Twenty years of astro blogging

Chart for this blog, started 4.3.2006 at 16.14 in Knutsford, UK 

Twenty years ago, I set up this blog site, noted the time, and looked at the chart. I noted the chart's shaping/motivation was dynamic and linear (one complete triangle, an edgy, active figure and various disconnected linear aspects). The complete Efficiency/Performance figure has probably been instrumental in keeping it going for 20 years (Jupiter opposite Moon on the IC/MC axis and Neptune in 6th the apex). It's all red, is primed to be active, and doggedly slogs on.

The edgy, active figure, known as a Runner, Jumper or Dancing figure is attached to and entwined with the Efficiency figure. Trace it's shape from Moon to Neptune, then to Jupiter and then to the Sun/Uranus conjunction . This figure uses the red aspects for energy and reacts strongly to external pressure with movement and action. Attached to  the Efficiency figure, this works well, speedily springing into action. This accurately describes how blog posts have been created in response to external global events with shared thoughts on the charts of people or situations in the news.

I wasn't too keen to see that the chart 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.

So much for the "ideal" balance of these colours- 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. Sometimes it's felt like this, especially as there has often been a low level of feedback, comments and interaction from readers.  But blog stats speak otherwise, and the most popular posts stand out statistically.

I accepted having a red/blue blog start chart, and realised that creating some of the green awareness it appeared to lack, would depend on what I did and how I did it. This has worked reasonably well; the posts seemed 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 initially aimed for around 3 or 4 a month, which felt comfortable. I now do less, and in a way this reflects, to some extent, the on/off motivation of a colour balance or ratio of

6 Red: 0 Green: 5 Blue.

It's a "You" sided chart, with the majority of planets on the DC side. Sun is placed in the 7th House, eager for contact with the world and is appropriately conjunct Uranus, the planet often associated with astrology. But the 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, although the stats suggest otherwise.

Moon is on the MC. It's the highest planet in the chart and it wants to be recognised, stand out and shine. It's very strongly placed in the 10th House, is quite strong by Sign too, and during those 20 years it would certainly have liked more comments to be left, but being strongly placed in Fixed, Earthy Taurus it's hung in there.

But right now, twenty years on from the  blog's beginning, the Age Point is in intercepted Sagittarius in the 4th House, and it feels like it's time for this long-running blog to retire and be a well- filled source of information about Astrological Psychology & the Huber Method.

In this long-running blog you will find 20 years worth of chart interpretations of real people, descriptions of aspect patterns, and details of the numerous techniques used in Astrological Psychology, and much more which is covered in a total of 301 posts.

Take a look at the topics on offer in the Labels Cloud and the Archives search in the sidebar, and visit the Astrological Psychology website for more info as well as visiting the Pages bar under the blog header. 

Astrological Psychology: Back to Basics

One of the easiest and most important things you can do when starting to look at a natal chart, drawn up in the Huber style and vibrant with colours and shapes, is to do simply that - to look. Setting aside and perhaps even temporarily “forgetting” any astrology you already know, or maybe you don't yet know as you're an absolute beginner, the first way into the chart is via the senses, the eyes and the intuition.

Look for an intuitive picture or image, and you can do this by looking at the overall aspect structure which fills the large central area of the chart. In the context of astrological psychology, this area relates to the unconscious motivation of a person. Often the very essence of the person is contained within this area of the chart, and through developing the intuition we can gain a sense of the person simply by looking at this central core of the chart and absorbing and reflecting upon the pictures or images that we see there.

The chart shown here is for the start of this blog, on 4th March 2006, at 16.14 in Knutsford, UK.

Take a look - is there an image? What about the colours of the aspects? Which area of the chart is filled with aspects? Or are there empty areas? What might this mean?See what I wrote about this chart here for more suggestions, and see my first book, The Cosmic Egg Timer, where the first steps into understanding and interpreting a chart using Astrological Psychology are set out clearly in the introductory chapters, particularly in Chapter 4 - Looking at the Whole Chart.

 

 The Cosmic Egg Timer is an introduction to Astrological Psychology and is available from Amazon in paperback and Kindle format. Both versions are in full colour.

