Anita Roddick's very red chart

Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, has recently been in the news announcing that she has hepatitis C, contracted through a blood transfusion when she gave birth to her daughter in 1971. Famous for combining social and ethical campaigning with success in business, she is now on a mission to raise public awareness of hepatitis C and get more government funding to help treat the disease.
Born in 23.10.1942 in Littlehampton (no time of birth available; chart set for noon), Roddick's Sun is still just in Libra, a Sign it shares with 4 other planets. With Libran qualities emphasised, it's not surprising that she has demonstrated a strong sense of fair play in those fields of endeavour she is famous for. Considered to be the originator of many aspects of ethical consumerism and business, she was also a pioneer of fair trade in the UK. As a social entrepreneur she offered goods for the consumer keen to buy brands that reflected their belief system.
Her chart is predominantly red. There are 6 red, 2 green and 3 blue aspects giving her an imbalance of "doing" and "being" energy - the red, "doing" motivation dominates, and this is effectively embodied in the two closely placed Efficiency Triangles which dominate the chart. Both figures focus on Jupiter at the apex, at the "outlet" point of these figures - fitting for an entrepreneur with a strong sense of social justice who is not likely to say "no" to a challenge!
Although Jupiter is at the sharp end of this figure, the planets that drive it are her Aries Moon and her Libran Sun, Venus and Mars. The Sun/Moon opposition indicates a potential battle between head and heart when decisions have to be made, but the inner conflict that the placements of these planets implies find its expression through Jupiter in Cancer and her entrepreneurial need to DO something, together with a strong social conscience and caring for more than just making money.
She took some knocks and harsh criticism last year when she sold The Body Shop to L'Oreal, not renowned for ethical testing of its cosmetics, but business associates claim that the sale wasn't about the money; she had already announced that she was giving away her fortune to support other ethical entrepreneurs.
Her health may be poor - she has cirrhosis of the liver and will need a transplant - but her campaigning spirit is strong. Her mission now is to bring hepatitis C centre stage and raise the profile of this often-forgotten disease, something that the red motivating energy in her chart will surely be applied to.

Of herself, Roddick says: "I'm not a good business-woman......most entrepreneurs aren't. We're delinquents. Everything these days is to do with economics - people speak as if you were put on this earth to keep the economy going. Well I'm sorry, no f***ing way. I'm here to be a good mother, a wonderful friend and an activist. End of story".

Happy Birthday Dear Blog! - Colour Balance and Motivation

It's a year since this blog was "born", on 4.3.2006 at 16.14 in Knutsford. I set up the blog site, noted the time, and then looked at the chart later. I wasn't too impressed to see that it contained only red and blue aspects - ideally there should have been some green aspects too, to give a rounded balance between red/doing energy and motivation, green/thinking motivation and the enjoyment and stability that the blue/being aspects confer.

Huh! So much for the "ideal" being around in this blog - with only red and blue aspects it seemed at the time that this might turn out to be an experience of either on or off, of energetically writing it or letting it lie still and do nothing!

With no green aspects to prod me into awareness to keep up it's momentum, I might just forget about it and let it fade lazily away into the background of my life. Had I been one of those astrologers who insist on electing a time - the right time! - to start a new project, I could have hung around waiting for some planetary movement which would have made green aspects appear. As it is, I have an excess of red aspects in my chart (see one of my first posts, March 2006, about my own chart) so this approach didn't appeal at all. I resigned myself to having a red/blue blog start chart, and to creating some of the green awareness it appeared to lack, myself.

This has worked reasonably well; the posts seem to flow fairly well, but I only write when the need or the interest or the spirit moves me. I'm aware of not leaving too long a gap between posts and have aimed for around 3 or 4 a month - that feels comfortable. And in a way it reflects, to some extent, the on/off motivation of a colour balance or ratio of

6 Red: 0 Green: 5 Blue.

Yes, it's a "You" sided chart, with the majority of planets on the DC side. Sun is aptly placed in the 7th House, eager for contact with the world and ever-so-appropriately conjunct Uranus, the planet often associated with astrology. But hang on - Sun is on the Low Point of the 7th House, meaning it is eager to get out there and be noticed, yet often is not. It can be frustrating, for sure, not knowing if anyone ever reads this blog!

