Winter Solstice - the Turning Point of the Year

On 21st December the Sun is at its furthest point from the northern hemisphere, making this is the shortest day and longest night of the year. Meanwhile, down in the southern hemisphere the Sun is riding high in the sky as the exact opposite happens.

Photo by Maylis Curie

The winter solstice is a festival of light and in the northern hemisphere it coincides with Christmas. This Christian festival takes place at the same time of year as the pagan celebration of the solstice which celebrates the gradual and at first impercetible return of the light of the Sun after the long days of darkness. It's the turning point of the year and marks the return of the light and the rebirth of the Sun (the Son in Christianity...?), together with the promise of the warmth and energy the Sun brings to make crops - essential to life - grow once again after the earth has lain dormant.

This is the time of year when people of all faiths, and none, can express their connection with the earth, our life upon it in relation to others we meet, and our place in the solar system, so

celebrate !

Share the warmth of friendship at the turning point of the year and bring some light and joy into your own life and the lives of others.

Light a candle - call a friend - perform a random act of kindness - take a risk and smile at strangers as you walk down the street - glow with joy and it will come back to you in spades.

Greetings of the season to everyone out there, and may the warmth of friendship be wrapped around you at this time of year.

Astrology and the Meaning of Life

If your're a seeker and a searcher and puzzle from time to time about the meaning of life, this book covering a variety of subjects relevant astrological psychology may offer you some insights. I'm rather proud because I’ve been involved in the production of this book, and delighted because the contents provide a veritable banquet of in-depth articles using astrological psychology.

“AstroLog 1 - Life and Meaning” draws on selected articles which have appeared in “AstroLog” magazine, established by the Astrological Psychology Institute in Switzerland in 1981. These have been translated from the original German and in this book are available for the first time in English.

There are many articles by Bruno and Louise Huber, together with contributions from other teachers and astrological counsellors trained by and connected with API Switzerland. Topics include amplification of aspects of the Huber Method, new ideas and research, practical experience, links with other disciplines and case studies. I may be biased, but I can promise it’s a good read, whether you go through cover to cover, or dip into it to read the subjects which interest you most.

Articles and subjects are grouped into 4 categories:

• Astrological Psychology
• Life and Meaning
• Age Progression
• Growth and Transformation

The book is available from the APA Book Shop and Amazon. Happy reading!

Ricky Hatton, champion boxer

There's currently a lot of focus on UK boxer Ricky Hatton in the news, mainly because he's meeting with Floyd Mayweather in a much-publicised boxing match this weekend in Las Vegas. I'm no boxing fan, but I was intrigued to see what Hatton's chart looked like, especially as he's a "local lad" and is featured almost daily on the local BBC News.

Hatton was born on 6.12.1978 in Stockport UK. No birth time is available so his chart is set for noon. What was initially surprising was to see that his chart has only linear aspects. No aspect patterns are formed at all. Linear charts have a Cardinal quality. The motivation is go ahead, initiatory, always on the move towards the next goal, erratic and tangential.

Take a look at the chart image. It's composed of zig zagging lines, going back and forth from one side of the chart to the other. The image that comes to mind here is of Hatton in the ring, dancing on his toes as he weaves and dodges this way and that, fists up and head down.

Linear charts indicate restlessness. The next goal on the distant horizon is the one which is sought, and when it's gained, another will take its place. There's a constant moving on, not with smooth flowing movements, but in sharp, staccato, tangential ones.

Hattons' colour balance is 1 red: 2 green : 4 blue. His chart lacks red "doing" energy and drive, but this is compensated for somewhat by the 2 powerful conjunctions he has: Sun, Mercury and Pluto in Libra and Mars, Venus and Uranus in Scorpio. Conjunctions indicate seedling talents we have which need to be developed in order to fulfill their full potential. Libra is one of the most harmonious Signs, often associated with diplomacy and keeping the peace, so again it's a bit surprising to find out that pugilist Hatton is a Sun Libra person! Leave Libra aside though, and the power of Pluto in this conjunction with his Sun makes sense when considered in the context of his profession. Pluto can pack punches!

Some of this Sun/Pluto was evident yesterday in a item on our local BBC News, when Hatton was shown in the US ahead of the fight, giving a press conference along with opponent Mayweather. Whereas Mayweather was smartly dressed in shirt, tie and waistcoat, Hatton appeared in a soft black hat and black t-shirt. Written on the t-shirt in white, gothic-style letters was the word "Affliction", and beneath that was the emblem of a large and powerful eagle, with wings spread wide. Pure Pluto. Then there was a stand off between the two men. Whether this was staged or not, I have no idea, but they stood with chests touching, literally eyeball to eyeball, and this stand off seemed to be led by Hatton. Must have been getting his Pluto out again.

As I said, I'm no fan of boxing, but appreciate that it can be a great thing for some young lads (and maybe girls?) as it focusses and channels energy which might otherwise be used destructively within society. The British comedian Norman Wisdom comes to mind - he learned to box whilst in the army and this gave him a discipline he'd been lacking as a youngster. Clint Eastwood's film "Million Dollar Baby" I nearly dismissed and didn't see as it was about boxing - but I'm glad I went as it offered an interesting insight into the training, triumphs and dangers of this sport.

Will Hatton win on Sunday? Well, not having looked at Mayweather's chart, and not having Hatton's time of birth rather cancel out any chance of putting my head on the block there. All I can note is that Hatton has recently had his 29th birthday, which marks the first Saturn return. This often coincides with a big test in life, together with the need to take on more responsibility.

Sagittarius and the arrows of perception

The Sun is in Sagittarius. The Seed Thought for this Sign is "I see the goal. I reach the goal and see another." The symbol for Sagittarius is an arrow, and in the stained glass depiction of this Sign from the Zodiac Window in Chartres cathedral, the half-man/half-horse centaur, often associated with this Sign, is holding a bow and a whole handful of arrows.

I enjoy playing around with words. The word "Sagittarius" lends itself beautifully to this activity which offers insights into the qualities and nature of this particular Sign.

For instance (and with reference to my dictionary!):

Sage - a profoundly wise man; any of the ancients traditionally regarded as the wisest of their time; profoundly wise, especially from experience.

Sagittarian qualities are wisdom, the pursuit of knowledge and understanding, usually acquired via experience.

Sagacious - mentally penetrating; gifted with discernment; having practical wisdom.

Sagittarius is a Sign of the mind - using it, developing it, stretching it and being able to put to use what it learns from it's journeys of mental exploration.

Sagittate - shaped like an arrowhead

There's that arrow entering the arena as the one-pointed, focussed arrow (often a mental one), seeking it's target and then having reached it, flying off again towards a new, more distant goal. . . and new interests, new areas of exploration.

Jupiter is the ruling planet of Sagittarius, and if you refer back to the posting I made about this planet, you'll see that Jupiter seeks the big picture and wants to know the whole of things, not just the smaller parts. Jupiter wants knowledge and understanding in big whole mouthfuls, not small nibbles, and ably reflects the far-reaching, wide-ranging qualities of Sagittarius.

Where does perception come into this? Jupiter is the planet associated with sight. The Sagittarian arrows fly far towards distant goals we see, bringing what we aim for closer to us. They bring what we seek on distant horizons into focus and make our perceptions change and grow as we quest for knowledge, wisdom and understanding.