Friday Bite 26 December 2025

I am about to take my Christmas break but I didn’t want to leave you without anything for Friday – we’ll get back to the present day next week. So, here again, in what is fast becoming an Astrolutely tradition, is my article on the Christmas Star, written for The Guardian in December 1988.

May I take this opportunity to wish all of you and Happy Christmas!

The Christmas Star

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius [Quirinius] was governor of Syria.)

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

                                                                                                Luke 2: 1-11 King James Version

WHILE THERE MAY BE MANY WHO TAKE EVERY word written in the Gospels as, well, gospel, details of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus differ in many key respects. No actual date is given in the New Testament for the birth, but it is almost certainly not 25 December.

The first mention of 25 December as the birthday of Christ appears in a Roman almanac (354 CE/AD) listing various dates of significance in the Christian calendar. The 25 December was already an important date in the Roman almanac: for at least 100 years it had been the festival of Sol Invictus.

While Emperor Aureleian is credited with allocating the date of 25 December for Sol Invictus, it was Constantine the Great who, after his conversion to Christianity early in the fourth century, made a point of blending Christian and pagan traditions. Constantine used this strategy to help unify his empire, and it was he who merged the birth of Jesus with the festival of Sol Invictus which celebrated the birth of Mithras.

Now, I don’t want to get embroiled in the history of Mithraism, but there are many intriguing parallels between Mithras and Jesus Christ.

Mithra (the Persian god) Mitra (the Vedic deity) and Graeco-Roman Mithras share a common identity as the sun god, the bringer of light. Mithra, Mitra and Mithras were variously called “The Good Shepherd”, “The Way”, “The Truth” and “The Word”. They were born of a virgin mother, had 12 disciples and performed miracles. Their sacred day was Sunday and their birthday, 25 December.

The significance of this date has everything to do with the cosmos. Between the 21 and 24 December, the sun is at its lowest ebb and appears to stand still in the heavens: on the 25th the sun begins its northward journey to its zenith at the summer solstice. Thus, this magical moment when the sun, after three days in statis, began its journey to glory was celebrated: the sun had been reborn.

Before you run away with the idea that I am trying to disparage Christianity, I see no reason why the mythologizing of the birth of Christ should in any way interfere with the belief that he was indeed the Son of God. Those who brought us the story of Jesus in the gospels were writing 80 or 90 years after his death and were intent on enshrining his divinity in their texts. In so doing they may only be guilty of embellishing the truth.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea
in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise
men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that
is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east,
and are come to worship him.

Matthew 2: 1-2 (King James Version)

LET US NOW TURN OUR ATTENTION TO THE STAR IN THE EAST. For centuries, theologians and scientists have speculated on the nature of the Star of Bethlehem. Exploding supernovae, comets and even ball lightening have been considered candidates, but of all the theories the most credible is the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the sign of Pisces, the Fishes.

According to Matthew it was “his star” that led the three wise men to the Christ child. This brilliant light guided them night after night, sometimes disappearing and then reappearing, until it came to rest over Bethlehem.

While a star could appear in a clear night sky and disappear in a cloudy one, what might make even more sense would be a “star” that turned retrograde and direct and remained stationary – came to rest.

The Magi may or may not have been kings but they were almost certainly astrologer-priests, and probably from Babylonia, the seat of learning in those times, or Persia. These early astronomers were capable of enormous precision in their calculations and their empirical observations of the planets and stars, yet they were also mystics who considered all celestial phenomena to hold meaning for mankind. Astrology and science were not mutually exclusive: events in the heavens were signs and signals. As above; so below.

Charting the cycles of the planets presented little problem for these astrologer-priests and they would have calculated major alignments years in advance and recognized their significance.

We can only imagine their sense of awe as their calculations pointed to a conjunction of the two most important planets, Jupiter and Saturn, the outermost planets in the then known solar system, in the mystical sign of Pisces, and not just once but three times: an occurrence so rare as to take place only every 900 years.

This extraordinary celestial event could only be a sign of the birth of a great king, an event foretold by the Old Testament prophets – the long-awaited coming of the Messiah. And in keeping with their teachings it makes a certain sense that they might embark on their journey to find the Messiah – a journey of some several hundred miles – on the first Jupiter-Saturn conjunction.

IT IS AT THIS POINT THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO PIECE TOGETHER a theory for the birth date of Jesus. Starting with the year that this triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces occurred we find ourselves in 7 BC. The first time these two planets came together in that year was late May, then late September and finally early December.

