President’s Report - May 2023
Welcome to the May edition of the AANSW newsletter Orbits. On Easter Saturday, which in 2023 fell on the same day as our regular monthly meeting, we met online in the evening rather than in the afternoon at Drummoyne Community Centre. International astrologer, Faye Blake, presented a most interesting mini-workshop on Astrolocality from Amsterdam in The Netherlands. For the upcoming meeting on 13th May, AANSW returns to normal programming on the second Saturday of the month at Drummoyne.
It has been great to see members and guests returning in person to the monthly meetings, while a strong online presence continues. As confidence in public health increases, even more members and guests will return to Drummoyne to enjoy face-to-face meetings again. Online access to monthly meetings will continue to be available through GoToMeeting.
As there are significant numbers of COVID-19 cases still popping up each week in the Sydney area (recently over 10,000), it’s wise for AANSW to remain vigilant. To ensure we create a COVID-safe environment for members and guests at Drummoyne Community Centre, the AANSW Committee respectfully asks anyone who is feeling unwell on Saturday 13th May or several days prior to please stay home - you will be able to join the May monthly meeting online instead. For members and guests who are attending the May monthly meeting, please follow your own guidance if you are more comfortable wearing a mask.
If you would like to attend the May meeting online via GoToMeeting, please contact AANSW Secretary and online coordinator Kate Holden through the AANSW website. The deadline for bookings is 12:00 pm (noon) on Friday 12th May and Kate will send the link on the Friday evening. Remote AANSW members and interstate FAA members are always very welcome to attend the monthly meeting online.
Website and Social Media
AANSW’s new website has been officially launched, so please pay a visit to the website and give the committee positive feedback on the features you like. This major upgrade to the website has been mostly undertaken by committee member Penny Walters. Penny has also played a key role in the re-branding of AANSW - some work remains but we are almost there.
Our social media presence on Facebook continues to grow. Part of AANSW’s digital transformation has involved new social media accounts including Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Page. We have a growing number of members on Instagram and we encourage AANSW members to join the conversation. If you experience any problems please advise Penny Walters at penny@astrologynsw.com.au.
Michelle Mravunac is continuing her ‘roving photographer’ role at AANSW monthly meetings. Michelle will soon be interviewing upcoming speakers and posting the interviews online, so AANSW members can get to know the speakers before their presentations.
Anita is currently coordinating monthly updates to the website and she is also filling-in temporarily as Newsletter Editor, however we may have some news on that front soon. Thanks are due to Penny, Michelle and Anita for their work in the digital, print and social media space.
Last month’s meeting on Saturday 8th April
At the AANSW meeting on 8th April which coincided with Easter Saturday, the AANSW Committee was delighted to welcome international astrologer, Faye Blake, to present a mini-workshop on Locational Astrology all the way from Amsterdam in the Netherlands from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm (Sydney time). The title of Faye’s mini-workshop on Locational Astrology was ‘Why would you go there? Astrolocality Techniques’.
When introducing her well-received, informative mini-workshop on Astrolocality techniques, Faye Blake noted that Locational Astrology often focuses on individual planets, e.g. Venus for relationships, and we may tend to forget that our entire birth chart comes with us when we relocate. Faye gave examples of the Astro*carto*graphy technique (developed by US astrologer Jim Lewis) which allows us to identify locations around the world where specific birth planets will lie on the MC-IC axis or Asc-Desc axis. Following the mid-evening break, Faye opened up the mini-workshop to examples from the audience, which was fascinating to see how birth planets give insight on our lives when also viewed from a different location. The same absolute time of birth is used to calculate the relocated birth chart in the new location.
Faye Blake is founder of the Amsterdam School of Astrology. She is a therapist and business consultant, holds an MA in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology. Faye has often spoken at major international conferences and her book, Vocational Astrology, forms the basis of her tailor-made Vocational Apprenticeship program. In addition to her vocational work, Faye is also passionate about her research on Ceres, the Huber house system and Astrolocality. She often posts on these topics and other topics in her free blog. Faye believes Astrolocalitytechniques can also provide powerful tools for healing where we may consciously choose to visit places where specific planetary energies are elevated or diminished. You can find out more about Faye and her research at www.fayeblake.nl and www.asastrology.nl. You can read more about Faye Blake’s mini-workshop in the Speaker’s Report in Orbits.
