Mars - Uranus Update, What's Mercury Up To, Preview of Next Week's Blog & September Summer School (with Chris Mitchell)

29 June 2024

Good morning from a sweltering Lefkada. As I start writing it’s about 9am here and already 28 degrees with 75% humidity. That’s climbing up and over the next couple of weeks we have a forecast of 38 – 40 with a “feels like” whopping 51 degrees, possibly a lot higher.

That’s when you pray that there are no power cuts as aircon all over the island will be in overdrive. On that point even living in permanent aircon is no answer for the mental faculties. It brings its own side effects, drying you out and making the outside world even more challenging.

Needless to say there is NO availability for personal readings, all my appointments already scheduled have been postponed and I’ll be answering urgent only emails.

So this is the fortnightly free newsletter, in which you’ll find –

Some of my comments on the Mars – Uranus conjunction, at the same degree as the Fixed Star of Algol
What’s Mercury up to?
Interpretation of Mercury in Virgo + celebs with this placing
Preview of next week’s astrology
How to subscribe to the detailed weekly blog that goes out every Monday
SUMMER SCHOOL – Two courses scheduled for September, when the weather will be back to idyllic, bring it on!!

MARS – URANUS

There’s no way of denying the scary factors at work in this line up, but it’s important to keep a sense of perspective. Firstly Mars catches up with Uranus every two years, so it’s not new or unchartered territory, but Algol sadly expands the theme of violence already embedded in this conjunction.

This is a copy of my post a couple of days ago, in the Facebook group The World of Astrology – https://www.facebook.com/groups/131108987086161

ASTROLOGY AS ALARMISM!

MARS CONJUNCT URANUS ON ALGOL – an edited section from the weekly blog

Monday 15 July

Mars conjunct Uranus 26 Taurus 05 BST
Conjunct Fixed Star Algol 26 Taurus

Hands up anyone who’s scared themselves to death with some looming astrological feature that was a possible portent of doom, for self or a loved one? My own hand is raised.

I’ve learned over the years that things like the big transits from the outer planets always fit their symbolism but nearly always turn out to be something very different from our original imaginings.

BUT this kind of astrology does warn of erupting (Uranus) violence (Mars), including domestic violence – Carol, Louise and Hannah Hunt, there are no words.

In a nutshell, Mars god of war is everything to do with strife, action or wounding, Uranus is the loose cannon of shocks and surprises.

FIXED STARS

Deborah Houlding is by far the best resource on the meaning of the Fixed Stars and she lists over 150 of them from Deneb Kaitos at 2 Aries through to Scheat at 29 Pisces, you can click on each one for a full description.

Each Fixed Star has a “planetary nature” which is a combination of two planets, and she lists all of these too –

https://www.skyscript.co.uk/stars.html

https://www.skyscript.co.uk/perseus.html#algol

Why is Algol so terrifying? Deborah reminds us that the name Algol comes from the Arabic Al Ghul, the ‘Ghoul’ or ‘Demon’, so that’s the starting point, and is regarded as “the most unfortunate and dangerous star in the heavens and has a reputation for causing violence and unnatural death.”

Any personal advice? I suggested things like ….

Don’t engage in dangerous sports
Don’t risk take, including gambling (I already know about one terrible story of loss)
Don’t fall for conmen on the phone “from your bank” (again, a story of that horror also came to me this week)
Kill your speed when driving
Be aware of your surroundings at a physical level, make your home safe especially the kitchen
Be understanding if someone lets you down at the last minute
Use your common sense
WHEREVER POSSIBLE HELP ANYONE IN AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP OR AT RISK IN ANY WAY

MERCURY

Mercury enters shadow on Wednesday, which means the beginning of the slowing down process in readiness for the next retrograde loop, which is still three weeks away. Here’s the sequence that lies ahead –

17 July – enters shadow 21 Leo
25 July – enters Virgo
5 August – gets as far as 4 Virgo and turns retrograde
15 August – slides back into Leo
28 August – turns direct 21 Leo

I’ll be talking about the shadow symbolism in this week’s blog, and what this signifies. My own Pluto is at 4 Virgo, who’s the slowest moving of all the planets so that means there’s a whole generation out there with that same Pluto. Followed four years later by Uranus arriving at 4 Virgo, so there’s another universal (a generation) as well as particular (individuals) with a planet at this sensitive degree.

Scroll down for the section on Mercury in Virgo as a natal placing.

NEXT WEEK’S BLOG will also include –

More feedback on the Mars – Uranus – Algol
What does this big dustup have to say about Joe Biden’s precarious position?
Horoscopes – Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump
The second Full Moon in Capricorn
Mars change of sign – Taurus to Gemini
Sun change of sign – Cancer to Leo

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE

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How is the current astrology showing, relevant horoscopes, plenty of astrological craft tips and how to make sense of the week ahead

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SUBSCRIPTION RATES

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MERCURY IN VIRGO

Sign of Dignity & Exaltation

Most people associate Mercury with Gemini, his masculine sign, but here is his lesser known strength, the feminine earth sign of diligent Virgo. The planet of the mind in the sign of discrimination makes for an awesome combination – insightful, precise and observant.

These individuals put two and two together and always make four. If something doesn’t add up they want to know why and they won’t rest until they find out. They would never be so brash as to ask direct or impertinent questions but the polite smile masks a brain that is working at the speed of sound. Nothing escapes their attention and their power of analysis is second to none.

Speech tends to be measured, economical – why use fifty words when you can use five – but not necessarily slow. Yes, these Mercury people can be pedantic, nit picking perfectionists and guilty of snap judgments, but there is also a quick understanding. Typically these individuals are highly articulate and deeply interested in the finer details. This is a wonderful placing for a serious novelist or researcher.

