Transit
The
Astrologers Newsletter
July 2002
Contents
World News by Jenni Dean Harte
Astrological Notes by Glenda Cole
Sandy's Birth Data by Caroline Gerard
Adele and Alex by Stephanie Morris
John Cooper Powys - Comment by Jeff Meddle and Garry Phillipson
11 September 2001 - Did Nostradamus Forsee it? by David Fisher
The Round Art - Astrology in California by Chanda Laine Carey
Editors Notes by Kim Farnell
Welcome to the latest issue of Transit. You'll notice that we have changed the look with this issue so that it's more compatible with the main AA website. I'm always seeking new contributors so if you have any ideas please contact me at any time. Now that we're online we're not restricted by space so there's room for discussion and comment as well as the more obvious newsworthy items. Garry Phillipson's chart data for John Cooper Powys, published in the last issue has opened up a discussion with Jeff Meddle and readers are requested to take a look at the chart of his long time companion, Phyllis Playter. Powys' biographer, Morine Krissdottir, would be particularly interested in any insights offered by readers. Hopefully, we will be able to publish more on this in future issues.
Jenni Dean Harte offers her astrological view of the world in her column World News. The world is a big place though, so it may be that you have comments that you'd like to add - perhaps on a more local level.
Unfortunately, owing to other committments, Nick Campion hasn't been able to produce Mediawatch for this issue. Watch out for a bumper column next time and please keep sending your material to Nick at 51 Bellevue Crescent, Bristol BS8 4TF, UK. You can email him at email Nick Campion
Big Brother is now becoming a worldwide phenomenon. With shows in Australia, and the American version beginning this month, interest is booming. Glenda Cole and Stephanie Morris have come out as Big Brother addicts and offer some comments. But they're clearly not alone and would be happy to hear from others who been turning an astrological eye to the show.
You'll notice that we've inserted email links to the authors of articles this time. If you want to contact them direct to offer comments please do so. Athough you obviously can direct any queries and comments to me if you prefer. David Fisher is unavailable by email so if you want to make any comments on his submissions please contact me direct and I'll pass them on.
Not all members have logged on to receive Transit as yet. Although we're planning a drive to ensure that members don't miss out if you know any members who haven't yet obtained their pin numbers and aren't logging on, please ask them to contact the office staff at email Astrological Association
As ever I'm happy to receive any comments on Transit and look forward to hearing from you in the future.
World News 
by Jenni Dean Harte
Whew…the latest eclipse season has finally passed but these eclipses won’t soon be forgotten whether remembered as events in themselves or as times when the inhabitants of spaceship Earth might be forgiven for thinking they’d missed their turn-off and arrived in Hell. If eclipses are road signs—and most astrologers think so,—it seems we’re a bit off course (of course). While eclipses don’t have to bring bad news, this season was especially difficult—ask the folks in places like southern Africa, or Israel and Palestine, or India and Pakistan where recent nuclear threats threw off serious sparks before settling down (ish), or Syria or Iran, or perhaps the western US where the fires have been raging again, or Hong Kong and Taipei.
Southern Africa’s been particularly vulnerable—right under one eclipse path after another for the last few years including this current series—and news from that part of the continent is disturbing, to say the least, as famine sweeps the area bringing death to millions in Malawi, Mozambique, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. But that’s not all…even in places where there has been rain, crop disease, malaria and cholera threaten those who survive and worst of all, international aid agencies agree one thing, no matter what else happens, AIDS will continue to be the biggest killer of them all.
