under the same roof for days on end will not suit them. In their present situation, it may be fine as they have many outside commitments but in the future? This aspect will allow them to grow and have unusual experiences especially in travel that will benefit each other.

Finally the composite Mars squares to Saturn and Pluto. This is rather nasty as both Kim and Kris will be working at cross purposes to each other. At best they will tend to get in each others way, at worst the relationship can turn into a battlefield as one will want to do one thing and the other will want to do something else. In a sexual sense, they will have differing emotional moods creating potential tension in the bedroom. Tension will exist between the two and with Mars square to Pluto, this could eventually turn spiteful. Mars and Pluto is very competitively intense, with physical and psychological battles. Both Kim and Kris will need the space I mentioned before, without which this relationship could turn into a full scale war.

I hope they find happiness, but I fear over time that the differences and tensions between them may become too hard to bare. Certainly if I were advising them, I would tell them to be tolerant of each other, to give each other plenty of room and to try and find interests that they both enjoy doing. Find some sort of common ground that they can gravitate to in the difficult moments that will come from such a high profile marriage.    

**** Update 31st Oct 11 ****

Kim files for divorce – read why it happened - Kim files for divorce after 72 days

Arsene Wenger – Tough times for the Arsenal manager and a changing role in 2012?

People who follow my Astrology blog will know that I do have a keen interest in sport. Seeing as there is not much happening in the entertainment world right now, I decided to have a look at the Frenchman at the helm of Arsenal football club, who has been under severe pressure of late. A really interesting choice as Arsene’s chart is incredibly similar to Benjamin Netanyahu (the Israeli PM) who I looked at just yesterday. Both charts are under the same pressures, but differ very slightly in emphasis. Please look at the link at the bottom of this article and compare the two and you will see exactly what I mean.

Arsene was born on 22nd October 1949 (1 day after Netanyahu) at 11.00am in Strasbourg, France. He has a sun sign Libra in conjunction with the Moon (as with Netanyahu) however the Moon had now moved around to be in Scorpio. So we have someone who is sociable, needs peace, harmony and hates conflict yet is also intensely private, controlling and needs to know everything going on around him. It is a fascinating combination, Arsene is a people person, who loves being involved in social contact but who ultimately is hard to get to know properly. The Sun is placed in the 10th house so this is a man to whom his reputation, public position and role in life is hugely important; Arsene needs to be appreciated for his talents and will work and work, to the detriment of his personal life. In that regard, he needs a very understanding wife. The Sun Moon conjunction makes him very one sided, stubbornly so (especially as the Moon is in a fixed sign – Scorpio). You try to move a Scorpio when their heels are dug firmly in? It’s impossible!! The Scorpio moon sits in the 11th house of friends and team affairs. Anyone who befriends Arsene will be a friend for life, and this deep emotional attachment will extend to the players and staff at the club too. Scorpio is very emotional and ingrained, Arsene will see it as his duty to guide everyone in his principles and philosophies. I’ve heard it that Arsene is seen as a father figure and this aptly describes how he will see himself, albeit a father who keeps at a distance. He will not let anyone get too close.

The Sun/Moon conjunction makes aspects to Jupiter in the 2nd house and Uranus in the 7th and Mars in the 8th house. The Sun in Libra square to generous Jupiter in Capricorn makes Arsene very capable in business, seeing and being able to cope with the large expanse of a project. Combined with a Virgo Midheaven, which is very detailed orientated, he has all the attributes of an architect and economist rolled into one – a rare combination. The links to Mars show huge enthusiasm and interest in how things work, the mechanics of a project and the link to Uranus is a very free and yet technical link. In education Arsene did well, went to university and studied economics and electrical engineering. The way his teams play embody the mechanics of the mind of the man, a form of total football, players interchanging positions with ease. Technique to Arsene is everything. He has very much been behind the analysis of football by using computers and statistical data - Uranus makes a square also to detail influenced Mercury and the Midheaven. The one other thing that Arsene’s teams are noted for is the beauty of the football played. Beauty is associated with Venus and through them the signs of Libra and Taurus. We already know of the Libran link. The Sun is in Libra as well as Neptune and Mercury in the 10th. Here, one’s dreams need to be translated into reality. Arsene will also be a superb public speaker being able to coherently explain that vision to those under his wing.

Neptune is also associated with grace and artistry and makes a sextile to Venus – Arsene has a fine appreciation of all type of creativity, and his own creative talents come out through his work. The Mercury link gives him tact, considerable charm and mediating skills, being very adept in dealing with people in a kind and considerate way. Venus sits on Arsene’s ascendant just into the first house. His appearance will always be neat smart and tidy and he will dislike conflict and disagreement. How on earth did this charming, considerate, rather gentle man get into the rough and tumble of professional football? We have to look to Taurus for that. Where do we find it? On the cusp of the fifth house of sports and games. Taurus does have a reputation for encouraging a love of team games and here is the sign of the builder ruling the 5th. It stand to reason that Arsene would never have been happy in just playing football, he would want to make and run his own team; Taurus after all rules possessions and he will see everyone at the club as his team. With Taurus also extending over to rule the 6th house too, the exercise, diet and nutrition of his team would also give him great interest. Remember the Virgo Midheaven. This is Virgo’s house and no detail whatsoever will go unnoticed in Arsene’s working life. He single-handedly revolutionized sports nutrition and fitness science in English football, turning a well run but rather dour team into one that everyone wanted to watch.

