On a warm summer night on August 12th
2012 at 23.49, with the words of Jacques Rogge in his capacity as President of the International Olympics Committee, the London XXX Olympic Games was officially closed. After what has been described as a ‘rather eccentric’ East
End musical knees-up, the closing ceremony burst into fireworks, song, parody, dance
and no doubt, what could seem like complete randomness and chaos to the untrained eye. The trained eye was probably in squint mode with a few "Ahh!!" moments and rather more "Eww!" or "Err? "ones. The Games themselves were 'happy and glorious' and this final evening was a mixture of relief, euphoria and tinged with the sadness of goodbye. Finally the Olympic flag came down and was passed over to Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes and the beautiful flame was extinguished.
With
my Moon (home) in the sign of the global traveller Sagittarius, I welcomed the
world into my hometown. I joyfully opened my arms to embrace all the
International traffic rushing through my home ground, whether digital, or
actual, the constant streaming of excellence, individuals competing with their
Nations hopes pinned to the flags on their backs striving and reaching for their personal bests.
The party is over and many of us here in the U.K felt a strange sense of loss
and protectiveness as we watched it extinguish - we were reluctant to ‘let our games go’ but as soon as the
Mayor of Rio de Janario grasped the flag, the whistle for Brazil blew and the
splendid Samba drums rolled – the Brazilian Olympian party has begun. Rio's 2016 Games will be the first time the Olympics has been staged in a South American country.
As one door closes another opens. The light is passed on through the chain, weaving it’s way through all the links. Hopefully for Brazil the chain will end with as much fun and gold medals as it did for Great Britain.
Here is the chart for the official end of
the games in the UK:
The Moon, signifying the people, is Void-of-Course, just exactly as it was for the opening ceremony. Void is an arcane term for when the moon
has finished its business in a sign and makes no further aspects to any other
planets before it leaves for the next sign. It is not in its new country yet but in the airport ready to go. Usually during Void times astrologers advise to tie
up loose ends, take time to sit with the ‘nothingness’, don’t push the door
open to the new, stay a while longer with what seems ‘done’.
It is in the moment of
stillness, in the cessation of action, in the waiting that the action takes place. If you start or begin something new
the likihood that “nothing will come of it” is high. All of this makes perfect
sense for time of the ‘closing ceremony’, but the opening? This did seem strange (see Venus Aflame At Olympic Ceremony) but it happily transpired that the ‘nothing will come of it’ warning
referred to the long list of pre- Olympic threats, security panics and harsh prognosis that thankfully did not transpire.
'The Beckham Boys In Blue'
The fact that
the Games began and ended both in Void times is in itself noteworthy. The moon was in it's waning 'dark' phase when the Games closed, normally a time when we may feel sad or brooding - it is a time of review and most certainly a time of closure. This Balsamic Moon time comes before the New Moon which soon enough will be the time to sow new seeds and boldly try new things. But for now, until the 17th August 2012, we must release, have a good clear out and let it all go.
Memory Tree at the Airport
Not long after the Games was completed and the U.K had signed over its responsibility for the Games, (Mars in Libra conjunct Saturn) once it had successfully relayed the baton to Brazil the Moon then moved into its new home, the
Moon ruled sign of Cancer. The Moon, in a chart for a Country, signifies it’s people,
and as a nation many of us felt a tug at our apron stings, as if we witnessed something we all loved leaving home. In true Cancerian style we are
now settling into a much smaller world for us than it was 2 weeks ago, our visitors
are leaving to go to their homes and Britain is regrouping back into its old and familiar ways.
Perhaps but not exactly – our values may have been subtly
and fundamentally changed forever. These Games have become known as the 'friendly' Games and the 'glorious' Games but they have also been breaking boundaries as the 'Women's Games'.