On the day of the Full Moon eclipse 24 June, a train crash in Tanzania (also under the eclipse paths) was a massive disaster—of a guesstimated 1200 people aboard, 800 were badly injured and the death toll has risen to nearly 300. Transit Mars in Cancer rises both in Tanzania’s natal chart and the crash chart, trine natal Moon Neptune conjunction in Scorpio as transiting Jupiter squared natal Mars at the MC. The eclipse that day fell exactly natal North Node in the 12th, sextile natal Jupiter!. Tanzania-Union: 27 April 1964, 11.30 (-3), Dar Es Salaam, 6 S 48, 39 E 17, Asc 18 Cancer. Crash: 24 June 2002, 8.30 (-3), Dodoma, 6 S 11, 35 E 35 Asc 26 Cancer.
click here to see chart Tanzania
click here to see chart of crash
The eclipse on 26 May brought disaster to China Airlines when flight CI 611 took off from Taipei at 15.08 PM on it’s way to Hong Kong along one of the busiest flight paths in the area. 20 minutes later over the South China Sea in normal weather and flying conditions, it disappeared from radar screens and blew-up in mid-air killing all 225 passengers and crew—the cause is apparently unknown. The eclipse fell exactly across China’s natal Chiron quincunx natal Uranus—as transiting Saturn and North Node were trine natal Neptune in the 8th. China: 1 October 1949, 15.15 (-8), Peking, 39 N 55, 116 E 25, Asc 6 Aquarius. For the record, Taipei’s co-ords are: 25 N 03, 121 E 30.
Education Bearing in mind that the Saturn/Pluto opposition fell on the UK’s 3rd/9th axis along with some potent eclipses, one of the biggest issues recently in UK education has to do with the unusually demanding schedule of exams with some students expected to take up to 5 different exams all on the same day! With Saturn in Gemini involved in the May 26 eclipse as well the one on 11 June, changes made now will affect education for some time…hopefully that will be good news—but it won’t be easy.
Then there’s the UK rail system, privatised and decrepit, being taken back by government to the dismay of Railtrack share-holders who, following the final eclipse, have been offered just £2 for shares once worth £17! Stephen Byers, the unfortunate Minister of Transport (and lots more) at the May eclipse…carried the can for Labour when a damning report suggested that transportation gridlock would last for another 10 years but his troubles are over for the timebeing, on May 28, just 2 days after the May eclipse with Mars trine Uranus and tr Uranus on Labour’s Mars, Byers resigned. Tony Blair’s lost his whipping boy—bet he feels pretty exposed.
The Queen’s Golden Jubilee…was quite a party in fact, even if you didn’t support the monarchy you couldn’t miss the buzz and there was even an extra Bank Holiday. Nice fireworks, too. However, the Golden Jubilee also marked the end of her Ascension’s Chiron Return and painfully apparent with the deaths of her sister and mother within weeks of each other as the ‘Golden’ year began. Everyone in media noted that the Jubilee seemed to renew loyalty to the monarchy. Still, now the afterglow’s worn off I wonder if her subjects (not citizens, mind) will continue to feel quite as supportive.
Whassup Out There? Actually—what isn’t? The 26 May eclipse was generously spiced by the transiting Mars Uranus aspect that very day…a serious fast forward for just about everything by any reckoning and produced quite a meal from beginning to end of the spring eclipse season—news from outer space was huge!. An interesting Starter—NASA chose the day of the May eclipse to announce they’d found lotsa Water on Mars…well, it had to happen didn’t it with Mars exactly trine transiting Uranus! This suggests space travellers will be able to set up shop on Mars, well, once they find the money for a manned mission. But that was low calorie compared to the Main Course. Since 1995 astronomers have discovered loads of new planets (like how about 90!) and other solar systems—this time a solar system has been identified that looks a lot like ours! A planet very similar in size to Jupiter is orbiting a star in Cancer (natch, transiting Jupiter’s in Cancer, after all) and it’s just about the same distance as Jupiter is to our Sun. Astronomers—and lots of the rest of us—are now hopeful that a planet with Earth-like qualities will be found—just close enuf to the star to make those qualities viable. This is big stuff! (calorie count--high!)
‘Course the trick is to survive long enuf to check it out…fortunately we skipped desert just a couple of weeks ago (as everybody knows by now) Earth narrowly escaped bombardment by a football pitch-sized asteroid…that they didn’t see comin! Now I thought there was a group of scientists out there with their eyes reassuringly on the skies to alert us to such potential disasters (‘scuse me—would it matter?) but noooo…this time the ‘roid slipped the net and came within 75,000 miles of us...who fell asleep at the telescope? It worked out ok…this time…no calories at all…just belated adrenaline.
