Trial by astrology

Libra 2023

Libra is a sign associated with balance and the scales of justice. It should at least be the one time of year when we get to hear both sides of all news stories. But good journalism seems to be hard to come by. A very small example – the BBC is supposed to do balanced and fair reporting. I wrote a post about the unfair way they handle anything astrological a long time ago, and there have been other posts in which I have touched on their biased approach over the years.

That being said, whatever I think of the BBC, I have always thought they were reasonable on actual events, although there is often a political agenda. So it was good to see the BBC struggling to cover the Israel – Gaza situation and try not to call Hamas a terrorist organisation! They got into a lot of hot water about that.

Fair and balanced?

I’m afraid since COVID (and before, but now it is obvious), we have been a long way from seeing fair and balanced reporting anywhere. The terribly sad situation in Gaza and Israel is a case in point, but of course that is also political. Who really knows the background to what is happening? It’s such a long history of conflict. My heart goes out to all those suffering.

Recently I was at an astrology conference in the UK and someone asked me “Why isn’t anyone talking about Israel?” I have been asked about it too, “When will it end?” But what to say? Astrology can’t look at intentions or what is on someone’s mind. It can look at triggers and the timing of events. It can provide themes to try to understand what is happening. These themes can manifest negatively or positively. However, as I always say, astrology cannot predict, as levels of consciousness of everyone matter!  But unfortunately, that’s not looking great.

Thank goodness

In a way I’m glad we didn’t cover the conflict at the conference, apart from showing compassion for all, which we did. Social media and other platforms often provide a podium for what I call trial by astrology. Naturally, it is difficult to keep yourself out of an astrological analysis, but using astrology to promote your point of view is unhelpful at best, and dangerous at worst. Many people put us in a position of power, and think astrologers have the answers. You shouldn’t! And we don’t. As with any discipline, we give our opinions based on our body of knowledge. And we don’t always agree amongst ourselves, which I think is healthy, as it stimulates discussion.

Russell Brand

Back to trial by media. A case in point in the last month, has been the accusations against Russell Brand for rape and other sexual crimes in both the UK and the US. As many chimed in, this has proved to be a trial by media, before the police had charged him with anything. There is no way I would condone Brand’s behaviour twenty years ago. He was a sexual predator and a creepy, horrible person. He himself doesn’t deny this. And UK police are now investigating allegations from many years ago, which is the way it should be handled. Women need to be supported in this type of incident.

However, these investigations need to be fair and balanced and I don’t like the way astrology is sometimes used to support one side or the other of the claims.

On the good side

To his credit, Brand has done a lot of inner development and growth since then. However, he remains a controversial figure, which I think is part of his calling, as it is with Trump. My post Trump – a spiritual challenge covered this. I have watched a lot of what Brand has done lately, and seen interviews he has conducted with very interesting (and sometimes controversial) guests. I find him a bit irritating and over the top to watch sometimes, but much of what he actually says makes a lot of sense to me.

A case in point is an interview I saw with Dr John Campbell, who has been unfairly labelled as a conspiracy theorist, when most of the time all he does is clarify statistics which are freely available from government and other so-called official sources. Russell asked some really good questions, had an understanding of the material, and was honest about himself.

Conflating accusations with censorship

This whole situation has meant that things get complicated, as it is obvious that the government does not approve of people going against their narrative, and it is clear that censorship is rife. Many think the accusations are an attempt to shut him down. But that doesn’t mean Brand shouldn’t be investigated for any suspected crimes. However, getting him banned from making money on YouTube, and government trying to do the same on the site known for freedom of speech, Rumble, raises questions about the timing of accusations. Is he too popular? And who should decide what we see?

Brand’s horoscope

There was a lot of astrological discussion about Brand on social media. His birth details are public and so he is fair game astrologically. However, as I said, I don’t think that gives us the right to say he could be guilty of particular crimes, because of something in his horoscope. And while most hasten to add that we can only speculate, by then the seed of suspicion has been sown.

Russell does have an interesting horoscope, as do we all! My view is that we need to take someone’s background into account when we look at a horoscope. If astrology is a tool for anything, it is a good guide for asking the right questions. Only then can we understand what has made someone the person they are, and that should enable us to have some compassion for them. That doesn’t mean condoning their behaviour though.

Timing

What we definitely can do with astrology is show when particular patterns are triggered. And Brand is a great case in point here. His birthday is always given as June 4th, 1975. In his book he says he was born at midnight, and astrologers have questioned whether that was the beginning or the end of June 4th. I assume it is at the beginning of the day, and looking at what is happening, maybe it was a few minutes past midnight, as that makes a lot of sense with where planets in the sky are at the moment. But that is speculation on my part.

What can be said about Brand’s horoscope?

A Gemini

That he is a Gemini is a fact, and I think his need to communicate and give information is pretty obvious. He has Mercury in Gemini too, so he has a lot of the trickster, witty, quick thinking energy. Combined with all his Aries energy, my take on that would be that everything is fast. Thinking and doing. He’s a fighter, you could say, but unless you know him and his background you don’t know for whom or what he will fight. Whether he’s Robin Hood, very defensive, very enthusiastic, pioneering, very aggressive or a caveman. Maybe all of these! He could be hugely encouraging and a big kid with all that Aries energy. Again, maybe both. I imagine he gets bored very easily. And he will be ‘in the moment’, so may not always think of consequences when he is operating from his Aries side.

