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All you ever wanted to know about astrology – and more

Books by Penny Thornton

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All you ever wanted to know about astrology – and more

Books by Penny Thornton

BOOKS

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Weekly Hello

MONDAY, 18 November – SUNDAY, 24 November

Hello!

Any week that opens on a Mercury-Jupiter aspect has to have merits. We need our Jupiter jollies, especially at a time when global events are, in large part, so grim. The Christmas ad-campaigns have begun in earnest, which is always the signal for me to get moving on festive food preparation. There may only be two of us this year, but that doesn’t mean I’m not making industrial supplies of mince pies. I’m a passionate cook, as some of you may know. LINK TO THE ZODIAC COOKS
 
On the 19th, Pluto begins its twenty-year journey through Aquarius. During that time, it will periodically make connections with your natal planets and angles, which is when, and only when, you come to understand what this planet has in store for you. Since Pluto is such a slow-mover, it will hover over a degree area for three to four years, allowing for the many and varied experiences this planet offers. (It may be small, it may have been relegated to Dwarf status, but it still packs a powerful punch.)
 
In my Year Ahead Forecasts for 2025, which I’m preparing at the moment, I go into detail about Pluto’s transit of the twelve houses, and also on the promise that Pluto holds for mankind as we tread the shallows of the Age of Aquarius. Already we can see the new world order taking shape.
 
I talk more about this in my video The Tsunami of Change LINK TO VIDEO which is live now.
 
Onward and Starward

Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer Leo Virgo Libra Scorpio Sagittarius Capricorn Aquarius Pisces

Friday Bite

Astrology of the Week’s Main Global Events
by
Penny Thornton

Friday Bite: 15 November 2024

 

Decisions, Decisions

 

“He [Robert F Kennedy Jr] wants to do some things, and we’re going to let him go to it… Go have a good time, Bobby.” Donald Trump, Election night 2024

“Put not your trust in new leaders, better systems, new organizations and regulatory reorganizations. They may well be good and necessary, but will to some degree fail.” Justin Welby, former Archbishop of Canterbury.

THE WEEK BEGAN with remembrance ceremonies across the world honouring those who died for their countries in two World Wars. Vladimir Putin took the opportunity to send Ukraine a message. On Monday, Russian aircraft were moved into launch positions creating an illusion of a forthcoming massive attack. In the event, it never happened.

In Germany beleaguered Chancellor Olaf Schwarz is facing calls to step down and to be replaced by the Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius.

In the UK, on Tuesday, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby resigned in the wake of a report that he and other church officials had failed to act when evidence of the brutal abuse of teenagers and young men by leading barrister, John Smyth, came to light more than ten years ago.

 
Justin Welby Natal Chart

I note that Welby was born on an exact Neptune-Uranus square at zero degrees of Scorpio/Leo respectively, which is currently being triggered by transiting Pluto at 29 degrees 56 minutes of Capricorn. Plus, his Saturn-Pluto square at 28/29 Scorpio/Leo is being sparked by transiting Uranus at 25 degrees of Taurus. Not only is the Archbishop following the Saturn-in-Pisces trend for atonement but Pluto is digging up old crimes and transforming his role as one of the most respected and revered figures in the country.

On Thursday, Sri Lankans voted in their droves for the Marxist-leaning President Anura Dissanayake who has promised to reject old systems of government.

And in New Zealand, parliament was suspended on Thursday after Māori MPs performed a haka to disrupt a vote on a bill that proposes to change the way a treaty between the British Crown and the Māori people is interpreted – the Treaty of Waitangi. While the bill, proposed by the libertarian Act party – a minor party in the country’s coalition government – is almost certain to fail, it has inspired fierce opposition from New Zealanders. Hundreds of people have set out on a nine-day protest march (hikoi) to the capital where thousands are expected on Tuesday to gather for a rally.

