Tuesday, 5 October 2010

It's Now Easier To Leave Comments On This Blog

I've made it much easier for you to leave comments at the Astroair Astrology Blog!

You no longer need to be logged into Blogger / Google / Wordpress etc to leave a comment.

You can opt for Anonymous (but please leave your name in the comment) or you can opt for Name/Url (your name will appear as a link to your own blog/website/social networking site of your choice).

Please feel free to let me know what you think, or ask questions. Please note that I can't answer detailed specific questions about your chart. General questions (that might relate to your chart and would be of interest to other readers) are of course very welcome as always.

I look forward to increased/enhanced interaction with the lovely readers of this site.

No spam please, filters in place.

Many thanks
Mandi.

N.B. I am available for private consultations if you want to go deeper into your own chart. See http://www.mandilockley.com/ or email me on mandi@mandilockleycom to enquire.

Monday, 4 October 2010

Libra New Moon ~ Free Your Mind

Image from meditation website getsomeheadspace.com

Venus energies are so prominent this month…the Sun is in Libra, the sign ruled by Venus, and recently conjoined Saturn in Libra. Venus conjoined Mars, the planet that is Yang to Venus’ Yin and on October 8 Venus turns retrograde (more on that in a forthcoming post).

All this adds up to a lot of work and attention on relationship matters.

But that’s not all because on October 7 there is a New Moon in Libra, bringing relationship issues into sharp focus once again.

But don’t forget there’s more to Libra than relationship and partnership. Libra is an Air sign, it’s about our mental faculties, about connecting and communicating, it’s about feeling appreciated. I think most of all Libra is about gaining peace of mind and the mental loop-the-loops we often have to do to get to that state. Libra must work to ensure the mind remains balanced as it is through the mental faculties that Libra can attain the emotional equilibrium it needs.

Therefore, during this Libra New Moon, I think we would all be wise to try and find some balance and peace of mind. This is true for everyone, but especially for Libra Suns and Moons or in fact anyone with planets around the middle degrees of Libra or with strong Air in their charts (get your chart at http://www.alabe.com/).

I always advocate going within, resting and contemplating during a New Moon. Yes, very often we hear that New Moons are good planning times, but for my money the New Moon is the time just before the planning begins. You see, it’s dark at the New Moon, we can’t see our way, we must simply stop and feel our way, or at least take a mental pause and wait for the light to grow, so that we may move forward again with renewed surety.

It is therefore serendipitous that this New Moon coincides with World Mental Health Day on October 10. However, I would suggest that we don’t wait until the 10th to do some work on our mental health – releasing stress, worries, anxiety – because the New Moon time provides us with more conducive energies.

One very useful method of improving our mental health and balancing our mental state is through meditation. There are many different ways to meditate, but a new website just launched is aimed at helping beginners to get into meditation, starting with just ten minutes a day for ten days. See getsomeheadspace.com  to get started, but it’s worth checking out even if you have some experience at meditation but perhaps need a bit of a reminder of the benefits of daily meditation.

Simply follow the instructions and you’re away. However, I also think that if you are in tune with the cosmic energies (which of course you are or you wouldn’t be reading this) it is helpful to have some images/phrases to anchor your meditative practice, so here are a few ideas for meditating on this Libra New Moon:

~ Meditate on the Sabian Symbol for 15 degrees of Libra (the degree of the New Moon, rounded up). The Sabian Symbol is “Circular Paths”. What does that mean to you? Perhaps think about the circular rhythm of the planets. For example, the Moon has a monthly cycle and the Sun a yearly cycle. Contemplate the cyclical rhythms of your own life, its ups and downs, or think about the seasonal cycles of nature.

~ Meditate on circular images if you prefer a more visual prompt. Use whatever works for you. It could be a Mandala, or ripples in water, or a spiral pattern.

~ Meditate on thoughts or images of balance and equilibrium. Perhaps it’s the perfect balance between the masculine and feminine or darkness and light that inspires you, or perhaps it’s the timeless image of Yin and Yang, which shows us that within darkness there is light and vice versa.

~ Concentrate on your breathing, the balance between the in-breath and the out-breath.

I hope you manage to find some balance in your life during this time. Remember to love and appreciate yourself, because you are a beautiful soul.

Wishing you a very peaceful New Moon.

See here for more about Mental Health Day

Namaste
Mandi

Friday, 1 October 2010

October Astrology ~ Make Up Sex / Break Up Sex

Pennies from Heaven by Ginny Gaura

When the Sun moved into Libra on 22nd September, it ushered in a new season, setting the cosmic agenda for the next three months. Themes of partnership, finding balance in our lives and seeking renewed hope and faith in life dominate, as well as more than a hint of passion and desire (for more detail see my post The Libra Equinox).

