King Charles III

I wrote this post a few months ago, when it became clear that the Queen's health was ailing, and that Charles - then Prince, now King - was intensifying his input into royal duties.

The sudden passing of the Queen on 8th September 2022 at Balmoral, and the transfer of  power from reigning monarch to heir apparent, is formally taking place as I write.

I have already commented on the charts of Charles and the Queen - links are given in the text below - so there is nothing much I can add right now at this sad and historic moment in time. One thing I have speculated on, looking at Charles's chart as he is proclaimed King, is that Pluto, which his Age Point is fast approaching, is connected in a Small Learning triangle with Sun and Mars, which may prove  interesting to observe as he eases - or maybe catapults - into the role he's been waiting for all his life.

I wish him well. A new, high profile role at age 73, pushing 74, is quite an undertaking, especially when there is mourning and a deep sense of loss to be dealt with on a personal level.

For me, on a personal level, it's feeling quite strange adapting to there being no Queen any more and hearing/reading the words "King Charles".The Queen has been there for me, and so many people, all of our lives, as a kind of backdrop, and it's as if the scene-shifters have been in, removed the old backdrop and have installed something entirely new and sightly alien as it's not yet familiar.

 

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On Tuesday 10th May 2022 Prince Charles stood in for the Queen at the state opening of Parliament and read, on her behalf, the overview of what the government plans to achieve in the forthcoming parliamentary session. It's an occasion filled with traditional ceremonial pomp, headed by the Queen who, for the last few years, had not worn the crown or her regal robes and has opted for the comfort of a nice matching coat, dress and hat ensemble. 

This time, however it was a bit different. At 96, she's having mobility issues and has recently cancelled several public engagements. It seems cruel and unrealistic to expect an elderly lady who has devoted her life to her role, designated by birth, to turn out and be undertaking such stiff and formal public engagements when she'd probably be happier in her slippers at home. This time Charles did the job for the first time, accompanied by son and heir Wills. It looked a rather sombre event, with wife Camilla wearing black and Charles and Will in very formal attire. When they filed into the House of Lords, looking very serious, they could have been going to a funeral. Perhaps, in a way, they were.

As the crown was placed in front of the empty throne, usually taken by the Queen, Charles looked intently at the crown, his face deeply serious as I suspect he contemplated what his future will be as king. To me, it looked like a real, tangible moment of recognition.

How does this relate to Charles' chart and his Age  Progression - where he is on his life journey and what psychological life stage he is at? A few thoughts on this:

Charles is 73; he'll be 74 in November. In terms of his LifeClock (click to see details of the Huber's book of the same name) his Age Point crossed over his Leo Ascendant at age 72 and is now travelling through the 1st house for the second time. This is often, for people in their 70s, a kind of second childhood when there is more time to do the things they've not had time to do when working, a time for relaxation, pursuing new interests, enjoying grandchildren etc. and not a time to be embarking on a new career or a lifestyle laden with responsibilities of state.

Of course, Charles has a privileged life but it's always been different, with the need to stay within accepted boundaries and live by protocol laid down by generations of tradition. But with that look on his face, I wonder if the reality really hit home and hard? What's currently going on in his chart?

His Age Point is approaching his 1st house Pluto, which is always symbolic of power, and power will certainly be his when he's king, although how he will use it is going to be important. He'll become the head of the family firm and the event will be a bitter-sweet one as it means he'll be experiencing the loss of his mother at the same time. Pluto is not to be dallied with, nor is the power it embodies to be taken lightly as it ultimately - on its highest level - has to be used for the greater good, and not personal gain.

At the top of his chart, intercepted in the 10th house, sits the Moon and the Moon's north node. The north node is a signpost indicating the way forward via personal grow and development. The 10th house is a public place; the Moon there, conjunct the node, suggests it could be somewhere he could learn to shine and come into his own. The downside is that both Moon and node are in Taurus, an intercepted sign, making getting this aspect of himself "out there" and recognised, will not be easy. 

I wrote about this and other aspects of Charles' chart when he turned 60. Read what I said here. 

Also see what I've written about the Queen's chart here. Her Age Point is now in the 4th house for the second time and there are currently no contacts with any planets, but note her strong Saturn at the top of the chart. A strong indicator that she's the Queen and head of the family firm.

