Voyage of Destiny

Today marks a forgotten anniversary, and one rather appropriate to its Sagittarius Sun. Sagittarius connects to long distance travel and adventure. In the year 1606, on this day, Sagittarius' ruler Jupiter lay at 28 Aquarius conjunct Mars in the first degree of Pisces - nicely symbolic of the New World (Uranus) a tough (Mars) journey by sea (Pisces).

On December 19, 1606, Captain Christopher Newport sailed from London, England, hired by the Virginia Company to transport colonists from England to America, the first would-be settlers. He commanded three small ships, the Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery, carrying the Jamestown, Virginia settlers, including Capt. John Smith. Jamestown was founded on May 14, 1607, by this small group of English settlers. Newport left the 104 settlers in June 22, 1607, sailing back to England for supplies. That winter, most of the Jamestown settlers died from starvation, attacks, and disease. In 1608, back in Virginia, Newport halted the execution of Captain John Smith (the Jamestown leader who had been accused of causing the deaths of the men on his expedition to obtain food from the Indians); Smith's life had been previously saved by Pocahontas when he was brought before the Indian Chief Powhatan.

Information from Wikipedia and Explorers @ Enchanted Learning

Replicas of the Susan Constant and her sister ships, the Godspeed and the Discovery, are docked in the James River at Jamestown Settlement (formerly Jamestown Festival Park), adjacent to Historic Jamestowne.

Birthday Boys

18 December - Happy Birthday to British astrologer Jonathan Cainer, and pop/opera singer Mario Frangoulis - one a longtime favourite of mine, the other a newer voice to me, and one I very much appreciate.

I'll not be presumptuous enough to investigate Jonathan's natal chart, but I'll dare to take a peek at Mario's. There's a wee problem though. Some sources say he was born 1966, some 1967. Just a very brief look then, to see what a difference a year makes.

A recent interview available on YouTube, below, offers a chance to see and hear Mario speaking about his career, and a little about his charity work, but not a clear idea of who he is - other than that he appears unaffected, non-glitzy and charming, in a quiet way.

He is a tireless supporter of charities.

"The World Centers of Compassion for Children has a specially elected Ambassador of Peace. Mario Frangoulis is a world acclaimed Greek tenor. He has starred in numerous theater productions from London’s West End to New York City. From musicals by Andrew Lloyd Webber to Rogers and Hammerstein, Mario Frangoulis has graced the stage of many top venues.

With a strong passion to help, Mario Frangoulis has always had a drive to engage with charitable organizations. He has sung in approximately forty charity galas, such as the Red Cross Annual Ball, held at the Grosvenor House, several galas organized by the Greek foundation Elpida -a charity dedicated to the cure of children who suffer from cancer- and many others. His commitment to making a difference was a perfect match with the World Centers of Compassion for Children." (Here)

INTERVIEW



As no time of birth is known, the 1966 and 1967 charts for Mario Frangoulis are set for 12 noon. He was born in Zimbabwe when it was known as Rhodesia, but moved to live in Greece at a young age. In the absence of an exact location, I've used the capital, Salisbury, which will suffice to indicate planetary positions.
(Click on image to enlarge).




Moon, Mars, Venus, Saturn and Jupiter all in different signs '66 to '67, leaving the only common ground as Sun and Mercury in Sagittarius, and the 3 outer planets in the same signs in both years.
Moon's Nodes move from Taurus/Scorpio in 66, to Aries/Libra in 67.

There's a case to be made for either chart, the Moon remains in a compassionate water sign, which could have been a give-away had it moved to a less sensitive placing. I quite like the Mars in Aquarius for him - it could link to his humanitarian drive towards helping charities, but that might come from philosophical Sagittarius too, or from his unknown ascendant. I like Venus in Scorpio, for the passion he displays in his songs, but again that could come from the ascendant. It's a mystery, but if pushed, and in the absence of a birth time, I'd choose the 1967 chart, on the right.

In an interview about his career for Hello Magazine, Mario said
"I'm not putting myself across as this major opera star, I'm just being Mario, a simple guy who does good music." The crossover pop/opera genre is becoming ever more popular. Il Divo, Amici Forever, Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli and others are all enjoying sucess just now. Along with that other crossover genre of standards/pop/jazz (e.g. Michael Buble, Nora Jones), such artists are filling gaps left in modern popular music, where novelty tends to usurp quality. A prediction: this trend will grow and grow over the next few years.

Mario Frangoulis with Justin Hayward: "Nights in White Satin"

Pluto & The Capricorn Grunge

There hasn't been an outer planet (Uranus, Neptune or Pluto) in an Earth sign since Neptune left Capricorn at the end of 1998. During most of the 90s both Uranus and Neptune transited Cardinal Earthy Capricorn.

Enter Pluto, stage left.

I've seen several fashion articles over past months trumpeting the return of 90s fashions for the young, and young at heart: the "Grunge", the flannel shirts, the dark nail varnish, clunky heels and Doc Marten boots.




Apart from the nail varnish those are all quite Earthy and practical items - comfortable too, I guess. Mind you, here in Oklahoma, I don't know how we'll tell the difference because flannel shirts and big boots are pretty much standard attire wherever the planets happen to be at any given time.

The trend could fit in nicely with the fianancially dire straits we now face. Goodwill will be the new Bloomingdales. Re-cycling will flourish. Capricorn rules!

Here's the most recent article on the topic, this by Lindsay Mannering with a slideshow of examples.
"So Out It's In"

Three Hollywood starlets in the grunge groove, below - Mary Kate Olsen, Ashley Tisdale and Rachel Bilson

TAROT - Biden/Obama. Blagojevich.

At the suggestion of astro-blogging colleague Robert Phoenix I'm trying 3-card tarot readings on the question of how Joe Biden and Rahm Emmanuel will influence President-elect Barack Obama in coming years. I suspect Robert has some misgivings on this score. A reading on Biden/Obama follows. (One on Emmanuel to be done at a later date). When the drama involving Rod Blagojevich blew in I asked a second question - a brief explanation is in the last paragraphs of this post.

So, concentrating hard on VP Designate Joe Biden, I asked: "How will Biden affect Obama in his coming years of power?"

In the following order, I drew 3 cards:

Knight of Swords
Judgement
Ace of Wands

The tricky part of tarot reading, with a question like this, can be adjusting the archetype of the 3 cards to fit the context of the question. It's not too difficult this time. Once again I am flabbergasted that three randomly drawn cards from 78 can be even vaguely appropriate to the question asked.

