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  The 12^th like the 8^th house is not well understood or well written about in traditional astrology – dismal pointers to prisons, hospitals, forced seclusion used to be the norm.

Below random thoughts from various posts over the years show a different picture.

  Michael Gauquelin’s statistical research of successful people found that the 12^th along with the 9^th houses were the peak zones of intensity and not the 1st and 10th as tradition would assume. He proposed a new system of astrology which was to reverse the ordering of the houses so that the ‘First House’ actually starts at the Ascendant and then runs *clockwise* towards the Midheaven. And there’s a thought for you.

  However Gauquelin only worked with ‘successful’ charts not the charts of ordinary people. Most astrologers know people who never really live out their 12^th house planets or indeed their chart’s potential to the full. The 12^th house temperament may be more to do with ‘faith’ than other placings – not just in a religious/spiritual belief but a faith in themselves. Where that faith is lacking then people just get lost in their Piscean/12^th house inner world.

  It can be very protective having an inner world to retreat to with 12^th house planets but it can also lead to delusion or failure to reality check with the world outside. GW Bush with a Cancer Sun and Saturn in his 12th evidently said recently he didn’t listen to advice but only ever checked with his inner convictions or something along those lines. And Tony Blair, Sun Taurus in 12th, also sailed along on the same lines oblivious to anything the world had to reflect back to him. So you need to be in touch with your unconscious and be conscious of it, not driven by it compulsively.

  I’ve always understand the 12^th house Sun to be the unavailable father, perhaps through the pregnancy as well as after. GWB certainly had an inaccessible father and Blair’s was unwell for most of his childhood.

What the 12^th house can do is lead to a tricky relationship with the ego. The ego being the outer defense and the vehicle through which the inner identity is lived out. Often 12^th house Suns don’t get the ego satisfaction that some other placings might give. And a strong ego is the gift at least in part of a good role model father. Being too ego-centred and selfishly ambitious backfires on 12^th house Suns.

Evidently Dane Rudhyar said that the twelfth house is the one house that represents not just the unconscious, but the essential person who does not take his identity from relationships or family, career or friends. One significant trait he thought of the persons born with Sun in the 12th is that they are not easily influenced by other people and will stay committed to their own convictions. If early childhood experiences have squashed the person’s self-confidence, they will withdraw inside themself and become introverted or shy.

  That makes sense since it is thought that the 12^th house does represent to some degree what happened during the mother’s pregnancy. A 12^th house Sun suggests a personality formed early in utero, with less input from the  mother so better able to stand on their own two feet outside conventional norms. The mark of a success is usually someone who stands out from the crowd and can think out of the box.

  Planets in the 12^th house often point to what was going on pre-natally. Understanding them can be very helpful since it often explains what is ‘known’ at a subliminal level but is not really conscious.  Foetuses soak in a good deal more than is realised from the atmosphere around them.

  There is now a growing field of study in pre-natal psychology. Anecdotal stories from the past – of musical mothers playing a tune to a foetus which in childhood can then play it sight unseen; as well as later consequences of more traumatic events in pregnancy  – are now being back up by solid research evidence. Heavy stress on the mother during pregnancy leads to the womb being flooded by stress hormones and can lead to dyslexia, stammering, emotional dysfunction and in some cases mathematical genius since the emotional right side of the brain becomes damped down.

  Since this in a sense is minus-astrology – i.e. before Day Zero – it does slightly presuppose the baby picks its moment of entry. Or perhaps the universe does in the case of caesareans etc.  Gauquelin found that babies who had natural births often had an astrological connection with one or both parents’ charts. Ascendant of one on Moon or Sun of other or other variations.

  Years ago I did research on some freeze embryo babies and at the point the embryos were frozen there did seem to be very heavy transits to midpoints involving Saturn and Pluto. That of course is plotting back on the original birth chart so again it is a minus calculation.  Doesn’t make rational sense but there might be something in it.  

