Dramatic Turn for Kurt Browning
The premise of this blog has always been to write about those events that make me curious enough to cast a chart. Last week’s fire at the home of figure skating champion, Kurt Browning and his wife, Sonia Rodriguez, a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada was one of those events: an ordinary day that suddenly morphs into one that changes lives.
Browning was trying to dry the seats of his convertible with a leaf blower that he propped up against the car — unconventional perhaps, but nothing that would raise red flags. He had stepped away briefly and, when he returned and saw the fire, it was too late to save the house from damage estimated to be around a million dollars.
Before the fire, an astrologer would not have said ‘your house is going to be destroyed by fire’ but rather:
- From the Natal chart: nothing happens unless the potential for the event appears in the original birth chart. Browning has Pluto, the ruler of his Fourth house (home, emotional roots) in the First, right next to Uranus, the planet that represents dramatic change. This all means that Browning’s home and emotional roots are an integral and visible part of his personality and that, from time to time, dramatic events would occur that would change everything.
- From the Solar Return: Pluto is the most visible planet in the Solar return because it is located at the top of the chart. It is opposite the Sun and square Uranus, Jupiter and Saturn so it was bound to be a year when Browning’s emotional base was dramatically changed.
- From the Secondary Progression: this is the chart where the Moon is the element to watch. It moves about a degree a month, taking about 2 1/2 years to go through each sign and about 30 years to go all the way around the chart. At the time of the fire, Browning’s SP Moon was inconjunct Uranus and Pluto, the two planets that promised occasional shake-up in the original birth chart.
- From the Solar Arc Progression: this chart is created by moving each of the elements of the birth chart approximately one degree per year. In the chart, the Uranus/Pluto combo is inconjunct Saturn, showing a current need for dramatic adjustment to structures and patterns.
- Current Transits: Uranus, the shake-up planet, is square Browning’s two most personal planets, the Sun and the Moon, something that happens once in 42 years and means he is undergoing a personal transformation. Uranus is also next to Saturn, again showing that it is time for structures and patterns that have served their purpose to make way for new patterns.
This is definitely an upsetting and stressful time for Browning and his family but it is one of those situations that he may one day look back on and say ‘ You know, I wouldn’t wish that time on anyone but, if I hadn’t gone through it, I wouldn’t be doing ‘X’ now.
Happy Birthday Mr. Obama
It is going to be a challenging year.
By the numbers:
Obama is in the Seventh year of a Nine Year Cycle. This means that he is gearing up for a year of challenge for those things that he began seven years ago.
The year-to-year influence changes on the birthday and Obama’s changes from an Eight (power) to a One (leadership). With the quiet first half of a Seven Year over, he will undoubtedly take a more active role in promoting those things he wants to do.
Barack Obama has a Two Destiny which means he wants to work with others rather than charge ahead on his own.
BTW: In a study of all the US presidents, I was surprised to find that the most common numbers in either Destiny or Personality were the Two (co-operation) and the Nine (altruism) rather than the One (leadership) or the Eight (power).
Obama’s Method of Approach — which is how he uses his Destiny and Personality numbers — is the Three. Not surprisingly, the Three is the number of communication and charisma.
By astrology:
Obama’s Solar Return has 22 degrees Virgo on the Ascendant which is the same degree as his Natal Mars — a sign that he has to be physically careful in the year ahead.
The Sun rules the Solar Return and this year the Sun has no aspects. It is more difficult to connect with others this year.
Mercury, the ruler of the Solar Return, is buried in the Twelfth house so Obama’s communication skills may not work as well for him at this time. There may also be a lot going on behind the scenes, even secret challengers.
Pluto, the most powerful planet, is square Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus and is inconjunct the Moon. Everything is challenged and everything changes.
The surprising thing about Obama’s current aspects and progressions is that there is a lot of stress regarding his marriage.
- In the Solar Return (Jupiter, Uranus in the marriage house opposite Venus, Saturn, Mars and square Pluto, North Node.)
- Secondary Progression (the chart wherein the Moon is most significant) has the Moon opposite Pluto and the Moon represents emotional matters and women.
- Solar Arc Progression – has the fifth degree of Cancer on the Descendant, a point very significant regarding important others especially marriage partners. The Sabian Symbol for this degree is “At A Railroad Crossing, An Automobile is Wrecked By A Train” . Over the years, I have noted this degree many times when are uninvited changes.
- Transit – Uranus/Jupiter opposite Saturn/Mars, all square Venus, the traditional ruler of love and relationship and ruler of Obama’s marriage house.
Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper is a Gemini. He is endlessly curious and a great communicator. The fine-boned, youthful appearance, often associated with Gemini, works very well on television.
Mercury (the planet that rules Gemini) is in Cancer. It is impossible for AC to separate heart from head which makes him such a soulful communicator.
Mercury sits in the Ninth house, which rules those things that expand the mind — other countries, nationalities, religions, higher education — and indicates a perpetual student and explorer. (full chart)
AC’s ascendant is in Libra so he approaches new situations with a desire to be pleasant and diplomatic.
The question raised in the last blog was whether Anderson Cooper is in danger now because of the time spent near the gulf where airborn pollutants are reported to be at dangerous levels.
These pollutants would be represented by Neptune and Pluto.
- Neptune, in AC’s Solar return, is conjunct the ascendant and opposite Mars, which is an indication of possible threat. It is six house/twelfth house so it involves that-which-is-hidden and work and health issues.
- His secondary progressed Moon is conjunct his natal Neptune. This is a time of extreme sensitivity; both emotionally and to everything in the environment.
- His Solar Arc Neptune is opposite his Mercury — a creative, sensitive, inspirational time that may also be confusing.
- Solar Arc Saturn opposite his Neptune represents physical reality vs. dreams and illusions.
- AC also has Pluto opposite Mercury. In most people, Pluto opposite Mercury in a period of time when what you think and communicate is strongly challenged, often forcing and whole new direction in interests. With AC, it is that and, because Mercury rules his Gemini Sun, it is also a personal challenge. (Any Pluto transit demands that you become stronger than you ever thought you wanted to be!)
All of these current influences are once-in-a-lifetime (except secondary progressed Moon which is once in approximately 30 years). All of them are potentially life-changing and all of them indicate this is a period of vulnerability.