Pennies From Heaven

October continues along the same lines. On the first of the month, Mercury, still in Virgo after its recent retrograde, opposes the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction. If you’re lucky, this alignment could bring a huge sense of relief, as a penny drops from heaven just at the right time to help you make a change you need. At the very least, it’s an aspect that can help you develop a positive mindset and a fresh approach to an old problem.

Then on the October 3, Mercury moves into communicative, collaborative Libra, helping you to help others to help you. This new energy is good for smoothing out relationship glitches and overcoming conflicts fairly and diplomatically.

Make Up Sex / Break Up Sex

Relationship planets Venus and Mars have been travelling together for a while now. In August, they conjoined in Libra, the sign with the mantra ‘I Balance’. This conjunction supported the serious relationship work the Saturn in Libra energies have been urging us to do. On October 3, Venus and Mars conjoin again, this time in passionate Scorpio. The mantra for Scorpio is ‘I Desire’ prompting us to follow our passions at this time, particularly in the relationship arena. It is up to us to decide whether we channel the positive, regenerative, recuperative strength of Scorpio or whether we give in to dark, controlling, destructive urges. Under this conjunction the energies of Venus and Mars are bound together, their energies merged in union. We decide, symbolically speaking, whether they represent make up sex or break up sex as well as who gets to go on top.

Time For A Break

Oh my, I’m already exhausted at the thought of all the relationship work that needs to be done in October…and then there’s a Libra New Moon to contend with on October 7. The dark of the Moon is always a good time to go within and this one in Libra is excellent for taking a short break and seeking a bit of equilibrium in our lives…not just in our relationships, but holistically. I love New Moon times, but maybe that was because I was born just after a New Moon. Come back here on the 7th for a Libra New Moon meditation….

Where Do We Go From Here?

Fresh from the New Moon, Libra’s planet Venus turns retrograde on October 8th in passionate Scorpio. This energy urges us to go inside ourselves (if we haven’t already) and find a fresh perspective on those relationship matters that have been complicating our lives for so long. Where do we go from here? Is this a fair, balanced relationship? Is the passion spent? Do we need to make a fresh start, one way or another? These are some of the questions that we might need to ask ourselves as Venus travels backwards, re-entering Libra on November 7, before finally turning direct on November 18.

Urgent Questions

How was the Aries Full Moon for you on September 23? Intense probably, as it picked up on those sensitive, potentially explosive early cardinal degrees. Well, brace yourself, because we are in for another Aries Full Moon, on October 22/23, making this a rare and special Blue Moon. This one falls across the very last degrees of Aries and Libra. The last degree of any sign brings a sense of urgency, of things that need to be resolved. Think back to the September Full Moon for clues and contemplate the differences and similarities between Aries and Libra. Aries says ‘I Am’ and Libra says ‘I Balance’, or in other words, ‘We Are’. Where do you stand on this? Where do significant others stand? Where is the meeting point? Do you need to find closure around a certain issue? Thankfully, Full Moons are times of full exposure, so you should have all the facts at hand to help you decide which way to go.

Passionate Words / Passionate Deeds

As October starts to wane, the sky moves ever forwards, ushering in more of those passionate Scorpio energies, with communication planet Mercury entering the sign of the stinging scorpion / soaring eagle on October 20 with the Sun following suit on October 23. Come back here after that for a selection of sexy quotes from some deeply famous Scorpios.

Astroair Recommends

Creative Numerology's October Forecast by Christine DeLorey
Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for October by Eric Francis

For October’s Moon sign changes and Void of Course times see: http://www.mandilockley.com/moonpages.html

Wishing you a happy, friendly, peaceful October.

With love
Mandi

Thursday, 30 September 2010

Wise & Wonderful Words ~ Libra Quotes

As the Sun settles into Libra, it's time to hear some wise and beautiful words from some well-known Librans. These quotes reflect their Moon sign as well as their Libra Sun.

