The Astrology Blog 24 April 2023
All times in BST
“The hardest thing about being famous is that people are always nice to you … even if you say something totally crazy. You need people who can tell you what you don’t want to hear.”
Al Pacino – 25 April 1940, Sun – Saturn 5 Taurus
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Al_Pacino
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.”
William Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) – 23 April 1564, Sun 12 Taurus
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/William_Shakespeare
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
SUMMER SCHOOL
UNLOCKING THE3 SECRETS OF MEDIEVAL ASTROLOGY
17 – 24 MAY
3 of 10 PLACES AVAILABLE
So only three weeks to go before Chris Mitchell comes to Lefkada to run his week on Medieval Astrology, which promises to be fascinating. How was astrology practiced without our modern day software or the outer planets? Don’t worry, there are no mathematics involved!
As Chris says the course is aimed at all levels of astrological knowledge, but assumes no knowledge of medieval techniques. So in that sense all students, regardless of where you are in your studies, will be beginners.
The course will include work on your own horoscope so you will need to provide your data at the time of booking – your date and place of birth, time of birth as accurately as possible. For more details of the course content here’s the link to Chris’ website –
https://almuten.co.uk/index.php/courses/
FLIGHTS & ACCOMMODATION
Flight prices have been high but are returning to more like normal for the time of year – Easy Jet return from Gatwick currently £245.00 and return from Bristol now only £98.00. it’s a very easy journey. Destination airport is Preveza (PVK), transfer time just 45 mins by private taxi, prebooked by me. No ferries involved as the island is joined to the mainland by a tiny causeway.
BEACH STUDIOS
These rooms are exclusively for students attending Chris’ week, set in private gardens and leading directly onto the beach, it’s a truly idyllic setting. All rooms are single person occupancy, own balcony, ensuite shower rooms, fridge and kettle. They are 60 Euros a night including use of the aircon. Some of these studios are also available for other course weeks, info on request.
There are plenty of rooms to choose from and 4 still available with sea views, here’s one of them to give you the picture!
WEDNESDAY 24 MAY – Family Astrology with Elisabeth Brooke
Sorry this course is already full – do get in touch if you’d like to receive info about future courses with Elisabeth.
WEDNESDAY 7 JUNE – Tarot & Astrology – with Joanna
Intermediate Tarot & Beginners/Refreshers Astrology
WAS FULL, BUT NOW 2 OF 10 PLACES AVAILABLE OWING TO CANCELLATIONS
Any client’s first question is, What’s going to happen? Any client’s second question is, When is it going to happen? As my interest in the tarot sprang directly from my astrological work I love to use the two together, especially to show how the horoscope reflects the tarot spread and then to introduce accurate timing.
SEPTEMBER COURSES
WEDNESDAY 30 AUGUST – The Astrology of Relationships – with Joanna
4 of 10 PLACES AVAILABLE
Level – Beginners/Refreshers, but this is an intensive course and we move fast, so even if you’re already intermediate level you can still learn a lot and plug your gaps!
Any practising astrologer will tell you that it’s virtually unheard of to do a reading that doesn’t include questions about love, marriage or affairs. So the focus will be on putting theory into practice, working on plenty of horoscopes including your own.
WEDNESDAY 6 SEPT – How to Make Predictions – with Sally Kirkman
Suitable for all levels
4 of 10 PLACES AVAILABLE
Sally Kirkman’s course, originally scheduled 2 years ago but delayed for pandemic reasons, is now confirmed and is definitely going ahead. Sally is brilliant at prediction work in connection to events – eg she got all five categories right for the last Oscars!
WEDNESDAY 13 SEPT – Cards & Charts on the Table
Refreshers/Intermediate Tarot & Beginners Astrology with Joanna
3 of 10 PLACES AVAILABLE
A repeat of the June course but with more focus on the tarot, especially in relation to card meanings and how to interpret your cards within the context of specific spreads. Introducing astrology to enrich your understanding of the cards and to assist with timing measures.
LAST WEEK’S SOLAR ECLIPSE
In terms of world events that coincided with the Eclipse, and therefore captured the message, I loved this from my colleague Sally Kirkman –
Great synchronicity for the April 20th Solar Eclipse in fire sign Aries – the star sign ruled by Mars and linked to rockets. Elon Musk’s launch of his SpaceX Starship happened on the day and exploded into flames shortly after landing. It looked like a disaster but apparently it was a success.