The fact that Arsene has survived so long in such a cut-throat business in a foreign country is down to great determination and resourcefulness. This he has in abundance with a Mars and Pluto conjunction in Leo in the 8th house. This is a determination to keep on going, I think he will work on until he drops. The love of being in the spotlight (Leo) is very addictive. By the way, below the gentle peace loving exterior lies a volcanic temper. Woe betide anyone who upsets him, although with Venus being so prominent in this chart, it will take a lot to for him to lose his cool. Mars and Pluto in the 8th are associated with investment and big business and whatever your standpoint on international football, they are now all inevitably linked. Arsene is well placed in this regard to make the right purchases to keep the club solvent and successful.

Saturn always shows ambition and fear. In the international 9th house in Virgo, Arsene was always destined to work and have his greatest impact (Saturn) abroad (9th) – this is backed up with the open minded Sagittarian ascendant which would always push him to broaden his horizons. Saturn in Virgo square to Venus conjunct the ascendant, is hugely self-critical. You will not see it with the privately emotional Scorpio Moon, but Arsene will beat himself up inside constantly. He will worry, fret, tear himself to pieces if his ambitions are not fulfilled. If his team loses, he will be inconsolable. With the square to Venus ruling the 6th through Taurus, any setback will tend to affect his health too, as well as his relationships. Arsene will be a stickler for precision, for order and correctness, although he will tend to over analyse a situation when a more instinctive or emotional decision may be called for. As well, he will be one who will cling to his beliefs no matter wether other people are giving good and maybe more correct advise. This is certainly an achilles heel in his make up, his stubborn “I know best” attitude can get in the way of progress.

The transits that Arsene are facing are strikingly similar to the ones that Benjamin Netanyahu are facing, namely transiting Saturn conjunct natal Neptune and Mercury which is generally depressing in nature and shows weakness and confused and lacking in ideas in what to do with the resulting criticism that he is facing. With a Virgo Midheaven, this criticism will hurt, no matter Arsene’s stubborn attitude. Transiting Pluto is opposite natal Uranus. Now Uranus through Aquarius is associated with money as Aquarius is intercepted in the 2nd house. Even if the mantra coming out of Arsenal is that they have money in the bank, that money is being strictly controlled (Pluto) and that control of others (Uranus in 7th) leaves Arsene helpless (Scorpio ruled by Pluto on the cusp of the 12th) in not being able to invest (natal Pluto in 8th) in the team (Scorpio on cusp of 11th), i.e. Arsene is being held under a strict budget, he has to sell to reinvest.

Transiting Neptune is also having an effect being trine to his Sun, quindecile to Saturn and opposite to Mars. It suggest to me false optimism & a veil of deception over what is actually going on behind the scenes. Further along the line, transiting Saturn will hit Arsene’s South Node in September. This never a good transit and suggests a separation of some sort in his work (10th house). Will Arsene finally announce that he is going to call it a day and move upstairs into a more senior role at the club by the end of the season? I only suggest this as a possibility as Saturn will then move on to conjunct natal Saturn in December/January 2012, revisit that position in retrograde in March 2012 and finally finish the transit by September 2012. Saturn here suggest a separation from team  (11th house) affairs, yet also shows a maturing of the Sun and of his position – maybe a promotion into the boardroom, also suggested by the 11th house transit. One other thing to consider. When Arsene was made Arsenal manager on 30th Sept 1996, transiting Saturn was conjunct Arsene’s North Node. A half cycle of Saturn will be completed this Autumn as it soon hits the South Node for a final time, an appropriate time to move on for a new role in Arsene’s life?

Like Netanyahu who himself is looking down the barrel of a gun, Arsene astrologically looks as if he is coming to a crossroads in his professional career. Looking around him at the vast sums of money now being spent by other teams and seeing his beloved club falling behind simply through a lack of economic clout and forever fighting against opponents far more powerful than themselves, Arsenal and Arsene himself may consider that having his considerable talents more involved at board level in guiding the direction of the club to intelligently get the best out of the resources at their disposal, and getting a fresh face to give the team more impetuous, may be the best route for Arsenal to go.

Link - My post yesterday about Benjamin Netanyahu

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…

Rory McIlroy – The emergence of a golfing superstar

At just 22, having just obliterated several golfing records in winning the US Open Championship, Rory McIlroy from Holywood in Northern Ireland seems destined to have the golfing world at his feet.

Rory was born on 4th May 1989 and has a steady Taurean Sun and his Moon I estimate is more than likely in level headed Taurus rather than in impetuous Aries after watching his career blossom over the past few years. Emotionally, he seems to have an “old head on young shoulders”, being able to take both victory and defeat in his stride. That would make his birth-time more likely in the afternoon/evening than in the morning.