Royal Babies - Prince George and the new Princess of Cambridge

Prince George, born on 22nd July 2013 at 16.24 in London

Congratulations to Wills and Kate on the birth of their first baby born on 22nd July 2013, and their second baby - the new Princess of Cambridge, now named as Charlotte Elizabeth Diana - born on 2nd May 2015. Click on the link above to read my thoughts on her chart.

Initial thoughts on George's chart - there's inherent talent, the capacity to learn but may he take more than one go at getting the lesson "right", together with an ability to be focussed and express mental/physical energy plus a whole lot of sensitivity. 

Prince George's chart's aspect structure shows a flexible, mutable inner motivation suggesting he will be able to adapt to changes and not become too fixed and rigid - probably a good thing as he has the capacity to express an abundance of energy. This is shown by the 7 red: 4 green: 4 blue aspects in the chart, giving it an overall red/green flavour which indicates sensitivity and possible touchiness. He may need to be handled with kid gloves when he's older - there's a sensitivity which could be expressed explosively when he reaches the "terrible twos", the age of temper tantrums.

George has several aspect patterns in his chart, and I'm not going to discuss them all, but instead will focus on one in particular, which is interesting as it appears in his mum Kate's chart and also in his great grandmother's - the Queen's - chart. It's the all-red Efficiency/Performance triangle, pinned by Mercury, Uranus and Pluto. Mercury and Pluto are in opposition across the 2/8 house axis which is all about possessions - mine and yours, personal and public. Across this axis there is conflict and a build up of energy which can be discharged and expressed via the planet at the apex of the triangle - Uranus. That's interesting for a start, as Uranus is on the cusp of the 5th house, slap bang in the area of the collective, and specifically strong in that part of the chart concerned with relationships. Might this hint at radical changes and a different approach to the haves and have nots in what will become his kingdom? Might he be a bit of a rebel, or a creative innovator?

His strongly placed cuspal Uranus is echoed by Saturn on the cusp of the 11th house. George has a strong 8th house and Cancerian influence in his chart, with Mercury, Mars and Jupiter there. The Sun, hovering on the cusp between Cancer and Leo only just hangs on by a pip squeak in the sign of Cancer, and being right at the end of the sign is weakly placed by sign, but is strongly placed in the cardinal zone of the 9th house. Bearing in mind that he - and we all - are much, much more than just our Sun sign, it's reassuring to see that George's Sun aspects his strongly placed Saturn, which will offer psychological support and back up for what could be a very sensitive nature. Like many Sun in Cancer people, he could have a soft and vulnerable inner core. Mars is conjunct Jupiter in Cancer  which makes for an interesting combination of energies and drives. These carry the potential for a keen and active perception to develop, along with a sense of justice and fairness, which may be directed out into the environment in a caring, sensitive way.

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.

The Royal Wedding

This is the chart for the Royal Wedding - the nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton - on 29th April 2011 at 11.00am in London.

I'm not going to make any predictions about their life together, just offer a few observations on the chart which marks this point in time. It will be a day of considerable significance for them as marriage is a big committment, even more so if you're doing it this publicly and - in Kate's case - marrying into a high profile family firm with a long trail of scandals and divorces.

Red aspects are predominant in the chart, suggesting the presence of a lot of energy and activity. The triangular aspect patterns indicate flexibility and an easy adaptation to change - something which both Wills and Kate could need to cultivate as the royal family is not held in such high regard as it was 50 years ago. They have already established a more "normal" lifestyle - but will the powers that be want this to change?

The overall aspect structure in the chart is very vertical. There are 5 planets in Aries, on view up at the top of the chart. This gives a strong emphasis to Houses 10 and 4 - the Individuality axis - in 10th there is the ability to stand out and be recognised. But in 4th sits steady Saturn indicating a firm "feet on the ground", practical approach. In this chart Saturn provides the necessary grounding and an anchor point.

With so many planets in Aries, this event rightly looks high profile. The large stellium of planets suggests the potential for something new; hopefully William will enjoy a happy marriage with Kate, something which eluded his mother Diana.

Although this chart is heavy on Aries energy, it's interesting that the Sun is actually in Taurus and stands to one side, slightly away from the the main action at the top. Symbolically, the Sun could be the Queen, herself a Sun Taurus, standing to one side and allowing her grandson his special day in the public eye.

