Female artists, children's books, sextiles & semis

Female artists in general were thin on the ground in the 19th/early 20th century, but it isn't surprising that women would excel in the specialised genre of illustrating children, or for children - it's in their blood. The ability to visualise a children's world, what pleases them - whimsy and gentle fantasy, are likely to be stock-in-trade. There were male illustrators too, of course, but in this genre the ladies managed to find a more level playingfield. In their era, this kind of art would have presented a more proper pursuit for the lady with artistic talent who didn't wish to damage her reputation by joining those naughty bohemians, living it up(or down)in Paris.

The five female artists whose work I decided to look at were all born in the latter part of the 19th century. Their best work was in illustrating famous books for children, such as 'Alice in Wonderland', 'The Water Babies', 'The Pied Piper'. There were also, of course, the chubby cheeked kids,the pretty fairies and the constant tweeness - pleasant enough in small doses. For passing readers not familiar with the term "twee", in Britain it's used to describe anything excessively cute, dainty, delicate, whimsical, or kind of ultra- homely. I've noticed, by the way, that in the USA tweeness is quite popular.



Examples, below, of the styles of the 5 featured artists: top right Mabel Lucy Attwell.Top left: Bessie Pease Gutmann


















Cicely Mary Barker



Jessie Wilcox Smith

I've featured three English artists and two from the USA.

Mabel Lucy Attwell born in London, England 4 June 1879

Cicely Mary Barker born in London, 28 June 1895

Kate Greenaway born in London 17 March 1846

Bessie Pease Gutmann born in Philadelphia PA, USA 8 April 1876

Jessie Wilcox Smith born in Philadelphia PA on 6 September 1863
(The small illustration at the beginning of this entry is by her.)

I compared the five 12 noon charts, concentrating only on positions of Venus (art), Neptune(imagination), Mercury(communication)and Jupiter(publishing), looking for any similarities.

There's a goodly amount of Taurus and/or Cancer showing - this seems appropriate to the subject matter - Cancer ruled by Moon and representing mothers, nurturing, etc. Taurus ruled by Venus - love, earthy, beauty - (and probably tweeness!)

The sextile and semi-sextile came up a lot. Astrology.com describes these aspects thus:

Sextile -a soft energy is generally ascribed to this aspect. Sextiles are about the easy and unencumbered flow of energy between two planets. There is a lack of tension inherent in this aspect which translates to the ability of the individual to accomplish much. Attraction is present, and self-expression is enhanced.

Semi-sextile - this Aspect is not quite as harmonious in tone as a sextile. Further, there tends to be a fated quality to this Aspect. Semi-sextiles tend to create minor tension..... unease is the result, and a sense that something should be done (or that if it were done, all would be better). This Aspect also has a karmic tie. When two planets are semi-sextiling each other, we need to know that there is a lesson (albeit a small one) to be dealt with and effectively overcome. This lesson may well come to us from our past. Lastly, with this Aspect, there is always that karmic connection. Something is out there, and while we're not quite sure what it is, we just can't seem to break away from it. Is this yet another lesson from the semi-sextile?

Sextiles between relevant planets in these charts link well to the art we're considering. Interesting that the sextile is described as "soft energy" - that does seem particularly appropriate. I'm not sure about the semi-sextiles - karmic connections? Could be! Anyway, here are the similarities:


Attwell - Venus on South Node(sensitive point in chart) sextile Mercury. Neptune sextile Jupiter



Barker - Venus and Neptune in sextile, Jupiter semi-sextile both planets. Mercury semi-sextile both Pluto and Mars



Greenaway - Venus sextile Jupiter, semi-sextile Mercury. Neptune/Saturn conjunction semi- sextile Sun



Gutmann - Venus sextile Mercury with Neptune semi-sextile both those planets. Jupiter opposes Venus, trines Mercury.



Smith - Libran stellium of Mercury, Venus and Saturn opposed by Neptune in Aries. Venus semi-sextile Sun. Jupiter also in Libra trines Uranus, semi-sextiles Mars.

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More of the work of each of these artists can be explored via Google Image.

Hopes and Wishes

I have a book by astrologer Ivy M. Goldstein-Jacobson, "Here and There in Astrology". Instead of the usual printers' font, its pages are photographs of Mrs. Jacobson's actual typing. To today's eyes this looks distinctly odd in a hard-backed book. The book was first published in 1961. It contains all manner of astrological tid-bits which provide food for thought. In the Introduction the author says that the first part of the book is "designed to give the student of astrology a new, different and much simpler approach to his work with natal charts...."

Here's a sample from Part 1, starting at page 71 - "What you want and whether you get it"

Mrs Jacobson explains that with regard to a person's hopes and wishes it is to the 11th house in a natal chart we should first look - this denotes what is wanted. Whether it is achieved is shown by the planet ruling the sign on the cusp of the 11th house. "Be sure to note the distinction we make here", says Mrs. Jacobson. An intercepted sign within the 11th house will denote a secondary, less important desire, often held in abeyance due to circumstances over which the native has little control. It might also denote a future desire.

Mrs Jacobson goes on to describe how those with Fire, Air, Water and Earth signs on the cusp of 11th house will tend to hope or yearn.

(Parts of what follows are exact quotes and parts are shortened versions in my own words.)

Briefly: Fire basically wishes for spiritual things or whatever is creative or touches the heart and soul.

Earth, practical and material things, roots, future security.

Air, whatever is scientific, intellectual, these signs are diffuse having "only a light hold on what they want when they get it.....they desire to spread their knowledge, they are teachers".

Water sign on the cusp of the 11th - these need to satisfy their extra sensory perception through deep understanding of the mystical, whatever appeals to the imagination and emotions.

An intercepted sign adds its element characteristics.

Mrs Jacobson then tells us that the sign on the 11th cusp and that of any intercepted sign may be ruled by more than one planet. We must look to the houses where these are placed to find out in which department of life the hopes and wishes are being sought...."the more houses involved, the more diversified the desires".

The next thing to note is the relationship of such houses to the 11th house itself, square, trine, opposite, etc. this will show whether the 11th cusp ruler will "find conditions easy to handle or not, in gaining his hopes".

