Psychological and Spiritual Astrology

With his Sun in the earth sign of Taurus and the Moon in fiery Sagittarius it can feel like having two very different people living inside him. One steady and safe the other restless and adventurous. Andy's lifestyle honours both. Travelling the world satisfies his yearning for excitement and movement and the earning potential gives him material security. Make no mistake his earnings will be invested wisely and very probably in property as he has excellent intuition and vision here.

Another inner need is for emotional stability and although he is emotionally independent, his closeness to and support from his mother (Moon conjunct Saturn) is crucial as it provides an anchor and grounding. His love for his home is also evident in his chart (four planets in the 4th house) and having his entourage means he has his link to home with him at all times.

Highlighting the inner dichotomy is a conjunction with Saturn, Moon and Uranus. Andy is strongly traditional but is pulled by an opposite desire to be different and unconventional. He will feel this as an inner restlessness. This duality in his nature expresses in his game as he mixes up the speed of his shots, slowing down the pace and then unleashing a ferocious drive.

Another factor in his ability to keep his opponents guessing is Mars in Gemini which makes him versatile and direct. Testament to this is his immediate response to defeats. He always returns better and wiser to rise to greater heights. This is also where his strong Saturn shows itself as he understands that hard work is necessary and has the discipline and drive to back it up.

Early on in his career his one weakness was his energy levels. This shows up in Mars opposite Uranus which indicates erratic flow of energy. Credit to Andy he has used the Saturn link to overcome this through sheer hard work.

Andy has Mars in the 10th house, which is a very ambitious placement and which shows a desire to be seen as powerful, strong and assertive and to want to be remembered for having achieved something memorable. This is a focus outlet for all the inner tension.

Although Mars equates to athletic prowess remember Andy's Mars is in Gemini. A lot in his chart points to a dual (Gemini) career. His Sun is placed in the 9th house which speaks of independent thought through experience. In the fixed area of the house his words will lack authority unless they are backed-up by experience and wisdom. At a deep level Andy will understand that if he achieves success and along the way gathers experience and knowledge then he can speak from authority.

Andy has a very outward-looking perspective on life and is totally comfortable in front of crowds and has the emotional independence to give him the mental character to withstand the pressures of the tour. What will come later in life is to feel more comfortable with the introspection needed to distill his experience into outward service. I can see him being equally successful as a commentator, coach or as an ambassador for his sport and for his country.

With Mercury also in the 9th house Andy can teach, share and inspire others. His strongest planet is Pluto and there is a very powerful mind which is a sports psychologists dream.

Another factor in his growing success is his relationship with Kim Sears. This is one of the very important missing links that wasn't in place before.

Andy has many gifts - he has a strong ability to overcome setbacks, the deeper he digs the more inner resources he will find. With North Node conjunct Jupiter he can also look forward to a blessed life. Although he already has great self-discipline, he has earned from his past material wealth and fulfilling relationships. Hidden beneath an aloof exterior is a natural link with the public and he is meant to bring his inner and outer abilities for public benefit and appreciation.

Andy's House Chart shows extra resources he can call on. His most powerful and accessible planet - Pluto is now integrated into a Projection Figure, also known as the Finger of God. This is on the Thinking Axis. Also his Sun which is the director of our life's play is more involved in the picture. He has untapped psychological vision and ability which if developed and directed can bring more of his mental powers into the arena.

Will he win Wimbledon in 2009? He has just won the Qatar championships defeating the top players in the world. He is certainly capable of it. If he doesn't win it this year he will carry on improving until he becomes No.1 in the world. He will be satisfied with nothing less and it seems that he has the luck that will give him a smooth passage.

His transits for June show that he may have a lot of heavy inner work that will get in the way of his tennis. Although he will be really enjoying playing and should be in great health there still feels to be a period of preparation and restructuring and he may not have his maximum energy level.

Norma Jeane was born on 1 June, 1926 to Gladys Baker. Her father was Charles Gifford. She spent most of her childhood in foster homes and orphanages and her mother had recurring mental problems. Despite her background she eventually achieved greatness and fame but not it seems happiness.

She was a photographer's dream with sex appeal, glamour and effervescence. She also had a vulnerability and innocence. She was soft, feminine and sensual but could also be unemotional at times.

Although her early movies portrayed her as a dumb blonde she really wanted to be recognised as a serious actress. In 1956 she formed her own production company and proceeded to demonstrate her talent and versatility, winning a Golden Globe for best actress.