Moon in 7th House

 

Moon & house, Bruges

 

"When the moon is in the Seventh House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars

 

This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius..... "    

 

(Lyrics: Galt MacDermot ,Gerome Ragni, James Rado)  

 

 

 

 

The lyrics are from one of the songs in the then-controversial stage production of "Hair" which was first performed off Broadway in 1967. Wikipedia describes it thus: "The musical's profanity, its depiction of the use of illegal drugs, its treatment of sexuality, its irreverence for the American flag and its nude scene caused controversy.The work broke new ground in musical theatre by defining the genre of "rock musical", using a racially integrated cast, and inviting the audience onstage for a Be-in finale."

 

I saw "Hair" performed on stage in Liverpool in the early 1970s. The songs were great, yes there was nudity, and I went on stage at the end and danced with the cast - a memorable opportunity not to be missed.

 

So, what does all this have to do with the Moon in the 7th House? It's a good line in the song, which anticipates the coming of the Age of Aquarius, but the astrologer in me wonders about the chart the song refers to. Who's chart is it? And where is the location and the time and date of these events? In reality this info would be needed. And having the Moon in 7th House is a reality in astrology; in astrological psychology the Moon in this position brings some interesting life experiences. 

 

The Moon represents our ability to express our emotional responses. When we're in touch with our feelings, we're expressing the energies of the Moon. It's concerned with changes of mood, the ebb, flow and fluidity of our feeling nature. We gain a sense of ourselves through our feelings, most specifically in relation to the people we encounter and the situations we find ourselves in.

 

Take a break, read here what I've previously written about the Moon and watch the short video I made, with suggestions on how to discover more about your own Moon. 

 

Back to the 7th House now - in astrological psychology the 7th House is on the "You" side of the chart, opposite the 1st House, and it's cusp is the DC. It's the area of life experience where we meet others on a one-to-one basis and form friendships and partnerships of all kinds. In the 7th House it's difficult to avoid eyeball-to-eyeball encounters as it's where we meet the world head on....and the world (in the form of those we meet) somehow recognises that here is someone I can talk to, get to know and share some of my problems/life stories/experiences with.

 

Take a break and read here about the 1st and 7th House - the Encounter axis of the chart where  the "I" (me!) meets the "You" (that's the rest of the world around us). This will give you some idea of how the Moon (feelings, emotions, contacts etc) might operate and be expressed in the 7th House.

 

A couple of examples of Moon in 7th House:

 

 

Isolated Moon on the "doorstep" of the chart - likely to be the first thing people pick up on when meeting this person as the Moon is "up for grabs" there and in full view. But note it's in the sign of Aquarius, so is able to keep some detachment if needed - and it's opposite both Pluto and Venus. If Venus kicks in, all may go well; if Pluto kicks in there may be a few surprises in store!

 

 

 

 

Moon in 7th House along with Pluto and Saturn - that's quite a reception committee!    All in Leo, so there's a potential demand to be noticed and recognised, and possibly a challenge to all comers with mixed messages. Moon and Saturn are in aspect to Venus, so there's a dash of a stylish and cultivated flair about this person. But Pluto, note, is aspecting Sun/Mars in Capricorn, so maybe you wouldn't want to push this person too far!

For more on the Moon and other planets, on Signs and Houses, see my first book, The Cosmic Egg Timer which covers the basics of astrological psychology and the Huber Method. Available on Amazon, full colour edition.

 

 

Where is the "I"?

In my post about the astrology and psychology of AI (August 2025), I fantasised on  what the natal chart of the birth of AI might look like, saying: 

We can forget  the presence of the Sun and Moon in this fantasy chart. The Sun represents our sense of self, personal self-awareness, ability to make decisions and moral judgements and it signifies our unique individuality. AI does not have this.....

Recently I've been listening to what Bruno Huber said about the Sun and Moon in a recorded lecture he gave on his research into medical astrology. Of the Sun, he says:

"The Sun is the “I” sense. With the Sun I am aware of myself. I feel or perceive or think about myself. 

With the Sun I don’t need any help from outside as I can perceive myself through what I think, through what I do. 

We have a tool, our ability to think and perceive; this is the Sun. I do the thinking so I must be there."

I'm choosing to write about this sense of "I-ness" as I recently saw a message (electronic, of course) from ChatGPT to someone, saying "I can give you more information on that" in response to a question.

