Windy Town's Happy Return

Nativity

In the previous article about Whitstable- “Bubbly For The Bubble’s 101st,” this intrepid investigator revealed the process by which Whitstable’s birth-chart was figured-out. I’m not going to repeat very much of what I wrote two years ago, merely fill in some of the missing details.

Birth Certificate

Fen Lander

As described in “Bubbly For the Bubble’s 101st,” Whitstable (as we know it today) was “born” or was brought into existence at 10am on the 7th of April 1920, making the town 102 years of age in April 2022. If you haven’t seen that article, please click-on the link or you’ll never understand what I’m gassing about- and then read this.

Genius Loci

Some readers may already be familiar with the ancient idea of the “spirit-of-place,” the “idios daemon” or “genius-loci.” In former eras it was common practice to make suitable dwelling places, homes that the local genius, soul or spirit of a particular environment might like to reside- shrines where “graven-images” or small-dolls (i-dols) representing gods, devas, disembodied spirits, angelic-beings and so-forth, would happily, and permanently dwell- the “idios daemon” of a place.

Well-head shrines which housed the healthful and purifying-spirit of drinking water, or church-gargoyles are oft’ cited examples of such practices- holy and purifying undines would come and dwell at the well-head shrine after appropriate rites and ceremonies were performed, whilst evil spirits would be attracted to church-gargoyles, and were thus delayed from entering the holy-places- at least, that was the idea. Their malevolent influences would be neutralised by the prayers and hymns emanating through the stone-work from within.

Mumbo Jumbo

Whilst that may all seem totally insane to many a modern mind, it was scientific and common sense once upon a time. Many Westerners’ still roll their eyeballs heavenwards when the subject of Feng Shui (wind and water) is mentioned.

There’s little or no difference between still current Chinese and Asian practices when siting cities, shrines, bridges, roads etc- practices once common to most or all of Western Europe. If you wanted to attract good vibrations to a place, you’d build a shrine and do a ceremonial inauguration inviting an angelic, spiritual, intellectual energy or entity into the shrine you have made.

Of course, do all this in harmonious, geometrised interaction with the cosmos, at the most appropriate moment in time, on exactly the right spot, in exactly the right way- or you’ll get the wrong result, if you’d get one at-all.

I say that all this ceremonial mumbo jumbo happened right here in Windy Whitstable, at 10am on April 7th 1920, and that the entire town is therefore, a “star-temple,” a town-sized temple or shrine that was deliberately and with much forethought laid-out upon the ground and in the surrounding aethers, and ceremonially inaugurated at 10 am, 7th April 1920.

Happy Birthday!

Whitstable 10am April 7 1920

Fen Lander

No Idol?

“Where then,” some might wonder, “is the idol which represents the town? Is it secretly housed in a church or temple somewhere? Is there an idol?” Well, not that I’ve heard of- I don’t think the Freemasons go-in for that sort of thing- and they instigated the whole rite after-all. In this town-sized temple, that thing, that angelic, intellectual, artistic and rebellious “wight,” (the Anglo Saxon for a being, entity or thing) is within all of the people. And she (for “it” is definitely “she”) prefers to dwell with, among and within people. Ahh, that’s nice.

Natural Resonance

Don’t get all spooked-out at this notion please sir/madam/thing. It’s not as-if there’s a spook on the loose, a bodiless ghost attempting to body-snatch you the moment you fall asleep. It’s more like this: She (the spirit/soul/mind of Windy Whitstable) is the ocean or lake, we (the people) are the fishes in the lake or sea. She is the wind which touches and influences everything, we (the folk) are the things in the environment which are touched and influenced by the wind (wind, breath or air is/are ancient metaphors for “spirit”). We (the folk) are the body, the living flesh- the embodiment.

It always depends entirely on each individual whether they are in-tune with their environment (or not). The more a person is in natural resonance with their surroundings the more of that environment they reflect or emanate themselves. This is largely a matter of their own astrological make-up, of-course. Some people are so in-tune with themselves and their surroundings, they become the living “idol-in-the-shrine,” they come to more-fully embody the genius-loci, and express it through their lives and deeds. We’ll come-back to this aspect of things below.

I try to be as accurate and thorough as possible when describing the attributes found in Whitstable’s natal-chart, but have in previous articles dwelt only on one side of the picture, and 100% neglected what is the most important element in anyone’s or anything’s make-up- that being the Sun-sign- oops.