  An astro-example from a friend now sadly gone who had Moon Mars in Scorpio in her 12^th. Her mother had been left on her own at the end of World War 11 and had walked while pregnant out of Stalinist east Europe into the west. So the mother’s pregnancy must have been fearful, trapped and at an underlying level angry at the circumstances in which she found herself.

 It is not always easy to get information about the events/atmosphere around a mother’s pregnancy but is worth pursuing to understand 12^th house planets.

It makes a difference which planets are in the 12^th which does have an isolationist tendency. Roberto Assagioli who founded Psychosynthesis had a 12^th house Pluto Neptune conjunction. He said: ‘We pay attention to the higher unconscious and to the development of the transpersonal self. We try to build an elevator which will allow a person access to every level of his personality. We want to open up the terrace where you can sunbathe or look at the stars’. His stated goal for therapy was “To live as well as possible, and to look at oneself with a smile.”

  John Addey, the great astrologer whom chronic illness forced into a more contemplative life with a positive outcome for astrology had Mercury in the 12^th conjunct Pluto in late 11^th.

  But even Sun and other inner planets in the 12^th do have a need for inner space. Queen Victoria who had Mercury, Sun, Moon in the 12^th withdrew into seclusion for years after her husband Albert’s death. Laurence Olivier, the actor, who was another Sun Mercury in the 12^th had ‘stage fright’ for about a decade where he couldn’t force himself to appear.

  Liz Greene talks about the need to come to terms with the unconscious when there are 12^th house planets. Being comfortable with inner space is crucial. Too external a life will run into the buffers at some point. 

  Another astrologer once said to me that she thought 12^th house planets did not support the ego in quite the same way as other house placings. So individuals with strong 12^th houses never quite got the recognition/ego-boost for what they did out of their centre which is where the element of sacrifice comes in. Life has to be lived for the sake of doing what feels right whether or not there is glory attached to it.

‘Their ego feeds off the collective’ is one way of looking at a strong 12^th house.

  Everyone, even the healthiest psychologically has a False Self – it’s the face put on for the outside world, allowing for a compromise with inner feelings when necessary to tell a friend/the boss/mother-in-law they look great when they don’t. It oils the wheels of practical living.

 But where early mothering is badly flawed and the child has to put its True Self firmly into an inner sealed box and play nice for mother, adapting to her needs – essentially putting on a performance for her –  then the False Self takes on an undue and unhealthy significance. For some the False Self really is all there is since the inner connection to the True Self has been lost.

 Most high achievers and showbiz types (politicians amongst them) are still looking for that approval which wasn’t there when they were young.   

  Not all 12^th house Sun types will be at the extreme end but I’d imagine all of them have a problem being truly themselves when out in the world – so they need to retreat from time to time into seclusion – to stop performing for others and be themselves, i.e. connect to their True Self.

  But where personalities have lost all connection to their inner True Self – and possibly even think it doesn’t exist then you get a hyper-active restlessness, a desperate drive to react to the demands of the external reality, while remaining uncomfortable with themselves.

  It’s where others get a sense of ‘no one at home’ because what you see with a 12^th house personality isn’t actually what’s there deep inside.

   What is crucial for 12^th house types, who tend to have more porous psychological boundaries than most, is that they get space and peace to themselves along the way, since they’ll easily get overwhelmed by having constant people around.

   Where 12^th house personalities have lost the connection to their inner Self, they develop a hyper-active restlessness, a desperate drive to react to the demands of the external reality, while remaining uncomfortable with themselves.

Tracy Marks is good on the 12^th house. Your Secret Self: Illuminating the Mysteries of the Twelfth House

Eurovision last night bombarded eyes and ears with what has become standard fare – ‘over emphatic, super colourful, gaudily camp’ in the words of the Telegraph’s insightful music critic. ‘ Eurovision has become a world unto itself, sealed off from the rest of popular culture, a camp and over-stressed absurdist magnification of particularly gaudy pop genres with everything dialled up to the max.’ ‘Austria won with 24-year-old JJ delivering his cinematically epic ditty Wasted Love. It is a peculiar kind of song, of a type that really only exists in the context of this ridiculous contest: a pop-operatic techno-electro ballad.’