Taking a quick overview of his chart, he has a dynamic Mars in Cancer opposite Uranus in Capricorn giving him a huge urge to win, a fierce sense of independence (needed in such an individualistic game as golf) and an urgent air (notice how he bounces around the golf course). This opposition forms a wedge with his Moon; he will confront any difficulties with a no nonsense straightforward approach, and I would also bet that he does have a mischievous offbeat sense of humour that will keep others around him always on their toes!! 

The other thing to notice is a heavyweight wedge formation based around a Pluto opposition powerfully placed in Scorpio to a Sun Venus conjunction. Sun Venus in Taurus is kind, gracious, a need for a comfortable lifestyle and conscious about one’s appearance. Opposite Pluto and beneath this kind thoughtful air is a desire for power and personal recognition – Rory will stop at nothing until he has conquered all around him. At the point of the wedge is Neptune and Saturn in close conjunction in Saturn. Rory takes his dreams and ambitions very seriously and will get lost in his thoughts and goals in an almost spiritual or zealous yet determined way. With such an individualistic and ambitious set of tension aspects, is it no wonder that he has risen to the top of his chosen sport so quickly? I venture to suggest that the deeply ambitious wedge in his chart will keep him there at the top for a long time too.

Mercury and Jupiter sit in conjunction in Gemini which will give him a jovial air and an optimistic attitude and way of speaking and communicating, he certainly as all Irish seem to do have the “gift of the gab”. This conjunction also suggests that he will be interested in teaching and giving back something to the sport he loves when he gets older. He may also take up a career in broadcasting on TV or radio when his playing days are coming to an end.

Rory’s win came as he had a very supporting trine from Saturn to his natal Jupiter, a step up the ladder of life so to speak. Transiting Jupiter was conjunct his natal Moon, sextile Mars and trine to Uranus. That independent need to be first, learning lessons in a matter of fact wedge was being lit up by Jupiter the planet of fortune and international success. Didn’t he learn his lessons well after losing out at the Masters tournament just two months ago? Notably as well transiting Neptune is now exactly sitting on his North Node (his destiny point). All his dreams (Neptune) were finally coming true in a most public (North Node) arena.

Ryan Giggs – Life unravelling at an alarming rate

 

For two decades, Ryan Giggs has been an icon of British football (soccer). Playing for the top team in the country Manchester United, winning countless league titles, cups and awards, Ryan has been the embodiment of the professional’s professional, dedicated, hardworking, talented and notably in this day and age of overpaid prima donna footballers, out of the news especially with regard to his family life. He was the model sportsman. However, there were skeletons in the cupboards that were revealed by the press. Trying to protect his image, Ryan got a court injunction to stifle the increasing rumours that he had been discovered having an affair. Those attempts miserably failed as his name and a Welsh reality TV star were spread all over twitter and the internet of having had an illicit relationship. Now the cat was truly out of the bag and another 7 year affair, this time with his brother’s wife no less, has been unearthed by a national newspaper. It is amazingly reminiscent of the Tiger Woods saga, and as the headlines continue to bite, his life and more than likely his marriage is continuing to crumble around him.

Ryan was born on 29th November 1973 in Cardiff, Wales (I don’t have a birth-time for him, if anyone reading does know please can you email me). He is a risk taking Sagittarius in a vey close conjunction to inspirational yet deceptive Neptune. His Moon is either in serious Capricorn or detached Aquarius depending on Ryan’s time of birth. I have looked carefully at his chart and I have estimated him to be born around 17.20 which would pull his Moon just into Aquarius. What I can say for definite is that his chart is based around a rather spontaneous and unstable Mars in Aries opposition to Uranus in Libra. Mars in Aries stops at nothing, it will do what it wants to do and Uranus in Libra rebels against traditional forms of partnership like marriage. That opposition squares onto Venus in Capricorn conjunct the Moon I talked of earlier. Moon/Venus is very generally very kind hearted, sympathetic to children and loved ones, however if the Moon were in Aquarius, Ryan would be able to turn his feelings off and on at will  & the Moon here is also far more liable to emotionally more fickle than a more seriously minded and conservative Moon in Capricorn. One could imagine he would be seriously confused emotionally, between the experimental t-square pushing him forward to look for emotional excitement and his more down to earth family orientated Venus Moon conjunction.  In his day job, Ryan has been known for his electric pace and trickery, perfectly described by Mars opposite Uranus.

Moving onto the Sun/Neptune conjunction it is at the point of a grand mini trine, sextiles from which fan out to a Jupiter/Pluto trine. Sun Neptune is a dreamy combination, found in the sign of Sagittarius, those dreams are BIG dreams, Sun/Neptune however does also has the ability to deceive and as part of this mini grand trine, deceive in a big way too. Jupiter trine Pluto is generally lucky and normally is an indicator of success at work, which Ryan certainly has been being the most decorated player of his generation.

