Merry Christmas

After a very traumatic year, I know that, for many people,
a 'merry' Christmas is not possible.
So, I'd like to wish you a

PEACEFUL & SAFE CHRISTMAS

Remember the true meaning of Christmas

- Goodwill To All -

and hold your loved ones close.

~ Sue

Prince Harry

Prince Harry was born on Saturday 15th September 1984 at 4:20pm in Paddington, London, England. At first glance, Prince Harry's natal chart looks very down-to-earth and practical with three personal planets, including the Sun and Moon, plus his Ascendant, all in Earth signs. But, as is always the case in astrology, the real story lies deeper into the chart, especially within the aspects.

With his Virgo Sun in a square aspect to Mars in Sagittarius, Harry is hot-headed and temperamental at times. He is also restless, impatient and easily frustrated. This planetary combination brings determination to succeed and Harry has a heightened will to achieve in some area but, as yet, he doesn't quite seem to know what that might be.

Harry's natal Sun is also in a square to Neptune, making him highly emotional, impressionable and open to deception. Prone to self-victimisation, he may have problems with confused identity. This planetary combination brings a longing for spiritual enlightenment and a dissatisfaction with current circumstances, so wherever he is and whatever he's doing, he will become restless and want to move on. This planetary influence shows that he is clearly attracted to a glamorous lifestyle and has strong charitable instincts but may struggle to find a clear self-image through being too optimistic and having delusions of his own importance.

With his natal Moon in Taurus, Harry instinctively finds emotional stability in material and financial security. Attracted to beauty and the good life, he is extremely acquisitive in his outlook. He has strong family ties - although these days it would appear that he has replaced one family with another. Like anyone with a Fixed Sign emphasised in their chart, he is very, very stubborn. Harry's Moon is in an opposition aspect to the Midheaven, giving him a powerful link with family tradition and a keen knowledge of history.

Harry's natal Ascendant is in Capricorn. His late grandmother Queen Elizabeth also had her Ascendant in this sign, as did his late grandfather Prince Philip. Like them, he feels a strong sense of tradition and responsibility. His family is the most important thing in his life and he will constantly worry about them. This is also the sign of maturity and respect. Sadly, he seems devoid of those traits right now.

Harry's natal Mercury is in a positive trine aspect to Jupiter. This shows a fertile mind, eager for information and full of ideas. With a positive attitude, he is fun to be around and will enjoy mixing with many different groups of people. This aspect gives Harry good communication skills as well as wide-ranging views on many subjects. A generous nature will enhance his charitable work. Freedom of speech and other human rights are important to him, but he will tend to be forceful or intense in debates or discussions. A tendency to overthink may lead to mental exhaustion.

Natal Mercury in a square to Uranus in Harry's chart shows an eccentric personality. His mind and emotions are very changeable which can both confuse and antagonise others. He tends to approach situations from a rebellious viewpoint as his initial reaction to most social traditions and rules will be to oppose them - even though most of this will remain within his own thoughts. He is likely to have the tendency towards erratic and impractical ideas. 

His inability to comply with social rules and acceptable behaviour stems from an innate resistance to authority. He literally has no concept of why he has to live in certain ways, or adhere to a code of conduct. His distorted sense of freedom gives him the desire to live an unconventional lifestyle. Everyone he was influenced by while he was growing up - parents, teachers, etc will now somehow be perceived as his 'enemies'. Many people with this planetary aspect become outsiders, alienated from society, forever blaming others for their life's failures. 

Prince Harry's Natal Chart (click to enlarge)

With his natal Mars in Sagittarius, Harry is someone whose strength is in his own beliefs. He probably sees himself as some sort of  crusader, although he could get into conflicts by trying to lecture or put others in their place, even when they know more than he does. He's not afraid of controversy or hostility - as long as he's not on the receiving end. Extravagant, ill-conceived actions may cause his downfall. 

Harry's natal Mars is situated in the 12th house of his chart. This shows him to be idealistic, compassionate and charitable. However, a combination of discontentment, longing for the impossible, simmering resentment and escapist tendencies could, if he's not careful, lead him down a very dark road. His self-confidence will frequently be eroded by his hyper-sensitive reactions to people and situations. With uncertainty about the boundaries between himself and others, he has a confused self-image.

