The traumatic plight of Madeleine McCann

New Moon in Taurus 16th May 2007
It might seem at first glance that the purpose of this new moon in earthy Taurus is solely to consolidate and build upon our material and/or financial position. Indeed, these are very laudable aims to pursue right now, as material security, including our finances, are very Taurean themes to follow. However, there may be more to this than meets the eye, as the new moon (i.e. the Sun and the Moon joining together) is making a contact to another important planetary coupling I’ve written about in recent editions of NMM, namely the Saturn Neptune opposition. For a recap on the full details of that combo see the March 07 edition of NMM, but for present purposes this planetary link into the new moon is asking more of us that just being conscious of our financial position. This is a lunar month of new beginnings during which we may have an opportunity to make our dreams a reality. Or a chance to add structure to the creative or spiritual dimensions of our lives. Perhaps it could be about defining our spiritual beliefs through material endeavours, or taking responsibility for our creative personal development. Or it could be about being practical and facing reality rather than living in a fantasy world. Whichever of these variants you choose to take forward as your theme for the coming lunar cycle, it’s looking likely that hard work and tenacity will be required. These planets are forming what we call a t-square in fixed signs, which means work, work, work! The trick is to balance this endeavour to move forward steadily and solidly against the temptation to become stuck in a rut, which is an occupational hazard where the fixed signs are concerned. Help is at hand! A second t-square (“engine” type configuration) is present in this new moon chart, this time in mutable signs, involving Jupiter, Mercury and Uranus. This brings us the potential of new and exciting ways of thinking and growing, a more adventurous side to feed into the practical Taurus energy that is the main thrust of the coming four weeks. So whatever your plans and however you implement them, stay flexible and original in your thinking and solid in your progress forward to honour the energy of this New Moon.

The traumatic plight of Madeleine McCann: an astrological perspective
As I write, Madeleine McCann, the four year old from Rothley near Leicester, has been missing for nearly two weeks. The anguish and pain her parents must be going through is unimaginable, and one dreads to think how Madeleine herself is coping with whatever traumatic circumstances she finds herself in. Here are a few thoughts from an astrological perspective on Madeleine’s tragic situation.

Firstly, it’s important to understand that in modern terms, astrology is a system of symbols, which can be read in a number of different ways in varying circumstances. I think most professional astrologers would agree that astrology is not an exact science, rather a means of determining psychological reactions and potential outcomes based on trends and cycles in any given situation. However there is a branch of traditional astrology which takes a more pragmatic view, called horary astrology. The principle of this is that a person with a vested interest in the outcome of a given situation asks the horary astrologer (it’s a specialised field and not all astrologers are qualified in horary) a question. The astrologer then sets up a chart for the time and place he or she clearly understands the question, and is able to deduce timescales and outcomes often quite accurately from this chart, especially when the practitioner is experienced. It is possible to locate lost objects, and even lost people, by this method. In this instance, however, it would have needed Madeleine’s parents or a close relative to ask the key question early on in the proceedings: well meaning as thousands all over the UK and worldwide are in their desire to see Madeleine home safe and sound, they’re just not “vested” enough to have a valid involvement in the question or the outcome, especially this far down the line in the search for the child.

So, what we are left with in terms of astrological tools is a) an approximate chart for the supposed time of Madeleine’s abduction (this is not going to be a truly accurate chart as we don’t know the exact time for certain); b) an “untimed” chart for her birth (i.e. we know her year, date and place of birth, but not the time, so certain key information in the chart will not be available), from which we can look at the planetary influences affecting her at the moment; and c) information garnered from reports via the media, which by its nature will be varying in its reliability.

Combining these tools at our disposal, certain themes become prevalent for Madeleine at this time. Notably, the rather infamous Saturn/Neptune opposition in the sky (see above) is making a challenging contact to Madeleine’s natal (birth chart) Sun, representing her sense of self, her personal power. Saturn/Sun suggests restriction, difficulties, even imprisonment in an extreme interpretation, and Neptune/Sun echoes the loss of power, despair and hopelessness she must be feeling right now. Neptune is also a strong theme in her birth chart, sitting as it does next to Mars, which represents the capacity to take action and assert oneself; as Neptune in a negative expression dissolves what it touches, it’s as if Madeleine’s capacity to control what happens to her next and her ability to assert her will has the potential to be eroded away. Neptune also squares her Sun in the birth chart, again suggesting loss of personal power and dissolving of her identity (which would especially fit with some of the theories of her being abducted for the purposes of adoption). Neptune can also be associated with themes of loss and being a victim in some way, a potential sadly playing out in a very negative sense here.

Another strong planetary influence in Madeleine’s chart at the moment comes from Pluto, which is opposing her natal Saturn. Saturn is about the structures, routines, and reality in which we dwell. When Pluto comes in to contact Saturn in our chart, it tears these realities apart, demanding transformation. The two planets stand for opposing principles, and when they join have the potential to create very difficult energy. Goodness knows, therefore, what kind of nightmare Madeleine is experiencing right now – certainly a complete tearing apart of her perception of reality and the structure of her life. Pluto in this instance is also interesting for its mythology, the symbolism of which is very pertinent to Madeleine’s case. In myth, Pluto, Lord of the Underworld, fell in love with a maiden called Persephone, and abducted her away from her mother Ceres, the earth goddess, to his shady kingdom. Ceres, distraught by the loss of her daughter, brought permanent winter to the earth to mark her mourning, refusing to let spring and summer appear. Pluto was persuaded of the error of his ways by the Gods and agreed to compromise, finally allowing Persephone to return to her mother earth for six months of the year, when spring and summer flourished again. But because Persephone had eaten the fruit of the Underworld during her abduction, she became bound to it. Therefore during the remaining 6 months of the year she lived in the Underworld as Pluto’s Queen, while her mother Ceres again brought winter to the earth.

The main theme of this myth, that of abduction, is clearly paralleled in the abduction of Madeleine McCann. The second theme is the loss of innocence, as Pluto brutally wrenches the childlike Persephone from the protection of her mother and exposes her to the darkness of the Underworld. Whilst we all hope and pray that Madeleine is recovered safe and sound, it is fairly certain that if this is indeed the final outcome, she like Persephone will have had to face some of the experiences of the Underworld and will be irrevocably changed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the McCann family at this most difficult of times.

For further information visit www.bringmadeleinehome.com

Don’t miss NMM next month for a look at The Third House, continuing our exploration of the series of 12!

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