RETURN OF THE LIGHT - Happy Diwali 2012

The Solar eclipse of 13th November brings to a head issues that I have written about recently. Saturn and the North Node transiting Scorpio were always likely to impact taboo areas, as has proved in the UK with the child abuse scandals. Still, barely a month after Saturn's ingress, its effect has already been clear.

Solar Eclipse 13/11/2012, 22:09, London

After being criticized for lack of action against the predatory Jimmy Savile - and purportedly several other unnamed entertainers of recent years - the Beeb has now gone the other way. Recklessly naming Lord McAlpine in connection with child abuse scandals  cost the BBC's Director General George Entwistle his job. 

BBC first broadcast: 2/11/1936, 15:00, London.

Seen from the outside, the BBC is a strange institution, with its archaic license-payer funding and enormous influence inside a small country. It is probably strange on the inside too, judging from its horoscope. A mutable, angular Grand Cross suggests news gathering and dissemination, with a wide diversity of output reflecting its mission statement to 'inform, educate, and entertain'. The BBC's Royal Charter has existed since 1st January 1927, but this chart is set for the first publicly broadcast high-definition television show. 

Moon in Gemini, opposite Jupiter, reveals the Radio 4 love of talk, debate and wordplay. The BBC is famous for intelligent comedy, and though a publicly-funded broadcaster shouldn't chase ratings, apparently, since when has the BBC not been accused of dumbing down?  Mars on the descendent also implies its competitive approach, for which it is often criticized. 

Despite its eccentric image, the BBC is a highly respect brand, with an international reputation for impartial news coverage. Jupiter in Sagittarius in the 9th house, conjunct the midheaven gives it a cosmopolitan feel and a British, in the best sense, attitude of fairness. Likewise, its travel and nature programmes are classics. The BBC's editorial is often criticized for liberal bias, but that strong elevated Jupiter also suggests a sense of entitlement, with roots in its Royal Charter.

Saturn conjunct Pisces rising describes its corporate nature, in the context of creativity. As Uranus transited that ascendant, Christmas Day 2007 saw the launch of BBCiPlayer, the digital catch-up service. The combined online content of the BBC's news and programming makes it one of the best websites on the whole internet.