The Astrology Blog 12 June 2023
All times in BST
“I have huge faith, confidence and belief in myself and everything that I am, who I am and what I am capable of doing.”
Novak Djokovic – 22 May 1987
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Novak_Djokovic
“Some people say I have attitude – maybe I do, but I think you have to. You have to believe in yourself when no one else does – that makes you a winner right there.”
Venus Williams – 17 June 1980
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Venus_Williams
The Astrology Blog is a weekly teaching blog, including the astrology for the week ahead and analysis of how astrology is showing in the world around us, in world events or in the lives of those in the public eye.
The content of the blog focuses on astrological interpretation and prediction, in terms of the kind of things to expect when particular planets or patterns are at work. It also includes commentary on the psychotherapeutic benefits of using astrology as a frame of reference, for the individual and the collective.
CHECKING CHARTS
If you want to see the visual of the wheel with the sign and degree of the planets in your own or any other natal chart, to check against the signs and degrees important this week as outlined in the blog, here’s the link to Astrotheme.
Enter your data into the boxes provided, and you’ll also find an invaluable databank of thousands of celebrities. You can also store up to 200 charts of your own:
https://www.astrotheme.com/horoscope_chart_sign_ascendant.php
THE ESSENTIAL GEMINI – THE GOOD & THE BAD!
DJOKOVIC
Gemini Novak Djokovic won the French Open yesterday. In terms of the number of Grand Slam titles this is a men’s record and it also means that he levels with Serena Williams on 23. His next challenge is to equal Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 at Wimbledon. I expect he’ll manage it!
Last week I quoted Geminis Johnny Depp and Steffi Graf with their comments about not feeling their age and age being just a number. Of course many positive people think this way but it’s a quintessential hallmark of Gemini’s archetype, the “puer eternus”, the eternal youth.
In the interviews after his win here’s one of the quotes –
I don’t like to think about age and, it sounds like a cliché, but I really feel age is just a number in my case.
Lovely astrology for Sunday’s win. Djokovic has a goal orientated Capricorn Ascendant, which you can really see in his wiry and bony Mountain Goat appearance, which gives him hard working Saturn as his chart ruler. This planet is at 19 Sagittarius, a sign very much linked to sport and athleticism. Last week’s Full Moon was at 13 Sagittarius, so a bit wide being 6 degrees apart (2 to 3 degrees is more what we would look for) but it’s the same sign.
He has all of Aquarius intercepted in his 1st House, the second sign that is ruled by Saturn but also co-ruled by Uranus at nearly 26 Sagittarius, and this week’s New Moon at 26 Gemini falls exactly opposite that point.
I’ve noticed time and again that one lunation (a New or Full Moon) falling on or very close to a natal planet or Angle is powerful, but when you see consecutive lunations doing the same thing then this nearly always points to big life events, as long as they’re supported by other astrology such as a major transit.
In this case Djokovic had Jupiter (12 year cycle, currently traveling through Taurus) almost exactly conjunct his natal Venus at 6 Taurus. This means that the 2 Benefics (they benefit us) were teaming up, the Greater Benefic Jupiter, planet of good fortune and success, was transiting (crossing over) his natal Lesser Benefic Venus, a time of blessings which happens only once every 12 years.
PLUTO’S RETURN TO CAPRICORN
Pluto slid back into Capricorn in the early hours of yesterday, moving from 0 Aquarius to 29 Capricorn – 0 and 29 both being “critical degrees” as in a matter being super sensitized – picking up a link to Mercury (news) at almost exactly the same time.
Sunday 11 June
- Pluto retrogrades back into Capricorn 07.16
- Mercury 29.58 Taurus trine Pluto 29.58 Capricorn 11.25
- Mercury ingress Gemini 11.28
Within less than two hours of that exact moment the pipework behind my toilet exploded and the sound of pouring water was deafening – as it poured out of the outside pipe and in the bathroom too. For one awful moment, as I rushed in to see where the noise was coming from, I thought the water tank in the loft had exploded or the waste pipe. Pluto rules excretion! The only reason I was saved from the house being flooded is because all Greek bathrooms have a drainage hole in the floor.
My group were with me, we were outside and only five minutes off finishing our session and the arrival of a taxi. When it arrived we commandeered the taxi driver to turn off the water tap that none of us could shift! Thankfully by then I’d found the pliers.