From a purely personal point of view, I enjoyed Faye’s presentation enormously, having been fascinated by Astrolocality ever since hearing Jim Lewis describe his Astro*carto*graphy techniques at the FAA International Astrology Conference in Perth in early 1988. Coming from the south-west coast of Scotland, I relocated to Sydney almost 50 years ago, knowing absolutely nothing about astrology. Notwithstanding this lack of knowledge of the esoteric realm, unbeknown to me, my international relocation brought an additional focus to my natal 3rd House Jupiter, Mercury and Sun in Sagittarius, by relocating them to the 10th House. My principal focus in Australia has still reflected traditional 3rd House activities with a Gemini MC and Virgo Asc., e.g. teaching, research and writing. However, the additional 10th House focus appears to have stimulated a business career (in computing and finance) in a way that I don’t believe was possible in Scotland. Moreover, my relocated MC in Sagittarius and Asc. in Pisces appear to have opened up my life pattern to a philosophical and spiritual perspective.
This Month’s Meeting on Saturday 13th May
At the AANSW meeting on 13th May, long-term AANSW Committee member and a NSW National Council representative, Christina Stargazer (aka Christine Thomas) will be presenting on ‘The Planet Neptune’.
Christina asks, ‘Have you ever woken up following a deep, deep slumber? Disoriented, not knowing where you are or what you’ve been up to? Has it ever taken you a very long time to come back into your body? If you’ve ever astral travelled you will understand the importance of waking gently, allowing yourself time to return fully to the present. Depending on the circumstances, it can take a while to ground yourself again.’
‘Have you ever been under the spell of a Neptune transit? Saturn, Uranus and Pluto transits may be difficult, but at least you know what you’re up against. Due to the uncertainties of Neptune transits, they can be very different....until you wake up!’
Miss Stargazer notes that Neptune, 8th planet from the Sun, is the fourth largest, windiest and coldest planet in our solar system. There are very strong connections between 2012 and 2023 when it comes to the planet Neptune.....all will be revealed. Join Christina to discover how we can best operate under Neptune’s influence. You can read about Christina Stargazer’s presentation in the Events Section of Orbits.
Christine Thomas (aka Christina Stargazer) is a consultant, researcher, and writer who practices Astrology and Numerology. She teaches Astrology to the FAA Syllabus to a professional level and introduces Astrology via short courses. Christine offers private consultations, facilitates experiential and circle work and presents to a variety of community and social groups.
Christine co-ordinated the South Coast Astrologers Group and currently sits on the National Council of the FAA (one of AANSW’s 3 national councillors). She served on the AFAN Steering Committee, an international Association for Astrological Networking, for 6 years.
Christine’s speciality is Horary Astrology which allows her to assist clients find lost or misplaced items. Christine’s astrological writings have been published in a variety of publications, most recently for the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Wellbeing Predictive Almanacs.
Astrological Commentary on Pluto in Aquarius and Mercury Retrograde
Pluto in Aquarius [entry 23/3 at 23:14 AEDT, retro 2/5 at 03:10 AEST, exit 11/6 at 19:48]
Concerning the banking crisis which first emerged in USA as Pluto entered Aquarius (refer April Orbits), the First Republic Bank has been purchased by JP Morgan Chase, possibly averting another crisis when Pluto retrogrades from Aquarius into Capricorn on 11th June until Jan 2024. The sale occurred just days before Pluto went stationary retrograde on 2nd May.
More violent protests and fiery flare-ups occurred in France against the raising of the pension age from 62 to 64 by President Macron without a democratic vote in parliament (“Mayhem Day on Streets of France”, The Australian, 03/05/23). It’s possible the protesters would have protested in any event throughout France on Labour Day (1st May), irrespective of Pluto slowing to stationary retrograde, because the people want this “euro-saving” reform reversed.
In Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu appears ready to compromise on judicial reform, most likely to calm public protests which escalated as Pluto originally entered Aquarius. PM Netanyahu, however, is a wily character so the proof will be in the pudding.
In Australia, there has been major action on defence procurement to purchase more missiles and less tanks and armoured vehicles, following the release of the Defence Strategic Review on 24th April. Although located in very early Aquarius, Pluto still maintains a close square to Australia’s Ascendant at 29 deg. 35 min. of Aries, symbolising a threat from the 9th House of international relations. This “threat” and its urgency may “escalate” when Pluto returns to Capricorn on 11th June, strengthening the Pluto square Ascendant aspect in cardinal signs.
