Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth 2nd, Born 21.4.1926 at 02.40 in London

2016. The Queen celebrates her 90th birthday this year, maybe without the full-on events that accompanied her Diamond Jubilee 4 years ago, but it's still a significant milestone in the monarch's life. Her Age Point, as she turns 90, crosses the IC and enters the 4th house of her chart. It stays in the Fixed earthy sign of Taurus for about a year before moving into mutable Gemini which could bring a change of energy and possibly more of a focus on diversity. She has for some time been delegating royal duties to younger family members and this will surely continue. This dedicated to duty lady of 90 years deserves a bit of a rest - but her strong Taurean Sun suggests she will find it hard to give up altogether, and is highly unlikely to abdicate.
 
2012. This was the Queen's Diamond Jubilee year - celebrating 60 years since her accession in 1952 - has been and continues to be a full-on event with things going on all over the UK and throughout the Commonwealth. I first wrote this post in April 2006, when she turned 80, and have updated it because she's now 86, and it's her Jubilee year.

You can listen to me here talking about the Queen's chart on BBC Radio Stoke

Her chart has the appearance of a nose cone or arrow head flying upwards with Saturn at the tip, overseeing the whole chart as the highest planet and right on the MC. Saturn, along with Mars/Jupiter and Neptune, is part of the red Efficiency triangle which dominates the chart and fills the upper hemisphere.

An Efficiency triangle is a mutable, adaptable figure, but it's key function is achievement though work. It finds expression through purposeful work, with the apex of the triangle and the planet that lies there (Saturn) indicating where the achievement is directed, and what planetary principle is involved.

Could there be a more appropriate planet here than Saturn for a ruling monarch? Not only is Saturn at the apex of this aspect pattern, but it also reigns at the top of the chart, strongly placed in a cuspal position right on the MC. The message that comes across loud and clear from those closest to the Queen is that she will not stand aside for Charles. Her strong sense of duty and dedication to her role is well documented, and that very firmly placed Saturn bears this out and reflects her position as head of the family firm.

The other planets involved in the Efficiency triangle hold and store the working energy and drive of this pattern; Mars/Jupiter suggests an abundance of energy and Neptune indicates the possibility of this being directed towards an ideal, all-inclusive goal. These planets are stressed before the 2nd and 8th cusps so there will be an urgency and on-going drive to utilise her energy to secure and stabilise (she wants the monarchy to continue) as well as to reach out to other areas and societies (her unwavering support of the Commonwealth is well-known). However, without the structure, discipline and adherence to rules and traditions that she was brought up with, these may disappear, making Saturn's placement as the outlet planet most significant.

I've written about the Queen's chart in my latest book Aspect Patterns in Colour and you can listen to me here talking about the Queen's chart on BBC Radio Stoke at the close of the Jubilee weekend celebrations.

Tom Jones

Three faces of Tom Jones. Early Jones (before the nose job), with hair and beard dyed, and as he is now. Jones was born on 7.6.1940 at 00.05 in Pontypridd, South Wales.

 

Jones is one of the high profile British singers who will perform at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert in London on 4th June. Veteran performers and relative newcomers have been invited to take part and Jones will be in the company of Cliff Richard, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Robbie Williams, Jessie J, Shirley Bassey and Paul McCartney.

Tom Jones's chart is interesting - completely linear with no complete aspect patterns, indicating a cardinal, go-ahead restless energy which could make him tangetial, seeking after new goals. The aspect structure is firmly focussed on the "You" side of the chart, with a concentration of planets spanning the 5th and 6th houses of relationships, creativity and work/service to others. Possibly a good set up for a successful singer who has often experienced being pelted with their underwear by female audiences.