My excuse for such blatant disregard of this significant element in Whitstable’s character, is down firstly to my intuitive conviction that the sign Cancer the crab, thus the Moon and Neptune, hold such a huge, oceanic sway over everything here. Secondly, I knew not at that time (13 years ago) whether the lunar-Neptune influence of the sign came through Whitstable’s Sun-sign or through it’s ascendant-sign- because there was no birth-chart.

It turned-out (see birth-chart) that this powerful Cancerian vibration entered via the ascendant-sign, and upon confirming this astronomical-fact, I was able to find-out too that the Sun-sign of the town is in-fact Aries the ram, ruled by Mars. Wow. That fact explains so much that was previously in the realms of the unknown, and- until I’d devised the birth-chart- unknowable.

Scarface

NASA

Sun Aries Asc’ Cancer

So, Whitstable has an Aries Sun, and is a Cancer rising sort-of-place, if you know what I mean? I’ll just throw in this thought and then move on:- whilst Aries was the Sun-sign on the day of “new” Whitstable’s inauguration in 1920, in the 102 years since that date the Sun has, by what we call “progression,” progressed through Aries, Taurus and Gemini, and is now manifesting through the sign of the ascendant, Cancer- and has been for the past 24 years. In many ways, this double Cancer influence “doubles” the power of the lunar-sign, now that the Sun and Ascendant are both in Cancer. And when you think about it, the entrance of the progressed Sun into the sign of the ascendant 24 years back, takes us to the late 1990’s, around-about the time when humble little Whitstable started to attract visitors in their droves- and most of the student population (represented by Gemini) moved either to Herne Bay and/or Canterbury. The Sun moved out of Gemini, the student’s sign, and the students moved-out of Whitstable! The Sun in Gemini, and Cancer rising were both in Peter Cushing’s birth-chart.

Between 2004-2006 the progressing Sun met with- or conjoined with progressing Pluto- ruler of Scorpio and death/resurrection- and the town’s ascendant. Something big happened in 2004-2006 in Whitstable- Peter Cushing, after appearing in 100+ movies, popped his clogs, died! Gah… And around 2006 or so, the new Thanet Way construction began, and a few dozen locals and some helpful types from every-else-where came to help, and we all pitched up our tents in the woods and fields, right in the way of the road-building behemoth (I was tagged as Joe Oaks at that time). I took a survey of hundreds of protestors and found, to my amazement, 90% of them were Gemini’s!

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Real Horror Show

Fen Lander

The Missing Bit

Meanwhile, Windy’s Cancerian ascendant has also moved around the dial of the zodiac, and Whitstable now shows a more Virgoan face to the outside world, (holistic, healthful) as the ascendant has progressed into Virgo. But those are considerations for later, more advanced musings.

Right now let’s talk about Windy Whitstable’s Sun-sign, Aries, for it must be said, Aries and Mars really complete and round-out what was before only a partial picture. One that failed to fully account for Whitstable’s propensity to be notable for always being the first-place where certain novel, new things came about. In case you were on another planet, Whitstable gave birth to the under-water suit, the first fireman’s breathing apparatus, the first passenger-trains, the first public-housing scheme, the first sea-cadet corps, etc, etc. There’s probably some I’ve overlooked (oops!).

Mars and Aries are the “natural” 1st sign of the zodiac- the sign can’t help but do things before all the others. Aries is inventive, has an assertive and direct nature, has an urge to be constantly doing something. Self-motivated and enterprising, the sign takes the initiative and goes to where the action is. Naturally bold and courageous, Aries will often take risks and attempt things that others find daunting. It has a competitive spirit and likes to challenge others mentally and physically, and really likes to set challenges for itself too. At times, Aries can be too self-orientated and selfis, of-course.

The House Of The Witan

In Whitstable’s chart, Aries and the Sun are in the 11th house- this is the house of clubs, groups, and societies; the house of social-awareness and social integration. Whitstable’s name was originally “Witanstapol,” or variants thereof. A “witan” is the old word for a group, society, guild, club, congregation etc. Is this not a remarkable thing? Whitstable’s or Witanstapol’s Aries Sun is in the 11th house, the house of the witan!

As you can see in the zodiac-wheel, in Whitstable’s birth-chart the planet Pluto was conjunct the ascendant, and the ascendant was in the sign of the crab, Cancer. In 1920 the world in general didn’t know of the existence of Pluto- it wasn’t officially put in the ephemerides of astronomers or astrologers until 1937, at the dawn of WWII, as the storm-clouds of war began to darken Europe’s skies. Thus, Pluto is associated with destruction on a grand-scale- and grand-scale resurrection- look what happened to Germany and the whole of Europe after the war. Nothing was ever the same again once Hades/ Pluto came onto the scene. It didn’t do old Windy any harm at all- she was in dire need of some rectification

It was here in “the Bubble” that the first “Homes For Heroes” were built, and they were built on recycled, reclaimed, resurrected or rectified land. The re-birthing of Whitstable in 1920 was one of the first fruits of the Plutonic resurrection, after the world-wide destruction was done.