  He reflected that in 69 years, Eurovision has only ever given one gold standard act: ABBA and suggested the UK, bottom of the league as per usual, do a Brexit hereafter.

  The first Eurovision 24 May 1956 in Lugano, Switzerland, happened on a Full Moon with a Sun Gemini opposition Sagittarius Moon conjunct Saturn in Scorpio. That sounds downbeat and none too inspiring as a start chart except that Saturn squares onto Jupiter Pluto in Leo opposition Mars in Aquarius – which is more descriptive of an event which has the potential to go way over the top – flamboyant, attention seeking and brash.

  This year perhaps more so than most with tr Uranus tugging on the Fixed T square of Pluto Jupiter Mars and Saturn. Though 2026 may not be too different with tr Uranus conjunct the Sun which hints at more surprises in store.

Duncan Campbell, the renowned Guardian crime reporter, writer and broadcaster whose work highlighted police corruption, the shortcomings in the justice system and miscarriages of justice, has died aged 80. He reported on high-profile criminal cases of recent decades, including the Rosemary West trial and the Hatton Garden heist.

  Born 15 December 1944, no birth time, in Edinburgh, he  developed a fascination with crime during his days playing football against a prison side. At University, he failed every subject apart from criminal law and moved into journalism, editing the university newspaper, and running features on abortion and homosexuality, which were both illegal at the time.

In 2016, reporting on the Hatton Garden burglary, he said he feared crime reporting was “disappearing in a world of tweets, budget cuts and 24-hour news”. He spoke in favour of the release of the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, stating that his “main offence is publishing the shameful secrets of the US government and its armed forces”.

 He had a New Moon in fiery, outspoken and knowledgeable Sagittarius conjunct Mars. An Air Grand Trine of Neptune in Libra trine Venus in Aquarius trine Uranus in Gemini was formed into two Kites by Uranus in an impulsive and uncompromising opposition to Mars and Venus in a passionate opposition to Pluto. Having an Air Grand Trine would make him a thinker and a communicator.

 His long-time partner and wife, actress Julie Christie, 14 April 1941 Shillong, India, is a Sun Venus in Aries which fitted with his Sagittarius New Moon Mars; and his Venus in Aquarius was conjunct her Mars for attraction.  Their relationship chart had Jupiter inconjunct Sun Mercury, South Node – and Mars inconjunct Saturn. Not yods (well maybe with houses/axis) but a relationship that would require constant adjustment. Plus Venus square Saturn.

 What is intriguing is comparing his chart to Andrew Norfolk, the journalist who exposed the Rotherham grooming gangs story (see post below). AF’s Capricorn Sun was exactly conjunct DC’s South Node and DC’s Sun Moon in Sagittarius was conjunct AF’s South Node.  This would bring a deep sense of familiarity so each could relax in the other’s presence. Both had Sagittarius planets which would give them an impetus to communicate. DC’s Jupiter in Virgo was conjunct AF’s Mars – Virgo being another of the communication planets.  

Barry Diller, the super-successful businessman, left a trail of hits from “Roots” at ABC, to Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Terms of Endearment and Beverly Hills Cop from his time as CEO of Paramount Cheers, before moving onto Fox and The Simpsons and thence into a blizzard of influential, money-making companies. At 83 he has published an autobiography Who Knew? in which he reveals he thought he was gay until aged 33 when he met fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg. Their first meeting was pass remarkable and even after they got together it was on and off until they reunited in 1991 and married in 2001.

He says: “ There are many complex aspects of my relationship with Diane von Fürstenberg: romantic love and deep respect, companionship and world adventuring.”