Ten minutes later the group left and then the phone rang, a close friend here to tell me about the death of another of our friends. Steve had been in bad health for a long time, I was sitting next to him at a birthday party exactly one week earlier and couldn’t fail to see and hear the state he was in. Mercifully he wasn’t confined in the last months of his life and he passed in his sleep, absolutely the best that could be hoped for, what we would all want for ourselves or loved ones.
Steve was a Scorpio – the sign co-ruled by Pluto. Mercury combining with the other planets is often a signification of news, and the planet in question is very often news of someone of the relevant sign. I’ve noticed it many times. So a Mercury – Jupiter combo could be news of your Sag or Pisces friends, a Mercury – Uranus combo could be news of your Aquarians – and so on. And/or it’s news of the nature of the planet in question, in this case Pluto as end of life.
DONALD TRUMP & BORIS JOHNSON
Trump and BoJo are back in the headlines, both with regard to coming up against the uncompromising power (Pluto) of the establishment (Capricorn). Both have Saturn (planet of authority that rules Capricorn) transits ongoing –
Johnson has been accused of lying or making untruthful or misleading statements throughout his career, and has been described as racist and otherwise bigoted; comparisons have been drawn with former US president Donald Trump (Wikipedia)
The worst of Gemini is the clever use of language to conceal rather than reveal. Back in the blog 20 March was the first time that I wrote about both of these men at the same time. Boris had resigned as PM but then still got called to account under charges of misleading the government about the lockdown parties at Downing St.
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Boris_Johnson
In that blog when Mars was on his last leg through Gemini I wrote,
I would say he’s in trouble, underlined by the fact that he’s approaching his second Saturn Return (his natal Saturn at 5 Pisces). The same reckoning showing through Mars and then Saturn (authority) applies to Donald Trump, with his Sun – Uranus in Gemini, and his Asc – Desc horizon at 29.59 Leo – Aquarius (ONE minute of arc away form 0 Virgo – Pisces.)
Saturn entered Pisces 7 March, will turn retrograde in June and will turn direct at 0 Pisces in November. There’s a long way to go.
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Donald_Trump
Their unshakeable self belief is unquestionably part of their success stories in terms of reaching positions of power. What they also have in common however is a self belief that tips into arrogance and grandiosity, hallmarks of which show in their “I’m above the law” behaviour and “it’s not my fault” responses.
There’s a refusal to take enough or any responsibility. Johnson’s time in power was hugely affected by relentless scandal, and Trump’s was affected by even more serious matters, such as the horror of the Capitol Hill riots after his deeply worrying refusal to believe that he hadn’t been re-elected.
Johnson has now had to resign as an MP and says that he’s been “driven out”. Trump now has criminal charges against him but says that they’re ridiculous and politically motivated. But boxes of files have been photographed piled up in his bathroom and he’s clearly in a dangerous position –
When Mr Trump left office in January 2021, he was supposed to hand over all presidential records, which are considered federal property. It is illegal for federal officials, including former presidents, to remove or keep classified documents at an unauthorised location. (BBC)
In the eyes of the electorate the ongoing Saturn transit would appear also to be showing the end of the road for him in terms of running for president again.
MIRACLES – PLANE CRASH CHILDREN FOUND IN COLOMBIA JUNGLE
A light aircraft carrying a family of mother and four children crashed in remote jungle on 1 May, exactly the day that Pluto turned retrograde. A search team discovered the bodies of the pilot, co-pilot and the mother, but then followed small footprints and bitten into fruit and eventually discovered the four children after 40 days.
Thanks to Liz Hathway who posted a chart on the Astrological Assoc Facebook page for the time of discovery, for 16.00 which was reported in The Guardian –
https://www.astrotheme.com/horoscope_chart_sign_ascendant.php?r=10
I agreed with Enid Williams on Liz’s post that the most immediately obvious and saddest part of this chart is shown in the very tight Moon – Saturn conjunction in the 4th House, for the death (Saturn) of the mother (Moon). 4th and 10th are the parental Houses. We learned in the heart breaking reporting after the children were rescued that the injured mother lived for four days but urged her four children to leave her, to survive, to seek help. The siblings are 13, 9, 5 and 1 years old.
In the BBC news however this was posted yesterday –
On Friday, in the dead of night at the heart of the Colombian jungle, army radios crackled to life with the message the nation had been praying for: “Miracle, miracle, miracle, miracle.” The military code revealed that four children missing in the jungle for 40 days had all been found – alive.