Knight of Swords definitely represents Joe Biden. He is Knight to Obama's Kingly position. Swords represent the element of Air , the Knights relate to the element of Fire - so here we have Fire and Air blended: intellectuality, directness, verging on rudeness (how very appropriate for Biden), passion, commitment. Also, here we have the archetypal warrior both actually and metaphorically. This is the source of my colleague Robert's misgivings, I suspect, along with the thought that Biden is part of "the old guard" in Washington. Will Biden be inclined to push for conflict rather than conciliation and compromise? Will his inner warrior affect and infect Obama? Will he influence Obama to fall back on "old ways", so that the mantra of "CHANGE" disappears without trace?

Judgement - a card of the Major Arcana, so the most significant of the three drawn. This card relates to Pluto and the element of Fire, so blends well with the previous card. The illustration shows a mythical Day of Judgement, but that is metaphorical only - it's meant to give an overall feel of the card indicating re-birth, renewal, new directions, big changes, letting go of the past. In this context I'd say that the card indicates Biden's transformation from independent Senator to Vice President, a second-in-command position from which, though offering advice based on past experience, he will, in the end have to be led rather than lead. This is a positive card, telling us that Biden will need to undergo a certain transformation, so what we know of his past will no longer be relevant in his new situation. In other words, he will not be able to influence Obama to follow "old ways", instead Obama will influence him to follow new ones.

Ace of Wands - the suit of Wands relates to the element of Fire, so once again it blends with the other cards in the spread. Aces represent beginnings and the purest emanation of the suit's element - here Fire : creativity, courage, enthusiasm, energy. In this context the card relates to Biden's new position in the coming adminstration. It's a very positive indication that he'll approach the change of lifestyle and attitudes with vigour and courage, his advice to his President will be creative, almost visionary.

The three cards together indicate nothing negative, other than that first "warrior" archeype, but we must note that the following cards indicate an ending followed by a beginning, a change of direction and new creative energy going forward. We might extract from this that President Obama, who will always have "the last say" on issues appertaining to war and policies, will bring his influence to bear on Biden - the new direction - rather than the other way around, as might be feared by some.

That's how I read it anyway. And at the very least - the cards are positive, energetic and show courage to face whatever events emerge. In my own view, we should feel incredibly lucky to have these two men at the helm at this particular time in history.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the day the drama about Rod Blagojevich blew up, I decided to ask the question, "Is here anything seriously negative due to emerge with regard to Obama?" I did shuffle the cards extra well, using three different methods, and was "gobsmacked" as we used to say in Yorkshire, to see two of the same cards which appeared in my reading posted 6 December (No Drama Obama)
The new set of 3 is:
6 Swords
Temperance
8 Coins/Pentacles.

It's quite odd, too, that the 6 Swords came up in an earlier reading - just before Obama's grandmother died, and he travelled to Hawaii (I failed to pick up the exact message at the time, but recognised it later). Perhaps then, the first card indicates a journey during the Holidays, alternatively, a moving away from danger and stress. The 2nd and 3rd cards could be interpreted exactly as in "No Drama Obama". So I think I can extract from the reading that the cards are (kind of) saying - "we've already told you this - stop worrying!"

Nothing negative is likely to emerge on the Obama front any time soon, say the cards. I think we can exhale!

Man & Star ~ Shel Silverstein & Alpheratz

Here's a fun poem, astrologically suspect, but never mind! It was written by multi-talented Shel Silverstein, about whom more follows.

The Man Who Got No Sign

Well, there was Gemini Jim and Scorpio Sal,
And they were living by the Golden Gate.
Freezing their nose
And wearing leather clothes
And dealing every way but straight.
They had a Leo dog and a Capricorn cat,
And everything was going fine.
Until, into their life,
On a moonless night,
Come the man
Who got no sign.


He roared right in
Like some evil wind
And he rolled himself a righteous smoke.
And as the thunder crashed,
And the lightning flashed
He took a toke
And spoke...
He said he was born in an astrological warp,
When the stars refused to shine.
On the cusp of nowhere and nevermore:
He's the man that got no sign.

So he told a story of an endless search
To find his missing part.
But Scorpio Sal, she just smiled at him, and
Tried to do his chart.
But Pisces Ben, who was Jim's best friend,
Said, "Man...you must be blind.
You better grab your knife,
And take the life
Of that man
What got no sign."

And so, it happened...
And his blood ran...
Soaked the ground...

The arrest was made by Sheriff Slade,
An Aquarius through and through.
But the jailer was a Sagittarius
And he beat Jim black and blue,
And as they dragged him up the courthouse stairs,
They said, "Jim, how do you plead?"
Jim said, "Man, the moon's in Virgo, so
Blame no fault on me!"

Well, the jury all was Libras,
So you know they were more than fair,
But his lawyer was Aries,
And an Aries just don't care.
And the judge, he was a Cancer,
And a Cancer's got no friends.
But the hangman
Was a Taurus,
And that's where
The circle
Ends...

A couple of commenters on my post about John Lennon (7 December) used the term "Renaissance Man" to describe John, due to his varied talents (see also last paragraph of this post).

While Renaissance Men in the true sense of the word (e.g. Leonardo da Vinci) don't exist anymore, some well known individuals exhibit characterisitics of what I'll call Renaissance Man-lite. Shel Silverstein was one of that ilk. Poet, songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter, and author of children's books (including "The Giving Tree", "A Light in the Attic", "Where the Sidewalk Ends"). I was surprised to learn that he wrote Johnny Cash's famous song "A Boy Named Sue", and many others recorded by country stars. "The Unicorn", which seems to have gathered the mistaken reputation of being an Irish song, is one of his, as is Marianne Faithfull's "Ballad of Lucy Jordan". His song "Sylvia's Mother" made Dr. Hook, and lead singer Dennis Locarriere internationally famous. There are numerous other examples. He wrote and drew cartoons regularly for Playboy Magazine, illustrated his own books, and other publications.



Shel Silverstein, born 25 September 1930 in Chicago, Illinois. Died in May 1999.



Extract from biography HERE

"A poet who crossed Ogden Nash's playfulness with Mad Magazine irreverence; a cartoonist who jacked up Dr. Seuss style fantasies with Jules Feiffer's neurotic social relevance; and a folk singer who wrote with the taboo-inducing bite of comic Lenny Bruce. Contradictory and difficult, he was a renowned children's author who was reportedly impatient with children, as well as a shy, private man whose work and image portrayed him as a bearded, shaved head attention-seeking extrovert. As a performer, the raspy, grating voice that so brilliantly underscored the nature of his spoken word pieces made him sound like an undisciplined madman when he sang. However, it was as a songwriter where he arguably made his biggest mark on pop culture. "

"Shy and private" connects to that stellium (cluster of 3 planets) in Cancer - it's a hefty dose of the tendency to shyness and need to withdraw which is often found in folks with this sign prominent in their charts. His Mercury in Virgo, one of its own signs, connects strongly to writing ability and a streak of perfectionism.