The word "I" was used - and my response was "who or what is this I?" 

ChatGPT, and others like it, is an AI non-physical machine with no sense of self, no "I-ness". It's a disembodied collection of electrical circuits, programmed to communicate as if it were a real living, breathing person, and it can chat as if it's a real person. 

In some ways, that is a remarkable, almost magical thing which captures the imagination and attention - just think back to being a child and wishing your favourite toy could talk to you. Maybe the creators and programmers of AI had realised this when programming the machines (I gather the spaces taken up by these are very large warehouses, or similar), and tapped into it?

In some instances AI has been anthropomorphised* and given a name, as if it's a real person: for example think of "Alexa, go to Netflix", similar to chatting to a favourite doll or soft toy, but as an adult. 

And of course, the machine is programmed to be polite, friendly, helpful, non-judgemental, diplomatic etc. It's never likely to respond as a real person would - there are no nuances in it's delivery and it's not programmed to offend or upset. It doesn't disagree.

This made me pause and wonder if we have we already become so blase and familiar with AI that we don't stop and question the language it's using? Are we already regarding it as if it's an entity in it's own right?

I understand that the "humanisation" of an AI machine probably makes it sound more friendly and chummy to the user, so that the user (you or me) might feel more comfortable and at ease talking to a disembodied collection of sophisticated electronic circuits. But familiarisation with frequent use can lead, via habit and frequent use, to unquestioning acceptance that this is the "norm".

There are already instances of people who have become so attached to their AI "friend", they've regarded their interactions with it as a real relationship.

Bruno and Louise Huber developed Astrological Psychology in the 1960s. They both had Psychosynthesis training in Florence with Roberto Assagioli, while working with him at his Institute. The Astrological Psychology of the Hubers is deeply imbued with the principles of Psychosynthesis, one of which is the exploration of the sense of self.

A key psychosynthesis exercise asks the individual to explore the question "Who am I?" and it takes the person through stages of dis-identification to reach the very core of their being. The many sub-personalities we have can be identified, we can express ourselves through them, but they are not the "I" - we're more than that.

Read what I wrote about Will Parfitt's book The Journey of Psychosynthesis to find out more - and connect with your own sense of "I"- using some of the suggested exercises in the book. And relate this to the Sun in your own chart - your own sense of self, your ability to choose, make decisions and use and direct your will.

Astrological psychology is deeply imbued with the principles of psychosynthesis,  offering numerous opportunities to understand, develop your own sense of "I-ness" - something an AI machine just can't do for you.

And would you really want it to? 

 

* anthropomorphic - described or thought of as having a human form or human attributes.

Scorpio the inscrutable

I wrote about Scorpio back in 2011, and maybe it's time to refresh, update and add a few thoughts to this blog about one of the most intriguing signs of the zodiac.

 

This is  the time of year when the nights grow longer, it gets dark earlier, it's dark in the mornings and if you're like me, it's the time of year to go into hibernation mode. OK, so some readers are in the southern hemisphere, where this is reversed, and some live in parts of the world where there is less differentiation between day and night (like if you live near the Equator) so yes, I'm writing this from my northern European perspective, where we're heading towards the winter solstice and the turning point of the year.

 

What is the Scorpio time of year about (as experienced in the northern hemisphere)? In the agricultural calendar, which the signs of the zodiac follow in terms of the tasks and labours that are to be done, it's the time of year when seeds for winter wheat might be sown. The wine, made following the Libran grape harvest, will be poured into vats to mature in storage. It's also the time of year when fungi are harvested, and traditionally truffle hunters would take pigs out into the woods to search out these delicacies which nowadays can fetch small fortunes when sold to restaurants to feed gourmet diners. 

 

You can see wine being poured into a storage vat to be left to mature in the depiction of Scorpio in the zodiac window in Chartres cathedral in France 

Scorpio as a zodiac sign has some distinctive features and is often called the sexiest sign of the zodiac.....but is it? Does it really live up to it's reputation here, or is there a lot more than just being sexy going on beneath the surface? I'd say, from my experience of this sign, that there's a whole lot  of intensity, that there are shades of inscrutability and the ability to aim for the highest levels possible in thinking, acting, behaving - but there's also the lure of the lower more basic levels of being, which are not so demanding. Scorpio is sometimes depicted as a snake (basic, lower level, closer to the ground) and an eagle (highest level), with piercingly sharp eyesight and the ability to fly high and gain a broad overview of the terrain far below.