Serprize!!!!!! The World Cup matches in Japan and South Korea brought one upset after another but following transiting Mars in Gemini trine Uranus in Aquarius during the 26 May eclipse upsets shoulda been expected. No surprise that Brazil plays for a repeat title, tho. Wimbledon tennis championships also had upsets with Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi both out early in the contest. Heck, even Michael Schumacher lost a Grand Prix race in recent weeks. That lively Mars Uranus trine have made this a verrrry interesting time for competitive sports. Go underdogs!
Lost…Not Found It’s been a 3 month nightmare for Milly Dowler’s parents since she disappeared from a busy road on her way home 21 March this year. Months of intensive police searches haven’t revealed a single clue as to why she vanished. In Walton, Milly’s hometown (and mine!), there’s a palpable feeling of sorrow, the hundreds of posters are fading and hope along with them. Just days before her 14th birthday, 25 June—and as the 24 June eclipse approached her Sun—police told them she was probably dead. Lights out? Milly Dowler: 25 June 1988. Town and time unknown. Milly disappeared: 21 March 2002, 16.05 GMT, Walton on Thames, 51 N 24, 00 W 25. Data various newspapers.
Stolen Words and Maps! Sorry to keep banging on about it –I know the final opposition between Saturn in Gemini and Pluto in Sag occurred with the 26 May eclipse—but I’m still gob-smacked by these mirror images on terra firma. In the last 18 months, according to the Independent, 16 May 2002, more than 100 valuable maps dating back to 600 years have been ‘carved, ripped and hacked’ from major library atlases across Europe. In fact, detectives believe there may be 1000’s of missing maps and speculate it’s down to the work of Melvin Perry, 46, former petty thief now turned ‘rip and run’ raider who may have stolen more than £2m worth of maps a year…almost unnoticed! They think he stuffed the maps inside his clothes. Not much data: Melvin Perry, 1956, England (somewhere in Essex) but there was an eclipse at 4 Sag in May that year!
However that story was overshadowed this spring by the conviction and jailing of William Simon Jacques, 33, an accountant from Maida Vale, who graduated from Jesus College (Cambridge) in 1990. Jacques, the son of a well-to-do farmer, was captured after arousing a bookdealer’s suspicions in 1999. This guy stole an astonishing number of rare and very valuable books (perhaps 400 or so) worth around £1.1m from the British Library, Cambridge University Library and London Library between July 1994 and May 1999 (and who knows where else). He was found guilty of 19 counts of theft after a trial in March 2002 and admitted to many others. And what did he steal, you ask?…er, some pretty important stuff, like Galileo’s Sidereus nuncius (1610), Kepler’s Astromonia Nova (1609) and two copies of Isaac Newton’s Principia Mathematica (1687)! Anyone out there been adding to their personal collection? It’s pretty classy stuff he stole…well, he does have Jupiter conjunct Uranus at 1 Libra and, not so incidentally Mercury in Pisces trine Neptune in Scorpio opp Pluto (there was a solar eclipse a few days before his birth, conjunct his Mercury!). William Simon Jacques: 29 March 1969, England (probably Selby, North Yorkshire 53 N 48, 01 W 04), info from the Observer 26 May (!).