5th opposes 11th - your circumstances involve opposition and non-cooperation, success is difficult. An opposition represents "anything that is as far from you at birth as possible, such as marriage for example - you have to grow up before you can attain it. On the other hand an opposition is like a full moon lighting whatever is before you.....you are aware what you have to face in life. You always have to break a bond to overcome opposition.....dearest wish often comes true late in life".

4th and 6th are quincunx the 11th Circumstances have to undergo radical reorganisation before whishes can be attained. Quincunx can indicate that you may need to pay another's debts, or put out money for support, etc. ("The quincunx is basically the distance from the ascendant to the 6th and from 8th to ascendant"). Discrimination needed in deciding what it is you want the most.

3rd and 7th are trine the 11th - Happy circumstances make it easy to attain one's wishes through family or strangers, or by moving home or country ("because the original measurement of the trine falls between ascendant and 5th and 9th houses"). This is the luckiest aspect of all.

2nd and 8th are square the 11th, putting obstacles in your way due frequently to financial circumstances. ("Squares make you go to extremes of effort since they are basically the distance between ascendant and 4th or 10th.") Obstacles may be due to family/parental factors, they being unable to provide what you need, especially in childhood.

1st and 9th sextile 11th. "Opportunities like the postman will always knock twice affording excellent chances of success through own effort or that of people you talk to, since the sextile is basically the distance from ascendant to 3rd and from 11th itself."

10th and 12th are semi-sextile to the 11th. Circumstances favour gaining some hopes and wishes, but not as easily as via the sextile. ("Semi-sextile is basically the distance between ascendant and 2nd or 12th"). You may find you have only half a chance due to past mistakes.

The 11th may be said to conjunct itself, and when the ruler of the 11th is there it means that circumstances are with you: your hopes and wishes are within easy grasp. Friends are there when needed.

There are other details, covering mutual reception, retrograde and stationary planets: interpretations for these are fairly easy to guess, but if anyone is interested I'll add them via a comment.

I've experimented, using my own chart - I have Aries on the 11th cusp natally, with Taurus intercepted in 11th house. Mars, ruler of Aries lies in 5th (opposing), Venus ruler of Taurus lies in 6th(quincunx). Yes, this method gives a reasonably accurate result, for me!

My route to astrology

Mercury has now begun a period of apparent retrograde motion and, just for today, I'm going to back-track too, with an edited version of a posting from my early blogging days, last year. This traces my somewhat foggy road to astrology.

Astrology has played some part in my life for over 50 years, although for the greater part of that time my knowledge was sketchy at best. In my youth the astrology bandwagon had not started its roll, the spread of home computers and the internet was still a gleam in some entrepreneur's eye.

I lived in England, in a small town where the library and book shops carried nothing on astrology. I'd scour magazines, looking for articles to expand on the scanty Sun sign columns in our newspapers. I have no idea why I was drawn to the subject, it was never introduced to me by family or friend, it seemed to call to me - but then I found that I had to go hunting to find it! The answer probably lies somewhere in my natal chart, Uranus on South Node might have something to do with it, or Sun in 8th house. I know two other people born the same week as me, in the same town, and neither has the slightest interest in the stars, so it's unlikely to be related to the slower planets. The main difference I can see, without knowing their times of birth, is that Mercury trines Neptune and (widely)Uranus in my chart, but not in theirs.

In the late 1960s things began to look up. Hippies, their culture, and hope for a New Age brought astrology more into public focus. Books on the subject became more easily available. By then I'd moved from small town to big city, married and awaited divorce. I puzzled over the fact that my marriage to a Libra Sun person had failed rapidly and dismally. I read everything I could find to expand my knowledge, but nothing enabled me to move much beyond Sun signs. I was hampered by my blind-spot in mathematics, and at this point I'd never even heard the word "ephemeris", let alone seen one.


In the early 1970s with a new location, new job and new relationship, a fresh era dawned. Amongst my office colleagues, back then, were a few who shared an interest in astrology. They introduced me to Tarot, and a New Age shop where I bought cards, books and an enormous pile of back issues of "Prediction" magazine which contained lots of astrology articles. I bought my first real astrology report around this time, from an advert in one of the magazines.

Colleagues shared my interest, but still real astrology was beyond our understanding. We were like kids playing blindman's buff. My copy of Linda Goodman's "Sun Signs" did the rounds of our office a few times, and eventually disappeared. I'd started concentrating more on learning the Tarot, but then I received, as a surprise gift, a book which contained tables of planetary positions, a rudimentary ephemeris in fact. This was like oxygen to me! At last I could take a step forward. I was was able to investigate more, and several matters which had been puzzling me started, at last, to fall into place.

I've never felt drawn to the esoteric or spiritual sides of the subject, my interest has always been one of practical curiosity, backed with solid faith that "something is going on", and trying to satisfy myself as to what that "something" is, or what it might possibly be. I'm not even particularly interested in prediction for its own sake. I just like to experiment, observe and wonder.

Knowing that there was much more to astrology than Sun signs, I still carried on following those newspaper columns. They presented something regular to hold on to, until I was able reach a point from which I could progress. Real change did come eventually with the acquisition of a home computer at the end of 2001. Astrology sites, forums and message boards helped me to broaden my knowledge. Later came an even better opportunity to learn, with the purchase of astrology software and a collection of secondhand astrology books. I suddenly had the keys to a treasure trove!

It's not too surprising that there seem to be very few professional astrologers in my age group. I often feel envious of subsequent generations, who have had so much information and assistance easily available. That being as it may, because of everything I'd absorbed, knowingly and unknowingly over a period of some 50 years, learning some of the complexities has come, and is still coming, with surprising ease, and..........the rest is bloggery.

Holding On For A Hero

In spite of telling myself to forget about US politics I haven't yet managed to do so. It's in the air, part of the atmosphere, you can't surf the net, watch TV or pick up a newspaper without bumping into it. So, for a little longer I'll have to put up with Political Frustration Station. Dang! I blame my relocated Aquarius ascendant!

