Philip Seymour Hoffman – Hollywood mourns the loss of a truly gifted actor.

Overnight the news came through from New York that Philip Seymour Hoffman had passed away due to an apparent drug overdose. It was reported that he was found in his apartment on Sunday 2nd February having seemingly taken a heroin overdose. This is a man who did have a drug problem in his early 20’s but had been clean for two decades during which he became a world wide star and probably one of Hollywood’s most respected and likeable actors. He contributed to such wonderful films as Flawless, The Talented Mr Ripley, Capote, Doubt and The Master, and he was recently filming the sequel to the hugely successful Hunger Games. So why with this wonderful portfolio of work was he suddenly driven back to drugs and ultimately to succumb to the demons of heroin? The planets as ever have the answer.

Mars conjunct Spica - Setting out your stall for the future

This connection occurs at 24:03 degrees Libra and will last until 8th February 2014

Mars is slowing up now ahead of it's own retrograde period next month and it is spending an extended time on each star as a result. Mars is in the stars of the constellation of Virgo at this time and tomorrow it hits the bright star of Spica.

Spica is a lovely star that sits in the hand of the Virgin representing the wheat sheaf, the sign of the harvest. This is seen as a gift after all the hard labour exerted in preparing the crops to grow. This star highlights one's skills, talents and one's knowledge and the potential for brilliance, and any planet in your chart which links up with this star can indicate that you have gift within you that you can give to the world. Sometimes these show early in life, then again as you get older and wiser talents and abilities show up that you didn't realise that you had, especially if Spica sits on one's Descendant.

Mars's influence on this star gives a very individual and active feel and Vivian Robson says of this combination that it brings "popular social success, it may show good judgment and allow quick decisions or provoke violence in disputes or foolish actions".

I think this aspect will put a highlight on sport and physical activities, so appropriate that the Superbowl this year falls under it's gaze, the fight for justice and for equal rights (Mars is in the sign of Libra) will see people raising their voices and it is a good time to make plans and to set initiatives for yourself. Mars is starting to make a quindecile to Uranus, so the more violent, aggressive or accidental side of Mars may come out in the next week or two...

Oxfam – The Astrology of the world’s premiere charity

Oxfam were thrust into the headlines today as actress Scarlett Johansson broke off an ambassador role withe charity because of a disagreement between the two. Scarlett also represents the company SodaStream which is based in Israel and has a production plant in the West Bank. Oxfam as a company does not support trade from companies based in disputed settlements, and as such on a point of principle the two have parted from their relationship. This made me think about when Oxfam was created and how the Astrology of their natal chart would look.

New Moon in Aquarius – A shift in consciousness

Sometimes I wait a little before I write these posts just to feel what is going on before I start to put my thoughts down onto the word processor and with this new Moon I believed it was the best thing to do just to “catch the moment”. Do you feel a shift of consciousness right now, as if things really have to change? Maybe life will get more uncertain, yet maybe the unease you have been feeling is not what you need and now you need to settle things down a little? This new Moon, a super Moon at that and one which will appear much bigger than normal in the night’s sky comes at a moment of a switch in emphasis of the movement of the planets above us all.