Beckham in the firing line

How the English public love, hate and are indifferent to three members of the England team. How will Shearer survive his dark night of the Soul?

Autumn 1998

Welcome back from Mars if you've managed to miss this summer's World Cup tournament in France! The English national side had a bumpy ride before finally loosing to Argentina on penalties after a controversial match which saw Manchester United midfielder David Beckham sent off and a goal from Newcastle's Alan Shearer disallowed. On a more positive note, Liverpool's 18 year old striker Michael Owen blasted his way onto the international stage with some breathtaking performances.

One of the curiosities to come out of England's performance against Argentina is the almost complete lack of emotion concerning Paul Ince and David Batty, who missed the crucial penalty kicks which sent England home. The roles of Hero and Villain are split between Michael Owen and David Beckham, and questions are being asked about Alan Shearer, who, in some quarters is no longer seen as the saviour he once was.

Looking at their charts, all three are experiencing transits of the Moon's nodes to their own nodal positions.

The nodes of the Moon are the points where the orbits of the Sun and Moon cross, bringing together the individuality of the solar path, and the emotional security issues of the lunar. They are associated with community, relationships, groups and mark a pathway between the exploration of the solar north node and the more familiar lunar south node. They are associated with a Karmic, fated quality - and this may explain why these three have so captured the public imagination.

The transiting nodal axis may be said to trace out public opinion and whim. Which particular countries or communities pick up on these affairs would depend on the synastry between the transiting points and the chart of the country in question.

The United Kingdom has Pluto at 2 Pisces. Pluto represents things which are hidden or in shadow, both literally or metaphorically, but it also represents regeneration. The need to find a scapegoat and a saviour is shown quite clearly.

Michael Owen

Owen is experiencing his first nodal return. Generally this is associated with reaching an age where he can take his place in the larger community, reaching an age where he would start work and enter society. Specifically Owen has Mercury square the nodes in his natal chart, showing an ability to say what people want to hear. On the day of the England -Columbia game on June 26 transiting Venus was at 2 Gemini completing a grand cross with natal Mercury at 2 Sagittarius and nodes at 2 Virgo/Pisces. Venus adds value and transiting Pluto at 5 Sagittarius contributes star quality. Additionally Owen has had Jupiter square his Sun; it will be around this position for sometime yet so a triumphant return to the Premiership in August should be in store. Liverpool should stand firm if they do not want to sell him; this planetary line up will raise any price sky high.

Beckham's nodes are square to the transiting axis; squares are associated with conflict both literally in the form of outbursts and not seeing eye to eye with others.

David Beckham

His rise to fame has been under the more inconsistent influence of a square from transiting Uranus to his Sun, bringing with it that touch of brilliance and arrogance, but also the unreliability and rebelliousness which Uranus personifies.

Questions over Beckham's character have been raised before, and a look at Beckham's natal chart shows factors which may contribute to this. A quincunx from Neptune in Sagittarius to the Sun in Taurus brings questions of stability and steadfastness up against questions of mystery, exploration and imagination. Planets on opposite ends of a quincunx have difficulty relating to each other. Additionally Mars is in Pisces and sesquiquadrate Uranus. Mars in water signs can bring problems with expressing anger and dissolute Pisces can bring problems of recognising and owning anger with few avenues to express it healthily. Hook on Uranus to this line up and energy flows erratically and unpredictably. Neptune square Mars boosts the Piscean energy and the Sun completes this figure bringing these two contrasting energies together. These are difficult energies to combine, bringing both the talent evident in Beckham's performances and the dichotomy he must feel between steady reliable Taurus and petulant Mars/Neptune. Possibilities for projection are high - "it's not me who's angry or out of control, it's them" - is a common reaction. The British media’s reaction to Beckham’s sending off - a largely self inflicted incident - has been fearsome, but perhaps ultimately it may allow him to see this side of himself and begin to integrate it more fully.

Alan Shearer

England captain Alan Shearer is now experiencing a nodal opposition; that is the transiting north node is on his south node and vice versa.

The nodes are also associated with familiar and unfamiliar activity and the nodal opposition can be a time when what usually comes naturally is now more of an effort. Additionally you can see that Shearer also has Pluto passing over his ascendant - a time when self image and ways of relating to the world are completely revised. This is reflected in the eclipsing of Shearer by the up and coming Owen - eclipses occur around the lunar nodes.

Shearer's serious injury last year posed questions about his ability to recover and regain his previous form. His display in the Premiership did not reach his previous high standards but was showing improvement which continued through the world cup. The astrology points to this time being a "Dark Night Of The Soul" where he must address issues about what he does and who he is. There is a double dose of this; not only is Pluto transiting a Sagittarian Jupiter ruled Ascendant, but transiting Jupiter is opposite Natal Pluto.

Alan Shearer with progressions

Bringing in secondary progressions shows more of the same type of contacts; Progressed Ascendant is square to Natal Pluto, Progressed Mars is square to Natal Ascendant. This period of his life is focused on relationship and power issues - all good Pluto/Jupiter/Ascendant stuff suggesting the integration of the more unsavoury aspects of human behaviour and acknowledgement that these qualities are present in yourself.

Additionally Progressed Sun is conjunct natal Mercury, bringing in issues around communication, but the fact that this is the Sun gives Shearer an outlet to deal with these very powerful energies consciously and may make things marginally easier to deal with.

The contrasting ways that these players have been treated by the media and the British public does fit very well with these nodal positions, but ultimately one thing is clear; each man holds his destiny very much in his own hands.