Here's wishing Wills and Kate all the best - a happy,memorable day on 29th, and a long and happy married life together.

For more in this blog on the charts of Kate, William and the Queen, search under "Royalty", or seach for them by name.

Kate Middleton

Kate Middleton (rapidly becoming dubbed as Catherine since her engagement to Prince William on 16th November) was born on 9.1.1982 in Reading, UK. Her chart is set for noon as no time of birth is yet available. If it is publicised officially by Buckingham Palace, I'll update the chart. Watch this space!

After 8 years together, including a split (see my posting on Willam's chart - search for "Royalty" or click on this in the Labels cloud) the couple have decided to wed. The British public are relatively underwhelmed by the news as it's been long-expected, although the media are already working themselves into a frenzy of speculation over the wedding plans. Welcome to life in the big spotlights, Kate.

Middleton's chart offers some interesting speculation on the kind of underlying motivation she might have. With only red and blue aspects (there's an absence of green aspects which offer greater awareness and a more balanced use of the energy available), Middleton will tend to have an either/or approach to life with low emphasis on half measures or shades of grey. Her chart shaping suggests she is flexible and can adapt well to changing situations and circumstances, something which will stand her in good stead as she learns the ropes of the family firm she'll be marrying into. It also shows considerable restlessness and the capacity to move on to new things. Again, this could stand her in good stead but it may also be a source of frustration if she feels tied or bound by her duties as consort to the future king.
Her chart contains one complete aspect pattern, the all-red Efficiency/Performance triangle (aka the T-square if you're a conventional astrologer). This is interestingly pinned by Sun, Moon and Saturn, known as the ego planets in astrological psychology. These relate to our body (Saturn), feelings (Moon) and mind (Sun) and when all 3 are found in the same aspect pattern they can act well together and are interdependent. Middleton may be able to balance out the needs of all 3 aspects of the ego structure, but it's more likely that one of them will dominate. With Saturn at the apex of this figure, it's likely that she will have a strong awareness of duty, structure, organisation, and an ability to be just and fair (Saturn is in Libra) as well as have a certain power and strength (Saturn is conjunct Pluto) which may as yet be untested. Certainly, as a possible future queen, these could be strengths to draw upon.

Her Capricorn Sun says a lot about her ability to wait patiently for William to pick the right moment to propose. Capricorn is the sign which bides its time, carefully making its way towards its goal, in no special hurry to get there. It's also the sign which we could associate with a family business where the younger generation inherit and run the show when the generation above them retires. She comes from a family who run their own business and will be marrying into the royal family firm, taking on a key note role.

Her red/blue chart is complemented by William's more green chart. He will bring more awareness and sensitivity to their partnership; she will provide initiatory energy and "doing" capacity. They share Cancerian Moons and William's Sun is also in this sign, as was his mother Diana's. Cancer and Capricorn are opposite signs but have the ability to complement each other well. The watery emotional Cancerian drives can find grounding in the earthy practicality and organisational abilities of Capricorn. She could prove to be a rock for William, and an important source of support and encouragement. With no time of birth available, it's hard to say in which area of life she might be expressing her Saturn at the apex of the Efficiency triangle, but I'm reminded here of the present Queen's chart which I wrote about some time ago (again, click on or search for "Royalty") which has an Efficiency triangle with apex Saturn right at the very top of the chart.

For more about aspect patterns, see my new book Aspect Patterns in Colour available from the APA on-line Bookshop. And for details of how to learn more about astrological psychology for yourself, visit www.astrologicalpsychology.org

Prince Harry - will he stay or will he go?

The media have laid off Harry for the past week now because a) there’s no news on whether or not he’ll be going, and b) there's currently more attention being paid to the Irish agreement on unity and Tony Blair’s announcement about his departure from office on 27th June.