Looking at the rest of the chart, there is a tense square between Pluto and Saturn which is retrograde. This aspect can be very difficult when hit by transits and progressions, heralding a complete transformation in the life brought about by difficult circumstances. It also indicates a very troubled relationship with his father, baggage that I would suggest he has brought into his adult life. Interestingly, when his parents split, Ryan chose to revert to his mother’s maiden name “Giggs” rather than keep his father’s surname which was Wilson. Finally, we have a peregrine Mercury unconnected to any other planet on the chart by major aspect which tends to dominate the chart. Mercury is in Scorpio, indicating deep concentration on any tasks that one turns their hand to, including complete dedication in one’s work, something no football fan could ever doubt . One could imagine that Ryan could be quite adept and creative at making or creating things, especially with his hands. On this rectified chart, Mercury would be in the 6th house, giving Ryan incredible desire to perfect his technique and skills and incredibly adept reactions.

The transits chart show that Ryan is under great pressure right now. Transiting Pluto suggesting transformational change is now opposite his natal Saturn and square it’s own position, thus activating that rather nasty natal square between the two planets. Transiting Uranus, the planet of the unexpected is opposite natal Pluto. Remember, Uranus is at the heart of that natal t-square and a 17.20 birth-time would place it in the 5th house of love affairs, an indication that personal transformation (Pluto) would be of result of these shock allegations (Uranus). On the progressed chart, progressed Mercury is trine natal Mars and sextile Uranus, again activating that natal t-square and bringing the allegations into the public arena through communication (Mercury represents the Press and the internet). If my assertion about the birth-time is correct then the progressed Moon would be in the past month exactly square to the deceptive Sun/Neptune conjunction, the emotional (Moon) deception (Neptune) coming to light affecting his whole life (Sun).

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.

Jose Mourinho – An astrological profile of the self-proclaimed “Special One”

On the eve of the biggest football game this season, Real Madrid versus Barcelona in the semi final of the Champion’s League, focus will quite rightly fall on the former Barcelona assistant coach Jose Mourinho, the current manager at Real who infuriates the Spanish media, yet is adored by the fans because he is a serial winner. He is a fascinating man, who at only 48 years of age, is already being hailed as one of the greatest coaches ever.

José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho was born on 26th January 1963 at 07.00am in Setubal in Portugal. He is a double Aquarius with both Sun and Moon in the sign and he has a serious Capricorn ascendant. Aquarians are cool, detached, stubborn, often very talented, rebellious and often have a star quality about them. With Jose, you can definitely seen in him all of those qualities. The Sun and Moon are in wide conjunction in the first house; he will be sympathetic to other people but not so much to his family, indeed he may regard his friends and associates just as much as his relatives. This is an assertive position for the Sun/Moon, he is his own man, will always be in charge, be first and be the boss. The moon here cannot be hidden, all his emotions will rise up to the surface but in Aquarius this is cool, controlled emotion, calculated as if he can turn it off and on at will, just to annoy everyone around him. This is a man who likes to taunt and to tease.

In between the Sun and the Moon is Saturn. Saturn makes Jose even more aloof and distrustful of those outside his circle, he takes himself very seriously and he projects a cold hard edge to the outside world. Conjunct to the Moon and Sun there is a caution about the way he works allied with ruthless authority. Jose’s word will be law. He gets this from his parents who I can imagine were very strict with young Jose; Saturn’s iron will coloured his formative years. Completing the first house picture is Mercury in organizational Capricorn conjunct to the ascendant. Mercury is peregrine (unconnected to any other planet by major aspect). Mercury in this position dominates the chart  and suggests a very high intellect and brilliant administrative, strategic and organisational skills; he will be uninterested in exaggeration and will focus plainly on the facts in any situation with an almost cynical zeal. Jose speaks 6 languages, will be disciplined and will always be learning; he will be a student of any endeavour he puts his mind to.

Looking at the rest of the chart patterns, one can see two oppositions one fixed and one mutable and off them are formed t-squares and wedge formations, two of each. These formations add colour to the seriously minded, individualistic first house. From the Saturn/Moon conjunction we find a t-square formed from an opposition to Mars in proud Leo with squares leading to Neptune at the point conjunct the Midheaven in Scorpio. Here is energy with an emotional bite (Moon), proud, arrogant (Leo), given with a calculated control (Saturn) which is shown on the public arena (Midheaven) for the whole world to see. Jose you see is a showman, able to create illusions (Neptune) to confuse (Neptune) any opposition to himself; he feels totally at home in-front of the TV cameras (ruled by Neptune), he plays to them.

