Joanna Lumley, the Gurkhas and Gordon Brown

Joanna Lumley, British actor and now political activist, was born on 1.5.1946 at 19.30 local time in Srinigar, Kashmir. She has hit the UK headlines recently as she's long campaigned to allow Gurkhas, who have fought for Britain, to settle here.

Yesterday Lumley went to see Prime Minister Gordon Brown to put the case for the Gurkhas, following the government's defeat in wanting to restrict their rights of residence. Gurkhas are Nepalese with a key role in the British army, with whom they have fought for 200 years. Lumley's father fought alongside them in the 2nd World War, as did my older cousin. They were held in very high regard in my family with their reputation is of fearless fighters.

I wanted to look at Lumley's chart to see if there were any significant LifeClock and Age Point aspects to planets at this time of her high profile fight for Gurkha rights; there are. Lumley's Age Point is in the 11th House and in Libra, the Sign which seeks fair play and justice. It is coming into conjunction with Neptune, the planet associated with high ideals, visions of what may be, selflessness and compassion. Lumley is doing something she passionately believes in, and she's doing it for others, not for herself or to advance her career or raise her profile.

At the same time as her Age Point conjuncts Neptune in her natal chart, the Age Point in her Moon Node chart sits on her Mars/Pluto conjunction in Leo. Aspects coming from the Moon Node chart force out our responses to events in the outside world.

Lumley is liked and much respected as an actor and presenter with her glamorous style and intelligence. With Mars /Pluto qualities backing and supporting the Neptunian urge to support Gurkha rights, Lumley spoke of her meeting with Gordon Brown in terms which were like silk and fire:

She said Mr Brown had taken the matter "into his own hands" and would come up with a "solution" to the issue of residency rights by the end of May. Lumley described her meeting with Mr Brown as "extremely positive" and said the prime minister was "wholly supportive" of the Gurkha cause.

Lumley said she wanted Gurkhas to be given the same rights to settle as soldiers from Commonwealth countries who had fought for the UK. She said Gordon Brown was a "man of integrity" and she was "absolutely confident" that an agreement could be struck now that he was intervening personally over the issue.

"I trust him," she said of the PM. "I rely on him and know he has now taken this matter into his own hands."( source: news.bbc.co.uk)

In effect, Lumley has boxed Brown into taking action in a very classy and stylish way, effectively demonstrating a combination of Neptunian ideals underpinned by a Martian and Plutonic-like energy - not unlike the formidable fearlessness of the Gurkhas themselves.