“I’m well aware that this part of my life has caused confusion and lots of speculation. A relationship that began with indifference, then exploded into a romance as natural to us as breathing, surprised us and everyone else. It really is the miracle of my life.”

“We weren’t just friends. We aren’t just friends. Plain and simple, it was an explosion of passion that kept up for years.”

“Yes, I also liked guys, but that was not a conflict with my love for Diane. I can’t explain it to myself or to the world. It simply happened to both of us without motive or manipulation. In some cosmic way we were destined for each other.”

 He was born 2 February 1942 San Francisco (no birth time) and has a Sun Venus in Aquarius opposition Pluto Chiron square Mars in Taurus – charming, friendly and ultra-determined, a real go-getter. He also has an innovative and creative Saturn Uranus in Taurus trine Neptune in Virgo. His Moon is Leo/Virgo.

 Diane von Furstenberg, 31 December 1946 3.30 am Ixelles, Belgium (astrotheme), has a quick-witted and ambitious 3rd house Sun Mars conjunction in Capricorn square a 5^th house Aries Moon and inconjunct Saturn Pluto in Leo. Her Moon also opposes Neptune and trines Saturn Pluto – so a complicated emotional and domestic life. She has a charming and fashion-oriented Jupiter Venus conjunction in Scorpio in her 1^st house inconjunct Uranus in her 8^th house which rules sexuality. Which latter will give her an unconventional and individualistic approach to intimate relationships. Her Chiron on her Ascendant will have given her a confused sense of self and identity from early on.

 His Jupiter falls in her 8^th house for a deep sense of connection emotionally and financially. With his Sun Venus opposition her Pluto for a strong bond. His Mars and Saturn Uranus fall in her 7^th house which looks fractious and unpredictable which may point to the recurring rumours about his sexuality but would also have a difficult internal dynamic as well.

  Their relationship chart has two yods: Sun Mercury inconjunct Neptune sextile Saturn; and Mars inconjunct Neptune sextile Pluto  – yods occur where people are drawn together in a ‘fated’ way which feels meant and changes the destiny of both. It may not always be happy, viz Wallis Simpson and the Duke of Windsor, but they do feel preordained. Diane and Barry also have a composite Venus opposition Saturn, giving longevity if not warmth; and a needs-space, uncompromising Mars square Uranus.  It would not be quite as seamless a togetherness as he makes it sound but it has lasted.

 Their wedding chart, 2 February 2001, New York,  has an Aquarius Sun sitting on the Uranus/Neptune midpoint which is fairly highly-strung – plus a difficult Mars in Scorpio opposition Saturn in Taurus square Uranus suggesting one partner had to grit their teeth and fit in to make the relationship run smoothly.

 Good on them for making it work even if it was not always an idyll of romantic bliss.

France and Algeria are at a standoff with diplomats on each side being sent home after France recognised Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara. Though shadowing any present-day dispute is the bitter history between the two countries extending back almost two centuries, culminating in the brutal 1954-1962 war for Algeria’s independence from colonial France.

 In 1830 the French invaded and captured Algiers with methods which reached genocidal proportions. A combination of violence and disease epidemics caused the indigenous Algerian population to decline by nearly one-third from 1830 to 1872. From 1848 until independence, France administered the Mediterranean region of Algeria as an integral part of the nation and it became the destination for hundreds of thousands of European immigrants, known as Pied-Noirs. Communal land was confiscated from tribal peoples.

  Dissatisfaction among the Muslim population, underdogs in the colonial system, gave rise to demands for independence from France. There were various massacres by French troops and outright war broke out in 1954.  The Algerian militant group the National Liberation Front (FLN) killed those who supported the French and in retaliation the French conducted severe reprisals. 2 million Algerians were sent to concentration camps. There was a notorious Paris massacre of 1961, the mass killing of 200 to 300 Algerians by the French National Police after a pro-FLN demonstration. Death was due to heavy-handed beating by the police, as well as mass drownings, as police officers threw demonstrators into the river Seine.

