Really sad to hear the news about Amy. I have written about her a few times before, and always noticed how her chart revealed her huge talent and sadly great torment too. There is a particular combination of aspects in there that mirrored her tendency to go into downward spiral, and to find it very difficult to get out again.

She had natal Saturn in Scorpio conjunct Pluto in Libra, a very intense blend of energies that have a unique vibration and frequency.  Both planets aspected a Moon/Neptune conjunction.  Her time of birth is not known, so her Moon may be close or even conjunct Neptune, or further away. But the link between all four planets reveals a state of mind into which she was drawn back again and again.

Saturn in Scorpio and conjunct Pluto is a double whammy which takes her right down into those dark areas of the psyche and beyond. She had a natural attraction to all that was taboo and yet sought to numb herself from the revelations which naturally evolved out of such explorations. Alcohol and drugs were the way she cocooned herself from the pain which she wanted to understand and escape from at the same time.

It was her ability to go deep into her own issues that inspired much of her song writing ability. Once again the link with Neptune and the Moon opens up avenues into music, rhythm and the beat of life. She could write and sing from the heart, yet it was the same energy at another vibrational level that attracted her to drugs and to experimentation in this area too.

She was a Sun Virgo with her Sun conjunct Mercury,  which gave her a natural ability to master the skills necessary to play the kind of music she loved. Hers was a blend of styles that created a unique mix which became her trademark.

With both Mars and Venus in Leo, she was  natural entertainer, but as both linked in to her Saturn/Pluto conjunction she became the centre of attention for others reasons – often a cry for help.

This time she has become very upset at the recent split from her boyfriend – film director Reg Traviss – who had been desperate to help her get over her problems. When he realized that his efforts were futile he decided it was time to end the relationship.

However, there was always going to be an issue with self-sabotage unless she could move beyond the issues which drove her to such extremes.

Even though she was being praised for her musical style,  and was awarded many accolades, she was often unpredictable, sometimes walking off stage in the middle of a song, or forgetting her words – being late. But friends remember her for being warm, funny, witty, caring, clever and very intelligent – a side of her which was often not mentioned in the tabloids.

Transiting Saturn is currently in Libra and in December of this year it would have aspected Moon/Neptune conjunction before conjuncting her natal Pluto. Saturn encourages us to take responsibility for those areas of our lives where we are not embracing our potential. Saturn would also conjunct her natal Saturn later in 2012 ushering in her Saturn Return. This ‘might’ have been a turning point – a chance to see things in perspective, face those demons and move on into a more fulfilling life. But it wasn’t to be.

Sadly she joins a number of other famous and talented stars who all passed from this world at age 27 – Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Brian Jones, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain.

Her 2006 album Back to Black was an instant success, and contained the hit song Rehab. The album won five  awards at the 50th annual grammy awards ceremony. Amy was also very supportive of her goddaughter Dion Bromfield – encouraging her all the way and even making an impromptu appearance on the stage with her a few evenings before her death.

At this stage the reason for her death is not known – although she is thought to have taken a cocktail of drugs and alcohol, which may have been too much for her system.

If the Pieman hadn’t attempted to lob a shaving foam soufle in Rupe’s face, and if his wife Wendi hadn’t come to his rescue so quickly,  yesterday’s confrontation with the Culture Select Committee would have been stale news. Like old cheese combined with bad fish and corporate BO. The outcome was very much a non-event as Rupert, his son James and Rebekah Brooks all denied knowing anything about anything that mattered. Yet something was festering even if no one could put their finger on exactly where  it originated, or who was responsible for it.

However,  due to the genius of  ’failed comic’ Johnnie Marbles as the papers described him, things brightened up considerably. This episode was the highlight, mainly because Wendi, who prefers to stay in the background, displayed the skills of a true Ninja fighter – having no thought for her own safety and diving in single-handed to save the day.