Harry's natal Pluto is situated in the 10th house of his chart, and as the ruling planet of his Scorpio Midheaven - the point which symbolises the public image - his personal presence is strong.  As Pluto rules extreme feelings and attitudes, he may attract, or provoke, love-hate reactions towards, or from, other people. There are deep issues revolving around the relationship with his father that need to be confronted and dealt with properly. He has both a desire to be influential but at the same time wants to hide away from public attention. With a powerful sense of commitment and responsibility, he will naturally take the lead as he will hate being in a subordinate.position.

Many of Harry's planets, including his natal Sun, are positioned in Mutable Signs. These are also referred to as Dual Signs due to their ambiguous nature. People with this influence in their chart often live a double life.and this can take many forms: Some people may literally live a double life by having two separate families - neither of which is aware of the other. Or by having a secret identity, an illicit affair, or a hidden, perhaps even criminal lifestyle. 

In Harry's case, his duality appears to pull him in opposite directions. He decided to leave his family, his country (and continent) and his royal duties because he wanted to be independent and live a normal life with his wife and children. He has done nothing to achieve that. Instead, he exploits his royal relatives in order to make money from his 'career' and retains the titles bestowed upon him by the very monarchy he claims to detest. A double life - or double standards?

The Mystery Of House 12

When a chart is calculated using the date, time and place of birth (or any other event)it is divided into 12 sections which overlap the 12 signs of the zodiac. These sections are called 'houses' and each one corresponds to a particular area of life. Arguably, the most misunderstood section of all is House 12.

The 12th House precedes the Ascendant which is the starting point of the entire chart and the beginning of House One. Therefore, House 12 symbolises endings. Many people find the 12th house frightening, probably because they are only familiar with its negative traits such as confusion, deception, illusion, loss, etc. But this is only part of the story. As any professional astrologer knows, the 12th House is quite possibly the most fascinating of all.

Let's start with the more familiar and somewhat negative House 12 associations. Imprisonment, solitude, mysticism. When I was a student, House 12 was described as "The house of one's self-undoing" which inferred that the potential misfortune in this area of the chart was brought about to some extent by your own bad behaviour or landing yourself in trouble because of your own gullibility. Hence its connection to imprisonment. And of course, House 12 is the house of Karma - but there's good karma and bad karma. It's about getting what you deserve. 

However, the 12th House symbolises so many positive attributes. First and foremost, this is the house of preparation and potential. Everything associated with the 12th is about preparing for a major new beginning. It's about what happens before something starts, before it becomes a physical reality, before it officially begins. The rehearsal period. 

Metamorphosis is another phenomenon associated with the 12th House. A prime  example is pregnancy. As the house of incubation, the 12th represents the final trimester of a pregnancy - the last stage in the process before the baby is born. It's those last moments before all is revealed for the first time. It's standing on a stage before the curtain goes up on the first night of a performance, the chrysalis before the butterfly emerges, the bud before the flower blooms. The seed beneath the soil before its shoots burst through the earth to announce the arrival of Spring. 

House 12 is also associated with beauty in all its forms: love, romance, art, music, photography, dance, poetry. Is it any wonder that Venus is the exalted ruler of this house? So many astrologers claim that any natal planet in the 12th is "unfortunate". Not true! House 12 is where fantasy runs wild - there are no boundaries in this house!

House 12 in its mystical sense is the house of surrealism - or 'unreality' as it's sometimes called. It's about everything that's intangible, vague, abstract, invisibile, anything that's hidden, concealed or camouflaged. Things which are semi-transparent are ruled by this house too - fog, mist, smoke, veils, two-way mirrors. Particles, atoms, molecules, the pieces of something that make up the whole. Or something which has been reduced to powder. An example of this is sand - solid rock fragmented into billions of tiny pieces.

The 12th House: Imagination, inspiration, endless fascination and dreams waiting to become reality. Mystery solved.

November Lunar Eclipse

The Lunar Eclipse on 8th November 2022 at 16° Taurus, just like the recent Solar Eclipse, will have a major impact on various countries, including Ukraine's Pluto and Russia’s Sun, Mercury and Saturn - both in Scorpio - as well as China's Saturn. The UK's Venus will also take a hit just as it did from the Mars Uranus North Node stellium back in August. This eclipsed Moon will be conjunct transiting Uranus, so expect things to become chaotic.Or, should I say, more chaotic.

Interestingly, it will trigger Boris Johnson's natal Jupiter Neptune opposition. In President Zelenskyy's chart it will conjunct his natal Uranus and square his Moon and Midheaven. In Putin's chart, the Lunar Eclipse will square his Nodal Axis.