Hades’ Heart

NASA

Now You See Me…

There’s at-least one fascinating thing about Pluto being parked so close to Whitstable’s Cancer ascendant- in the Greek mythology Hades/Pluto wears a cap of invisibility, and true to form, after a team of astronomers’ announced the discovery of Pluto (3 years before new Whitstable’s nativity) in 1917, the dwarf-planet upped and disappeared during the inter-war years until he was spotted again in 1937, thus proving his connection with death and rebirth. What did those ancient Greeks know, huh? How did they know about Pluto (+ Uranus & Neptune) without telescopes?

Not Long Ago

Fen Lander

Looks Familiar…

Windy Wendy

I mention the disappearing-act due to Pluto’s absolutely critical position on Whitstable’s ascendant, during that phase when he was actually “missing” from the roster, invisible. It appears to this speculative-writer that the famous guild of builders known as Freemasons, whom undoubtedly set-up Whitstable’s ceremonial birthing chart, had not lost-sight of Pluto at all, and knew he would rise over Whitstable at 10am, April 7th 1920. Anyone got a better explanation- one that doesn’t include coincidence?

I’m only going to give very brief delineations of the planetary positions and aspects in Whitstable’s chart. I tend to anthropomorphise the town, it makes the astrology easier to get to grips with. I think of Whitstable as a woman called Windy and/or Windy Wendy.

Why “windy?” According to Miss Leyton, an old-dear I knew when I was a lad, when she was a young lady and first moved here in the 1920’s, everyone and their dog knew Whitstable by the monika: Windy Whitstable. So that’s why in this little piece, I often refer to Whitstable as Windy and/or Wendy.

Fen Lander

Symbolic Language

In this article I’m also resorting to the use of “sabian symbols” to “sum-up” some of the natal planetary positions because they fairly accurately “sum-up” the import of each influence with a simple-symbol. To save time and space I’m only giving the symbol, and not the long-explanation which goes with it- but I’ll give my suggestions as to its meaning anyway. I’m copying the text from Goldsmith’s Revised Sabian Symbols, from “The Zodiac by Degrees” – Second Edition by Martin Goldsmith. Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser.

The “Sabian Symbol” for the degree in which Pluto is posited, just 2 degrees from the ascendant, is the 6th degree of Cancer, for which the symbol is:
A pioneer family sets up a new homestead. The wife arranges stuffed animals in the nursery, while her husband builds a high fence around the house.

Given the fact that most of what is now Whitstable was, until relatively recent days, virtually a swamp (see the Gorell Delta diagram), the new houses that were built upon that former swamp were, in themselves, pioneering, but in more ways than one. They were also the very-first of the kind- authority built, maintained and rented. The fact that it’s Pluto occupying this degree, speaks volumes: Pluto is the “lord of death and resurrection.”

Very close by, in 4 degrees Cancer, is Whitstable’s ascendant. This particular angle of any zodiacal-wheel, the ascendant, powerfully influences the whole wheel, it sort-of characterises and sums up a person, thing or event. And it refers to the collective face of Whitstable as it were.

The symbol is: A cat on top of a television set leans over and swats the cartoon characters on the screen. When it realizes that the images are not real, it jumps off the set in disgust.

You may have noticed that, around here nothing is taken at “face-value,” tuned-in types are more likely to “see-through” whatever delusion the general populace are in thrall of. As far as I can tell, that’s always been true in Windy. From the alchemist who turned rocks and seawater into a multi-billion pounds enterprise- and gold; to the contraband smugglers who saw things a different way, to the salvage divers who refused to believe that breathing underwater couldn’t be done, to the first passenger trains in the world, continuing onto those pioneering houses. They all dismissed that old can’t-do attitude and simply did it.