Jones's sex appeal could be attributed to his Pluto in Leo in 7th house. It's close to the DC - what is sometimes called the "doorstep" of the chart in the Huber Method of astrological psychology - as it's the first planet others will encounter when first meeting him. There would be a sense of allure, of power and sexuality (in Jones's case he's played very successfully on this theme throughout his career). Pluto in this position will draw others in and they will not necessarily understand why - there will be a magnetism, perhaps something about the eyes and the general demeanour of the person - which signals "come hither". Take a look at the picture of the early Jones and the last one where he's (thankfully) letting his grey hair show, and you'll see it in his eyes.

As a Sun in Gemini and a Welshman to boot, having the gift of the gab will be second nature. This will be strengthened by his Moon also being in the same sign. In 1963, when his Age Point (AP) was conjunct the Sun, he began performing as front man/vocalist in a Welsh beat group. The period when his AP travelled between Sun and Moon was busy - he released the hit "It's not unusual", followed by several other hits in the UK and US, and started performing in Las Vegas.

Although he  has a home in the US, 2012 sees him returning more often to the UK's green green grass of home, as he's featured in a BBC talent show on TV, "The Voice UK". And now he's poised to take to the stage at the Diamond Jubilee concert, just before his AP reaches 72 and completes one circuit of the chart. It is in the consolidating and reliable sign of Capricorn, and before very long it will be opposite Pluto in 7th house. The allure is still there, but he'll be seeing and experiencing it from a different perspective as he embarks on the second circuit of his chart.

Want to find out more about Age Progression and using the Age Point? Go to the Bookshop area of the Astrological Pyschology Association website - or use the website to find out more about taking an APA distance learning course which teaches how to use Age Progression.   

Rebekah Brooks

(Photo courtesy of The Guardian)

Rebekah Brooks, former chief executive of News International and former editor of The Sun and The News of the World was born on 27th May 1968 in Warrington, UK. No time of birth is available so her chart is set for noon, which puts the stellium containing her Sun and Moon right at the top of the chart. But beware, they would be far more likely to be somewhere else in the chart with a correct time of birth. 

Brooks has notoriously been close to, and potentially involved in, the phone hacking scandal which emerged after the mobile of a murdered schoolgirl was apparently hacked into by journalists working for her newspaper. Further scandalous details of phone hacking of a variety of well-known people has emerged, as have implications surrounding her friendship with British Prime Minister David Cameron, set alongside her long term close association with News International mogul Rupert Murdoch.

Brooks has been charged today with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice over the phone hacking inquiry. Charges relate to alleged offences in July last year including concealing documents and computers from police.

What can be gleaned from her chart without a time of birth? The overall aspect pattern shows a predominantly Fixed motivation; there are two quadrangular figures which suggests Brooks wants and needs security and strives towards this. The colour balance of the aspects indicates someone who is more strongly motivated to be busy, active, working, with a ratio of 4 red: 2 green: 3 blue aspects. Cardinal, activity-oriented red will dominate, so in order to feel secure, she will need to be busy.

Aspect patterns involved are a Provocative figure, making her never quiet or lazy and with the capacity to be downright annoying and irritating to others. It's a creative figure, and as such can call forth new ideas and provoke others into action. There's also a Decorative figure, a perfection-seeking aspect pattern which is alert and easily able to decode information and present it in a clear form - very useful for a journalist. These and other aspect patterns are detailed in my book Aspect Patterns in Colour (see details on Books page of this blog).

The strong line-up of planets in Gemini are entirely appropriate for a journalist - news is ephemeral, today's scandal is tomorrow's fish and chip wrapping, and the agile focus of interest is good at moving on to what is new. Brooks is approaching her 44th birthday, placing her Age Point on the Balance Point of the 8th house, from where she may be called, within the next year, to reassess her life and re-orientate herself in the context of both her family and professional life.

David Attenborough

Chart of Sir David Attenborough, born 8.5.1926 in Isleworth, London. Original chart used was set for noon as no time of birth was then available.

Update June 2015 - Attenborough's rectified time of birth of 02.58 (approx) is now available, with a Rodden rating (RR) of C, which puts his Saturn, which I speculated upon in my original post (see below) firmly and authoratively at the top of the chart and in 9th House.