Mars in Leo is a lover of competition and sport, Scorpio loves any physical endeavour which rules the Midheaven and in this chart Neptune, and as such Jose would have always been attracted to physical challenges. He shunned business school, favoured by his mother, to take a degree in sports science. Making a wedge formation to the Midheaven/Neptune is the mutable opposition of Jupiter in the second house opposing Pluto in it’s home house the 8th; the house of regeneration and change. Pluto in analytical Virgo shows a lover of detail of the highest degree, this is the position of the plotter, the schemer, someone who will ruthlessly dissect and exploit any weakness in an opponent. Jose will not be afraid of change, and will alter his approach to suit any occasion, so long as he believes it will help him to win. This is backed up with Uranus conjunct to Pluto in the 8th, here is revolutionary change, able to take over big organisations and businesses and reform them in his own image. Jupiter in the 2nd house opposite Pluto gives Jose an ability to teach in great detail,  a love of luxury, big international ambitions, a gambler’s instinct and a fair amount of luck. Jupiter/Neptune/Midheaven shows a colourful imagination, a love of the big stage and it encourages his to move on when he feels he is no longer accepted, Jose is always on the move from one club to the next.

Moving on to the mutable t-square, we find Venus at the point square out to the Pluto/Jupiter opposition in the 11th house. Venus here shows a social side, the need for friends and companionship, the need to be part of a team, to be loved by that team and as Jose has such a strong first house, to be in charge of that team; just as importantly to him, this team must be a winning team. Jupiter adds the teaching or coaching element to the mix and Pluto aids the tactical and ruthless edge. As I said before Jose needs his friends and associates probably more than his family and here is the key to his success. As Venus is in Sagittarius, he has an ability to bring disparate characters from all different cultures (very Sagittarian) together to bond as one efficient unit under his tutelage.

Jose’s current transit and Solar Arc charts remain remarkably upbeat wit a constructive trine between his natal Saturn and his natal Saturn which is progressive and a nice trine between transiting Jupiter and natal Venus and a square for transiting Jupiter and his ascendant. Solar Arc Mercury is conjunct natal Pluto so I can see that maybe some of his comments may upset some people and get him into hot water, but this is not new for Jose.These supporting elements suggest yet more success, if anyone can outwit Barcelona, then Jose can. With transiting Saturn just about to enter Jose’s 9th house his career is still on an upward curve and there seems no stopping him until about 2017/2018, when we may see Jose depart from management to start a new career, certainly this time will herald a complete change of direction in his life.

It is very rare that you find all the components needed to be a truly successful manager in the cut-throat world of international football, however Jose seems to have them all, an eye for details, a ruthless edge, a serious attitude to work, a tactical nous, unafraid of change, the love of being in the spotlight and the nerve of a poker player. That’s why he has the footballing world at his feet.

Alberto Contador – Focused, insular, a great cyclist and athlete, but also a cheat?

Alberto Contador, the world’s top cyclist is back in the news again. After having been acquitted of drug offences after testing for admittedly low levels of the drug clenbuterol in a urine sample after a stage in the Tour de France, the International Cycling Federation (the UCI) has decided to appeal the Spanish Cycling federation decision to acquit Contador. The has been a suspicion of drug usage hanging over Contador since 2006, so this latest set of allegations, are not new. The real question is – “Is Contador currently by far the best cyclist in the world or is he a serial drug cheat?”. I look at the astrology to see if there is any pattern.

Alberto is Spanish and was born in Pinto, a suburb of Madrid on 6th December 1982 (no birth-time known). He has his Sun in expansive Sagittarius and his Moon is either in showy Leo or conservative careful Virgo, the change of signs came just after 14.30 on that day. I always think that a top sportsmen would require technical excellence (Virgo) rather than a showy personality (Leo) so I would hazard a guess that Alberto has a Virgo Moon. If anyone reading this article knows his birth-time, please let me know.

Alberto’s sun is widely conjunct to Uranus, here is the wanderer who wants to be special, he is individualistic and rebellious. Uranus is also conjunct Jupiter in Scorpio. Jupiter in this sign is unafraid to experiencing extremes and exploring the depths, the unknown, it provides a fascination for him. Uranus/Jupiter is enthusiastic, high spirited and loving of competition & the major tour cycling races pushes the body to the absolute limit; I dare say that this is a challenge Contador thoroughly enjoys and thrives on and drives him forward. To be a top cyclist, you need huge amounts of energy and self belief. Mars trine to Jupiter gives him this and more and encourages Alberto have good judgement and timing in when to make the correct decisions, plus it motivates him to keep improving and driving himself to the absolute limit.

Mars is also square a heavyweight Pluto/Saturn conjunction straddling across Libra and Scorpio. The overall function of this square is to provide incredible stores of energy and focus, able to push you to the edge of exhaustion. More specifically, Saturn in Scorpio installs a fear of showing weakness and emotion. In cycle racing over huge distances and over mountains this is crucial to success; not letting your opponents know when you are feeling worn out and vulnerable. It also instils a fear of trusting others, thus reinforcing the Uranus/Sun conjunction of individuality. Alberto is at peace with himself out on the open road testing himself against his peers. Pluto conjunct Saturn makes Alberto suspicious of crowds and groups, he will want to avoid the limelight as much as possible, he is stubborn, inflexible, to the point and will not want to give away his innermost thoughts. He is a deeply insular, ultra competitive, hugely motivated man.