There will be more eclipse effects for the British Monarchy too, as the Lunar Eclipse will square King Charles' natal Pluto (ruler of his 4th house) and Ceres. This influence will bring the need to take more control within the family circle. I feel he may need to take more time away in order to process his feelings of loss, during which he could decide to mediate a compromise, before returning to his service with renewed commitment after letting go of certain situations. 

The Lunar Eclipse will oppose Prince Harry's Scorpio Midheaven bringing major changes associated with his public image and professional profile. Dashed hopes could result in a loss of position or status, and a struggle to achieve his goals. Adverse publicity will affect his popularity. He may also experience conflict between his domestic and professional life.

This Lunar Eclipse has a very interesting connection to Lady Louise - daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex. She was born on 8th November 2003 which was the day before an identical Lunar Eclipse to this one at 16° Taurus. As eclipse cycles repeat approximately every 19 years, this will be her first birthday eclipse since she was born. The next one will occur close to her birthday in 2040 but not actually on it, so this Lunar Eclipse is very significant and indicates a dramatic change in her life during the next 12 months. Wonderful opportunities lie ahead.

In conjunction to Catherine, Princess of Wales' natal Chiron, the Lunar Eclipse could bring a period of personal crisis and a life-changing decision will be made during the next six months. As the eclipse is also in a square aspect to her natal Ascendant, this could involve her personal appearance, her name (or title), domestic environment, or her outlook and attitude.

Holly & Phillip - What Next?

When the Mars, Uranus, North Node stellium occurred in August 2022, it squared Phillip Schofield's natal Moon and Nodal Axis. Mars has now moved on but Uranus and the North Node are still giving his Moon and Nodes a hard time, bringing emotional turmoil and extreme tension..This is a very disruptive planetary influence from transiting Uranus, affecting how he is seen by the public. Could his public image be damaged in the long term? 

On the day of 16th September 2022 when the incident of allegedly jumping the queue and cheating their way in to view The Queen's coffin occurred, the transiting Sun was square Holly's natal Neptune and was moving towards an opposition to Phillip's natal Mercury, thus triggering deception and confusion.

Transiting Mars was in a square aspect to Phillip's natal Mars on the day of the queue jumping. Under this planetary influence, he may have become too impulsive, acting without consideration of the consequences. This will continue to be a very difficult time for him and he will feel extremely irritated by other people who dare to question his actions. Transiting Mars will be back to square Phillip's natal Mars in mid-December 2022 and again in mid-February 2023.

On 16th September 2022, transiting Saturn was conjunct Holly's natal Sun, bringing a period of struggle, low vitality and the need to accept and sort out failures. It also conjuncted Phillip's natal Moon making him see himself in a more realistic light. This influence will continue until January 2023. 

In March 2023, Saturn will enter Pisces and will conjunct Holly's natal Mercury and Mars, giving her a serious, possibly gloomy outlook and a lack of confidence which will test her ability to endure setbacks. Transiting Neptune will be in a square aspect to her natal Neptune, hitting it hard from Spring 2023 until early 2024. This planetary influence is part of the Mid-Life Crisis generational aspects which affect everyone. She will start to question her goals and how much they have lived up (or not) to her expectations. As a result she may decide to make some changes However, it will be vital to avoid making important commitments as the wrong decisions would have lasting consequences.

Transiting Saturn will also be conjunct Phillip's natal Jupiter throughout 2023, bringing a need for him to shake free from restrictions, become more patient and cautious and to adjust his expectations towards a more down to earth outlook. Everything he does during next year will seem to be delayed for various reasons and he may experience several setbacks. As Jupiter is his chart ruler, his personal freedom could become an issue.

Transiting Neptune has been conjunct Phillip's natal Mercury this year, becoming exact during 2023 and 2024, before finally coming to an end in March 2025. This long-term planetary influence tends to bring confusing experiences and a temptation to bend the truth. Under the effects of this transit, he may have difficulty distinguishing fact from fantasy. There will be much deception and delusion. Misunderstandings are likely to occur regarding contracts, negotiations or business partnerships. Communication in general will be problematic for him and the threat of scandal will remain high.

This incident, during the mourning period for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, was no flash in the pan. It is a long-term development which will not end any time soon. Although the original event which triggered the negative public response might fade in time, there will be other events during the next 12 months that will reignite the furore. Phillip and Holly may be smiling at the moment but this situation is far from over.

