Johnny Depp: Transcendence & Jupiter in Pisces

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Johnny Depp built his movie name in a series of quirky roles that peaked in the billion-dollar Disney franchise Pirates of the Caribbean. Yet his latest outing, Transcendence is his third box-office flop in a row and the former teen-idol, now aged 50, finds himself at a career crossroads. He is a beloved entertainer and more than a pretty face, but he is still searching for a truly defining performance. 

Despite some handy placements and high earning potential, his chart lacks the powerful yogas one finds in the most enduring stars. On first glance, Jupiter in Pisces in the ninth house seems like first prize in the astrological lottery: faith, luck, God's Grace, you name it. Yet a closer look reveals Jupiter as a not unmixed blessing, ruling also for a Cancer ascendant the Sixth house of enemies, illness and debt. 

More pressingly, Jupiter picks up aspects from both Mars and Saturn, without any mitigating benefic glance. One malefic aspect is tough, two is punishing, and the effects of this unfriendly energy will be felt especially in Jupiter's Mahadasha, beginning in 2013. Angular Saturn in his own house and yogakaraka Mars are both strong, creating tension between relationships, money, and spirituality. Guru's placement in gentle Revati nakshatra has a lot to cope with, and the best one might say is that it will allow Johnny to rise above some difficult times.

June 9th 1963, Owensboro Kentucky, USA. 08:45am

Rahu, exalted and vargottama in Gemini, brought him material wealth and hyperfame during its mahadasha, which began in 1995. Rahu is governed by Mercury in the 11th, which picks up a Dhana Yoga of Venus and Sun. Johnny was famed as a charming maverick and cult favourite, who for years could not cross over into the mainstream. He finally got his hit playing Captain Jack Sparrow, but he has not built on his leading man status. It is said that whatever is given during Rahu's dasha is taken away at its close. 

This would appear to include Johnny's 14 year relationship with Vanessa Paradis, whom he broke up with in 2012. Rahu in his Navamsha seventh house brings an attraction to foreigners and outsiders, though Mars there too makes for a volatile romantic life. Shani is also strong in his Rasi seventh house, even if it brings a rather dutiful relationship atmosphere and a basically marriage-averse nature. It is typical of this placement to bring a large age difference in a relationship, and Johnny was recently engaged to actress Amber Heard, 20 years his junior. 

Jupiter is also debilitated in the Navamsha, further diluting its essence. What seems like his strongest planet is in many ways his weakest, and the next fifteen years of Jupiter dasha might see whimsical decisions and high hopes not borne out. Transcendence is an apt project title for a Jupiter-Jupiter period, but by all accounts the film is a muddle. It is too soon to write him off, but Johnny might do better looking for some real-life transcendence and it would be no surprise to find him embracing religion or studying with a guru at some point in Jupiter's jurisdiction.

Eddie Van Halen: The Sound of One Hand Tapping

Eddie Van Halen has been the most influential electric guitarist since Jimi Hendrix. While Jeff Beck and Steve Hackett both used fretboard tapping before him, Van Halen took the technique to a new level and spawned an army of spandex and big hair clones in the 1980s. For any young guitar nut, he was the Man - the top of his field at the best thing in the world to be.

Western astrology does not say much about why certain people achieve such eminence. Yet Dutch-born Eddie's Jyotish chart reveals a powerful, success-laden signature. Moon-Mercury in his fifth house of creativity, ruling his 9th and 10th houses, forms a potent Raja Yoga, showing intelligence and originality, with the promise of wealth and protection. This pairing is disposited by exalted Shani in the lagna, making a Sasa Yoga and an all-round irresistible case for fame. A surprisingly conservative first-house perhaps, but equally one showing discipline, dedication and a lasting legacy.

Eddie Van Halen: 26/1/1955, 01:05, Nijmegen, Netherlands

Rahu in the 3rd house of arts and dance is a maverick, showing innovation and a touch - no pun intended - of genius. Strong Mars in the navamsha lagna shows a pushy character who knows what he wants: successful people generally do. Exalted Jupiter rules his 3rd from the 10th house of career, giving Hamsa Yoga (a second Mahapurusha yoga). Despite being in Bhava Sandhi and receiving an aspect from Saturn, Jupiter is doubly exalted,  vargottama in Cancer in the navamsha 9th house, and reasonably promises big things in his mahadasha. Sure enough, Eddie and his brother Alex formed their self-titled band in 1973, just as Jupiter period began. 

