Ellie Catton & astrology of the Luminaries

"I'm over the Moon"

As soon as I heard of Ellie Catton and her shortlisting for the Man Booker literary prize It was very intriguing to find out how likely her chances were of winning - since astrological analysis is the focus of this blog -and her winning novel has a very structured astrological theme

Google searching only delivered a 1985 year of birth so I scoured images of her face for clues. I picked up the energy of Venus-Libra - but in an astrological chart we have all 12 signs activated to a greater or lesser degree -so any prominent factor can jump out.
Because the Cardinal signs [Aries, Libra, Cancer, Capricorn] are highly emphasised during the period 2012-2016 many people born under those signs are having major life-changing events arising.
I was left to ponder whether Ellie is in fact a Libran.
On Tues 15 [Weds 16 a.m. NZ time] the Canadian born New Zealander was confirmed as the Booker winner for English language literature.
She gave an extended speech which was played perhaps in part on Radio New Zealand:

Accepting the award, Catton said the prize is all the more incredible because her book has been a publisher's nightmare from the very beginning.

"The shape and form of the book made certain kinds of editorial suggestions not only mathematically impossible, but even more egregious, astrologically impossible," she said.

Oct 15 the BBC website gave Eleanor Catton a birthdate of 24 September 1985  born in London, Ontario in Canada.
The Sun is conjunct Mercury in Libra as this chart for 5 mins past midnight at the start of that day, is showing:

not the exact Ellie Catton chart but a 24 September 1985 chart
This gives relevant positions for Catton - except exact position of the fast-moving Moon and the positioning around the wheel. The AC-DC and MC-IC axes shown here are also not relevant to her-  click to enlarge

[update: clarification: a misheard excerpt form her acceptance speech referred not to herself being a Virgo - but an editor - this error has been removed from this section]

To know the full personal layout precisely needs the critical factor of her time of birth which may never be disclosed

Standout features of those born 24 Sept 1985

• Mercury in tight proximity to the Sun gives the reader-writer energy.
•  Pluto linked by semisextile gives great intensity of mind, even obsession and the urge to delve into taboo and metaphysical subjects.
•  Neptune also closely linked by square gives immense imaginative & creative abilities to the functions of mind.
• Jupiter closely linked by trine to Sun-Mercury adds many advantages derived from the territory of ideas, concepts, thought and communications
• Venus and Mars in Virgo are great tools for producing the writer's craft
• the strong activation of her potentials leading to the Booker win are almost entirely invisible without a precisely timed chart - but one factor does stand out -the destiny indicator -the lunar north node is effectively 10 Taurus - giving a 10 Scorpio South Node - during the run-up to the award the lunar North Node reached 10 Scorpio - Ellie Catton's destiny based on prior life talents was about to blossom. 

I am yet to read the novel but will do so with interest as I have no idea of the level of astrological knowledge that has been used. It is pleasing, for the promotion of astrology that the winner of such a prestigious prize utilised this ancient knowledge despite public sentiment having long ago been scared away by Christian extremism.

UPDATE January 2014
Have just completed reading The Luminaries & am preparing an Alternative Astrology of the Luminaries article, coming soon
Update February 2014
The Astrology of the Luminaries
"There was this large world of rolling time and shifting spaces, and that small, stilled world of horror and unease – they fit inside each other, a sphere within a sphere."

The astrological methodology used by Ellie Catton is by no means traditional - which seems reflected in her introductory reference to star-gazing with her father - which created an overlay of astronomical perspectives -specifically the issue of precession -which says the planets no longer occupy the positions that were originally determined. 
She says she used charts from Sky & Telescope magazine and a software program called Stellarium to plot the stars and planets corresponding to the timeframe of the narrative. 

Though referring to “triple conjunction in Sagittarius, three planets in the same sign” -there is no astrological occurrence of this in the planetary data for the key date 27 January 1866 -The chart she used for this was from astronomical data.

the astrology of January 1866 has no triple conjunction in Sagittarius

Make no mistake: astrology and astronomy inhabit two different conceptual territories. 
Astrology is the wholistic language of quantum reality
Astronomy is the language if the mechanistic model
The two will never agree on the larger nature of space-time reality
So it becomes somewhat confusing to analyse Catton's hybrid version
This extra reference to the mathematics of the Golden Ratio adds another layer of complexity to unpick:
...she based its structure on a device derived from the geometrical idea of the golden spiral.
“I had become fascinated with this idea … can I write a book that has 12 parts, where every part stands in golden ratio in terms of length to the part that comes after it? the Listener

Considering the use of time and the movements of the planets, as portrayed in her precession-corrected astrology charts, Catton proceeds as follows:

27 January 1866

18 February 1866

20 March 1866

then a time shift...27 April 1865

proceeding forward again

27 April 1866

then a time shift...12 May 1865

proceeding thru 1865

18 June 1865

28 July 1865

22 August 1865

20 September 1865

11 October 1865

...a gap. No November

proceeding...