Mercury Retrograde [21/4 18:36 to 15/5 13:18 AEST]
Thermometers: How interesting to find a Mercury Retrograde event, when it actually involves mercury (the metal)! A flurry of articles began appearing in the press in the week before Mercury went retrograde on 21st April (in the pre-shadow period), just as the nation has also been bedeviled by ongoing Neptune squares to Jupiter and Mercury (refer to “Mercury rising in BOM probe row”, The Australian, 15/04/23). The scientific furore relates to the Bureau of Meteorology or “BOM” as it is known. And what has the naughty BOM been up to this time - surely not hiding or recalibrating temperature data, or moving recording stations? Well, according to the articles it seems so, with the BOM very reluctant to release data to the public (refer to “Bureau can’t dodge differences in temperature data”, The Australian, 01/05/23).
The BOM apparently has a quite unique parallel temperature measurement system, whereby parallel measurements are made on mercury thermometers and specially designed platinum probes. Other nations average continuous temperatures over a small time-frame (5 minutes) to smooth out random variations. But not our BOM, which takes the highest single reading as the highest temperature of the day, and this can vary by up to 0.9 deg from the mercury thermometers. This is deemed by BOM to be a small insignificant temperature difference, and yet the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (“IPCC”) (and likely also the BOM) warns of catastrophic outcomes if the temperature of the planet should rise by 1.5 degrees. Presumably the latter rates as a significant difference on the BOM’s climate change scale.
This literal manifestation of Mercury Retrograde sparked my interest to look into how many major commitments and have been or will be entered into during the retrograde period [21/4 to 15/5]. The list is quite significant and will be interesting to track for future analysis.
Coronation of King Charles III: There has been some astrological speculation in the media concerning the Royal Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at 11:00 am (BST) on 6th May during a Mercury Retrograde period. Commitments entered into under Mercury Retrograde can come unstuck, or there can be something in the “fine print” which wasn’t spotted before “signing on the dotted line”. It has been rumoured that no astrologers were consulted on the date and time (15 minutes earlier than Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation).
Well all I can say is that “no astrologers” have randomly chosen an amazing synergy for the Coronation relative to the birth charts of Charles and Camilla [14/11/1948, 17/07/1947]. Both have early degree Leo Ascendants (5 deg. 23 min. and 4 deg. 54 min.) and mid degrees Aries MCs (13 deg. 16 min. and 12 deg. 32 min.), with house cusps very closely aligned (and to the Coronation chart). Charles has a Nodal return in the 10th House, and both Charles and Camilla receive a 5-planet stellium [Chiron, Jupiter, Mercury, Sun, Uranus], event MC and North Node in their 10th House. With such strong positive placements in their respective 10th Houses, it’s hard to imagine anything major going awry with a Mercury Retrograde flavour that could seriously disrupt the ceremony. Perhaps a leaky pen? Or travel plans delayed?
The numerology chart for the King’s Coronation suggests a harmonious day for all, albeit with weighty (karmic?) obligations for Charles and Camilla, with wild card events still possible, perhaps featuring a gulf or ocean separating the circumstances? This could relate to Prince Harry who is flying in from USA for the Coronation? Only time will tell ...
2024 US Presidential Election: On 25th April, US President Joe Biden announced his intention to re-run for the presidency in 2024 at age 82, mirroring his 2019 commitment to run in 2020. He would be 86 when (if) he completes a second term. No wonder Vice President Kamala Harris was beaming and smiling at Joe Biden’s announcement, as there is a 29% chance of Joe Biden dying in office [US Social Security Actuarial Life Tables], in which case she would literally walk into the presidency mid-term, if the old fellow bowed out early! There is even a 9% chance that Joe Biden could die before the election in November 2024!
With Joe Biden’s bid announced under Mercury Retrograde, the question is will he be able to follow through to 2024? Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, is about to have his financial affairs put under the spotlight in June in a paternity suit (already DNA-verified), which could in addition shine a light on Biden senior’s alleged monetary links to China (if in fact any exist).
2023 Federal Budget: Treasurer Jim Chalmers will deliver his first May budget on Tuesday 9th May under Mercury Retrograde. Though in fairness to Dr Chalmers, every 6 or 7 years the May budget will be delivered under Mercury Retrograde. Notably, Wayne Swan’s famous “4 years of surpluses” announced in 2012 (which never materialised) was not delivered under Mercury Retrograde. The last budget to be delivered under Mercury Retrograde was the May 2016 budget under former PM Malcolm Turnbull, who seemed ever drawn to Mercury Retrograde timing. The former prime minister managed to do next-to-nothing on reform, especially on tax and GST reform when his treasurer, Scott Morrison, and several states seemed ready to roll. Mr Turnbull had announced that “everything was on the table” and then reneged!
