Render unto Caesar ?

Friend - another Message from delectable Devonshire, at this, the Full Moon of October 2010.Each Month, the Full Moon illuminates a particular Sign, Degree of the Zodiac, and House in your Natal Chart. To-day, 23 October 2010, the Moon is Full in the last Degree of Aries, with the Sun in the opposite, last Degree of Libra, at 01.36 U.T.



The emphasis here is upon the Individual (Aries) and his or her stance regarding society(Libra).Libra represents the collective or cohesive force of Society, the peer group, the general prevailing consensus . Aries represents the necessary counterpoint provided by the Individual, who may (courageously) stand forth, step out and forge a new direction - along which others may later follow.Like Kirk and Spock in "Star Trek" - he, or she, will "Boldly Go"...(curiously, both actors -William Shatner - Kirk, and Leonard Nimoy - Spock, are both Sun Aries- both born late March 1931.)



The Zodiac demonstrates the perpetual balancing and blending of "opposite" qualities :- Aries/Mars and Libra/Venus. Leo/Sun and Aquarius/Uranus (or, traditionally, Saturn). Taurus/Venus and Scorpio/Pluto (or Mars, as the "old" Ruling Planet). In fact we are, each of us,comprised of "ALL TWELVE" Signs, your Sun Sign being a focus for the current Lifetime, indicating the Work to be done, the Hero's Task, the area/Astrological House, in which you are invited to "Shine" !

An example - Barack Obama - Sun in 6th House of work, service, health. Regardless of position, status, honour in this, the System of Things, his need is simply to "get on with the job ".



Brian Epstein, the "discoverer" and Manager of the Beatles - Sun, in Virgo, in the 2nd House, - nicely illustrating his "task" as creator of substance, wealth, resources, and supportiveness for, what became, his "Empire"of Liverpool based groups and artistes.



CURRENT AFFAIRS SUPPLEMENT !



On Wednesday 20 October the Chancellor of the Exchequer ( of the United Kingdom) George Osborne, set forth "his" ideas for cutting budgets here, there and everywhere. While the Nation is yet in a remorseful, vulnerable,rather masochistic state of Repentance for the collective excesses of many years past, the "ConDems"are advocating policies that will, unless we are much mistaken, will result in increased distress for the already distressed. Reminds one of the line in the song ".. It's the Rich wot gets the pleasure, and the Poor wot gets the blame..."



On the day, 20 October, the Asteroid Ceres was in Conjunction with stern old Pluto, in no-nonsense Capricorn, conjunct the North Node, also in Capricorn. Pluto here seems to be caught in the act of "mugging"poor Ceres, Mother Earth herself,and a body discovered ON THE SAME DAY, in the Sign Taurus, that the United Kingdom was created -( on 1.1.1801)- by a Sicilian Monk - Giovanni Piazza. From that, one can infer a particular resonance and affiliation between Ceres, the Asteroid and the Archetype, and these British Isles, and, yes, also with Sicily/ Italy. Great Mother-Lands both. I should mention, too, that Saturn has recently crossed the threshold of the U.K. National Horoscope at 7 degrees Libra. Time to sober up and face facts -and invite useful and significant Change - there's the exciting bit...the Goodness in Men an Women, eclipsed to some degree by decades, centuries of intense Materialism, could break forth in a way that could amaze us all.



Tough Medicine (Mr. Osborne) - but why not reform the Tax System to achieve a similar result ?



RELIGIOUS SECTION !



The Gospel of Mark - worth a read, timeless wisdom which has little to do with the Christianity that followed (more politics, I fear...) - try this :- the Pharisees came to Jesus with a question " Is it right that we pay taxes to the Roman Emperor ? " (hoping to trap him into making a statement that could be construed as treasonous or offensive to the State) . Jesus said "Bring me a Silver piece and let me look at it." They brought one and he said to them - "Whose head is this, and whose inscription ?"."Caesar's", they replied. Then Jesus said "Pay Caesar what is due to Caesar, and pay God what is due to God". And they heard him with astonishment.



Neat. A nice example of "Libran" judgement - both profound and graceful.



Some Early Scorpio Birthdays. Private Eye (1961), The United Nations Organisation (1945), Wayne Rooney, footballer (1985), Modern Turkey (1923), Astrid Matthews (2009)-my Grand-Daughter.