So there’s confusion here about the time of discovery, 4pm in the afternoon or in the dead of night, but either way I think the key astrology for the rescue is shown in the fact that Friday was the day of the Mercury 27 Taurus – Neptune 27 Pisces sextile.
The ultimate purpose of Neptune is redemption. On the FB page Faye Blake added that Ceres, goddess of food and nature, also featured in the horoscope being at 27 Virgo immediately trine the Mercury and opposite Neptune. The children had some knowledge from their own tribe of foraging for survival and had set up the best makeshift camp they could manage by a water source (Neptune). Even so they were emaciated and dehydrated but are now recovering in hospital.
WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK?
An awkward start to the week with Venus, at the beginning of her epic journey through Leo, in that blind spot aspect to Saturn, who in turn is appearing to stand still in the heavens in readiness for switching to retrograde on at the weekend.
Mercury is back up to full speed and in his own sign of Gemini and aligns with both of the Benefics, Venus and Jupiter, but also slams up against that immoveable Saturn. We have a New Moon, but it’s square Neptune. It’s a week of mixed messages –
Tuesday 13 June
- Venus 7 Leo quinqunx Saturn 7 Pisces 11.01
Thursday 15 June
- Mercury 6 Gemini semi-sextile Jupiter 6 Taurus 05.26
- Mercury 7 Gemini square Saturn 7 Pisces 17.11
Saturday 17 June
- Mercury 10 Gemini sextile Venus 10 Leo 16.30
- Saturn turns retrograde at 7 Pisces 18.29
Sunday 18 June
- New Moon 26 Gemini 05.38
Monday 19 June
- Sun 27 Gemini square Neptune 27 Pisces 04.56
VENUS – SATURN
Venus in any aspect to Saturn is not great, but by square, opposition or this blind spot it’s an even more difficult combination. Venus is love, pleasures, money and enjoyment, Saturn is things like work, responsibility, limitations, road blocks or health worries, so the two together are hard going. The quinqunx itself is also associated with illness or accidents.
I’m being reminded that Venus in the sign of the Lion is an obvious symbol for cats, and in my own chart Venus is the ruler of my 6th House, where we locate all small animals. My old cat Teeny has just started up with the same symptoms, not being able to eat or drink properly, that led to her being at death’s door in the middle of last October. So I suspect this time it will be more serious, especially as it’s getting hotter now and Saturn (blocks) in Pisces (water) is an obvious symbol for dehydration. Back to the vet.
Venus is at the beginning of her epic four month journey through Leo, extended because of including a long retrograde loop 23 July – 4 September.
MERCURY FAST – SATURN SLOW
The best aspect of the week is the Mercury – Venus on Saturday. Great for good news or good times with your girlfriends and loved ones. Listen out for your Librans and Taureans, the Venus signs, or for news about money or anything currently close to your heart or that needs a heart to heart.
Mercury is fast moving, more than one degree a day, so look out for things happening quickly and, because of that serious Saturn in the middle of it all, especially in relation to important issues or decisions. Also Saturn is Lord of Time itself so a matter that has dragged on for a long time can either now be resolved, handled in a different way or abandoned.
Saturn will be retrograde for months, sliding all the way back to 00.30 of Pisces and turning direct at that position on 4 November. That doesn’t mean that all Saturnian issues will unravel or be on a go slow for months on end but it can mean that the dates of 17 June and 4 November could bracket a big event.
This applies especially to you if you have planets or Angles at anywhere between 0 and 7 Pisces or the opposite sign of Virgo. Pay close attention to this turning point as it could be packed with clues, including how not to do something.
NEW MOON SQUARE NEPTUNE
New Moons, new chapters, and as this one falls in the sign of the Twins look out of issues that spin around choice and themes of duality or even multiplicity. However, also look out for making the best of a tough situation and accepting the best possible outcome, as this lunation coincides with the square to Neptune (things like confusion or sadness) and Saturn being SR – stationary retrograde.
Saturn at a standstill can signify heavy or very slow moving matters, or having to step up to demands or responsibilities that you hadn’t previously been aware of or factored in. Neptune is also very slow moving, appearing to stand still in the heavens before starting a backwards loop at the end of the month. Neptune will turn retrograde 30 June 27.41 Pisces and won’t turn direct again until 6 December.
Sorry this is rather a brief look at the week ahead but I’m out of time! Next week it’s the harmonious Jupiter – Saturn link followed by the Summer Solstice so these are the things I’ll be talking about next time,
Until then, with love from Greece
Joanna