She married famous (Joe DiMaggio) and intelligent (Arthur Miller) men and had a fascination for power (Jack and Bobby Kennedy). All her life she yearned for security and enduring love. And sought to escape the pressures of life through drink and pills. She died in an untimely manner in 1962, aged 36, at the height of her fame and beauty.

Marilyn's chart shows her inner motivation was for security but she was also goal-oriented. She left her first husband to pursue her career. The colour balance in her chart shows she was sensitive, insecure and easily-influenced and that she found it difficult to relax and switch off.

Surprisingly given her recognition as the epitome of femininity her Venus is weak by sign. In her personal relationships she needed a lot of freedom and sought to protect herself from getting hurt. The 'electric' quality and her inner radiance came from the aspect to Uranus and it's inner orientation.

Marilyn has a Leo Ascendant. She wanted to be recognised as someone special and was always perfectly dressed and glamorous. She has Neptune in the 1st house which accounts for her sensitivity to the outside world and her propensity for creative illusion. She often gave varying accounts of her childhood.

Her planet most visible to other people is the Moon. This placement is frequently found in the charts of screen stars. They have a talent for projecting a good image and winning hearts. She established a relationship with her public. Marilyn also had excellent diplomatic ability. Moon conjunct Jupiter intensified her public emotional expansiveness.

Marilyn has two significant aspect patterns in her chart. An energy powerhouse - Efficiency Triangle. And a Talent Triangle which denotes great talent. In Marilyn's case it appears she was unaware of it.

The planet at the apex of both triangles is Saturn in Scorpio which relates to our physical body. Positioned on a balance point allows Saturn to operate successfully. Marilyn herself said she learnt that her body could be a powerful tool.

Exactly the year that her Age Point reached Saturn she started working for Twentieth Century Fox and changed her name to Marilyn Monroe. This was the beginning of her recognition as a personality in her own right. At the same time transiting Pluto was right on her Ascendant - she was coming into her own power.

Saturn is a strong feature in her chart and although given time could have been a source of strength and stability it was more likely that it contributed to her often feeling she wasn't good enough.

An Efficiency Triangle is a strong driving force and must feel exhausting. This is where Marilyn's elusive quality originates (Moon opposite Neptune). Moon-Saturn has an element of the trapped child who just wants to feel safe. She was also very psychic and able to tune into other people's emotions. She could be whatever they wanted her to be. She could also have unrealistic expectations of partners.

Marilyn could have achieved inner security and also found real power. Her Talent Triangle suggests she had qualities of courage, strength, endurance and perseverance with a strong survival instinct. However, Pluto is in the 12th house so this source of power wouldn't be readily recognisable to her and the power that was hers was projected onto the powerful men in her life.

Marilyn's Sun, the director of her life is slightly adrift so she would have to make a conscious effort to pull together all the potential shown in her chart. She has Sun and Mercury in Gemini. The irony is that she has a versatile, quick, curious and sharp mind with strong opinions. She was interested in classical music, art, drama and poetry. She could have been proved to be famous as much for her mind as for her body.

Marilyn had the ability if she chose to rise like the phoenix from the flames. Every single one of her planets is aspected to a transpersonal planet. Although her life had a lot of hard lessons, equally the potential was significant. Her spiritual path is linked to Pluto the planet of power and transformation.

A Cancer North Node often coincides with being institutionalised in childhood and an emotionally cold environment. Throughout life there is always a sense of something missing. Her spiritual goal in life was to find her own self-worth and to discover how to nurture herself emotionally.

Marilyn's Node chart shows that in the past she has had strong will-power and protected herself by keeping others at arm's length. Being recognised as intelligent and talented made her feel valued.

The House chart has a Learning Triangle which means there is long-term potential within to find creative solutions and to have a stronger influence and effect. A trine from Uranus to the Sun shows potential innovative mental resources.

Marilyn died on 5 August, 1962. She believes she was murdered. How do I know? A clue can be found on a different page.

Unusally for a president Barack Obama is a writer. The titles of his two books Dreams for my Father (about race, class and identity) and The Audacity of Hope sum up a large part of his character.

Barack's parents divorced early in his life which separated him from his male role model. He has a relatively unaspected Sun which makes it difficult to find his own identity from within. One aspect to Neptune suggests he will have idealised his absent father.

Two of his 'male' planets - Mars and Pluto are in an intercepted house. This accounts for his lack of aggressive qualities. They were parts of his character that were not 'seen' by his family.