The Saturn/Pluto conjunction is at the point of a mini grand trine with Moon trine Neptune/Mercury feeding into it. Neptune/Mercury is very expansive, his mind is not logical will drift off into fantasy land, an openness to new experiences and “potentially” an openness to unusual substances like drugs. With Neptune trine the Moon, Alberto is very sensitive and will not like to upset and discord those around him, he may accede  to those requests from those around him and sacrifice his principles just to keep the peace and harmony that he craves. Would this extend itself to keeping the team principles happy by doping at their request to increase his chances of winning? Cycling is a big money sport and sponsors have to be kept content by constant success. Mercury in Sagittarius gives Alberto’s mind big ambitions and he is always looking forward, he has a gambler’s instinct. Combine this with a cool critical calculating Moon (if it is in Virgo) and it would give him the mentality of a poker player. Would he take a calculated gamble in using enhancing products to keep himself at the top?

Looking at the Solar Arcs and transits for Alberto, Solar Arc Pluto is sextile Mars this year so there may be a bit of a blockage for his ambitions this year, albeit temporary, and Neptune is sextile Jupiter so this blockage may be due to the alleged excesses (Jupiter) of taking drugs (Neptune).

One thing is definite. Alberto Contador is an athlete who can give every last drop of energy, somebody who pushes the limits because he enjoys it, somebody who is cold, calculating, individual, a gambler, determined to succeed. Could he be a drug cheat too? From the astrology quite possibly.  An incredible cyclist? Absolutely.

**** Update 6th Feb 2012****

Alberto Contador Banned For Two Years

Today Alberto was banned from international cycling for two years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for use of clenbuterol in the 2010 Tour de France.

Transiting Saturn is the key here on this transit chart. The decision came as transiting Saturn was conjunct Alberto’s Saturn/Pluto conjunction and square to natal Mars. Mars rules the chart so here are blocks on Alberto’s previous victories (Mars). Pluto rules Alberto’s 8th house of change and Saturn rules his 10th of public profile and work. Saturn has enforced restrictions and penalties on him and has tainted his reputation for good. Interesting to that the decision comes as the transiting South Node is quindecile Neptune and Jupiter showing problems from international drug taking. Transiting Neptune is trine to Saturn and Pluto, again highlighting the cheating and the secrecy of what he did, and at the same time it is opposite his natal Moon showing confusion and disappointment. 

Transiting Pluto is moving through the 10th house of public image, and in the natal chart is rather badly aspected being conjunct to Saturn and squared by Mars, so wherever Pluto moves in this chart it will tend to have a debilitating effect. Mars is staying in this 10th house for years to come, so I suspect his professional cycling career may well be over and he will have to go through some sort of transformation in order to progress his life onwards. 

Lionel Messi – The most talented football player on earth

I suffered in awe and in admiration last night. For the second time in two years I saw my beloved team Arsenal succumb to Barcelona in the Champion’s league. Through the disappointment, one has to applaud the little magician that is Lionel Messi. I don’t quite remember Pele, I saw Johan Cruyff and George Best as a boy, and I saw Maradona dribble around the whole England team in disbelief in 1986 (and cheat too by punching the ball in the net), but having watched young Lionel over the past few years, I reckon he has the potential to be better than the lot of them.

Lionel has an incredible chart, I have seen a lot in my astrology studies over the past 20 years, but his one shines like a beacon with talent. Lionel was born in 1986 on 24th June in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina at 06.00 hrs according to his biography. A Cancerian by birth, he has a double Gemini Moon and Ascendant conjunct to it. Leo’s Cancerian Sun sits neatly in his first house along with the Moon. The combination of Sun and Moon is not easy as we have a sensitive soul who’s emotions are always likely to be on edge. This emotional indecision does need an outlet to challenge oneself away from what lies beneath the surface, and the adulation he receives on the football pitch does just that. The Sun and Moon together in the 1st does bring himself a clear impression of who he is and what he can do. He is very self-motivated and capable of being a leader, albeit  with a soft sentimental side. His type of leadership I suspect will be through actions and deeds rather than through fear and aggression.

Opposite the Sun is Neptune in Capricorn, Lionel has great vision and dreams which actually come out in a physical form. Vision in a footballer is vital, being able to “see” what is going on in and around you and react to it. Neptune is quindecile Mars conjunct Mercury, so Leo’s reactions to that vision he sees is rapid, allowing him to react quicker than his peers. Making the Sun/Neptune opposition into a wedge formation is Pluto in Scorpio in the 5th house of sports and games. Pluto is very powerful here adding a sense of destiny to his work as well as a need to be all powerful. It contributes him a ruthless attitude and if you have seen him play you will know that he has a killer’s instinct in front of goal and is quite unemotional with Moon in Gemini – it drives him to be the best, which I believe in the world of football he is right now.