3 December 1865

14 January 1866

There are 13 dates

But only 12 are assigned as Parts of the tale

12 is the traditional number of astrological Houses, or divisions of the 360 degree astrological circle, or wheel of the heavens

The unassigned date is 27 April 1866 -as if that date and it's anniversary 27 April 1865 become merged in quantum, non-linear time

Of the 13 dates, only two are assigned a location

27 April 1865 Dunedin

27 April 1866 Hokitika

Thus the pairing knits together the two key settings for the succession of interconnected lives

The cycle starting 27 January 1866 [Part 1] ends on 14 January 1866 [Part 12] -another example of non-linear, quantum time - mistakenly conceived of by most as the stuff of nonsense -" you ended up finishing before you started!" - something Lewis Carroll would have been very proud to have constructed. His thinking so clearly revealed in the Alice stories is a clear example of the peculiarities of the quantum domain of reality underlying everyday existence -[ for a watchable version of quantum theory What the Bleep]

Mathematical factors include not only the mathematics of astrology and the assigned Golden Ratio structure but also fundamental mirroring:

There are 3 months using the date the 27th: 

April 1865, April 1866, and January 1866

The use of the 28th as well as in 28 July 1865 is relevant from an astrological perspective since the position of the Sun has a connection to all other similar dates:

27 April 1865 & 27 April 1866 = 6 degrees of Taurus, with Moon in Air -Libra in 1866

27 January 1866 = 7 degrees Aquarius

28 July 1865 = 5 degrees Leo with Moon in Air -Libra

This becomes interesting when graphically portrayed:

These four signs are connected, being part of the set of zodiac energies described as fixed [consistent, stubborn] in their expression.

The 3 dates above feature 3 of the four and indicate determined, willful,forces connected and opposed. 

Other dates repeated are

18 June 1865 = 27 Gemini

18 February 1866 = 29 Aquarius

On both dates the Moon was in the Fire sign Aries

These dates connect as 2 parts of a triangle

20 September 1865 = Sun 27 Virgo New Moon

20 March 1866 = 29 Pisces

These two signs are in near exact opposition - linked as bring similar as well as different in energy.

These are 2 [earth & water] of the mutable set of signs.

The other signs are Sagittarius and Gemini -and as we see 27 Gemini occurred on 18 June 1865.

The 3 combined produce a pattern of opposing and connected changing forces

A slighter looser grouping has:

May 12 1865  = Sun 21 Taurus with Moon in Fire - Sagittarius

October 11 1865 = Sun 18 Libra

January 14 1866 = Sun 23 Capricorn with Moon in Fire - Sagittarius

Taurus and Capricorn link by being both Earth signs

Libra compared to Capricorn & Taurus shows an elemental conflict -Air vs Earth

Then

August 22 1865 = Sun 29 Leo

is an exact [seasonal, energetic] opposite of 

Sun 29 Aquarius which occurred on 18 February 1866

[the variable orbit of the sun means zodiac positions are not an exact match for calendar dates

The seemingly stand alone date is Dec 3 1865

Sun = 11 Sagittarius with a waning Full Moon in Gemini

The Beginning:

27 January 1866 has Moon in Gemini

The End

14 January 1866 has Moon in Sagittarius

These 2 signs are paired opposites -Air & Fire in the Mutable set

When analysing the Sun positions in terms of zodiac sets [Cardinal, Fixed or Mutable] 

the 13 dates have the Moon in

Cardinal [Aries,Libra, Cancer or Capricorn] 2 times

Fixed [Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius] 7 times

Mutable [Pisces, Gemin. Virgo, Sagittarius]  4 times

When analysing the Moon positions in terms of zodiac sets [Cardinal, Fixed or Mutable] the 13 dates have the Moon in

Cardinal [Aries,Libra, Cancer or Capricorn] 5 times

Fixed [Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius] 2 times

Mutable [Pisces, Gemin. Virgo, Sagittarius]  6 times

The dominant Sun energy is Fixed

The dominant Moon energy is Mutable

Sun energy is traditionally associated with hi-profile, directive & male energy

Moon energy is traditionally associated with low-profile, responsive & female energy

In terms of characters in the story

Carver typifies a fixed male Solar energy

Anna typifies a mutable female Lunar energy

though it is said that Emery is paired with Anna as the Solar-Lunar Luminaries, they in fact are two peas in a pod rather than complementary forces.

Reading the book in entirety the overwhelming energy is Neptunian - the planetary energy linked to the zodiac sign Pisces, which is Mutable Water.

The manifestations of Piscean/Neptunian references, themes & characters are numerous: the opium dealer, the chaplain, the shipping agent, the chemist, drugs and medicines, the hermit, being comatose from drug overdose, the mysterious disappearance of Emery, the hidden gold, the stolen gold, the drug-addicted Anna, deceit, impersonation, theft and forgery, multiple identities.

the astrology of the characters
is less interesting to me having some superficial pairings -The newspaperman is a Gemini & the others have escaped me , not having a copy to hand at this time.

In summary:
The book used a hybrid language scantily based on astrology symbolism, more on astronomy data, with some astrological character elements.
I have read several gushing commentaries by astrologers about how wonderful it is to have astrology so prominently profiled but am left wondering if they have actually read and analysed the book.
There is far more to the structure on a mathematical level with quantum aspects of time-shifting and there are interesting links astrologically between key dates -which now seem to have been oblivious to Catton if she was soley using astronomical data

Read this explanation also re the difference between constellations and the zodiac & the nonsense re the so called 13th sign

WIKI entry
Guardian article
BBC birthdate statement
Book extract
Book Review
The astrological structure -some commentary from Catton to a sceptical UK journalist
star sign confirmed - Catton tells me her birthday was last month and her star sign is Libra.

Why Mayor Len Brown Should Resign

Auckland Mayor Len Brown confirmed on October 15 2013 that he had an extra-marital affair of some two years duration

Public opinion is of course divided on account of the range of moral and ethical positions held amongst people of various beliefs, cultures, education

                                                   scroll to end for latest updates

The Personal

Mayor Brown had presented himself as the archetypal family man as befits a high profile politician and the obligatory photo shoots.

The Mayor acknowledges the affair but maintains -having just been re-elected to a second term to lead New Zealand's largest city - that it is business as usual and that this is a private and family matter he needs to resolve with them alone.

