Birthday Blair

by Claire Simms

Presenting material on Blair's birthday seemed a good time to go through the method of interpreting a solar return chart and look through last years chart with the benefit of hindsight and see what we could come up with for next year. Not being convinced of the hard predictive value of solar returns I was surprised at the accurate timing which we linked to events of the past year.

(Natal data 6 May 1953 6:10 am BST Edinburgh - Chart left )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using Babs Kirby and Janey Stubbs' "Interpreting Solar and Lunar Returns" I worked through their checklist of considerations and the picture which began to emerge was stunningly representative of the previous year. (Solar return chart 2002 right)

Checklist of considerations with interpretation.

The house position and aspects to the Sun

This indicates the area where you will face pressure and challenges to your authenticity, where you will have opportunities to be more yourself.

As the Sun is in the second house, resources, innate talents and money will be areas which challenge you. Meaning and core values will also be areas of focus, as will the purpose and path you have chosen. Power, self determination and other less noble solar qualities may become big issues as this Sun is sextile to Jupiter, square to Neptune and square to the ascendant. None of these aspects are in the natal chart. Aspects indicate the qualities we need to integrate during a specific year.

Jupiter brings a need to take risks, be confident, restlessness, to be a risk taker and a wish to expand horizons especially as it is in the 5th house and rules the MC. Neptune brings a longing for perfection, romance, the mystical, an urge to save the world but also leaves you open to deception, prone to misjudgement and unclear in your thinking. Blair's natal Sun has not yet received an exact square from Neptune but his natal Moon has, and as they are square to each other in the natal chart, I think that he is definitely feeling the sea spray.

Ascendant and MC of return chart. Planets aspecting these points, from within return chart or natal chart are significant.

As with the natal chart, the angles show how you express yourself, and your aims and ultimate goals. Aquarius rises and Uranus is widely conjunct the ascendant, ruling planet Saturn is in Gemini conjunct the IC, Venus and Mars. The Ascendant falls in Blair's 11th house, which emphasises the Aquarian energy. Groups, hopes and fears, organisations and associations will be important this year, as will the humanitarian urge - Blair's natal Saturn conjunct Neptune - and he may get a bit carried away. It would be important for his to feel part of any groups to which he belongs and to feel part of a like minded fraternity. Uranus could indicate isolation within a group, the need to stand alone on a point of principal or the urge to make sweeping changes.

The MC is in Sagittarius conjunct Pluto opposite Saturn, Venus and Mars. Jupiter is in Cancer, in the 5th house; it falls in Blair's natal 7th house. Increasing influence and power on the international stage together with a need to spread "the word" to the unbeliever sums up this placement nicely. That it falls in the natal seventh could indicate a specific relationship through which all this might manifest, but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

The house position, sign and aspect of the return chart Moon. Aspects of return Moon to natal chart.

As always, the Moon shows our day to day level of being, the place where change can be affected and the relationship with the public and relationships in general. The Moon is in Pisces and in the 1st house, it is square Mercury, square Venus, trine Jupiter and conjunct Uranus. Natally he has a Moon Venus sextile. Pisces in the first house will expose Blair's feelings to others and may leave him feeling vulnerable. The other-worldly nature of Pisces may lead others to question his judgement (especially with the other Neptunian themes and transiting Neptune conjunct natal Moon)

Women in his life may also be prominent and outspoken.

Communication and diplomacy are key issues for this year. Combining Mercury and Jupiter give an urge to convey his message to the widest possible audience around the world. The square to Venus would indicate more difficulty with relationships (especially diplomatic) than normal. This Moon is conjunct his natal ascendant and Mars. It may appear to him that this whole year is about fighting (natal Mars) to maintain his place in the world.