The next session of Totnes Astrology - Fri. 5 Nov. 2-4 p.m.- at 6 Plymouth Road, Totnes, Devon.:- "SEASONAL FEASTS AND FESTIVALS"

- both Traditional and those evolving to match modern, and future, needs. Samhain/Hallow'een /being the next of these, at the end of October/early November.





Cheers, for now - OG (aka David Matthews.)

Popes and Pipers (at the Gates of Dawn).

Dear Friend - How are things with you? September is here, and so, for a few days, is the Pope.Who represents, in the eyes of some, a quaint old Patriarchal hangover from the Age of Pisces, a significant element of the Great Conspiracy of Control down here on Slave Planet Earth. Perhaps. But one can also sense the golden thread which leads , through many labyrinthine twists, back to the Light that was Jesus, the Christ, via Peter, the disciple to whom Jesus is reputed to have said (and you have probably heard this before...) :-

"Thou art Peter - and upon this Rock I will build my Church; and the Gates of Hell will not prevail against it."

Other Disciples were given, or found, missions of their own:- Thomas to India; Andrew eastwards- to become the founder and the figurehead of the Orthodox Church. Simon Zelotes (it is said) to Britain, as did Joseph of Arimathea, with a company of refugees, all of whom had been inspired and marked, for all time, by their association with the man Jesus, who had carried, for a while, the great burden and the indescribable glory, of the Christ. Mary Magdalene has been "rediscoved" - while St. John ? -perhaps the Interpreter of the coming Age of Aquarius.

And now the Age of Pisces yields to the Aquarian epoch - as we follow the Man with the Pitcher of Water to the Upper Room (raised vibration/higher consciousness..)- and we, the "friends", together have the responsibility for such teachings, or far better, a life lived as far as possible in that Spirit of Aquarian brotherhood/sisterhood, as is fitted for the present time.

And yet :- "Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven, and all else shall be added unto you ".

... still good advice after all these years..?

For the Astrologically inclined, the Present Pope, Joseph Ratzinger, born 16 April 1927, has Jupiter, in Pisces, right on the Ascendant of the Chart, with Sun closely trining Neptune. Jupiter Pisces rising is not a bad "signature" for the religious/devotional personality, and the Sun/Neptune aspect can represent innate attunement to "things beyond" . Both aspects lean toward the "cloistered existence", though with Jupiter, Uranus, Mercury, Sun and Chiron all in the First House, this is not much chance of languishing unnoticed in some remote seminary or on Father Ted's Craggy Island - speaking of which reminds us of the healing power of Humour, the good Zen Belly Laugh at the ludicrousness of most Human constructs.

Today's Jupiter/Uranus Conjunction falls upon the Pope's natal Mercury at 28 degrees Pisces. Where does it fall in your Chart ?For some, this aspect represents a major expansion of horizons and/or a chance to step out into something new.

Watching Uranus ! A few nights ago I was able to view, for the first time, to my knowledge, the Planet Uranus. Find Jupiter - unmistakeable - the brightest object at present in the Night Sky - look for the faint "star" just above and slightly to the right, and that will be Uranus (you'll need a decent pair of binoculars if you don't have access to a reliable telescope). The four major Moons of Jupiter can easily be seen, with binoculars, as they orbit rapidly their parent planet.

The discovery of Uranus by William Herschel on 13 March 1781, at Bath, England, represented a vast step out toward the Cosmos, for us all. Not to mention the advent of the Industrial Revolution and the genesis of the "Modern" world.But everything is cyclic, and no doubt Uranus was known to our forefathers long ago. Lost and re-discovered.Uranus/Ouranus = "Heaven" , while Gaia is "Earth". The Primal Couple. Venus, of course, was born of Uranus - showing us that Love (Venus) is our "heavenly" passport - "All you need is Love" ? - worth a shot, is it not ?

On that theme - a Seminar ! On FRIDAY 1 OCTOBER. 12.30-4.30. £30/25. "URANUS" . at 6 Plymouth Road, Totnes, Devon. Uranus then; now; as "ruler" of things Aquarian; and Uranus in your own Chart.(Drinks and snacks included).

