This part of my web-site gives you an in-look at the current astrological events. I have tried to make it as readable and useful to astrologers and non-astrologers alike but this may not always be achievable. If you do come across some terms that you do not understand, you should be able to find a definition in the SCIENCE BIT. And, of course, you can always e-mail me directly with your queries and comments.

Period commencing 7th January The cosmos is effectively giving us its first test of the New Year in the form of a lunar eclipse in Cancer (9th January 8:24pm GMT).

Eclipses are so named because the new or full moon in question - in this case a full moon - takes place on the ecliptic (the apparent path of the sun around the earth).

Even if you had never given any thought whatsoever to an eclipse, you may remember the one that took place on August 11th 1999 - the last one of the last millennium. Much was made by the media of this total solar eclipse and if you were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, you were able to experience the eerie effect of day becoming night in a matter of minutes. Maybe you remember: birds stopped singing, there was an unearthly quiet and a strange rushing wind. No surprise then that the ancients believed eclipses were seriously bad news.

HISTORICAL ECLIPSES

Take the solar eclipse in March 1652 for instance. Nicholas Culpepper predicted, “All the evils of the sword, sedition, famine and pestilence can do for Europe may be expected from this eclipse”. And William Lilly in his book, Annus Tenebrosus, [Now, where have I heard something like that before…] commented ‘ … it [the eclipse] designs or predicts an absolute falling out or breach of friendship betwixt us [the English] and the Dutch… famine in Ireland, mortality and poverty in Scotland… of a plague, a death of men in England, Ireland and Scotland.’

And just in case your history is a rusty as mine you may be gratified to know that in May 1652 war broke out between the English and the Dutch. Charles II fled Scotland for France after the last Royalist stronghold, Dunettar Castle, collapsed in May of 1652. As for a plague, Lilly was a bit previous there since that was to come some thirteen years later. But we can be fairly sure that in those pre-penicillin times, death by bugs of one sort or another was not uncommon in Britain and Europe.

RECENT ECLIPSES

A little closer to home we should be able to recall the lunar eclipse of October 1987, which sent the stock markets crashing across the globe and presaged a hurricane in England, the like of which had not been seen since the seventeen-hundreds. Then there was the eclipse of the 9th December 1992 that coincided precisely with the announcement of the Prince and Princess of Wales’ separation. And, of course, the solar eclipse of the 30th August 1997, a matter of hours before the Princess met with her fatal accident in the Alma tunnel in Paris.

CURRENT ECLIPSE

But back to January 2001. Clearly this eclipse is a marker of the incumbency of the next US president, George W. Bush. Like all full moons, lunar eclipses symbolize an ending so it is certainly the astrological signal for the end of the Clinton era. (We will look at Bush’s chart later in the month but suffice to say, he has the makings of a remarkable man.)

I have looked at the chart of this eclipse from London and Washington and going by my ancient book of divination I have come up with some intriguing possibilities.

LONDON/ENGLAND

Here the eclipse takes place in the 11th house - an area devoted to, among many things, the government. With this placement we can expect the effects of the eclipse to reveal themselves within four months - ergo up until May 9th. Therefore, I see this as a portent of a General Election before May, probably early that month.

No surprise there then.

Also, no surprise that icy conditions and floods are augured by the placing of Saturn at the high point (Mid-heaven) of the eclipse chart. I also believe that Saturn indicates the death of a supra-important figure - someone of English origin or with a deep connection to Britain and someone whose life and death will be celebrated in style. Again the four-month period applies. I wonder too, if Britain is in for some strikes and stoppages that could make life very hard going indeed.

Were it not for Venus resting on another angle of the eclipse chart, I would be struggling to find something positive to say. As it is Venus brings an all’s-well-that-ends-well feel to the eclipse and the prospect of some very glamorous weddings and beautiful partnerships. We may even see some fence-mending in Britain’s international dealings, perhaps a merging or take-over that will act as a major boost for British industry.

WAHINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, USA

Here the eclipse falls in the first house of the horoscope and since this denotes the nation, it is a clear banner for the change of Presidency. And, as in the case of the London eclipse chart, the effects will be at their most potent during the first four months.

Now, George Bush’s win in the Election is controversial to say the least and half the nation is not happy with their future leader. However, in this chart, Venus is the planet that occupies the high point and it is in harmony with the eclipse. Therefore, the indications are that the ‘marriage’ of George W. Bush to the nation is a fine thing.

I’m not so sure whether it is such a fine thing that the eclipse takes place in the second ‘decanate’ of Cancer. According to my reference books, this implies ‘intolerable financial burdens and much harm at sea’. Translated, I guess this means the economy will be less than buoyant. And, perhaps, there will be some shipping drama or great storm at sea before mid-May.

The next major astrological event will take place on the 17th of January when Venus forms a 90 degree angle (square) to Pluto. So more about that and George Bush in my next update.