What the USA needs, we often remark, here at Chez Twilight, is a hero - or more accurately a heroic leader. The country is in the Slough of Despond these days. Nothing seems to raise many Americans from their gloomy outlook - even a Nobel Peace Prize for one of their own. A good proportion of them immediately seeks to discredit the recipient, list his shortcomings, and identify failings. So he's not the one. A heroic leader must be lauded by a much greater majority.

What would we look for in the astrology of such a leader? I'm tempted to say that astrology would come second - we'd first be hit between the eyes by his/her charisma. We wouldn't need to search astrological charts to find someone with potential - it would be staring us in the face. What might the chart of such a being contain though?

The classic answer would be a good dose of Leo to attract attention, but I don't think Leo alone equals charisma. Leo provides the vehicle to show it off - that's all. The rest of the ingredients must come from some magical mix of planets, signs and aspects in the natal chart which somehow connect with the communal mindset and needs of a particular time or era.

On the resume of a heroic leader in any era we'd hope to find evidence of vision (Aquarius), passion(Scorpio), discipline(Saturn), persistence (Fixed signs), good judgement and decisiveness (not sure, Cardinal signs and a combination of many factors?) He'd need to be empathetic(Water signs), a team builder(Air signs), and though an extrovert to the public(Leo), have the ability to be introspective also(12th house). Above all - top of my own list - strength and integrity(not sure how that would show - a well configured and balanced chart with appropriate planets close to the angles?)

In the current era of despondency the communal mindset here is most likely focused on truth and integrity, first and foremost. The more politically savvy amongst us could no doubt identify some of the above characteristics in one or more of the current presidential candidates. Those less interested in politics though need to be hit between the eyes before they respond, and that just isn't happening as far as I can see.

No truly obvious heroic leader stands before us now. Perhaps one might evolve from present options, given time. Or perhaps the time isn't yet ripe for one of my favourite sayings to materialise "Cometh the hour, cometh the man". Maybe the hour has not yet cometh.

Where have all the good men gone
And where are all the gods?
Where's the street-wise Hercules
To fight the rising odds?
Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
Late at night I toss and turn and dream
of what I need

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night
He's gotta be strong
And he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light
He's gotta be sure
And it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life....................
(From "Holding Out For a Hero". Lyrics by Jim Steinman and Dean Pitchford)

Coulter versus Deutsch

Channel flicking on Friday night, we stumbled upon a show called "The Big Idea". The presenter, Donnie Deutsch, who I'd never seen before, was talking to someone I immediately recognised, a lanky blonde with a hard angular face - Ann Coulter.

"Eeeuuuuww - shall we watch and learn?" I asked.

"On your own head be it, don't be surprised if you blow a fuse!" muttered HeWhoKnows.

Ye gods! That is some hard case! Coulter, I mean, not HeWhoKnows.

There's a report of the interview, which must have originally been screened last Monday, HERE . Coulter's remarks about Christianity and Jewish people caused something of a stir!

Astrologer Lynn Hayes wrote an excellent review of Ann Coulter's natal chart a while ago, on her great blog Astrological Musings (HERE).

."Having digested what Lynn had to say, I decided to take a look at Donnie Deutsch's chart. I'd been impressed by the way he handled the interview. He was born on 22 November 1957, Queens, New York. No birth time known. It's interesting that his and Coulter's charts have a superficial likeness. Both charts shown are for 12 noon, they should enlarge by clicking on them.



Sun in Sagittarius in both cases, but around 4 years apart. Both have a cluster of Sagittarian planets, but Donnie Deutsch's chart does not have the hard Saturn in Capricorn (possible singleton) of Ann Coulter. His natal Saturn lies in Sagittarius with Sun, Mercury, and the Moon (though degree of Moon isn't known, it is bound to be in Sagittarius whatever the time of birth). Instead of Saturn in Capricorn Deutsch has Venus in Capricorn, semi-sextiling (and perhaps softening?) Saturn in Sagittarius.

Coulter's Aquarian Jupiter probably causes more trouble than Deutsch's diplomatic Libran Jupiter which is in wide sextile to Saturn - again, possibly softening Saturn's hard edges. Deutsch's natal Uranus is in Leo, trine Saturn, so I'd expect him to be able to blend opinions about establishment values with a few more avant garde views - he probably has the kind of personality to appreciate both. Coulter's Saturn in Capricorn has no help at all, unless her birthtime puts the Moon in semi-sextile to it, which I doubt.

I think that Ms Coulter's hard-faced public personality clearly stems from the position of Saturn. As well as giving her that very hard edge, it's probably responsible for her keen business sense - she's well aware of how to magnetise publicity for her own benefit (usually to the serious detriment of others).

Donnie Deutsch's natal Mars in Scorpio is semi-sextile Mercury/Saturn in Sagittarius. His is a sharply incisive mind and tongue. Away from the screen he can probably be a heck of a lot more biting than we are allowed to witness! Congratulations to him on remaining tactful and civilised throughout this interview.

There was great delight, Chez Twilight, when Donnie Deutsch ushered in his next guest, the much more amenable Al Gore.

Feeling Good - Nina Simone

Nina Simone was one of the great female jazz singers of mid-twentieth century. I often think how remarkable it is that the majority of good jazz singers were/are female, while most jazz musicians were/are male.

Nina Simone's chart very clearly describes what Wikipedia tells us about her personality:

"Sometimes known as the High Priestess of Soul, she paid great attention to the musical expression of emotions. Within one album or concert she could fluctuate between exuberant happiness or tragic melancholy. These fluctuations also characterized her own personality and personal life, worsened by a bipolar disorder with which she was diagnosed in the mid-sixties, but was kept secret until 2004 "




Look at those oppositions ! I've seen something very similar in another chart of someone suffering from this debilitating condition, which used to be known as manic depression. This could be something the astro-researchers ought to jump on, if they haven't already done so - it might yield good results for astrology.

Mercury in Pisces opposes Mars in Virgo (1 degree), Sun in Pisces opposes Neptune in Virgo (7 degrees) and Jupiter opposes Mercury 7 degrees), all Virgo/Pisces. Virgo is ruled by Mercury, Pisces by Neptune - both involved in these oppositions, which are mainly 1st against 7th house - self versus relationship with others.

