Dawne Kovan

Sky Watching Wisdom , Astrology

Fixed Stars and the Planets this week


Fixed Stars are the bright lights that show the patterns of the constellations. They move slowly – 78 degrees per 100 years. and they are extremely poserful when they are picked up by a planet or angle of a natal chart. Just a note to explain the difference between the Zodiac and the constellations before moving on: the Zodiac is also called the Ecliptic and is created by the Sun’s apparent path around the Earth, divided into 12 signs; the Constellations are the clusters of Fixed stars out beyond the Zodiac.  

I have been thinking long and hard about the latest Total Solar Eclipse a month ago with its accompanying Lunar Eclipse across Aries/Libra. As it happened the Solar Eclipse was a “rogue”as it had had no predecessor for many generations, so no repeat effects.  The Lunar one did have the 19 year repeat – so repeating back through the ages: 1996/1977/58 etc. And I noticed how many of my readers responded to that 19 year repeat – indicating that the Lunar Eclipse has a similar powerful effect on human life as a Solar Eclipse, maybe even more so. 

When I was researching the meaning of this one off Solar Eclipse at 29 Pisces, I discovered that it was sitting in front of a Fixed Star named Scheat, way out in the constellation of Pegasus. In other words, the eclipsed Sun was channelling the energy of  Scheat through its shadow down onto earth. Scheat is traditionally described as being associated with mass deaths by drowning – and what are we witnessing right now in the Mediterranean Sea? Exactly that.


It’s a tragedy that has somehow affected us all so that we are equally both saddened and enraged by the thousands of victims of the trade in trafficking poor people across from North Africa  to Southern Europe. The the bottom of the Med is now covered with the bodies of those who have drowned – men, women and children. However, this may be the catalyst that makes changes in the way the world deals with this situation. Right now it is Italy that is bearing the brunt – I wonder what would have happened had it been the Costa Brava or Monaco that had been the landing site for these boats. Maybe something would have been done more quickly.

 There was a Solar Eclipse on 22nd September 1968 opposite Scheat and it seemed that the whole of Europe was under flood water of one kind or another. This Fixed Star is also associated with aeroplane crashes and suicides – another event that occurred around the time of the latest eclipse – just a week later, in fact. It seems that the first atomic bomb explosion had Scheat directly overhead at the precise moment it happened. 

When the huge ship Titanic was launched in 1911, Mars was sitting on Scheat in challenging aspect to Pluto at 28 Gemini. When the ship hit the iceberg on 10th April 1912 close to midnight,  Venus was sitting on Scheat with both Mars and Pluto together in square (challenging aspect) to it. It couldn’t survive! A huge loss of life ensued.

However, it does seem that those born with their personal points on Scheat have a rather different experience – it brings a love of intellectual pursuits and the desire to think independently. Rudolf Steiner, the mystic and educator, Victor Hugo, French poet, both had Mercury conjunct Scheat; Goethe and Nietzsche had it conjunct Jupiter. BF Skinner, the behaviourist, had it conjunct his Sun.
And many more ……

This week’s planetary activity:
Mercury and Mars are exactly conjunct today and tomorrow (22nd/23rd April) – so arguments and fighting talk all around in the air. Venus is in mid-Gemini, a sparkly, vital, sociable place for her to spread her charms. It has a little romantic flair to it, as Venus rules Taurus, containing Mercury and Mars. Mercury rules Gemini – so they are in what is known as Mutual Reception, each placed in each other’s signs. In order to be in complete strength, all they have to do is phone home, and check out with Mars who adores Venus anyway. It could offer a way through any relationship issue by using Mars as a go-between.

Venus is slowing down now. She usually takes about 3 and a half weeks to complete a sign. As she goes through Gemini she will take about 26/27 days. In May she enters Cancer for a whole month. In early June, she enters Leo where she will stay for about 5/6 months. I will write more on this nearer the time.

Over the next couple of weeks in the run up to the UK General Election, last Saturday’s New Moon at 28 Aries will be the marker for the result. As it was on an extremely late degree of a sign this denotes that everyone in the country is fed up with all the lies – and the Aries “I will win at any cost – and not give a toss about the population’s needs” attitude is creating real confusion and dislike from us all. 

I notice that Pluto is stirring most of the leaders’ charts. David Cameron (Conservative) has PL in challenging relationship to his natal Sun – he won’t last; Ed Miliband (Labour) has PL on his MC and opposite his Moon (the public on a political chart) – doesn’t look good for him; Nick Clegg has PL conjunct his Sun – his days are numbered. Those are the three main parties in the UK, all under the destructive energies of PL. 

Nicola Sturgeon has good indications with Jupiter , good fortune and expansion, heading towards her MC (public profile i.e. career) through the aftermath of the election. So she could come out in a powerful position overall. Nigel Farage, the anti-immigration party leader, has his natal Moon in Sagittarius and did indeed marry a foreigner – a German woman. His Sun in mid Aries also picks up the same challenging PL aspect as does David Cameron. What on earth can it mean?

I think it could signal the end of party politics as we know it – remember Pluto is in Capricorn and will destroy all our institutions, the banks, hospitals, prisons, education, etc – except for the really wealthy – Pluto was known as the Roman God of Wealth. Uranus is the planet that rules our New Age of Aquarius and is moving on through Aries, weakening his influence on Pluto. 

We must ALL remember that it was the US banking crisis with the mortgage lending that had the knock-on effect throughout world economics as PL entered Capricorn. If our Labour Prime Minister, Gordon Brown hadn’t bailed the banks out here in the UK at the time, we would have all been living on the streets now. And yet, no-one is mentioning that in all the “I will win at all costs” rhetoric that is boring us all to death. Let’s hope the electorate has a long memory – or do they care enough to vote. 

This period sees the birth of a whole new political system – and we can only watch. However, will those with all the wealth, and thus the most to lose, let it happen. Let’s hope, eh?

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