Other astrological factors

Many astrologers have touched on other factors in his horoscope and I will mention a few of these. Firstly: the planets that his Sun picks up which I use to discuss vocation. With Gemini, the communication part is paramount and in the 4th house, family is important. He has a family himself now. However his own upbringing was very difficult, which may be why family is so crucial to him now.

The Sun picks up several archetypes, the main ones being Mars, Neptune, and Pluto. He also has links with Uranus and Venus. His calling is to be challenging, creative, and a deep, researching change-maker. Venus highlights his need to be loved and the Uranus shows that he indeed wants to wake people up. He addresses his audience as ‘awakening wonders’. He also runs the Stay Free Foundation to help addicts. I think that is authentic. That is how he sees what we need to do.

Fathers

The Sun represents the father and Neptune in the mix shows a missing father. His parents separated when he was six months old and he was raised by his mother. His father was a photographer, a very Neptunian, creative pursuit. Neptune with the Sun often creates a longing for a father figure, for someone who ‘gets’ you. He had an on-off relationship with his father, who introduced him to prostitutes, and a difficult relationship with his stepfather.

Neptune gives an addictive personality as addictions, both good and bad, get us out of our bodies into a fantasy world where we don’t have to feel the pain of life. Russell became bulimic at fourteen and addicted to heroin later in life. He also had other addictions – self-harm, alcohol, food and in particular sex and pornography.

Power-abuse

The down side of Mars with the Sun can be anger and narcissism, which sometimes comes from a background of not being able to get what you want, or of not being challenged and given no boundaries. Pluto, when it comes from a negative background, can be very destructive and become known for power-abuse. This is often the result of trying to redress the powerlessness one felt as a child. Mars and Pluto are sexual planets, and Brand maintains he was sexually abused by a tutor. Is this the background to his becoming a sexual predator? He also had no influence in the decision to send him away to live with relatives, when his mother developed cancer when he was only eight. He had a very difficult childhood.

Abandonment

Uranus is a planet I associate with being left alone, being abandoned, and Brand really experienced that as a child. Although this was caused by illness in his mother’s case. He has a close bond with his mother now. Uranus works in Brand as his love of shocking people, and his laser-sharp wit. He also has ADHD and has been diagnosed as being bipolar – very on-off, Uranian conditions. Uranus can result in a sort of ‘I’m on my own so I am the only one that matters and I’ll do what I want’. However, it can be a deeply painful planet resulting in not being able to connect, and with the combination with Pluto, not being able to trust anything or anyone.

Brand’s mother

Barbara, Brand’s mother, has also had a difficult life. She has had cancer six times and had a serious car accident in 2018,  when she had just finished her last chemotherapy. The Moon in Russell’s chart (indication of mother) has similar archetypal patterns to the Sun. She was ‘missing’ due to illness in his childhood as I would imagine she had to focus on herself to get better. However, Venus is also involved and Venus is in Cancer, the family, and belonging sign. So he values family in the form of his mother and has a better connection with her than his father (or stepfather). I think this part of his chart shows his love for his own children. And giving to them what he never had might be important for him, also to help heal himself.

So what’s happening now?

If he was born near midnight, he has had Pluto going backwards and forwards across his ascendant. It also picks up the point that represents reputation and mission (MC). This is about a major transformation of his image and reputation, coming from outside, rather than inside. The ‘powerful’ want to change how the world sees him. He needs to do some further soul-searching as to what makes him a target of these accusations. Pluto also picks up Venus, so he is being asked to deeply examine how he has treated women and his family in the past too.

Responsibility

Saturn, the planet of responsibility, is also involved, as it picks up the karmic Moon’s nodes. He apparently needs to atone even more for past wrongs. I hope he can do this and be as honest as he can be about all that happened. But I also think that others need to take some responsibility too. He was employed by Channel 4 who have been investigating him for being exactly who he was. They profited from a ‘bad boy’ with a wicked sense of humour and comic timing. He was paid and applauded in the US and by the BBC, and facilitated in getting women, many of whom threw themselves at him anyway. I can imagine he thought he had permission to carry on, as he would agree with, ‘in plain sight’.  Who stopped him?

Not trial by astrology

I hope this post is not trial by astrology. Looking at his background I can understand a little of why he is as he is. As I have said, that doesn’t condone his behaviour. But he is a human being who, although that might seem difficult, deserves compassion. To heal the world we need to try to separate behaviour from the person. Behaviour can change. Russell is trying in his way to help others with addiction and to wake us all up to what is happening in the world. He is attempting to turn his life around and use his horoscopic potential in a positive way. I think he is quite authentic in following his calling. That has to count for something.

Faye Blake

Interesting websites of the month

A balanced article from 2017 in the Guardian on Brand. He now has two children with a third on the way.

Russell’s own site.

Quote of the month

“All technology should be assumed guilty until proven innocent.” David R. Brouwer, environmentalist.