The musical planet Venus lies in Nina's first house, in Aquarius with Saturn, also in Aquarius on her ascendant if time of birth given at Astrotheme is accurate. These placements fit well with her work as a civil rights activist.

Anyway, all of that brings me to my Wonderbra (uplifting) video for this week, and boy - do I need it!

Nina Simone sings, as only she can, "Feeling Good", and describes a state of mind we'd all like to emulate -

Do your worst, Mercury retrograde!

Borrowing a line from Charles Dickens: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times". Yesterday's good news about Al Gore was smartly followed by bad news about my citizenship application. News with a typically Mercury retrograde flavour emerged from a USCIS conference call, implying that I'm likely to be waiting even longer to become a US citizen than I'd expected in my worst imaginings.

The total of all applications the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service received between July/August this year was 1.2 million. 480,000 of these (my own included) are still awaiting receipt. There were 500,000 citizenship applications (like my own) among the total number. All this because they increased fees? There must be more to it. USCIS indicated that they hope to be able to receipt all by the end of October, but warn that processing delays will get worse before they get better, as frontlogs become backlogs.

Oh joy!

I sent my application more than eleven weeks ago, on 26 July, full of hope and confidence that things would roll along slowly but surely and the process would take anything between 6 months and a year. I'd be able to vote in November 2008. Wrong! If I live long enough I might be eligible to vote in the 2012 election - and I do mean might!

This is Mercury retrograde with a vengance. It followed hard on the heels of a Venus retrograde period too.

"I don't know whether to yell "I just don't care anymore, I'm outta here - when's the next plane back to the UK?" or just think...well, what does it matter, your vote wouldn't make much difference anyway, forget about politics, forget about it all. what's the use?

"San fairy Ann" - or as the French say "ca ne fait rien" - it doesn't matter. Do your worst Mercury retrograde - see if I care!

What good is a blog if you can't let off steam? I wonder what the French for that is? Quel bon est un blog si vous ne pouvez pas laisser outre de la vapeur. Ain't Babel Fish wonderful!

Come on Uranus - you can do it!

Good news! Al Gore is joint winner of the Nobel Peace Prize with the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

A full-page ad in the New York Times on Wednesday, and calls from a plethora of websites to "draft Al Gore" for the 2008 presidential campaign grow ever louder. Will he, won't he run?


A full page ad placed in the Oct. 10, 2007 edition of the New York Times by a group called DraftGore.com is displayed for a photograph in New York. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg News


Transiting Uranus is meeting up with Al Gore's natal Mercury around now - is his mind being changed?

Come on Uranus, old pal - you can do it! Change his mind!


Paul Kaplan adds his plea via YouTube:

Ray Kroc and McDonald's

Ideas on what to blog about often come from unexpected sources. A few days ago we were out on the road in a torrential downpour. We decided to wait it out at the nearest pull-in, which happened to be a McDonald's. This was much against the principles of HeWhoKnows who considers McDonald's food as one step away from the garbage bin. I think that's a little unfair. However, on this occasion it was "needs must", and McDonalds' coffee had to be preferable to a bumperoony in our precious car!

So it was that in a pleasant, recently refurbished McDonald's, I enjoyed a warm cinnamon roll and started to wonder how this great juggernaut of a company first started.

Ray Kroc was the man who developed the juggernaut we now know as McDonald's. He didn't invent the hamburger, nor the idea of fast food per se - what he did was market these things so brilliantly that what started as a single fast food restaurant owned by the McDonald brothers in California, finished as one of the biggest international corporations in the world.

A good on-line biography HERE starts thus:

"In 1954, a fifty-two-year-old milk-shake machine salesman saw a hamburger stand in San Bernardino, California, and envisioned a massive new industry: fast food. In what should have been his golden years, Raymond Kroc, the founder and builder of McDonald's Corporation, proved himself an industrial pioneer no less capable than Henry Ford. He revolutionized the American restaurant industry by imposing discipline on the production of hamburgers, french fries, and milk shakes. By developing a sophisticated operating and delivery system, he insured that the french fries customers bought in Topeka would be the same as the ones purchased in New York City. Such consistency made McDonald's the brand name that defined American fast food."

Here's Ray Kroc's natal chart (drawn up for 12 noon as no birth time is available). He was born on 5 October 1902 in or near Chicago. Generationally he's one of that brilliant Pluto in Gemini generation who helped in giving birth to what became known as "The American Dream". Also extracted from the link above, this snippet is intriguing:

"Kroc's father had taken four-year-old Raymond to see a phrenologist -- a practitioner of a nineteenth century "medicine" that divined insights into a person's character and capabilities from the skull's shape and size. After groping and probing the bumps on the youngster's head, the phrenologist pronounced that the child would work in the food-service industry. "



Without birth time we can't know what his 10th house of career contained - that's a pity, but I'd bet that Saturn would lie on or close to an angle. With a birth time of around 6pm Saturn would be in 10th, Sun and Venus in 6th and Aries rising - that would fit particularly well!

There's an Air Grand Trine in Ray Kroc's chart - Jupiter/Pluto/Sun, the orbs are a little wide, but I still think it's significant for an entrepreneur whose brilliance and success relies mainly on mental processes. The other chart pattern I notice is what's known as a Yod - made up of a sextile aspect and two inconjunct aspects - forming an arrow like configuration. In Kroc's case the sextile is between Pluto and Mars, with arrow point at Saturn in Capricorn. If I had to pinpoint the most significant factor in this man's chart, it would be this! Saturn in Capricorn, the businessman's planet in it's own sign, hooked up to powerful and energetic Pluto and Mars - and configuration is quite tight, probably making it more intense.

Saturn trines Venus in Virgo - here is the attention to detail which must have been so important in setting up a chain of fast food restaurants, all serving the same food prepared in the same way, so that the result is consistent and reliable. Another extract from the link mentioned above:

"Espousing the idea that "there is a science to making and serving a hamburger," Kroc endowed his beef patties with exacting specifications -- fat content: below 19 percent; weight: 1.6 ounces; diameter: 3.875 inches; onions: 1/4 ounce. Kroc even built a laboratory in suburban Chicago to devise a method for making the perfect fried potato in the late 1950s".

