Jason Orange of "Take That"

I have a bit of a special interest in Jason Orange as he attended one of my astrology courses in South Manchester a few years ago. On enrolment night at the College of Further Education where the 12 week course was being held, I was asked by one of the organisers to talk to "the young chap over there" who was interested in joining the course. I chatted to him about what he'd learn on the course and he decided to enrol, although at first he sounded very sceptical and suspicious about it. I had no idea who he was (not being into the UK boy bands who were hugely popular in the early 1990's) but when the class started there was a flutter of something interesting going on as the ladies present visibly preened their feathers and became rather smiley and friendly in his direction. Someone whispered to me "Is that Jason Orange?" I said yes, and asked why she wanted to know. It was then I discovered that he was one of the Take That pop group

After the initial flutter of excitement from the class, things settled down as Jason was a thoroughly nice person who joined in everything and was just like any other member of the class. And the ladies, being regular common-sense Mancunians, didn't stay distracted by his presence for long.

What of Jason's chart? (which he learned to draw up for himself). He was born on 10.7.1970 in Manchester, but didn't know his time of birth so we used noon, as is shown in the chart here. His is a very striking looking chart, and the image it conjures up for me is of high powered activity, fast movement, perhaps of someone whirling with an arm and leg outstretched - use your imagination a little here, half close your eyes and you'll maybe get the picture! It was only later that I learned that Jason got into the acting scene because of his skill as a break dancer; this is graphically reflected in the chart image.

With an inner motivation to be restless, changeable and dynamic, his chart has a high ratio of red and green aspects which will make him react and respond sometimes sensitively and be a bit touchy (well, he does have his Sun in the Sign of Cancer and Cancerians can be moody), but it also makes him very aware to what's going around him, and suggests he has a lot of nervous energy. Cancerians have an innately caring nature and love hearth and home.

His chart doesn't have any fully complete aspect patterns, because none of the aspect lines join up to form either triangles or 4-sided figures, but Jason does have an almost-complete Small Talent Triangle, made up of 3 blue aspects which don't all quite meet up at the apex where Moon, Uranus and Pluto are. A Small Talent Triangle indicates a still-developing talent, one that the person has to work on and perfect. The planets at the apex, which does not quite meet up, will have to work extra hard to develop the innate talent and get it out into the world. It has to be used and developed over a period of time, polished and made perfect. With Moon involved, it's likely that working at his talent and improving it would be something Jason would enjoy. The presence of Uranus alongside Moon gives his unique talents a quirky touch too.


At the time Jason joined my class "Take That" had disbanded. One member of the group, Robbie Williams, is now world famous, and you can read what I've written about his chart here. "Take That" re-formed in 2005 (without Robbie) and are now well established once again, touring to sell-out audiences. For me, it was especially good to see Jason and the other members of "Take That" on stage at the new Wembley Stadium in London when they performed at the memorial concert for Diana, Princess of Wales. And now they are back on the scene, I've become a firm fan of Take That this second time around! So Jason, if you happen to be reading this - good on you! And all the best for your future, now you're back on stage where you belong.

Photo from Jason Orange appreciation website

For more information on aspect patterns and astrological psychology, see www.astrologicalpsychology.org

If you liked this posting about Jason, read what I said about Robbie's chart and Robbie's wedding to Ayda Field on BBC Radio Stoke, where you can also listen to me talking about astrological psychology and Robbie's chart.

Sun in Aquarius

Les Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry is a medieval book of hours. There is a text for each liturgical hour of the day, with beautifully crafted and detailed pictures, each presented in glowing, jewel-like colours. The picture above is from the calendar section of the book where the 12 months of the year are depicted along with their associated Zodiac Sign and the labour or activity of the month.

The illustrations were painted for the Duke of Berry between 1412 and 1416 by the three Limbourg brothers who came from Flanders. Materials used were costly and unusual, including crushed lapis-lazuli from the Middle East to get the vibrant blues. Each of the paintings is topped by a Zodiac wheel showing the appropriate Sign of the month in question, together with the Sun moving across the sky, his chariot drawn by winged horses.

In the illustration for the Aquarius month, which we are now entering, the picture shows winter in a countryside village and farm. The land is covered in thick snow. No agricultural activities can be carried out and the stored food has to be eked out to see things through to Spring. There is little to be worked on with the land, but essential activities, such as cutting wood, must go on.