Women’s bodies were desired and admired, not just or
not at all for the height of their heels but the distance they jumped, how far they threw, how fast or how long they ran, rowed, sailed, lifted weights, cycled, wrestled or boxed. Looking at the chart we
see that Venus, the planet of desire and physical body, is moving into a position that is in direct line of the Pluto Uranus showdown (see Uranus v Pluto). Venus makes a sharp
and powerful opposition with Pluto, and square to Uranus. The Venus opposition
Pluto is power and transformative, working on our value system especially since
it falls across the 2/8 axis, it fixates on what and how we desire. Uranus
forms the apex of this opposition, squaring both ends of the axis. It is in the
fire sign of Aries, sign of competition, muscle, winning, maleness, potency and
new growth.This Arian Uranus is in the
12th house of endings and closure just poised to break through and
shake up our collective self-sabotage, shattering the beliefs which have held
us rigid and imprisoned - so maybe just like the phoenix rising out of the
flames, ridden in the closing ceremony by Darcy Bussell who herself has Venus
in Aries, we will find new and unique ways to express our individuality and potential,
free from old complexes and invisible structures which have held us bound.
The Midheaven, placed in the early degrees of Aquarius shows us calling out to the larger world to join together as one, but before we go we will shake rattle and roll with a party, and a musical tribute spanning decades of Brit rock every bit as eccentric as any self respecting Aquarian. The Aquarian theme was shown through the thousands of unpaid volunteers, called 'Game Makers' who vitally kept the cogs of the machine moving all 70,000 of them.
The Sun is in the 4th house of Endings, receiving easy flowing energy from the Moon (the people), Saturn signifying the Establishment, the structures, the organisation, the architecture and Mars the competitors, the athletes themselves. Mars and Saturn flow from the 6th house, the zone of hard work and unstinting service, and it was acknowledged that by and large everyone worked hard and gave their all, competitors and all those who made the Games possible, especially those Games Makers. The Ascendant in early degrees of Gemini is wide-eyed and curiously expectant. The world is
preparing for a new face of the games…..let the carnival roll…..See you in Rio! credits: mail online & reuters posted by pippa ponton & jphibbs
A focus on rising, descending, past and shooting stars of this XXX Olympiad.
Looking
at the equestrian world, I have picked two contestants: an old man from Japan and a younger member of the British Royal Family, both
riding their hearts out for their countries in the London 2012 Olympics.
Hiroshi
Hiketsu: Born 28th March 1941, time unknown, Tokyo Japan.
Yes, look again, he was born in 1941 and
competing in the Olympics in London in 2012.
The world Hiroshi Hiketsu was born into was in the middle of global tumult. Japan had been in a interminable war with China, invasions of South East Asia and attacks on the British Empire. World War II was no Hollywood film for most people at that time but intense real life and for many a real tragedy. When Japan bombed Pearl Harbour in December 1941 it brought the U.S into the Pacific War. The Japanese
Foreign Minister also met with Hitler in Berlin in that same year and month of Hiketsu's birth. That tiny baby born into a Japan at war, 71 years later, arrives in London atop his horse, 'Whisper' to compete in the global sporting
event, the XXX Olympiad.
Hiketsu made his first appearance at the Olympics in Tokyo in 1964, then made an incredible comeback for the Beijing Games at the age of 67 and now here he is in London, only four years later, not such a gap between appearances then..ha! He competes on
Whisper in the Individual Dressage on 2nd/3rd August in Greenwich Park, London.
Lets
have a look at his chart:
Jupiter conjunct Saturn: The planet associated
with horses is Jupiter, and the planet associated with maturity is Saturn. It
is not a surprise then to see the oldest competitor on a horse has both
of these planets conjunct each other, as if the two planets are holding hands. The sign
they occupy in this tete-a-tete is Taurus, a sign which is patient, has a slow
build up, is determined and steady as a rock. One thing Taurus has is stamina. Once someone with Taurus is on a perch (or horse) it is really difficult to push them off. People who have
Jupiter conjunct Saturn are in a constant tussle with themselves and the world
over what their limits are, how far they should push themselves, and accepting what
others say they can or can not do. “Too old!” the world cries at Hiketsu and he yells back “no, not yet!”