Hong Kong born Bevan Chuang has been identified as the woman involved with Brown, allegedly up until July 2013 - on account of the online publication of a sworn affidavit filed on October 15 which provides salacious details of the conduct of both parties from her perspective.

Public opinoin on the morning of October 16, despite the Mayor's mea culpa on Campbell Live TV3 the prior evening - is in favour more of him resigning than staying - and Chuang herself is making this call. Left opponent John Minto also agrees a resignation is appropriate.

The Politics

The politics of it are

• Len Brown is regarded as a Left or Centre Left politician
• The blogger site running the affidavit is run by an extreme right wing muckraker
• the blogger's father was campaign manager for the right wing candidate Palino in the Mayoralty election
• Chuang is described as a right wing political aspirant who unsuccessfully stood as a candidate in the Auckland local body elections as a member of the Communities and Residents group, aligned with the National Party.

These factors have led many to see a conspiracy to undermine Len Brown for political gain.

The Power Equation

This stands out as the crux of the issue

Len Brown is alleged to have pursued Bevan Chang with texts and invitations to meet and eventually he is said to have touched her arm and hand. Eventually this became allegedly a kiss he planted on her unexpectedly and eventually ongoing sexual relations.

Though not employed by the Council itself, Chuang was on an advisory board related to council functioning

She is a political novice

Ms Chuang is 32 years of age and Len Brown is 57

Mayor Brown is in a position of considerable power.

This is a classic case of power abuse in term's of Len Brown's behaviour

His position of authority is unquestionably of major significance in dealing with a much younger female, who also happens to be from an immigrant culture and who had political aspirations.

Chuang herself likens her situation to the Clinton-Lewinsky case.

The Bigger Picture

The purpose of this blog is to put news stories into a broader social context by means of astro-analysis of energies in play.

As noted in many prior posts, the current period 2012-2016 is one of major political, economic, social and environmental transformations as identified by the 90 degree pairing of Uranus and Pluto. October 2013 sees the close approach of these planets to their eventual fourth exact square on the 31st. 

This brings to the fore the energies of significant transformational events and in the process of this societal change, many high profile men have fallen from grace on account of abusing their power.
[Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, Berlusconi, Jimmy Saville, the sex allegations against Rolf Harris, William Roche to name a few]

The influences prevailing mean this is the time for the secrets to come out of the woodwork and for those who abuse power to be held to account because human relations are in need of a makeover.

On account of these prevailing energies, the Brown affair having been disclosed in October 2013 means the situation becomes an archetypal example of the rot in the system that needs to be cured. This will not be swept under the carpet by people in the way the Mayor is pleading for

He has learnt nothing from his behaviour and is showing the sort of arrogant blindness that will only trip him up again. His main statement in terms of retaining the Mayoralty is: I love this job. I want to continue my agenda. Me. Me. Me.

Born October 1 1956
Len Brown is a Libran -the sign of partnership

He has Moon and Venus in Leo -the performer, entertainer, and attention-loving qualities

Mars in Pisces - the achilles heel re sexual indiscretions, predisposed to sexual fantasy

Juptiter opposite Mars enhances the sex drive

5 factors connected at 29 degrees [ Saturn-Node, Neptune, Mercury, Pluto - give him great drive, energy and ambition - but this combination  adds even more to the tendency to have a downfall on account of a sex scandal - Saturn is in the sex sign Scorpio and is exact in contact with the destiny indicator the lunar north node.
Neptune adds to the secrecy, fantasy and deceit, Pluto is the obsessive element - all impacting the mental functioning of someone meant to be making billion-dollar decisions and interacting with a broad range of people.

A fatal impoverishment in his judgement is not just a private matter.

Len Brown should resign.

[disclosure: my politics are Left as you can get -and I'm glad I didn't vote for Brown]

addendum October 16
I am advised that some blokes on social media had a collective apoplexy the morning this was posted due to their overly hasty mis-reading of the section about high-profile figures falling from grace in the period 2012-2016.
This italicised aspect of the commentary did not equate Len Brown's behaviour with that of Berlusconi or Jimmy Saville etc per se, but that, like them, he is a high profile figure falling from grace in the context of what seems clearly an abuse of power situation.
For example: today you can also add ex Auckland Mayor John Banks to the list of those falling from grace: he faces a humiliating court trial over allegations of fraud related to electoral donations -and as a consequence within a short time resigned his portfolios.

update October 20
People who have read my post on the Mighty River Power sharemarket float will know that I forewarned that this was a turkey due to the prevailing energies which were in play when the government chose to offer shares.
The same issue arises in the Len Brown case:
what were the prevailing energies when the news broke on October 15?

The paired eclipses - October 18 [annular lunar] and November 3 [total solar] give the biggest clues in terms of their impact on Len Brown.
[Space-time differs from standard time on earth: related events can arise before, around or after a strong activation like an eclipse if that activation point i.e. zodiac degree is triggered by the passage of another planetary energy across that activation point]

Not only do the eclipse patterns include the over-riding Uranus-Pluto signifier of deep-seated collective change being top of the current global agenda -as detailed above - but Len Brown himself - a symbol of relating conduct that needs to change -  has significant enough links to both eclipses to anticipate that the issues arising from his actions will not disappear quickly.
Indicators in November point to more intense heat being applied to him and a long-unfolding aftermath of self-confrontation and soul-searching stretches even beyond 2015. A man at a moral crossroads with a rather large audience.