 

You can see what I say about Scorpio in this short video on my Astrochat Channel on YouTube. 

 

Click on the link:

 

 https://youtu.be/95BdjFhOIKk?si=I7quAgn9KaD9YIVf

Age Progression: How to use it

Age Progression - the technique of exploring life's journey - is probably the best known feature of the Huber Method.

It was researched and developed by Bruno Huber, based on his experience of working with clients as an astrologer and psychosynthesis counsellor, and it was not intended to be used as a method of prediction.

Rather than Age Progression (AP) being a predictive tool it offers users a specific and unique technique; when used alongside other chart features in the Huber Method it throws an illuminating spotlight on issues such as where has the individual come from, where are they going and where are they now in their lives.

 

 

How to use it 

•  To get the best results, don't "cherry pick" - don't try to graft Age Progression on to the system, method or approach you're using for chart interpretation. It's designed to be used with the Huber Method, and is backed up and supported by a variety of other features to take into consideration. If you mix it up with other methods you'll miss out on the relevance and significance of these. 
•  
• Start with the correct time of birth, wherever possible. 

• Use the Koch House system. Bruno Huber researched the effectiveness and validity of AP using other systems and found the Koch system yielded the most accurate results.

• Use the Dynamic Energy Curve within the chart to trace the ups and downs encountered as the AP moves around the chart, travelling from house cusp to house cusp, going through the zones of each house and encountering the Balance and Low Point within each one.

• Consider the meaning and significance of the house and sign the AP is in to build up an understanding of the general background/environmental influences and expectations.

• Consider which element the AP is moving through - fire, earth, air, water - this focusses the background more sharply and adds to the overall picture. 

• Are there planets in the house the AP is in? If so, what are they and where are they placed on the Dynamic Energy Curve? Strong, weak or stressed?

• Are any planets being aspected by the AP? Conjunction, opposition and quincunx are likely to be the most significant. NB - the Huber Method uses far fewer aspects - this again was researched by Bruno Huber. 

This is a brief summary and taster of what is in my book 

Using Age Progression: Understanding Life's Journey 

For much more, with full details, click on this link, read the outline and the review. 

Using Age Progression is available from Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.

It's illustrated in full colour and has worked examples of using AP in a mixture of the charts of real ordinary people and famous people, historical and living.

  

The astrology and psychology of AI

A brief web search for astrology and AI will yield a raft of possibilities and choices if you're looking for a chart interpretation by a robot. But why would you trust a robot, programmed to look at your natal chart - and maybe not very well either - when you could have it interpreted by a real, live, trained and experienced astrologer?

I might, as an experiment, see what an AI astrobot would come up with for my own chart, but really wouldn't have many expectations beyond it being able to regurgitate material it had already been programmed to use. In truth, it would be a waste of time going there because I've been looking at and working on my own chart in the context of my life experiences as I've learned and practiced astrology since 1984, gaining my professional qualification in astrological psychology in 1987. 

There are many approaches to astrology, and many different styles or methods which can be used - Western astrology, Chinese astrology, Vedic astrology, Horary astrology, Psychological astrology, Mythic astrology and more - you can go and look them up for yourself. Where would the astrobot start if it was scraping info from some of these various sources? 

Would it mix them up and present them as a mishmash of different approaches? This has the potential for a dog's dinner because a machine, unable to differentiate, could cherry pick different techniques from different astrological disciplines, methods and systems, regardless of their relevance and compatibilities, and bundle them together into one single reading.

I use the Huber Method of Astrological Psychology, which has strong connections with Psychosynthesis, often called a Psychology with a Soul, which was developed by Italian Psychiatrist Roberto Assagioli. Anything you might find on the web about astrological psychology and AI is likely to have been poached, pinched, stolen and taken from existing information on the web. It might have been copied directly - and illegally -  from books available on the subject if their content is available online. 

