Vesta and the Olympic Flame

Sunday July 15th 2012

As you probably know, Oxford is a World Heritage Site. There’s Radcliffe Camera, the Sheldonian Theatre, Broad Street, St Giles… all beautiful, historic, and full of life, much used, much loved.

Radcliffe Camera: probably one of
the world’s most famous library
annexes.

The Olympic Torch Relay, which has been taking place across the UK since May 19, came to Oxford: of course, this is a famous town. But it didn’t go to any of those places, in fact it did not really go through town at all; it went to the BMW factory and briefly to a roundabout near the centre of town. Why? BMW is an Olympic sponsor – and the rest of us have only contributed huge amounts of tax to have these games.

On the other hand, 83-year-old Roger Bannister, the first man to run a mile a four-minute mile back in the 1950s, was part of the relay here. That was good.

Then the flame was bundled into a car and sent on to the next town. But despite the petty rivalries of local politicians, the ridiculous attention-seeking of slebrities, the demands of the media-mongers, the machinations of sponsors, and the scandal of the tickets, the flame has done its job, reminding people of what the Games are really about – a moment when people come together in peace.

(You can already buy one of the 10,000 Olympic torches on eBay. It’s rather a chic design actually; perhaps a nice wall-sconce on the patio.)

The flame started its 2012 journey at the Temple of Hera in Greece on May 10. It’s due to light the 2012 Olympic cauldron on July 27th.

The chart for the lighting of the flame is, well, magnificent. Just look at where Vesta is! As you know Vesta is the goddess of the hearth, the keeper of the flame. And there she is right at the top of the chart, conjunct fleet-footed Mercury, who is poised to take her off on a tour of Greece and the British Isles. As you can see from the Grand Trine in Earth, it’s all gone reasonably smoothly.

When Vesta finally lights the Olympic “cauldron”, another domestic item, and the Games officially begin, she will be cosying up to Jupiter. This is also splendidly appropriate since the original Olympic flame is said to be the fire of Zeus (renamed by the Romans as Jupiter). It’s in the second house of money (if the time stays correct), which seems appropriate for a Games already tainted by overly forceful corporate sponsorship.

The rest of the chart for the Olympics is a little worrying, dominated as it is by Pluto, with Uranus floating on the Ascendant. I have set the time here for the time the flame is scheduled to be lit, but before leaping to too many conclusions, I’d like to see what time it actually happens. However, I am expecting a bit of a shock. I hope it’s just that Danny Boyle’s opening ceremony turns out to be a “surprise”.

 

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  1. diastella says:

    The opening looks pentacular….well, almost!

  2. Christina says:

    doesn’t it just. Occultists must be laughing

  3. Isy Aweigh says:

    The chart of the scheduled lighting is a real humdinger…

    I took the pentacle as being an invocation to Venus, especially as the one broken limb points to her; possibly, more about money. As you say, Pluto, he of big government, big business and big vested interests, as well as of big secrets being ripped up, is in tradition-minded Capricorn, poised on the pointy tip of the midheaven, getting a nice kick up the backside from Aryan Uranus on the Asc. Wow.

    SN,Vesta, Jupiter and Ceres are each almost exactly 3 degrees apart, in clever Gemini in the house of money and values. That’s just trippy.

    Speaking of trippy, NN and the Moon are in the 8th, shared resources, taxes, inheritance, sorcery, and death. NN in Sag is perfect for the athletes, whose place is paid for by taxes (also, see competitive Mars in judicious Libra in the volunteers’ house); Moon in sorcerous, tactless, insightful Scorpio @ 8th house is rather chilling. It’ll be an emotional Olympics, one way or another.

    That, combined with delusional/visionary Neptune shaking hands with Chiron in transformative Pisces in the 12th, makes me wonder what group will get hurt offscreen, and what that will change. Saturn in diplomatic Libra in the house of those closest to us makes me hope those in charge have the discipline and diplomacy to negotiate these stresses successfully. (I doubt it, but hope springs eternal.)

    Mercury combust the Sun in creative, childlike, playful, sexy 5th in cardinal-fire Leo makes me think they’d better triple-check all the electronics and fireworks, especially those tied to displays of any kind.

    This chart gets more interesting the more I look at it. I’m just glad it’s not mine.

  4. Christina says:

    I was just thinking about the last Torch relay which turned into a long Free Tibet protest. Compared to that this one is going swimmingly.

  5. The Olympics formally opened at 12:18am July 28 with the Queen’s announcement; or 12:35am with the lighting of the cauldron – I elected 12:18am, which nicely places Mars in the 5th (theatrical opener) and Saturn in the 6th (need for immense planning). Pluto remains powerful (in 8th) but Venus too is very significant. Neptune in the 5th of the UK 1801 chart does not bode very well for UK in the medals league: except perhaps in water sports. Analysis here http://madamearcati.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/2012-london-olympics-astrology-of.html

  6. Christina says:

    Thanks Mme Arcati. Danny Boyle did pull a surprise! Read the next piece to find out how that looked on the night.

  7. […] set dining table piled with good things to eat. Ceres is currently joined by her sister Vesta, the goddess of the hearth, who will be in Libra as long as Mars — until the summer that is […]

  8. […] and symbolism may be shown by Vesta, the asteroid of the eternal flame, Rising in Cancer. (Read here about the Olympics and Vesta.) This was transited by the Moon yesterday morning. Vesta is currently […]