Eddie's personal superstardom peaked during his Jupiter-Venus period, with his 1983 appearance on Michael Jackson's Beat It. This spell also saw Van Halen's only #1 hit, Jump, in 1984, and second-house Venus would have brought money along with the acclaim. His stellar Jupiter mahadasha lasted until 1989, which was about the end of Van Halen's golden period. Frontman David Lee Roth had already quit and the band were never the same again. 

Shani mahadasa, beginning 1989, has brought very mixed results. Van Halen remained an iconic act, but with a sense of living on their laurels. First house Shani suggests health problems, specifically the bone structure, and Eddie has had spells in rehab, along with hip replacement surgery in 1999, a consequence of too much stage diving (rockstars' occupational hazard). He has also had repeated cancer diagnoses, first in 2000, which has caused him to lose parts of his tongue. Second house lord Mars in the Sixth may bring diseases of the mouth; there may also be a predisposition to the disease, plus of course any chain smoker with long-running alcohol problems is likely to suffer ill health. 

Still, his Shani is exalted and his potent Jupiter should offer Eddie faith and protection. He is 60 this year, and his reputation is secure as being one of the few - only? - truly game-changing musicians to come out of the heavy-metal genre. 

Crystals in Astrology

Crystals are the ultimate New Age cliche, though when was the last time your astrologer suggested you wear one? In Jyotish, there is a consistent model of nine precious stones relating to the planets and Nodes, even though the rules for prescribing them vary from astrologer to astrologer. This picture is at least clearer than in the West, where there is not even agreement as to which gem relates to which planet. 

This state of affairs was not helped in 1912 by the decision of the American National Retailers Jeweler's Association to declare a list of 'birth stones', according to month. This purely commercial move exploited the public's fascination with astrology and added mystique, and therefore value, to many common semi-precious stones. Their bogus list was widely adopted, muddying the waters of Western astro-gemology forever afterwards.

This, like other questions of correspondence such as the chakras for instance, makes the subject very difficult to research. One comes across an intriguing online article where the learned author lays it all down. A grand theory brings in the Chakras, the Tree of Life, Biorhythms, you name it, and the outer planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are ingeniously thrown in too. You finish the article and look for the provenance of the web-swami's claims, only to find it is entirely their own work, based on a personal whim, or dream-induced revelation wherein they have cognized the mysteries of the universe.

Yet even when the recommendation comes on good authority, there are differing attitudes to the therapy. Inflated expectation is the first, with a belief that a costly multi-carat ring set in purest platinum is the key to wealth and fame, and a panacea for all life's ills. Should this scenario not play out, the disillusioned wearer goes to the opposite extreme and declares that astrological gemstones are all hokum. 

Medieval and Renaissance astrology had many techniques and practices to remedy planetary influence: crystals, amulets and talismans, and in a more otherworldly age, belief in the power of prayer. By association with overt magic or credulous superstition, these methods were driven underground at around the time as astrology's more general influence began to decline (c.1700). Today, Western astrology is psychologized to the point where, other other than a few herbalists or those promoting a positive mental attitude, it is all diagnosis and no remedy.

Jyotish gemstones are only one of a number of Upayes, or remedial measures to propitiate the planets. A jyotishi might recommend a mantra, a Vedic ceremony, a special fast or charitable donation in addition to a precious or semi-precious stone. This gem might be for a planetary period (Dasha/ Antardasha), a benevolent natal planet, or a house in a chart whose affairs need a lift, for example wearing the ninth house ruler's gemstone to promote travel and study.