There is no human problem which could not be solved if people would simply do as I advise.
Gore Vidal, Author, Sun Libra-Moon Aries

Men get to be a mixture of the charming mannerisms of the women they have known.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, Author, Sun Libra-Moon Taurus

I gave my beauty and my youth to men. I am going to give my wisdom and experience to animals.
Brigitte Bardot, Actress, Sun Libra-Moon Gemini

To me luxury is to be at home with my daughter, and the occasional massage doesn't hurt.
Olivia Newton-John, Singer, Sun Libra-Moon Cancer

Do you really think it is weakness that yields to temptation? I tell you that there are terrible temptations which it requires strength, strength and courage to yield to.
Oscar Wilde, Author, Sun Libra-Moon Leo

I studied voice for three months to get rid of my English accent. I changed my hair to blonde. I knew I could be sexy if I had to.
Deborah Kerr, Actress, Sun Libra-Moon Virgo

I've never lost perspective on who I am. Well, maybe briefly, but generally I'm pretty balanced.
Sting, Singer, Sun Libra-Moon Libra

Friendship is a pretty full-time occupation if you really are friendly with somebody. You can't have too many friends because then you're just not really friends.
Truman Capote, Author, Sun Libra-Moon Scorpio

I have personal beliefs and they are sometimes reflected in the movies I make, but I also reflect other points of view.
Tim Robbins, Actor/Director, Sun Libra-Moon Sagittarius

I look forward to being older, when what you look like becomes less and less an issue and what you are is the point.
Susan Sarandon, Actress, Sun Libra-Moon Capricorn

My advice to people today is as follows: if you take the game of life seriously, if you take your nervous system seriously, if you take your sense organs seriously, if you take the energy process seriously, you must turn on, tune in, and drop out.
Timothy Leary, Intellectual/Sixties Drugs Guru, Sun Libra-Moon Aquarius

The joy of life consists in the exercise of one's energies, continual growth, constant change, the enjoyment of every new experience. To stop means simply to die. The eternal mistake of mankind is to set up an attainable ideal.
Aleister Crowley, Author/Occultist, Sun Libra-Moon Pisces

http://www.mandilockley.com/

Wednesday, 22 September 2010

Aries Full Moon Round Up

This Aries Full Moon falls on the oh-so sensitive Aries point – the zero degrees of the cardinal signs where the private becomes public and the personal becomes political (in the broadest sense of the word). Given that Full Moons are also times of full exposure, it seems that there’s no place to hide during this dynamic, fiery lunation. This early cardinal degree also reminds us that the energies of the recent cardinal t-square of Jupiter-Saturn-Uranus-Pluto are still ricocheting around our lives and in our world. We could reasonably expect issues that we hoped were behind us to rear their heads again under this lunation.

Full Moon times always make me feel unfocussed. Maybe it’s because there’s so much energy and light around and I suffer from a bit of over-exposure. If you spot me around town this Full Moon, I’ll be the one in the hat and the shades and the slightly lupine gait!

Yes, I somehow turn into a bit of a luna-tic and find myself too busy going a little too crazy to settle down to do anything specific, like writing any sort of enlightening blog post… Fortunately, most of my wonderful fellow astro bloggers seem to handle the energies better than I do and manage to put out some fabulous posts around Full Moon times, so here’s my pick of the best for the Aries New Moon. Enjoy!

Aries Full Moon: A Hiss is Just a Hiss from Moonkissd by Jessica   

Full Moon in Aries ~ Dance of Fire! from Auntie Moon

Also check out Auntie Moon’s Full Moon Giveaway for Aries

Full Moon in Aries from The Astrology Blog


Full Moon in Aries from Astro~Talk

Don’t forget that the Full Moon falls within hours of the Libra Equinox.
Here’s my take on what this Equinox says about the next three months ahead: Libra Equinox (written before the Full Moon madness grabbed me, in case you were wondering).

Happy Full Moon and Happy Equinox.

With love,
Mandi

Saturday, 18 September 2010

The Libra Equinox ~ what will the next three months bring?


The ingress of the Sun into Libra marks one of the powerful quarter points of the year. In the Northern hemisphere the Sun in Libra heralds the Autumn Equinox and in the South, the Spring Equinox. Everywhere, this time of year brings a change of seasons.*

Astrologically. the charts for the Equinoxes and the Solstices can be seen as good guides for the next three months ahead.

In this chart (see below), the Saturn-Pluto square is now on the wane and the Saturn-Uranus oppositions are through, but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s all over. For many of us, our lives have been turned upside down and we will be dealing with the fallout for some time to come. Over the last couple of years, many of us have had to face loss and adjust to reduced circumstances. It may have felt as if our hopes and dreams have been stolen away from us, but these difficulties have also forced us to look towards new solutions and seek fresh opportunities more in keeping with who we are now.