Goodbye: John Entwistle, 57, bass player for The Who for more than 30 years, died in Las Vegas on the night before a new Who tour. John was taking medication for a heart condition, an autopsy is scheduled. The June 24 eclipse fell exactly on his MC just days before a new Who tour was about to begin! Oh yeah, Jupiter is transiting his natal Moon. Born: 9 October 1944, 18 BST, London, 51 N 30, 0 W 10, Asc 8 Aries. Data Clifford. Died: 27 June 2002, Las Vegas, 36 N 10, 115 W 08, time still unknown. Adios to yet another old friend. RIP
The Kind is Dead…Long Live the King! Amazing but true, another star shines bright (or should we call it a super nova?) decades after his death. Uh huh, Elvis Presley is at the top the charts again thanks to a fab mix by a European DJ. His secondary progressed Sun may be at the nadir but there’s progressed Pars Fortuna bang on his natal MC—and why not—after all, his natal Pars (11th) is exactly opposite natal Uranus (5th)! Transiting Jupiter is moving up on natal Pluto…I mean, there’s power and there’s POWER! Progressed North Node is conjunct Venus, too so I guess his estate will be reeling in the dough…just like the good ol’ days. Plenty else besides but hey, we’re all convinced! Elvis Presley: 8 January 1935, 4.35 (+6), Tupelo, Mississippi, 34 N 15, 88 W 42, Asc 13 Sag. Data Clifford.
Watching Big Brother - Astrological Notes
by Glenda Cole
To see astrology in action watch Channel 4's Big Brother. The interaction of the housemates is as good a way as any to see how the different zodiac signs interact with each other. The birthdates of the contestants are given on the official Channel 4 web site. No times are given however, so it can also be a good exercise in assessing just what Ascendant each person could have. Take Jade for instance, who is a Gemini Sun. In typical Gemini fashion she often gossips about other housemates, she also seems to contradict herself a lot and forgets what she has just said. However would a logical Gemini resort to tears as often as Jade seems to? Having recently watched her have a big row with Adele, my astute hubby said "she uses tears as a weapon." Ah Ha, I thought, perhaps she has Moon in aspect to Mars. I looked at her chart, 5th June 1981 (set for London) made some adjustments, and came up with a time of 21:40 BST, and what do you know? Leo Moon sextile Mars Gemini. This time gives Sagittarius rising with Neptune conjunct the ascendant; she is often over the top emotionally. Mercury & Venus intercepted in Cancer are in the 7th; she is often babied by the rest of the housemates, but that Mercury/Venus squares a Jupiter Saturn Conjunction, so this tactic is beginning to backfire. Plus, I wonder, is she really as stupid as she seems? I leave you to look at her chart in order to make your own mind up.
Of course the time I've guessed at could be completely wrong, but it's fun to have a go and it is also good practice of applying astrological symbolism, for instance what would hygiene conscious Alex have on the Ascendant? Do you think he is an Aries or Pisces Sun? Did you know that Spencer, who seemed to be quite lax in personal hygiene, has four planets plus the node in Virgo? And Johnny is experiencing his Saturn return whilst in the BB house; don't you think that this is an apt expression of Saturn in Gemini?
The following birth data is from the channel 4 web site http://www1.channel4.com/apps3/bigbrother/index.jsp
Sandy 12 Jan 1959 see below click here to see chart
Johnny 14 Oct 1972 12:00
Alison 5 Feb 1975
Sophie 9 Jun 1977, Reading, UK, 2 pm click here to see chart
Adele 9 Mar 1979
Alex 21 Mar 1979
Tim 15 Apr 1979
PJ 10 Aug 1979
Spencer 13 Sep 1979
Kate 7 May 1980
Lee 30 May 1980
Jade 5 Jun 1981 click here to see chart
Lynne 6th Feb 1966
Watching Big Brother - Sandy's birth data
by Caroline Gerard
Sandy from Big Brother - or more correctly, Alexander Cumming - was born at 1:15 am in Newburgh, Fife Scotland. 3W14.5 56N20 GMT 12 January 1959.
He was born at home so the time may be slightly out but is as recorded on birth certificate from New Register House birth records, Edinburgh.
Watching Big Brother - Adele and Alex
by Stephanie Morris
Two of the main contenders in the BB house at the moment are Adele and Alex. They seem to be very close, but is this all an act for the cameras, or is there really some kind of mutual attraction? Their charts should give us a clue.