Saturn is about to transit the Ascendant of the U.K. natal Chart (1.1.1801) at 7 Degrees Libra, for the first time since 1980/81( you'll remember that period, probably..). It will be interesting to see how things shape up, then, over the next several months for this Ancient Land, the abode of Giants, and some would say, a/the Heart Chakra of this Planet.

To paraphrase W.C. Churchill -he was referring to America (the U.S.A.):- " ...(Humanity) always does the right thing - after trying every other possible alternative ..." (!)

Yours, in Hope ... Og the Blog (aka David Matthews).

Raising Parents

Another nudge from the subconscious finds me here in Blogland, again, hope you will share with me, these ideas which seek admittance via the computerised portals of the 21st Century.

Early August, now, and the time of the Feast of Lammas - or "Loaf Mass" - when it is possible and practicable to begin the wheat and barley harvest - then, to grind the corn and bake the very first Bread of the season - a time of celebration, of deep visceral satisfaction - food for the furtherance of Life and the assurance that the family, the community will continue to develop through the generations.
Yesterday, 2 August, we did indeed see the very first (combine ) Harvesters out in the fields here in the South Hams of Devon. 2 or 3 men in attendance. 70 years or so ago harvesting was very much a community effort, with scores of people lending a hand, out in the field til dusk, continuing into the season of Virgo - the Lady who holds the Sheaf of Wheat. The many Summer Music Festivals of the present still bring thousands out into the fields ! Slightly different context, yet the underlying desire and motivation to celebrate Life and partake of "Mass" experience is not dissimilar.

Leo Time - and the Mayan Calendar begins, each year, on 26 July. There are 13 months in the Mayan Calendar, with 25 July as the "day out of Time" - a day for dream, contemplation, thanksgiving, spiritual orientation. It seems that increasing numbers of people are becoming aware of this new/old calendar. Will it "catch on"? Other groups, setting out bravely in new directions, have jettisoned the familiar Julian/Gregorian system - the Bahais, for example; the French Revolutionaries in 1789 ; the Quakers, who substituted "First Day, Second Day", etc. for "Sunday, Monday.." etc.

If, as some expect, the Earth will someday tilt, change its orbit, re-orient itself, then all our present co-ordinates, seasonal markers, rhythms, balance of Day and Night would alter completely- and that WOULD be a bold New Beginning for we who walk, down here, in the Field of Earth.

Leo - represents the energy, the Archetype of Creativity, especially as expressed through Fatherhood, though the Sun, Leo's Ruling "Planet", is seen by some cultures, notably in Germany and Japan, as Feminine.

As is said "Raising Parents is not easy", as each generation has to run the gauntlet, of the many prejudices and pre-suppositions of the previous generation... Fathers, in particular, still emerging from the collective authoritarian "fog" of the Piscean Age, will benefit from the warm, focused, affectionate steady Light of the Sun and Leo, in its higher manifestation. Aquarius;- the Group, all of Humanity, we, the Friends together (as a collective "Maitreya", too ), rings out the Keynote of this age, yet, Leo, and the Sun, represent a necessary and vital complement and counterbalance to what can be the rather remote, though sincere, idealism of Aquarius.
It is interesting to view, say, Barack Obama, with his Aquarius Ascendant and South Lunar Node: but Leo Sun, North Node and Uranus - as an example of this polarity in action (regardless, for the moment, of the System through which he has "ascended" and which grants him his position of influence).