Astrological psychology differs from psychological astrology where the approach is more Jungian. Jung and Assagioli were contemporaries, Assagioli branching independently into more spiritual realms with his work. Astrologers Bruno and Louise Huber worked alongside Assagioli in Florence, training with him and seeing clients, and they began to research and combine astrology with psychosynthesis. The end result was a new, soul-centred approach to working with the charts of people - they called it astrological psychology. You can read how they did this in their biography Piercing the Eggshell.

The Huber Method is a system complete in itself and cherry picking and using some of its techniques with another approach doesn't yield reliable answers. You need to use the whole approach to get an accurate reading, as the chart reflects the whole person.

The astrology of AI

AI came into being in the summer of 1956 at a workshop in Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, USA. A group of scientists and mathematicians explored the possibility of creating a human-like brain and research began. In the 1950s in the UK, Alan Turing looked at the possibility of developing AI, and in the US the 1956 research was headed by John McCarthy.

Was the summer of 1956 significant astrologically? Saturn, the planet we might associate with scientific fact and the organisation of well-defined systems had gone retrograde, moving from Sagittarius to Scorpio for a few months over the summer. It stayed there until autumn before returning to Sagittarius for the long haul. It kind of fits if you're looking for a background theme.

I've speculated - just for fun, but you might like to try this too - on what the chart for the "birth" of AI might look like, and have concluded that it would be devoid of most of the planets used in a natal chart. It would be full of empty spaces and unoccupied houses, with two main players - Mercury and Saturn.

The astrological psychology of AI 

Here, with what I see as these two main players in the "birth" chart of AI, I'm going to speculate generally and astrologically about how Mercury and Saturn might operate in this scenario.

We can forget  the presence of the Sun and Moon in this fantasy chart. The Sun represents our sense of self, personal self-awareness, ability to make decisions and moral judgements and it signifies our unique individuality. AI does not have this, nor does it have emotions, needs, moods, or the ability to connect with it's inner child, so forget the Moon here too.

Mercury - yes, AI's fantasy chart can have this planet which represents, in humans, the ability to communicate using words, gather information, and transmit information. But an AI bot will only be as good as the information it has been programmed with, and only as good as the individuals who programmed it, although it can use words to communicate, it can gather and transmit information and it can also chat.  All of this because it's been programmed to.

Venus - no, since this planet assists, along with the Sun, in discrimination, choosing and evaluation. Yet there are hints that AI offers answers which give both sides of a topic. It tends to sit on the fence, doesn't want to offend and answers frequently have an "on the one hand...and on the other hand" flavour. AI doesn't commit to either and doesn't offend, so I detect shades of the traits of the sign Libra here. For this reason, I'll put Mercury into Libra in this non-existent fantasy chart.

Mars - yes, there has to be some Mars energy in order for AI to work and do something, but it's the sheer unconscious energy of a machine, a blind force dependent on the components that makes it work.

Jupiter - no, as this is the planet associated with judgement, wisdom, ethics and the ability to evaluate experiences. AI is currently not able to do that.

Saturn -  yes, Saturn is a reliable player when it comes to storage (of info in this instance) and it's a major player because it represents boundaries and the control of these (AI can only operate within the boundaries of it's physical structure, making it inflexible and conservative). The systems which AI is composed of aren't able to step outside of the framework they're operating within, but there could be a large number of systems at work, transmitting the information that's been stored (Saturn holds on tight to things) via Mercury. And of course, in this fantasy chart, Saturn and Mercury would be in conjunction.

No point in considering the transpersonal planets - Uranus, Neptune and Pluto - in this fantasy chart, although you, the reader, might want to speculate on how AI could work out against the  general background of the collective consciousness - i.e. human beings.

The 2025 Saturn /Neptune conjunction

Saturn and Neptune are currently in conjunction in Aries. They have been gravitating towards this position during the first few months of 2025, finally arriving together, alongside, on the first degree of Aries in May.

I can't resist viewing this conjunction in terms of two people/beings/entities, both with very different natures, who are irresistibly drawn to each other by some uknown powerful force. The magnetism becomes too great, they can resist it no longer and - for better or worse- they fall into each other's arms and to hell with the consequences. 

The fact that this happens in Aries (imagine the circumstances of this meeting taking place against a backdrop of being urged to "get on with it" and "come on, get started - get the ball rolling - there's no time for hanging around dithering!")