The Vedic planetary gems are:

Sun - Ruby
Moon - Pearl
Mercury - Emerald
Venus - Diamond
Mars - Coral
Jupiter - Yellow Sapphire
Saturn - Blue Sapphire
Rahu - Hessonite Garnet
Ketu - Chrysoberyl Cat's Eye

At the most, there are probably only three gems that any one person can safely wear. Ask an expert: prescription is a delicate art and should be undertaken with great care. It is generally advised to strengthen a benefic planet, rather than attempt to rectify a malefic. You do not wish to boost an already difficult influence. For this reason, blue sapphire and coral are treated with caution, along with the stones for the Nodes. Some ascendants can support a Shani (Saturn) or Mangala (Mars) gemstone, but tread carefully, and if there are any problems or bad feeling, remove it. 

Choose the correct finger: Sun, Moon and Mars are ring finger; Jupiter is index finger; Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketun are the middle finger; Mercury is the little finger.

There is a protocol too for wearing the gem for the first time. Happily, Vedic weekdays agree with the Western model: Sun - Sunday, Moon - Monday, Mars - Tuesday, Mercury - Wednesday, Jupiter - Thursday, Venus - Friday, Saturn - Saturday. Find the planetary hour too, if possible and, aloud, say your name, your ascendant and its Nakshatra, and the purpose you are wearing the gemstone for: "I wish to attract all the blessings of [planet's name] for protection and success". 

No one gemstone or japa mala will solve everything, but many people do report subtle effects, both personally and in their practical lives as a result of a carefully chosen crystal. Planetary remedies on the whole exist to ward off tomorrow's problems and to create opportunities today. As Patanjali says in the Yoga Sutras: "Avert the danger that has not yet arisen". Fate is ever-present in astrology, but generally negotiable.

What I Did On My Holidays: India Trip 2014

Despite having a Sagittarius Sunsign in both zodiacs, I'm not by nature a traveller. From 22nd February to 4th March, however, I was journeying in India, between Delhi, Varanasi and Agra, a mixture of familiar tourist spots and off-piste experience. The country has a hold on many people's imaginations and in defiance of my 'inner traveller' stance, my trip was part holiday, part pilgrimage. 

Varanasi Supermodel

"Everything you say about India, the reverse is also true", I was told. For sure there are extremes of wealth and poverty, colour and squalor, spirituality and sleaze. Delhi, home to 18 million people, is a very green city, with endless parks and tree-lined streets, which seem also to be permanently swathed in a charcoal-smelling haze. Its new Metro system is a world-class facility and the prevalence of the English language makes it easy for Westerners to get around. For all its teeming energy and anarchic roads, there is an underlying softness, unlike London for example, which has a much harder, colder atmosphere.

Delhi

Thousands auto-rickshaws, or 'Tuk-Tuks', swarm around the city like bees. They are basically three-wheel motorbikes with a chassis and run on compressed natural gas, making for virtually zero-emissions. This is another planned environmental policy and explains their iconic green and yellow livery. Boris Johnson, are you listening?

I asked our driver if there are any rules on Indian roads. "Yes, many rules", he said. Which nobody pays any attention to: "We are a free country, the largest democracy in the world". You see a gap, signal by honking your horn and take your chances, rather like the fairground Dodgems, and the experience strengthens your faith. On the inter-city highways, nobody bats an eyelid to see a camel-drawn rickshaw coming the opposite way down the inside lane. We saw a couple of crashes, but no road-rage as such: if this was the UK, there would be murders on the road daily. 

Ganges at Varanasi

Varanasi is the epitome in many ways of India's paradox. This city of a thousand temples, a hundred mosques and twenty three churches is bursting with life and energy, and gives an impression of what India must have been like centuries ago. It is part Biblical, part Wild West frontier town, and all post-Apocalyptic. Buildings seem to have been abandoned then completed later, or built over in a completely different style, for quite another purpose. Its roads are mostly dirt tracks, bulls and buffaloes wander the streets like honoured guests, and the traffic is a free-for-all of bikes and beeping horns, making for the uninitiated a dizzying cocktail of culture shock. 

