The rioting in London and other English cities over the last few days has come as a shock to most people, but it shouldn't come as a complete surprise to astrologers, since we are in the middle of a dramatic line-up of planets that has its peak of intensity between today (August 9th) and Thursday.

Uranus and Pluto have been approaching a square (90 degrees) aspect since the middle of June (see blog post on the subject below), and in the last week, Mars has entered the cardinal sign fray by ingressing into Cancer last Wednesday, since when it has been within orb of both Uranus and Pluto. Mars, is said to be in its fall in Cancer, meaning that its normally direct, assertive energies are more likely to express themselves resentfully. Today it makes the exact square to Uranus, and in the early hours of Thursday, reaches the opposition to Pluto.

A more volatile combination of planets, in a  more volatile pattern, and in more volatile (or at least, fast-moving) zodiac signs, can hardly be imagined. The fact that cardinal signs are strongly configured in the UK's national charts (especially Capricorn and Cancer) shows our particular sensitivity to these energies.

It is to be hoped that once Mars moves on after Thursday's opposition to Pluto, that the energy behind the current unrest, looting and violence, will dissipate as quickly as it arose, although we also have a Full Moon (bringing heightened feelings) to contend with, this weekend.

Another possible scenario is that the unrest lasts until the 25th, when angry, resentful Mars is contained by sternly disciplinarian Saturn, currently strong in the sign of its exaltation, Libra.

As always, please add your thoughts and comments, and share this post with your friends via the twitter and facebook buttons below.

Graham.

Announced today that the NOTW is to close following the continuing repercussions of its reporting techniques. The chart is for the first edition. Sun Venus (good for a new business venture); Mercury in Scorpio is good for investigative journalism, but its all but unaspected position means it's not connected to the rest of the chart. Transiting Neptune trine that Mercury may be bringing the truth to light. Saturn Moon Mars close in Capricorn may be a fascination with the darker side of life, but would you trust someone with a Jupiter-Neptune conjunction ? I guess it depends - good for a charity (especially in Aquarius) but a newspaper ? The current Pluto Saturn square is hitting the Sun/Venus square Mars - and with Pluto to make more transits of Mars along with transitting Uranus (see earlier posts) killing off the newspaper (BTW not every Pluto Mars transit means 'murder'!) is unlikely to end the unfolding story.

Kris

I don't like most (new) 'Americanisms', but I can't think of a more fitting phrase than that this is a 'heads-up' re the current Uranus-Pluto square.

Uranus having entered Aries in March this year, it was bound at some time to close in on Pluto - at least, by a 90 degree angle (otherwise known as a square aspect) - which is in early Capricorn. Uranus turns retrograde in early July, meaning that the square doesn't quite perfect, i.e., reach exactitude, until June next year, but it's within 2 degrees from June 20th to September 18th this year, and it's at its closest (within 1 degree and 1 minute) in early August, which is when astrologer Hans Baker will be coming along to talk about this astrological phenomenon, which is already having all sorts of repercussions in all sorts of ways, and will continue to do so over the next 5 years, during which time it perfects an extraordinary seven times.

See Thursday 4th August, 8-10pm: 'Uranus Square Pluto: Revolutionary Imperative'.

Graham

The Euro is currently being put under severe strain by the Greek debt crisis. There is the possibility that Greece will revert to its former currency, the Drachma, but this might paradoxically weaken the Euro as speculators may suspect that the same fate will befall other struggling members of the Eurozone.

Given that the Euro is a currency, one might think that The Sun (which rules gold) is especially important in its 'birthchart', along with Venus, the traditional ruler of money. The Sun in this chart is (oddly) unaspected, whilst Venus squares Saturn - not exactly an indicator of easy wealth-creation. The chart ruler (i.e.. ruler of the Ascendant), Mercury, is in its detriment in Sagittarius, and (a double-whammy), square to Jupiter, perhaps suggesting the strongly ideological and over-reaching aspect of the currency, in that part of its raison d'etre was to bind countries together in an ever-closer financial and political union.

Currently, transiting Saturn is making a square to The Euro's Sun, bringing problems and stress, although perhaps a greater test will be later this autumn, when Saturn opposes its natal position for the first time. Progressed Venus is also conjunct natal Uranus, perhaps bringing instability and the need to reformulate its internal and external relationships (or sever them entirely and move on).

Graham