I'm not going to try to interpret the whole chart, I'm looking mainly for something special which might relate to his particular brand of versatility and Renaissance-lite.

I'm going for this: at the time he was born, Uranus lay conjunct Fixed Star Alpheratz, also known as Sirrah. This was true for anyone born between (approximately) May 1930 to March 1931. This star's ancient interpretation in general is

"Freedom, love of movement, speed, intellectual and can indicate riches and honors. Strong motivation, willfulness and the ability to take action. Well known, before the public and popularity with the masses; fame. Harmonius nature, good for relationships."

When conjunct Uranus, the inventor, technology, the rebel, the genius, change-bringer, catalyst for humour, the star's interpretation has to be blended with Uranian traits. In mid to late 1930 we can pinpoint some good examples of how the blend can manifest, when all other conditions are suitable:

Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins (Buzz Aldrin too, but born a little earlier in January)
Rebellious left-wing British author Harold Pinter
Genius financier Warren Buffet
Computer billionnaire and politician Ross Perot
Another Rennaissance-lite man, Clint Eastwood (actor, director, musician)
and our current subject, Shel Silverstein, quirky and irreverent, socially-relevant Rennaissance-lite man.
James Dean, born February 1931, a rebellious icon if ever there was one, comes into this group too.

I see Shel Silverstein's particular brand of Rennaissance-liteness rooted in the Uranus/Alpheratz conjunction. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!

Hey! Here's a thought - if John Lennon were to have been born a little earlier than 6.30 pm (which some say he must have been, because it was 6.30 when his aunt reported the event) birth time of 6.20pm would bring his ascendant conjunct Alpheratz at 14 Aries! Hmmm, that's.....spooky!

My Theory on Christmas and That Star

I never did have Jesus down as a Capricorn. I'm not sure he was a Gemini either. I think he was the whole zodiac, arranged in perfect configuration -the perfection of humanity, the stereotype of stereotypes.

A British Ex-pat blogging buddy, R.J. Adams has an alternative take on the news that we're celebrating Christ's birthday on the wrong date: "Christmas in June? Humbug!" A timely chuckle in gloomy times, literally and metaphorically, times brightened only by huge overdoses of Christmas lights embroidering the homes of Americans across the land.

My own take on the Christmas star issue is this: it doesn't matter a jot on what day, month, year, time or place on the globe the teacher we call Jesus Christ was born, as long as his message remains before us. I like to think that, across the centuries, a lot of "special" events and phenomena were recorded diligently by scribes in the East. Tales of a great teacher who healed the sick, and spoke of peace, tales of comets, and shooting stars and huge bright celestial bodies, much grander than the norm would all be carefully recorded and handed on to the next generation of scribes and storytellers. Then, at some point someone put them all together, picked the best parts, added a smidgeon of imagination, and a few more cast members, et voila ! - The Christmas Story, good enough to last for 2000 years, rooted in truth, but packaged skilfully to appeal to countless generations.

I hope that wasn't offensive to any reader passing by. It's written with affection and faith in the teachings of Christ, if not the mass of lah-di-dah and extra bits and pieces grown up around them by those who sought, and still seek, power over the peoples of the world.

Here's some true Christmas spirit: two BBC radio presenters, Sir Terry Wogan and Aled Jones sing their new single "Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth", proceeds in aid of the charity Children in Need, for which Sir Terry, through his radio show, raises multi-multi-millions of pounds sterling year after year during November, to help children all over the world.

SILLY SATURDAY: Cockney Astrologese.

(Warning: silliness ahead!)
Cockney rhyming slang is a source of great confusion to a certain companion of mine, Chez Twilight, and no doubt the rest of the USA feels the same, not to mention parts of the UK north of Watford. Rhyming slang originates in the East End of London (dark spot at lower right of map). The East End used to be the poorer side of the UK's capital city, populated by salt of the earth, working class folk. I don't know whether that is still the case.
There's a full explanation HERE, of this peculiar slang.
Brief extract:

"Rhyming Slang phrases are derived from taking an expression which rhymes with a word and then using that expression instead of the word. For example the word "look" rhymes with "butcher's hook". In many cases the rhyming word is omitted - so you won't find too many Londoners having a "bucher's hook" at this site, but you might find a few having a "butcher's".

The rhyming word is not always omitted so Cockney expressions can vary in their construction, and it is simply a matter of convention which version is used."

Common examples:
Feet rhymes with plates of meat - cockney slang = plates
("Oooh, my plates are killin' me!")

Eyes rhymes with mince pies ("He has lovely minces, Ethel!")

Hair rhymes with Barnet Fair ("the wife's gone to 'ave 'er barnet fixed.")

Head rhymes with loaf of bread ("use yer loaf!") This one has become a commonly used expression throughout the UK, people are often not aware of its origin.

Sun, by the way, is currant bun.
Wife - trouble and strife (very sexist!)
Phone - dog and bone
Brown bread - dead
Pen and ink - stink.....
There are hundreds of 'em!
Readers in America might be interested to know that "a Yank" already common slang for "an American", becomes "a septic tank", so in Cockney Land visitors from the US can be referred to as "Septics"!

"In the last few years hundreds of brand new slang expressions have been invented - many betraying their modern roots, eg "Emma Freuds: hemorrhoids"; (Emma Freud is a TV and radio broadcaster) and "Ayrton Senna"(racing driver) =: tenner (10 pound note)."

Okay - got the idea?

Well, I decided to try some astrologese examples, but it's not easy. Most planets and signs refuse to rhyme with any other word. In any case it would make an already jargon-filled subject even more unintelligible. Just for fun though, how about:

"Oh no, Mars and Pluto are grizzly" (grizzly bear - square) - I like this one - I shall use it!

or "His bottle's Scorpio" (bottle of wine - rising sign)

or "Ooh, look, Jupiter and Venus are in gold" (in trine - gold mine)

and, perhaps......
Zodiac - duck's quack
Natal chart - horse & cart.

Putting some of that together, and envisioning a visit to a cockney astrologer (who has probably had a few too many beers), a consultation might go something like this:

"Using tropical duck's quack an' yer horse 'n cart, darlin', I can tell yer your currant bun's in Aquarius. Yer balloon 'n Saturn's in Aries. You've a grizzly from yer balloon to Mercury, an' a gold from Neptune. Yer bottle's in Cancer. Okay? That'll be an Ayrton Senna then."