His
Sun is in Aries, and he has a hefty dose of this sign in his chart. Aries is a sign
associated with drive, pioneering, being the first, and striking out ahead of
the pack. This adrenaline filled Sun is being caught right in the pincers of
the Uranus Pluto square at the moment, as Uranus is conjunct and Pluto forms a square to it. Uranus
is about breakthroughs and Pluto is unlimited power. No wonder his time in the
Olympic Sun has come now. His horse Whisper was diagnosed with tendinitis and nearly put paid to their Olympic appearance but her recovery was another miracle for the team. Hiketsu remarked 'She's a bit old but a good age' Whisper is 15 (60 in human years) so let's recap then a 71 year old man competes for Japan on a 60 year old horse.
He is regarded as the 'hope for old men' but he says that his biggest motivation is he feels that he is improving. Hiketsu probably did not come to the Olympics to get a sympathy vote or to be the 'poster boy' for the aged he came to compete.
Zara
Phillips: born 15th May 1981, 20.15, London, England.
In contrast to an old man on a horse at the Olympics we also have a young woman on a horse. A Royal young woman at that. Zara Phillips, granddaughter to Her Majesty the Queen of England, gained herself an Olympic Silver medal when she rode with the British team in the 3 day Eventing competition. Born
into the British Royal family, her mother is Princess Anne, eldest daughter of
Queen Elizabeth II, and Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh and she is 14th in line
to the throne. On 30th July 2011 she married English rugby
player Mike Tindell.
Zara Phillips & Mike Tindell
Lets
have a look at her chart:
Due
to the fact that this a timed chart there is so much to work with. I will
concentrate on just a few factors that are appropriate to this occasion. Most notably the conjuction between Jupiter and Saturn – yes, exactly the same conjunction as Hiroshi
Hiketsu. For Zara the conjunction is in the sign of Libra. This
sign is about a partnership as well as perfect balance, both well
suited for a sport such as horse riding, working in union getting over those jumps.
This
conjunction of horse loving Jupiter and disciplined Saturn in Libra sits in Zara’s 10th
zone of Reputation, Status & Vocation. Liz Greene also attributes this zone
to ‘Mother’ and Zara's mother is Anne, The Princess Royal. Princess Anne certainly has high status due to her royal
birth, responsibility (Saturn) and reputation. She is also a
serious equestrian herself and is in fact also an Olympic equestrian rider.
Zara Phillips presented with Olympic Silver Medal by her mother Princess Ann
Zara’s MC on
the day that she won the Silver medal was being activated by Jupiter - she was riding High Kingdom. Moon conjunct Pluto: The moon gives us information
about our feelings, what makes us feel safe and what we need. It also describes
our mother to some degree. Zara's Moon is holding hands with Pluto, Lord of the
Underworld, and this is called a Hades Moon. Someone born with a Hades Moon has
a very immediate access to the dark spaces that lie within everyones psyches,
going to the depths is comforting at some level. They have to ‘go there’ and
are well aware that life has a bed of thorns hidden within those roses. Whilst
not exactly the princess and the pea, she will be conscious that behind her
privileged lifestyle will contain a fair amount of struggle and effort.
One little slip Olympics 2012
During
these Olympic games she has Saturn, the grand disciplinarian, conjunct the Pluto
part of that Hades Moon. What’s more Pluto ‘rules’ her Ascendant, how she is
literally ‘seen’ by the world….and see her we did. When we get a Saturn transiting our Pluto, times can take a dark turn as we battle and struggle, often to
survive. We are challenged to a duel, we are ‘called’, questions are asked of
us and we have to answer. The pressure is intense, and unavoidable. There is no
turning back, turn up, put on your helmet, saddle up, and ride towards the
dragon.
The 2nd August, 2012, Full Moon, sometimes called the Full Red Moon, takes place in the Air sign of Aquarius a temporary chill out area. This is one of two Full Moons this month the second one will be one of those 'rare' Blue Moons. Last time two Full Moons in August appeared was in 2008. Some Native American tribes called this one 'the Sturgeon Moon' as that fish was known to be plentiful in the Great Lakes at this time. It has also been known as 'the Green Corn Moon' or 'the Grain Moon' All good 'wholesome' symbols of 'fullness' and abundance. According to the Farmer's Almanac this is the best day to 'retard growth' so good for cutting hair and diet to lose some weight. Perhaps we all don't need to slaughter animals and put in fence posts but we can mow the lawn, at least.