A quick look at her Solar Chart reveals that Wendi is a Sagittarian, with Mercury conjunct her Sun.  She is a born adventurer, traveler and scholar who loves to see the world and hates being tied down. She is also very sporting and athletic. So why is she with Rupert? She loves power and has her natal Venus in Capricorn trine Pluto in Virgo.  Venus in Capricorn instinctively know who they should be friends with and how to get on in life by getting close to the right people. You could almost say she is addicted to powerful people – and the prestige of being the wife of the world’s biggest media person – until now!

She also has a penchant for upsetting the apple cart even though she tries hard to please. Having Uranus conjunct Jupiter in Libra suggests that she can inadvertently cause a stir without realizing what she has done.  Mars in Libra makes it hard for her to make decisions – she needs endless feedback before she will say or do anything. However,  Saturn in Aries makes her very determined and keen to succeed in a world where many women might feel out of place. She is both indecisive and very much on the ball. She also has a natural genius when it comes to relationships – she knows things without knowing how she knows them and this helps her to be successful.

Her Venus in Capricorn conjuncts Rupert’s Saturn, so she has found someone who fits her criteria. Having Venus in Capricorn also suggests that she is not adverse to a relationship with someone older than herself.  There is a glue between them which sticks them together.

Rupert has his Moon in Sagittarius, so he can laugh at himself. Humour may be his best defense against the  trials and tribulations of life, but he may find it hard to keep smiling over the coming weeks and months.

So what about Pieman or Jonathan May-Bowles – his real name. There is no birth data for him – but being an activist he must have some strong Uranian tendencies.

Many people have voiced their displeasure that he stole the show just when the Murdochs were getting the grilling they have long deserved. Aside from getting himself some excellent publicity and a sore head due to a right hook from Wendi, the event turned from being a public exercise in humiliation to a circus performance.  There must have been a pony in there somewhere and there were certainly more than a few clowns.  It should have been a turning point but somehow it was pants.

The paper that prided itself on providing endless amounts of gossip, scandal,  horror and on stirring up the hornets nest even if the hornets were minding their own business – has now come to an end worthy of its reputation.  As an entity in itself it does have a birth chart, though the time when the  first edition made its appearance is not known.  It’s launch was on October 1st 1843. I have timed it for 6:30am. This brings up a very interesting chart.

We have a Libra Ascendant with the Sun conjunct Venus in her own sign on the twelfth house side. This blend of influences might usually denote the epitome of harmony, balance and great typography,  except that both are  flawed by virtue of their position and opposed by Uranus in the last degree of Pisces. It is a wide  opposition, but enough to make those scales rattle and swing on a daily basis. Uranus links with the papers ability to set readers off on an emotional roller coaster ride as they grapple with dark agendas  and taboo issues. Shock being the main selling point.

Both Venus and the Sun are  squared by Mars in Capricorn. A spoonful of sugar laced with arsenic, as readers are fed tit-bits of  info that leave a bitter aftertaste.  The Moon and Saturn in Capricorn complete the trio, which suggests that there was not a lot of mercy shown to those who became the papers victims in one way or another, including those who worked for the NotW, doing their job to the best of their ability,  who were not responsible for any shady goings on,  and who were sacked without any warning.

Mercury the planet associated with  press and communication is in the first degree of Scorpio and makes a quincunx to Uranus and a wide opposition to Pluto. This suggests that as far as getting information is concerned anything goes as long as no one finds out. Mercury in association with Pluto is willing to get down and dirty to achieve its aims.

Then there is Chiron in Virgo in the twelfth – the undoing of the paper lies in the detail. Chiron makes a quincunx to the Jupiter/Neptune conjunction in Aquarius. Jupiter and Neptune in Aquarius suggest the possibility of a downfall associated with the use and abuse of modern technology.  Aquarius is also associated with human kind – the broad mass of humanity and the papers offering of a constant stream of information that fed a desire for titillation and fantasy.

It is fascinating to look at the transits of the NotW as Uranus moved to conjunct its natal place at the end of Pisces, doing so for the last time earlier this year.  This  occurred on the Aries point making it even more spectacular. Along with this, transiting Pluto has been squaring the Venus/Pluto conjunction in the twelfth which this time proved to be the paper’s undoing. It became a victim of its own malpractices, which ushered in its speedy demise.