update October 21
When a single individual is in the public eye on account of behaviour people find unacceptable, that person serves as a collective learning experience: many will have transgressed in a similar fashion or will be currently & some may just be planning to.
The public response serves as a gauge of what is and what is not acceptable in society in any era.
Lying, cheating, stealing, violence and murder have attracted penalties since forever, but when these actions are highlighted within a political context many other complexities enter the arena.
Len Brown being so recently re-elected to the Mayoralty & with Councillors about to also start a new term, political expediency muddies the morality issue significantly.
Len Brown, above all things, wants to pursue his political agenda.
Councillors who support that agenda have to choose between personal/political loyalty and their own stance on morality issues.
The alternative of a by-election and new vote is totally unpalatable when political ambition is to the fore.
The rationalisation of Brown & supporters that a personal & family relationship crisis has no bearing on the Mayor's administrative capacity is completely fatuous, self-deluding and an attempt to delude others.
The textbook mea culpa on Campbell Live was simply an exercise in politically expedient PR 101 damage control.
Then the advice on page 2 of the handbook is Lay Low for Several Days
Page 3 itemises the Recovery Phase

• Proceed As Normal
• Maintain a Confident Air 
• Smile 
• Make Light of The Issue
• Keep Minimising The Issue when pressed for comment

A highly stage-managed whilst simultaneously highly transparent procedure designed to fool most of the people most of the time.

Abe Lincoln is said to have encountered this phenomenon and observed similarly:

You can fool some of the people all of the time

and all of the people some of the time

 but you can not fool all of the people all of the time

What a sorry state when naked ambition is accepted as more important than honesty, integrity, fidelity and how others are treated.

update October 24 2013
In the wake of what most would consider a week from hell, Len Brown has maintained a pro-active defense strategy to the point of publicly requesting that politicians private lives ought to be protected. This comes in light of a now publicly revealed  hear no evil-see no evil-report no evil pact that has existed between New Zealand media and politicians since whenever.
???
Yes this coterie of almost exclusively men, until recent times, seems to have more in common with Freemasonry or some secretive Lodge - even the Catholic Church with its containment of sexual abuse is a parallel.
Keeping secrets in order to provide protection to a supposed privileged sector is totally unacceptable.
Politicians are the employees of the people.
They are in positions of power over the lives of others.
They ought to be open to full scrutiny.
The fact that Len Brown is asking for this entitlement further reinforces his lack of perspective and faulty judgement.
The Mayor in the wake of his public shaming has made no effort to resign from his  honorary role as President of the Home & Family Counselling organisation

Len Brown is continuing to behave like a man who has lived for 57 years and never truly faced accountability, like he is therefore beyond accountability.
He is tempting fate in the most dangerous of ways.

Updated
December Friday 13 2013
Report released into the Mayor's conduct & where Council protocols or Code of Conduct may have been breached
Primarily failure to declare free hotel rooms and upgrades in hotel accommodation were highlighted - initial report
The Full EY Report of 19 pages is here

December 17
Where is the Moral/Ethical Leadership?

                         
More apologies from Len Brown but this is starting to sound like a man who feels he is untouchable, he can do anything - so long as he apologises. This is a trick children can learn very early in the game when they have overly indulgent parenting.
Andrew Dickens on the ZB site sums up many reasons for the widespread ongoing disquiet -including former supporters within Council calling for an official censure.
Conflict of interest arises re complementary & upgrade hotel rooms provided by Sky City to Len Brown since Sky City is involved in a controversial pokies for convention centre deal with the government
Net closes in aimed to set tight boundaries around Loosehead Len

                                  All credit - save the updates - to 1970's artist Darryl Kirby
December 18 2013
On this day the websites of Radio NZ and the NZ Herald gave top priority to the call for Len Brown to resign.
RNZ pic also showed the print Herald front page:

Despite wide public disapproval, media consensus & public placard-waving Brown continues to stick to his position: I have apologised and I want to move on
December 19 2013
At the meeting of the Council where the issue of censure against Mayor Brown was addressed Auckland Council preferred to stick with the status quo rather than upturn the applecart. This was the wrong decision as time will tell
Only 5 of the 20 wanted to push for a No Confidence vote.
This era -2012-2016 has a theme of bedrock change being required to remove rotten practices & their perpetrators -whether that be in politics, finance, the priesthood, business or amongst the ranks of "celebrities" - to name just some contexts where change - by virtue of exposure - is already being observed.
Surprisingly though it was Councillors on the Right who wanted the more extreme censure: paradoxically they are the voices of the sort of change required and voiced by citizens on the true Left whereas the moderate Left on the council & some right leaning councillors have followed the path of political expediency, in the name of political stability.
This unconscious attempt to go against the flow of change is pointless. Change will happen. People of the type exemplified by Len Brown no longer have a valid place as leaders in our communities, nations or globally
The tide is against them & by choosing to dig in, Len Brown will be struggling offshore against a very strong current

Further Reading:
2015 report on the highlights and lowlights of the Brown mayoralty
Len Brown's family values role

Herald news report

Chuang calls for Mayor to stand down

The Affidavit

Oh LORDE - her "Royals" fame is written in the stars

October 2013: New Zealand born singer Ella Yelich-O'Connor at the age of 16 has attained music royalty with her single "Royals"

Her stage name is Lorde - reportedly due to a fascination with nobility rather than religiosity and her exceptional talents are in bloom on a global scale.

 updates have been inserted before the original post: Lorde's Astrology

update February 12 2026

Lorde has her Saturn Return in Aries - on her birthdate November 7 1996 the position of Saturn was 1º13 Aries and in late February 2026 Saturn reaches that exact position. She turns 30 November 2026 and this tends to be the age 28-30 period when people take on more adult commitments or can reach professional heights

Now an A-rated data chart is published her full chart and fine detail is visible showing her Moon in Virgo is most elevated and the Libra music factors are in the career zone.

The Capricorn rising sign plus planets Jupiter and Neptune in Capricorn point to her big and successful career and her capacity to generate a spiritual experience in the work she produces.