That Moon and Venus sit together in the 1st house in Gemini bringing him an individualistic streak. Here is a childlike love of games and an appreciation of beauty, of course he plays in the “beautiful game” with grace and perfection. Venus in the 1st always has a bit of a vain streak and Leo will always want to create a fashionable and neat appearance wherever he appears. Sitting in the 2nd house is Mercury conjunct Mars. This conjunction brings him a love of a challenge, a strong critical voice and a good team attitude; Aries ruled by Mars rules the cusp of the 11th house of teams and groups. This is not the most aggressive combination being in Cancer, however when something needs to be said, Leo will accordingly respond. Mercury here again perfects the reactions and with Mercury & Mars together those reactions are lightning fast. Messi is known for his twinkle toes, twisting and turning past players like they didn’t exist. He has speed of mind and a quickness on the ground. This placing has an aptitude for money making and spending, however with Cancer on the cusp of the 2nd, I suspect the property market is something that will be attractive to him.

Lionel has Jupiter in positive Aries in the 11th house conjunct square to Mars. This brings fortune to the clubs and groups he is associated with (that certainly seems true with Barcelona) and Lionel will have an optimistic, can do attitude to life. he is very ambitious, popular with his friends and teammates and will never satisfied, always wanting to improve and get better, he embraces competition.  With Jupiter trine Uranus in the 7th house, Leo is an innovator, an individualist and will be very keen to support humanitarian causes.

Finally we come around the chart to look at the Saturn/Uranus conjunction in the 7th house. Leo desperately needs to be loved and adored, and from the Camp Nou crowd he receives that adoration. However in his personal life, things will not prove to be that easy. He would have missed the love of his father with Saturn retrograde, and we do know that he moved from Argentina to Barcelona when he was a teenager. Saturn and Uranus here could indicate that he will leave it late before getting married, and with individualistic Uranus in the 7th one wonders if he will ever tie the knot formally; his need for freedom within relationships is paramount.

That Saturn opposes his Moon Venus conjunction and this opposition squares onto a dreamy Piscean Midheaven. Is this a connection to a future career in TV or broadcast media? I wouldn’t be surprised to find him in the commentary box or acting as a successful pundit for Spanish sports TV later in his career, especially as that communicative and rather forthright Mars/Mercury conjunction makes a trine to the Midheaven too.

Looking at his current transits and Solar Arcs, all quiet on the future for Leo. He may not be at the peak of his powers right now, but he does have transiting Pluto trine and sextile Neptune and it’s own position which is progressive. Leo’s SA Midheaven is exactly trine Mercury today as I write, so in the news for all the right reasons, unfortunately for me and my team.

Putting it all together, you have a remarkable combination of the love of the game, incredible reactions, with a dedication to succeed and a ruthless streak. The only risk I see ahead for Leo is when he stops playing. That Neptune opposite the Sun is susceptible to drink and drugs and escapism, when he no longer has the weekly adoration on the field, and if his emotional life does not reach the heights that his sporting life did. This is a big question mark on his chart. There could be one saving grace if he can use this energy towards the broadcasting world. If so, I can see him airing his views and opinions for Spanish speaking soccer lovers around the world and carving out a new career where that adoration will continue to be received.

That’s a long way into the future, as he is still in his early 20’s (can you believe it??) and I believe that he has a lifetime of winning cups and trophies still ahead of him…

Serena Williams –Tennis legend but her health a concern

Serena Williams, the 13 time Grand Slam tennis champion, is currently recovering in hospital after having some emergency surgery on a blood clot that formed in her lungs. The 29 year old tennis champion was born in Saginaw, Michigan in the United States. Along with her sister Venus, she has dominated the women’s tennis scene for a decade, at least when she has been fit. Serena has her Sun in social Libra in the 6th house of health and her chart is notable for having no less than 6 planets in the house. Health and well-being is and will play a huge part in her life. With all her planet in the Western hemisphere of the chart, Serena is a very giving person and will tend to think of others ahead of herself. With humanitarian Aquarius ruling her 11th house, charity work will be dear to her heart.

As with Sachin Tendulkar who I wrote about earlier today, Serena is an athlete and Mars, the planet of action and energy is placed in the 5th house of sport and games. Mars is in showy Leo and Serena more than any other women’s tennis player is interested in showing fashion on the court, even jewellery and manicured nails – all very brash and Leo like. Mars is trine Jupiter which is hugely self-confident, she has total belief in her own ability and she genuinely enjoys a challenge. It is also square Venus in Scorpio the 7th house, Serena needs to be in a relationship and an intense one at that. She will be extremely amorous and will thoroughly throw herself into her relationships, with the accent more on her rather, than on her partner. Uranus also sits in the 7th house which suggest she will be attracted to unusual or talented people. Serena will be critical and possessive, Moon in Virgo with a Taurus ascendant sees to this, I would hazard a guess that she maybe hard to live with. Initially there will be a shyness about her when she encounters someone new, giving her the air of being somewhat evasive. She is a dreamer (Moon opposite Neptune) and will avoid confrontations especially in relationships, and may allow problems to fester rather than sorting them out directly.