The link to Virgo’s domain of health also often shows in vocation. One of my Mercury in Virgo clients is a top speech therapist. The work goes far beyond diagnosing and treating the actual speech problems themselves, extending into analyzing the family dynamics and having the tact and professional acumen to reveal where a child’s verbal difficulties are nearly always linked to their parenting and environment.

It is symbolic perfection to see how this is captured by Mercury in Virgo Colin Firth in The King’s Speech.

In a nutshell: critical, incisive, accurate

More celebs with Mercury in Virgo include –

Amy Winehouse
Coco Chanel
Dua Lipa
Freddie Mercury
Hugh Grant
J K Rowling
Keanu Reeves
Madonna
Michael Douglas
Prince Harry
Robert di Nero
Robert Redford
Sean Connery
Sting

SUMMER SCHOOL 2024

The start date given for each course is a Wednesday, the day that everyone flies in, and all courses start on the Thursday morning. There are four study days in the week and return flights the following Wednesday.

Course fees £375.00

Contact me directly for all current information on flights and accommodation options.

All courses include working on your own horoscope so at the time of booking please send your data – your date and place of birth, and time of birth as accurately as possible.

5 June – Tarot & Astrology with Joanna – TO RUN AGAIN NEXT YEAR
12 June – Questions, Questions – Horary Astrology with Elisabeth Brooke – COMPLETED, ELISABETH WILL BE BACK NEXT YEAR WITH A WEEK ON MOONOLOGY

SEPTEMBER

4 September – Intermediate Astrology – How to do Readings with Joanna
11 September – Medieval Astrology with Chris Mitchell

WEDNESDAY 4 SEPTEMBER

How to do Readings – with Joanna

https://joannawatters.com/course/astrology-readings/

Intermediate Astrology

Astrology is a fascinating and lifelong journey. It’s the gift that carries on giving. But do you sometimes wonder if you’re going to be the eternal student? Have you been studying astrology on and off, or even continuously, for years but still find yourself up against the stumbling blocks of accurate interpretation? Or do you see what something means but find it hard to communicate the info to others, including potential clients?

This course will teach you how to zoom in on the workings of each individual horoscope. You’ll learn how to take a chart apart and put it back together again, and in the process I’ll be showing you how to explain and communicate your findings, even to someone who knows no astrology at all.

You’ll also learn how to use the Ephemerides quickly and effectively, going straight to the important dates in an individual’s life, for the past, present and future. You’ll learn how to pack all these natal and predictive components into a consultation time of an hour and a quarter.

We’ll be working on your own horoscope and students are also encouraged to bring along another horoscope, one that interests you or, with permission, one that you might already be preparing for someone known to you. From horoscopes we are taught!

The aim of the course then is to equip you with the tools for doing effective readings for others, whether it’s for your own enjoyment or for preparing to embark upon your own client work.

WEDNESDAY 11 SEPTEMBER

Unlocking the Secrets of Medieval Astrology – with Chris Mitchell

Suitable for all levels

https://joannawatters.com/course/medieval-astrology-secrets/

https://almuten.co.uk/index.php/courses/

I’m delighted to announce that Chris Mitchell is returning for the second year running. This was a hugely successful week last year and for new or returning students this is a wonderful opportunity to learn from Chris in the perfect setting.

Chris is the total package – a fabulous teacher and a great socialiser, tireless and brilliant at looking after the group out of hours. You will never be on your own in the evenings unless you wish to be.

Chris’s area of expertise is the history of astrology and he’s a tutor on the Cultural Astronomy and Astrology MA course at the University of Wales.

Chris writes:

As modern astrologers, we’re used to drawing up charts in seconds on a computer, and using numerous techniques, outer planet transits and a psychological language to work with our clients. Ours is a rich and subtle art. How, then, did medieval astrologers manage with just seven planets and five aspects? Was theirs simply a limited cut-down version of what we have available to us in modern astrology? How did a society rife with political intrigue and power struggles, and the Black Death, do meaningful astrology without Pluto?

In this course, we’ll discover some of the richness of medieval astrology. Despite the lack of outer planets and modern techniques, medieval astrologers had a surprisingly large toolkit of methods lost to modern astrology. The recent resurgence of modern translations of ancient texts means that these fascinating methods have been rediscovered and can be adapted to our modern lives too. Join us and find out how you can incorporate these rich techniques into your own studies or practice.

COURSE OUTLINE

This medieval astrology course is suitable for beginners and experienced astrologers alike, and will demonstrate some of the richness of medieval astrology that you can put to use in your own charts. Here’s an outline of what we’ll be exploring – there are plenty of hands-on practical sessions in an informal and friendly setting:

DAY 1
Stories of the Sky: where does our astrology come from?
The Sky is our Canvas: find your way round the night sky, and why the zodiac is so important.
The Medieval Theatre: meet the cast – the planets.

DAY 2
Who’s in charge around here? Finding your strongest planet. Essential dignities, and a practical session.
Friends and enemies: medieval friendship, aspects, and orbs.
How did I end up in this situation? Accidental dignity, and a practical session.

DAY 3
Working together: reception and a practical.
Welcome to my humble abode: medieval houses.
Give us today our daily bread – Arabic Parts. Find your Part of Fortune.
What’s round the corner? Medieval prediction: profections, solar returns and practicals.

DAY 4
Mapping out your life: Firdaria, and a scary-sounding technique.
Putting it all together: How to do a medieval chart delineation for yourself and others.

As well as the sessions on the four study days, I’ll be making a detailed handout available for you to download when you get home, and we’ll have plenty of chances to socialise over a glass or two – and I’ll show you how to do a bit of “quick and dirty” medieval fortune telling!

Mars – Uranus Update, What’s Mercury Up To, Preview of Next Week’s Blog & September Summer School (with Chris Mitchell)