Moon is slap bang on the MC. It's the highest planet in the chart and by heck it wants recognition! It's very strongly placed in the 10th House, is quite strong by Sign too, and fairly craves comments to be left - readers please note, I love to hear from you!

I'm off now to light the candle on the cake - one year on and you're still going strong! Happy Birthday Dear Blog!

Gordon Brown

Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Prime Minister-in-waiting is 56 today. His Age Point is in the 10th House of the chart, so becoming PM is a "now or never" issue for him as Tony Blair's as-yet-unannounced date of departure draws near.

Brown's full data is available (thanks again Caroline) - 21.2.1951, 08.40 at Giffnock, Scotland. Let's have a run through his chart.....

The chart image is of a large wedge shape which dominates the entire chart - it is reminiscent of a door wedge, or a wedge of cheese. The overall structure looks solid and chunky, and it's shaping/motivation is Fixed, suggesting he seeks to preserve and maintain stability in his life, yet it's composed mainly of green aspects. These take the edge off any predispositions of Brown to be totally Fixed and immovable, and add a surprising amount of flexibility and sensitivity - or maybe touchiness and and a tetchy moodiness.

Brown's chart has a very high ratio of green aspects, indicating a lot of thinking alongside the sensitivity and awareness, with less "doing" energy available because of a lower ratio of red aspects, and proportionally even fewer blue aspects, so he may find it hard to just "be". Thinking and ideas are likely to predominate.

Looking at the balance of planets on both "I" (AC) and "You" (DC) sides of the chart, Brown is equally at home interacting with others or spending time alone. Neptune and Saturn flank the DC, suggesting that there are two aspects of Brown that could be perceived on meeting him. One would the sensitive awareness of Neptune, or on a lower level perhaps, its more deceptive, illusory side. The other would be the Saturnian guarded, "proper" and rather dour face that he often shows.

What is interesting is his 12th House Sun - is it going to be a case of more of the same if/when he becomes PM? Blair also has a 12th House Sun....! Brown's Sun, representing his sense of self, mind, will, decision-making process, is very weak by Sign - it's only just into Pisces - but is in the strong Cardinal zone of the 12th House, indicating that the demands of the environment could sometimes be greater than he's able to comfortably deal with. But in 12th, these demands may not be so "public". Note also that the Sun has only green/blue aspects, and has Linear aspects to Uranus and Saturn - this could be good/useful/grounding (Saturn) and perhaps erratic/full of surprises too (Uranus)! His Sun will rely heavily on these 2 planets for outlet and expression, as it is also intercepted (Pisces has no house cusps), along with the other 3 planets and moon's node, also in Pisces. Interesting......does he simply disappear into the 12th House and become invisible?
He has a quadrilateral Aspect Pattern called a "Bijou or Bi-Sho" - the wedge shape that dominates the whole chart. The "Bi" in this unusual name refers to the two sides to the person. The Hubers say of this pattern "This figure has two matching sides that have a harmonious and graceful influence, so that these people could possibly be called 'Bijou' (jewel). This makes them very popular in the long run, and so they occupy a position where they are just irreplaceable. However, they often feel misunderstood". After his long, 10 year wait to get into No.10, Brown might just resonate to the basic meaning of this aspect pattern!

Looking at Brown's LifeClock and Age Point I've chosen a few instances from his recent, personal life - his marriage in August 2000 has Age Point square Mars. Brown's face really lit up with joyful smiles at the birth of his first child, Jennifer Jane in 2002, and he publicly revealed a side of himself in his joy at her birth. Sadly, she did not live long, and her death on 8.1.2002 is shown graphically as the Age Point in his Moon Node chart is conjunct Uranus at the time of her death. His first son, John, was born as Brown's Age Point was sextile Sun and square Saturn, and he was appointed Chancellor back in 1997 when his Age Point was trine Moon.

As he celebrates his 56th birthday, his Age Point is quincunx Moon, and in the 10th House which is a very small one, indicating a period of life when there is likely to be a lot happening. It's in the Sign of Capricorn, too, emphasising the desire for due recognition after many years of toil and labour (Old or New....?!) to reach this position. He must be just itching to move into No.10.

For more on LifeClock, Age Progression and Aspect Patterns see details of the Huber's books on these topics available from the APA Book Shop.

Mercury Moments

This is a true story!