The linked website also tells us:

"Modern Cockney slang that is being developed today tends to only rhyme words with the names of celebrities or famous people.
Cockney expressions are being exported from London all over the world. Here at cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk we get loads of enquiries from folks as far afield as the USA, Canada and Japan, all wanting to know the meaning of Cockney expressions."

Here are a few from the current scene in the US. I've concocted these myself - or should that be concockneyed?

"He's a Barack" (farmer = Barack Obama)
"Do you know the Al Gore, mate?" - (score = Al Gore)
"That dog's afraid of its own Rachel" (shadow - Rachel Maddow)
"We've taken the wrong turn, luv - we'll lose our Tina" - (way =Tina Fey )

Il DIVO: Harmony Overcomes Discord

Four good looking guys from different nations who sing like angels, wear Armani suits and are just made for gals to sigh over. They didn't naturally gravitate to one another, nor did one of them recuit the others. Il Divo was a brainchild of Simon Cowell of American Idol fame (or notoriety.) It was he who brought the four guys together some four years ago. Musically they blend wonderfully well, but do the four have anything in common astrologically?

Their natal Suns and Moons are scattered, but I notice a loose pattern in that each has either Sun and/or Moon in Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra - Cardinal signs in general are energetic, dynamic, proactive).

Sebastien Izambard = Pisces/Aries
David Miller = Aries/Virgo
Urs Buhler = Cancer/Gemini
Carlos Marin = Libra/Cancer.

I've checked, and each Moon will stay within the sign shown at 12 noon in charts below. In the absence of times of birth, rising signs remain a mystery, which is a pity.


Left to right: Urs Buhler, Sebastien Izambard, Carlos Marin, David Miller

Four very different personalities. This is confirmed in a 2007 article by Rebecca Hardy. A few snippets give some ideas about the characters who make up Il Divo.

"An uneasy silence settles over Il Divo, following Urs Buhler's emphatic statement: "We're not best friends and we're never going to be best friends."

Urs ("very quiet, very reserved, into heavy metal and bikes and likes things on time", according to the others)............

David Miller, 34, the American who's wearing a striped shirt and an astonishing number of wooden beads around his wrists ("talks a lot, easy to make contact with but difficult to go deeper", according to the others).............

Carlos Marin, the Spaniard and, at 38, the oldest in the group ("very passionate, says what he thinks without thinking before he speaks")............ "We each had a huge ego from our solo careers," he says smoothly. It's a difficult thing when somebody says: 'These guys are going to be your friends for the next ten years.'................I'm Spanish and in my language you can swear a lot, but when you translate it into English it can sound very bad, so there was a lot of misunderstanding. But now the good thing is we're like brothers - a family. We understand each other." He smiles.
Urs stares back, not returning the smile..............

Sebastien Izambard, 34, the charismatic Frenchman with the come-to-bed eyes ("arrogant but also sensitive") interjects: "You forget all of this - all of the being tired, being grumpy, having conflict with each other - when you're on stage. That is a magical moment."

(Click on image to enlarge)

Saturn lies opposite Neptune in 3 of the 4 charts, but quincunx in Marin's case. Saturn and Neptune move slowly and because the lads' birth years are quite close, each has this Saturn-Neptune aspect: career needs opposite creativity - a dynamic tension common to 3 singers, with the quincunx providing a rather different tension for Marin. Saturn IS opposite Sun and Mercury in Marin's case though, so there's still a Saturn opposition involved.

From the article linked above it's quite clear that the guys' success comes at a price. They get tired from the constant travel. Saturn's discipline and restrictions opposite or qunincunx Neptune's creativity connects to this. There's proof, from their own comments:

"Carlos says: "We were at a press conference and they put up the names of every country we were No 1 in and there were 37. "We said: 'My God, we're bigger than we think we are.' We hadn't realised, because we were always on the road."

Urs, David and Sebastien nod. The boys are in agreement on this point.

"The hardest thing for me is the travelling because we have such a lack of time," says Sebastien. "Everybody's scared to stop because you might become unfamous or earn less money. My best time is after the gig, when I go back to my room. I have to create my own space."

"Me too," says Carlos, the only married member of the group.

Urs cuts in: "I don't spend any time with the group than what is work time."

David interrupts: "That's not true."

You could cut the atmosphere with a knife now.

"It is true," insists Urs."

Sun(self) is close to Venus (music) in the same 3 singers' charts, with again Marin's line-up a little different: Sun/Mercury together. Marin's chart is configured in "funnel" pattern with Saturn as the funnel - his energies are totally focused on career. I'd guess he's the most driven of the four. The other three charts have a wider, more varied spread.

A wild guess this, but based on Sun/Moon positions, the group splits into two factions. I think that Carlos Marin and David Miller will find it easy to relate to each other, and Buhler and Izambard likewise, any problems are more likely to arise in the crossover.

I enjoy the kind of crossover style (operatic/popular) which Il Divo does so well. Carlos Marin's voice in particular gives me goosebumps, it's reminiscent of my old favourite in this genre, Mario Lanza.

Il Divo's version of " Without You".

A US Gem Amid The Dross

US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is in the news again, in relation to what he has called a "staggering level of corruption" involving pay-to-play politics in Illinois' top office by Governor Rod Blagojevich.

I've been under the weather all week, courtesy of a particularly virulent cold virus so haven't been as active as usual in drafting posts. As a bit of a "crutch" I'm leaning today on my previous post about Patrick Fitzgerald and his astrology. Mr. Fitzgerald is one of the few people in US public life who does truly deserve our unreserved admiration.

Of course, current news stories about Gov. Blagojevich's mischief are being used to perpetrate doubt about President-elect Obama's character, by both right-wing sources and, also by some remaining anti-Obama left-wing pundits and political bloggers. I retain my confidence in Obama, but believe even more firmly in the integrity of Patrick Fitzgerald.

A link to my post "The Untouchable" - Patrick Fitzgerald, from June this year.

Wednesday's "Why?" ~ The Vertex

Of all available explanations, I prefer Dr.Z's article on this topic: "The Vertex in astrology (or Destiny's Gate: the Electric Axis)" For me, this explains the Vertex better than anything I've so far encountered.

