9 Oct 2003

Deb:

No one in the UK is unaware of the bizarre collection of football-related news items pounding the media at the moment. Other visitors might have been spared the gory details. The synchronicity is remarkable and concerns a number of high profile stories concerning the sordid antics of professional footballers. These include:

A very distressing tale of a 17 year old claiming to have been gang-raped by up to 7 footballers, a number of which are premiership players. The dispute is apparently not whether the event took place, but how many were involved and whether it was consensual - one of the men claiming that this type of sex is just a common occurrence in footballing circles.

Another, unrelated rape investigation involving a Leeds United player.

Controversy over drugs tests

Widespread condemnation over the England team?s threat to refuse to play at an important international game because the FA suspended a player who didn?t take a drug test ? and no doubt there will be more international ramifications over that.

On the rape theme, Venus is currently approaching the trine of Mars bringing matters of a sexual nature to the fore. Mars is still very volatile, moving from the disturbing influence of Uranus to the amplifying opposition of Jupiter. In the UK that Mars is particularly vice-ridden when compared to our national chart. It is transiting the 5th house of sport in the 1801 UK chart and closing into the conjunction of Pluto at 2 Pisces 43. (In the 1066 chart Pluto is at 3 Pisces 52 ? so in either of these main charts there?s a Mars-Pluto conjunction bringing themes of vice and misuse of power).

Also in the 1801 chart: -

Saturn rules the 5th house cusp, with transiting Saturn applying to the conjunction of the 10th house Moon ? drawing public attention.

Transiting Neptune is conjunct the 5th house cusp.

Transiting Pluto is exactly conjunct Mercury in the 3rd house of press.

There are quite a few other significant contacts worth checking if anyone is interested.

With Pluto on Mercury, there?s a heavy undertone to TV soaps and a lot of news stories at the moment. Public controversies and enquiries, political intrigues and investigations. But for the moment Mars conjunct Pluto in the 5th certainly seems to be expressing itself through the world of sport and has found an easy target in our footballers and their self-centred lifestyles. Let?s hope Sven hasn?t got any remaining undisclosed secrets.

Uk 1801 Chart - 1st January 1801 00.00hrs, London, Placidus Houses

Source: Book of World Horoscopes Chart # 357

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Graelhaven:

I understand the 1066 chart, Hastings, why 1801? finding a solid chart for so long an inhabbited place must be quite difficult.

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Julie:

v. interesting & v. true - about the news, soaps & media, etc...

Did anyone just watch ''Russel Crowe's Greatest Fights''? Sure, this was a v. one dimensional view on Crowe but it was so intersting (and funny). It explored the view that Crowe's movie career is built on an expression of his natural aggression. It was a great character study of Crowe as a typical Aries!

I was struck by how the program danced to the vibe of the Mars-Jupiter opposition we have right now. There were some very apt phrases, themes of 'aggression & conflict exagerated by the excess of fame'. Of course this is the angle that the papers are taking on the footballers too!

Coming up next - a documentary on the Moors murderer's. Back to Mars conjunct Pluto in the 5th house ...

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Julie:

The 1801 chart is for the United Kindom, the Union with Ireland. Nick campion says on page 290 of his book

''I have found that this horoscope is the most useful for the United Kingdom, being that date on which the modern name of the state came into effect, although the chart for the coronation of William I (1066) is also very powerful. Beginners are recommended to use the 1801 horoscope.''

I think Uranus conjunct asc of this chart shows that there will always be sensitivity to fractures in the Union with Ireland but whilever the union exists this chart most suitably represents our national identity.

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Deb:

Hi Julie,

Mars conjunct Pluto in UK 5th...
Pluto conjunct Mercury in UK 3rd...

That's really interesting. I didn't see that program but noticed that the one on before it was a 1 hour documentary about the child sex trade. Or, like me, you might have watched BBC1's Chaucer's Tales which turned out to be about teenage daughters being abducted, raped and murdered.

I read yesterday that TV watchdogs are getting very concerned about storylines that continually seek to include sexual abuse and brutal murder. A new production about Henry VIII will feature him involved in a nasty rape scene. Historians are complaining that it is out of character for what is known of his life at the time and completely unnecessary since his private relationships where sensational enough.

Seems we just can't get enough of this Plutonic brutality at the moment.

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Tom:

>>Seems we just can't get enough of this Plutonic brutality at the moment.<<

Sounds to me like you're importing American TV. We've reached the point where the most popular TV program is about a family -- The Sopranos-- a family of gangsters. You know, the family that slays together stays together. This is a step up from showing American families as lovable dysfunctional idiots -- "Married with Children" and the still running "The Simpsons."

Dysfunctional familes are still "in" however, only they are more dysfunctional than even Al Bundy could handle -- "Six Feet Under" is about a family of hopeless neurotics that run a funeral home. One son, the family neer-do-well, is engaged to a nymphomaniac -- not a bad deal, if she would keep it at home; she can't. It's probably some man's fault. One is gay (obligatory), their sister, a college student, has the mental age of a hockey puck, and their recently widowed mother has been cheating on their father for years and still feels guilty even though he's dead. Sounds like home to me.

The most joyful program is "Sex and the City." No we don't have a dysfunctional family this time. We have a handful of sluts wishing they could start one. They will screw every male in sight, and are still puzzled why they can't get them to "commit." Score one for consciousness raising. Spending one's life with one of these pinwheels would get anyone committed. Most of these shows are on HBO and one is expected to pay for this tripe.

Teenagers love it. They think it is real life where no one has to pay bills or even hold down a job and still manage to live in $4000 a month appartments with fabulous wardrobes and a plentiful supply of men or women depending on the show and/or sexual orientation of the script.

Sadly, the US Constitution would forbid it, but confiscating all the televison sets, would be a very positive step that would advance civilization to undreamed of heights, but the horror of contemplating reading a book is more than most Americans can bear.

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Graelhaven:

LOL, gee Tom, I haven't even watched most of the shows you just named. I was forced to watch Sex in the city with some friends once, and was happy to find that of the women present 2 out of 3 of us, finally got to outvote the twit who owned the TV and Turned the bloody thing off. So we must be smarter than they think. However I must say that I'm depressed by the number of people who do not enjoy the reading of a good book.
As for Dysfunctional families, the nuclear family is an invention of the 17th century, the perfect nuclear family is a fantasy from the 1950's (well in america anyway) I generally find it amusing that people think in these terms. One of these days we'll get back to clannishness...

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