President’s Report - March 2023
Welcome to the March edition of the AANSW newsletter Orbits. It was great to see increased numbers of members and guests returning in person to the monthly meeting in February, well supported by a strong online presence. As the year proceeds and confidence in public health grows, even more members may come back to Drummoyne to enjoy face-to-face personal interaction. The continuing availability of online access to monthly meetings affords us the best of both worlds, allowing local and regional AANSW members and interstate FAA members to attend remotely, where pre-pandemic this was not possible.
While confidence in public health may be gradually increasing, good sense is still at a premium. There are still COVID-19 cases popping up in the Sydney area, so it is wise to remain vigilant. And to ensure we create a COVID-safe environment for members and guests at Drummoyne Community Centre, the AANSW Committee asks anyone who is feeling unwell on Saturday 11th March or several days prior to please stay home - you will still be able to join the AANSW monthly meeting online. For members and guests attending the monthly meeting, if you are more comfortable wearing a mask, please follow your own guidance.
If you would like to attend the March meeting online via GoToMeeting, please contact AANSW Secretary and online facilitator Kate Holden through the AANSW website. The deadline for bookings is 12:00 pm (noon) on Friday 10th March and Kate will send the link on Friday evening. Remote AANSW members and interstate FAA members are always very welcome to attend the monthly meeting online.
Website and Social Media
At the start of the AANSW meeting on 11th February, Penny Walters gave a brief demonstration of some of the features of AANSW’s new website which she has been developing on the Square Space platform with assistance from Michelle Mravunac. Anyone who was present at the website demonstration would also have witnessed an unofficial launch of AANSW’s new branding in which Penny also played a key facilitating role. On behalf of AANSW members, thank you Penny and Michelle for helping to move AANSW into the ‘digital new age’.
Our social media presence on Facebook continues to increase, and while Ann Leung has stepped down from the AANSW Committee, she has generously offered to continue monitoring our social media. As part of the association’s digital transformation, Penny Walters recently created new social media accounts for AANSW including Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Page, and we have around 80 members on Instagram. Penny invites AANSW members to join the conversation and add content or comments, and if you should experience any problems please contact Penny at <penny@astrologynsw.com.au>.
Michelle Mravunac will be continuing her ‘roving photographer’ role at AANSW monthly meetings and she will post her photos online. Michelle also plans to interview upcoming speakers and will post the interviews online, so AANSW members can get to know the speakers before their presentations. The format of these ‘speaker info’ sessions has been included in AANSW’s re-branding and the final product looks very professional. In the lead-up to the launch of the new AANSW website (which has just occurred), Anita is continuing to coordinate monthly updates to the existing website, and she is filling-in temporarily as Newsletter Editor until we can find an editor as naturally skilled as Vivian Huang.
Online mini-workshop with Faye Blake on Saturday 8th April from 7 - 10 pm
Before discussing the February meeting and the upcoming meeting on 11th March, we would like to give AANSW members advance warning of an online mini-workshop on Easter Saturday, 8th April. The second Saturday of April would normally be our monthly meeting at Drummoyne Community Centre, however, since it is Easter Saturday, the AANSW Committee decided it would be an ideal date for an online presentation by an international astrologer. Faye Blake (formerly Faye Cossar) will be presenting live from Amsterdam from 7 pm to 10 pm, rather than the usual 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm, due to the time difference with The Netherlands. So it’s a perfect time to get dinner organised and sit down to enjoy Faye’s mini-workshop entitled ‘Why would you go there? Astrolocality Techniques’.
According to Faye, Astrolocality often focuses on individual planets – e.g. Venus for finding a partner. She says we sometimes forget that our entire horoscope joins us when we relocate. The techniques Faye will describe provide powerful tools for healing when we consciously choose to visit places where specific planetary energies are increased or decreased. Faye will give examples of Astro*carto*graphy and relocation, and she will touch on Local Space charts. She will also look at examples from the audience, so if you have specific places you want to discuss, make sure you have them ready.
Faye Blake is founder of the Amsterdam School of Astrology. She is a therapist and business consultant, holds an MA in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology, and has spoken often at major international conferences. Her book, Vocational Astrology, forms the basis of her tailor-made Vocational Apprenticeship program.