In a nutshell, the Vertex and its opposite point, the Antivertex form a sensitive axis in the chart, the Moon's Nodes form another similar axis. Sensitive axes are created when an astronomically calculated point crosses the Sun's path, the ecliptic. In the case of Vertex, it's when the Prime Vertical crosses the ecliptic. Metaphorically the crossing point could be likened to a live wire, which, if touched in a certain way will provide a response of some kind. Sometimes, when transiting planets or other points (eg the Moon's Nodes) pass over the Vertex point in a natal chart, I've found from my own experience, that it can be a likely time for some event of note to take place. That's not to say that it happens every time, but it does happen some of the time. I can give examples from my own lifestory....these cover a span of almost 40 years, so it's obvious that not every crossing of the Vertex heralds a significant event, but when it does, it's sure a life-changing one! (Diagram borrowed, with thanks, from lessons.astrology.com)

My Vertex is at 29.8 Scorpio, Anti-vertex point at 29.8 Taurus. Natal Mars lies at 28.54 Scorpio. Having a personal planet conjunct Vertex point could well account for all or some of the events below, or it could simply intensify the experiences.

Some identifiable life events of my own connected to the Vertex/Antivertex axis:

Final split with my first husband came as North Node of the Moon conjoined Antivertex point.

I met a long-term partner of 33 years as Neptune conjoined Vertex, we started to live together as Jupiter conjoined Vertex point in my chart.

I started my 24 year civil service career as North Node of the Moon conjoined Vertex point in my chart.

I met my present husband in person for the first time as transiting North Node conjoined Antivertex point.

Does any of that prove anything? Not conclusively, it does provide food for thought. The whole chart for each event would need to be thoroughly analysed, because there might well be other transiting planetary positions playing a part, both in my chart and those of others involved - but the fact remains that my Vertex point was definitely one factor in the mix. It has to be taken into consideration also that I have a personal planet, Mars, conjoining my Vertex point, which might mean that it's extra sensitive in my chart.

If a passing reader wishes to locate their own Vertex it can be done at astro.com. after inputting birth data at "Free horoscopes", go to Extended Chart Selection and highlight "Vertex" in the list of options.

DOGS

While surfing aimlessly around the net, I found the doggy zodiacal compatibility list which appears later in this post. The Obama family is looking to acquire a pet dog, one which doesn't irritate the young daughter's allergies, so choice will be limited. It's a near certainty that the president-elect is unlikely to give any thought to the astrology of the situation, but it provides a fun topic.

We don't have a dog, Chez Twilight, mainly because we like to be free to take off at the drop of a hat. But I do love dogs.

I think a Doberman would be a good choice for White House Pet. Their coat is short and sleek, unlikely to annoy allergy sufferers. They can be good guard dogs, but docile and sweet, if brought up to be so. I once, long ago, worked in a hotel where the owners kept a Doberman - he was a darling. When the owners went away, leaving me in charge of dog and hotel, Dobie would let me know when he was hungry by gently putting his mouth around my wrist and physically pulling me to the kitchens - a regular occurence. He loved people - all people except the postman!

Sweet story, from here:

This photograph shows a red Doberman kissing an exhausted fireman. He had just saved her from a fire in her house, rescuing her by carrying her out of the house into her front yard, while he continued to fight the fire. She is pregnant. The firefighter was afraid of her at first, because he had never been around a Doberman before. When he finally got done putting the fire out, he sat down to catch his breath and rest.

A photographer from the Charlotte, North Carolina newspaper, "The Observer," noticed this red Doberman Pinscher in the distance looking at the fireman. He saw her walking straight toward the fireman and wondered what she was going to do. As he raised his camera, she came up to the tired man who had saved her life and the lives of her babies, and kissed him, when the photographer snapped this photograph.

A few comments about the list below which comes from MSN Astrology: I'd swap the Taurus dog and the Leo dog around. I'd give Gemini a Jack Russell instead of a Border Collie. Jack Russells are live wires, sociable and highly intelligent. I think Border Collies a little too biddable for Gemini! Oh - Scorpio with a Chihuahua? I don't fancy that! Scorpio needs a big black dog - any breed as long as it's big and black and looks a little fierce.

My favourite breed, the Irish Wolfhound - a big, big gangling, hairy monster would suit Sagittarius - excess on legs, they make you smile just to look at them, and they can be such sweeties.



Here's the list from MSN Astrology:

"Friends Fur Ever - Finding Your Perfect Canine Companion".

Aries
The American Staffordshire Terrier (Amstaff for short) is a confident dog that makes a very loyal and devoted companion for the Ram. They have a rep for being slightly aggressive - something you can relate to! - but your dedication to training them correctly will make all the difference in their demeanor. Amstaffs are very trusting and amiable but can be stubborn at times; however, if you assert yourself like a true Aries can, they'll be your compliant companions.

Taurus
Your ideal dog companion is the German Shepherd. This loyal and very intelligent breed is obedient and learns quickly, making them extremely easy to train; they also have a regal air about them that you admire. Some German Shepherds can be quite aloof and serious, like a lot of Taureans, but they are also known for being highly effective watchdogs, which helps put your security-conscious mind at ease.

Gemini
The quick and agile Border Collie fits your personality perfectly. Highly intelligent and trainable, the Border Collie has lots of stamina and determination. They're also eager to please and very quick to learn, which makes them easily trainable and adaptable to your ever-changing world. Border Collies need a high level of mental and physical stimulation, just like you do, which is why they make a great companion for on-the-go Gemini.

Cancer
The Labrador Retriever is your ideal dog, not only for its sweet-natured, loving, and loyal ways but also because they are wonderful family pets. Labs are extremely friendly and sociable with a mild manner and laid-back attitude, and because they love to join in a wide range of activities and have lots of love and affection to shower upon their family, they're the perfect companion to the family-centric Crab.

Leo
Grand in stature, the loyal and honorable Bullmastiff is your type of dog. This dog is huge, so you are sure to turn heads wherever you go, giving you both the attention you crave. But beyond their superficial appeal, they also have a great amount of loyalty and devotion and are cheerful, confident, and attentive pets - all characteristics that would make any Leo dog owner swell with pride.

Virgo
The noble-looking Weimaraner is perfect for the Virgo with discerning taste. Weimaraners are very strong-minded and independent dogs, and because they have boundless energy, they can really benefit from the punctual walks that most Virgo natives are willing to give them. Sticking to a precise schedule also helps keep these dogs away from destructive behaviors they are sometimes prone to; once they know that they can depend on you, you will be able to depend on them to reach their full potential.

Libra
Affectionate, gentle, and sweet, the Whippet is a charming dog with a peaceful demeanor. Whippets do like to run around and play, but they are also happy enjoying the creature comforts of home; this adaptability makes them more comfortable with your indecisiveness than other breeds may be. These dogs love the attention of their owners, enjoy interactive play, and will be sure to appreciate your creativity when it comes to finding activities you can enjoy together.