Paul Kelly, Editor-at-Large at The Australian newspaper has written extensively on the financial plans of the Albanese Labor government, especially following Jim Chalmers’ progressive essay on reforming capitalism written over the 2022 year-end break. In an article on 04/02/23 Paul Kelly referring to the Rudd-Gillard years, asked “Have Chalmers and Albanese learned lessons of the past?”, noting that Jim Chalmers had “worked in the economic engine room for Wayne Swan as treasurer.” In a recent article on 29/04/23, Paul Kelly framed a fundamental question for Jim Chalmers and Anthony Albanese on “Labor’s dilemma: how to finance its compassion”. Kelly succinctly described the perennial dilemma which meets Labor governments - how to be true to lofty ideals and give compassionately (now accentuated with Neptune in Pisces) and at the same time balance the books (now made harder by “bean counter” Saturn also in Pisces!). Time alone will tell how this Mercury Retrograde budget will pan out.
The Indigenous Voice: The Joint Parliamentary Inquiry into the Indigenous Voice to parliament held its last public meeting on 1st May hearing testimony from various notable proponents of the YES and NO campaigns, with many opposing views expressed. Noel Pearson and Frank Brennan gave evidence for the YES campaign, with the former saying he saw the Voice as a “messenger” to Canberra which would “enhance democracy”,and the latter calling for “executive government” to be removed from the Referendum Question. Warren Mundine and Tony Abbott gave evidence for the NO campaign, with the former saying elite athletes had told him they are “scared” to openly say they are opposed to the Voice, and the latter keen to see Indigenous Recognition succeed but not under PM Albanese’s model, which Mr Abbott believes would fundamentally alter government in Australia and diminish democracy.
The Joint Parliamentary Inquiry began on Friday 14th April during the Mercury Retrograde pre-shadow period, and the long-withheld Solicitor-General Stephen Donahue KC’s advice on the Referendum Question dated 19th April was finally revealed on 21st April, essentially saying there was nothing to worry about in the question and proposed wording. In summary, the federal government did not need to listen to the advice from the Voice, nor inform the Voice before policy was developed or decisions were made. Several commentators including Robert Gottliebsen (”Confusion in voice debate”, The Australian, 02/05/23) have noted this is not what Indigenous members of the Referendum Working Group have as their expectation.
Notably, this was the Solicitor-General’s second advice to government, the first advice being given to the Referendum Working Group on 22nd March for discussions with PM Albanese on 21st and 22nd March prior to the announcement of the Referendum Question on 23rd March. It was reported at the time that both the Solicitor-General and Attorney General Mark Dreyfus had attempted to persuade the Referendum Working Group that reference to “executive government” should be removed from the Referendum Question, but they failed.
From an astrological view, bearing in mind these meetings, discussions and announcements, have also been made in the presence of over-arching transits from Neptune square to Australia’s natal Jupiter and Mercury, and in addition much of the Joint Parliamentary Inquiry has been under Mercury Retrograde (or the pre-shadow period), the chances of clarity and definitive answers must lie on shaky ground, if even grounded at all. The Inquiry is due to report its findings and recommendations on the wording of the Referendum Question on 15th May just as Mercury goes direct. Perhaps we can hope that some clarity will emerge.
Meanwhile the YES and NO advertising campaigns have begun, again under Mercury Retrograde and accompanying transiting Neptune squares, with accusations by the NO campaign that a YES campaign advert is “misleading”. The NO campaign contends that the YES advert references only Indigenous Recognition while omitting any reference to an Indigenous Voice to parliament! This is despite the Bill before parliament being titled “Constitution Alteration (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice) 2023”. The NO camp says this is a contravention of the Electoral Act which disallows any material “likely to mislead or deceive an elector.”
Oh, the joys of Mercury Retrograde and transiting Neptune square Jupiter and Mercury, particularly when Australia has natal Neptune in Gemini opposed to Jupiter, Mercury and Chiron in Sagittarius by birth. And there’s another 5 or 6 months to go until the referendum ... !
Invitation to May Meeting
AANSW invites you to join with like-minded people at the May meeting in person or online onGoToMeeting.If attending online, please register with Kate Holden by 12:00 pm (noon) on Friday 12th May for AANSW’s online meeting on Saturday 13th May. Doors will open at 1:15 pm and the monthly meeting commences at 1:30 pm featuring a presentation by AANSW Committee member Christina Stargazer (aka Christine Thomas) on‘The Planet Neptune’.For advanced news of monthly AANSW meetings and future events, please refer toOrbitsand the brand new AANSW website. You don’t have to be a member of AANSW to attend our meetings, everyone is very welcome.
Dr Neil Hair, AANSW President
