At the Lodge - 27th September 2004

Lodge Lecture | Class | Charts Discussion

Lodge Lecture

The Carter Memorial Lecture this year was brilliantly given by Patrick Curry. Its title was 'Astrology and the Re-Enchantment of the World.' He will be writing this article himself and we look forward receiving it in the near future.

Patrick's new book, Astrology, Science and Culture is available now.

Members' Classes

Gill Dorren presented her first of four classes on Cosmology and Astrology today. This week it was a history of how our view of the Cosmos has changed over the centuries and how astrology has influenced that view.

Gill began with the Creation myths of the Babylonians and the Egyptians, and she showed how astrology was incorporated into their myths on the beginning of time and space. She then looked at how the Greeks, those especially who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, and how they expanded our view of the Cosmos, with their views on mathematics, geometry and of course Astrology. Gill then explained why she blamed the Greeks for the biggest mistake, ever, in cosmological interpretation. That of a geocentric (or Earth centred Cosmos). Aristarchos of Samos had proposed (in approximately 300 BC) a sun centred Cosmos, however Claudius Ptolemy (one of our astrological ancestors) argued for a geocentric view and this held sway until Copernicus. Copernicus revived the idea of the heliocentric cosmos.

Tycho Brahe proposed that the Venus and Mercury went round the Sun, but all others revolved around the Earth, but it was Kepler who in his support of the heliocentric cosmos and in discovering that Mars had an elliptical orbit started to break down the Greek misconception. Galileo shortly followed, by taking the newly discovered telescope, refining the lens and pointing towards the sky and the 2 benefics of Jupiter and Venus shed their light on the truth.

Gill had brought us up to date and then as a taster for the following classes explained that the beginning was not a big bang, more a ping -smaller than planck length (the smallest you can get before being nothing) , and as quick as eternity - planck time. Then as faster than a blink of an eye (and with more speed than that) it expanded into a 'hot plasma soup ' in a period scientists have defined as The Inflationary period. Gill would go into more detail on the 15 billion year old Cosmos we live in the following week and also discuss Quantum world with parallels to Astrology. It was a class full of information and we are looking to next week.

Gill Dorren

Charts Discussion

This week started with the passage of Mars and Jupiter into Libra, they are now tightly conjunct at 0 degrees. I noted that the papers were full of marriage break-ups and relationship stories - even more than usual. One of the members noted that she has the Sun in early Libra and was one of the first of her generation to get divorces when Pluto went through that sign. However by the time it entered Scorpio most of her contemporaries had shared her experience.

We started with the chart of Cat Stevens, now known as Yusef Islam following his adventures with US Immigration Officials last week. The plane he was travelling on was diverted 600 miles to another airport with a consequent delay to the other passengers of six or so hours. So what was triggering all this chaos? The transiting conjunction of Sun, Mars and Jupiter was tightly square to his Venus/ Uranus conjunction in Gemini, a good significator for disrupted travel. Mars will also be returning to its natal position later in the week which would indicate that the fight is not over. The rest of his chart makes a great amount of sense; Neptune in Libra conjunct the Ascendant square Mercury in Cancer conjunct the MC is fitting for a poet. Throw in a Cancer Sun, Jupiter in Sagittarius and Moon in Aquarius and you add a social conscience and a political sensibility which blends with the Mercury Neptune giving a fine song writer and later peace campaigner.

Two news stories bought the next person to prominence today. First, the news of the Virgin Group's intention to run passenger travel into space and second, the news that Virgin Trains new fast train broke down this afternoon. Richard Branson, the outspoken figure head of the Virgin group, has Pluto conjunct a Leo ascendant and the Moon in Virgo in the first house. How much more like a virgin can you get? Madonna also has these same significators. His Moon Pluto opposition speaks of his rapport with the public. He is seen as a man of the people but there are reports from those who work for his companies which tell a quite different story. A partile trine between Uranus in the eleventh and Jupiter in the eighth brings together big money and big social influence. He has never been afraid of stating his position and taking risks, both in business and personally. That Jupiter rules both the eighth and ninth house shown by his many adventures with speed and breaking records. The ruler of his second, Mercury, is in the twelfth house which may indicate some uncertainty about his financial affairs. It was noted that the reason the Lottery contract was not awarded to Virgin was that they could not underwrite three consecutive wins.

We then looked at the charts of the Beckhams, David and Victoria and their marriage. Both have had their Saturn return and the Sun of the marriage chart is conjunct their Saturn's and so has also had a major Saturn transit. The verdict was that they have learnt a lot from their Annus Horribilus and, provided they have taken on board the lessons of the past year, should be well matched for the next phase of their lives.

Claire Chandler

Lodge Lecture | Class | Charts Discussion