Scorpio
Perhaps, as a strong and powerful Scorpio, you don't picture yourself with any of the toy breeds, especially a Chihuahua, but you may be surprised to find that they are quite a good fit with the Scorpio personality. These little dogs are curious, full of confidence for their size, and they are very loyal to their families, demonstrating quite a jealous streak if another pet or person is getting more attention than they are. Sound familiar?

Sagittarius
You need a dog that will roll with the waves, one who is as happy at home as they are on a road trip with you, and that dog is a Golden Retriever. This breed is popular for many reasons, among them being their social personalities and real passion for life. If you're up for doing it, so are they! Just make sure to enroll them in doggie daycare or get them a human or canine companion if you are gone a lot and can't take them with you as these pups do not like to be left alone.

Capricorn
The Pug is tenacious and devoted but also has a cheerful way about him, much like the typical Capricorn. These dogs do not need a lot of grooming or maintenance and can get along fairly well without a big yard in which to frolic, which allows you to be a responsible dog owner and still keep your hectic work schedule. Although Pugs can be quite willful at times, they will respond well to your methodical training methods.

Aquarius
OK, so you aren't the most likely of all the Sun Signs to own a dog, but those of you who crave a dog to call your own will want to consider the gracious Rhodesian Ridgeback. This is a breed of intelligence, which you can appreciate, and is also very independent and willing to follow the road less traveled with you. Just keep in mind that they have very intense sight and sound triggers, so they will wander off if something stirs their curiosity.

Pisces
Faithful, affectionate, and maybe just a little lazy, the Saint Bernard is a huge dog with a huge heart - in other words, your perfect pooch. Saint Bernards are typically very calm, quiet, patient, docile, and loyal, traits with which Fish can identify. These dogs do need the companionship of their owners and are not suited to people with hectic, busy schedules, but compassionate Pisces is more willing than any other sign to accommodate the Saint Bernard's needs.

Wired For Change

An article at Live Science, "Some Brains Are Wired For Change", by Amelia Thomas caught my eye last week. Astrologers have long realised that the inbuilt easy acceptance of change some individuals are born with has specific astrological indications. A preponderance of well aspected personal planets in the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces) or positive emphasis on the zodiac sign Aquarius or planet Uranus.

According to the linked article, scientists are finding that:

"People who welcome new experiences have stronger connections between their memory and reward brain centers than people who tend to avoid anything new, research now shows.

Specifically, people who actively seek lifestyle changes may have a more developed connection between two specific brain areas: the hippocampus, a site for storing and retrieving new and old memories, and the ventral striatum, a reward system which is responsible for those carpe diem moments, said researcher Dr. Bernd Weber of the Life & Brain Center at the University of Bonn in Germany. Turns out, if the hippocampus identifies an experience as new, it then relays signals to the striatum to release neurotransmitters which lead to positive feelings.

"The strength of the connection is positively correlated to novelty seek[ers] ... but this does not imply that having weaker connections is a 'bad' thing," Weber told LiveScience.

Weber and his University of Bonn colleague Michael X. Cohen used non-invasive MRI imaging technology on 20 subjects to follow the flow of diffused water through their brain tissues. The information was then used to reconstruct a nerve pathway to the striatum. If the pull of water diffusion is stronger, that in turn implies a stronger nerve fiber tract, Weber said.

The test candidates also took personality surveys, choosing the best descriptions of their attitudes about trying new things. The data revealed the relationships between a person’s personality and their physical brain structure.

"Brain 'wiring' and personality are not really one causing the other," Weber said. It's more likely to be an interaction between the two."

All of which leads me to wonder whether if, at certain times in the cycles of the year, vibrations, electri-magnetic waves, ....or something.... provide a helpful mix to strengthen, in a newly born child, the connections between specific centers in the brain described in the article. If so, do these times coincide with times when astrological doctrine expects similar characteristics to be identifiable in a personality?

Other characteristics might be similarly led by conditions at certain points in the yearly cycle. I don't find this an outlandish idea at all. We are all part of the same universal physical network. "We are star stuff" - a scientist called Carl Sagan said so!

We must not discount family inheritance of physical or mental strengths and weaknesses, of course, but astrological links within families are known to exist.

It's unlikely that data obtained from surveys such as the one described would ever be made available to astrologers, more's the pity.

John Lennon

Tomorrow, 8 December, marks the 28th anniversary of the shooting of John Lennon. My husband's son-in-law, Jeff, is probably the most ardent Lennon fan I've ever met, he's also a journalist. Jeff has written a column about Lennon for two local newspapers this weekend, he is editor in chief of one of them. With his permission I'm using some brief excerpts from his column to illustrate my own, astrological, thoughts on John Lennon.

Jeff's article begins with the thought that the news of Lennon's murder is one of those

"shared dots on the timeline that make such impact we never forget where we were or what we were doing when they occur".

I know those moments well, but sadly John Lennon's death didn't etch itself on my mind in the same way that JFK's murder, or 9/11 did. I wasn't a great fan of the Beatles back then. The only memory I can dredge up, regarding the report of that tragic event, is of wondering why the heck he was in New York, anyway. "He's English - he should be here", I probably grumbled at the TV.

Numerous astrologers have already pondered John Lennon's natal chart, as well as the chart for his time of death. There's not much left for me to add, but Jeff touched on his view of Lennon's personality, and it strikes me that nobody in the past will have written about Lennon in exactly that way, nobody in the past will have commented on his chart in my own peculiar style. So.....

John was born in Liverpool (of course) on 9 October 1940 at, according to his aunt, around 6.30pm. Time of birth is a little foggy, but his aunt said he was born during an air raid, and history records an air raid on Liverpool in the evening of that date, so the alternative times of a morning birth, offered by several writers, are likely inaccurate.



Jeff:

"Lennon was not — and is not — everybody’s cup of Earl Gray. If you believe the hype surrounding The Beatles, Paul was cute, Ringo was funny and George was cerebral. John was the thinker and renegade, who was too edgy for some. He never seemed comfortable in the squeaky-clean, teen idol image Brian Epstein created to sell The Beatles in the early 1960s. There was something rebellious in Lennon’s eyes and slightly smirky grin that was more Marlon Brando and James Dean than Ricky Nelson or Bobby Vee.

John was the first of the Fab Four to break from the script and say what he really thought — and some of his thoughts didn’t sit well on the ears of the establishment of that era.

There’s no doubt Lennon was complex. That was especially true when he was a young man, who could be both gracious and witty, as well as boorish and brooding. That duality was unappealing to some, fascinating to others."

I'm looking for "edgy", "rebellious", "renegade", "complex", "duality - gracious and witty/boorish & brooding".

