Mercury, messenger of the gods, will be crossing the face of the Sun in a few hours. You’ll be able to see this from Earth — with the right equipment. This particular event is not rare — but it is unusual. It happens about 14 times per century — and it’s always in Taurus or Scorpio — […]
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Hundreds of articles are contained within this archive on politics and people, music and film, celebrities and culture, history and social issues: all through the lens of astrology, of course. Also there are articles here on all aspects of astrology from asteroids to zero. Most of them are written by me, Christina Rodenbeck, astrologer and writer, expert and enthusiast. There are a handful of outstanding guest posts though, which I highly recommend.
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The European Union Chart: A Tough Summer
I wrote to my friend Anton D’Abreu recently pointing out that the chart for the European Union was under a great deal of pressure during this Mars transit. Later this summer, Mars will station direct at 23° Scorpio nearly conjunct the EU Mars-Pluto conjunction. The Mars-Pluto conjunction [...]
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Venus in Taurus: Brooding Passion
When we talk about Venus, we talk about allure. When Venus, the planet of beauty and attraction, is in Taurus, she is in her own sign. Fixed Earth: the sign of full-busting spring in the north, when thoughts turn to what the birds and the bees do. Venus is, of course, the planet of love and [...]
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Monthly Horoscopes: May 2016
After the winter that never happened: the coldest spring here in Europe. I’m in France today. The irises are out, fulsome purple against blue-green spikes. The garrigue is in blossom, dark splashes of wild lavender, washes of pale violet thyme, bright pink rock roses, asphodel, limey [...]
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Talking Astrology Podcast: Mars Rx, Bernie Sanders and the Queen
This month in Talking Astrology, my colleague Andrea Soole and I discuss May’s Mars Retrograde. Bernie Sanders, US presidential hopeful, has this in his natal chart. We recorded the session on the Queen’s birthday, so it has rather a regal flavour.
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Neptune in Pisces: Fairytale TV, the Mystic North
“There are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never happened before.” Willa Cather I can add “failure to hire leather-trousered pirate as childminder” to my Mother’s List of Shame. My kids are a tad irritated that Captain Hook is not [...]
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What Aries Has To Teach Us: Erich Fromm and René Descartes
Aries is not a sign associated with philosophy — that is Sagittarian territory according to tradition. However, the Ram knows how to get to the essence of things. In fact, the father of modern western philosophy himself, René Descartes is an Aries Sun. His Sun conjuncts Uranus, the planet of [...]
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Zombie Johnny Depp and the Doggie Debacle
A spongey, grey-faced Johnny Depp and his beautiful wife Amber Heard read an apology to the State from an autocue, staring sullenly into a camera set at a strangely low angle. No, the State is not North Korea, but Australia. If you wondered whether Johnny Depp’s birth time deserved the AA [...]
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The Lost Library of John Dee
John Dee — astrologer, alchemist and magus, one of the great characters of Tudor England — had the greatest private library in the western world. But when he was off on a European tour, it was pillaged by “friends” and the contents were lost. Some turned up in other collections over the [...]
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Astrology of Now: Looking Deeper
One of the pleasures of this retrograde period… Saturn Rx in Sagittarius, the sign of higher learning, the exotic and libraries Mars station (Rx on April 17) also in Sagittarius Mercury in shadow (Rx on April 28) in Taurus, ruled by Venus the goddess of beauty and art Jupiter Rx in Virgo, the [...]
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Astrology of Now: Castrating Mars
This extraordinary gory painting, possibly by Caravaggio, was found in an attic in the French city of Toulouse a couple of years ago, but not presented to the public until yesterday. It’s fascinating that it should be revealed at just this time of retrogrades, a time of retrieval — perhaps [...]
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The Panama Papers
“I want these crimes to be made public”, leaker “John Doe” to the Süddeutsche Zeitung. It turns out that very rich people have been hiding their money in secret bank accounts abroad. Why do they feel the need to do this? Either a) because the money is stolen or b) because they are avoiding [...]
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RIP Zaha Hadid
The world’s foremost female architect died at the height of her powers yesterday. Zaha Hadid was taken suddenly — by a heart attack — when Uranus (shock) and Mercury (nerves) met opposite her insanely visionary Neptune. Hadid was an architect who opened the door to the future for us, and [...]
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Brussels Attack
Here is the chart for the moment the first gunfire was heard at 8AM on March 22 in Brussels. Depressing. Notice the packed 12th house of secret enemies, Pluto, the ninja on the MC being trined by the Moon, which is just moving from Jupiter Retrograde (religious fanatics) to the North Node (a [...]
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Astrology of Now: Fresh Eyes
Wipe away the steam and fog of Pisces, and look out through the crystalline window into the new year, freshly hatched in Aries. The equinox – which was officially yesterday – is a moment when day and night are held in balance. Then we tumble into Aries. We leap into impetuous spring. It’s a [...]
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In the Key of Pisces: Elizabeth Maconchy
Dame Elizabeth Machonchy was hailed as a girl-wonder at the age of 23 and then told she had only a few years to live. However, she beat TB and went on to live a long and full life. I don’t have the time of birth, but I note the conjunction of Chiron and Venus. Her […]
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In the Key of Pisces: Léo Delibes
No matter how many times you hear the Flower Duet from Lakmé — and how often it’s used to sell airlines, cars or shampoo — the song still weaves a magic spell. It is so very lovely. And composer Leo Delibes’ chart is something of a magical net too, with a beautiful Grand Trine in water, [...]
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In the Key of Pisces: Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole… perfect phrasing, casual grace, immortal. Cole was an outstanding jazz pianist who just happened to be able to sing — to start with. Of course, it’s his gorgeous voice for which he’ll be remembered — and indeed he has a packed second house, which we might associate with voice, [...]
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