Varanasi

Even in the UK, some sacred sites have a hypnotic quality, where it is cautioned against spending too much time. You know anyone moving permanently to Glastonbury, for example, is making a statement and entering an otherworldly phase of their life. On a balmy evening, Varanasi has a magical quality that you only fully appreciate after you have left, since there is probably nowhere else in the world quite like it. It is not a serene or tranquil place, but a powerful mystical portal where air is thick with spirituality, and it is hard to stay there for any length of time and be unaffected. 

With Pandit Lakshmi Shankar Shukla

There is a gravity to the city too, which after all, is a place where people go to die. Varanasi's famous bathing ghats on the Ganges are a place of pilgrimage, among the most auspicious of all places to leave this world. Bodies wrapped in sheets are carried through the streets on the way to the waterside, sometimes by hand, sometimes on the roof racks of cars. Some families save up for months to afford enough sandalwood to cremate their loved ones at the holy Ganges side, where 250 bodies every day are burnt in the open air.

Meditation at Sarnath

Sarnath, on the outskirts of the city, is the birthplace of Buddhism, where Gautama preached his first sermon. It is a major Buddhist shrine, containing a Tibetan university, which attracts pilgrims from the far-East in particular, year-round. I was fortunate to spend time with Vedic pandits at a temple in the grounds, as they performed the Rudrabhishek Yagya morning and afternoon. This recitation, which takes about two and a half hours in total, is for health, wealth, peace and protection. Being present while the pandits chanted was a privilege, but this facility can be viewed on Skype and is available to everyone around the world. 

Rudrabhishek Yagya at Sarnath

Agra, after Varanasi, was a more regular sight-seeing experience. The Taj Mahal is arguably the world's most beautiful building and an icon, like the Mona Lisa say, that brings out everyone's inner tourist. Drinking in its sheer Cathedral scale and symmetry does not disappoint, and there is not an angle from which it doesn't dazzle. What you don't see from a distance are the inlaid semi-precious stones: onyx, malachite, lapis, jasper, and the precision and intricacy of the work. Twenty thousand labourers took twenty years to build a monument to undying love. 

© The India Tourist Board

In Agra, I also had my first informal sitar lesson. I volunteered to one of a classical duo playing outdoors in a restaurant that I was a guitarist and he was kind enough to show me the basics. Sitar has many similarities with guitar, basically fretting notes and plucking strings, except another layer of strings lying underneath supply a drone. The specific tuning also depends on what piece of music one is playing, with the morning, afternoon and evening ragas all having different tunings. This approach strikes me as very Indian: subtle, complex, with an innate understanding of the rhythms of life. Adjusting to sitar is rather like learning Jyotish after cutting your teeth on Western astrology.

"Where's the volume control?"

I returned from the trip feeling slightly different in ways that are hard to articulate. It is rather like waking from a vivid dream. Varanasi in particular has a profound effect and is not somewhere from which you emerge with a neutral opinion. I miss very much the way astrology and yoga are steeped into the soul of that city, and how their various practitioners are respected, or revered actually. A top Jyotish pandit has status simlilar or superior to that of a doctor. Returning to a Western city, you see far more orderliness and material prosperity, but it also strikes you what relatively superficial lives we lead. 

I was also humbled by the warmth and hospitality shown by everyone. 'The guest is God' is an admonition from the Upanishads which my friends in Delhi and Varanasi take very seriously. As a Westerner, my expectations of ever spending quality time with yogis and Vedic pandits would be pretty small, but I was welcomed and made to feel included. Next time I'm staying longer.

Blast from the Past: Mercury Retrograde

From 6th to 28th February, Mercury is in its reverse phase, kicking off
in tropical Pisces (a sign which prefers telepathy to plain speech anyway). London Underground is on strike, the sporting managerial merry-go round is in full swing, and Bill Roache has been found not guilty. Never a dull moment. 

Mercury retro is the period in Mercury’s orbit where it goes slower than the Earth’s. Mercury is left behind and appears to go backwards, like a slow train being overtaken by a faster one. This happens three times a year, for roughly three weeks at a time. Mercury is the planet of the mind. So during these spells, your thinking goes backwards and you move on to another track. You second-guess, re-evaluate and un-think. Second thoughts seem better, as Mercury is overtaken by events, but this condition is only temporary. Once Mercury moves ahead as usual, ideas cooked up in the retrograde period seem out of sync.