Edgy, rebellious and renegade: easy. Moon in rebellious Aquarius (3*), trining aggressive Mars in Libra (2*) opposed by intense Pluto in Leo (4*), quincunx a loving Venus in Virgo(3*). That's a lot of scratchiness and belligerent rebellion, hooked up in a net of uncomfortable aspects !

Taking a long view of his chart, Moon in Aquarius stands out, alone in one area the chart, and in House 11, which is Aquarius' own House - the rebellious sign is thus further emphasised.

Yes, John could be gracious too, courtesy of his charming and tactful Libra Sun, powerful for it lay on the descendant angle. Mercury, communication planet, in biting Scorpio, though, was liable to spoil his grace at any moment. His ascendant in impulsive, potentially aggressive Aries added to the public perception of him as something of a loose cannon.

John's musical talent lay in the Taurus planets (Taurus is ruled by Venus, planet of the arts). Here in Taurus, astrologers usually point out the unusual conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter, something which happens only once in a decade. With Uranus in the same sign, there's a lot of emphasis here - as well there should be. An eery coincidence is that Jupiter and Saturn formed the same conjunction on the day Lennon died, 40 years later. Another spooky coincidence is that Uranus at 25 Taurus lies conjunct Fixed Star Algol, which had the reputation among ancient astrologers as being "the most malefic star in the skies".

John has the Earth trine that most War Babies (like him and I) have in our charts. His formation links Uranus and Neptune with the Moon, which though not in Earth, is within limits to form a Grand Trine. In this case there's an extra bit of Airy spice in the Earthy mix from Moon in early Aquarius. John, although a rebel, did keep his feet firmly on the ground. He concerned himself with practical matters, worried about war and injustice - this was his version of Earthiness.

"Lennon often used himself as an example of the worst in human nature. It wasn’t always pretty. Cold Turkey and Steel and Glass were raw self-ridicule. On a tune like How Do You Sleep?, a vicious slap at Paul McCartney, we realized John could be arrogant and petty."

There's a Grand Cross in John's chart: four planets 90* from each other forming square aspects, with two oppositions. This represents a character in constant state of tension and challenge. I've seen this configuration in charts of other edgy folk like Bill Maher and Keith Olbermann. In John's chart the planets involved are Moon/Mercury/Pluto and the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction.

"Still, Lennon also became firmly committed to a vision that went beyond himself and included us all, which manifested itself in Imagine. It’s an anthem that in simple, direct phrases crystallizes what I believe is the ultimate goal of the human experience.
As the ’70s faded into the ’80s, the album Watching the Wheels gave us a view of Lennon finally at ease with himself.
What I found most admirable about Lennon was that he evolved; that he grew as a husband, a father, a friend, a man, a human being. He wasn’t content to be the same John at 40 that he’d been at 20, and the world needs such people."

My own view of this is that his Aquarius Moon and Libra Sun, both strong in his chart due to their repsective positions, came to the fore in his maturity, to overcome any negative traits of his youth.
Jeff writes

"The evening of Dec. 8, 1980 became an out-of-body experience. I ended up driving to a bluff overlooking the Wabash River, a place I often went to seek solace and ponder what I couldn’t understand. With John Lennon lying dead on a New York street, I needed solace and pondering.
I stayed there until sunrise, listening to a tape of John’s music, trying to wrap my mind around the idea that this man, who represented individual growth and human goodness, was dead at age 40."

We'll never know whether John Lennon's death was fated or inevitable. I do find it spooky that his murder occurred when Jupiter and Saturn formed that once in a decade conjunction which was in the sky at his birth.

Nowadays, I fully appreciate John's worth both in music and in his dedication to the cause of peace in the world.

Here's one of John's songs I've never heard before "Crippled Inside", giving a rare(for him) nod to toe-tapping country music rhythms, but still with his trademark message.



AND

Loudon WainwrightIII sings his tribute, "NOT JOHN"

TAROT - No Drama Obama

I'm reading one after another blog, article or comment lately which try to spread a somewhat negative veil over the coming new administration under President-Elect Obama. It wouldn't bother me one bit if this pessimism came from dyed in the wool Republicans or conservative thinkers in other countries. Trouble is, a lot of it comes from the left. Even so-called "progressives" (a mis-nomer if ever I saw one) at Common Dreams lose no opportunity to write something negative about Obama these days.

I will not be disheartened. I went through a long doubting phase about Obama early in the election process, but came out the other side with unshakeable confidence in our soon-to-be president. However, I'm no expert in US politics. Perhaps I'm kidding myself. As a backup (or warning bell) to my own optimism I did a three-card tarot reading this week.

"Is any doubt and negative feeling about an Obama administration justified?", I asked. In the following order I drew:

Wheel of Fortune
Temperance
8 of Coins/Pentacles.

Sigh of relief!


WHEEL OF FORTUNE a card of the Major Arcana, so a strong message here: signifies a change, maybe fated change, change in direction, new developments, greater perspective - things of that nature. (Said to correlate with Planet Jupiter in astrology.)






TEMPERANCE - another Major Arcana card: avoidance of excess, cooperation, compromise, patience, creating synthesis and balance. (Said to correlate with the zodiac sign Sagittarius in astrology)

....interesting point- Jupiter rules Sagittarius, so these two cards are linked.




8 of COINS/PENTACLES - Minor Arcana card representing dedication to duty, meticulous application to tasks, learning new skills and producing steady worthwhile results. (Coins/Pentacles correlate with the astrological element of Earth - practical matters, work, business, money-making - same as in astrology).

The three cards together indicate, to me, that my confidence in Obama is justified. He will initiate change in a steady, balanced manner, and dedicate himself to the job in hand. Results may not be spectacular or bear fruit overnight - but they will be worthwhile and solid.

Works for me! Even though my politics are far left of most people in this country, I understand that because we are presently sailing through a heavy storm, with no end yet in sight, we don't need petty argument and drama. We don't need lack of confidence in our choice of captain. A majority of citizens made the choice, and it irks me that they now try to discredit him. We need a captain unafraid of stress and hard work, a cool, clever mind, steady hands as he attempts to turn the ship of state around. I'm confident that in Obama we have all these things, and he deserves our support.

FAUNALIA

Did you know that today, 5 December, was the Roman holiday called Faunalia? A holiday in honor of Faunus, god of forests, plains and fields - equating roughly to Pan in Greek mythology. The holiday was celebrated by peasants bringing the god gifts, besporting themselves by dancing.... a bit of debauching and X-rated stuff too, I wouldn't wonder!