Free Speech

Another example of someone not listening to the B/S, has got to be that Harbour Street radio-shop proprietor, William Joyce, who became the infamous Lord Haw Haw. He had little problem finding others like him in Whitstable who saw right through the propaganda about Germany, and led his black-shirted Whitstable dupes on a merry dance up the Nazi garden path. For a while, at any rate. Pretty soon most of the folk saw right through him and his B/S, and literally chased him from the podium at Starvation Corner- and all the way out of Whitstable! The podium where he regularly spoke to the crowd is still there, overlooking Sea Street, outside the Community Centre, opposite the Prince Albert (where he used to frequent). Manifestations of “radical-politics” in Whitstable are bound to occur when you know that Windy’s birth-chart has Saturn in opposition to Uranus.

Saturn Opposition Uranus
There is a natural, inborn struggle that makes those affected by it tense and intense, as the struggle between the urge to conform and the urge to assert individuality is powerful. One side wants to be like everyone else while the other side fights against it. It’s not easy for anyone to find a balance between the conflicting urges. This aspect is rebellious and bucks against anyone or anything that restricts freedom of action. I have to say, that from my own experience, individuality is a strong-point around here, hangs in the very air.

Shifting Sands

There was a significant problem to be faced when the planners’ were planning to site a large housing development here in the early 20th century- the shifting sands beneath. There was was nothing but ooze, nothing solid. There’s a well-known saying with regard to building castles on shifting sands, isn’t there. You’d have thought the builders’ would have known better than that, wouldn’t you? Again, it demonstrates the unwillingness to back down from a challenge that’s a permanent resident in Windy. Building a large housing development in a former swamp was a challenge, to say the least. Radical baby, radical. In astrological parlance we refer to the underlying soil as “Mutable-Earth,” because mutable means shifting, unresting, mutating in transition and changeable, and when you apply that to the soil underneath our town, that’s exactly the situation here.

And would you Adam ‘n Eve it, as you can see in Whitstable’s birth chart, the 4th house- representing the foundations- contains the Mutable-Earth sign, Virgo. That mire needed stabilising. Hey Presto! Like a led-rabbit out of a stone-cap the heavyweight planet Saturn, ruler of Capricorn (Cardinal Earth) sits right there underneath Whitstable’s foundations! Capricorn and Saturn represent or signify the metal led, and rocks and stones- the bones of the Earth and living Beings. There’s nothing random or accidental about Whitstable’s moment of foundation, as you can no-doubt see.

Peter Cushing, the most famous “son of Whitstable,” his own birth-chart has Pluto parked near his ascendant too. He was just the kind of person who could fully embody any role- and fully embodied the spirit of Windy.

Among his many roles, starring in “horror movies” alongside Christopher Lee et al wasone of his stocks-in-trade. If there were vampires about, watch out. Peter Cushing as Van Helsing would hunt them down and drive a stake through their evil-hearts- it’s some strange coincidence that Pluto’s surface has a distinctive heart-like appearance. People with Pluto near their ascendant seem to be powerfully drawn to Whitstable. The planet has a magnetic effect. Pluto was known to the ancient Greeks as Hades, the god of the dead, which neatly explains Peter Cushing’s love for windy Whitstable, as well as his relentless pursuit of underworld, un-dead denizens, and putting an end to their shenanigans- permanently.

Pink Spectacles

If you’re someone who has an interest in astrology, you may already know that this year (2022), There is what other astrologers are calling the “Grand Conjunction” of Jupiter and Neptune, taking place in a sign they both hold rulership over- Jupiter was the former “lord” of the sign, but now he’s been replaced by Neptune. I tend to think of them as co-rulers of Pisces. The reason I’m pointing this out is that on the day of Whitstable’s “birth” in 1920, Jupiter and Neptune were conjunct. This means that 2022’s “grand conjunction” is of especial significance for this town. On 7th April this year, Jupiter and Neptune are conjunct again!

This aspect breeds idealists, those who often see the world through rose-tinted glasses, and can easily perceive situations to be quite different from reality. Selfless, compassionate and emotionally sensitive souls, many with pronounced spirituality and psychic abilities have been, and still are, drawn to the town. I’ve been meeting them all my days.

This conjunction in the 3rd house Leo, greatly encourages the talents for music and art. On a more mundane level, also lends an enthusiasm for taking risks,. The conjunction of Jupiter and Neptune in Windy’s chart is in Leo, and Leo is the sign of the theatre, actors, artists and amour. The 3rd house placement represents the town itself, the local environment, the people you meet on the street, and includes the education of the youth, the way we communicate amongst ourselves and local travel. On the face of it, this aspect says artists, actors and musicians are likely to be either yourself, a loved one, the neighbours, or a combination thereof. They pop out of the woodwork. As I mentioned above, artworks adorn the faces of much local architecture and infrastructure. Some of the images herein are even hanging on the rusty railings opposite the leisure centre, next to the youth club. I’m getting them transposed onto canvases and might have a go at flogging a few of them.