2012 London Olympics
These few days are time
to take stock and review our gains with regard to our goals and hopes. Think
back to the last New Moon a few weeks ago and see what you may have started,
put in action and initiated then because now is ‘harvest time’.The fruit you
pick up off the ground is as result of the energy you invested around about the 19th
July 2012. That New Moon was in Cancer so naturally it has been a very emotionally stressful month
for most people, the astrological activity has clearly shown that and experience
has largely proved it.
From now until the next new moon in Leo in a couple of weeks
time, Mercury will also have shifted its motion from backwards to forwards so things
should start to settle down a little. Our lunar vision over these next few days is
directed towards our place in our society, teams, friendship groups or the collective.
We may get our rewards from these places, and if we feel
short-changed then this is a wonderful chance to honestly examine the reasons
and work towards making adjustments. In these periods does Solar Consciousness lose its grip or do we just have to strike a balance and blend it. The Sun in Leo is all about Me, the self and I, the Moon in Aquarius recognises our need to be a social beings, the collective but also the need to stand out, to differentiate and be unique.
This
moon is making some very pleasant and inspiring angles to other planets, a trine to congenial Jupiter in Gemini and a sextile to Uranus, so we can all expect some relief, hope and feeling of
uplift. It has been tough recently but we may have something to celebrate.
Check out your chart and see where 10 degrees of Aquarius/Leo lies for some clues as
to where or from what direction the celebrations can come. If it activates your 2nd/8th
be on the lookout for a financial windfall especially if a few weeks ago on the New Moon you
set in motion something connected to investments, shared finances, taxes or
insurance, you may just get a dividend.
In London where the Olympics are taking
place the Full Moon chart shows the Sun Moon opposition spanning the 11th house of groups, affiliations and teams, and the 5th house of sports
and performance. I think it is fairly safe to say celebrations with regards to
sporting performance are on the cards…..we may see some 'giant' leaps....
We need to use this Full Moon to take time out in our modern hectic ways of life to try set in place a more relaxed style. In China since the 6th century Taoism suggests 'effortless action' a more natural way of being
'We put thirty spokes together and call it a wheel;
But it is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the wheel depends.
We turn clay to make a vessel;
But it is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the vessel depends.
We pierce doors and windows to make a house;
And it is on these spaces where there is nothing that the usefulness of the house depends.
Therefore just as we take advantage of what is, we should recognize the usefulness of what is not'.
Sound therapists and a Manchester band Marconi Union have developed the most relaxing tune ever, they say, called Weightless. In this piece of music brainwaves and heart rate synchronise with a 60 BPM rhythm and takes the listener into a deep state of calm with the result of reducing blood pressure, slowing down the heart rate and reducing the levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. This is so good that it is meant to slow down breathing and may even induce sleep so we cannot drive whilst listening to it. OK then let's try it...repeat dose when needed. For best results listen when wearing headphones. Press play....... credits: sussex innovation centre - weightless posted by pippa ponton & jphibbs
The Run Up To XXX Olympiad London 2012 Greek legend says that after Heracles (Hercules) had completed his '12 labours' of penance he named the first 'Olympic' games and built an Olympic Stadium to honour the great father God, Zeus, or as the Romans know him - Jupiter. We come now to modern times and something rather more human, the International Olympic Committee (I.O.C.) was created on 23rd June 1894. On that date Jupiter was in Gemini, and Jupiter in Gemini thrives on the 'Big Idea', in fact its full of them, and some even reach fruition. At the London Olympics of 2012, Jupiter is again in the sign of The Twins.
The creator of the International Olympic Committee, 'he' who came up the the Big Idea, was Pierre de Coubertin.He was born with Jupiter in Libra but it was when Jupiter was passing through Gemini that he got his very Big Idea - The Olympics. His five Olympic ring emblem representing all the Continents and using the five colours that appear on every flag of the world is still a powerful symbol of unity.