Turning to the Gospels now, Luke tells us that Jesus was born during a census decreed by Caesar Augustus and carried out by Quirinius, governor of Syria. You might think this is an easy enough fact to establish, but there were several censuses ordered by Rome between 10 and 2 BC and, sadly, Quirinius was at no point governor of Syria during that time period: he did not take on this role until 6 or7 AD. However, although he may not have been governor he could, in his role as procurator, have been in charge of the census. Which would support our cosmic time-line.

BUT BEFORE WE REFINE OUR SEARCH TO A SPECIFIC DATE in 7 BC, mention should be made of another celestial candidate for the Star in the East, one that occurred in 3 BC.

In August of 3 BC Jupiter and Venus were conjunct in the sign of Leo and would have risen together in the eastern sky, appearing as one brilliant light.

However, the Magi would have known that Venus and Jupiter form a conjunction in Leo roughly every twelve years, so it would hardly count as a portent of the birth of a great king. A few weeks later, though, in September 3 BC, Jupiter conjoined the fixed star, Regulus – considered then as now to be the star of kings – and although this conjunction also takes place approximately every twelve years, it was the combination of the Venus-Jupiter conjunction occurring prior to that of Jupiter and Regulus – a kind of messenger of great things to come – and the fact that this latter conjunction arose three times that could have made it significant for the wise men of the time.

I have to say that I think this argument is pretty weak tea, but Dr Ernest Martin makes a good if not always accurate case for it in his book, “The Star that Astonished the World”. The other issue with this 3 BC date is that Herod the Great, presumed to be the Herod who ruled Judea at the time – he who ordered the “slaughter of the innocents” in an attempt to do away with the baby Jesus – died in 4 BC, the year before.

OVER THE CENTURIES ESTABLISHING THE BIRTH DATE of Christ has been something of a preoccupation for astrologers. I’m not sure it would serve a useful purpose here to list them all and to enter into a discussion on the practice of employing the vernal equinox preceding a Jupiter-Saturn conjunction for indications of the arrival of a great “king” or the importance of placing the cardinal points on the angles of the chart; suffice to say Jupiter and Saturn have always been the guiding lights.

Fast forward to the 20th Century and the revered John Addey took on the task of erecting the horoscope of Christ. He considered the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Pisces of 7 BC to be the most likely candidate for the Star of Bethlehem, and concluded a date of 20 August and a sunset time was both symbolically, historically and astronomically appropriate.

At 8 o’ clock in the evening in Bethlehem the sun in royal Leo would have set, and rising over the eastern horizon, clearly visible to the naked eye, would have been the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction.

In keeping with tradition, Addey places the first degree of Aries on the Ascendant and the first degree of Capricorn on the Mid-heaven. Mars thus becomes the ruler of the chart, situated in the seventh house in close conjunction to Neptune. Neptune, of course, was not discovered until 1846, and so could never have played a part in the calculations of the Magi or indeed any astrologer born before that time, but if there is one aspect that defines the Saviour it is a Mars-Neptune conjunction. Sacrifice, suffering, selfless love, the ability to heal and perform miracles are all reflected in this one aspect.

The Sun’s position in Leo close to the royal star Regulus must also have played a part in Addey’s choice of a 20 August date; and for good measure, so too would the close conjunction of Mercury and Pluto which brings a theme of death and resurrection into the picture.

Please note the adjustment for the date: 20 August 7 BC converts to 18 August 7 BC

MY SEARCH FOR THE DATE OF THE NATIVITY led me to a similar period of 7 BC but three weeks later – 12 September (10 September with adjusted time). In those few weeks the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction had drawn even closer but now the Sun was in Virgo and the Moon in Taurus. Christ as a teacher resonates with Virgo and his carpenter roots with Taurus – indeed, many sources claim him to have been a stone-mason rather than a wood-worker.

In Pisces rising, we not only find the Saviour and all those themes of sacrifice and suffering but also the Fish – the very symbol of the early Christians. What I also find meaningful in this chart is the close conjunction of the sun and Pluto rather than that of Mercury and Pluto. Plus, Mars in Scorpio in the eighth house of death and transformation is in sextile to this conjunction and trining the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction. The theme of resurrection and the eternal life is redolent in this configuration.

DURING THE TIME I SPENT RESEARCHING the Star of Bethlehem it seemed as though I was treading in the footsteps of those astrologer-priests. What a profound experience it must have been for these men of wisdom to follow their star in the certain knowledge that it would take them to the Messiah. How few astrologers today would put their money where their mouth was!

Maybe their journey took them through the desserts, the sun beating down mercilessly on their heads as they went, and, perhaps when they arrived in Bethlehem it was a balmy September evening. However, for all of us who love the story of the nativity, we may only ever picture them in our minds as three richly robed and bejewelled figures presenting their precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to a baby in a manger on a cold and frosty night.