Apart from her vocational work, Faye is passionate about her Ceres research, the Huber system and Astrolocality. She often posts on these topics, and more in her free blog. You can find out more about Faye and her research at www.fayeblake.nl and www.asastrology.nl.
Faye Blake’s mini-workshop is definitely one to attend, especially with so many people in Australia born overseas. Depending where each individual was born, their relocated birth chart may end up with a considerably different house emphasis relative to the original birth chart. For example, if an individual was born in the UK, their relocated birth chart in Sydney would rotate roughly five houses clockwise. A stellium in the 4th House could therefore appear in the 11th House, adding a totally new dimension to their life experience.
Last Month’s Meeting on Saturday 11th February
At the February meeting of AANSW meeting we followed on from the presentation in February 2022 entitled, ‘The Arrow of Change’, which investigated the significance of a major line-up of outer planets in 2025 [Saturn and Neptune in Aries, Uranus in Gemini, Pluto in Aquarius]. This year’s presentation investigated the emerging global standoff between ‘Autocracy and Democracy’, which seems to be a prelude to 2025. This transformative yet harmonious astrological line-up has been described by French astrologer Andre Barbault in Planetary Cycles Mundane Astrology as the ‘most benefic configuration of the century ‘, which could result in a ‘splendid relaunch of civilisation’. In the tension-filled world in which we live, wouldn’t that be nice? In AstroChat that followed the main presentation, we looked ahead into 2023 using astrology and numerology, focusing mainly on domestic and international affairs. You can read more about this double presentation in the Events Sectionof Orbits. And please contact me at <neilix@optusnet.com.au> if you would like more information on these presentations.
This Month’s Meeting on Saturday 11th March - Anita Ings
At the AANSW meeting on 11th March, long-term AANSW Treasurer, FAA office-bearer and passionate astrologer, Anita Ings will be presenting ‘The 12th House - Self Undoing or a Way to Self Fulfillment?’ Concerning the 12th House, Anita asks, ‘How do you find your way through the 12th House labyrinth of the subconscious, secrets, seclusion, self-undoing and karma?’ She hopes to provide some understanding to support individuals in recognising and bringing into consciousness 12th House energies to make them accessible and work towards their integration in a positive and constructive way.
Anita has had a lifelong interest in astrology that led to her achieving the FAA Diploma of Astrology in 2002. She has been the Treasurer of AANSW Inc. since 2002 and a FAA National Council Member since 2003. Anita has served as the FAA President and Vice President since 2006 and she is the FAA Executive representative on the FAA Exam Board. For her contributions and service to astrology and support of the Australian Astrology community Anita has been awarded Fellowship of the FAA and APA and Life Membership of both the APA and FAA (2023). Anita was a Convener of the remarkably successful 2008 and 2016 FAA International Astrology Conferences held in Sydney. Her passion for astrology has seen her present at AANSW meetings and teach astrology to individuals and small groups. Anita brings to her consultations many years of experience in astrology and a variety of life experiences. You can read about Anita’s presentation in the Events Section of Orbits.
In Astro Chat, following Anita’s presentation and afternoon tea, we will take a look at the upcoming NSW Election. In order to tune up our forecasting skills, we will first look at the 2019 NSW Election to figure out what astrological factors were important in Gladys Berejiklian’s win. Then we’ll review a couple of 2022 State Elections in SA and VIC, and finally do some chart analysis to make an informed forecast for the NSW Election on 25th March 2023.
Astrological Commentary on Ukraine, UK and Australia
(a) In Ukraine, the first Anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine passed without major incident on 24th February. US and Russian presidents dueled with speeches, as China proposed a 12-point peace plan which was short on detail and long on past statements on the conflict. Significantly, the Chinese Foreign Ministry again decried the possible use of nuclear weapons, just as questions were raised by USA over the possible supply of Chinese drones and ammunition to Russia. This is despite warnings from US President Biden to Chinese President Xi that a new round of sanctions would be triggered - this time against China. Both sides in the Ukraine conflict are reportedly running low on ammunition and missiles.