Mythologically speaking (if you'll pardon the expression) - Ouranos, the original "Sky Father", when not impressed by the attributes of his own offspring- the Children of Gaia, would "bury" them - not fully acknowledge or admit them into his Heart. Similarly, Saturn, son of Ouranus, would "eat" his children - and this also a way of saying that Time (Saturn) devours all manifested Life - eventually. I suspect these legends refer to the "Gods" who, very probably "created" Mankind, in various stages, with more than a little Genetic Manipulation/Experimentation. Children grow up, though, Children of the Gods, no exception, and produce children of their own, and the same patterns, the Parent-Child dynamic repeats itself perpetually -Until the advent of Light, Insight, and the Understanding which arrives through the perspective of, say Psychology ( thanks, Herr Jung, old buddy..), or Astrology - just take a look at the Synastry (Birthchart Comparism) -between yourself and other family members - it will explain all/a great deal.
He or She who is your Son or Daughter, Father or Mother, Friend or Lover in this Life has almost certainly filled that, or some other role, in relation to you, in some Previous existence. There may be "karma" between you, which can be greatly ameliorated by patience and forethought, as we emerge from the rusting(and crumbling) shackles of a long dark era for Humanity.
Peter Deunov, the Bulgarian Sage/Teacher said that our Solar System, has, for a long period, been traversing a "contaminated" area of the Universe - probably true in different ways and on diferent levels. Perhaps that burden is due to be lifted - the Heart of the Sun, I suspect, holds the key and knows the timing of our likely release. In fact you are already "released" but may not know it....and birds, released, fly Upward. It has been a long, but interesting, detour for us, the Prodigal Sons and Daughters of the Heavenly Father..(you'll know the story.).

"Keep Calm and Carry On" - for the moment !

With Many Good Wishes -OG. (aka David Matthews).

Julian Days

Recently, I came across the following 2 bits of information, on the same day :- 1. There is a famous footballer, somewhere ,who earns £180,000 per week. 2. There is a small boy, in India, I believe, who earns 7p. per hour for a 97 hour week, making trinkets for sale in British shops.
Fair? And what does it say about values and standards extant on Planet Earth?

To be certain, everything is "recorded in the ether", and, sooner or later everything is balanced and accounted for, yet one wonders - why are we so slow to get the point - that such gross disparities contribute very little toward a sane and happy, even sustainable, life experience, "down here". IT NEED NOT BE THIS WAY.

There is saying, attributed to Jesus, though probably "as old as the hills" - " It is easier for a Camel to pass through the Eye of a Needle, than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven".- the Eye of the Needle, of course, being the small, low, gateway, easily defended against intruders, built into the wall of Near East cities, to pass through which, even a man of average height has to bow his head. If the above utterance represents an accurate picture of Terms and Conditions prevailing at Heaven's Turnstiles, then many will have much to think about...

While on the Jesus theme - " If your brother has no coat, and you have two, then give to him your spare one" (or similar.).
Or the advice given to the young rich man who wanted to join the band of Disciples :- " Give all you have to the Poor - and follow me"- advice which, at least initially, this young man was loath to follow.

Food for thought, yes? At the very least ,these are shock tactics designed to wake you from a complacent and customary groove.

All a bit serious - I am hoping to facilitate a Joke Channelling Workshop fairly soon. The following "came through" while travelling to give a talk at Kingsbridge :- A dyslexic Zoo Keeper in a stand-off with the Police sends a note "... I must warn you, I have a Gnu...".
Planned for Spike Milligan's birthday - 16 April 2011, please note.

"Nice Juan, Ferdinand !" - Spain! doing so well in football - European and World Champions. And Rafael Nadal winning Wimbledon.. I went off to consult Nicholas Campions' magnificent Book Of World Horoscopes to check on the Spanish "birthchart" - there are 2 in general use - "modern" Spain - for the coronation of King Juan Carlos on 22 Nov. 1975, and the other - for the creation of Spain by the marriage of Prince Ferdinand of Aragon to Princess Isabella of Castile on 19 January 1479. Using the technique of Secondary Progression on the latter Chart, we find that the Progressed Mars is now closely conjunct the natal Uranus/Neptune Conjunction in early Gemini. That well describes the burst of radical, sensational energy in the national psyche, expressed through their young Sportsmen by the progressed Mars, in Gemini, with the above mentioned Uranus/Neptune conjunction.( Mars represents young men, "warriors ", champions and "heroes" in a National Horoscope.)

As we move, collectively, through a Transition from one great Age to another (albeit that Earth-Life and our perception of it is partial, subject to distortion, seen "through a glass, darkly")- there is anticipation, uncertainty, vast potential, insecurity, yet one feels on the verge of liberation from the coils of the deadening materialism as we have endured "down here" for so long. I think the 5th Dimension beckons, what say you ? Is it to be:- Gradual Change, in Due Course, - or "The World Turned Upside Down ?".