News reports at time of posting here show she is on a big tour:

news reports Feb 12 2026

update January 2018

At the Grammy awards Lorde suffered a snub in the aftermath of her decision to cancel a concert in Tel Aviv Israel.  It has to be said that the treatment of Lorde is directly linked to her decision to take a political stance -but G**gl* is making it hard to find commentary on this larger context. Power huh.

Update jan 2015
Lorde awaits the outcome of her nomination for Yellow Flicker Beat.
Some positive indicators in the transiting planets look good for her.

update April 10 2014

Lorde is a front runner in the Billboard Music Awards, with 12 nominations -report

update February 19 (UT) 2014

Continuing with her amazing momentum of success, Lorde won the Brit Award for International Female Solo Artist - seeing off competition from long established contemporaries including Pink, Lady Gaga & Katy Perry.

This is clearly Lorde's time...read the astro-analysis in the main post below to see why.

update January 27 (NZT) 2014
With the 56th Grammy Awards timed to run in the time frame 4-8pm in Los Angeles on Sunday January 26 attention is focussed on Lorde's potential to win in any of the four categories for which she is nominated over her song Royals & album Pure Heroine 
[ record of the year, song of the year, best pop solo performance and best pop vocal album]

The prior analysis contained in this blog post noted her strong destiny to achieve a very fortunate career in the music industry.
The very same elements in her energy are highly energised and emphasised in the time frame surrounding and following the awards, into February.
A sample chart for 6pm at the 56th Grammy Awards , showing the energy in effect for everyone

LA at 6pm January 26

LA chart shows the Royal sign Leo at the left, in the Rising or Ascendant position= the horizontal axis across the chart.
This is at 16 degrees which is a powerful activator of Lorde's Sun-Mercury conjoined at 16 Scorpio.
Leo is the rising sign during the event until just after 7pm LA time.
But the main focus is on the pattern involving Jupiter in Cancer [top left] in a diagonal link -opposite Pluto and Venus in Capricorn in the 5th sector.
The 5th is the Leo/Royal energy zone of the chart
Jupiter is positioned at close to 13 Cancer
Pluto and Venus conjoin at 13 Capricorn
This exact alignment has a signature of immense power fortune and wealth to be connected to anyone on the planet who strongly matches this pattern in their own astrological energy blueprint.

Lorde has Venus at 10 Libra  
She has Jupiter at 14 CapricornThis pairing has a synergised position of 12 degrees in 2 signs which resonate strongly with the prevailing  Cancer-Capricorn pattern

This is a significant enough energy match and positional range to conclude that the Grammy Awards in 2014 will be a major success for Lorde.

Whether that constitutes a single or multiple awards is the question but the potential is there for BIG achievement.
Jupiter and Venus together do not deliver small doses.

update from GRAMMY AWARDS 
The Outcome: Lorde won TWO grammy awards. [song of the year, best pop solo].
A first for NZ. A major milestone for her.

update January 29 2014

                           

2014

Ella's school in Auckland posted a large banner after the Grammy wins.
The Latin motto above refers to greatness achieved through effort & hard times
"Per Augusta Ad Augusta"

Back in New Zealand to perform at a waterfront concert in Auckland on January 29, a tired & overwhelmed Lorde expressed some disdain over the treatment she received:

As will be evident from the analysis to follow, issues of power and sexual politics in particular are the bread and butter concerns of Scorpio-born people, from their earliest years onward.

Being young, female, charismatic and physically appealing is far from an easy road to travel even in the day to day life of a person out of the fame spotlight.
Being under the media microscope & enmeshed in a multi-billion dollar industry intensifies the stakes to a stratospheric level.
Ella/Lorde is discovering even more than she already knew about the way in which power draws people to you and that some come your way in order to possess and dominate your power.
She has the ability to stay in control of this, but the testing of her boundaries is going to be an ongoing issue

                                           *******************************

Original post October 2013

Lorde's astrology

Born in Auckland, New Zealand on November 7 1996
- no birth time is available 

- this partial analysis for Lorde is based on the planetary energy picture prevailing on that day.

Planetary positions on the day Ella was born are
SUN 15 SCORPIO
MOON -  undetermined [Virgo or Libra on that day]
MERCURY 18 SCORPIO
VENUS 10 LIBRA
MARS 4 VIRGO
JUPITER 14 CAPRICORN
SATURN 1 ARIES
URANUS 1 AQUARIUS
NEPTUNE 25 CAPRICORN
PLUTO 2 SAGITTARIUS
NODES 7 LIBRA-ARIES
CHIRON 23 LIBRA

• With Sun and Mercury in Scorpio - a perceptive insightful mind, intense thoughts.

The big issues of life, the taboo subjects, death, dying, sex, sexuality,
power/powerlessness are all contemplated, discussed, read and written about.
Mercury being emphasised by proximity to the Sun gives greater than usual
activity of the mind - living a lot inside the head.

• Scorpios are capable of extreme self transformations repeatedly in one lifetime if they follow their gut instincts -and this is a very instinctually-aware sign.

Negative use or frustrations of this energy can result in the tormenting of others due to intense inner turmoil - born of the resistance to deep change.
Scorpios are complicated.

• Ella has Saturn in Aries creating further complications by close engagement with the Sun-Mercury pairing.

Self doubt, self sabotage, fears and insecurity, negativity even basic shynesshave to be overcome  in order for her full personal potential to be unleashed.
The Scorpio and Saturn mix combine intensity with seriousness.

• Her saving grace is that Uranus - strongly expressed in Aquarius provides a significant antidote to the undermining drives of Saturn.