At the February meeting, we looked at Russian President Putin’s progressed chart, with secondary progressed Sun coming to conjunct his natal Mars and secondary progressed Mars coming to conjunct his North Node and surmised that there was no way that Mr Putin was going to stop fighting any time soon. In any event, Russian leaders who lose wars usually lose more than that! Ukrainian President Zelenskyy recently predicted that Mr Putin’s inner circle would remove him from office (in a box). And one Russian soldier who had defected to fight with the Ukrainian forces against the Russian invaders, was recently reported in The Australian as saying the next job after throwing the Russian army out of Ukraine, is to return to Russia and free the Russian people from the tyranny of the Putin regime by destroying it!
When we reviewed the potential impact of the transformative planetary configuration in 2025, described by Andre Barbault in Planetary Cycles Mundane Astrology, it was crystal clear that the major focus of Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto in early Fire and Air on the Russian Federation natal chart, would place stress on the Sun which represents Russia’s leader. Furthermore, Mr Putin’s natal chart will soon experience tight squares from transiting Uranus to his MC-IC Axis and Nodal Axis, so a ‘career change’ may be on the cards ...
(b) In the UK, the final Chiron transit to the North Node in Aries takes place on 5th March, followed by a benefic transit by Jupiter to the North Node five days later. Two significant events have occurred in the last few weeks, the first being the sudden resignation of Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on 15th February. Nicola Sturgeon has been a warrior for Scottish Independence and has campaigned for a second referendum, ever since the first independence referendum was defeated in 2014. Political commentators have described Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation as a major boost to the union of nations in the United Kingdom.
The second significant event occurred on Monday 27th February, when British PM Rishi Sunak signed an agreement with the EC President Ursula von der Leyen to finally resolve the political thorn in the side of Brexit, the customs and border status of Northern Ireland. Political commentators see this as a veritable ‘tour de force’for PM Sunak, and The Editor of The Australian newspaper framed this achievement in glowing terms on Thursday 2nd March, ‘Sunak over-delivers on Brexit’. The Times of London also generously noted Mr Sunak’s Windsor Framework is ‘far better than many thought possible’.
As transiting Chiron comes full circle and completes its 50-year journey around UK’s North Node from entry to the European Common Market in 1973 to the potentially harmonious completion of Brexit on 5th March 2023 (though some European Court of Justice influence lingers concerning Northern Ireland), The Editor of The Australian succinctly summed up the possibilities of this UK-EC deal as follows: ‘The deal holds out the prospect that Britain and the EU nations will be able to turn the page on the Brexit years ...’
If AANSW members are interested to look back at the article, ‘Brexit, Chiron and the Nodal Axis’ which appeared in the September 2019 Edition of the FAA Journal, the final transit of Chiron to the UK’s North Node on 5th March 2023 was described as follows:
‘The third and final direct pass of Chiron to UK’s North Node looks auspicious, with the two benefics, Jupiter and Venus, straddling Chiron in Aries and the mid-point of all three extremely close to UK’s North Node. This may signal a time when the United Kingdom has embraced the positives and negatives of its 50-year journey with Europe from 1973 to 2023, has healed and resurrected its relationship with the European Union, and has moved significantly towards restoring its leadership contribution in the world.’
(c) In Australia, the major focus of transits to the national chart has been mainly Neptune squares to Jupiter, Mercury, Chiron and Neptune, and this will continue throughout 2023 and 2024, as discussed in Orbits in late 2022 and at the February meeting.
Transiting Pluto in late degrees of Capricorn in the 9th House of international affairs square to the nation’s Ascendant in late degrees of Aries is the next cab off the rank. The Ascendant-Descendant can represent the ‘doorway to the nation’ and this transit will throw up security issues most likely involving an international heavyweight - no prizes for guessing who. Back in 2022, transiting Pluto approached closest to an exact stationary square to Australia’s Asc-Desc axis on 29th April, just as a security crisis emerged for Australia involving the Solomon Islands and China’s influence there. The Coalition government at the time had been ‘asleep at the wheel’ and had not acted with sufficient haste, which proved to their detriment at the 21st May Federal Election. Up to this point, Anthony Albanese’s government has handled national security issues well, including building on the AUKUS agreement established by the former Coalition government to build nuclear-powered submarines; purchasing lethal drones to enhance Australia’s strike and defensive capabilities; and tightening up cyber security.