This can be a helpful way of explaining eclipses on a personal level – something that looks like it’s gone completely wrong can be a blessing in disguise or turns out to be a success once the shadow lifts. It’s not advisable to launch things on an eclipse, yet it doesn’t mean it won’t succeed in the future. Worth bearing in mind.
Sally will be running a course here on Predictive Astrology in the second week of September, see above.
SUDAN
See last week’s blog for a full write up on Eclipses, what they are astronomically and what they signify in terms of astrological symbolism. One of the top points is that Eclipses feature at the time of transferal of power (I gave examples of abdications) so the other obvious news story that captures the Solar Eclipse is the troubles breaking out in Sudan.
After a week of intense fighting hundreds of diplomats and foreign citizens have been evacuated. The shadow of civil war thrown over their lives means that they won’t go back, Eclipses nearly always signify something irrevocable.
The other important point about this Solar Eclipse is that it coincided with Mercury turning retrograde, and let’s not forget that the textbook umbrella interpretation for this is “problems with transport and communication.” The real casualties are the citizens and the people who can’t get out –
There have been desperate calls for help from many foreign students – from Africa, Asia and the Middle East – who are also stuck in Khartoum, a city of some six million people.
Meanwhile, there are reports that internet connectivity has almost totally collapsed in Sudan, which could seriously hinder the coordination of help for those trapped in Khartoum and other cities.
The power struggle has seen heavy bombardment in the capital city, with hundreds killed and thousands more injured.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-65363586
WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK?
The short answer to that question is, not a lot. Here’s your “at a glance” look for the coming week and we can see that there are only two aspects forming this week. However, we do have the backdrop of a newly retrograde Mercury, and snail’s pace Pluto still “stationing” (appearing to stand still) in readiness for making the switch to retrograde motion in a week’s time –
Tuesday 25 April
- Sun 5 Taurus sextile Saturn 5 Pisces 11.49
Saturday 29 April
- Mars 18 Cancer sextile Uranus 18 Taurus 21.05
Monday 1 May
- Pluto turns Retrograde at 00.21 Aquarius 18.06
SUN – SATURN
These two bodies align by sextile (2 signs apart) which is considered to be the most harmonious aspect, the two being in sympathy with each other by sharing the same “gender” – ie all earth and water signs are feminine, all fire and air signs are masculine.
However there is always a fundamental enmity between the two as, if you take the modern outer planets out of the equation for a moment, the Sun is the beginning of the planetary lineup and Saturn is the end. The Sun is the life force and in medieval times Saturn was the end of the known universe, so doesn’t that just fit so neatly with Saturn’s domain of boundaries, limitations, endings, ultimately death. Note that in the medical astrology Saturn rules the skin, the boundary of the physical body.
So the two are opposite ends of the astrological spectrum and we can see the mismatch clearly when you consider the traditional strengths and weaknesses by sign. What is great for Saturn is miserable for the Sun, and vice versa –
| Leo | Aquarius | Aries | Libra |
| Sun in Dignity | Sun in Detriment | Sun in Exaltation | Sun in Fall |
| Saturn in Detriment | Saturn in Dignity | Saturn in Fall | Saturn in Exaltation |
Little wonder that Saturn transits in the horoscope can signify health issues, especially when crossing the Sun or the Ascendant, the super sensitive Angle that marks the beginning of the 1st House in which we locate the physical body.
This week we heard of the passing of Barry Humphries – his alter ego being the much loved Dame Edna Everage. Barry was a whacky Aquarian with an Ascendant of 4.35 Pisces, and he departed for the spirit world as Saturn crossed that exact point. Given that Saturn is on any given degree only once every 29.5 years that’s what you call fine timing.
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Barry_Humphries
That doesn’t mean that the next time you see Saturn heading for your Ascendant, or that of anyone else close to you, that it’s certain death! Context is everything. Barry Humphries was 89 and already hospitalized. Examples of Saturn transiting the Ascendant amongst my own friends and clients have included extensive dental work (Saturn rules the teeth), projects requiring a huge amount of work and discipline, and a life changing job promotion that came with a lot of responsibility.