 The France chart, 31 September 1792 3.30 pm Paris, born out of a bloody revolution, has a revolutionary Pluto in Aquarius opposition Uranus square a vengeful Mars in Scorpio on the Midheaven.

Algeria gained independence on 3 July 1962 10.38am Algiers, Algeria, with Uranus back in late Leo square Mars in Taurus so not the most amiable of connections. Algeria’s Mars is conjunct France’s IC with Algeria’s Uranus on the cusp of the France 8^th house with their Pluto into the 8^th – so an entangled and uncomfortable interface.

 Their relationship chart is worse with a composite and explosive Mars, Uranus, Sun conjunction square Pluto.

 The FLN was founded on 23 October 1954 just before war broke out when Pluto was in late Leo. The war finished when tr Jupiter in late Aquarius was opposition Uranus.

  Late Fixed signs recur throughout their conflicted relationship. No surprises with tr Uranus aiming to exit Taurus that more troubles flare up – opposing their composite Pluto into next year.  

The vilification of Anthony Fauci, pre-pandemic a highly respected research scientist and adviser to seven presidents, arose because he refused to bend the knee to Trump’s downplaying of the risks of the Covid virus and Trump’s promotion of unproven treatments. An analysis released by the Commonwealth Fund last week found the Covid vaccine shots saved 3.2 million lives in the U.S. alone and prevented 18.5 million hospitalizations. Fauci is still being attacked by Marjorie Taylor Greene, Elon Musk, Steve Bannon, Peter Navarro and other anti-science conspiracy theorists.

 In response to a recent Musk inanity on the subject, a vaccine scientist and virology professor, responded “Mr. Musk should know that 200,000 Americans needlessly lost their lives from Covid due to this kind of anti-science rhetoric and disinformation.”

 What intrigues me astrologically are two strands. 1. When/how did the anti-vaccine bandwagon become such a mainstream and virulent phenomenon? 2. What caused Fauci to become such a hate figure.

  Andrew Wakefield’s 1998 Lancet paper connecting the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine to autism described as ‘one of the biggest frauds in the world’ and “the most damaging medical hoax of the last 100 years”, has had major and catastrophic consequences up to today, despite its debunking.

  It was published when tr Neptune had just changed sign into Aquarius, which makes sense of irrational, can-be-fear-mongering Neptune moving into the sign ruling science. Neptune then moved into Pisces in 2011 fostering even more dubious imaginary and paranoid beliefs. This year Neptune moves into Aries until 2038 which on past occasions has coincided with health advances (and admittedly epidemics – maybe measles’ deaths in Texas might have an effect.)

  Fauci, 24 December 1940 10.24pm New York (from memory) does have a heavyweight, fixed and enduring chart. His Capricorn Sun sits in his home-loving and private 4^th house; with a determined Scorpio Moon and blunt Mars in his communication 3^rd house opposition Uranus in his 9^th house of education. His Uranus is conjunct Trump’s Midheaven so they would clash with different approaches and agendas. With his Mars falling in Trump’s 4^th for an argumentative chemistry.

  Fauci also has Pluto in Leo in his 11^th house hinting at his influential status in society magnified by the square to his Jupiter Saturn in Taurus in his 8^th. Jupiter Saturn for a few has a tendency to throw them up to dizzy heights in the public realm only to cut them down as Saturn undermines Jupiter’s tendency to fly too high. He was adored and deified during the pandemic by some and vilified by others.

WHO: Immunization is a global health success story, saving millions of lives every year. Immunization currently prevents 3.5 million to 5 million deaths every year from diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), influenza and measles. The measles vaccine is estimated to prevent a million deaths every year.