We are of the Stars, made of Starry material, and yes, "anon" of my previous Blog - to the Stars we shall return. Meanwhile may we make best use of our Earthwalk, be patient with ourselves and one another, and sit, walk and move in the Light.

A quote from George Fox, - guiding Light , now as then, of the Quakers :- "When you "Sing" in the Spirit, you reach all others, in the Spirit."


Many Thanks - in Friendship - David Matthews (aka OG.)

Stars of Summer

Can this be real ? Blue skies and soft Summer Breeze, sea bathing at Torquay, sunsets of peach and pink ?? A reminder - and I hope you are benefiting from this more generous face of British Weather - that the best things in life are free and that our Earth life (our "Earthwalk") - was meant to be enjoyed and experienced in this way.

The Sun is "in" the Sign Gemini now (15 June 2010)- and we are heading toward the Summer Solstice - the "Longest Day" - on 21 June. The Sun is keeping company with the Stars of Orion- stars now subsumed in the radiance of that fiery Orb; - come the Winter Orion will be again a glorious sight in the Southern Sky. We CAN see, though, Arcturus, in Constellation Bootes, the Herdsman, bright Orange in colour, to the South, in the Night Sky - easy to spot.. The youngest and hottest stars appear Blue-White (Sirius, for example), while the reddish stars (Aldebaran, Betelgeux) are "old". Arcturus, in late middle age, hence the intermediate, orangey hue - is actually traversing our part of the Galaxy quite rapidly, -it is "passing through", albeit , from our perspective , a visit lasting many millions of years.

Arcturus, "Bear Guardian" or "Bear Ward" equates, of course, to Arthur, the mythical King and representative, along with Merlin, of the Soul of Britain. Do I hear him stirring?

Also visible - the" Summer Triangle" - of Vega, Altair and Deneb- high to the South as the Summer advances. Reddish Mars and pale, distant Saturn can be found, also, to the South. They are Conjunct on 31 July in 0 degrees Libra. By early August there is a quite splendid Cardinal T-Square gathering around us, with the Moon, on 6/ 7 August completing, briefly, a Cardinal Grand Cross.

NEPTUNE'S CUNNING PLAN:- investigation into the cycles of Neptune reveals the following :-

Neptune at Discovery by Johann Gottfried Galle at Berlin 23/4 September 1846 - was at 25 Degrees Aquarius, conjunct Saturn, also 25 Aquarius.
(Speculative, but very possible) Brutus the Trojan at Totnes, 1103 B.C. Neptune 25 Aquarius.
Joseph of Arimathea at Glastonbury (again, speculative but highly likely) by 40 A.D. - Neptune 25 Aquarius.
Death of Arthur (reputedly) 537 A.D. - Neptune 25 Aquarius.
King Canute and his encounter with the Sea ( he was demonstrating to his courtiers the limits of man's power in the face of the great impersonal Ocean, was he not?) A.D. 1026 - Neptune 25 Aquarius.
1190 A.D. Grave of Arthur and Guinevere ? found at Glastonbury, in an Oak cofffin at depth of 16 feet ( so the story goes) - Neptune 25 Aquarius.
Thomas More writes "Utopia" (reign of Henry the Eigth) - year 1515 - Neptune 25 Aquarius.
Neptune Discovery 1846 (as above) - also Brunel constructing the GWR - "God's Wonderful Railway" - this was exactly the time that the Exeter-Dawlish-Totnes stretch of line was under construction - Neptune 25 Aquarius. At same time the arrival of modern Spiritualism via the Fox sisters in New York State.

And now -2009/10 Neptune RETURNS to it's discovery Degree of 25 Aquarius, the third Return in this sequence in Late October/early November 2010. It is Stationary Direct(exceptionally powerful) in 25.55 Aquarius on 7 November.

One can understand that Neptune can represent sublime, "heavenly" inspiration and insight, designed to "loosen the chains of Matter" (Saturn!)..but also can manifest as (self) deception and mass delusion/illusion.
One would hope that the former case would apply, as true Vision, and an affirmation of the reality of the Communion of Souls, here and Elsewhere, would do us no harm at this most interesting stage of the Human experience...