The sheep huddle together for warmth in their shelter and the inhabitants of the farm warm themselves by the fire. The sharp-eyed will notice that they do not have underwear! At the Aquarius time of year, meeting together in small groups, talking and being inventive about how to put to good use the dwindling resources laid down for the winter would have been a major activity, as thoughts of survival until Spring would have been uppermost.

The arc above the picture is detailed with dates and lunar phases. The Aquarian Water Bearer is seen on the left with the Piscean Fishes ( the next Zodiac Sign) on the right.

Hillary Clinton - in 2008 and in 2015/16

 
I've added to this blog post several times, the last being in 2015 when Hillary stood for the Democratic nomination, which somehow seems quite while ago now....or is it that so much murky water has flowed beneath the bridge since then?


I can only comment from afar, with input dependent upon news bulletins here in the UK (and goodness knows, we've got enough going on here with our own Brexit mess), but I've lost increasingly on my good night's sleep at the thought of Trump being elected as the next US President on 8th November. 

For goodness sake America, wake up and don't elect a dubious character with no real policies and wandering hands. You know who I mean.

Hillary may not be perfect. She has her faults. According to the Trump team, she's crooked - yet the investigations into her use of a private email server have shown she's done nothing wrong, and she's admitted it was ill-advised to use this method of communication. And she's moved on.

I've already looked in depth at her chart (re-read all I wrote below, especially regarding her Efficiency Triangle.) This woman is a hard worker, she can put in the hours and the energy - and she has the experience of high office to draw upon too. Her Age Point is in 12th House and her chart has, earlier this year, had the second Age Point intersection of her natal and node chart (for more on the node chart refer below, to blog posts on this topic and also my book The Living Birth Chart.) The intersection, or crossing point, often marks an important turning point in the life of the individual.  

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Read what I first wrote in 2008 - then see the additional comments I made as Hillary announced she will stand for selection as the Democratic nominee in 2016. Will she, won't she get the Democratic nomination? Trump seems to think it should be him and no-one else. Sanders appeals to many who are disaffected and seek change.

Clinton was born on 26.10.1947 in Chicago. Her time of birth is not clear, although there seems to be agreement that it was at 20.00 according to the research I've done. As a quick check to see if this might hold up, I note that her Age Point was conjunct Venus at the time of her marriage in 1975, which provides some supportive evidence for this time of birth.

But what of Hillary's chart? The chart structure is composed of two separate aspect patterns: an incomplete Trawler and an Efficiency/Performance triangle. The Trawler is a large figure, quadrangular in shape so therefore Fixed in motivation, and is made up of mainly blue and green aspects. It absorbs and gathers in - quite greedily and needily in the case of the Trawler, whose behaviour and motivation can be likened to an ever-rumbling empty stomach. The food and nourishment it trawls for and seeks to draw in is information and the person has good selective learning ability. In Hillary's chart it lacks the second long green quincunx aspect which may diminish the learning capacity, or make it more of a challenge. Both Sun and Moon - head and heart - are involved in this pattern as pinning planets, with the Moon just in Pisces as the highest planet in the chart. This Moon is in the 10th House, "on show", and could have the effect of making her need feedback and recognition.

The Efficiency triangle, on the other hand, is triangular in shape, making it's motivation Mutable. It rolls with the knocks, at the same time delivering an efficient output of energy in whatever task it undertakes. The planet at the apex of this figure is Saturn, excellent for grounding and making manifest whatever is worked at. The potential drawback in the combination of pinning planets here is that the Moon's North Node is involved. This is not a planet, and has no energy of its own which can be used in the overall drive for performance and efficiency embedded with this aspect pattern. Clinton will have to actively and consciously engage with issues and matters related to the 11th House, where the Node is placed, and the 5th, where the South Node (not shown) is in order for the pattern to function at its highest potential. This means creating a balance between being selective in who she spends time with and learning how to have the common touch.

She can be helped here by her Venus/Mercury conjunction in the 5th House; this provides valuable tools with which to make contact and communicate. But with these 2 planets in Scorpio, and the Sun there too, and all three of them being intercepted (in a Sign with no House cusps), this could be very difficult for her to do. She will rely on Venus/Mercury getting help from her powerfully placed Mars/Pluto conjunction on the cusp of the 3rd House - these planets are connected by a linear red square aspect looking for something to do - so she'll tend to project her relating to others via this powerful pair of planets.

Of course, this is only my speculation, based on what I observe and see on TV and read in newspapers about this particular candidate, but it does offer some speculation on where she might be coming from. As for her LifeClock, she has recently turned 60 and her Age Point is aspecting that North Node, and Uranus, both perhaps indicating a wake up call.