Position of inner planets

Mercury is his natal chart ruler, Venus his natal Sun ruler and Mars is conjunct his natal ascendant. These three are all conjunct the IC and Saturn in the return chart, make trines to Neptune and all but Mercury oppose Pluto. Mercury is conjunct his natal Ascendant and Mars emphasising the elements discussed with the return Moon. Natally his has Venus opposed Saturn and Neptune and trine Pluto; this energy is no stranger to him. He knows the rules of this game and how to play it, although natally both Venus ruled houses are intercepted. In the return chart she rules the 3rd and 8th house. Can we see communication about international business and intrigue, and confusion about a shared resource? Neptune does rule oil after all, or are we using good old hind sight again? What cannot be mistaken is that this year will involve conflict and dispute, probably involving a struggle for power.

House emphasis and Main aspect patterns.

Much of what I have just said applies here. An undoubted focus on cardinal houses points to a year of action and activity. Relationships are also featured and given the planets involved and their inter-aspects, they will be more than a little tense. The stellium involving the IC could involve land or property deals.

Planets in aspect within return chart which are also in aspect in the natal chart.

Moon is sextile Venus natally but square it in the return chart. His natural diplomacy and charm (Venus) may not satisfy the public (Moon) so easily. Mercury Neptune aspects are also common to both charts, but this time the return chart has the flowing aspect. Was it too easy to be creative with so much Neptune? Was it just too easy to get carried away?

Planets in the return chart aspecting themselves in the natal chart. Planets in the return chart aspecting planets in the natal chart.

As said before, the return Moon and Mercury aspect the natal Ascendant and Mars. The descendant is exactly conjunct natal Pluto, highlighting the other threads concerning relationships and their potential for intrigue and underhand dealings.

Looking at 2002/3

Money and resources have been prominent and the split with Gordon Brown has become more public. Spending levels have become the benchmark by which the government is judged and Brown has made it clear that he holds the purse strings. His wife was the subject of scandal in the autumn involving questions of character (both hers and her advisors) and a property deal.

He has been significantly involved with international institutions, such as the EU, NATO and the UN and was seen trying to bridge the gap between them and the USA.

Many have questioned his judgement concerning the conflict and his relationship with George W Bush. He also appeared determined to stick to a somewhat naive position in the run up to the war, apparently believing that all sides could be reconciled.

Progressing the return Moon would make an exact square to Mars in March when the war began. It would have aspected Mercury in June 2002, fitting in with the deals which would have been taking place following on from the Afghanistan campaign. The planets around the IC would have been picked up in the run up to the war, who knows what deals were made then.

Looking at 2003/4 - (Solar return chart 2003 left)

There is a feeling of continuity between this return chart and the last. We have the MC and Uranus conjunct his Mars and Ascendant, which is widely conjunct the previous years Moon and Uranus as if the aims of this year are a direct consequence of the actions of last year. The 11th house Sun continues the theme of groups and organisations but it is at the apex of a T-Square. Neptune is conjunct Mars in the 8/9th house opposed Jupiter in the 2/3rd house, both square to the Sun and Mercury, which continues the themes of resources, money and creative communication.

Another year of emotional vulnerability is shown by the Cancer Moon conjunct the Ascendant. He may take things more personally this year than last, especially as transiting Neptune is conjunct his natal Moon.

Venus is conjunct natal Venus and receives aspects from Neptune and Pluto, it does this natally too but Neptune swaps it's opposition for a sextile. This could make things deceptively over familiar.

Changes must be made (Moon conjunct Ascendant) but will he recognise the need? It could be so easy to concentrate on his divine mission (Neptune conjunct natal Moon) that he doesn't see the tide coming in ready to wash everything away.

Looking at the timing for the year we can see the return MC progress to square natal Mars. This is happening now and symbolises the current aggressive attacks on Blair's integrity. There are several aspects which perfect by progression during the year: the progressed Moon will sextile the return Sun in December and the progressed Sun in January. Return Venus will be squared in February and progressed Venus in March. Sun and Mercury conjunct by progression in May immediately before his birthday. These contacts to the Sun may highlight time of questionably judgement due to the Jupiter Neptune association and the time when Venus's aspects are exact may pick out the time when over-familiarity leads to disaster: Venus rules the 5th house of creativity and the 12th house of self undoing. With Venus in the 11th could it be the electorate?

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