Old Neptune 1950

Fen Lander

Arty Town

Neptune is Square Mars: This is often found in the charts of spiritual aspirants. It promotes talents in music, visual arts, theatre, film, photography or fashion. Swimming and water sports are associated with it too. Whitstable often hosts championship-level powerboat racing and water skiing. It gets pretty glamorous on the shore-line sometimes. As I’ll explain in paragraphs below, this contact between Mars (ruler of Aries) and Neptune, the “esoteric” ruler of Whitstable’s rising sign Cancer, is weaved into the town’s dynamic in a host of unseen ways, for Mars is Fire, and Neptune is Water.

Neptune is Trine the Moon: Clear-perception and sensitivity. The easy flow of this trine lends an idealistic outlook and inclines folks to just “go with the flow.” There’s a wide range of creative talents with the Moon and Neptune in aspect- both planets are associated with the sign Cancer, Whitstable’s ascendant sign. The talents include music, poetry, painting and photography.

Windy Wendy of Whitstable has the planet of the arts, Venus, in the artistic sign Pisces, at 24 degrees (10th house) where the “grand conjunction” is taking place, coinciding with Windy’s 102nd birthday. Something quite big is going to manifest in bubble-ville. I have no notion whatsoever exactly what might transpire in 2022, but simply to say that this year Whitstable’s star is in the ascendant, is quite an understatement, to-be-sure.

Venus in 10th House: This favours those who have careers that involve the arts, for with this in their environment, they could have success and recognition. Prominent women are all around. Venus in Pisces lends a deep appreciation of the arts and music. Not only does this tend towards artistic and creative professions in natives, it’s reinforced and intensified by Venus’ trine to Windy’s Moon- Cancer’s ruling light.

Venus Trine Moon. Perfect for any seaside fishing-town, especially one that’s so close to nature’s panoramic beauty. The vibrations emanating from Windy Whits’ both produces and attracts people of a refined nature, who love beauty and appreciate the finer things in life- especially the arts and culture. Folk are generally (not universally) charming with instincts for the subtleties of social interaction. The vibrations encourage artistic potential, especially in painting, photography or music. Her home (the entire town) is likely to be tastefully decorated and artistically arranged. Windy’s relationship with the female sex is generally easy and harmonious; women feel at ease in Windy’s company.

Venus Conjunct Mercury. Windy helps to imbue a creative intellect and an eye for beauty and artistic design in her children and friends. She lends talents to speakers and/or writers. Mercury and Venus conjunct in the 10th house, is a signature of “media-people,” career writers, broadcasters, singers and poets. I wouldn’t like to guess how many media-types base themselves in Whitstable, but there ain’t half a lot of ‘em. Similarly, I wouldn’t like to guess how many media-types, nor how many singers, poets, writers, broadcasters et al, have actually been born in Whitstable?

Fen Lander

Heavyweight

Saturn in Virgo implies a serious attitude to work. Conscientiousness, efficiency and insistence about following correct procedures- allied with Saturn in the 4th House, which brings the focus of all that work to the home and family life, and toward attaining domestic security. When we place this vibration of Saturn alongside the degree where Pluto is posited in 4 degrees Cancer: A pioneer family sets up a new homestead, we begin to see how this chart fits together so harmoniously. It’s all about making a new home- that being the town itself. It’s clear why Saturn in Virgo’s “serious attitude to work,” and “following correct procedures” is so meaningful in terms of the town’s very foundation, nes pas?

Any planet other than Saturn down there beneath the surface could be very unstable indeed. Imagine revolutionary Uranus being underfoot instead of threatening that stability from the 10th house in the sky! Saturn’s focus on attaining relational and domestic partnerships and making them work in an harmonious fashion, is also perfectly placed in the foundations of the chart in terms of creating a stable environmental space wherein such relationships can thrive and prosper.

But Saturn by no means suggests that such devoted service to doing things the right way, is as exhausting, grim and grey as it might look or sound. It’s the sabian symbol associated with Saturn’s Virgoan 6th degree, which makes that point quite clearly: Amidst the roar of the crowd, a brightly-clad jockey swerves around the last curve to make a daring run from behind.

