Lunar landings

Published Jul 16 2004, 17:46 BST  |  By Dianne Millen

The story so far has been Pluto-dominated but tonight's eviction chart highlights one of the other astrological themes of BB5 - the resonance of the Moon across the charts of the remaining housemates.

Although we find Pluto once again hanging around in the eleventh house, he's largely twiddling his dastardly thumbs this week. The most striking aspect in tonight's chart is the precise conjunction between the Moon - representing emotions - and Saturn, planet of duty and responsibility.

Saturn placements show where you will learn life's lessons the hard way, gaining personal growth through often bitter experience. The link to the Moon in its own sign of Cancer, and the fact that the conjunction is in the sixth house of work and health, suggests that there may be a message for tonight's evictee about learning to trust one's own emotions and use them to achieve a favourable outcome.

Because the Moon moves so fast it's not uncommon for it to make some form of aspect in the natal chart, but it's interesting how many of the nominees have a lunar conjunction in theirs. Nadia has the Moon conjunct Jupiter, the planet of luck, which might tempt one to conclude that she will benefit from any strongly lunar-influenced chart - particularly as the two planets also make a favourable aspect to Mars located in Capricorn, the Ascending sign of tonight's eviction chart.

Ahmed has the Moon conjunct our old friend Pluto, in ascetic, precise Virgo - lending a vicious, even self-destructive power to his emotions and inclining towards extreme mood swings. And as noted previously, Daniel has his energy-giving Moon-Mars conjunction in Taurus.

And although Victor doesn't have a lunar conjunction, he has the next best - or worst - thing. His natal Moon in Gemini is making an exact opposition to Neptune in Sagittarius - self-delusion alert! (Incidentally, rather than "banging" endless women, one does wonder if he has a soft spot for needy, women who he thinks he can 'save' but who end up taking him for a ride!)

The remaining two evictees, however, don't show any particular lunar traits. Shell's Moon is exactly on the Leo-Virgo cusp and makes one aspect, a square to Uranus. Traditional astrology books prescribe an unhappy romantic future for such people, muttering about "hysteria", "fear of abandonment" and "erratic early lives". More charitably, this aspect makes it more likely that the person will be emotionally attached to unusual, striking people.

Stuart, meanwhile, has his Moon tucked away in energetic, impulsive Aries - somewhat at odds with his phlegmatic Taurean character. His Moon is unaspected, which may suggest he is somewhat out of touch with his own feelings, not quite knowing what they are or how to direct them.

So what does it all mean for the long walk tonight? Well, it's interesting that the Sun in Leo is tucked away in the seventh house, that being the house of open enemies (as well as marriage - go figure!). As it's a Capricorn-rising chart this might suggest that housemates with significant Earth on their chart (particularly Daniel, Nadia and Stuart) might clash with those with more Fire. But on the whole, this chart is as mysterious and devious as BB's military device. Particularly with Uranus in the first house, expect the unexpected.