When we are suffering, it is difficult to step back and see things from a clear perspective, there are too many layers of emotional and material complication clouding our vision. Now these difficult, disruptive and limiting transits are playing their final tunes, we can finally stick our heads out from the fug and find the new, simpler, clearer perspective we will need in order to take the next step on our journey. If we’re looking for clues we could look towards the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction, currently in Pisces and Retrograde. This is an aspect of faith and hope, dubbed by Ebertin as the ‘thank the Lord’ configuration. To make the most of the gift this aspect brings, we must, therefore, find fresh hope and faith and then hold that feeling for the next three months. The Moon in Pisces is conjunct Jupiter and Uranus in the Equinox chart, reminding us that very often, hope lives very close to home and very near and dear to our hearts.

It will be early 2011 before Jupiter and Uranus are back in fast acting, forward moving Aries, so it might be wise to view these next three months as a time for rest, rejuvenation and recovery, if not literally, then psychically and emotionally. This healing theme is echoed by the ongoing Neptune-Chiron conjunction, still tight in the sky.

Perhaps another message for this Equinox is that we really don’t have to go it alone. Look at the chart below, virtually all the planets are travelling in pairs. This is a bold reminder that the sign of Libra, whose ingress this Equinox celebrates, is the sign of relationship, collaboration and partnership. Don’t be worried by the fact that the Sun is conjunct Saturn in Libra here. Saturn in Libra is strong and positive and this conjunction can only assist us in the ongoing work many of us have been doing over these last few months, consciously or otherwise, to bring our relationships to a healthier, more balanced place. The Nodes, here connected to Pluto and squaring the Sun and Saturn, drive this message home. It is by being with other people, connecting and sharing, that we will find this new perspective we are seeking.

Finally, we have the conjunction of Venus and Mars in Scorpio. These two have been traveling in tandem for some time now. Mars is strong in Scorpio, deep and passionate and intense. Venus is not so happy in Scorpio and finds it hard to access the easy, relaxed, cuddly, sensuality of its opposite sign Taurus, where it rules. Venus and Mars both need to dig deep in Scorpio and over the next few months, love needs to be sought under the covers, literally and symbolically!

Click on the chart to enlarge
Enjoy the Equinox and the Sun in Libra.

With love,
Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/

Recommended
Astrologize your Autumn Harvest by Joyce Mason

Data:
The Ingress of the Sun into Libra marking the Equinox occurs:
22 September 2010, 20:09 PDT (North America)
22 September 2010, 23:09 EDT (North America)
23 September 2010, 04:09 BST
23 September 2010, 13:09 EDT (Australia)

*Solstice/Equinox 101:
There are two Solstices and the two Equinoxes each year. These important power points occur as the Sun enters one of the cardinal signs of the zodiac - Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn and astrologers use the charts for these events to make predictions for the following three months ahead.
The first Equinox of the year occurs when the Sun moves into Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, around March 21, marking the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. At an Equinox, day and night are of equal length.
The first Solstice occurs when the Sun moves into Cancer around June 21. In the Northern Hemisphere the Solstice marks midsummer, the longest day of the year and in the Southern Hemisphere it marks midwinter, the shortest day of the year.
The second Equinox, around September 21, when the Sun moves into Libra, marks the start of autumn in the N. Hemisphere and the start of spring in the S. Hemisphere.
Finally, the second Solstice of the year occurs around December 21 when the Sun moves into Capricorn, marking the shortest day (midwinter) in the N. Hemisphere and longest day (midsummer) in the S. Hemisphere.
The further away from the Equator you are located the more pronounced the Solstices will be. For example, very Northern locations will experience twenty-four hour darkness at the winter Solstice and twenty-four hour sunlight at the summer Solstice. If you are located very near to the Equator, day and night are more or less of equal length all year round.
The Solstices and Equinoxes have been important and much celebrated festival days for many thousands of years and are today still celebrated by modern Wiccans, Pagans and Druids.

Saturday, 11 September 2010

Censorship in Saturn-Pluto Times

I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.

The above quote, attributed to 17th Century Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire, reminds us that freedom of speech and the attempt to suppress it – censorship - is an issue that spans back centuries, probably ever since humans first felt the urge to share their opinions and push the boundaries of their creative expression.

I was reminded that censorship is well and truly still with us when I attended FrightFest, a festival showcasing new fantasy and horror films, which takes place every August at the Empire Leicester Square in central London.

