At the Lodge - 22nd November 2004

Lodge Lecture | Class | Charts Discussion

Lodge Lecture

This week we has the pleasure of hearing Annie Lionnet from the Faculty of Astrological Studies. Her talk was entitled How to Shine in the World and show your true colours.

She began by sharing her own experiences with Howard Sasportas in the early 80's and emphasised how important a mentor can be when we are moving into new ground and going without our comfort zone. Philosophers have always emphasised that facing up to the demands of "our light" can be as frightening as confronting our darkness. The implications of what we need to do to reach our highest potentials can have up piling up the excuses with gusto.

Looking at client examples we saw how easily we slip down into mediocrity. Competition with parents seems to an old favourite which lets us tie ourselves in knots time and time again.

Moving towards the Sun, both figuratively and metaphorically gives us a clue towards a winning game plan.

Claire Chandler

Class

Bernard Eccles gave his last class on Heaven and Earth: Rediscovering the Planets and the Seasons. This week he looked at the Rectangle of the Solstices. He put up the diagram of the Sun's journey over the sky as visible facing South. It was from Schultz's 'Movements of the the Visible Stars'. It was showing the declination of the sun. Thus ancient man was able to map out in the sky the journey of the Sun and stars and relate them to the seasons on earth.

What proved even more interesting was that as Rome took up with religion these same ancient milestones were allotted to Saints and the days known for years in their pagan names became Saint's days. And a Solstice cake baked as a round cake with the lines crossing both direction (the glyph for the Earth) became hot cross buns! So creating layers of traditions placed over one another. Bernard attempted to prove 'a Zodiac of the Apostles' which was not possible.

In his usual flamboyant style, Bernard was able to give us a new Stellar Calendar for 2004 at 51 deg N. featuring Arcturus, Orion and Sirius, and Spica. Thus returning to Natural Astrology - as above - so below. Which is where we all began.

As usual Bernard thrilled and inspired all those who attended. Another full house. Thank you Bernard.

Carole West

Charts Discussion

Those select few choosing not to attend Bernard's class were able to get their teeth into a whole host of charts concerning the situation in Iraq. We started with the proposed date for the elections in January. This is two days after a Mars Pluto conjunction, which just goes to show that the US administration doesn't use astrologers; or if it does then they're going to rot in hell.

We didn't use a timed chart but the Moon will be in Libra for the whole of the waking day, and will trine the Sun at 10 Aquarius as midnight approaches. Mars and Pluto will be exact on the 28th January, they will be squared by the Moon in Virgo on the 29th but will be unaspected apart from a semi square to the Sun on the 30th. This does not look like a smooth run up to an election and it doesn't take much of an astrologer to predict more than a little bloodshed.

The Sun pulls in many associated charts: Bush's Pluto, Uranus in the Iraq Republic chart and Neptune has not yet cleared 14 Aquarius which brings up many points in the three Iraq charts. Uranus hasn't returned to its position when power was handed to the local administration - 28 June 2004 - of 6 Pisces. This would indicate that the end of the story is not yet in sight. Although no one was surprised by that.

We then looked at the chart of Andy Kaufman the stand up comedian and regular in the series "Taxi". All the signs for someone who delighted in playing mental games with people were there - Mercury conjunct Mars on the descendant opposite Pluto ascending. Very fitting for such an original and eccentric performer. Also fitting is Uranus in the eleventh given the eccentric circles he moved in.

His mother - Moon conjunct Saturn in Virgo - could never understand his humour and his wind up satire did not sit easy with her.

Kaufman was celebrated by REM in their song Man in the Moon and Michael Stipe's chart has very tight synastry with Kaufman.

Claire Chandler

Lodge Lecture | Class | Charts Discussion