Another interesting exercise is to take the chart of Rebekah Brooks and link it with the chart of the News of the World to create a composite chart of the relationship between them.

This time the Sun and Venus are conjunct in Leo with composite Mercury in the last degree of Leo. The relationship was very much about getting attention and keeping it. The paper was supposed to entertain and Rebekah’s input was to make sure it did. She also entertained herself making sure that she got invites into circles of the rich, famous and powerful – moving steadily higher until she became intricately involved in political circles.

However, composite Neptune in Capricorn is opposed by Pluto in Cancer – which suggests that trying to see Rebekah’s relationship with the paper whilst she was editor and beyond,  is like trying to see a reflection in a hall of mirrors at dusk. Nothing is clear cut. It isn’t as simple as it should be.

Composite Saturn in Pisces trines Pluto, so more of the same. Trying to  find answers is not going to be easy. There is a general murk to wade through and trying to untangle who was responsible for what could take a long, long time.

Composite Uranus in Gemini squares Moon conjunct Mars in Pisces, so it was a relationship that thrived on an ability to create sensational news by goading those who were already simmering with anger and rage into doing or saying something that might make even better news.

Composite Jupiter in Scorpio also trined the Moon and Mars, so there was even a kind of perverse pleasure in exposing other people’s pain in a way that highlighted and sensationalized it.

A look at the inter-aspects between Rebekah’s chart and that of the NotW reveals that if they were a couple they would get along alike a house of fire.  As far as an Editor could sync with a paper – they did. Except that both Saturns squared each other. The NotW Saturn was in Capricorn and her in Aries. The NotW had one Agenda which linked it to its history and tradition as a successful newspaper.  Her Saturn in Aries meant that whatever she may have said, what she did was primarily for her own glorification and ambition. She used the paper for her own ends and courted it as she does so many people who she needs to achieve her goals.

Rebekah Brooks, chief executive of News International has promised that in a year’s time those now freshly out of a job will realize why the paper had to close, as there are more scandals on the way.  As chief executive of News International she is hanging onto her job to make sure that “justice” is done.

The coming weeks and months are going to be very interesting for all concerned.

A glance at their charts and shared influences reveals that there is not a shred of romantic feeling between them. Any ideas that both Middleton sisters will marry into the Royal family are laughable.  Both Pippa and Harry enjoy a relationship that is more ‘matey’ than anything else. They share a lot of similarities and they understand each other only too well.

Both have a very practical streak  and both love adventure,  fun and freedom.  But Pippa’s love of the high life, of being at the centre of the action, her packed contacts book, her enjoyment of the social scene and her determination to master it are far different from Prince Harry who just loves to have  a good time. He is more of a practical joker, and will go to great lengths to pull off the next funny stunt.  They make a great team – but they really aren’t going to get any closer at least not in the sense that people seem to think they will. They are certainly fond of each other – but it is an affection devoid of chemistry.

Pippa is very streetwise and knows what she wants.  She won’t want to get too deeply involved in the ways of the Royal household. She needs a lot more freedom to run her life on her own terms. Certain aspects of her chart reveal that she needs to be number one in any relationship, and needs to call the shots.

The inter-aspects between their charts are devoid of any Venusian charm which might make them more openly demonstrative  to each other.  Pippa might even find Harry to be a bit of a dreamer with no real ambition to be anything other than follow the role that destiny has assigned to him.  She has her sights set much higher.

A look at their composite chart which is a chart of their relationship shows that although they are going to be thrown together on a regular basis as they attend various functions, they are going to remain as good friends.  That’s it!

Pippa is a year older than Prince Harry, and both are heading towards their Saturn Returns in coming years, which usually coincides with major life changes. But for now Prince Harry is under no particular pressure to find a partner, and Pippa seems to be busy working to utilize her new found fame to the utmost. She has a lot to look forward to.

There is something mysterious and instinctual about this blend of energies. In its retrograde phase Venus in Scorpio may have brought lovers out of the woodwork who were a mine of potentially explosive information. If this was the case, you may still be recovering from the fallout. It is not only that the past  intrudes into the present, but that it exposes parts of ourselves that we don’t want to be reminded of.