Alex narrowly missed eviction last week - but why did the nagging, hygiene obsessed, painfully constipated Alex win out over the sexy, James Dean-type of character, Spencer, that he was up against? Because Alex is funny! His Sun is in Aries, and his Moon is in Capricorn. When his fellow housemates don't follow his strict rules of toilet etiquette he whinges, moans and complains as only a Capricorn Moon can. I think most Alex-watchers would agree that he must have a Virgo Ascendant and though he must be hell for the less fastidious to live with, for the voyeuristic Big Brother addict it makes hilarious television. And sometimes that quirky Capricorn humour bursts out of Alex himself, and in true Arian style, he can have the whole house in stitches with his antics.
Adele on the other hand has only had one nomination against her the whole time she has been in the house. She has a Pisces Sun, and probably a Leo Moon, though if she was born earlier in the day, her Moon may be in Cancer. I would strongly argue for her having a Libra Ascendant. She is clearly concerned that she doesn't upset anyone in the house, and always seems very sympathetic towards anyone who gets in conversation with her. And yet - she tends to get her own way. She quietly seems to manipulate any situation to her own advantage. I think that the 'iron hand in the velvet glove' describes Adele very well.
She also professes to be a virgin and to have a girlfriend! And yet, she seems to be developing closeness to Alex. Is it for the cameras, or is there a potential relationship here. If Adele has Aries on the Descendant, then Alex with his Aries Sun will be her type of man. If Alex has a Pisces Descendant then Adele is his type of woman. If Adele has a Libra Ascendant, and was born around 8 pm, then her Sun could be in the 6th house, encouraging her sympathies with Alex's need for cleanliness and hygiene. Certainly she has made it clear to Alex that she sympathises with him where this is concerned. She herself wields the cleaning cloths nearly as often as Alex.
Alex worries and is very critical, not only of others, but also of himself. He knows he nags and whinges, but he just can't help himself. When Adele told him she really fancied him, and liked the way he liked to be clean, his emotional response was clear and immediate, as was his own inner warmth and sensitivity. Surely indicative of his Virgo Ascendant?
There is a clear sympathy and understanding between them, reflected not only by Adele's Saturn being trine Alex's Capricorn Moon (both their Saturn's being in Virgo) but also especially by the fact that Alex's Sun is trine Adele's Moon. He is very protective towards her. On the night he won the competition to decide who would choose who would be in the Rich Side of the Big Brother house, it was clear that he was not going to let Adele go into the poor side, but that he was going to take her to the Rich side with him. It wasn't a tactically sensible decision for him to make, but it was the only one he could make emotionally. And she clearly 'knew' he would do so. Her Moon is trine his Mercury, and his Jupiter is conjunct her Moon. They have a quick understanding of each other, and a mutual confidence and generosity. Her Mars is sextile Alex's Moon, so she arouses his emotions. She, with her much more open emotional nature, is able to tell him that she fancies him, is able to take the lead, and when she jestingly calls him 'husband', he clearly responds to this, and his self-confidence visibly increases. He won't compromise his standards on hygiene and cleanliness, but he doesn't feel so bad about this because he has Adele on his side.
Alex's Mars is conjunct her Sun, so it will be interesting to see if eventually she finds him to be too domineering and demanding, even though he is so protective and defensive of her. His Saturn, in opposition to her Mars in Pisces, may cause her to rebel if he does become too domineering, but on the other hand he may help her to keep her powerful emotions under control. There are enough good aspects in the chart to indicate that they may be able to co-operate with each other, and use the contacts between their charts positively, rather than get into conflict. But we will have to wait and see. It is going to be interesting to watch the dynamics between this pair of potential lovers. Will the mutual attraction between them result in the end in Adele dumping her girlfriend and being seduced by Alex? Will the 'niceties' of Alex's Virgo Ascendant allow his Capricorn Moon to be glum, and believe Adele can't really find him attractive, so that his Aries Sun doesn't have the confidence to grab his girl? We can only watch and see!
by Jeff Meddle
I was intrigued to read of Garry Phillipson's data-discovery for John Cowper Powys in May 2002 issue of the online Transit (8 October 1872 1:25 pm Shirley, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire). I've long been an admirer of the work of this writer of megalithic-sized texts, especially the novels, A Glastonbury Romance and Wolf Solent, plus the inspirational work, The Pleasures of Literature. During 1987, I researched and wrote a long article on his birth-chart, using a birth-time of 1:15pm. The then-secretary of the Powys Society helpfully provided this from an inscription in the Powys family bible, thus supposedly 'firm.'