New Zealand Treaty of Weitang chart

The above chart marks the moment that the Treaty of Waitangi was signed – the very treaty that protects Māori rights and is currently under threat of being fundamentally altered to include all New Zealanders. As you will see, the natal Sun-Mars conjunction at 26/28 Capricorn is currently being transited by Pluto, and since at the time the treaty came into being, Pluto was 29 degrees of Aries, transiting Pluto is simultaneously squaring its natal position.

Clearly, the Māori people have no intention of allowing their rights to be appropriated.

I HAD INTENDED not to talk about the United States and Donald Trump’s return to power, but the choices that the president elect is making for the top jobs are quite astounding, and certainly resonate with his vow to radically transform government, if not the American constitution.

Most controversial thus far is Matt Gaetz, former representative for Florida’s 1st Congressional district, and now nominee for United States attorney general. Mr Gaetz was subject to a two-year justice department investigation into suspected sex-trafficking, which ended without charge, although the House Ethics Committee report on his alleged drug taking and sexual misconduct may still be released. None of this is a good look for an attorney general and the Senate Republicans who have advise and consent power may not approve.

Matt Gaetz Sunrise chart

I have no time of birth for Mr Gaetz and without one it is difficult to see how this politician has risen to such potential glory. He has a wide Jupiter-Pluto conjunction which could be conjunct a Scorpio Moon, but that’s really it when it comes to power and leadership. Although, with Mars opposed to Venus in Aries and the Moon in Scorpio possibly conjunct Jupiter and Pluto, we certainly have an explanation for those allegations regarding sexual misconduct… Neptune is already in the orb of his natal Mars and conjunct his Venus, while Saturn will reach that same point in April-May of next year. And since transiting Neptune is currently squaring natal Neptune, it would suggest that he’s living the dream or more likely, living in a world of illusion and delusion.

Other controversial choices include former Democratic congresswoman, Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence – she who has been accused of being a Russian asset – Fox News host, Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defence who has similarly faced accusations of sexual misconduct, and although he has served in the military has no experience of national security or foreign policy matters. And last but not least, Robert F Kennedy Jr for Health and Human Services Secretary.

Robert F Kennedy Jr Natal

I have looked at Mr Kennedy’s chart on a couple of occasions and was not convinced that he would make it to the White House. What I could not have imagined was his abandonment of his Independent crusade and endorsement of Mr Trump. For which he has been richly rewarded.

I know a lot of you admire and support Robert Kennedy Jr but there are many who do not. And I am among those who question his anti-vaccine stance and his espousal of conspiracy theories. Donald Trump has vowed to give Mr Kennedy free reign when it comes to the nation’s health, which may also prove to be an issue for the Senate Republicans who must consent to his appointment.

Robert Kennedy Jr has a stellium in the late degrees of Capricorn (Mercury, Sun, Venus and Chiron) and with his nodal axis at 24 degrees Capricorn-Cancer and his Moon in Cancer, he was born the day before an eclipse. He is thus destined to make his mark on life and, in this case, the country. All his Capricorn planets are squaring Neptune as is Uranus, which certainly supplies a reason for his predilection for conspiracy theories. At best, we could say he has humanity’s (and America’s) best interests at heart but, at worst, he is completely misguided. And this makes him a dangerous choice for Health and Human Services Secretary

Pluto is currently transiting his natal Mercury and poised to conjoin his Descendant, so while he may get through the Senate inquiry, his tenure is not going to be smooth and he will have many powerful enemies.

As I complete this Friday Bite the full moon in Taurus is reaching its peak, and its conjunction to Uranus. This full moon connects to many of the characters in the American political drama currently playing out in front of our eyes. And, as we go forward, yet more powerful and destabilising alignments are forming, so, as I said in last week’s edition, nothing is set in stone and there are further shock waves to come.

Hang onto your hats.

noddy and big ears
Friday Bite: 8 November 2024

 

It’s The Economy, Stupid!

 

“Many people told me, God spared my life for a reason, and that reason was to save our country and restore America to greatness.” Donald Trump, 6 November.
“While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fuelled this campaign. The fight for freedom, opportunity and fairness… the light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up.” Kamala Harris, 6 November.
 