This is just one way of looking at it, and allow me my fantasy of what it could be like as I seek to understand the significance of this conjunction of these two planets in this sign - both planets are "heavies" in the sense of being influential personally and collectively. 

Saturn and Neptune are hardly the most compatible of bedfellows. Saturn will be uncomfortable having the loose leaky margins of Neptune invading its well-defined space, while Neptune will find Saturn's boundary-loving structures a big challenge when all it wants to do is hang out and share a bit of love. And Aries, where this is taking place, is the sign related to getting things moving - especially new things -  and being quick off the mark.

Without a doubt, globally we are  going through times of change, upheaval and uncertainty with the need to renew, refresh, and make changes in all areas of life. This is reflected in what is going on in our world, from ongoing attacks on Gaza, ongoing warfare between Russia and  Ukraine and unrest in the middle east, while the US president presides over endless announcements of trading tarrifs on other countries. These change, alter, and yo-yo up and down seemingly at the whim of the president. No wonder watching the news is rapidly becoming a threat to mental health.

At this point, let's break off and say hello to Uranus in Gemini. Are you, Uranus, excitedly enjoying your first toe-testing foray into this sign, taking what you glean back into steady Taurus for a brief while before setting off into inquisitive Gemini proper next April for the long haul? When you arrive, there will no doubt be a surge of new tech-based issues to get to grips with, involving more AI and all that goes with it. We can expect more disruption.

Back to Saturn and Neptune who, although not immediately natural bedfellows, have a lot going for them; their inherent and very different qualities, when combined, can confer strength. They have things to learn from each other and their contrasting energies can be combined to create something new. That's what a conjunction is about - it's not about one of the two planets involved being superior, but is rather the opportunity to create something new, blending, mixing and expressing the two sorts of prevailing energy in a positive way.

On their highest level of expression, these two combined could usher in a new approach, a new way of looking at things. Saturn, at this level could convey wise and benevolent authority, with Neptune bringing unconditional acceptance and love. The potential is there - but will it be taken up collectively? Looking at the current state of the world that, at this stage, seems unlikely just yet.

At the lowest level of collective expression of these planets, Saturn will probably want hang on fiercely to old estalished structures, old ways of resolving problems and defending boundaries, i.e. in countries (Israel, Russia for example) in the "usual" way - that of conflict and war.

Collectively so many things seem in flux, the need for change is pressing, but the "same old, same old" patterns are played out because they're safe, established, tried and tested. We've heard it all before - the solid, defensive, unchanging Saturnian stuff, so those softer, more inclusive Neptunian qualities could be instrumental in ushering in change. Neptune at the lowest level of collective expession is concerned with escapism and getting away from the challenging demands of having to find new and fair solutions. At this level Neptune is good at creating smoke screens, diverting the attention towards something more alluring which will capture the attention of the masses.

It's not difficult to spot this behaviour at work with powerful world leaders showing us how they do it. But only when, on a personal level, the ego and any narcissistic needs are set aside, will it begin to work.

And what of this Saturn/Neptune on a personal level? We're all part of the collective and are therefore part of both the problem and the solution. What can you/I/anyone who happens to wonder what the hell is going on right now do on a personal level to work with the current flavour of things in our eveyday lives?

Saturn is about structure, form, boundaries, standards, mentoring, teaching, supporting and - for want of a better word - rules. Not tough rules but clear guidelines on how to be a fully functioning member of the society we live in, respecting others, being kind to them and supporting them. If this is something we'd like for ourselves, then it's up to us to offer this to others. Do as you would be done by. You get back what you give out.

Neptune is about unconditional acceptance, inclusion and love for our fellow human beings. Not an easy ask by any means, but it's achievable. Forgive, accept, include, care, understand. Again, do as you would be done by and yes, you will get back what you give.

 

What would you like to see less of in the world?

 

It's very easy to identify and name what you'd like to see MORE of in the world, as I experienced when I asked this question nearly 16 years ago, and stood on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, reading out what people wanted to see more of. 

You can read about it here and here.