The latest on Harry’s possible deployment to Iraq was that he is going….but that the army has the situation under constant review. No news there then. A look at Harry’s chart (15.9.1984, 16.20, Paddington, London - data from official Royal website) offers an image which is rather like a trumpet or megaphone; it’s not difficult to imagine a mouthpiece at the bottom, formed by the conjunction between the Moon and the North Node, with the wide open mouth of the megaphone at the top. Does Harry need to say “Here I am! Notice me!” in a big way? He seemed to be doing this big style late in 2004 when he was in a punch up with the paparazzi, and in February 2005, when he was caught in the headlines wearing a Nazi uniform to a fancy dress party. Of late he appears to have had his partying guns spiked somewhat by his army training.

His chart has a strong vertical movement which suggests a need to be noticed, to assert his individuality. This may be really important for him - he’s the spare, not the heir - so he’ll need to gain recognition in his own right.

He has an excess of green aspects indicating considerable sensitivity, maybe touchiness, perhaps making him a little thin-skinned and possibly someone who changes his mind quite often. This is reflected in the overall Dynamic/Mutable shaping of his chart. Saturn close to the MC could endow him with an air of authority and possibly leadership potential; he’s known as Cornet Wales in the army because of his rank in his regiment, the Blues and Royals. If he goes to Iraq, he will be in command of 10 –12 soldiers and it is these men, as well as Harry himself, who are going to be in additional danger as they will be serving alongside a potential prime target.

Harry has stated (but note, only via his friends) that he wants to go to Iraq. His Age Point is currently conjunct the North Node in his chart, which is itself conjunct the Moon in the 4th House, and will shortly change Signs and enter Gemini. Age Point conjunct a planet or the Node and about to change Sign is significant. He will be psychologically moving away from the home/family scene (although how anyone in the Royal family can get away from being in the “family firm” is a mystery…!) and ready to make his own impressions on the world around him. The influences of family will be weaker, but for Harry, with Moon in 4th House, the pull from this direction is always going to be pretty strong.

Age Point on the Node is interesting. The Node is a part of one of the Dominant Learning triangles in his chart, and is at the apex of one of the Projection figures. It is part of the conjunction which pins him to the collective yet it can also act as a point of growth and personal development for the individual. The task of the 4th House Node is associated with becoming more humble, more “ordinary”, and of getting down from any pedestal where the person might feel special or significant, taking their place alongside others without recourse to pulling rank.

If Harry does eventually go to Iraq, this kind of experience could be a very significant for him, and one which he may not understand or appreciate until much later on. As it is, he’s a young man who is probably scared stiff at the thought of going to Iraq but is still prepared to go. For that, all we can do is wish him well.

Prince William, bachelor of the realm

So Wills has dumped Kate, just as the media were leading us by the nose to expect an imminent Royal engagement. In all fairness, newspaper reports say they've broken up amicably and will remain friends, that William isn't ready to settle down, and wants to concentrate on his army career and so on. But see my addendum below!

It's worth taking a look at his chart to see what's going on Age Point-wise. Born 21.6.1982 at 21.30 in London (data from official Royal website), his chart shows a Dynamic shaping and an excess of green aspects, laying an emphasis on him having a flexible, mutable inner motivation, perhaps laced with indecision and a tendency to change his mind or think things through but not always take action.

Might this apply to his decision to split with Kate? The Queen is reported to be sad for both of them, and Kate would certainly have been a respectable and presentable addition to the family firm. But who knows, maybe she's not necessarily drawn the short straw here and has instead had a lucky escape.

William's Age Point is in Taurus, and in the 5th House of his chart. With a backdrop of earthy Taurus, he will want to ground and consolidate what's going on in his life, and currently that's his army career. Taurus is also concerned with senses, and sometimes with an excess of all aspects of Taurean sensorial delights. And yes, the papers do feature stories of his visits to nightclubs with attractive female students. This is very much the stuff of the 5th House, that area of the chart where we test ourselves out in relationships and play the field.

Bruno & Louise Huber say in their book "LifeClock" that the 5th House is "....the House of self-experience in the larger world. The young person behaves in an increasingly expansive manner. He wants to win the world, to make a big impression......". William is living out the Age Point's movement through this House and psychological life phase in a pretty typical way.

There are currently no exact Age Point contacts to planets BUT......his Age Point is moving towards a conjunction with Venus, which will become exact in June 2008. Venus is strongly associated with relationships, people have been known to meet their future spouse or marry on an Age Point conjunction to this planet, so keep an eye on this.

