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Signs of the Zodiac

Happy Valentine’s Day!

With the lovers Mars and Venus both in hot and impulsive Aries, opposite the Moon in Libra, the sign of relationships, this looks like quite a zingy sort of day— and indeed a day to focus on relationships. Later in the day, the Moon will trigger that ferocious Uranus-Jupiter-Pluto [...]

Astrology of Now: Countering The Ugly

February is a fast and urgent month with Mars, Venus and Uranus in fiery, furious Aries. Mars in his own sign is rather unbridled, Venus in her opposite sign is not doing her usual harmony, sweetness and light thing and Uranus is spitting sparks. Somewhere in your life there’s probably a bit [...]

Astrology of Now: A Very Important Retrograde

Imagine you are walking up a mountain trail. You’re slowing down because the way is getting steeper, and rougher — and your sense of dread and unease grows with every step. A dark shadow looms on the path in front of you, filling you with dread. You turn tail and fly, tripping down the [...]

Astrology of Now: Volcanic Forces

Mars and Pluto are having their biannual conjunction — today, tomorrow, and the day after. Yes, that’s two warriors having a confab in ambitious, driven, earthy Capricorn; the planet of action, Mars, and the planet of the Underworld, Pluto, working together; war plus power. On the mundane [...]

Astrology of Now: Six degrees of Jupiter in Libra

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon: a game based on the idea that any player in Hollywood can be linked, through the films they have worked on, to character actor Kevin Bacon within six steps. So say, Kevin Bacon has a value of 0 — he being the centre of the Hollywood universe — then try linking […]

A Musical Zodiac: Interview with the Composer

Since music and astrology are in some senses soul-sisters, it’s surprising (perhaps) that so little music based on our cosmic art has been written in the classical tradition. So it’s hugely satisfying that award-winning composer, visiting professor at the Royal College of Music, [...]

Astrology of Now: Eclipse — It’s All Maya

Tomorrow, September 16, there will be a partial eclipse of Lady Luna. You will be able to see this from Europe to the Western Pacific. The point of closest eclipse is at 18.54 GMT. Right now the Moon is already in Pisces. The eclipse takes place at 24°. Last night, I stood in the garden [...]

RIP Gene Wilder

“I wanted to come out with a cane, come down slowly, have it stick into one of the bricks, get up, fall over, roll around, and they all laugh and applaud. The director asked, ‘what do you want to do that for?’ I said from that time on, no one will know if I’m lying […]

Astrology of Now: Re-detailing the Details

Mercury Rx in Virgo 30 Aug- 22 September 29°-14° My goodness — what a super duper Mercury Rx. My household is swept up in a frenzied combined back-to-school, major-clear-out reading party. Here are some good things that have happened in the last few days. • You can see the floor of the garden [...]

In the Key of Gemini: Charles Aznavour

In his long, long musical career, the great French balladeer Charles Aznavour has written hundreds of songs and recorded thousands. His Sun is at 0° Gemini, the sign of the songsmith. “I can write on any subject. Just give me the first line, which is the most important.” Aznavour will turn 92 [...]

Thoughts on Transitory Mercury

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 — […]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 […]

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, [...]

In the Key of Pisces: Astor Piazzolla

Thanks to Rachel for suggesting Astor Piazzolla, the late great Argentinian maestro of tango. Loss, plangent longing, melancholy love — so romantic — that’s one side of Piazolla’s work. Uncompromisingly avant-garde, experimental and cutting edge — there’s an utterly different side too. [...]

In the Key of Pisces: James Taylor

James Taylor’s soft, reedy baritone is so sweet and his melody-weaving so certain, his lyrics so perfectly distilled and his phrasing so effortless — he truly was blessed by the gods of music and song. Indeed, his first album, which included classics like Carolina in My Mind and Rainy Day [...]

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