“It should come as no surprise that a Democratic party which has abandoned working class people should find that the working class has abandoned them.” Bernie Saunders, 6 November
 
LET’S DEAL WITH the elephant. Donald Trump achieved a stonking victory in the US election, in spite of astrological signs and pollster predictions to the contrary. I’m going to use the whole of this Friday Bite to discuss the astrology involved, but to put this historical event in a broader context, there have been three other major political stories in the past seven days that reflect this huge wave of political change sweeping across the globe.
 
On Sunday, Moldova’s pro-European Union president, Maia Sandu, won a second term, despite “massive interference” by Moscow to “distort the outcome”.
Germany is in chaos after its government collapsed in the wake of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s dismissal of finance minister, Christian Linder, the leader of one of the three coalition parties. This development would have been unwelcome at any time for Europe, but together with the prospect of another Trump presidency, the future for the Union is looking decidedly bleak. (And in case you think this is just my opinion, Mr Trump has made clear his intentions to withdraw America from NATO and end aid to Ukraine. Even if these threats are merely tactical, no European government is going to ignore them.)
When the UK Labour party won the general election in July, the then prime minister, Rishi Sunak, announced his resignation, setting in motion the process of choosing another Conservative party leader. On Saturday, Kemi Badenoch was elected to the post. A Sun Capricorn with her Moon in Cancer, Ms Badenoch, who represents the right-wing of the party, is the first black female to head a major British political party.
 
You see where I’m going: this wave of extreme political change is reshaping the world. Its tsunamic force is too great to resist. Anything blocking it doesn’t stand a chance. This is also reflected in the astrology.
 
WHEN I SAID Donald Trump’s win occurred in spite of astrological signs to the contrary, that isn’t exactly true. Were he not to have been competing for the presidency with someone who had equally bullish transits, there would have been no doubt about his succession. But Kamala Harris was equally blessed. And the country, on its Pluto return, was ready for change. The promise of the astrology was fulfilled but not quite in the way many of us expected.
 
Astrology is a mirror for humanity’s evolution. That we astrologers cannot always see how events will work out does not invalidate this great art. Let’s not throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater.
US Election 2024

To recap. At the time of the election, Jupiter – the bringer of joy and the herald of success – was conjunct Trump’s Sun and opposing his Moon. And since he was born on a lunar eclipse, fate was destined to play a huge role in his future at the time of the election. However, Jupiter was conjunct (maybe not exact, but nonetheless conjunct) Harris’s Ascendant and her north node, which delivered an equally strong message of “destiny calling”. Indeed, the two leaders share a north node in Gemini, a mere three degrees apart. Last but not least, on election day, the Venus-Jupiter opposition flanked Harris’s Ascendant-Descendant axis and conjoined Trump’s Sun-Moon opposition.

Kamela Harris natal chart
Donald Trump Natal Chart
The two contra-indications of success involved planet Uranus.
 
Uranus was conjunct Trump’s Midheaven earlier this year. In fact, the controversial Mars-Uranus conjunction of 15 July fell on his Midheaven coinciding with the attempt on his life in Butler two days earlier. You can almost set your clock by Uranus transits: they are often exact to the day and almost always preside over totally random events. One of the most common outcomes of a Uranus transit to your Midheaven is a change of job and/or change of address. So, as an astrologer, you could take your pick as to whether this transit would materialize as a new job (President of the United States and another new home) or the loss of power and prestige. It could have worked either way.
 
Uranus in Kamala’s case was conjunct Jupiter, inconjunct her Sun and squaring her Saturn, which is conjunct the Midheaven. And as a double-whammy, Saturn was squaring her natal Uranus, which is conjunct Pluto and Venus. The test of her Saturn, whether it boded her acceptance of the mantle of the presidency or the denial of such honour, came at the Democratic convention of 19 August when a full moon squared transiting Uranus and triggered her natal Saturn and all the other planets on or near 27 degrees. She passed the test with flying colours and was ecstatically endorsed by all those who counted. It boded well for November the fifth.
 
