The Astrology Blog 8 March 2021
All times in GMT
“The most beautiful moments in life are moments when you are expressing your joy, not when you are seeking it.”
Sadhguru (Jaggi Vasudev) – Indian yogi and author, b 3 September 1957
“Tolerance and patience should not be read as signs of weakness. They are signs of strength.”
Dalai Lama
HARRY AND MEGHAN
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Prince_Harry,_Duke_of_Sussex
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Meghan,_Duchess_of_Sussex
As I don’t live in the UK and generally avoid media overload, using mostly the BBC to keep up to date with key world events, I had rather missed the fact that Harry and Meghan have apparently been in the news nonstop for months. With the Oprah interview out there as of last night they are, of course, now making real headlines that not even I could miss.
In recent weeks I have been asked by a few people to cover Harry and Meghan’s story but hadn’t intended to until this interview was announced. By way of preparation I was sent some links to the Daily Mail coverage and, to be honest, I was horrified at the character assassinations going on. Well, we don’t call the UK tabloids “gutter press” for nothing. Little wonder they left the country if this is a taste of what they’d been subjected to.
But the issues are now much further reaching. Amongst other things their “abdication” is being likened to the most famous abdication in history and its cause, the other American woman, the unpopular Wallis Simpson.
The big talking point now appears to be how Harry and Meghan have turned the tides of sympathy against themselves, not so much because of stepping down from royal life and emigrating but because of the apparent hypocrisy – supposedly wanting a quiet and normal life yet placing that life in the hands of a massive PR team as they set about their own empire building. But none of this would work if people all over the world didn’t want to read about them. They are simply part of a celebrity obsessed culture.
Obviously at the time of writing (yesterday) I haven’t seen the interview but I’ve seen the trailers. Harry has understandably voiced his main concern of history repeating itself. Who can forget the heartbreaking image of that little boy walking behind his mother’s coffin, his world shattered, his grief on show for the entire world to witness. William suffered the same and I think I’m right in saying that both boys, looking back through adult eyes, have since commented on how horrific that experience really was and how too much was placed on their young shoulders.
In spite of this early trauma William has since appeared to find stability with the serene Kate, the trusty “low on drama, born for duty” Capricorn, the wiry mountain goat who never puts a foot wrong. She’s almost more royal than he is. But any fantasies that anyone may have had about Kate and Meghan being best buddies started to evaporate almost from the beginning as it became obvious that Meghan was not out of the Kate Middleton mould. Meghan is a “high on drama, born for attention” Leo, which is great on a movie set but not so great for a life of duty. That statement is not intended as a criticism but as an observation so Leos please don’t take offence, there are pluses and minuses to every sign!
It was surely inevitable that Harry’s mental health would suffer a setback once the media turned their relentlessness on his wife. Far too many parallels touching raw wounds. But in terms of history repeating itself you would’ve thought that a high profile interview was the last thing he would sign up for, especially without the respectful act of notifying his family in general and his grandmother in particular. Prince Andrew’s “car crash” interview is still fresh in everyone’s minds, even though he’s all but disappeared, and was conducted under a retrograde Mercury in Scorpio in Nov 2019. At the time I wrote –
“If there were ever an example of how a disaster could have been if not avoided then at least mitigated had an astrologer been consulted, this is it. Can you imagine – um, should I go on national TV and try to defend myself to the whole world about sexual allegations while Mercury is retrograde in Scorpio, sign of sex, power and mystery?”
WHAT DOES THE ASTROLOGY SAY?
SATURN SQUARE URANUS
Reports vary slightly but the Harry and Meghan interview was recorded over the period of 16th to 18th February. Andrew’s disaster proved the point of never go on record for anything when the communication planet is in Mischief Mode, so was a tell all interview again done under a retrograde Mercury? Not quite. Mercury was actually “stationing” mid February (poised to switch direction again) and turned direct just as we clicked into 21 February, and this is traditionally a time when “the truth outs”.
Far more crucially the recording coincided with the first of the huge Saturn – Uranus squares that form the major backdrop for this year –
- 17 February – Saturn 7 Aquarius square Uranus 7 Taurus
- 14 June – Saturn 13 Aquarius square Uranus 13 Taurus
- 24 December – Saturn 11 Aquarius square Uranus 11 Taurus
Astrologically 17 Feb was arguably one of the toughest dates of the whole year. I wouldn’t even have gone to the hairdressers. This is tough astrology because both planets are slow moving, so the square is formed every 22 years, and also because the two planets govern opposing principles –
- Saturn makes the rules, Uranus breaks them
- Saturn is conservative and loves history, Uranus is the revolutionary and stands for all that is New Age
- Saturn favours tradition, Uranus flies in the face of convention
- Saturn imposes duty and responsibility, Uranus is a free spirit
- You can set your watch by Lord of Time Saturn, Uranus is erratic and unpredictable
- Saturn does longevity, Uranus rules splits and separations of all kinds
- Saturn is Harry, Uranus is Meghan?