David Attenborough celebrates his 86th birthday today, 8th May. He's well-known and much-respected as a naturalist and is an ever-enthusiastic broadcaster. In spite of his more senior years he's still making stunning wild-life documentaries which take him all over the world and, for me, he has retained his sense of awe, respect and love of the natural world over many decades of broadcasting.

Although no time of birth is available for him, we can look at his chart and get some ideas about where his apparently inexhaustible enthusiasm for his subject might come from. His chart has a high proportion of red aspects which give him a cardinal, go-ahead energy. This will fire his seemingly unstoppable quest to explore, discover and learn more about all aspects of the natural world.

Note, he has 3 planets in Aries, itself an initiatory Sign which wants to get on with things and keep them moving. Mercury (learning, communication) is there along with Moon (his child-like curiosity and ability to engage energetically with his subject) and Venus (a strong urge to relate). Combine these factors and it's not hard to see how his long-term engagement with his subject, as well as his ability to put it across and share it with others, could be partly attributed to these placements in his chart.

There are three distinct aspect patterns in his chart - a Dominant Learning triangle, a Single Ambivalence figure and a Double Ambivalence figure. I'm not going to discuss them here (you can read about all three in my book Aspect Patterns in Colour), but I am going to speculate on the role of Saturn in his chart, as it is a focal point for several aspects.

Saturn relates to systems, structures and organisation, and as such to a scientific mind. Attenborough is a scientist, and to find Saturn acting as a focal point which connects to many of the other planets in his chart isn't altogether surprising. Saturn feeds into the three aspect patterns mentioned, and it's in Scorpio, a Sign whose characteristics include in-depth, forensic-like investigation - very appropriate for a scientist.

Many happy returns to one of my favourite broadcasters, and long may he continue to inspire and educate both on screen and in his other areas of work (just one of them being President of Butterfly Conservation).

Astrology and Astronomy

Astronomers can be very snidey and dismissive of astrology because it doesn't fit neatly into their scientific parameters, and can't be "proved". Yet astrology and astronomy were originally twin sciences and were studied side by side at the great European universities in the middle ages. Up until the 17th century the two subjects were two sides of the same coin, astronomy being more scientific and astrology more philosophical.

Any astrologer who has undergone formal training in the subject will have also had to learn some astronomy and at the very least be able to understand how a birth chart relates to the positions of the planets in the sky. Media sientists such as Richard Dawkins and Brian Cox take note, and pause for a moment or two before you publicly slag off the subject, asking yourselves if you have studied astrology for yourself before you denounce it.

As an astrologer with formal and intensive training in the subject, along with over a quarter of a century's experience of working with astrological psychology, I enjoy moving into the astronomical field from time to time, and often the simplest way to do this is to look up on a clear night and see the stars and planets and identify some of the constellations. On a trip into the deserts of New Mexico, where a lot of space observation takes place, I visited the museum of space discovery near Alamagordo. The roll of honour included men and women instrumental in breaking barriers by their space flights, along with such key astronomer/astrologers as Kepler and Copernicus. Included in the names honoured was that of Clyde Tombaugh, whose observations from an observatory in the desert of New Mexico led to the discovery of Pluto in 1930. And I remembered learning about this way back in the 1980's when I was taking a formal course in astrology.

Also located in the same desert area is The Very Large Array (VLA) - an impressive line up of 27 radio telescopes which track and pick up signals from space, rather like the Jodrell Bank Telescope, close to where I live in the UK. The work at the VLA is highly scientific, yet it focusses on space and what is physically beyond us, making it for me, a fascinating place to visit. The VLA, which has been featured many times in films as the backdrop formed by this Y-shaped alignment, is dramatic and impressive.

If you look up at the night sky, and if there are no clouds in the way, it's a good way of reminding yourself - if you're an astrologer about to set up a chart - of the old, old saying: "As above, so below".