Mercury retrograde is a phenomenon, like cusps, compatible elements and rising signs, that has almost reached the level of common knowledge. People on the periphery of astrology understand that it’s a time when communication gets screwed up and buyer’s remorse kicks in. Well… not quite perhaps and it’s totally wrong to generalise, but like the biggest clichés, this perception contains a pinch of the truth. Mercury retro brings unforeseen circumstances you can count on. Predictably unpredictable, reliably unreliable. It’s rather like a very sharp bend in the road: the signs tell you it’s coming, but you still can’t see what’s around the corner.

Keep track of the number of times you have to take things back to the shop when Mercury performs its gyrations. The assistant has bagged the wrong shirt, your new sofa doesn’t fit through the door, your digital gizmo isn’t compatible. You spend more time arguing with the after-sales staff than enjoying your new goodies. Watch the news for a time of political U-turns, reversals of fortune, and the hand of fate. A ringing endorsement before Mercury’s backward path is not enough to spare those in public office from the sack, as their bosses rationalise and rethink. The cabinet is ruthlessly reshuffled, the post office goes on strike and the train drivers come out in sympathy. So why go against the flow? Knowing Mercury’s backwards phases is useful stuff.

The best part of Mercury is the opportunity to try again, to have a second bite at the cherry. Something didn’t work out first time around. You didn’t get the job or you didn’t get the girl. Part of the jigsaw was missing, something you didn’t know then that you do now. The element of fate is never far away and it’s tempting to believe something is meant for you when opportunity knocks again. It can be a period of enforced learning, where solutions appear to long-standing technical problems. The computer screwed up and you lost a bunch of data, but you sure as hell know your software programme now after taking your project back to the drawing board. You understand the ins and outs of the postal system intimately after hours spent tracking down your missing parcel. Or that damn refund you spent ages haggling for materializes under the following Mercury retro period, three months later.

It’s great for editing, refining and clearing out. Deleting old emails, catching up on correspondence, cleaning out your closet. If you really want to hedge your bets, put all stuff ready for the chop in a special bin or file and wait until Mercury Direct to make the final call. Your talents and special skills resurface too. Extracurricular interests left on the back-burner take up more time after-hours, as you realise they are not overnight wonders and won’t quickly go away. You remember the novel you started, the re-decoration you planned, the songs you demo-ed. Dreams to study Yoga, dance, acting, astrology, bubble up again in your mind, only this time you do something about it. Like a detour from your regular journey, you find the scenic route, the Plan B, and your fallback position.

People who have disappeared from your world, old friends and connections who dropped off the radar, come back into your world. Either they contact you directly, out of the blue, or your paths cross on neutral territory. Your ex’ calls to say hi, and would you like to get together (or asks for a raise in the child support)? The house that Mercury retrogrades in, tells you the backdrop to the business. The actual person who reappears unexpectedly is often not as important as the message they have for you. In true Mercurial fashion, your personal blast from the past acts as a cosmic mouthpiece and brings you crucial intelligence.

There are no hard-and-fast rules about how far in the past the reminder comes from. It is not always from the last Mercury retro period, or even from a Mercury retro period at all. It could be from last month or twenty years ago. It could even be from a previous lifetime… Yup, textbook deja-vu experiences come up a lot during these phases, a sign of your mind returning to a place in your psychic history. Recurring dreams, too. So next time you find yourself back at school, naked, and facing that exam you haven’t studied for, check the ephemeris for Mercury’s backward phase when you wake up.

Mercury retrograde natally isn’t an affliction as such, if you don’t mind seeing everything backasswards. Most people look out of the window to admire the view: your attention is drawn to the curtain rail. Put a horoscope in front of you and the first thing you notice is the house system. There is a streak of perversity here, someone who loves making things complicated, or over-solves every problem. You learn the hard stuff first and go back and master the basics last. 

Thanks for asking...

Between Venus going direct at the end of January and Mercury retrograding on Thursday 6th, it seems like a good moment for an update. 