Mars in Leo, trining Uranus in Sagittarius provided the spark which helped an ordinary salesman with good business sense into a world-class entrepreneur. Sun in Libra trining Jupiter in Aquarius provided the tact, quick thinking and diplomacy needed to clinch deals. The deal Kroc eventually made with the McDonald brothers is legendary:

"It was not an easy time for Ray Kroc. He was suffering from diabetes and arthritis. His gall bladder and thyroid gland had already been surgically removed. But the desire to succeed burnt throughout his body. In a final act of refined salesmanship Ray Kroc managed to convince the brothers (McDonald) to sell the company to him. He asked them to name their price. The $2.7 million that Ray Kroc paid in 1961 for the McDonalds Corporation is considered to be one of the greatest acts of salesmanship of all time." (From HERE)

The juggernaut had started to roll!

Is Your Computer a Significant Other?

A little food for thought : "When your Most Significant Other is a Computer" by Lamont Wood.
Ring any bells? Astrologers spend a lot of time discussing human relationships. But how about relationship with our computers ?

Let's see - Uranus has to be the main ingredient - as planet of technology. Aquarius, as the mentally based home sign of Uranus will be involved too, alternatively Gemini or Libra, the other mentally focused zodiac signs. Mercury has a big part to play in determining how our individual minds work, so how natal Sun and Mercury relate to Uranus/Aquarius and the Air houses, 3, 7 and 11 is likely to be significant.

In my own case natal Uranus on South Node at 13 Taurus, 11th house(3rd in my re-located chart) both are Air houses - that's good. Sun at 6.46 Aquarius, 8th house natally, 12th relocated, with Sun and Uranus in square aspect - not so good - that'll relate to the times when I'm tearing my hair out trying to fix a system error or dispose of a trojan. Sun IS in Aquarius, which ought to be beneficial for computer work, even though it's squaring its ruler. Mercury in Capricorn was in 7th house natally, near the descendant angle, relocated it lies in 11th (again, both Air houses), as an added attraction it is semi-sextile my relocated ascendant. So, apart from the square between Sun and Uranus it appears I have a reasonably good relationship with my computer - platonic, of course!

HeWhoKnows spends much time tinkering with his 'confuser', as he calls it. His natal Uranus and Venus are conjoined in Taurus, it must be love! Uranus is semi-sextile natal Aries Sun, that's quite helpful. No planets in Air signs or Air houses, but Mercury may compensate - it conjoins natal Sun, albeit a degree away in the previous sign, Pisces, and it semi-sextiles Uranus. So, courtesy of Venus, I reckon his relationship with his computer is a ring-ding love affair!

Uranus in Aquarius and Dadaism

A recent short article by comedian Richard Belzer, "I Want My Dada" led me to Google-search Dada, and wonder about Uranus in Aquarius transits.

I'd heard about Dadaism before, but had never fully understood its significance. The Dada movement was short-lived. It survived roughly from around 1915 to 1920, founded by a group of European artists, writers and creative thinkers with the basic intention of protest against the World War then raging, the establishment and current bourgeois attitudes and values. ArtLex defines Dada thus -

"An early twentieth century art movement which ridiculed contemporary culture and traditional art forms. The movement was formed to prove the bankruptcy of existing style of artistic expression rather than to promote a particular style itself. It was born as a consequence of the collapse during World War I of social and moral values which had developed to that time." ("Republican Automatons" by George Grosz, right)




From Belzer's article:
"All (so-called) modern thought was called into question. It was reasoned that at that point in history we had become so barbarous that precious human life was chillingly expendable for the most ill-conceived and deceptive purposes."

Astrologically I think it's very significant that during those years Uranus was transiting the sign of its own modern ruler, Aquarius. This is the planet of rebellion, invention and revolution, much strengthened in its home sign. That Uranus transit through Aquarius coincided almost exactly with the time-span of Dadaism, also, of course, with the first World War (1914-1918).

I'm not sure that Richard Belzer's call ("I implore, I compel, and I all but beg those in the creative community to once again question and challenge") to follow in the footsteps of Dada is going to get very far. Uranus is now transiting the more philosophical, softer hearted sign of Pisces. I doubt that a new and improved Dada movement can be expected anytime soon. Rebellion needs a hard edge - Uranus in Aries could well bring it forth in future years.

The more recent Uranus in Aquarius transit which occurred between April 1995 and March 2003 included the fateful September 11 2001, and events which reverberate still. As far as I know, there was no movement comparable with Dadaism during that transit. There were protest marches against the proposed invasion of Afghanistan, and later, Iraq but no definable movement which could be labelled as an "ism". We are still too close to that period to see it properly in focus, and importantly, in context with what is to come next. Historians of the future may detect things in that period which are invisible to us now.

More examples of Dada art can be viewed via Google Image.

"Heroes" and Sendhil Ramamurthy

The TV series "Heroes" began last year in the USA, I'm not sure whether it has crossed the Atlantic yet. We watched it with an anticipation which grew weaker as the episodes progressed. Maybe, like Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon, we're "too old for this s..t". It's sometimes puzzling trying to connect the different strands of an entangled plot. A plethora of characters whizz across the screen, with little opportunity to recognise them before they're off on some mission or other.

I've come to the conclusion that I only ever fully understand one hundredth part of each episode - the part that commences when the credits start to roll.

This is not to say we don't enjoy the series, it provides opportunity for lively review, along the lines of: "What the heck was that all about, then?" or "Well....which one can fly, and which one is the artist?" "Which blonde is the cheerleader?" We eventually sorted out the latter queries in time for the second series!

My best reason to carry on watching "Heroes" is being able to feast my eyes upon actor Sendhil Ramamurthy who plays Mohinder Suresh. I do enjoy looking at a beautiful male face. It's nothing to do with sexiness or attraction, it's just because I enjoy seeing a beautiful face. Paul Newman, in his younger days, had that spectacular male beauty. He's still looking good in his eighties!



Suresh is a pivotal character in the plot, although so far he has not discovered any superhero skills like the rest of the cast. For me, he doesn't need 'em. He is beautiful. The character of Mohinder Suresh was originally written for a 55-year old, his audition tape and screen test were convincing enough for writers to rewrite the part for Ramamurthy. Perhaps in the original story Suresh was the scientist rather than the scientist's son, as in the present plot. There's a very short YouTube video HERE showing this actor explaining a little about the story.