As transiting Pluto approached one degree from the exact square on 29th January 2023, three security-related events popped up: Australia announced it was expanding its strategic footprint in the Solomon Islands; Fiji’s Prime Minister Rambuka said China was making more efforts to increase its influence in the region, but he believed it was safer to go with those you know best, in other words Australia; and the chairman of the UK Defence Select Committee called for a ‘NATO-lite’ organisation to be formed in Asia-Pacific region. Transiting Pluto will reach a direct square to Australia’s Ascendant on Saturday 4th March before coming to a station on 1st May, and then will make an exact retrograde square on 2nd July [in Capricorn].
In late March, while traversing late degrees of Capricorn, Pluto’s journey through Capricorn [since 2008] will be interrupted briefly when the dwarf planet enters into Aquarius from 24th March until 11th June. This will have two significant impacts in the Australian chart which will be most interesting to observe and discuss in a future President’s Report. Transiting Pluto will form a stationary sextile to Australia’s North Node and stationary trine to the South Node which augurs well for integrating the nation [station on 1st May]. Although this influence will be fleeting in 2023, it will return with more vigour and lasting resonance in 2024 and 2025.
Transiting Pluto will also make its first brief move towards the Aquarian Mid Heaven [MC] of Australia’s chart around the same time that the federal budget will be handed down, and could imply upcoming stresses for the federal government; promote ideas for transformation and change in Australia’s direction; and potentially raise questions on the future of the government itself, especially following recent financial ‘kite flying’ by Treasurer Jim Chalmers.
Finally, a brief comment on Prime Minister Albanese’s Indigenous Voice to Parliament and Executive Government (the latter provision reportedly a major bone of legal contention). Anthony Albanese has repeatedly stated that the ‘Voice’ is not ‘his Voice’, however his numerology birth chart would suggest otherwise [born: 2nd March 1963]. The first three Pinnacles [goals] in Mr Albanese’s chart [derived by additions of D+M, D+Y, then both totals summed] are 538, a pattern that most often indicates ‘the projection and use of the voice’ (e.g. public speaking and singing) and the ‘power of the voice to influence others’.
Perhaps this synergy is an indication it is Anthony Albanese’s destiny to introduce the ‘Voice’ to Australia. Another important statement from Mr Albanese’s birth chart lies in the challenge patterns [derived by subtraction of M-D, D-Y and so on] producing 1102. This latter pattern represents two options, two positions, two pathways, which may spontaneously emerge and also indicates a need to split issues and make them independent. Mr Albanese’s concession in recent weeks that leaflets will be distributed explaining the Yes and No cases is a positive manifestation of this pattern. Without ‘two competing pathways’, Mr Albanese’s goal to achieve the ‘Voice’ could topple and fall. Likewise, two questions separating the stated goals of ‘Recognition’and ‘Consultation’ would fit well to the positive dimension of this challenge. Mr Albanese’s apparent dislike of splitting issues could work to the detriment of his proposal.
Invitation to March Meeting
AANSW invites you to join with like-minded people at the March meeting in person or online on GoToMeeting. If attending online, please register with Kate Holden by 12:00 pm (noon) on Friday 10th March for AANSW’s online meeting on Saturday 11th March. Doors will open at 1:15 pm and the monthly meeting commences at 1:30 pm featuring a presentation by Anita Ings on ‘The Twelfth House’. Following Anita’s presentation and afternoon tea, in Astro Chat we will be looking at forecasting elections and the upcoming NSW State Election.
Due to popular demand, Chris Thomas is looking to restart the South Coast Group meetings at Wollongong Library, with members and guests attending AANSW’s monthly meeting online, and then engaging in astrological conversation following AANSW’s online presentation. The South Coast Group may also organise the occasional astrology workshop. For advanced news of monthly meetings and future events, please refer to Orbits and the AANSW website.
You don’t have to be a member of AANSW to attend our meetings, everyone is welcome.
Dr Neil Hair, AANSW President
Dr Neil Hair, AANSW President