That transiting Uranus was conjunct her natal Jupiter (the ruler of the seventh house of partnership) could have been interpreted in two ways too: a shock rejection (remember, the seventh house is also known as the house of open enemies) or an unexpected “marriage” and the signing of a contract with America and its people.
Neptune also played into the story of this election. The chart of the day, which was set for the opening of polling stations at 7:00 am in Washington, provided an Ascendant of 16 degrees of Scorpio, Kamela’s natal Neptune, while the nodal axis at 5 degrees Aries-Libra fell on Trump’s natal Neptune.
 
One way of rounding up all these conflicting influences in the light of the result of the election is to say that they were both winners and losers, a statement that will only be truly understood with the passage of time.
 
What I have not addressed until now is the rise of the divine feminine. Kamala Harris personified this “energy”. She epitomized all that women can be and stand for. As such, this unequivocal defeat is particularly hard for the divine feminine movement to understand and difficult to bear. That is, unless you see what just happened as a pit stop, not a full stop. In the big sweep of time, this is just a hiccup.
 
The Age of Aquarius could be said to have officially begun with the entry of Pluto into Aquarius in 2023. While the Age of Aquarius and Pluto’s transit of Aquarius will have manifold effects, the rise of the divine feminine per se does not entirely fit the bill. Aquarius is the sign of equality and liberty – the brotherhood of man. Ruled by Saturn and Uranus, Aquarius is a sign that has a clear resonance with autocracy. (And this is not me taking a pot shot at Aquarians, merely pointing out the larger themes of this complex air sign.) In essence, the new age is not an epoch in which women will finally come into their power but a time when men and women find equality. Which is why periodically there will be checks and balances.
 
That so many young men voted for Donald Trump appears to reflect the growing influence of the “heterodoxy” whose political views might once have been described as libertarian but who are now embracing the hyper-masculinism of Donald Trump, almost certainly as a backlash against the feminist wave – a wave that is not yet able to withstand the political tsunami that has just engulfed America.
 
So, perhaps we should see this apparent slap in the face for the divine feminine as par for the course rather than a mortal blow.
 
Another factor playing into the zeitgeist is the Saturn-Neptune conjunction. Although these two planets will not conjoin until February of 2026, they will be within twelve minutes of each other in July next year and we are already in the shallows of this mighty pairing. One of the ways this conjunction has of manifesting is as a darkening of the collective consciousness. A darkening which has come about as a response to terrible events over which we have no control — war, the forces of nature, destruction in all its forms. I will write more about this conjunction in the weeks and months ahead, but it is worth noting that America is very responsive to the Saturn-Neptune cycle. Indeed, the civil war of 1861-65 took place under the auspices of the Saturn-Neptune opposition on the Virgo-Pisces axis. This, combined with America’s Pluto-return, suggests the United States is poised to undergo its biggest transformation since 1776.
And speaking of the future.
 
The period between now and 20 January (Inauguration Day) is far from plain sailing. While the transfer of power has been graceful and gracious, the alignments are confrontational and will continue to be challenging right up to the end of January. So, I would say, nothing is set in stone.
 
Uranus continues to affect the charts of Harris, Biden, Trump and JD Vance, and often the third and final time it makes a pass is when its real promise is revealed. On 15 November a full moon in Taurus is closely conjunct Uranus and thus flanking Donald Trump’s MC-IC axis, connecting with Joe Biden’s Sun, Israel’s Sun, Russia’s Ascendant-Descendant axis and Ukraine’s Jupiter-Venus-Mercury conjunction.
 
My advice, particularly to Donald Trump, would be to avoid stressful situations and to tighten up security. And even if the surrounding days prove to be a case of “nothing to see here” the influences of the week of 2 December are equally, if not more, volatile.
 
As I said, nothing is set in stone.

Penny Thornton’s
The Astrology Handbook
Part I
Guide to Interpretation

Available in paperback and e-book on Amazon

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The 2024
Year Ahead Forecasts
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