The main character is Mercury, the planet associated with communication, learning and the gathering and dispersal of information.....even blogging! Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun, and it takes a mere 88 days to orbit our star, so it's also associated with speed and fast movement and quick wit too. Mercury is also known as "The Trickster" because like quicksilver, it can act in that way. Now read on......and spot the many Mercurial associations with speed and different forms of communication in this story!

On 22nd August 2003, my handbag was stolen in the local public library, from virtually underneath my nose. The thief, taking advantage of my handbag at my foot as I sat in a comfy armchair reading a newspaper, knocked over the chair which was behind me and, as he picked it up, he picked up my handbag as well. All I noticed and observed at the time was his scruffy appearance, his bright orange t-shirt and his unwashed smell. Minutes later, I realised my bag was gone and reported it to the staff, who immediately telephoned the police and offered me the use of the phone to cancel credit cards etc.

I later learned that the thief had been seen rummaging through a bag in the nearby churchyard, and that this was reported to the police a bare minute before the library staff reported the incident. Two squad cars rushed to the scene and chase was given through the town. The thief gave the police the slip, but from my description they strongly suspected who it was and were able to retrieve my bag and its contents, minus credit cards and the small amount of cash that I was carrying, from his home and he was duly charged the next day.

I was left with the distinct feeling that I'd been used as "bait" to help catch this thief - the police had been after this man for some time - and I felt as if I was merely a player or pawn in what was taking place.

When I got home, I took a look at the ephemeris to see just what might have been going on. The "Trickster" was definitely at work - at the time of the theft Mercury was transiting my Sun! Things happened fast - both in the public library and the surrounding locality where the chase and eventual arrest took place. And why was I in the library in the first place? To look up a phone number in one of the directories outside of my area.........

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan's chart has been suggested as one to look at, and the initial chart image that comes to mind is of antennae seeking out information from the environment. There is an angular, sharp pointy feel to his chart along with a sense of movement, in the triangular/linear shaping of the chart which reveals a mobile, sometimes restless motivation.
Dylan was born on 24.5.1941 at 21.05 in Duluth MN, USA (thanks Sara for his data from Lois Rodden's AstroDatabank). Grouped closely together he has 3 planets in Gemini and 4 in Taurus. All, including unaspected Venus, are clustered around the "You" side of the chart, near the DC, with Mercury the closest. When you meet Dylan you meet his words. This man is an amazingly prolific writer and performer of his own work, and he's still going strong after 50 years in the business. With lyrics like poetry, full of philosophical ideas and anti-war protests, phrases and quotes from many of his songs have entered common usage.

The colour balance/motivation in his chart shows a ratio of 2 red aspects, 1 green and 5 blue. There's a lot of potential for relaxation and enjoyment here, plus an underlying need for stability. How Dylan lives this out I can only guess at - but I do know that his music and his performance of it, for me, has always had a "laid back" quality and the chilled out feel of the 60's scene he was so much a part of.

Mars is intercepted in the 3rd House, and the only way it can be noticed out in the world is via his Gemini Sun, which it is square to in a red linear aspect. That could easily sum up not just his protest songs of the 60's but it could also indicate a reliance on his Sun - strongly placed in the 6th House - to be heard.

He has but one aspect pattern and this is a Small Learning triangle which suggests observable on-going learning behaviour. It may be a specific task that is being learned, it may be seeking a better and more effective way of getting his messages across and out into the world via his DC Mercury. The other planets involved are Neptune (also intercepted and indicative of dreams, ideals, visions of how things might be) and Moon - his feelings, emotional needs etc. This strongly suggests that he writes from the heart. Moon is conjunct Saturn, too, and in Taurus which will help in the grounding and manifestation of the ideals, the feelings, and issues he feels strongly about.

But note that this Learning triangle is not direct - its sequence of colours and associated actions involved in the learning process is retrograde. What is done, learned, undertaken may well not come right first time around: several attempts may have to be made before he is either satisfied or successful.

Dylan has recently announced that he is buying a home in Scotland. In view of this, it's interesting to read on his Wikipedia entry that "in his autobiography, Chronicles (2004), Dylan wrote: "What I was going to do as soon as I left home was just call myself Robert Allen.... It sounded like a Scottish king and I liked it."

A full account of his life and work is at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Dylan
and his website www.bobdylan.com
lists all his lyrics - it's worth a browse!