One final thought. His father dithered over marrying Camilla, his true love, many years ago because he was given naval command of a minesweeper and he went away to do that tour of duty. When he came back, she was married to Andrew Parker-Bowles, and Charles ended up marrying Diana. We all know what a big mistake that was. Let's hope Wills won't make the same mistake as his father.

Addendum 16.11.2010:

William has today announced his engagement to Kate Middleton, interestingly just as he nears his first Saturn return - often a time of real growing up and taking on more responsibility. Watch this blog as I shall be looking at Kate's chart in the near furture.

Beatrice's chart - and Family Model

Well, here is Beatrice's chart (see previous post). It's a complete mystery to me why it wouldn't upload the last 7 times I tried ( I joke not...!).

A few more thoughts about her chart on the eve of her 18th birthday:

• Saturn is closely conjunct Uranus; both ride high in the chart. There could be a "push-me-pull-you" effect of craving change and needing security.

In the context of the Family Model, Saturn represents the mother figure. In Beatrice's case, this is Fergie, and according to what can be read in the newspapers, they get along well. But check out the Moon, which represents the child - Beatrice herself - and you'll see that this is opposite the Saturn/Uranus conjunction, hinting at sparky times of conflict and confrontation between the two of them. This could be particularly pronounced in the area of relationships.

Not only that - if Saturn represents Beatrice's mother figure, then doesn't the conjunction with Uranus fit in with what is known about Fergie? Never one to conform to the "expected" norm of a royal-to-be before her marriage to Prince Andrew, she appeared as a bit of a lad, up for a laugh and with a mind of her own.

Age Progression: Princess Beatrice's 18th

As BBC Radio Stoke's Resident Astrologer, I was asked to make some comments on air on the chart of Princess Beatrice as she celebrates her 18th birthday. Curiosity was aroused because she was born on 8.8.88 at 8.18 pm, in London. Is there anything significant in this line-up of "8's", the presenter asked, and how does this fit in with her 18th birthday? You may have seen in the press that a big party was planned for her, complete with guests wearing 18th century-style costumes. A search on the internet gives information on how mum Fergie is deeply into the 18th century, that Beatrice & Eugenie were named after previous royals from that era, and that an earlier Princess Beatrice was born in 1888.

So, what about all those 8's? And was her time of birth elected to increase that "8-ness" by Fergie having a caeserean section? I'm not a numerologist, but do I know some Kabbalah. In this system, the number 8 refers to the sphere on the Tree of Life known as Hod. This corresponds, amongst other things, to the planet Mercury.

In my internet search on Beatrice, I found a report on the BBC website about her being dyslexic. Now that's interesting since Mercury, associated with Hod as it is in Kabbalah, is the planet in astrological psychology which is associated with the drive to communicate, learn, and gather information. Mercury, in Beatrice's chart, is in Leo in 7th House, and conjunct her Sun, giving her a forceful ability to speak out and be noticed, but this conjunction only has blue/green aspects, so maybe it can be a bit laid back?

This could, however, be offset by the Efficiency triangle in her chart with Mars at its apex; her chart has a lot of red "doing" aspects. The Dominant Learning triangle of Moon, Pluto and Mars is retrograde, suggesting that she might need several attempts when learning major life lessons - perhaps reflecting some aspects of her dyslexia, too?

Her Age Progression is at a very significant point. Age 18 marks one of the major times on the Huber's LifeClock. It's the age when we start moving away from the safety of the "nest" to seek out our own individuality and make our own way in the world. We separate from the heritage and tradition we were brought up with (and how easy might that be if you're a royal princess?!); we want new relationships and the self-realisation that experience of these can bring.

Beatrice's Age Point is moving through Gemini, offering the potential for communication, the exploration of ideas, meeting a variety of people and learning new things. In 2004, her Age Point was conjunct Jupiter, indicating the opening up of new horizons and a spot of adventure. And there were media reports of her having a 24 year-old boy friend when she was 16......

She has a dynamic, flexible life motivation, with a strong tendency to be active, to be noticed and to come across in a Leonine way which is going to be hard to ignore! Yet the most beneficial thing she could concentrate on is to strengthen her own sense of self.

Blogger works in mysterious ways.........the chart that headed this posting has completely disappeared, and five attempts to download it again have all failed! So watch this space - and I'll keep trying!