By the way always listen out for the story in an Aquarian’s childhood that picks them out as “different” or which reflects the coldness of the Sun in the sign of Fixed Air, an event so often characterized by a lack of regard for the child’s feelings and which leaves its mark. An Aquarian friend of mine was called into the Head’s office at school to be told of her mother’s death, and then sent back to the classroom, as if nothing traumatic or even significant had happened. For Barry Humphries his key event took place when he was nine – his mother gave all his books away to charity, cheerfully explaining: “But you’ve read them, Barry”. (Wikipedia)
Is there a positive side to Sun – Saturn combinations? Yes, on this occasion they do at least align by a harmonious aspect so look for the hallmarks of the “good side” to the signs of Capricorn and Aquarius (Saturn’s signs), which include things like the work ethic, getting highly organized, setting goals, taking on projects or dealing with authority. Anything linked to groups or social events can also go well if you put in your prep now. And in any personal dealings look out for “the rules”. Honour your commitments and don’t try to move the goalposts.
MARS – URANUS
So the other pairing of the week also involves two planets coming together by sextile but, again this isn’t an easy combination, especially as we currently have Mars in Cancer (his sign of “fall”) and Uranus in Taurus (the outer planets don’t have official signs of dignity but the general consensus these days is that Uranus is dignified in Scorpio, which means that he’s now in “detriment” in the opposite sign of Taurus). So neither planet is especially happy in their current signs.
Taking Uranus first, regular readers will know that I often refer to this unpredictable planet as the rug puller, the thing you couldn’t possibly have seen coming. At the moment Uranus particularly relates to shaky ground as he travels through the Fixed Earth sign of Taurus.
I’m on the last couple of weeks of Uranus transits in my own horoscope and in this last week the ground went from underneath me literally. I was sitting at my computer and turned to the desk on my left to reach for a book and leaned too far. My office chair (on wheels on a tiled floor) shot backwards and I was suddenly dumped on the floor, I strained my back (still recovering from the injury at Christmas), my neck and both wrists. The chair is now on a raffia mat!
Two days later, having gone to bed with everything as normal, I woke at 5am to find one of my dogs vomiting and staggering around the kitchen. Uranus is transiting my 6th House (where we locate pets) Mars, and the Solar Eclipse and Mercury turning retrograde all happened in my 6th House too. It was as if she’d been poisoned but I knew that was impossible. In the daze of being half asleep and the shock of what I was seeing my blood pressure spiked so there we both were, shaking together on a freezing cold floor and at a time when I couldn’t even call anyone for help.
In some ways the astrology probably wasn’t what I needed as, knowing that the planet of sudden shocks was at work, my mind leapt to worse case scenarios. After discounting poisoning I assumed kidney failure, having lost other animals to this it all looked frighteningly familiar. I smothered her in blankets and checked on her every half an hour until we could leave the house for the vet.
When I’m in crisis I often have luck as well, which I attribute to being a strong Jupiter type. I got to the vet to find bedlam, the waiting room already full of barking dogs, but as I was explaining what had happened to the receptionist one of the vets who has known me for years (a long history of rescue animals!) walked through the swing doors at the back and saw me. He asked me what the problem was, I told him what had happened, he went straight out to the car and lifted Lola out, we were then immediately in the consulting room and he diagnosed her in about 30 seconds flat.
It turned out that she has vestibular syndrome (what?) which is a balance issue, like having vertigo or sea sickness. This is what causes the staggering, the vomiting and the, as it turned out, the telltale tilt of the head and rolling eyes. They kept her in overnight but she pulled out two drips and bit one of the vets. Oops. They were pretty happy about handing her back to me the next morning. After the onset of this syndrome symptoms take about three weeks to settle, which I mention as of course that exactly fits the time scale of retrograde Mercury (21 April to 15 May).
But all of that, my friends, is what you call a textbook Uranus transit! The unexpected, the shock, the disruption to daily life, something so left field that it can leave you reeling. It had crossed my mind that my ancient cat might be my looming 6th House drama, but it had never crossed my mind that it would be my happy little clown Lola.