• Uranus and Aquarius promote rebellion, eccentricity unconventionality, rule-breaking, individualistic expression versus Saturn's restraining, restricting influence [which has the potential to curb and control creativity and spontaneous self expression in favour of conformity or a more conservative or classic styles and themes]

Saturn and Uranus paired together are like a parent trying to control a child - sometimes one gets the control, sometimes the other. It's an internal battle with external consequences revealed.

• The north node of the Moon was in Libra in November 1996.

The north node is a directional or life-path pointer -
something very important to achieve - your destiny if you like - in this lifetime:

Libra is associated with any type of partnership where relating in
co-operation with another is needed,  this can include marriage as well as close relationships and working or business partnerships.
Music, fine art, culture, beauty, personal appearance and fashion
are all expressions of the Libran planet -Venus

• On the day of Ella's birth, Venus was positioned in Libra very close to the lunar north node. This creates a double emphasis and a more powerful destiny in respect of any of the range of Libra-Venus expressions

• Jupiter -an indicator of fortune and personal growth was in Capricorn - which offers great potential for a very successful career.

Jupiter connects to her Scorpio Sun and Venus in Libra -
reinforcing the promising destiny in the music or other creative industries

With Pluto in Sagittarius stressing her Mars in Virgo - Ella needs to be wary of male energies seeking to control her. She needs to maintain her own power and beliefs and avoid forceful men drawn to her charisma and driven to own it.

and as for exquisitely perfect timing
[the hallmark of astrology]

Lorde's single Royals reached No 1 in the US Billboard charts in October 2013

Reported on October 2 when the Sun was 9 Libra [at 0 hrs UT]

Ella's Lunar North Node is 7'30 Libra

Her Venus is 10 Libra

The conjoined energy of these two was strongly activated at the start
of October 2013, confirming the powerful aspects of destiny at work
for Ella Yelich-O'Connor in her professional persona, Lorde.

ROYALS

[Verse 1]
I've never seen a diamond in the flesh
I cut my teeth on wedding rings in the movies
And I'm not proud of my address,
In a torn-up town, no post code envy

[Hook]
But every song's like gold teeth, grey goose, trippin' in the bathroom
Blood stains, ball gowns, trashin' the hotel room,
We don't care, we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams.
But everybody's like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your time piece.
Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash.
We don't care, we aren't caught up in your love affair.

And we'll never be royals (royals).
It don't run in our blood,
That kind of luxe just ain't for us.
We crave a different kind of buzz.
Let me be your ruler (ruler),
You can call me queen Bee
And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule.
Let me live that fantasy.

[Verse 2]
My friends and I – we've cracked the code.
We count our dollars on the train to the party.
And everyone who knows us knows that we're fine with this,
We didn't come from money.

[Hook]
But every song's like gold teeth, grey goose, trippin' in the bathroom.
Blood stains, ball gowns, trashin' the hotel room,
We don't care, we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams.
But everybody's like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your time piece.
Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash
We don't care, we aren't caught up in your love affair

And we'll never be royals (royals).
It don't run in our blood
That kind of luxe just ain't for us.
We crave a different kind of buzz.
Let me be your ruler (ruler),
You can call me queen Bee
And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule.
Let me live that fantasy.

Ooh ooh oh
We're bigger than we ever dreamed,
And I'm in love with being queen.
Ooh ooh oh
Life is great without a care
We aren't caught up in your love affair.

And we'll never be royals (royals).
It don't run in our blood
That kind of luxe just ain't for us.
We crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your ruler (ruler),
You can call me queen Bee
And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule.
Let me live that fantasy.

[LYRICS as per AZLYRICS

As we all should know, lyrics - whether found in songs, poems or any form of free-flowing creative writing, are in the mind of the beholder, so perhaps it is unsurprising that an American woman writing on a blog feministing chose to configure this song as a racist insult.
Huge leap, and a rather twisted take from the position held by Lorde herself on where her head is at.
This young woman is VERY aware, very brave and very intent on presenting another way of being.
If Verónica Bayetti Flores thinks misogynist violence and the worshipping of all of the worst excesses of white culture found commonly in black rap lyrics & video content are worth defending then she belongs in the past.

 
New Zealanders are known for being progressive. 

2013 appearance on US tv's Ellen -Lorde is on a rocking roll.
With it's rousing collective spirit, this song has very much the quality of an anthem, a critique coming from an emerging adult, about the very contemporary zeitgeists  money & power

October 15 2013 -Lorde wins first music award NZ Apra Silver Scroll

October 24 2013
Royals is such a global anthem it is not surprising that the cover versions just keep on coming.
NZ Herald selects a few variations

October 28 2013
By now Lorde's Royals has cracked the no 1 spot in the US, Canada, Ireland, UK, Australia, New Zealand - an unprecedented achievement for a New Zealand singer.

November 2013
Royals remains Billboard #1
Time Magazine names Lorde in its global list of influential teens
Publishing deal makes Ella an overnight millionaire

Mesmerizing, extremely charismatic, theatrical, eccentric, like the reincarnation of goddesses & shamans, Lorde stands way apartfrom the reigning style of pop diva. Her entry onto the global music
arena is likely to be very influential

LORDE Rookie Mag interview online Jan 2 2014

October 2013 Full Moon Eclipse - astro-analysis

This is a global report observed from the perspective of Deep Space.
Certain people and places resonate most strongly with the vibratory energy pattern that prevails. Follow global news to discover the most high profile where and who is responding - but be assured you will encounter the energy close at hand as well.

October begins in the wake of a big coronal mass ejection from the Sun.

 This LASCO3 image shows the enormity of scale -the sun, outlined in white behind the dark blue occulting disc. The event was spawned from a massive filament eruption noted in a Spaceweather report:

The "quiet" is the underwhelming level of x-ray activity & overall magnetic activity at this period of supposed peak in solar cycle 24.
But filaments are another story and they are providing the most action of late.