FrightFest is in its 11th year and the 2010 edition was the first time that official bodies have ever queried any of the titles in the festival’s line up. Two films were affected, the remade I Spit On Your Grave and the controversial A Serbian Film. Both were due to be shown as unedited, unrated versions, the norm for this type of film festival. However, Westminster Council, under whose jurisdiction the Empire Leicester Square falls, queried the content of both movies and stipulated that they be rated and passed by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) before they would allow them to be shown.

Echoing this censorship theme was the airing at FrightFest of new documentary Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape, which looks at the UK government and media reaction to the widespread, unregulated distribution of so-called ‘video nasty’ movies in the early 1980’s.

The censorship debate at this year’s festival seems very fitting, astrologically speaking, when you consider that the final exact alignment of the current Saturn-Pluto squares that begun in late 2009, occurred just four days before the start of the event.

Saturn and Pluto are two of the most heavy-hitting of the planets in astrology and when they line up in an angular relationship (such as a conjunction, square or opposition), it is reflected in the collective as restriction, control, oppression, conservative reaction and censorship. Restraints tend to be placed on collective freedoms by authority figures, their rationale often being that they are doing it ‘for our own good’. Collectively, we are made very aware of moral boundaries and taboos, but we are also asked to find the moral courage to face our darkest fears. This is because during Saturn-Pluto times, metaphorically speaking, we are visited by the devil, come to take us to hell and back, stealing our innocence along the way.

Following screenings at other major film festivals around the world,  A Serbian Film, was due to get its first public UK screening at FrightFest. Undoubtedly, the movie deals with ‘taboo’ subjects, containing graphic depictions of pedophilia, rape, necrophilia and incest.

When Westminster Council, which in this context can be seen as a Saturnian authority figure, queried this movie, FrightFest’s organisers duly submitted the film to the BBFC, who asked for 49 cuts, amounting to 3 minutes and 49 seconds of content. This occurred just a couple of days before the festival was due to start and festival organiser Alan Jones made the decision not to show the movie, telling the FrightFest audience, “I am not going to stand here and tell you that you are going to watch a heavily censored version of a film.” He added that the film had already been shown at many other film festivals around the world without a problem, although he acknowledged that the film was challenging and would be disturbing to some. In a media release Jones explained “Film4 FrightFest has decided not to show A Serbian Film in a heavily cut version because, as a festival with a global integrity, we think a film of this nature should be shown in its entirety as per the director’s intention," [1]

According to director SrÄ‘an Spasojević, the movie “is a diary of our own molestation by the Serbian government... It's about the monolithic power of leaders who hypnotize you to do things you don’t want to do.” [2] I cannot comment on the movie, as I did not view it, but you can read a plot synopsis on Wikipedia [2], but be warned, it makes for disturbing reading.

The reviews offer a flavour of how the film has been received and undeniably describe a Plutonic experience, with one review by Tim Anderson of Bloody Disgusting likening watching the film to having one’s “soul raped”. He goes on to say, "if what I have written here is enough to turn your feelings of wonder into a burning desire to watch this monstrosity, then perhaps I haven't been clear enough. You don't want to see Serbian Film. You just think you do." [3]

Another reviewer, Scott Weinburg says, “[the] film seems aggressively intent on delivering some moments that, indeed, you will never forget, even if you want to…I believe it's one of the most legitimately fascinating films I've ever seen. I admire and detest it at the same time. And I will never watch it again. Ever." [4]

Furthermore, user reviews on at imdb.com say that this movie is extreme, disturbing and hellish, exploring dark themes of evil, power and control. Most agree that watching this film is an experience you will never forget and urge prospective viewers to approach it with extreme caution. Reading these reviews makes it sound like watching the movie is akin to experiencing a condensed Saturn-Pluto transit, to the power of 1,000! [5]

Interestingly, the film chosen to replace A Serbian Film was Buried [6], a tense, claustrophobic piece, limited to just one point of view throughout, that of a man buried under the ground, confined in a wooden box. It seemed there was no escaping those Saturn-Pluto themes!

Echoing the censorship debate over A Serbian Film, the festival had already lined up a premiere of a documentary about historical censorship, Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape, [7] [8] which looks in-depth at the “Video Nasty” phenomenon of the early 80’s, a time when video was relatively new and totally unregulated. This left the field wide open for small film makers and distributors to find a brand new market for their movies. Not surprisingly, many of these films were low budget, violent horror movies designed to shock and so the “Video Nasty” was born. The public outcry in the UK was fuelled by pro-censorship lobbyists and widespread media campaigns, which feared that these films would deprave and corrupt the minds and morals of children and young adults. This eventually led to the government pushing through the Video Recordings Act 1984 which imposed a stricter code of censorship on videos than was required for cinema release. The Act also birthed the BBFC.

