The Astrology Blog 1 March 2021
All times in GMT
“By far the most important way in which we can exercise our attention is by listening … on the whole, most of us listen very poorly.”
M. Scott Peck – from The Road Less Travelled
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/M._Scott_Peck
“The word “happiness” would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.”
Carl Jung – recognized as the founder of analytic psychology
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Carl_Jung
PRINCESS LATIFA
A correction on the timeline. I somehow managed to miss that Princess Latifa’s video was released not by her but by friends. They actually received it some months ago but decided to go public with it out of concern for her safety. It would appear that their fears are justified. On 19 February it was reported that the UN Human Rights office had asked for “proof of life”. Nothing has yet been forthcoming.
As noted last week Latifa is a Sagittarian, a Jupiter sign – planet of liberty, human rights and the law. Jupiter is at 13 degrees of Aquarius in her natal chart. Jupiter has a cycle of approx 12 years so she’s on her third Jupiter Return – ie Jupiter having done 3 laps of her chart, returning to his natal position for the third time. Jupiter also rules publishing and this Return was exact to within three days of her story breaking. The timing is so accurate that it almost makes me wonder if her friends consulted astrology, but either way the time was right to bring Latifa to the world’s attention.
Mercury rules everything to do with the written and spoken word, including petitions, and after the recent retrograde period is now picking up speed again in Aquarius, sign of the collective and humanity. More on this later in the blog but for starters it takes about 30 seconds to add your name to a petition asking for her release – every voice counts –
CHLOE ZHAO
From a disempowered woman to the opposite, the great news for Chloe Zhao who made history at the Golden Globe Awards, becoming the first Asian woman ever to win the prize for best director, for Nomadland, and only the second woman to win the award since Barbra Streisand in 1984.
No horoscope but born 31 March 1982, and it’s pure Aries to tuck “a first” under the belt. The Sun at 10 Aries is exactly opposite Mars at 10 Libra, brilliant for “action” and for achievement in a man’s world. Interestingly Barbra Streisand has an Aries Ascendant at 8 Aries, conjunct Chloe’s Sun.
Students note that Chloe also has a Kite formation in her chart – Moon, Venus and Mars creating a Grand Trine in the air signs with the Moon opposite Neptune, the powerful “handle” of the Kite. Neptune rules film and it’s extraordinary how many actors and directors have this planet strongly placed in their horoscopes. Star of Nomadland is Frances McDormand who has her Sun trine (harmonious) Neptune.
TIGER WOODS
It’s obviously tragic for anyone to suffer horrific injuries in a car crash but when it’s someone big in the sports world, someone who’s made their name through their physical fitness, it’s somehow even more cruel.
Looking back, it was Thanksgiving November 2009 when the Tiger Woods’ scandal hit the press and his then wife Elin Nordegren, also a Capricon, started to discover the full extent of his infidelities. He lost millions as lucrative sponsorship deals were cancelled one by one and his marriage went into a tailspin. By the end of the year Woods had entered rehab for sex addiction but Elin allegedly did not decide to leave him until the following April when a mistress too far came to light. That was her Saturn Return (once every 29.5 years), their divorce settlement was one of the largest in history and he lost another $100 million.
THE CHART RULER – WHAT’S YOURS?
Tiger Woods is a Capricorn, ruled by Saturn, but the planet that rules any horoscope is the planet that rules the sign on the Ascendant – or the Rising Sign – which is determined purely by the time of birth. Your whole chart is “you” but your chart ruler acts as your particular significator, just as the planet ruling the 7th House of relationships acts as the particular significator for the partner. This is how we find who’s who in any chart. Locating these planets in your own horoscope is a great starting point in terms of chart interpretation.
The Ascendant is also the cover to the book, how we approach life and how others first see us. Woods has a Virgo Ascendant, sign of precision in skills and crafts which is a fabulous showing for golfing expertise, and his chart is therefore ruled by Mercury (Virgo’s planet) which is exactly conjunct the 5th House cusp. In terms of “what” the 5th House is artistry, creative skills, life’s pleasures, and in terms of “who” the 5th House is where we find lovers as opposed to the marriage partner.
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Tiger_Woods
Sex addiction, life collapsing and the subsequent comeback is a story of regenerative powers that screams Scorpio/Pluto. So we locate this theme in his First House Pluto (Scorpio’s planet/the phoenix, planet of wipeouts but also of death/rebirth) who in turn is opposite his Jupiter in the 7th House (marriage, partners) and both making a T – Square to the Sun in Capricorn.
His chart ruler Mercury is at 26.26 Capricorn and this dreadful accident has happened as Pluto reached 25.53, will reach 26.26 in the middle of this month, starting his long transit, going backwards and forwards over this Mercury position from now to Nov 2022. Pluto is the slowest moving of all the planet with a cycle of 248 years, so we can never experience a Pluto Return or even a half one as we don’t live long enough!