Heavy Infrastructure

BRIDGE APPROACH OLD BRIDGE ROAD C.1950

Fen Lander

Lust For Life

In this case, I’ll paste the entire delineation of the degrees import:

“Never-ending search for fun and excitement; going where the action is (parties, nightclubs, races, fights and other events); sex and active sports; enthusiastic participation; life in the fast lane (problems with drugs and alcohol); having fun with one’s clothes and appearance; pushing the envelope of permissible public behaviour (sexually aggressive, combative); taking gambles; bondage to the ups and downs of the wheel of fortune; going around in circles vs. breaking out of a rut; leaving a secure position in order to gain a shot at the main chance (get off track; chaotic personal life can undermine their professional life); perfecting one’s skills through disciplined practice (competitive; constantly trying to prove themselves; want to stay on top of their game); earthy vitality.”

It’s a bit difficult to add much to the italicised paragraph above, but all of the characteristics and traits mentioned there are pretty familiar- to me they are, at least. I’m not referring to myself, goodness me no. In short, there’s no shortage of party-people in Windy- just give ‘em a DJ and an open field.

Opposing Saturn’s position on the I.C., (immum coli) directly underneath (a very powerful angle in any chart), is the above noted rebel planet, Uranus, conjunct the M.C. (midheaven) also an incredibly powerful spot on an angle, and, as also mentioned above, on the 1st and most powerful angle of the chart, the ascendant, is Pluto. Between these three outer planets placed on the chart’s angles, there is a powerful, harmonious interaction.

t tells any astrologer that this amazing chart was designed to have effects for many generations beyond it’s founding date. For Saturn is the father of time and the time-keeper, whilst Uranus (the sky god) and Pluto (death/regeneration) are known as “generational planets” and affect entire generations.

New Age Mystical Rebels

It’s when we look at Uranus’ placement and aspects- along with the sabian symbol for the degree, that so much about the town’s history starts to fall into place. The tenth house or midheaven is the house of one’s aspirations in life, one’s motivations or the reason a person bothers to get up in the morning. In terms of a town, it tells us what really drives things around here. What makes this town unique? I sincerely believe it’s at least 80% down to the position of Uranus, the revolutionary sky god, which was directly on the midheaven (the highest point in the sky) as the new-town came into being, on 7th April 1920, at 10am. In Windy’s chart, the tenth house of aspirations and career is the most occupied of all the twelve, housing non-personal Uranus, and very personal Mercury and Venus.

I’ll attempt to encapsulate it: Uranus in 10th: Aspirational and career direction will be unique and always prone to sudden changes. Which makes for unusual or progressive careers, and folks who are strongly inclined to rebel against authority figures. Uranus in Pisces makes the native’s channels for intuitive flashes and inspiration- hence reliance is on themselves rather than on any external guidance or interference from authority figures. Natives will do it their way- so get out of the way. Uranus in Pisces is much inclined towards mysticism and theology, and to investigating the workings of the unconscious. Uranus Square Moon: Strongly individualistic inclinations, a tendency to rebel against restrictions on freedom and independence.

Yin Yang

TAN GRETON TANKERTON

Fen Lander

Unique Vibes

Uranus Trine Mars: Adds an adventurous and fearless nature, which dares to try out new and different things. Imbues quick reflexes and the ability to work fast under pressure. High-octane sports (power boats and water skiing). Uranus Trine Ascendant: makes variety and change the spice of life. The town environment has a captivating personality and other people are attracted to it’s unconventionality and “unique take” on things. Native outlooks are modern and progressive and right up to speed with whatever’s happening in the world.

The generational planets Pluto and Uranus make a close trine in Whitstable’s chart. Windy was born during the between-wars era, amidst much social change and revolution, associated with technological advancement. Change was seen as a force for good, even if it was accompanied by crisis. Indeed, Windy herself was born of that crisis, and even before the inauguration ceremony, cutting-edge technological achievement was becoming it’s hallmark. And that’s before we’ve even looked at Uranus Conjunct Midheaven. A reforming vibration, others see Windy as a unique place which is strongly individualistic. The town asserts it’s right to be independent and original. Professionally, the native’s will choose careers that are unusual or innovative in some way, and are attracted to modern occupations, involving the latest technological or scientific advancements. Warning, this aspect sometimes inclines to reckless behaviour, which can lead to sudden reversals of fortune or disgrace.