Now we move to the crowded 6th house. Here we have the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn & Pluto.  A huge accent on health & everyday work. The Moon here is a workaholic Moon, Serena will have a warrior’s attitude to practise, and refining her skills (remember Moon is in Virgo). The Sun and Mercury here does the same job, at her everyday work (tennis) she will be a perfectionist, working and working on her technical skills. Saturn and Pluto will give her a serious attitude to the work she needs to do to get where she wants to be, Pluto will push her in this respect until she drops. However, this is a chore that Serna will positively enjoy with Jupiter here. She does the work behind the scenes to propel her to the top. All this sounds so positive for a sportswoman, however there is downside to this crowded house. The 6th house is the house of health. Moon here in Virgo will make her worry about her well-being, and although with all the planets here her attitude to physical health will be excellent, Saturn and Pluto will undermine her body. Right now transiting Saturn which normally undermines the health, is  passing through the 6th house. It is not surprising that she has not played competitive tennis since the Summer. The lungs are ruled by Mercury and natal Mercury is being weakened by a trine to Neptune, a square from Venus and a rather nasty 150 degree quincunx from Uranus. Saturn towards the end of 2011 will conjunct Pluto. I suspect the health problems will carry on into next year unfortunately.

Let’s hope we do see her back soon, as the sight of Serena in full flow is one of the most thrilling sights in women’s sport.

Sachin Tendulkar – Astrology profile of the “Little Master”

The Cricket World Cup carries on in India and Bangladesh over the next couple of weeks, which gave me the opportunity to look at probably the most talented and number one cricketer on planet earth and India’s favourite son, the little master that is Sachin Tendulkar.

Born in Mumbai (24/04/1973 @ 16.20), Sachin is a Sun Sign Taurus with Moon in serious Capricorn. Both the personal planets are in Earth signs which keep his feet and his emotions firmly on the ground and both signs, Taurus and Capricorn are accumulators. This is what he does best, accumulate runs at a prolific rate.

Sachin has a Virgo ascendant which makes him critical, not only of others but also of himself, he will be very self critical and he will have an ability to perfect all his actions to the nth degree. Here is a well turned out young man, how may Virgo ascendants do you know who are scruffy and unkempt? Pluto sits in his first house, giving him a intensity to his personality. Pluto here often indicates that you will model yourself on a charismatic figure of some sort, I believe this to be the great Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, who aided the young Tendulkar by giving him a pair of his own batting pads.

The standout aspect on his chart is a grand air trine, from Uranus in the 1st to Mars in the 5th to Saturn in the 9th house. As befitting a sportsman, Sachin has Mars in the 5th house in humanitarian Aquarius, this is a Mars dedicated to games and physical activity. This Mars is conjunct Jupiter in the fifth which is fun loving, a love of, and generous to, children. Here is a compassionate edge to the persona, Sachin regularly contributes money to the poor and homeless children in his home city of Mumbai. Moving round onto Saturn in the 9th. Here Saturn is in Gemini. As I explained in a previous piece, this placing convinces the brain that you believe that you are not as good as you think you are, so in most cases you work harder to compensate. With Saturn trine Mars, Sachin will have the urge to practise, practise and practise, he has an limitless amount of energy at his disposal. Here Saturn will also contribute excellent concentration and this trine gives determination and a serious work attitude. Perfect for batting for hours in heat and putting up with physical hardship.

He has a serious attitude to religion and his faith to his God will be very strong. Of course, no use if you have the determination and the stamina, if you haven’t got the talent. This is where the third leg of the grand trine comes in; Uranus in the first house. Here is an abundance of skill and individual talent he can utilise. Remember in cricket, there is an element of individuality within the grand scope of the team. He will want to be different, and there is no better way in standing out from the crowd than to be the best in the world. Ally all three legs of the grand trine with that Virgo ascendant and you have a phenomenal talent with all the attributes you could want in a sportsman. The signs are critical to the whole picture. Without the Gemini and Virgo aspects in there, I dare say Sachin would have all the talent in the world, but he wouldn’t work at it, and would just become lazy, mainly because everything would come so easy to him. Grand trines by their very nature are self-contained, the right elements need to be there for them to work to their best effect. Whenever he needs to get away from any troubles he may have, the grand trine is where he will gravitate to, his talent with the willow in the middle of the cricket pitch. His one release from this obsession comes from the square to the Moon off of Uranus. The Moon in  Capricorn the 4th house will give him a love of his family, he will be fiercely protective of them and he treats family life very seriously. He will be a strict, if compassionate father.

When Sachin finally hangs up his cricketing pads he will need something to do. The mini grand trine between Neptune, Mercury and Jupiter give the clue, broadcasting. Neptune sits in the 3rd house of communication and it rules TV and radio. Mercury sits in go ahead Aires, he is straight talking and will have direct opinions and this trine sextiles onto Jupiter in the fifth house of sports and games. Sports broadcasting is where he is heading for sure. With Neptune in Sagittarius, not only is there a local (3rd house) element to this broadcasting but also an international (Sagittarius) element to it too.

With Sun and Venus, Sachin is sociable, popular, loves to have friends around and his personal relationships are more intense than you would imagine. He will have an interest in social power and how money affects people’s lives, something I am sure he will pursue and tackle in his homeland as he gets older.