Thanks for your kind comments and inquiries regarding weekly stars. I am absolutely fine, but simply busy with many commitments, teaching in particular, which is getting a good response. I kept a column going all last year and I am always encouraged by the numbers of people tuning in.

In 2014 I am focusing more on client work. One-to-one readings are the lifeblood of astrology, for both client and astrologer. More than writing, teaching or lecturing, this is where one learns the most. I would encourage everyone to have their charts checked out, based on an accurate birth time.

I will be in India from 21st Feb - 4th March, including some time in Varanasi, please let me know if you would like a Yagya performance. Watch this space for photos and a full holiday debrief when I return.

Weekly Stars January 5th 2014

Drop me a line at astrovedas.com to  book your 2014 personal reading.
Please include your time, date and place of birth, as accurately as possible.

Capricorn
Revisiting old haunts, revamping your image, or having someone from yesteryear reappear are all possibilities. Venus, planet of affection, goes backwards and you see a familiar relationship from a new angle. You feel the hand of fate, but nowhere it says you have to befriend someone at the point of a gun. The choice is yours, but you can have that conversation now that you meant to have before. Focus on achievable aims rather than fight a war on several fronts. Macho Mars gives you energy at work and you call it as you see it on Wednesday. Friday's waxing moon inspires you to get away, and a subject you love rewards close study.

Aquarius
Behind the scenes is where the action lies and your private thinking moves mountains. A brainwave is boosted by meditation, and an inspired notion bubbles up fully formed. Check out an old romantic flame beyond the glare of publicity and tune out unsympathetic noises from the boss. Give generously.

Pisces
Creative compromise is called for when steering a joint project. You take care of the vision thing while others do the heavy lifting. Your executive streak knows what success looks like and you stand out in like-minded company. Turn up early and target Monday's Pisces Moon for an audacious proposal.

Aries
Somebody close gives you the go-ahead to satisfy your inner rebel. Mars, your ruler, brings matters into the open, and a domestic declutter clears the air. Put down roots while you are still in wanderlust mode - you need a haven to come back to. Tuesday's Aries Moon puts you across in a flattering light.

Taurus
Venus, your ruler, backtracks and you revive an old romantic feeling. Someone shows you their vulnerable side and you move on to a new level in this knowledge. Bull birthdays around 11-13th May are under pressure and you revise your big ambitions. Take heart, and an older person shares insight.

Gemini
You take a subtle lead and get your way without trying. Speak out after holding your tongue too long, and you move on with a clearer feeling. Ruler Mercury gives you a diplomatic touch on Tuesday and you grab a second chance. Trust your money luck and revive a project that foundered through fear.

Cancer
You try to sidestep someone from the past, but connecting makes you wise. Mercury and Venus collide in your relationship zone and you catch up and compare notes. Your feet are on the ground and you know it takes more than love. Be a listener and a sympathetic touch works on Monday morning.

Leo
Providing a service is your touchstone and a fill-in position has unexpected promise. Attend to your diet and a conversation at the health club sparks a new direction. You are building a platform at home, don't rush it or let a skeptic put you off. Thursday inspires a bid for promotion, it's coming soon.

Virgo
Discuss past affairs with a forgotten face who appears as if by fate. Mercury, your ruler, gives you a stubborn streak, yet others have good ideas to share. Virgo birthdays, up to August 26th, are feeling escapist and you want someone to rescue you. Get busy, and refined assertion makes money.

Libra
Your latent action hero comes across as you make up for lost time. Potent Mars raises the stakes and you target a romantic conquest. A quirky partner has their own ways and you do everything in your own unusual style. Get past a fraught midweek and Thursday's renaissance sees you ready to party. 

Scorpio
You take a duty call with the promise of final credit. Still, satisfaction too long deferred means it's time to look around. Bosses need your kind of talent and taking the leap is half the battle. Your downside is protected and a second chance to send a message is all you need. A quiet weekend to savour shapes up. 

Sagittarius
You make a career calculation and choose between love and gold. A timely windfall changes the landscape and technology carries the prospect of final freedom. Shifting your life furniture for success is a step too far, but the challenge still remains. Thursday's affirmation meets a future obstacle in the invisible world.