Aquarius: The Waves

With regard to the last line about falling from grace, the most notable example of it must be William Joyce, that is Lord Haw Haw, briefly mentioned above. He was born in Aries (like Windy herself)- not only was he involved with state of the art technology at that time- radio in the 1930’s- repairing old radio sets and hire-purchasing them out from his Harbour Street premises, but fell from grace in town and fled, and then left the country on a false English passport to Germany, and went on to become the most well-known radio “anti-hero” or Nazi propagandist broadcaster of the second world war. He fell from grace in a big way, rising from his humble following in Windy and shooting rapidly to international fame and final (mis)fortune- but the side he chose went and lost the war and he was on his toes again, but got caught at the German border, and was hung as a traitor in Wandsworth prison, aged 40. He had a habit of pushing his luck too far- and with Uranus up there if you come unstuck too often- you come unstuck permanently. After all, that’s what happened to Uranus himself in the myths.

The sabian symbol for the degree where Uranus is posited almost refers directly to William Joyce, or at least, it seems that way.: The cast party after a benefit performance. The host ladles out spiked punch and regales the other guests with outrageously exaggerated stories based on his own experience.

Such tall tales were exactly his stock in trade- apparently, the English public, avidly tuned into his mocking broadcasts, so amusing to the English with regard to the upper classes and royal family. But he was an American posing as an eccentric English lord, which was of course, a big pack of lies, and his last big mistake. But the symbol could easily describe any or many locals that fit the bill, and one or dozens of establishments about the town.

A Diamond of Power

Whitstable or Witanstapol’s midheaven is in Aquarius, the humanitarian sign of the zodiac, as-well-as the sign of groups, societies, clubs, congregations and witans. The well-being of the group comes through the well-being of the individual., and the group is more than the sum of it parts. Aquarius motivates it’s natives with the desire to understand people. This is largely brought about by observing human behaviour, and studying the human sciences and metaphysics. The aims and aspirations are progressive and up-to-date. Following the powerful intuition advances native’s aims in life.

Midheaven trine Pluto. Imbues natives with the desire to become a person of some significance or importance in the world. This aspect lends the capability to be a leader – in a specialised field – that others would trust and feel comfortable enough with to support. At some point in native’s lives, there is a strong possibility they will undergo a radical change in direction that may surprise both themselves and others.

There’s a real host of powerful and significant elements in Windy’s natal-chart, far too many to give much justice to them, so I want to round this all up now and look at what’s going on in Whitstable’s “house of art love and music,” that is the 5th house in any chart. What do we find here? Nothing but a “grand trine,” between the powerhouse planets Mars (5th house), Uranus (10th house) and Pluto (1st house)

The Grand Trine is supposed to be “lucky.” The problem with “luck” is that people can blow it. If there are too many trines in a chart there is usually a tendency to take the easy way out, to let things drift, go with the flow, as suggested by Moon trine Neptune too.

The Grand Trine looks like an equilateral triangle or the Masonic Square, or the outline of the Gorell Delta. It’s symmetrical. That means no outlet for the “energy.” The desire to move has to come from elsewhere in the chart, usually from square aspects.

Looks Familiar

GRAND TRINE

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A Grand Trine is formed when two planets that make a trine aspect (120 degrees) both make another trine aspect to a third planet. If you draw lines connecting all the planets, you get an equilateral triangle., as-in Windy’s chart. The negative side of this configuration is that it is so stable that the native seldom ventures beyond the habitual. The stability of the Grand Trine turns on its static character – the unwillingness to develop. A native is able to harmonize with external situations, or even find them easy, not having considered or resolved the problems involved. In charts of great people the grand trine is not usually a leading configuration. If one of the three points of a grand trine is in opposition to a planet (Saturn opposes Uranus), it gives the grand trine opportunity to manifest more brightly. In such configurations the most important point of the grand trine is the point that has the opposition aspect; and the point opposing it reveals unrealised aspirations, the fateful area of a horoscope. This configuration is called the Kite.

A Grand Trine alone may not provide enough impetus or challenge to develop the talents inherent in the Grand Trine. A Kite formation adds an element of challenge/tension, and the opposed planet (Uranus in Pisces 10th house) can tell us a lot about how the natives focus and release this energy. Looking at it another way, however, we can look to the two planets that are part of the Grand Trine and that also form sextiles to the focal planet (Uranus) as potential areas for resolving the conflict of the opposition (in Windy’s chart, no sextiles to Uranus mc, but there is a sextile from Saturn to Pluto/ascendant). This suggests that hard work is the natural and only way to get the energy of the grand trine activated:

Flying Kites in Windy

Saturn Sextile Pluto Everything achieved in life is as the result of sheer determination and effort. There are great powers of endurance and perseverance, coupled with a tenacious attitude and the self-discipline to see things through to their successful conclusion. And Saturn Sextile Ascendant presents a responsible face to the world which other people know they can rely on. Learning from experience and gladly passing on what is known to those who will benefit from it. Hard workers, they like to see concrete results for their efforts and don’t mind putting up with short-term pains for long-term gains.