Venus retrograde  in Scorpio may have caused us to back track and relive the starting point of our current relationship – the moment when we shook hands with fate and our future was sealed.

Yet Venus isn’t only about how we relate to others, it is also about how we relate to ourselves. The retrograde phase encourages us to reflect on why we attract the people we do. What aspect of ourselves brings them into our lives, especially those people  we consider difficult, boring or painful? Which parts of ourselves are we so busy denying that they have to show up in Technicolour in order to be noticed? The more attention these parts need, the closer and more intimately connected we are likely to be with that person.

Venus  in Scorpio may coincide with a time in which we are prepared to undertake a little of the work of transformation. This kind of work takes a lifetime, but we can at least lift the lid and see what is happening down there.

This Venus/Pluto combination has all the hallmarks of passion, obsession, lust, greed, revenge and at times outrageous detachment, which some may see as ruthlessness. This blend of energies makes a beeline for the depths. They hate superficiality. A date with them might be like going for a therapy session in a restaurant. They will pick, pick, pick until they know everything about you – even your worst secrets.

Those with Venus in Scorpio go straight for the jugular. They are very good at picking up vibes, and can spot a potential mate in seconds. They know how to use their natural magnetism as bait and may find it hard to admit defeat if the object of their attention should appear indifferent. Rather than taking ‘no’ for an answer they will continue to make their presence felt in one way or another, until the other person either gives in or refuses to have anything to do with them ever again. But if the tables are turned and they find themselves wanting out – they will have no problem about getting rid of anyone who is annoying, weak and no fun – or who does not share their black sense of humour.

If you are planning on getting involved with someone who has Venus in Scorpio make sure you know what you are letting yourself in for, especially if they have Pluto or Scorpio accentuated in other areas of their chart. You need to be strong to stand up to them and to dismiss their attempts at manipulation. If you can manage this and find you have a lot in common they will be loyal forever, or until the relationship comes to an end.

But if you upset them or cheat on them they will find it hard to forgive you – and may want to get back at you. Be warned.

Do they have any redeeming features. Well the care about you while you are on their radar. They care passionately and will tell you exactly what they think about your hair, your clothes, your weight issues, your latest creations and everything else in your life. If they tell you that you look great, or that you play the piano like a pro – believe them and tout your talent. They know what they are talking about.

If you can’t handle their honesty and the fact that they can see into the heart of your soul 24/7, then you’d better steer clear.

Celebrities with Venus in Scorpio: Leonardo Di Caprio, Jodie Foster, Linda McCartney, Mahatma Ghandi, Carla Bruni Sarkozy, Bill Gates, Hillary Clinton, Demi Moore.

As Mars moves to sextile Saturn we get a chance to understand how both forces can work together – harmoniously or not.  Currently Mars is in Sagittarius and needs no prompting. In this sign it wants to reach for the next challenge, see what is just over the horizon, dream big and go for broke. Thoughts about what might happen, or what could go wrong are not an issue. The focus is on exploration and adventure come what what may. The call of the wild and the love of the unknown are addictive.

On the other hand Saturn in Libra may be painfully aware of the need to take others into account, so much so that it causes a crisis in confidence. This is when your lover, your friends and anyone else with a say can knock you off course with a well timed and well aimed comment.  There may be so much discussion about the right and best course of action considering all the alternatives, that nothing happens. No one can reach a decision that everyone agrees with.

When Mars sextiles Saturn the desire for adventure and fun can either be supported by others or thwarted because of others. Sextiles are usually considered to be beneficial aspects that offer an opportunity, and a chance to try something different. But there is also going to be resistance of some sort which will either encourage greater determination, or force one to give way on the advice of someone else. The negative side of this is more likely to found in the square aspect when the conflict will be a lot more formidable. But even with a sextile there is still room for dissension and a need to assert one’s  will. In this instance is more like a swimming or running in a wind, with a bit of firm action you can succeed quite easily.  With squares and oppositions you will have much more of a battle on your hands.