Sendhil Ramamurthy was born 17 May 1974 in Chicago, Illinois. No birth time available, so this is a 12 noon chart.

Skimpy on-line biographies tell us little, other than that the actor comes from a family of physicians, his parents came originally from India. Sendhil was to have followed a path into medicine himself, but got sidetracked into acting. He has said in interview that he has made a conscious decision never to play stereotypical Indian parts. A very good decision I think!



Natal Sun in late Taurus (ruled by Venus, planet of beauty). Unless Sendhil was born before 5am natal Moon will lie in Aries, along with Venus ruler of his Sun. The earlier birth time would put his Moon in Pisces along with natal Jupiter. It's hard to say which seems more likely.

Mercury, planet of communication in Gemini (it's home sign) is opposed by Neptune (planet of imagination) in Sagittarius - a good aspect for an actor, dynamic energy between communication and imagination.

I think this is a rather nice natal chart: a person who is gentle, intelligent but never staid or boring - and that's based on intuition as much as astrology!

If Sendhil Ramamurthy's career progresses, as I reckon it will, fairly rapidly after "Heroes", I suspect his reputation will be as beautiful as his face - no scandals or upsets, only talent.

Knock On Wood

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Three movie makers

I decided to take a look at the natal chart of Ken Burns, whose documentary TV series and DVD set "The War" is currently being screened/released in the USA. It's about World War 2 and how it affected Americans in particular.

We've seen Ken Burns interviewed a couple of times recently on TV - he looks very young to have such masterworks as "Jazz", "The Civil War", "Baseball" and many others under his belt. I was surprised to see that he is 54! His current documentary will educate younger viewers about the REAL horrors of war, and what it does to real people. I've bought the DVD set, it'll be difficult, but I believe necessary, viewing.

While looking at Ken Burns' 12noon chart (I couldn't find a birth time) something rang a bell in my memory bank. I checked back to the charts of movie makers Brian de Palma who I blogged about HERE and M.Night Shyamalan HERE.

There are definite similarities in these charts. Although the types of movies these men make are quite different, they do all work with film. I'll list the similarities I see, then copy the three (12 noon) charts beneath.

Burns and De Palma have Neptune (planet of film) conjoining personal planets - Saturn for Burns, Mercury for de Palma. M.Night Shyamalan's Neptune opposes Saturn, sextiles Venus and semi-sextiles Jupiter.

All 3 have clusters of planets in the area of the chart close to the Sun.

All 3 have Sun and/or Mercury conjoined with Mars

All 3 have Venus conjoining a slower or outer planet

All 3 have 2 planets in Leo

It's a pity not to be able to compare Moons and ascendants - lack of birth time precludes this.







I don't pretend to know with any certainty what all of the above indicates. I'll take a guess. Most of the similarities probably relate to the fact that these are successful people, in their chosen field, people with sufficient drive, energy determination and talent to succeed. The Neptune connection is the one particularly related to film. The intriguing factor is the general similarity in the three charts. Knowing that the careers of these successful men are within the same genre, I found it encouraging to find astrological links.

Robert Redbird, Native American Artist

Here's a brief overview of the work and natal chart of another lesser known artist - lesser known outside of certain areas of the USA, that is.

I first became aware of this artist on a visit to an art gallery where I saw one of his paintings, a large work depicting a Native American woman wearing a brilliantly pink cloak. The painting seemed to dominate the room and the gallery.

Robert Redbird was born in Oklahoma to Kiowa Indian parents. The family's tribal affiliation was to the Kiowa Gourd Clan. As a young child, Redbird always displayed an unusual interest in drawing and coloring. As he continued with his scholastic studies, his teachers became more aware of Redbird's unique artistic ability.

(Right,"Caretakers" by Robert Redbird)

As he matured and his technique improved, Redbird gravitated to using watercolors. He became extremely skillful and prolific in this method and Kiowa folklore emerged in his paintings. Dramatic blanket folds of brilliant color were evident in the attire of both men and women. Indian symbols of pottery, feathers, eagles and mountains became the unmistakable mark of Robert Redbird.

Redbird’s art is full of his conviction that Native American culture is a beautiful way of life. He has studied the culture of many Indian nations beside his own, and this vast knowledge of American Indian traditions is evident in his paintings. His art conveys his feel for Kiowa tradition and ceremonies, for the spiritual in the cultures of many tribes, and for the world of nature."

A very significant factor in Redbird's natal chart is Sun conjunct Pluto, but in adjoining signs - Sun in the last minutes of Cancer, Pluto at the beginning of Leo.
Mars at 29 Capricorn opposes Sun/Pluto. While Sun/Pluto indicates a powerful ego, a somewhat driven personality, the influence of Cancer is likely to add a certain softness here. The opposition of Mars in Capricorn to the powerful conjunction indicates someone who is determined to achieve his goals, and will never be afraid of challenges.

(Left: "Peyote Chiefs" by Robert Redbird)
Mars also forms part of a Grand Trine in Earth signs in this natal chart. The GT involves Uranus, Neptune and Mars. It seems that similar configurations are not uncommon in charts of people of Robert Redbird's generation. Both Dick Cheney and I have a Grand Earth Trines, but ours involve Venus in Cheney's case and Mercury in my own.

Venus, planet of art, sextiles both Neptune and Uranus, linking harmoniously to that Earth Grand Trine, and reflecting the artist's obvious love of nature and the traditions of his people.

Redbird's natal Moon is bound to be in Libra, but without time of birth it isn't possible to see how Moon links with other planets, or where ascendant, angles and house positions lie. Somewhere will be a hint of his humanitarian works, which may also be partially driven by his late Cancer Sun/Leo Pluto conjunction opposed by Mars in the last minutes of Capricorn, perhaps acquiring a flavour of the first degree of humanitarian Aquarius ?