Using a holistic approach the issues and activity of the sun are factored in as having significant if not dominant connection to conditions on planet earth.
Furthermore, the issues and conditions affecting the rest of the solar system are of considerable significance and cannot be overlooked in a holistic analysis.

The beginnings of the filament eruption occurred close to 9.45pm Universal Time on Sunday September 29, followed by the massive output of charged material into the solar system environment.
Earth and its human technologies being the best currently available laboratory for observing corresponding effects, records very evident flow-on effects from solar and solar system activity, for those who wish to see them and connect the dots beyond the limited focus of the mainstream science community.
The earth's tectonic plates are significantly affected by spaceweather - the consequences of solar processes and other consequences of the galactic bodies enacting their ongoing tumultuous processes of destruction and rebirth.
Increased seismic activity is likely to be observed in response to any big hit from space events - some will be observed as recorded earthquake events - but in other cases the tectonic movement may be more subtle and progressing towards a later event.

The Pacific Ocean in the South Pacific Islands region of Fiji and Tonga has been unstable in this time frame along with activity along the plate boundary north east of New Zealand - a M6.5 there on Mon Sept 30

In the very unstable Christchurch-Canterbury region of New Zealand a strongly shaking M4.6 occurred on Oct 1 after a relatively quiet period

Quakelive data

Pakistan remains unstable though the precursor event occurred on Sept 25 and has been sustained since then into October 2013.
Global quakes - 11 over M4 - from USGS Sept 30-Oct 1 are mapped here

In addition to solar activity with earth effects unfolding -and due to increase once charged sub-atomic material in the solar wind reaches earth's atmosphere around late evening of Oct 2 universal time [NZ morning of October 3] - other solar system players are capable of aggravating the situation.
Pluto at 9 Capricorn and Uranus at 10 Aries arguably set up conditions on September 28 when the Sun in Libra and Moon in Cancer formed a four-way equinoctial maelstrom called a cardinal cross - all four signs of that energy type interacting under stress.
In October, on the 1st & 2nd Pluto alone strengthens its stress angle to the sun, soon joined by Uranus opposing the sun strongly on 2nd-3rd - so these two forces - known for destructive and deathly upheavals are in the time-frame of likely solar-magnetic interaction with earth - the extent of which is dependent on the magnetic coupling of the solar wind's interplanetary magnetic field - it needs to be southwards not north when it reaches earth to have a reactive connection to our planet's magnetic field.

In addition this activity aligns with the build-up phase of the October New Moon in Libra [ 12 Libra on Oct 5]
Many examples arise of events erupting 3 days before the new or full moon - so this reinforces the power of energy as it builds. 3 days before the 5th = the 2nd

Libra corresponds with the vital keyword BALANCE -  the source so so much personal, collective, environmental and planetary misery when BALANCE is forsaken in favour of extremism and excess. 

• This issue is very tied up with the October New Moon -intensified by the position of Pluto in Capricorn at a 90 degree angle and Uranus in Aries opposite the Sun-Moon at the 180 degree position
• Saturn at 10 Scorpio links into the string of positions already noted at 9,10 and 12 degrees
• Pluto-Uranus-Saturn connected to a new moon are not a pretty picture -despite the sign Libra being highlighted [ Libran issues associated via Venus with art, culture, beauty, partnerships, marriage, economy, balance, fairness, justice] With very stressful conditions configured around this October new moon the associated issues are in an intensely negative mode during the one month time frame of effect.
•  Venus, Saturn, north lunar node and Mercury all in Scorpio generate intense expressions of feeling - in addition to that stimulated by Pluto - in response to the Libran issues - with marital, partnership, financial issues most likely to be involved, along with examples of injustice, unfairness and imbalance
• The Pluto-Uranus effect is accentuated in week one of October- due to the long-term situation of these two connected planets - many across the globe will find their life circumstances flipped, upturned, disordered or even annihilated  at some point in the period 2012-2016.
• Home/housing, work, life-balance, relationships, financial position are all vulnerable to the Pluto-Uranus Effect - but this is just a mirror of the energies of our environment in turmoil, producing extreme weather effects
• Emotions are likely to be intense as well as very sensitive over the issues that arise - since Scorpio is so highlighted along with amplified Cancer and Pisces effects. This means all three water signs are being emotionally aggravated or at least highly aroused by current situations
• Jupiter affecting Neptune and involving Cancer-Pisces has environmental consequences signified by the keyword phrase BIG WATER - flooding and extreme water events of all types are highlighted from mid September into early weeks of October. Very timely for New Zealand to revise tsunami risk maps.

more to come in part 2 of this report...Meanwhile search any important keywords on the homepage for related reports in my huge archive

Additional information:
Resonant frequencies are the scientific basis of the planetary effects analysed by astrology.
An analogy comes from earthquake science involving structural responses to seismic waves:
While high-rises do rattle and shake from earthquakes, the “gentle” swaying is a result of their resonant response to the low frequency waves unleashed by large earthquakes. -source
Also read: Mechanical resonance

When considering the sun and solar system planets, the frequency of their wave emissions are capable of finding resonance or equivalence in vibratory pattern in vastly distant locations - such as our home planet Earth. Where matching occurs, events arise, matching the descriptive picture assigned by astrological analysis of the combined energetic forces.

news updates:

• October begins with flood problems in UK, Ireland, Thailand, Philippines
• Storms in Thailand & Vietnam typify the Pluto-Uranus effect aggravated further by the last Full moon in Pisces : see September 2013 report on this blog to see why extreme water events were forecast.
• US government shutdown is announced Tuesday October 1st  - with its political, economic and social implications is consistent with the Pluto-Uranus Effect
• October 1 M6.7 Sea of Okhotsk offshore Russian territory
• October 2 More quakes across New Zealand: central NZ had a M4.7 in the recently [July] awakened Cook Strait region and a flurry of smaller events in the eastern plate boundary zone of the North Island - total of 30 quakes from 0hrs to 08.19am, with 22 over M2 and 6 over M3
• Geomagnetic storm event impacts Earth's magnetic field on October 1 UT -though initial exposure began Sept 29 UT
• October 4 snowstorm & tornado effects in mid to west US
• October 5 flash flooding Louisville Kentucky US
• October 7 Typhoon Fitow swamps eastern China : BBC reports:
Typhoon Fitow - named after a flower - made landfall at 01:15 local time on Monday (17:15 GMT Sunday) in the city of Fuding, Chinese meteorologists said.
The typhoon had affected over three million people in Zhejiang and caused economic damage of over 2bn yuan ($330m; £200m), Xinhua said, citing the provincial flood control office.
• October 13 Cyclone Phailin hits north east India causing one of the biggest evacuations in India's history - this event is very related to the September-October forecast in the September report

The ACE satellite records data related to the solar wind.
Late on Sept 29 [9.45pm UT] all readings show simultaneous perturbation
Temp. speed, density are generally in unison in a shallow fluctuating wave
These readings occur some 1.5 million kms from Earth in the direction of the Sun 

October 2 -high speed solar wind arrived earlier than expected at earth
October 1st UT

causing this leap in earth's magnetic readings:

this occurred after a recent period of very low solar activity.

A period of 9 hours of elevated readings  occurred:

Sun, Jupiter, Earth size comparison - composite image
[In other words these are not actually situated in such proximity]

When things happen on the Sun, we Earth-dwellers are energetically swamped.
Solar scientists focus just on a portion of what happens.

OCTOBER 2013 LUNAR ECLIPSE

SOLAR ACTIVITY HAS BEEN AT HIGHER LEVELS IN THE RUN-UP TO THE EFFECTIVE ECLIPSE PERIOD -which kicks in around 3 days before exactitude. October has the lunar eclipse in ARIES on the 18th-19th [dependent on time zone]
This full moon eclipse pairs a LIBRA Sun with an ARIES Moon - always an issue of relationship issues, me versus us, the individual needs versus shared benefits, peace versus war, issues of balance, harmony, mediation, peace-making versus outright aggression and military standoffs.

LIBRA and ARIES are part of the Cardinal quartet of signs -the others being CANCER and CAPRICORN -all these four signs are highlighted in October - so issues to do with homelife, housing ,families, government and political issues remain very much in the news headlines.
JUPITER linked to NEPTUNE remains a threat for extreme water events is diverse global locations impacting homes and families.
MARS will add fuel to Jupiter's force particular on/around Oct 22. aggravating potentials
of the JUP-NEP mix.
On an inner level the generation of greater spiritual consciousness or at very least more sensitive = empathetic, sympathetic responses to the plight of others who are suffering across the globe - is on offer.
IMBALANCES of all kind in our world -whether they be economic, social or environmental - are in a phase of correction -difficult, slow and extreme as that process may be - it will proceed in terms of the unfoldment of natural forces

SATURN is playing a role that raises an alert: at the eclipse it reaches 12 SCORPIO.
This position is an activator [exact semisquare/ 45degree angle] of the Galactic Centre -referred to in earlier sections.
The Galactic Centre position 27 Sagittarius is an energy point of unimaginable potency -whether described in an astrophysical context or by astro-analysis.
The activation of these energies means Earth gets a tiny but still potent dose of the sort of wild energies that are expressed as elemental turbulence - fire-earth-air-water - all are subject to greater than usual chaotic disruption - so diverse locations on our planet are vulnerable to these effects in the time frame of this eclipse [ eclipses have a 6 month period of potential reactivation - until the next in sequence]
with SATURN in SCORPIO being the energy activator very transformational and ultimately fatal forces are implicated with the chaotic turbulence.
Drama is a keyword that prevails through October 2013 - and beyond - but around this eclipse there is a sense of frenzy and panic - for Ellie Catton that was a frisson preceding the global onslaught.

update October 21 2013 The intensity will flow over into November as we are facing a total solar eclipse in Scorpio - exact on Nov 3 but building from the end of October and of six month's effective time frame

• This eclipse is intensified with Mercury-Nodes and Saturn in a cluster around the main elements -the Sun and Moon
• With Scorpio's current expression channeled through Pluto in Capricorn and that energy modified further by Uranus in Aries, sex and power issues affecting hi-profile people remain very strongly in the public eye
• Death, endings, transformational conditions are also the territory of Scorpio so many will confront very life-changing conditions and situations
• Environmentally, the potentials for destructive natural events remain high
• Mass events impacting large numbers of people are implicated by the inclusion of the lunar nodes
•  [late October NSW wildfires & effects already showing many Scorpio traits]

relevant news updates from NZ mid October:
Lorde continues her reign -winning NZ Apra Silver Scroll
Auckland Mayor Len Brown outed over extra-marital affair
Eleanor Catton wins Man Booker Prize for English Language Literature -youngest recipient
Ex Auckland Mayor John Banks resigns as MP after judge says go to trial re fraud
[extended analysis on-site re Lorde, Brown, Catton]
Whanganui flooded

global news of relevance in October
The stampede on an Indian bridge -killing hundreds
The stampedes in central Philippines after the M7.2 quake
Extreme weather events e.g.

 
US Dakota October blizzard devastates cattle stock = early cold
NSW worst wildfire emergency in a decade leads to hundreds homeless = early heat