Is it really a bad idea to get married when Venus is retrograde, especially when it’s in the sign of Scorpio as it is now? Does it mean that their long-term marriage contract is doomed or will it encourage them to talk heart to heart? Does it even matter at  all? It really depends on their inter-aspects and general synastry. While it may have caused a few ructions here and there on the wedding day itself, none of this will be lasting.

There are reports that they face legal problems from an environmental activist Akhshay Sharma who filed a criminal complaint against them and two others because of the noise  created by the event at the Ranthambhore National Park in India.  It is now being investigated.

Venus being associated with Libra ‘is’  linked with justice. There was also the problem of a man-eating tiger who gate-crashed the party. Cats, including big ones, are ruled by Venus. So far Venus retrograde seems to have been a cause of annoyance and frustration rather than disaster.

Their relationship began some time back in September 2009, when Pluto was sextiling Katy’s Sun and natal Pluto.  They were engaged by January 2010, and now they are man and wife. It has all happened so quickly. Russell, it seems, is keen to start a family and to enjoy family life. His progressed Moon has conjuncted his progressed Sun in Cancer, creating a progressed New Moon which suggests that he is ready to think about children at some point soon.

But a cursory glance at their charts reveals a few interesting details. Both have Venus in  aspect to Uranus – which suggests that they are both quirky in love. Katy is a Sun Scorpio and definitely a match for Russell. She has a Sun/Pluto conjunction in Scorpio , which is positively atomic. She also has Mercury, Saturn and her Moon in Scorpio, so she may appear open and friendly, but she is definitely layered. She is also quite capable of running her own show and reinventing herself over and over again. The bubbly side of her nature is down to having Venus conjunct Uranus in Sagittarius – she has a crazy and at times nerdy sense of humour – another reason why they both get along.  But whereas Russell has no earth in his chart to speak of, Katy has Jupiter and Mars in Capricorn, so she is a whizz at self-promotion and hugely ambitious.

Russell has Saturn in Cancer which can be every bit as awkward in love as it is in Scorpio. Perhaps they have found that despite everything and deep down they can trust each other. Or maybe they are learning to trust and willing to give each other a chance to glimpse hidden wounds. There are shades of alchemy and the promise of a major growth experience here too. Hopefully Katy will resist the Scorpionic urge to become one with Russell and absorb him into herself, although it may already be too late.

Mars trines Uranus today, which brings a chance to see some of our most unconscious emotional habits, as we enact them. Mars has been moving through Scorpio, and has stirred up some deep stuff in the process. Over recent weeks it may have been easier to give in and spew out some of the darker feelings we have been holding back.

Scorpio is very much about controlling our emotions. We may have become more precious about protecting those wounds that are too sensitive. We guard those areas where we really don’t want to go, because we are ashamed or enraged, hurt or jealous or a mixture of several painful feelings.

Mars trine Uranus in Pisces brings another possibility into the equation. We experience an ‘Aha’ moment just as we are about to run the tape once again – to come out with the same old spiel we usually churn up when we feel wronged, need to prove ourselves, want to feel better about ourselves, or simply want to feel superior.

Today the possibility exists of catching ourselves in the act. We realize that continuing is going to bring more of the same. Nothing will be resolved. Our partner or those we normally interact with have heard it all before and will either come out with their own version of the same or switch off. No one is listening. No one wants to know.

Catching ourselves and seeing the truth of the situation my encourage us to drop our usual response and let go. Uranus in Pisces teaches us about surrender to what is, and to what we are in essence. Uranus is like the lightening that temporarily illuminates the darkness so that we get a glimpse of the landscape and can finally navigate our way through more easily. In this instance it is our emotional landscape that is illuminated, offering a glimpse of those patterns in which we have become locked. As Mars is associated with action seeing is doing. Understanding brings a real desire for change as we strive to become more aware and conscious on all levels.

There are other possible scenarios associated with this aspect. One of these is meeting someone and feeling an immediate chemistry that is quite urgent and overwhelming. Once again as Mars is all about taking action, the chances are that a new relationship could develop out of the blue at the speed of lightening. What happens next depends on those involved.