- The institution of the monarchy is Saturn, Harry and Meghan together are Uranus?
Put these two planets together by square, the most difficult aspect, and the tension is palpable. You get the picture.
These series of three squares are important for us universally (so far notably for the ongoing pandemic that is still not under control and for the challenges of vaccination, mass demonstrations and civil unrest in Russia and Myanmar, erupting volcanoes, earthquakes) and are extra important in particular for anyone with planets or Angles in the range of 7 to 13 degrees of these Fixed signs of Taurus or Aquarius (or their opposites of Scorpio and Leo).
These squares align with Harry and Meghan’s horoscopes as the most important point of their synastry – how the two charts compare – is the stressful square between Harry’s Saturn at 12 Scorpio and Meghan’s Sun at 12 Leo. Harry has a Capricorn Ascendant and Saturn is therefore his chart ruler.
The natal implications of this square are now obvious, his life of duty (Saturn) being at total odds with the life that Meghan wanted (Sun being the life force and our essential sense of identity). Entering the royal family was not simply exchanging one film set for another, it wasn’t the life that she believed that she was signing up for. It was almost certainly a life of many rules and restrictions (Saturn) and Diana would’ve backed her up. It’s interesting that in Charles’ chart Diana shows as Uranus and Camilla shows as Saturn. Speaks for itself.
Uranus starting the once in a lifetime exact transit opposite Harry’s Saturn next month (and repeating in June and finalizing next January) and squaring Meghan’s Sun would be enough in itself to rock the boat on a colossal scale, but throw in the fact that Saturn is squaring the Uranus in the process then it’s a double whammy of tough times and separations. This astrological picture would certainly indicate that Harry believed that he was forced to choose between his life as a royal and his new family, and that the shock wave consequences of this will ripple on throughout the coming year.
How much pressure came from Meghan herself we can of course only speculate, but the big transit in her chart is slow moving Pluto over her Descendant (24.19 Capricorn). This is the highly sensitive Angle that marks the beginning to the 7th House of partnership and marriage, but also all significant one to one relationships, including open enemies. Pluto by transit brings endings and can even obliterate, the individual themselves or the way their lives have been constructed or lived up to that point. She wouldn’t be the first person to find her in-laws impossible or damaging to the marriage.
When Harry and Meghan dropped the bombshell news last January of stepping back and emigrating it was decided that it would be reviewed 12 months later. Any astrologer looking at Meghan’s chart would know that a review would not be happening as Pluto’s transit was exact at the beginning of last March, repeated in June and finalized in January of this year. Exit stage left. I would go so far as to say that this astrology would suggest that, if they hadn’t left, they might have separated. No matter what we might think from the outside looking in the pressure must have been huge, in all kinds of ways. Pluto transits are no joke. He’s the god of the underworld and his visits can be a trip to hell and back.
OTHER SYNASTRY & WILL THE MARRIAGE LAST?
Their relationship with the institution of the monarchy and/or a key relationship within the royal family is almost certainly in trouble, possibly irrevocably (Pluto), but it’s not theirs, and I don’t think it’s with the Queen either. Meghan has her Sun at 12 Leo which is the exact position of the Queen’s Moon so between them they have what is called the “cosmic marriage” – a phenomena created when the Lights, the Sun (light on the day) and Moon (light of the night) are conjunct each other to within 5 degrees. Theirs is exact, indicating a potential bonding, connection and identification that has not been apparent from the outside looking in.
I remember thinking when I first looked at Meghan’s chart, when she first appeared on the scene, that the synastry wasn’t especially powerful. However, on closer examination it’s a lot better than I’d remembered and I’d also overlooked Chiron –
Harry | Meghan |
Moon 21.20 Taurus | Conjunct – Chiron 22.35 Taurus |
Descendant (marriage Angle) 11.22 Cancer | Conjunct – Meghan Mars 11.27 Cancer |
Sun 22.57 Virgo | Trine (harmonious) – Descendant 24.19 Capricorn |
They met on a blind date early July 2016, with the Sun, Mercury and Venus all clustered around that 11 degrees of Cancer area and most importantly with the New Moon 4 July at 13 Cancer, textbook astrology for New love. Harry famously said that there was something in the stars that night.
Harry’s progressed Moon (how planets have “progressed” in your chart is a crucial part of prediction, showing events in the making) was at 18 Cancer, and therefore also in his 7th House of partnership. This is significant because Cancer is the sign on his natal Descendant and therefore the Moon is the significator for his life partner.
Transits and progressions (both timing measures) can only pick out and bring to life what is already there in the natal picture and Harry’s horoscope shows that he’s wired for a solid relationship, with the Lights (the Sun and the Moon) being in a harmonious aspect (at 23/21 of the Earth signs), the Moon in her sign of “exaltation” (best placing) and Venus/Mars the love planets also being in an exact sextile (harmonious, two signs apart) with Venus dignified in her own sign of Libra, natural sign of “the other”. So both of the feminine planets (Moon and Venus) are strong, and to have your partner shown in particular as an exalted planet is a blessing.