This gave an Ascendant of 29:43 Sagittarius, which appeared to fit in Many respects, JCP being an inveterate long-distance walker, extensive Traveller in the USA and a University Extension Lecturer. But as I worked, my feeling was that his ascendant should be Capricorn, making Saturn the ascendant ruler: his longevity (90 years), the rootedness of his work in the land first novel called Wood & Stone) and latter years lived in a stone cottage next to a slate quarry in Wales - all helped this idea along. But since Saturn is in the first house, that also is a fitting explanation.
Some years later, I realised I'd used GMT instead of Local Mean Time; the latter gives an Ascendant of 1:18 Capricorn, with Venus slipping from the 10th house to the 9th, but within a few minutes of the MC - appropriate for a man who identified with the feminine in Nature, worshipped Cybele and prayed daily to an image of Pallas Athene, kept on his desk. I'd agree that the time noted by Powys' father in his notebook should be preferred to that in the family bible. The new time of 1:25pm changes little bar Venus; it's not now in exact conjunction to the MC - perhaps a shame. In a 1954 letter to Henry Miller, JCP wrote that he loved reading "an occult magazine called 'Prediction' and.[about] the Aquarian Age." Thus I was happy to see my article, Magic Powys" published in the May 1988 edition of Prediction" and also felt very honoured for it to be reprinted in full, with chart, in the Powys Society Newsletter of July 1989. In the article, I mention Morine Krissdotir's thesis that John Cowper Powys was engaged on an alchemical quest via his literary works. This can be found in her book, John Cowper Powys and the Magical Quest (Macdonald General, 1980)
In a letter to Henry Miller, 20.10.54, he writes, "Yes.. [I am] Libra with a touch of Sagittarius, according to my dead cousin Ralph Shirley, who was a great astrologer." Ralph was for many years editor of the Occult Review. In an earlier letter to Miller, JCP he wrote that he believed finding Phyllis was evidence of "some sort of beneficial destiny...for we exactly suit each other... she has the brain of an imaginative artist and critic," and they talked constantly about everything.
by Garry Phillipson
I
was very interested to read Jeff Meddle's comments on John Cowper Powys.
Like Jeff, I started out trying to track down a time for Powys's birth,
for the usual astrological reason - I loved his books, and wanted to see
the chart behind the words. My search eventually resulted in me making
contact with Morine Krissdottir. She was well aware of Jeff's excellent
article, and in fact was kind enough to send me a copy of it at the time.
There is an opportunity here which some Transit readers may find interesting. Morine is currently working on the definitive biography of Powys, and has taken a strong interest in the light which astrology has been able to shed on him. Whilst she feels that she has a pretty good handle on Powys's idiosyncratic character, much less is known about Phyllis Playter, his long-time companion. So she would be particularly interested in any insights which Transit readers are able to offer into Phyllis's character.
I will be pleased to pass any comments on, and if the response justifies it, will come back in an issue or two with a brief summary of what you all made of her, and what light it throws on the little we actually know of her.
29 November, 1894 at 3.08p.m. in Kansas City, MISSOURI (there are several Kansas Cities) U.S.A.
by David Fisher
There have been a few programmmes about Doris Day on TV and radio recently and it is interesting to note that, almost without exception, every reference gives her date of birth ans 3 April 1924. She gave 1924 in her autobiography but, in fact, she was born two years earlier.
Doris Day: 3 April 1922; Cincennati, Ohio 39N06 84W31; 4:30 pm CS (22:30 GMT). The Gauquelin Book of American Charts from birth certificate; copy of birth certificate sent by Frank Clifford to David Fisher confirms that 1922 is the correct year of birth.