WIKI: Vaccines led to the eradication of smallpox, one of the most contagious and deadly diseases in humans. Other diseases such as rubella, polio, measles, mumps, chickenpox, and typhoid are nowhere near as common as they were a hundred years ago thanks to widespread vaccination programs. Polio is targeted by an extensive eradication campaign that has seen endemic polio restricted to only parts of three countries (Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan). Vaccines also help prevent the development of antibiotic resistance.

Bruce Springsteen, the rock’n’roll legend, in what was described as one of the most sustained political attacks from a cultural figure, said at a Manchester concert that Trump is running ‘rogue government’ and ‘siding with dictators’. In a series of blistering speeches on stage he targeted a ‘corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration’ and called the president “unfit” for office. He pleaded with the audience to “Raise your voices against authoritarianism” before singing an impassioned The Land of Hope and Dreams.

 He was born 23 September 1949 10.50 pm Freehold, New Jersey, and is a Sun at zero degrees Libra with a later Libra Moon. His Sun is in a rebellious square to a 1^st house Uranus. His performing 5^th house is full with musical Neptune, South Node, Mercury, Moon and Venus there – so he was born to seek an audience.

 Where he clashes with Trump astrologically is that both have Mars and Pluto in Leo and Trump’s Mars sits on Springsteen’s IC arousing a visceral irritation in him.  Plus DT’s Sun, North Node and Uranus are conjunct Bruce’s Ascendant with DT’s Moon conjunct his Descendant so their chemistry has a capacity for disruptive competitiveness.

Their relationship chart is worse with a composite Sun, Pluto, Saturn, Mars with composite Mars Saturn square Moon. Extreme dislike.

“Journalism exists to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”

Andrew Norfolk, the Times investigative reporter, whose expose of sexual grooming of underage girls by men of mainly Pakistani heritage in Rotherham and Rochdale in England sparked a national inquiry, has died.

He said recently: “This story is an example of why newspapers matter. When all else failed a very brave person (a Rotherham social worker) placed their trust in journalism. Those documents I was handed revealed something shameful. Something people whose job it was to protect children had chosen to keep hidden. It was an uncomfortable story but sometimes uncomfortable truths are the ones for journalists to tell because if we don’t no one else will.” “It seemed extraordinary that the authorities knew so much and did so little.”

 After the first story appeared in January 2011, he was attacked by those who felt he was unfairly targeting a minority community. But Keir Starmer, then director of public prosecutions changed the rules so that more charges were possible.

  Professor Alexis Jay’s 2014 report in 2014 found that 1,400 girls had been groomed and abused in Rotherham since the late 1990s. Children had been trafficked to other cities. Some were doused with petrol and told they would be set alight if they told anyone. The grooming gangs were acting with “virtual impunity”. Norfolk won the Paul Foot award and the Orwell prize for his investigations and was named the 2014 Journalist of the Year at the British Journalism Awards.

Andrew Norfolk, born 8 January 1965, avoided the story when it was first raised by Ann Cryer, MP for Keighley, in 2003 since he assumed it would be a  “dream story for the far right”. Yet his journalistic conscience overcame his reluctance in 2010 and he started digging through archive court material and local newspaper articles in libraries. He identified 17 cases in 13 places where 56 men had been convicted; 50 were Pakistani Muslims. “We found clear evidence of a crime pattern that was having the most devastating impact on some of the most vulnerable, innocent people in our society.”

  He had a Capricorn Sun in an Earth Grand Trine to Jupiter in Taurus and Uranus, Pluto, Mars in Virgo with his Jupiter opposition Neptune in Scorpio, making Neptune his driving planet. He also had a Pisces Moon, perhaps conjunct Chiron, opposition his Virgo stellium – which sounds feasible; and square his North Node in Gemini opposition Mercury Venus in upbeat Sagittarius.

  His Earth Grand Trine would make him practical, sensible, not given to flights of fancy. His Mutable Grand Cross could have made him highly strung with a tendency to get scattered, but it did hook him into the zeitgeist (spirit of the times) especially in its darker underbelly (Mars Pluto).