Addendum April 11th 2015 Hillary is poised to announce her entry into the running for the Democratic nomination for Presidential candidate. The Age Progression in her chart shows that her Age Point is now firmly in the 12th House, and in the sign of Gemini, where Uranus is placed. Whilst this current opportunity is likely to be her last chance of running for President, I wonder if she is also being egged on psychologically to seize it and run with it, and potentially become the first female president of the USA. Uranian energy demands change in the established set ups and rocks the status quo. Her Age Point is not making any aspect to planets right now, but it is in the zone of the intersection of Age Points between the natal chart and the node chart, where what is psychologically beneath the surface comes to light and is expressed. As this event is taking place on the 6/12 Existence axis of her chart, it's quite possible that she needs to stand again and to run - maybe to prove a point to herself as well as the outside world, and also to give meaning to herself in the context of her career as a politician. Questions of "Why am I here?" and "What am I supposed to be doing?" will probably have been explored as she prepares to the throw her hat into the ring.

Barack Obama

Democrat Barack Obama has won favour in Iowa in the first stage of his bid to become the next US President. Born on 4.8.1961 in Honolulu, no time of birth is available so his chart is set for noon. Because the birth time is unknown, the orientation of the aspect structure is likely to be different from that shown here, but nonetheless, it is visually a very striking chart. Viewed in this position, with the noonday Sun right at the top, it appears like a moving, ruffling fan.

(But see more recent posting "Barack Obama Revisited" 5th August 2008 too, as his time of birth has since become available. You might like to read this first though, then move on to the update).

There is a striking conical shape to this structure which indicates a flexible, Mutable inner motivation. With 4 red, 4 green and 6 blue aspects, Obama's tendency will be towards action/reaction, sensitivity and awareness. His chart shows a line up of planets in Leo, and his Leo Sun is strongly placed in this Sign at 12 degrees. An interesting feature is the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter as tension rulers in the chart. These two don't necessarily sit well together, and the image of Dr. Doolittle's "Push me - Pull you" creature comes to mind! Saturn and Jupiter together could be like driving with one foot on the accelerator and the other on the brake. Jupiter in Aquarius will want to go forward at its own pace with no holds barred; Saturn in Capricorn will provide a steadying influence and could act like a wet blanket too. On the plus side, any ideas, new projects, talents, skills and high ideals will be formulated, underpinned with responsibility and made manifest in a thorough manner. A tension ruler in a chart acts like a filter through which everything experienced or expressed passes. Jupiter in this role could welcome all comers; Saturn will steadily suss out situations and provide a protective influence.

Obama has an interesting aspect pattern - a Megaphone- pinned by Mercury, Venus, Moon and Jupiter and composed of 1 red, 3 green and 1 blue aspect. Already ( via the wonders of colour coding!) we can see that this pattern is composed of predominantly blue/green aspects, and is pinned by blue (Fixed quality) and green (Mutable quality) planets. The literal translation from the German word for this aspect pattern is a "whisper bag". What does that mean in the context of this particular pattern?

Bruno, Louise and Michael Huber say of the Megaphone pattern, in their book Aspect Pattern Astrology, " We speak quietly into the narrow end and our voice suddenly fills the room. The other way round it works like the old-fashioned ear trumpet, as used in the past by the hard of hearing". This pattern is about communication - receiving it and giving it. This is supported and emphasised by the inclusion of Mercury as a pinning planet. The area of the chart that it occupies is important, but in Obama's case we can't know this without having his birth time. The high blue/green ratio of aspects in this pattern highlights its idealistic, imaginative qualities. From what I've heard of Obama's speeches, he knows how to use his words well. The Hubers also say "This person is a thinker who extracts a lot of information from communication, which he can then check for value and truth".
How Obama will fare in the next round remains to be seen. But one final thought. This man is 46. According to the Huber's LifeClock, psychologically he has recently been through the Low Point of the chart which is the low point of the whole life and a significant turning point in the life journey, when inner changes are made. This can be a time of frustration and crisis as well as a time of transformation and personal change. I've deliberately not researched Obama's life story in order to write about what I see in his chart, so there's no way I can know whether this might have significance to him. In the context of his bid to be selected as Democratic Presidential candidate, it's on the plus side that he's been through this personal Low Point prior to the 2008 elections.

Addendum: For an update on Obama's chart, now that his time of birth has become available, see my posting "Barack Obama Revisited", August 5th 2008.

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.