It is just over forty years since James Hanratty was hanged for the A6 murder. On the evening of 22 August 1961 a car containing lovers Michael Gregsten, a married man, and Valerie Storie was parked by a field near Slough. A man threatened the couple with a gun and ordered Gregsten to drive off. After thirty miles the passenger ordered Gregsten to pull into a lay-by on the A6 road. Gregsten was killed instantly by two shots and then the man raped Storie and fired several shots at her. She survived but was paralysed from the neck down for the rest of her life. James Hanratty, a petty criminal, was arrested in Blackpool on 9 October 1961 although he did not resemble either of the two Identikit pictures which were released. He was hanged at Beford prison on 4 April 1962, but, despite the controversy which has reverberated down the years, a recent TV documentary stated that DNA testing appeared to show that Hanratty was the A6 murderer after all.
James Hanratty: 4 October 1936; London 51N30 0W10; 0:05 am BST (23:05 GMT 3 October 1936) Ascendant 26 Cancer. The Hanratty family, the A6 Committee and Prediction magazine October 1973
Michael Gregsten: 28 December 1924; London; 9:45 am GMT. Ascendant 4 Aquarius. Astrology Quarterly December 1961 quotes Gregsten's uncle.
Valerie Storie: 24 November 1938; time and place not known. Lois Rodden gives date in Astrodate V: Profiles of Crime.
Politician Barbara Castle died on 3 May 2002. She had been a prominent figure in the Labour Party since the 1940's. Educated at Oxford, she worked as a journalist before entering Parliament in 1945, the youngest of 21 women MP's in Clement Attlee's new government. A supporter of Aneurin Bevan in the 1950's, she went on to hold various posts in Harold Wilson's governments. In 1967 she introduced the breathalyser to combat drink driving and in 1969 published the controversial white paper In Place of Strifewhich proposed new rights for trade unions. She was opposed to Britain's entry into the European Union, but was later a member of the European Parliament 1978-889. In 1990 she was made a Baroness and continued until the end of her life to argue for her own particular brand of socialism in the house of Lords.
Barbara Castle (born Barbara Betts): 6 October 1910; Chesterfield, Derbyshire 53N15 1W25; 2:30 pm (14:30) GMT. From her to Peter J Clark.
11
September 2001 - Did Nostradamus Forsee it?
by David Fisher
Whenever there is an earth shattering occurance, many people turn to the prophecies of Nostradamus to see whether they can match that occurance with a particular quatrain. A few months ago I was browsing through a few books on Nostradamus and I came across Quatrain VI.5:
Si grand famiine par une perstefiere,
Par pluye longue de long du Pole Artique;
Samarobyn cent leiux de l'hemisphere,
Viveront sans loy, exempt de politique.
The Complete Prophecies of Nostradamus by Ned Halley (Wordsworth Editions Ltd. 1999) gives the following translation:
Such a great famine and plage
Will rain down the length of the North Pole;
Samarobyn a hundred leagues from the hemisphere
Will live beyond the law or politics.
Ned Halley equates this quatrain with the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl on 25 April 1986. He states that the name Samarobyn is clearly Russian but admits that it cannot be found in any gazeteer.
Encyclopedia of the Unexplained by Reuben Stone (Amazon Publishing Ltd. 1993) gives more or less the same translation but does not mention specifically the Chernobyl disaster and merely refers to the possibility of chemical fallout on Earth. But I was intrigues by the name Samarobyn. I subtracted the letter "r" and was left with "Samaobyn", which is an anamgram of "Osama byn". On the same page the Encyclopedia follows the above with Quatrain VI.97. The original French does not appear in the book, but the English translation is given as follows:
The sky will burn at forty-five degrees, fire
approaches the great New City. Immediately
a huge, scattered flame leaps up when they want
to have proof of the Normans.
The author takes this to be a warning of an aerial bombardment on New York (whose latitude is actully 40 45 North) but the reference to "the Normans" is puzzling.