Tiger Woods has got a long road ahead, the accident reports made it clear that he was lucky to be alive, but he’s one of those comeback kids. The most positive face of Pluto is deep healing and as this long transit draws to a close it will coincide with Chiron the Wounded Healer going backwards and forwards over his 7th House Jupiter in Aries, suggesting inner healing as well as outer. Wishing him well.
WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK?
Venus the love planet is on her way through Pisces, her sign of “exaltation”, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s all sweetness and light. Pisces is linked to increased receptivity and heightened emotional states, which can be everything from that exquisite joy of being in love to the suffering of emotional pain. Hence the choice of Jung’s quote this week, neatly showing how these feelings are the two sides of the same coin.
This week Venus links to Uranus by sextile (major aspect, two signs apart, positive) and to Saturn by semi-sextile (minor aspect, one sign apart, positive). In other words Venus is playing into the huge Saturn – Uranus square that is the big backdrop for the whole year and which was exact for the first time 17 Feb. In terms of any significant love or work changes, ie Venus also rules money and the other love planet Mars is now changing sign in the middle of these two aspects, this is the week when those changes really start swinging into action, with results or consequences making themselves clearer –
Wednesday 3 March
- Venus 7 Pisces sextile Uranus 7 Taurus 17.10
Thursday 4 March
- Mars ingress Gemini 03.31
- Venus 8 Pisces semi-sextile Saturn 8 Aquarius 15.15
It’s a great week for getting involved online with anything work or social or love related as Uranus rules groups and technology, and Saturn is strong in Aquarius, his own sign and also the sign co-ruled by Uranus. Mars entering Gemini, sign of the Twins, is also brilliant for putting yourself back in circulation even if it’s only in a virtual way and for recognizing choices. Hopefully this will be a breath of fresh air as Mars exits Taurus, Fixed Earth and his sign of detriment, and he’ll be travelling through Gemini until 23 April so I’ll be talking a lot more about this combination in the coming weeks.
THE MERCURY – JUPITER FINALE
Mercury first linked up with Jupiter nearly two months ago but then turned retrograde a couple of weeks later. This means that Mercury makes this conjunction not once, but three times, and this is the final one –
Friday 5 March
- Mercury conjunct Jupiter 17 Aquarius 03.28
Here’s the full sequence, concluding with the moment when Mercury comes out of shadow –
- 11 January – Mercury conjunct Jupiter 5 Aquarius first time
- 30 January – Mercury turned retrograde 26 Aquarius
- 14 February – Mercury conjunct Jupiter 13 Aquarius second time
- 21 February – Mercury turned direct 11 Aquarius
- 5 March – Mercury conjunct Jupiter 17 Aquarius third and final time
- 13 March – Mercury gets back to 26 Aquarius, the degree at which he turned retrograde, and this is when Mercury is officially “out of shadow” and back up to full speed
As a general rule any planet linking up with Jupiter, the Greater Benefic, is good news. So if a planet does this three times instead of once, and especially by conjunction, this should in theory be extra good news. The spoke in the wheel is that this long drawn out process can mean exactly that in real terms, that results will be hard won but should be worth the wait.
Look back at what was unfolding in your life on or close to 11 January, at anything that you’ve had to “rework” or anything that’s been stamped with the hallmarks of delays or waiting on other people’s decisions. These matters should now be approaching resolution. My niece sent me a load of post around this date that still hasn’t turned up (Brexit and Covid delaying everything!) so am hoping that this is the week that it all arrives at once! Am also waiting to hear back from two separate companies in the publishing world, correspondence dating back to early January …. Watch this space!
I talk a lot about Mercury being the planet of communication but it’s worth noting that this also includes our listening skills, hence the choice of one of the quotes this week from the extremely insightful M. Scott Peck, who has the Sun, Moon, Mercury and Mars all in Gemini (Mercury’s masculine sign). His big theme is about how love equals effort, and that effortful listening lies at the heart not just of his therapeutic work but at the heart of love itself.
I’ll never forget going to a party in my former life in London, and am talking over 30 years ago, and being introduced to my gay host’s partner who immediately engaged me in conversation. The thing that was immediately obvious with this lovely man was how he listened intently, asked pertinent questions and listened to the answers. I didn’t exactly tell him the story of my life but it wasn’t far off. He circulated amongst the party guests, giving everyone his undivided attention and he had the same mesmeric effect on everyone.
I learned that night that listening is underrated, it’s powerful and highly seductive, not least because not many people can really do it. This is a fantastic week to practice and hone those skills, in either your personal or working life or both, especially if you’ve been dealing with pain or frustration. Try starting a key conversation again, but this time put your focus on listening to what you’re told rather than just trying to get your own version or your own feelings across. When someone feels truly understood that moment can come only from being genuinely heard. We can draw a parallel with the experience of being in therapy and having an expert hanging on your every word – little wonder people fall in love with their therapists! So this week be a listener, and your chances of authentic connection will zoom upwards.
Until next week, with love from Greece
Joanna