Again, is there a positive side to Mars – Uranus combinations? Again we have the harmonious sextile and matters can be sorted, even the unexpected, if you watch out for the drama factor. In other words, don’t make a mountain out of a molehill, and/or try not to get involved in anyone else’s dramatizing either, it won’t help. I would say that this is the astrology of finding the best possible rather than the ideal answers.
In terms of the emotional climate Mars in the Moon’s sign can signal frustration. Mars the god of war and action prefers to move fast and in straight lines but Cancer is depicted by the sideways moving crab. Mars is direct and pointed, but in Cancer becomes cautious, inward looking and prone to avoidant behavior, or passive-aggressive tactics.
As already illustrated with the Sun – Saturn it’s another mismatch, as illustrated again by conflicting signs of dignity/exaltation (strength) and detriment/fall (weakness):
| Cancer | Capricorn | Taurus | Scorpio |
| Moon in Dignity | Moon in Detriment | Moon in Exaltation | Moon in Fall |
| Mars in Fall | Mars in Exaltation | Mars in Detriment | Mars in Dignity |
In terms of this Mars – Uranus combination I have to say that the term emotional minefield comes to mind, not least because there’s a lot of secrecy or going on. Watch out for the person who goes all around the houses to get to the point. You may have to get to the point for them! But there’s a definite feel of needing to test the water and read between the lines. Don’t act on assumptions.
In terms of the most sensitive topics the Moon/Cancer’s domain is not just our emotional nature and needs but also rules everything to do with family, home and property. Judging by the stories already unfolding around me at the moment these subjects are hot potatoes!
MERCURY RETROGRADE IN TAURUS
So as noted Mercury turned retrograde 21 April at 15 Taurus and turns direct again 15 May at 5 Taurus. If you’re a regular blog reader you’ll remember that I’ve been taking about these degrees a lot recently as 5 and 15 Taurus or the opposite sign of Scorpio remain super sensitive for the whole of this year, for Mercury now, then for Jupiter, and for both of this year’s Lunar Eclipses –
- 7 April – Mercury enters shadow 5.52 Taurus
- 21 April – turns retrograde at 15.36 Taurus
- 5 May – first Lunar Eclipse of the year at 15 Scorpio
- 15 May – Mercury turns direct at 5.52 Taurus
- 16 May – Jupiter enters Taurus
- 4 September – Jupiter turns retrograde at 15 Taurus
- 28 October – second Lunar Eclipse of the year at 5 Taurus
- 31 December, New Year’s Eve – Jupiter turns direct at 5 Taurus
So it can be helpful to clock what unfolds for you on or close to these dates, especially if you have natal planets or Angles at or very close to these degrees, as they come along. For me as already recounted Mercury turned retrograde as Lola fell ill and will be in recovery for the three weeks between now and Mercury turning direct again. One of the recovery issues is getting her back to normal eating.
There was another animal story too, within a matter of hours of Mercury turning, a Taurus friend rang me in great distress to ask what to do about a brand new kitten that a neighbor had found and then dumped on her. Its eyes weren’t even open so it was about five days old. Bottom line is that it was far too painful to abandon it so she’s feeding it by syringe every 2 hours. It’s one day at a time but if it can survive the next Eclipse it will be deemed out of life and death danger by the time Mercury turns direct.
So both of these stories are partly about sustenance, and Taurus is the sign of food and produce generally. Also on the same day I did a reading for a client whose main concern was to seek a better paid job, so that was another clue as Taurus correlates to the 2nd House which is where we also locate money, especially our personal earning power. My client wanted to paid her true worth, and this is why 2nd House issues can also link to self esteem. Another client had the opposite story, wrapping up a business of 15 years that was purely client orientated, enormously time and energy consuming, and swapping it for a job in the food industry!
So pay close attention this week to any thoughts or decisions that are currently taking shape, especially in terms of how these relate to your quality of life. Some things may well be approaching or even past their sell by date!
Next week we have the important Sun – Mercury conjunction that always falls in the middle of the retrograde Mercury backwards loop, followed by the Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio and the end of Venus’ journey through Gemini, so these are the things I’ll be talking about next time,
Until then with love from Greece
Joanna