"In addition to his artistic accomplishments, Redbird's travels with his art led him to many places, and wherever he has gone, he has left a trail of humanitarian achievements. He is an ordained minister and a gospel musician, and his deep religious convictions have prompted him to establish missions to aid the poor in various places. He often uses his art to contribute to important causes, such as the paintings he sent to former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani to be sold for funds to help the victims of the terrorist attacks in that city in September of 2001. At the same time, he contributed in a similar manner to the firefighters’ organization there for the aid of those families who lost firefighter members during that time."

Painting below: untitled.


More examples at http://www.isomedia.com/homes/csi/redbird/

John Fogerty's Revival

Late Tuesday evening, in front of the TV, semi-conscious, supposedly watching Letterman's chat show just ending, through the sleepy blur I suddenly heard someone singing "I can't stand any more of your dirty little war......" The singer really did sound pissed off. I opened my allergy-ridden eyes wide, poked HeWhoKnows in the side and demanded "Who's that?"

"John Fogerty...I've been trying to wake you!"

"Who's he?"

"Creedence Clearwater Revival" - remember - "Proud Mary", "Bad Moon Rising", "Lodi"? He wrote 'em and lots more."

"Ahhh!" I sat up and took notice.

HeWhoKnows had noted that John Fogerty had been singing a different song, then right at the end of his performance discarded his harmonica and ripped into the song I'd heard... gritty, bitter voice rasping the words of a very brief snip from that song. We wondered if perhaps it had been slipped in - not been part of the approved script/schedule. We watched as Letterman walked across to greet Fogerty to note his reaction - but the camera moved away, and that part wasn't shown. Odd!

On further investigation, yesterday morning I discovered that John has just released a new CD "Revival", which contains the songs he sang on Letterman, and other songs of protest against the current US administration.

John Fogerty earned gold stars from me for this performance. I've been looking at his chart. He was born 28 May 1945, Berkeley, California, at (according to Astrotheme) 7.28pm.



Sun at 7 Gemini, Uranus at 12 Gemini - there's more than a hint of rebellion there, with Uranus flavouring his communicative Gemini Sun. Neptune (planet of imagination) and Sun are in harmonious trine, that has to be good for a songwriter. Venus and Mars conjoin in Aries bringing strength and a little aggressive edge to his nature. Mercury in sensible but stubborn Taurus trines Jupiter (publishing planet) in critical Virgo, squaring that Sun/Uranus combination - perhaps he struggles with himself at times, wondering whether his rebellious side goes a little too far?

Natal Moon in sensible, business-like Capricorn widely opposes Saturn in Cancer - not sure exactly how that manifests. We can only know as much as his publicity exposes.

A quick look at current transits shows that transiting rebellious Uranus at 15 Pisces is opposing John's natal Jupiter, and Jupiter, as mentioned above, links into a pattern in his natal chart.

From a good review of his latest CD"Revival" HERE

"And if you really want anger, and want to hear what John Fogerty would sound like auditioning for the Ramones, give a listen to "I Can't Take It No More." It's your basic scream of rage at George Bush, telling him that he (the singer) can't take any more of his lies, and calling him on how his daddy bought him his deferment from the Vietnam war and he's just another spoiled brat."

and

""Long Dark Night" on the other hand is a hard rock song, more reminiscent of Neil Young and Crazy Horse than anything that came out of the swamp. It's all about Georgie who wants your children so he can have a war, with all his little buddies taking what they can while the taking is good."

In a recent issue of Rocky Mountain News, Mark Brown interviews John. Here's an illuminating extract regarding his previous political songs on a CD released in 2004:

"When "Déjà Vu" was just out and was fresh and I was on tour, basically, in many places I would play that song and I would be booed. There would be quite a healthy group of people booing. A lot of noise and controversy going on.

I will tell you I was supposed to be on one of the morning network shows. At the last minute, the afternoon before we were going to go on ? the show called my management and said 'We don't want John to sing that "Déjà Vu" song.' (laughs). But they'd already invited me to be on this show. Just for a minute, just for an eye-blink, I looked at that. I thought 'That's not what were going to do. We're either doing the song or we're not doing the show.' As we all kind of discussed it we're sort of sitting in a pretty good spot here. If I don't do a show and it becomes known that they didn't want me to do "Déjà Vu" it's going to look pretty bad on them, not me.

As the afternoon wore on and phone calls went back and forth I just stood by my guns. It was very clear. All of these broadcasting companies are owned by big corporate monolith corporations. They make most of their profits from a war in one way or another. They're very conservative by nature. Certainly most of these corporations give very hefty sizable donations to the Republican party. I was suddenly a persona non grata or whatever. I realized OK, we're not going to go on the show and by the way we're going to let everybody know why. That kinda made them say 'Oh well, never mind, everything's OK.'"

Go get 'em, John!!

Carmen Jones, Eartha Kitt and Astrology

I'm always intrigued when what starts as a simple Google search leads in an entirely different direction from first intentions. We had watched a DVD of Carmen Jones. I was pleased, for once, to see an astrological chart as a wall display in a scene in the movie. Talk of "bad luck in the cards" was included in the same scene. A character later threw a half-eaten peach across the room, it hit the first house on the chart - a bad omen indeed, as events unfolded - although a hit on eighth house might have been more astrologically correct.



I'm not sure what I was searching for in connection with this, but I somehow got sidetracked into reading about Eartha Kit(who was not in Carmen Jones!)

Here's what set me in a new direction - quote from a review of a 1959 movie "Anna Lucasta"

"I got a big laugh a few years ago, when Eartha Kitt was exposed as a pretentious know-nothing. In 1998, she made a public statement that she was a lifelong devotee of astrology: she had scrupulously followed her horoscope, and it had guided her through her successful career. Shortly after she made this statement, someone located Eartha Kitt's birth certificate ... and it turned out that, all these years, she'd been following the horoscope for the wrong birth date!"

After further investigation I found this (here):

"Eartha Kitt usually gave her birth date as January 26 in 1926 or 1928, as she was abandoned at a young age by her mother and did not know the real date. In 1998 students from Benedict College found her birth certificate and actual birth date, January 17, 1927."

Several on-line sources still mistakenly quote 26 January as Ms Kitt's date of birth. I was interested because, ever since first seeing Eartha Kitt in a 1950s movie "New Faces", I'd had a soft spot for her, especially as I too thought her birthday was 26 January, a day away from my own.