But what about seeing LESS of some things in this world of ours? I ask this at a time of global upheaval and change, of war and dissent; as I write, Russia's invasion and attack on Ukraine continues after three long years of years of conflict. More recently India and Pakistan have been bombing each other over the long-standing dispute about who should "own" Kashmir, while Israel seems bent on ethnically cleansing and bombing Gaza out of existence for Palestinians.

Alongside this there are some sections of society and leaders of some countries throughout the world who appear to want a return to the rise of Fascism in the 1930s. And we know where that led. At the same time, there is a drift towards less tolerance of anything or viewpoint or lifestyle which doesn't conform to what might be regarded as the "norm". Anti-woke attitudes are touted, books are removed from libraries and words removed from the lexicon of common parlance if they are deemed to be too "woke", while infuencers spread hatred and dissent through social media.

Is this what we want? Is it the path we want to tread? The world we want our children, and their children, to inherit? Do we want it here and now, in our everyday lives?

In 2022 I wrote here about what I see as a decline in the use, expression and manifestation of transpersonal qualities in everyday life - those simple but essential things and attitudes which benefit everyone, not just one or a few of the privileged or those in positions of power. These qualities are what, in life, you can value as you recognise their worth, but you can't put a price on them. They are priceless but cost nothing, and I looked at how the energies of each of the transpersonal planets - Uranus, Neptune and Pluto - can be expressed via three levels. 

These levels apply to all planets and their expression, especially the personal planets, whose qualities and energies we express in everyday life; let's call these levels of consciousness "Asleep", "Waking" and "Awake":

 "Asleep" planetary energy is expressed through automatic survival behaviour with little or no self-awareness.

• This what we could do with less of -  interactive human behaviours which lack empathy, where the individual is bent on its own survival and lacks self-awareness.

"Waking" behaviour comes from a place of greater awareness but is largely "me" oriented.

• This level of increased consciousness and more aware behaviour moves in a more promising direction, but oh dear.......if it is predominatantly "me" oriented then we have the  strutting, intrusive "in your face" stuff of the "me, me" narcissist, often someone who wants to be in control. Right now the world could do with a lot less of this, especially from some world leaders.

 "Awake" behaviour is fully conscious, directed, focussed and inclusive.

• This is what would be welcome. More of this would be most welcome - refer back to what people told me, back in 2009, when I stood on the Plinth and read out their desired shopping list of what they'd like to see more of in the world.
  

Then ask yourself the question: "What could I do to bring some of MORE of these qualities into the world right now, and consider how you might go about it.

Engage your Sun - your mind, your sense of self, your ability to choose, be decisive and discriminating, and use your personal will to determine what you might do. Click here for some suggestions on this.

Whatever you do doesn't have to be big or massively ambitious - it may be as simple as sharing a smile with someone or saying hello, or doing a small act of kindness - the possibilities are limitless and the positive effects will ripple outwards to counteract the tsunami of  unpleasant stuff which we'd all be better off having less of in the world right now.

 

Power, Pluto, and Symptoms of Megalomania

In their book, The Planets and their Psychological Meaning, Bruno and Louise Huber share their insights into the planets and associated observable patterns of human behaviour for each planet. They describe behaviours being expressed at three different levels, or stages:

At stage 1, the person will be largely unaware and attached to matter and what is  material; it's what they call a "blind stage" as far as awareness is concerned.

At stage 2, the person's emotional responses are engaged, often resulting in a polarity, an opposition, and of learning the difference between positive and negative.

At stage 3, the person is able to discriminate and form accurate judgements as a greater self-awareness kicks in. In a nutshell, it's all about growing and developing awareness of self and ultimately, of others.

I share this in light of the current global situation where a tariff war, affecting trade and stability in just about every country in the world, was started on 2nd April 2025 by the 47th president of the United States. You can see his chart here.

The Hubers outline manifestations of each of the planets used in Huber-style charts at these three stages. For manifestations of Pluto (for without a doubt, that is the flavour of the energies the current incumbent at the White House is engaging with and expressing) they suggest:

"Masks, egomania, use of power, imposing the will, destructiveness, stirring up of what is suppressed, crises" for stage 1. 

"Megalomania, drivenness......" are among their suggestions for stage 2, and for stage 3, where discrimination, fairness, self-awareness and a loosening of the individual's ego needs are more evident, they suggest "...effective power, making a creative contribution to evolution".