It is a game which many of us play. Many people have pointed out that, sooner or later, an occurance will take place which can be made to fit one of Nostradamus' predictions. The situation is not helped by the plethora of books about the great French savant, most of which are superficial and sensation-seeking. Nor do these writers know anything about the special techniques Nostradamus used to arrive at his conclusions.
An exception is The Secrets of Nostradamus by David Ovason (Century Boks ltd. 1997), which I think has changed its title for the paperback edition. Apparently Nostradamus used a combination of various techniques in his prophecies. But, contrary to what many commentators on Nostradamus' work seem to think, he did not use the astrology we use today. He used an arcane form of the subject and mixed this with knowledge of the Planetary Angels as well as a strange, secret tongue known as the Green Language. All these techniques are fully explained in Ovason's book.
Nostradamus' prophecies are deliberately and infuriatingly confusing. He was not averse to using various forms of wordplay in his quatrains, not least anagrams. It is very tempting to equate quatrains VI.97 and VI.5 with the aerial bombardment of New York on 11 September 2001 and the retaliatory aftremath in Afghanistant respectively. Sadly, I have a feeling that Nostradamus is still having the last laugh at posterity. David Ovason's book, which I strongly recommend, comes nearer to the truth than any other book I have read on Nostradamus, but I feel that we have still not "cracked the code" sufficiently.
In 1973 I gave a lecture to members of the AA at the Liberal Club. It was called A Family of Apollos, and a good recording was made of it, as I remember, but I have never heard it. It is a study of the Apollo flights and I would be most interested to buy, borrow or copy any such recording which a present day member may possess. My work was published in the Autumn of that year, about the same time as the lecture was given. Please contact me by email to Jean Boyter.
The Round Art - Astrology in California
by Chanda Laine Carey
The Round Art 13 September 2001, 8:02 pm, PDT +7:00 North Hollywood CA, 34°N10'20'', 118°W22'41''
The Round Art presents bi-monthly lectures to the Los Angeles, CA area Astrological community. It was founded in September of 2001, to offer continuing education for both the serious student and the professional.
The founders, Judy Johns and Loda Shaw chose the name Round Art based on the theory that Astrology is just as much an art form as it is a science. Meetings are held at the Beverly Garland Hotel at the foot of Universal City. As an unaffiliated lecture series, The Round Art features a variety of topics and speakers drawing attendees from near and distant communities in Southern California.
Since its inception, lecturers have addressed the events of 11 September 2001, geodetics and the increasingly popular declination graph. Tashi Grady's presentation on 13 June featured valuable insights derived from thirty years practice in the methods and interpretation of declination graphs informed by French sources. Upcoming lecture topics for 2002 include Cosmobiological Techniques in Synastry, as well as Intuition and Astrology.
To be included on the group mailing list, address inquiries to email to Judy Johns.
Submissions to Transit
All
contributions to Transit are welcome. We will publish information about
groups, societies and course as well as more general news about astrology
– and your opinions. If at all possible please submit your contribution
by email
to Kim Farnell. Alternatively contributions may be sent through the
post to Kim Farnell, Transit Editor, 54 Sprules Road, Brockley, London SE4
2NN, preferably on disc as an ASCII or Text only file. Illustrations are
appreciated where possible. If sent electronically these should be in jpg
format. Otherwise please make your contribution as clear and neat as you
can.
Copyright of signed articles and correspondence remains with the author, except that the Astrological Association retains the right to republish the material in full, on one occasion, without further permission of the author. Any opinions stated are those of the author, not of the Astrological Association.
Transit aims to publish articles of general and specific interest to all astrologers. It is published bi-monthly and available free to all members. Contributors are at liberty to express such opinions or advocate such astrological techniques as they wish. The publication of these does not imply that they are endorsed by the editor or the Council.
The deadline for contributions to the September 2002 issue is 10th August 2002. Genuinely urgent or newsworthy items may be submitted for publication at a later date
.