I expect it must have come as quite a shock to Ms Kitt to find that any Aquarian attributes she possessed did not emanate from her natal Sun. Aquarius does figure in her natal chart though, and if we knew her time of birth it might figure even more prominently. 12 noon chart shown below (no birth time available). Her corrected Capricorn Sun fits her first name very well, as it turns out - Capricorn being an Earth sign.




Her natal Venus lay at 10 Aquarius with Jupiter in the last degree of the same sign. Her Capricorn Sun closely sextiles Uranus , modern ruler of Aquarius (in Pisces).
It's not surprising that she recognised herself from descriptions based on Aquarius Sun.

From a list of Eartha Kitt's quotes, it's possible to see both Capricorn and Aquarius in her nature:

AQUARIUS:
Don't make yourself stressed out over nonsensical things like material things.

When we want to have our own style of living, it is nobody's business but ours. What we do in private is our private business.

Just because you are different does not mean that you have to be rejected.

And, from Sidney Poitier "Eartha Kitt is the freest spirit you have ever met."

CAPRICORN:

I always believe in living in the country, because that's where what I eat is what I can put back in the dirt.

I've always said to my men friends, If you really care for me, darling, you will give me territory. Give me land

Everything should be done with moderation and using common sense.

Honk if..........

One week from today, 9th October 2007, according to my American Ephemeris, the planets will shape up with a Grand Trine in Water signs : Mars (energy) at 4 Cancer, trining Mercury(communication) at 8 Scorpio widely trine Uranus(rebellion) at 15 Pisces. Saturn conjunct Venus in Virgo sextiles Mercury and Mars adding further harmonious assistance. At around 1pm the Moon will be at 00 Libra, the Sun is of course already in that sign of balance and fairness. Passing readers may wonder why this examination of next Tuesday's astrology.

In an article Let's Honk Our Horns As a "Last Resort", by Hank Edson he writes about the way in which President G.W. Bush declared in 2002/3 that war with Iraq was to be considered a "last resort", but blatantly disregarded ways in which it could have been avoided.

Hank Edson puts forward a plan that bloggers can publicise, and that they, their readers, and others who, like him, are disgusted with the state of affairs in which America currently finds itself, can declare their displeasure by honking their car horns at exactly the same time next Tuesday, 9 October....see below for an explanation, or even better, read the entire article at the link above.

"On October 9th, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 1:00 p.m. Central Time, 12:00 noon Mountain, and 11:00 a.m. Pacific, let us all vote on the presidency of George W. Bush with our car horns. For five minutes, let us voice an unremitting protest. Let’s make it so that every public TV station in America, every network news hour, every cable talking head news show has to show footage that is still but for the blare of our anger, our scorn, our outrage, our disgust, our sorrow, our grief, our pain at being a party to such unnecessary slaughter. Put it on your calendar. Drive around the corner from your work if you have to. Take five minutes out of your life for the 1.2 million whose lives are no more.

We, the people, voted in a Democratic Congress to end this war. Our votes have apparently meant nothing. It is time to vote with our car horns. It may be pathetic in a once democratic nation, but it is, for the powerless people of the United States of America, our “last resort.”

1.2 million human beings have been slaughtered by the war our government started unprovoked even after an opportunity to achieve its objective peacefully was offered. Are we really unwilling to make a little noise for just five minutes?"

I think the astrology of the date chosen seems quite beneficial to Mr. Edson's plan. It's not clear yet how much support will be forthcoming, but this is something in which most people could easily take part. And all that honking is bound to feel quite theraputic!

"Eureka" - Colin Ferguson !

Colin Ferguson isn't exactly a household name yet, but I suspect it will be, soon. Anyone who watches the TV sci-fi series "Eureka" will recognise this actor who plays the part of the sheriff of Eureka, a very strange town where very strange things happen. He stumbled into the town quite by accident, and his character often seems to be the only "ordinary" person there. Solid and sensible, but with a wicked sense of humour and quick wit usually delivered with a straight face - a killer combination for many females, myself included.



I was kind of expecting his natal Sun to be Capricorn - that combination of characteristics is often found in Sun Capricorns, but no - he has Sun (just) in Cancer, the opposite sign. His natal Jupiter is at 00* Capricorn though. Of course, Jack Carter, the sheriff, could well have Sun in Capricorn, as an upholder of the law.

Colin Ferguson was born in Montreal, Canada, on 22 July 1972. I've had to use a 12noon chart as I can find no time of birth for him.



Paragraphs from a brief biography HERE tell us the following about the actor (with notes from me, in red).

Born in Montreal, Colin Ferguson grew up in Hong Kong, England, Connecticut and Toronto. He got into improv comedy to make money to put himself through McGill University, and he was a founding member of Detroit's Second City comedy club while still in school. (Mercury and Mars in Leo, Venus and Saturn in Gemini, in sextile, probably account for his love of acting and the stage, his desire to work hard to achieve his goals. His love of comedy may be indicated by the sextile between Uranus in Libra and Mercury/Mars in Leo - Uranus is often connected with comedy, I've noticed. That comedic thread is apparent in his Eureka character, Jack Carter, too.)

Ferguson worked in a variety of occupations before he made acting his full-time profession. He taught high school when he was only 19, planted 3,000 trees a day in the Canadian north and even worked as a mannequin in store windows. When he worked the assembly line at a factory for General Electric (parent company of NBC Universal), he never imagined that he would work for the company again as an actor.(Again - Venus only 5* from Saturn - willing to work hard for his goals, and these planets in Gemini would likely give him the versatility needed for the variety of jobs mentioned).

Ferguson's love of travel has taken him to exotic destinations in Turkey, Morocco, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Cuba, Iceland, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos and Singapore. He hopes to make future trips to India and Africa.(Moon, ruler of his Sun sign Cancer, is certain to be in Sagittarius, the travellers' sign, though degree uncertain due to lack of birth time, Neptune in Sagittarius too).

Colin Ferguson's natal Sun is only just in Cancer, in the last minutes of that sign -it's almost exactly sextile Pluto in Virgo, possibly endowing him with a powerful will, and determination to achieve his aims.