But let's stay with stage 1 for now, because it seems to dominate the observable behaviour, responses, language and general demeanour of this 47th president. Hardly a day goes by without more jaw-dropping news of further heavier tarrifs for some countries, while others appear to be getting an easy ride. Like a yo-yo bouncing up and down, the parameters, boundaries and rules are switched on and then off.

It's an object lesson in power and ego-ridden behaviour, where things are changed, seemingly on a whim, and if there is criticism within the inner circle, heads roll as people are dismissed. Like the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, who is childish and quick to give death sentences at even the slightest of offences, numerous news reports echo  this aspect of the president's behaviour.

In The Planets the Hubers go further. Examples they give of stage 1 Pluto behaviour are here, and  I quote:

"Pluto is always involved in problems of power. One calls for an unlimited reach of power, believing oneself to be the best, the greatest and the only one who is right. In the case of hardened ego powers this gives rise to megalomania or egomania, where a person thinks only he is right and everyone else is a novice.....A lack of consideration for the demands of others and ruthlessness are the unpleasant side of Pluto on this level. All its efforts are mobilised, it fights like one possessed for its property, status and power. Anyone who wants to contest this power will be labelled an enemy who must be go rid of."   (Extract from The Planets, p.89, B&L Huber)

In terms of Age Progression, the 47th president's Age Point is currently in the 2nd house for The Second Time Around (click for more info on this) He's 78, and in terms of Age Point, has re-entered  the phase of life first encountered at ages 6 to 12 years. 

Between the ages of 6 and 12, the child establishes him/herself amongst peers, creating a sphere of personal possessions. In the 2nd house the child defines and defends his/her territory and possessions, which may determine behaviour in later life. Whereas at ages 6 to 12 the 2nd house  is about gathering and hanging on to possessions, at ages 78 to 81, it's about letting go.

A final thought/quote, in this post which attempts to throw some light and astrological-psychological understanding on current events and the person driving them:

"This house is about letting go, but the 2nd house can also reignite a preoccupation with material possessions. Those of a materialistic frame of mind surround themselves with material possessions; become tight-fisted, unwilling to part with anything. They are scared of being short-changed.....become jealous and take all possible precautions lest anyone deprive them of anything."  (Extract from The Second Time Around, p.15, J&B Hopewell. See also The Planets, p.251)

 

Top Tips for budding astrologers and dummies

 

12 Top Tips for Budding Astrologers 

 

 a FREE download for newbies, dummies and other astrologically interested parties

 

  Ideas and suggestions to get you started on chart interpretation - and keep you going!

   

It's available here to download for free and it includes some of the Astrology Tips I've written about on this blog, plus extra material I've added to enlarge on each of the 12 Tips. There are some practical exercises to do too, to help you focus, and there are illustrations and charts.

Contents:

Tip #1 Essential Information                

Tip #2  Starting Out

Tip #3 Colour and Motivation

Tip #4 Doorstep Planets

Tip #5 The Quadrants

Tip #6 Unaspected Planets

Tip #7 Conflict and Tension

Tip #8 Low Point Planets

Tip #9 Levels of the Planets

Tip #10 Understanding Life’s Journey

Tip #11 The House Chart

Tip #12 The Low Point and the Mid-Life Crisis

I hope it helps, hits the spot and sets you on your way towards being a more competent user of the Huber Method. It offers straightforward guidance and clarity to combine with any studies you're doing using books on Astrological Psychology or with a tutor, if you are following the Diploma course book.

 

Good luck. Enjoy! 

Comment from Mark Douglas when he was a Student. Now qualified, he offers tuition and guidance for diploma course students:
Thanks for your thoughts on the four quadrants, Joyce. I'm just entering Module 4. I have The Astrological Houses book and I was still looking for a bit more practical understandings. Bingo! this does the trick. 

My reply:
Very good to hear my take on the Quadrants was helpful for you. When we had  workshops as part of the Diploma course, the practical work on the Quadrants we did would always throw up more clarity for those who were struggling with them. I find the Quadrants very useful/revealing in that they offer an instant insight into where someone might be coming from, and also, with empty Quadrant(s) what they might lack in, or seek to avoid (nothing there to encourage them into this area of life, therefore potentially scary/stressful/of little interest).