October Solar Eclipse

There will be a Solar Eclipse on 25th October in the sign of Scorpio.

On the world stage, President Zelenskyy, and his political allies: Biden, Macron, Ursula von der Leyen, etc, as well as certain countries including Ukraine, the UK and Russia, will all be potential targets for this year's eclipses taking place in Taurus and Scorpio as they all have their natal Moons in Fixed signs.

In British politics, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's natal Moon will be conjuncted by the eclipse. As the Moon is the ruler of his 10th house (public image and status) he could be recognised in some way and take a step that comes from being a seasoned professional. as his experience will be a valuable asset.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will experience the eclipse as a square to her natal Mars. Under this influence, there could be outbursts, destructive tendencies and conflicts. She might have to stand up for herself  - or she could be the one initiating a confrontation. Arguing, or ongoing frustration could reach breaking point. If a situation comes to a head, it could be explosive. As Mars is the ruler of her 6th house (daily routine, work, health) there could be a health crisis as a result of full on pressure in her working life. There could also be a change in her title or identity. 

This Solar Eclipse will oppose King Charles’ natal Moon in Taurus, which shows that something could happen that may leave him feeling exposed or vulnerable during the next six months. Circumstances connected to his home, family and the past, may occur and cause emotional upset. There could be a severing of family ties and a sense of betrayal by another person. He may realise that he doesn't have to give in to the demands of others in order to get approval or have status. 

The Solar Eclipse will be conjunct Prince William’s natal Jupiter and Scorpio Midheaven bringing new experiences and a renewed sense of adventure and optimism. He will travel more than usual over the next six months and a flash of insight will revolutionise his outlook on life. He will feel truly connected and contented within his family.

Prince Harry’s Pluto will all be activated by the Solar Eclipse bringing his inner tensions to the surface. He may have to deal with mental trauma, fear, compulsions or obsessions. An upcoming event could trigger the need for him to confront his negative personality traits and the six months following the eclipse could bring the strength - or the help - to face and overcome them. 

In a square aspect to Meghan Markle's natal Nodal Axis, the Solar Eclipse will rattle her boundaries, bringing upset to her familiar settings and people; forcing her out of her comfort zone. She'll be moving towards unfamiliar situations and will be challenged to prove her potential.

The War In Ukraine

On the morning of Monday, 10th October 2022, Ukraine was devastated by a massive Russian bombardment of 84 missiles targeting several major cities including the capital Kyiv.

A few hours earlier, the Full Moon was at 16° Aries - exactly opposite President Zelensky's natal Pluto and square Ukraine's Nodal Axis, Neptune and Ascendant. It was also quincunx Pluto in Ukraine's chart and conjunct Eris (revenge). This influence tends to bring impulsive, violent reactions as well as intense emotions and confrontations. 

Transiting Mars was at 22° Gemini - triggering Mars at 22° Capricorn, it's position on the day the war began. It will cross this degree again from the 19th - 23rd November. This planetary influence brings unusually forceful actions and the need to prove dominance. It is also square the war Neptune which indicates critical events and panic.

Transiting Mars has just moved into President Zelensky's natal First House and is conjunct his Ascendant. Mars goes retrograde on 31st October, conjuncting his Ascendant again on 23rd November. and re-entering his 12th House. It won't enter his 1st House properly until 6th March 2023. For more information on this, please read my recent article 'President Zelenskyy - Part 3'. Link: 

https://ephemeralarc.blogspot.com/2022/07/president-zelenskyy-part-3.html

Transiting Saturn is back to it's 'war' position at 18° Aquarius and is being squared by transiting Uranus. This extremely disruptive planetary aspect began in January 2021 and has caused much civil unrest and aggravation. One of the key phrases associated with a Saturn Uranus hard aspect is: 'A desire for change battles against the instinct to hang on, amid displays of rebellion' It will finally come to an end in December 2022 but, as is often the case with major planetary influences, it looks like it's going out with a bang.

Pluto went direct after nearly eight months of being in retrograde motion since the end of April. Coincidence? No. Does this indicate a turning point in the conflict?.Perhaps. Either that or the beginning of a new phase in the war.

The rest of 2022 is going to be, astrologically speaking, a very tough time. On the 25th October there will be a Solar Eclipse in the sign of Scorpio. Six days later transiting Mars will turn retrograde and eight days after that there will be a very powerful Lunar Eclipse in Taurus.