Friday Bite 19 December 2025

Money Now or Blood Later

“A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood. Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS,” Donald Trump, Truth Social, 14 December

“Our country is back, stronger than ever before. We’re poised for an economic boom the likes of which the nation has never seen.” Donald Trump, address to the nation, 18 December

THE TITLE OF my Friday Bite refers to the statement made by Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, at the meeting of European Union leaders who had gathered to discuss ways to financially support Ukraine in the war with Russia. Having ultimately rejected the idea of using the interest on frozen Russian assets to release funds, in the early hours of this morning, EU leaders reached agreement and pledged €90bn to Ukraine.

Much as we may want to remain positive in the face of Russian aggression, it is impossible to ignore the warnings those-in-the-know that war in Europe is no longer a possibility but a reality. On Tuesday, MI6 Chief, Blaise Metreweli, warned the UK that we were “in a space between peace and war”. She pointed to recent appearances of drones over airports and air bases and cyber attacks on infrastructure as examples of Russian hybrid warfare and grey-zone tactics. Her speech coming a matter of hours before Donald Tusk made clear that his words, “pay money today or pay in blood tomorrow” were not in reference to Ukraine but Europe.

And we have the astrology to fit these dangerous times.

The above chart represents the moment two terrorists, father and son, opened fire on men, women and children celebrating Hanukkah on Bondi Beach. They killed fifteen people, including a ten-year-old little girl and injured dozens. Yet in the midst of the horror there were incredible acts of bravery – an elderly couple took on one of the gunmen as he left his parked car, guns in hand – they died for their bravery – and a Syrian shop owner wrestled a gun from one of the attackers. And there were countless little acts of courage and selflessness.

Hours before, in Rhode Island, America, a gunman burst into an economics class at Brown University, killing two students and injuring nine.

Later that night, in Los Angeles, California, Nick Reiner, the thirty-two-year-old son of Rob and Michele Reiner, stabbed his parents to death.

Rage is the common denominator behind these acts of violence, and in towns and cities across the globe, shop assistants, hospitality workers, medical personnel, ambulance drivers and emergency practitioners must regularly deal with physical and verbal attacks by the public. Even those whose job it is to serve others are being assaulted by the very people they are attending to.

We don’t just have a flu epidemic to contend with but a pandemic of rage.

Mars, the planet of war, and the planet of passion, ambition, courage and strength, is currently “out of bounds”. What does that mean, I hear you ask. Simply put, we mostly locate the position of the planets in reference to the zodiac circle – one degree Pisces, ten degrees Leo and so on – but their position above or below the celestial equator – their declination – is also a way to establish where they are. When a planet’s declination (“latitude”) exceeds 23 degrees and 27 minutes, it is considered out of bounds. There are various theories as to how this affects a planet’s behaviour, but the general view is that they become out of control.

Which brings me back to Mars, the planet of war, which is out of bounds and presiding over acts of irrationality, violence and rage.

Another factor that is clearly playing a part in the conflict we are experiencing in one form or another, is the Saturn-Neptune conjunction. Over the past ten days this duo has been squared by Mars, and it will be followed by squares from the Sun, Venus and Mercury – in that order. As you may note in the above chart, Mars at 29 degrees of Sagittarius is exactly ninety degrees away from Neptune having just squared Saturn five days beforehand.

We are presently having a masterclass in the effects of this conjunction, which takes place approximately every thirty-six years. The lines between reality and fantasy are being blurred. Propaganda and conspiracy theories are rife. Earlier in December Putin informed the world that Russia had taken the Ukrainian cities of Kupiansk and Pokrovsk, only to have Zelensky fly to the area and prove Russia’s claims to be grossly exaggerated. And then we have the president of the United States addressing the nation on primetime television, not in regard to military action against Venezuela, as was rumoured, but spouting a litany of lies and distortions about his achievements.

And speaking of conspiracy theories and magical thinking, 3i/Atlas came the closest it will come to Earth at around six o’clock this morning. Maybe the earth moved somewhere on our beautiful planet but not here. While astronomers are united in their belief that this is an interstellar comet originating from deepest space in a galaxy far away from ours, and is at least eight billion years old, some pundits have suggested that it is a spaceship or at least an object that has been sent deliberately into our solar system by a superior intelligence.

This is the time of year we are reminded of the star in the east that took the three wise men to Bethlehem to honour the birth of Jesus Christ. These wise men were almost certainly astronomer-priests who considered the triple conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in Pisces to hold great significance for mankind.

Signs in the sky. Portents of great magnitude. And here we are in 2025, with our very own mysterious interstellar object. Are we on the crest of a great awakening or is 3i/Atlas a warning of dark times ahead. I leave you to ponder on these things.

Happy Christmas to all.