Jupiter does appear to become even more friendly and sociable when in any of the air signs: Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. In Gemini it is all about communications. This 2012 London Olympics, will see social media at the heart of the action. The I.O.C. have allowed athletes to use Twitter as their personal diary entry accounts. Obviously they will not be able to post anything political or commercial but we will get a unique access into some of these 'stars' thoughts as the competition progresses. The I.O.C. is trying to raise the entire Games social profile past and present with The Olympic Athletes' Hub with Olympic Facebook page as well as @Olympics on Twitter. It all could result in information overload, we could be so caught up in the stats, tweets and streams we might miss the Bolt, the Vault and the Photo Finish in action. We are in danger of missing the very human drama as we glide over the super highway absorbed with the digital images on our sleek screens. If we do miss anything we can always browse through a project called 'Faces of Olympians' on Instagram. Tumblr has three blogs: Olympics, Olympic moments and evenOlympic Fashionjust in case you need to know what all the various people involved are wearing.
London is arguably a Gemini City - it can be all 'hustle and bustle', it feeds on new ideas and has always been about exchange and communications. Much of the U.K's press and media operates from here. London also knows about adaptation and survival, cultural changes are in its life blood and in it's historical D.N.A. It seems it is hardwired to trade and weave new ideas. Established by the Romans, albeit with a bit of pillaging and a lot of righteous burning by Queen Boudicca, London has a chart date of 22nd June 46 AD. Appropriately, London 2012 has a very Geminian Lord Mayor, Boris Johnson, who has the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars in the sign of the twins.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson & waxwork 'twin'
The astrologer William Lilly writing in the 17th century used a Gemini ruled chart to predict the Great Fire of London in 1666 (yet more burning) and that was fourteen years before the event occured. When Lilly was alive London was made up of two cities (The Gemini Twins) London Town and The City of London. This created a clear division between the bustling, mercantile metropolis and the traditional financial sector, which is still present to some extent today. East of the banking boundaries are the more 'challenged' (poorer) districts of London. Simply known as the 'East End'. This area has always been used to a myriad of different cultures living and working in close proximity, all using a variety of traditions and languages, all trying to survive. All bustling and hustling through their lives. London is a very multi-cultural metropolis and most of the 200 countries coming to the Games may have already be represented by a resident of the city. Tower Hamlets, at the centre of the Olympic spirit already is a borough with about 126 languages within its boundaries. This is the heart of the Gemini city, and also the land of the 'Landin cockney'. It has it's own made up royalty, called 'Pearly Kings and Queens'. It has its own language - rhyming slang - effectively a tricksters dialect invented in the old markets as a code,confusing and bewildering to the uninitiated.
Recently some manors (areas) have been 'gentrified' (done up and moved into by middle class professionals) shooting the house prices skyward but bringing in 'the bees and honey' (cockney rhyme for money).
Gemini loves an ever-changing environment, something to keep the interest going and lots of new things to learn or old skills to refine. Yes... the Olympic flame has finally arrived in
London and put up overnight in the Tower of London.. for safe keeping for one night only before it was set free and sent off on it’s travels through London’s streets. It will finally settle down in Stratford on 27th July 2012 for the duration of these 'Cockney' London games..
This is after all is an historic 3rd Olympics for London and some people resident in London have lived through at least two of them to tell the tale, and even carry the torch. I consider London my home town. I was born just to the East of the centre and I spent the length of my childhood there and have continued to live there or regularly visit there as an adult. My roots go deep into the East End’s history and London soil. I have current family members living there and can trace my ancestors back through history, flowing past generations working, birthing, dying and loving in the city. Three of my adult children live a mere stones throw away from where many members of my family were born.
Ah... my Cancer soul is having a field day with these thought. It is here, to the East End of London, where not only my heart goes but also where most of the billions of the world’s eyes will shortly follow.
The East End of London is hosting the XXX Olympiad! It is opening up and inviting the world to come and play....
Tour de France 2012 - A Gemini Chain Reaction Touch the Sky Team Wins for the UK (Rosbifs is a playful French term for the British and relates to Roast Beef)
Bradley Wiggins Astrology birth chart (untimed)
Bradley Wiggins, Le Gentleman Wiggins - icon, role model, outspoken and out in front in the Tour de France through the streets of Paris.
Wiggins - 2 years old
Wiggins is a self proclaimed Mod selling his own range of clothes for Fred Perry and sporting heroic sideburns. Described as a very 'rock n'roll' cyclist with 'off-beat humour' and a 'off-the wall look'.