 When his story was published on 5^th January 2011 the transiting Chiron was conjunct Neptune and tr Pluto close to the North Node.

 On his chart tr Pluto was conjunct his Solar Arc Neptune hinting at the scale of the reaction to a devastating story; with his Solar Arc Uranus, Pluto, Mars being in Scorpio.

 Rotherham was incorporated as a borough on 6 September 1871, giving it a Virgo Sun and a tough Mars in Scorpio opposition Pluto in Taurus. When the abuse story emerged in print the Solar Arc Neptune was conjunct its Sun for an undermining moment; with there was also an uncertain, panicky tr Saturn opposition its Neptune; and a blocked, discouraging tr Pluto conjunct its Saturn.

Andrew Norfolk’s Uranus Pluto were conjunct Rotherham’s Sun for an explosive synastry.  And his Jupiter opposition Neptune sitting on the Rotherham can-be-cruel Mars opposition Pluto would shine an idealistic light on their situation. Understandably his writing would not be welcomed  with the relationship chart having a power-struggling and hostile composite Mars square Pluto which tr Saturn was triggering when the story surfaced in print.

 The political fallout is still ongoing with resistance to another national inquiry, though given how little attention is paid to the conclusions of expensive, long-running inquiries, it is a moot point whether that is the answer.  

 Maybe Andrew Norfolk’s death will bring the horror that no one wants to know about back centre-stage for a while which may help.

José “Pepe” Mujica, Uruguay’s former president, who started as a Marxist-Leninist guerrilla fighter and later became a groundbreaking social liberal has died at the age of 89. Some refer to him as Latin America’s Nelson Mandela because of his 13 years in jail. Others point to his legalising of marijuana, same sex marriage and abortion. But mainly he was famous for his frugal lifestyle, living in a tiny house on a rural smallholding, and giving away 90% of his salary. He was a fierce critic of consumer culture and the environmental damage it has caused the planet.

  During his time in prison under Uruguay’s 1972-1985 dictatorship, more than half the time he was confined in a tiny cell without books or companionship, which he was allowed to leave only a couple of times a month to exercise. He is survived by his wife, Lucia Topolansky, whom he met when they were both guerrilla fighters.

Born 20 May 1935 9.30am (from memory) Montevideo, Uruguay, he had a late Taurus Sun sextile Pluto and South Node in Cancer.  He had a hoping-for-a-better-society Saturn opposition Neptune and a 10^th house reforming Uranus. With probably a Sagittarius Moon. His Uranus was trine Uruguay’s Virgo Sun and his Neptune fell in Uruguay’s 10^th so fuelling his urge to improve his country.

  His wife Lucia Topolansky, 25 September 1944, who was often compared to Winnie Mandela for standing by her husband when he was in prison, is a Sun Neptune in Libra. She has Mars in Libra like Jose, in her case square Saturn giving her courage; and her Jupiter was conjunct his Neptune which would help her keep the faith. She had a Sagittarius/Capricorn Moon.

 Their relationship chart had a tight composite Sun Pluto conjunction with an exuberant, enthusiastic Mars Jupiter conjunction.

When he was put into prison and tortured in 1972 tr Uranus was conjunct his Solar Arc Neptune and both were conjunct the IC, the lowest point in his chart, and opposition his Midheaven His Solar Arc Saturn was also conjunct his Midheaven.

  When he was released in 1985 tr Uranus was square his Neptune and his Solar Arc Pluto for an upheaval which would be disorientating. Tr Pluto was also conjunct his SA Neptune as well as opposition his Uranus; and his Solar Arc Pluto was conjunct his Neptune – for a fair amount of confusion.

Looking at the Mandela’s charts – both interestingly had their Sun inconjunct Uranus –  Nelson had Mars in Libra square Pluto with a Saturn Neptune conjunction. Winnie had a Libra Sun at the same degree as Lucia’s; with a hard-edged, ill-treated Mars opposition Saturn. So some similarities.