A mention here - a Half-Day Seminar at 6 Plymouth Road, Totnes, on Thursday 22 July :-

" THE SATURN/URANUS OPPOSITIONS 2008-10" -a view of the interplay of these 2 Colossi in our world in general and- within our own Psyche ( bring your Birthchart, or ask me to print a copy for you. 1-4.15 p.m. £25.00


Many thanks for your kind attention. As Ever -OG (aka David Matthews).

Venus in a Blue Rinse

Hello, Friend; - the signs were there when Chelsea (the Blues) won the F.A. Championship. So now, we, (in the U.K.) have the Blue Party (Conservatives) , "in power"together with their new best friends the Gold/Yellow party, the Liberal Democrats. A combination of colours which engenders a greenish hue, I think. Different. Let's see how they progress.
A New Paradigm ? - possibly not, though some quite skillful Deckchair Re-arrangement.

Astrologically, our friends Cameron and Clegg have much in common. Both born in the year of the Fire Horse -1966-very early 1967. They BOTH have a close Opposition of Saturn and Uranus - perfect resonance with the current Opposition of these 2 Planets, though at their birth Saturn was in Pisces, and Uranus in Virgo. NOW , the 2 have "swapped" Signs, with Saturn back,briefly, in Virgo, opposing Uranus in Pisces. All very descriptive of the tensions and opportunities of the mid 1960's -now translated into the political arena by the emergence of a new generation - the 1960's born -into the Cabinet Room deliberations.
They BOTH have Jupiter in the 2nd Degree of Leo, in precisely the same degree as in the U.K. Chart - 1 Jan. 1801. So both can be Something Big in this land, as they touch a chord in the British psyche which, deep down, remembers a distant time when Kings and rulers did possess a divine, or "Golden" quality and expressed what we might describe as the Love/Wisdom; or 2nd Ray, aspect as represented by the Sun and Jupiter in combination. e.g. Sun conjunct Jupiter, or, Jupiter in Leo.

VENUS, during this Election period, has been in Gemini, describing the "courtship"that featured beween the Parties, the choices, or choosing;- the relative youthfulness of the main participants;
and, from a higher perspective, no matter how flawed the process, or how world-weary one might have become, Venus as Esoteric Ruler of Gemini acts here to blend, combine, interweave disparate energies, as Intermediary and Peacemaker.

If your head is reeling from this unsolicited barrage of Astro-Politics (which you didn't vote for !?) - then here is a verse of Folk-Song. -from "The Bonny Black Hare" (Trad.).:-

" On the fourtenth of May, at the Dawn of the Day,
with my gun on my shoulder to the woods I did stray,
Hoping to find, if the weather proved clear-
I might get a shot at the Bonny Black Hare..."

Euphemistic and not unconnected with the May-Time traditions (courtesy of Venus) of finding a partner and making some efforts towards procreation and continuation of the Species.- common to all species at this time of year- in this, the Northern Hemisphere.
There is a theory, that way back in time- Neolithic/Bronze Age ?, that many, perhaps a majority of children were conceived around Beltane -early May, as people expressed their natural, enforced by "Tribal",desire to unite as the Earth awoke under the influence of the strengthening Sun.
If that WAS the case, then many, perhaps a majority, would have been born around the time of Imbolc (Candlemas), in early February, nine months later. -A Society with a built-in Aquarian Majority ! The mind boggles - how were things -? Live and let Live? A lot of cool customers with an ingenious water supply and quite good Public Transport (Ox-carts, Canoes -or did they practise Levitation ?) Star-lore and Earth -Energies - they knew much that we are only just re-membering. John Michell and Alfred Watkins, Aquarians both -have opened our eyes to the works of our Ancestors. Stonehenge, Avebury, and a thousand other sites are now again "visible" to us all as we recognise the brawn, the brain, the body of the Ageless Landscape amongst which we are privileged to live and have our Being while in this physical sojourn.

It is possible, though, at some point, when the Universe "agrees", that Earth-life could take a very different direction - into the 4th/5th Dimension, up and away (vibrationally) from the strictly, physical, Time-bound, which is all too familiar. 2012 might be a step in that direction. Does the Phoenix await? The Crop Circles, I suspect, will continue to offer clues ..


"He who laughs at himself is never short of entertainment"


Many Thanks for your kind attention-

With All Good Wishes - OG (Aka David Matthews).