Meghan likewise has a strong horoscope for a lasting relationship. Their Angles are flipped (Harry Capricorn Ascendant/Cancer Descendant and Meghan the other way around) which in my experience indicates good synastry. More importantly though she has the Moon and Saturn – rulers of the Asc/Desc – tightly conjunct (next to each other) in Libra (partnership), only one degree apart.
I’ve seen many, many times that when you get the planets ruling the Asc/Desc in good aspect to each other, but especially when they’re conjunct, that this indicates longevity in marriage. In Meghan’s chart both of these planets are in turn also conjunct Jupiter for good measure. Jupiter is good fortune but also rules everything to do with overseas and this is the natal indication for marrying a foreigner – and/or for living abroad.
Back to the synastry, the contacts between the two charts are not that high in terms of quantity but they rate in quality in terms of being very close. Again the Lights are at work. Harry’s Sun lights up Meghan’s Descendant (partner), and his Moon (partner planet) conjunct Meghan’s Chiron the Wounded Healer, just over one degree apart, indicates a relationship in which they can heal each other, and/or that early wounding on one or both sides would play a key role. Mars in Cancer (sign of the family) is in “fall” – this in turn is a wounded Mars – and would also indicate painful (Mars) family (Cancer) issues that would be a major hallmark of the relationship (the Descendant).
The ghost of Diana is ever present. She had her Sun at nearly 10 degrees of Cancer, conjunct that synastry point of Desc/Mars for Harry and Meghan, and her Venus at 24 Taurus, conjunct their synastry point of Moon/Chiron. She also had a troubled Chiron, at 6 Pisces bang opposite Pluto at 6 Virgo. History repeating itself? Undeniably. I’m neither pro or anti royalty, I’m not especially interested in royalty, but I am interested in people. The astrology suggests, in my view, that Harry made the right and only decision.
WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING THIS WEEK?
Water, water everywhere –
Thursday 11 March
- Sun conjunct Neptune 20 Pisces 00.03
Saturday 13 March
- New Moon 23 Pisces (conjunct Neptune 20 Pisces) 10.22
Sunday 14 March
- Venus conjunct Neptune 20 Pisces
And that’s it folks! There are no other aspects during this coming week. So let’s start with a reminder of what Neptune stands for –
Neptune’s main principle is Redemption. He rules our night world of sleep and dreams, and any altered state of consciousness. He is god of the unfathomable seas and psychologically his realm is fusion, the boundless watery world of the emotions, ruling the fuzzy world of falling in love right through to the suffering of loss, grief or personal sacrifice.
On the plus side the Neptunian nature is magical, healing, boundlessly imaginative, artistic and empathic. The trickier side is subtle, seductive, manipulative or addictive – ruling alcohol and drugs – mysterious, illusory, confusing or disorientating.
Neptune is now two thirds of the way through his long journey through his own sign of Pisces. With an orbit of 165 years he’ll take several years yet to finish the journey and won’t move into the next sign of Aries until 2025.
If nothing else this week is likely to be full of Neptunian experiences or lessons. Inevitably emotional concerns are likely to top the bill so pay very close attention to your own feelings with regards to any key relationship or any sensitive subject. There’s a lot to be said for going with the flow but the flipside of this is the danger of being swept along, being overwhelmed in a tsunami of other people’s feelings or needs.
Part of the Neptune challenge is to keep your own boundaries, and to distinguish between those who are genuinely vulnerable and sob stories. Be alive to where you’re being “played” as opposed to where you are really needed and can make a difference. If anyone has the knack of making you feel guilty this is a red flag. None of us are responsible for anyone else’s feelings, no matter how hard that might be to believe.
But above all the best of Pisces is empathy, that in turn invites tolerance, and kindness. Even if you have to let someone down then do it gently. Major news or decisions are part of this picture, and you can’t please everyone and neither can everyone please you, as Mercury comes out of shadow on Saturday, ie returns to the degree at which he originally turned retrograde on 30 January. Whatever issues started to unfold at this time are now poised for resolution and the opening of new cycles, a point that is underlined by the fact that Mercury coming out of shadow coincides with the New Moon.
From a lockdown point of view it’s a fabulous week for getting creative if you have time on your hands. Get going on writing, learning, creating of all kinds, grab whatever interests you. From a pandemic point of view I think the message is clear – don’t collapse your boundaries. Don’t be tempted to lapse on social distancing, especially between now and the end of next week.
The long awaited Spring Equinox, when the Sun moves into Aries and we get some fire back, falls on 20 March so not that long to go. I keep reminding myself of this as Lefkada has been moved into yet another deeper level of lockdown and I’m now not even allowed to take the dogs out anywhere in the car, but these next two weeks are crucial for Europe if they’re going to rescue the summer season. Thanking all the gods that I have a garden.
Until next week, take care
With love from Greece
Joanna