The Kite generally has a positive “prognosis,” as the focal planet (Uranus) stimulates activity. New technology, humanitarian issues, new-ageism, etc, are the source of that stimulation. Natives with the Kite in their charts are more inclined to put the talents of the grand trine into action constructively. We’ve already looked at Pluto on the ascendant, and Uranus on the midheaven, in paragraphs above.

Whitstable has Mars in the 5th house in Scorpio, making a very-close trine to Pluto on the ascendant. An incredibly potent, powerful set-up. Both planets rule Scorpio, 5th house music, poetry, love and art, with Scorpionic sex, death and resurrection themes mixed in. Those whom invest huge amounts of emotional energy and vigour into their objectives, will also have the motivational power to work long hours and to see any task through to a successful conclusion.

Mars in Scorpio: This signifies strong willpower, this sign position knows exactly what it wants and how to get it. Strong-willed and fearless, pursuing goals and desires with great determination. Other people sense that they’re not someone to mess with. In conflicts or aggressive situations, they stand their ground and hardly ever concede defeat. Power struggles are almost everyday occurrences for them.

Mars Square Neptune The main challenge of this aspect is to discover how to channel such intense energies productively. Neptune tends to undermine Mars’ ability to act by dissipating its power or causing it to express itself in a misguided way. But the watery and fiery elements were put to their productive use in Whitstable, fully tapping into the energy of the grand trine.

Great Rod

TANGRETON

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Fire with Water

For example, Cornelius Vos the alchemist, discovered vitriol, a sulphur bearing iron (Mars), and extracted it from pebbles on Tankerton beach (Neptune) inventing a new process for manufacturing chemical agents in the process (chemistry/alchemy = Neptune + Mars). Smuggling alcohol (Neptune = alcohol + deception + the sea) was historically rife in olde Whitstable, and this combination of planets relates to that too.

Also relates to the pioneering passenger steam train, as Mars = iron + fire + machinery, and Neptune = water/steam. The diving suit is man’s activity (Mars) under water (Neptune) using iron for the helmet and Aries/Mars for the inventive process, in pursuit of treasure underwater (water = Neptune). Neptune and Mars in combination also signifies fighting seamen, or marines. The Naval Reserve pub on the high Street reminds us that their really was a posse of seafaring fighting men in Windy at one time.

On the corner of Tower Parade and Northwood Road where the laundrette now stands was once a Royal Navy Cadet School! It was quite large and stretched along both roads a hundred feet or so.

This square between Mars and Neptune in Whitstable’s chart is also regularly discovered in the charts of spiritual aspirants and humanitarian types who direct their energies towards the higher good. Gives talents in music, visual arts, theatre, film, photography or fashion. Physical exercise such as swimming and water sports are a signature of Mars and Neptune- and we don’t see much of that around here now do we?

The source of the alchemist’s main ingredients was the “Great Rod,” which is the bona fide origin of the Manor of Tankerton’s name. It was originally written Tangreton, “tan” means (amongst other things) a rod, and “greton” is great. This points directly at the Street of Stones, as the source of great alchemic magic. The pyrites found along the Street are/were iron containing. Iron is Mars and Mars is hot.

The Great Rod is as male as you can get, for obvious reasons, and you can get no more feminine and female than the sea, can you? So right here on the beach of Tankerton it’s possible to see natural alchemy in action, twice every day! Further, Mars and Aries are inventive, masculine and acidic. Whilst the Neptunian/lunar sea into which the rod is thrust or plunged, is cool, female and alkaline. When Cornelius Vos came ashore at the foot of the Great Rod, he knew beyond a doubt that this was the place he’d been seeking.

Although we’ve managed to cover quite a lot of ground here, there’s actually quite a lot still left unexplored in Windy’s chart as far as this article goes, but I have to consider how much information the reader can take on board before it all starts to get a little incoherent, you know, meaningless.

I think that for now we’ll have to leave it there. I hope that the article made some sense to you, because it’s not that easy to write a horoscope for a town, and it might not be that easy to make clear sense of. But I hope you can. I don’t think this astrological-process has ever been attempted on a town before, but I might be wrong about that.I hope you like my paintings too- the only photos herein were the Google map, the fish market sign, Mars and Pluto- I painted the rest for Windy! So happy birthday Whitstable, 102 this year, at 10am, on the 7th April 2022.

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