His attitude, look and clothes has an altogether more fantastic meaning on the 22nd July 2012 through the streets of Paris. Bradley Wiggins is wearing the 'yellow jersey'/ the 'maillot jaune' - the winners jersey. Bradley Wiggins has won The Tour de France rushing down the Champs Elisee on the 21st stage of the tour ending with the first British rider to ever win.
Yellow is regarded as a Gemini colour. Gemini is a 'double sign' and cycling, with its two wheels, is regarded as a Gemini sport. Venus is now in Gemini. Bradley Wiggins was born with Venus in Gemini. His Mars is in Leo, which is right where the Sun is today, it is in 00 degrees Leo.
Bradley Wiggins this is your day..yellow suits you You Won the Tour de France!! (udate Bradley Wiggins 8th November, 2012)
The Winner Bradley Wiggins with his son Ben 'Allez Wiggo'
Boy Racer in a Rainbow Jersey - Mark Cavendish
In true Venus in Aries form Mark Cavendish, from the Isle of Man is the 1st man to win four sprint stage on the Champs de Elysee. The Fastest Man on Two Wheels, The World Sprint Champion, led the whole peloton to end the 2012 Tour de France. Keeping the British flag high but also the Gemini flag flying he has his Mars in Gemini - 'Speed Geek'.
Mountain Lion wants to show his spots - Chris Froome
Chris Froome who came 2nd Overall in the Tour de France 2012, just behind Bradley Wiggins also contributes to the Gemini total with his Moon, Mars and Chiron all in that sign. Froome, suggested by many as a future 'Tour' winner had been a loyal member of the Sky cycling team supporting Wiggins, especially through the race but reportedly getting a bit frustrated occasionally. Being part of team Sky meant working together but his individual expression was occasionally thwarted. Gemini is a mutable sign and Gemini energy will adapt to its surroundings which can often mean a little confusion and sometimes 'being in two minds'.
Froome's girlfriend, Michelle Cound, got herself involved in a minor Twitter WAG's war defending her boyfriend's position with Bradley Wiggins wife, Kath, reported as joining in and then Peta Todd, partner of Cavendish also giving it a go - this use of the social media illustrates the Gemini symbolism in a 'war of words'.
The commercial success of bike business as a result of these high profile UK champions will be incredible. Already Chain Reaction Cycles and Wiggle two very visible cycling outlets are beneficiaries of the incredible rise in popularity of cycling in the UK over the last few years. They also have huge online communities - the very heartbeat of the Gemini spirit..community and communication and now cycles. It can only get better with the London Olympics getting closer......
Bradley Wiggins musical hero Morrissey has his Sun in Gemini.
Astrology Update - On the 7th/8th November 2012 it has been reported both Bradley Wiggins and head coach for GB cyling team Shane Sutton were knocked off their bikes by motorists within 24 hours of one another. Transiting, travelling Mars in Sagittarius formed a square to Bradley Wiggin natal Saturn producing
an outside impact and speed - transit from
Mars,
forming a difficult aspect - a square,
to Bradley himself - his natal Saturn, which
symbolises bones.
His Saturn also forms an adjusting aspect, a quincunx, to his Mercury in Aries, symbolises wheels and roads.
It appears that he has thankfully had a 'speedy recovery and that he initially complained about pain to his ribs. Team Sky has confirmed that Wiggins has suffered bruising to his lung and his body with a fractured rib and dislocated finger. He has also recovered from a minor injury to his head, staying in hospital overnight for observation.
Bradley Wiggins & Shane Sutton In August 2012 after the death of a cyclist near the Olympic Park, London, Wiggins commented that 'cyclists and drivers needed to 'co-exist on the roads... cyclists are not ever going to go away'..
Cycling campaigners may have lost a little heart as they obviously wanted to see more people getting involved in cycling. Cycling seemed to be trying to capitalise on the British triumphs at the Tour de France and Team GB's Cycling Teams triumphs at the London Olympics and not the fact that now some people may be literally scared off their bikes by careless motorists. Bradley Wiggins won the 2012 London Olympics time trial Gold Medal.
