PHOENIX ASTROLOGY

This week saw the release of the big budget spy movie, Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy based on the novel by John Le Carre. As John Le Carre was himself a spy he was really able to capture that whole murky, paranoid world extremely well. If you were to describe the world of espionage astrologically you would have to say that it must be governed by the sign Scorpio and the planets Mercury, Neptune and Pluto. However, having done a little research on the charts of well known British spies (when I should have been getting on with more important work) I noticed that Venus and Libra were often very prominent. The reason for this is that Venus and Libra are generally very easy to get on with, diplomatic and disarming. Unlike Aries, who are assertive and make natural soldiers, Librans seek peace and therefore do not appear to pose a threat. It is precisely this quality that makes them successful spies.

Of course, not all spies are Libran nor do all Librans make good spies. For many spies the Sun, Mercury or Venus are aspecting Neptune or Pluto or there are a number of planets in Scorpio as well as Libra. In John Le Carre’s own birth chart he has Sun conjunct Mercury in Libra opposite Uranus and square Pluto with Venus in Scorpio. A very similar planetary configuration will be taking place just after the Autumnal Equinox when the new moon in Libra on 27 September will be opposing Uranus and squaring Pluto, while Venus conjuncts Saturn also in Libra. Perfect timing for the film to be great success.

So how is any of this relevant to those of us who are not currently employed by MI5 or MI6? Well Libra is the sign of relationship and is an expert in handling the dynamics and interchanges between human beings with tact and diplomacy. However, this diplomacy has a shadow side especially when Pluto is involved. There can be backroom deals with plenty of reassuring handshakes while at the same time trying to stab the other in the back. This is likely to be going on in most political arenas both national and international but it also can play out in everyday work and social relationships. While maintaining harmony with colleagues, romantic partners and family is obviously a good thing, it is important to make sure that peace has not come at too high a price and that truth has not been sacrificed for the sake of good relations. It is often better to bring out an issue of contention than sweep it under a carpet of smiles. Having said that, one should be wary of emulating George Smiley, the protagonist of John Le Carre’s story, and descend into paranoia, believing that everyone close to you has a hidden agenda and a secret to hide.

It just so happens that my train arrives into London Paddington at the exact time of the Libra new Moon on the 27^th September but I won’t read too much into that.

Astrology Consultations

I’ll be offering consultations in London from 27^th to 30^th September. If you are interested then just get in touch.

Astrology Meditation Evening

The next one will be held on Wednesday 28 September at 7pm

Venue: Bermondsey Fayre, 212 Bermondsey Street.

Cost: £8

Astrology Foundation Course

The course starts on 1 & 2 October and is held in Highbury N5.

There are still spaces available if anyone wants to learn the wonderful art and science of astrology.

The course is run over ten weekends a year and costs £850.

Astrology consultations and meditation evenings in BRISTOL

 For anyone who lives in or around Bristol I will doing astrology meditation evenings on

  Friday 7 October

  Friday 11 November

I will also be available for consultations in Bristol earlier in the day.

Events and Courses from Sept 2011

Yoga and Astrology retreat in Turkey – 17-22 October

I know this is late notice but if anyone is interested in coming to this 5 day retreat that includes yoga, body work, personal astrology sessions and meditations as well as some time on the beach then please get in contact. The cost is just £415 as it is the first retreat we are running and it’s a late booking. There is no scarcity of places available but we do need to know soon for practical reasons of organisation.

For more details about the retreat please visit Liz Dillon's website

Astrology Foundation Course

This is a one year grounding in all basics of astrology and is necessary for anyone thinking of doing more advanced courses such as the Medical and spiritual astrology course I run with Yubraj.

The course is run over 10 weekends, the first being 1-2 October and costs £85 a weekend.

The classes will be held in Highbury Grove, N5.

More details are available from my website or just contact me directly.

www.phoenixschoolofastrology.co.uk

London consultations

I will be in London and available for consults on 27 and 28 September so if you would like to have a session just get in touch.

The Astrology meditation evening will be on 28 September 7pm at Bermondsey Fayre, 212 Bermondsey street. Cost £8

Devon Programme

I am finally getting my act together and starting an astrology programme of events in Devon. Some will be regular monthly events while others will be one off workshops. So if you are in the area or fancy coming down for a break from the city then just get in touch. All events will take place in Exeter

One Day Astrology workshops

Sat 8 October – Reconnecting with the Stars: A journey of self discovery through astrology.

This one day workshop takes some of the experiential work I have been doing in the meditation evenings but applying it to our individual natal charts.

Sat 12 November – Exploring the long dance of Mercury and Venus.

Mercury and Venus form conjunctions at least three or four times a year but these mostly last just two or three days. However, from mid October to late November the two planets will be side by side locked in a dance that can open up new ways of thinking and communicating in relationships. The workshop will also look at how this dance interacts with our natal charts.

Astrology meditation evenings

These evenings will be along the same lines as the ones being run in London.

Wednesday 12 October - 6pm-7.15pm

Wednesday 16 November - 6pm-7.15pm

At the moment we are in a season the Chinese refer to as ‘late summer’ which is ruled by the Earth element and roughly corresponds to the movement of the Sun through the sign of Virgo. The constellation Virgo is often represented as a fertility goddess holding a sheath of grain and is symbolic of the harvests that happen at this time of year.

The theme of this time is about being centred. The Earth element in Chinese thought occupies the central position while other elements of wood, fire, metal and water relate to the cardinal directions of east, south, west and north respectively. The earth element and Virgo also rule the digestive organs which reside in the centre of the body. It is therefore a good to pay particular attention to the physical body, to eat good quality food, to do some exercise, join a yoga class and maybe get some massage or other body work. All these things nourish the earth element and help get back in touch with the body.

Emotionally Virgo and the Earth are damaged by anxiety and worry which will not only distort clear thinking but may disturb the digestion and assimilation of food.

On a deeper level it is about connecting to one’s centre. This is not an ego centre but the centre of one’s physical existence. What we often find there is a survival anxiety or fear of lack, an age old worry that the harvests won’t be enough to feed us. This is greatly exacerbated by the media reports of rising oil and food prices, fewer jobs, greater threats of violence and theft etc. The whole marketing culture is also based on creating a sense of scarcity in time and space so that a product has a limited availability or a special offer is available for a limited period. Now is the time to connect with these concerns not on an intellectual level but at the visceral level of the guts which do not listen to rational explanations.

The ability to receive from the earth is determined by the condition of this physical centre within our digestive organs more than it is by our external circumstances. It is not so much about changing our thoughts about receiving but meeting and engaging with our deeply rooted biological conditioning.