By all accounts Barack was close to his mother, sister and grandmother. A strength in his character is his intuition and ability to relate to people extremely well in a gentle way. His mother instilled in him the importance of empathy and service. A very politically-refreshing aspect to his character is his readiness to give other people credit.

In order to see how emotionally-balanced a person is we look to the Moon. Barack’s Moon is very well aspected. We can only nurture others to the extent that we ourselves are fulfilled and Barack is sensitive and compassionate toward the feelings of others and is warm and caring. His Moon is in the sign of Gemini which intellectualises feelings and he has gone on record as saying that he believes in making time to read to a child and values literacy abilities. It also suggests he is quick-witted, facile and totally comfortable in a debating environment. We know he is a persuasive and emotive speaker.

An aspect structure links together a number of planets into a common theme. Barack has five planets (out of ten) in an aspect pattern known as a Megaphone which spans both sides of his chart – his public and his private life. With his Sun in the 6th house his main motivation and identity in life is to serve. He is a thinker and is inquisitive, alert and observant. His prior experiences in life as a community organiser in impoverished neighbourhoods and a lawyer in a civil rights legislation firm, coupled with his sensitivity and desire to actively care about the plight of others means he will seek to find ways to improve existing conditions. Another aspect of the 6th house is diet, health and nutrition and he is intending to reform the health system.

The planets at the apex of the structure are a Saturn-Jupiter conjunction. In order to find a good life balance Barack will need to make time in private in order to process what he instinctively and intuitively absorbs from other people. His most recent book The Audacity of Hope was written in the small hours. This perfectly expresses this conjunction. The planets Saturn and Jupiter represent very different principles. Jupiter is our capacity for hope, optimism, faith and growth. Saturn is the urge to restrict, pessimism, inertia and security. Linked together they can express as cautious optimism, prudence, perseverance, and finding one’s own beliefs and meaning.

Another planet influencing this conjunction is Uranus. Again he has an inner conflict, having a strong desire to reform and introduce progressive ideas but conversely valuing tradition. It should act as a brake to avoid sweeping changes too suddenly without full consideration of their long-term effects. It is a source of determination and strength.

Barack shares a Uranus-North Node conjunction with George W. Bush and Bill Clinton – seeking change. However, Barack’s expresses in a different area of his life. He will find his job exciting and challenging as it pushes him into new areas of growth, influence and destiny. He is meant to be original, progressive, inventive and creative in his thinking but he needs others to bounce off. And to learn how to accept recognition for his individual contributions.

His relationship is extremely important to him as it will help him to encounter different parts of his character, as this is his second arena of growth. With the Moon in the 4th house, home and family are dear to him and are his sanctuary. He is set to reveal his policy on the home foreclosure crisis.

At this time of his life and in front of a global audience, on an inner level and in private over the next few years he will begin to formulate his own personal understanding and meaning of life.

Today is the 20th November, 2010 and this week the engagement of Prince William to Kate Middleton was announced. And of course the speculation started about what type of queen she will make.

This is where astrology is so informative as every astrologer has already answered that question. What it also shows is that the timing of the wedding next year is so perfect for both of them.

Both Kate and William were born in 1982 - Kate in January and William in June, so their charts are very similar. This indicates that above all they are friends with a great deal in common.

The age of maturity is usually considered to be 21 but astrologically-speaking it is 29 which coincides with the Saturn Return. In 2011 both William and Kate turn 29 and the theme of the Return is maturity, taking on responsibilities, major life changes and a new period of life.

To answer the question - Kate is the ideal royal bride for William. She has a strong sense of duty and has a very traditional and responsible outlook. She also has a great deal of self-restraint and dignity. She is more concerned with career than he is but they both have Cancer Moons so their family and home life is also a priority.

Diana had planets in Leo and Aquarius which gave her that individualistic and pioneering streak. Kate also has an Aquarius emphasis but this is channelled into her thinking process. She is intelligent, innovative, contemporary and a humanitarian.

We can also expect her to develop an elegant and beautiful style, sympathetic and caring qualities, a tactful and charming speaker, a modern and in touch icon and a lady who acts with harmony and grace.

Her new career and potential as a royal mum is very much her destiny.

Saturn transits mark times in our life when we are being asked to knuckle down, work hard and finish something important. Very often they are accompanied by bouts of illness which force you to consolidate your energies. Useful essences at this time are -

Rose Alba - for patience, perseverance and co-operation.
Laurel - for organisation and bringing your plan into manifestation
Bell Heather - have faith and trust in yourself
Globe Thistle - exercise inner powers of strength and determination essences for duty and responsibility