Faunus, half man, half goat reminds me a bit of Sagittarius the Archer, half man, half horse. I wonder whether there was correleation at some point, seeing that Faunalia does fall within the realm of Sagittarius. Saturnalia, another Roman festival later this month falls within the realm of Capricorn - the seagoat, who though still a hybrid creature has, by that time, lost his humanity, no doubt as a consequence of all that debauching!

It seems that these half human/half animal beings from Roman or Greek mythology were meant to represent two sides of human nature, the better part and the baser part. Hybrid beings, fauns, satyrs, centaurs usually had the reputation of glorying in excess of one kind or another, they were drunken, orgiastic, cruel. Interesting then that Sagittarius, the zodiac sign, has 'excess' as one of its keywords.



So, if you're out for a frolic tonight, give a thought and raise a glass (or two) to Faunus.

Involuntary Prophets ?

Mentioning James Michener and Nevil Shute yesterday called to mind a post of mine from 2 years ago. (My oh my, 2 years! Doesn't time fly when you're enjoying yourself?) I'm re-posting a slightly adjusted version,'cos I still find the subject intriguing.



ACCIDENTAL PROPHETS(First posted 10 December 2006).

James Michener seemed to have amazing foresight. Several of his novels featuring a particular country, in depth, were each followed some years later by the same countries coming into prominence on the world stage. In a long interview here: , he said

"I think that some of us have a deep seated sensitive antennae about what is going to happen. And somebody the other day, a fine professor, made an introduction of me, which I had not thought about, but which I had thought about a great deal since. At that time, in the world, there were about a half dozen trouble spots: the Near East, the Jewish-Arab relationships, South Africa, revolution in Poland, the emergence of Japan, the absorption in the United States of two outlying territories like Hawaii and Alaska and four or five other things. And he pointed out that I had written full-length books about all these areas before they came into prominence. And I did! There they are. Look at the dates. Now this cannot be because I was exceptionally brilliant. I am not brilliant. I'm something else. I don't know what the word would be, but it isn't brilliant."

Nevil Shute, author of one of my favourite books "A Town Like Alice", wrote a couple of novels which later seemed to have been prophetic. "No Highway" published in 1948 dealt with what might happen due to metal fatigue in aircraft. His ideas came close to fact with the Comet disasters of the 1950s. Another novel,"What Happened to the Corbetts" also published as "Ordeal" was written just before the start of WorldWar2. It tells how badly aerial bombing affected a town similar to Southampton, in the south of England, and how the bombing of civilians became a major part of the war. British people of a certain age will have no trouble recognising this as fact! His novel "On the Beach", a story of the world ending as a result of the explosion of atomic bombs, thankfully has not yet proved prophetic. It could still be "pending" however, should people forget the warning bells it rang! Shute also touched on a slightly supernatural theme in a novel called "Round the Bend" in which an aircraft mechanic becomes the mystical leader of a religious movement.

Seeing a slight correspondence between Michener and Shute, I searched around for other instances of novels which, without purporting to be science fiction, portray events which later came to pass in real life.

American author Morgan Robertson produced an early example in his story "Futility". He told of a ship called Titan which sank in a way eerily similar to The Titanic, 14 years later. When this book was written there were no ships of such enormous size being built. Robertson also appeared to be crystal-gazing when he later(1914) wrote a book called "Beyond the Spectrum". In this book, he described a war in the future, fought using aircraft which dropped "sun bombs" on their targets. These were powerful enough for a single bomb to destroy a city. When this book was written, aeroplanes were small, flimsy, and unreliable machines capable of carrying one person. Nuclear weapons were still unimagined. Robertson's war began in the month of December, as did the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor which brought the USA into WW2.

Michener was born 1907, Shute 1899 and Robertson 1861.

There are, of course, common sense explanations for the authors' apparent ability to see into the future, these men were not deliberately trying to predict events, as far as we know.

Michener didn't foresee actual events, but was drawn or inspired to write about countries which later came to prominence for one reason or another. He was widely travelled, highly intelligent, politically minded and had lived in all the countries he wrote about. Common sense would say that he was "putting two and two together" with a bit of Aquarian intuition.

Shute was a skilled aeronautical engineer as well as novelist. He had technical knowledge more than sufficient to foresee possible outcomes where the area of his expertise was involved. "An accident waiting to happen", in the case of metal fatigue, and some extrapolation of known facts in the case of aerial warfare ?

Robertson was the son of a ship's captain and spent some time as a cabin boy himself, so the sea was "in his blood", he had no doubt heard some tall tales from the old salts he must have encountered. These, with a little embroidery, might have helped him to invent his ship Titan. His "Beyond the Spectrum" published in 1914 is harder to explain.

Those are explanations for the skeptics. Someone more open-minded, and sensitive to peculiar coincidences like these, might see a different explanation.

Novelists and short story writers continually tap into vast resources of imagination. For hours at a time, on a regular basis, their minds are "elsewhere", concentrating outside of the mundane. Isn't this akin to meditation? Could it be that as they concentrate so intently in realms of the imaginary, coloured with knowledge stored in their memory banks, they somehow inadvertently seep through a time barrier or into another dimension?

Any correspondences in the natal charts of these three writers?

Morgan Robertson born 30 September 1861 Oswego, New York
Nevil Shute born 17 January 1899, Ealing, England
James Michener born 3 February 1907, New York

1. All 3 writers have Sun and Mercury in the same sign (not uncommon.)

2. In Robertson's case Neptune opposes Sun. Shute and Michener both have Neptune and Sun inconjunct(quincunx).

So....Neptune's aspects to the Sun may well be significant, especially as Mercury (writers' planet) shares the same sign as Sun in the three charts.

More detail:
Robertson: Sun at 7 Libra/Neptune at 00Aries (Aries Point) opposition
Shute: Sun at 27 Capricorn/Neptune at 22 Gemini- inconjunct (quincunx)
Michener: Sun at 14 Aquarius/Neptune at 10 Cancer-inconjunct(quincunx)

Neptune represents imagination and mysticism. Maybe the push-pull of an opposition, or friction from a quincunx aspect Neptune/Sun can push aside the "veil" of present reality. When individuals with such aspects engage in activities needing acute and long-term concentration, it could be that their visions become more than simple imagination. An interesting subject for research.

Morgan Robertson, the writer with Sun and Neptune in opposition, dispayed the most surprising ability of the three authors, but the other two do exhibit lesser, or more explainable, examples though still remarkable.

Perhaps the best explanation, for now, is that intense concentration of a mind with certain Neptune/Sun energies in-built, and knowledge in specific fields, gained from experience, can result in reasonably accurate prognostication. It sounds reasonable enough to me!