The push for censorship of these films began in earnest in 1982, its timing bang on for the exact alignment of the early 80’s Saturn-Pluto conjunction, which marked the beginning of the current Saturn-Pluto cycle. The timing of the Video Recording Act in ’84, synchs with the end days of the influence of that same conjunction.

The timing of this new documentary represents perfect closure for that particular slice of historical censorship, coming as it does at the tail end of the last major Saturn-Pluto alignment of the current cycle.

Ironically, but not surprisingly, the Director of Public Prosecution’s list of designated ‘Video Nasties’ soon became the list of must-see movies for teenagers all over the land! One of the films on the ‘Nasties’ list was I Spit On Your Grave, a film that remains controversial to this day due to its depiction of gang rape, followed by graphic depictions of violent revenge subsequently taken by the rape victim on her attackers.

An unrated version of a remade I Spit On Your Grave, [9] its European premiere, was scheduled to be shown at this year’s FrightFest, but like A Serbian Film, Westminster Council, expressed concern over the movie’s sexually violent content and insisted that the festival organisers have the film passed by the BBFC before they would allow it to be screened. The BBFC found that a total of 17 cuts (amounting to 43 seconds), needed to be made, in order for it be classified as an 18 certificate (roughly equivalent to the US ‘R’ rating) and shown at FrightFest. [10] In this case, the festival organisers made the decision to show the cut film, stressing that the cuts made, which were all to the rape scenes in the first half of the movie and not to the gory revenge scenes that followed, did not compromise the film’s artistic integrity.

Again, it’s interesting to note that a movie that came to notoriety at the start of the current Saturn-Pluto cycle has been remade for a new generation of horror fans during the last square, the final quarter, of the same cycle.

The film was on the whole well received by festival goers. I for one thought that is was very well done and while the rape scenes were very dark and difficult to watch, I took grim pleasure in seeing the rapists get their bloody comeuppance. It will be interesting to see the reaction it gets when it goes on general release

The chart for FrightFest 2010 [11] is telling, because the Saturn-Pluto square is very prominent, with Pluto, here representing horror, on the Ascendant and Saturn, representing the boundaries set by official bodies and authority figures, in the dark house of sex and taboo, the eighth. Saturn and Pluto also connect in hard aspect to Jupiter and Uranus, symbolising the unexpected shocks and surprises at this year’s festival, events which in retrospect, may seem a little exaggerated.

Communication planet Mercury is Retrograde in Virgo and also in the 8th, another indicator that the festival’s schedule would need to be reviewed and re-jigged. Certainly, the event was dogged with a few Mercury Retrograde-esque technical issues at the start.

Meanwhile, Neptune, the planet which symbolises movies and represents illusions and fantasies, opposes the Sun, also in the 8th, reminding us that for all the fuss, these films are merely works of fiction, no matter how challenging their themes and their images might be.

Or to put it another way, “to avoid fainting, keep repeating "It's only a movie...It's only a movie..." [12]

Notes and References

[1] http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/aug/27/a-serbian-film-frightfest
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Serbian_Film
[3] http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/film/4501/review
[4] http://www.fearnet.com/news/reviews/b18477_sxsw_2010_review_serbian_film.html
[6] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1462758/
[7] Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape is released on DVD in the UK on October 11th: http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/15903775/Video-Nasties-The-Definitive-Guide/Product.html
[8] You can see a clip of the Q&A/debate that followed the screening of Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape at FrightFest, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P2T-nuGTts  
[9] For more on I Spit on your Grave see http://www.ispitonyourgravemovie.com/  The film is due for general release this fall. At the time of writing, it is intended that the movie shown in its uncut version in the US.
[10] You can read the BBFC’s ruling on A Serbian Film and I Spit on your Grave http://www.bbfc.co.uk/press/newsreleases/bbfc-cuts-a-sernian-film-and-remake-of-i-spit-on-your-grave 
[11] Chart set for 26 August 2010, 5pm, London. The time used is the advertised start time of the first day of the festival.
[12]Tagline for banned “Video Nasty” The Last House on the Left, the first film by noted horror director Wes Craven http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_House_on_the_Left_(1972_film)
For more on the censorship issues at FrightFest see: FrightFest: return of the censor? http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/newsandviews/festivals/frightfest-2010-nasties.php
For more on the current Saturn-Pluto cycle see: http://mandilockley.blogspot.com/2009/11/saturn-pluto-part-3-politics-economics.html

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