Return to: Home

Competition

Published 05 September 2005

Win vouchers to spend at any Tesco store

Competition No 3895

Set by Valerie Yule, 15 August

You were asked to write about the theology of the astrology found in modern magazines.

Report by Ms de Meaner

Not a huge postbag, but then it's that time of the year. Most of you will be lounging on a white sandy beach, the turquoise sea just lapping your toes, the clink of the ice cubes in the bucket, the faint aroma of factor 30 . . . (wakes with a start). Hon menshes to Shirley Curran ("While modern religions bicker, astrology gets it right") and D A Prince ("The Trinity of Mystic Meg, Psychic Psue and Clairvoyant Claire"). The winners get £20 each, the best of whom, Anne Du Croz, also gets the Tesco vouchers. A special welcome to "a new entrant", Kyle Hendrickson, who began with gusto: "Unfortunately, I am unable to enter this week's competition as my void moon is making it hard for me to concentrate." Kyle, I predict a starry future for you on the NS comp.

Wormegay University: BA (Hons) in comparative religion. Option 10: theology of magazine astrology, covering:

* The centrality of "me": is introspection the same as prayer?

* Neo-angelogy: zodiac signs considered as spirit guides;

* The moon and Mercury as movers and shakers: powerful, proven, progressive planetary influence that always works positively;

* Effective spirituality: the straightforward nature of gentle horoscope-based atonement, and its function in career success and personal prestige;

* Transgression, denial, sin and doubt: fretful concepts of a pre-aware, non-astrologically conversant age;

* The new virtues: sound relationships that work in your favour;

* Mars in the middle-horizon sector of dominance: exploring its role in helping you polish your charisma;

* Self-confidence, self-justification and self-indulgence as aspects of the divine.

Anne Du Croz

They may be gods, but in the cut-throat internal pecking-order politics of Mount Olympus, it helps to have a lump of rock in space named after you. Even better if you can convince earthlings that your particular rock holds their destiny in its hands and influences their every move.

First it was Troy and the Odyssey: "Neptune and Venus are in opposition this week: beware of five-headed sea monsters and seductive sirens who might turn your men into swine." Then it was Greece's Eurovision Song Contest triumph: "A fantastic week for tone-deaf, bouzouki-playing Scorpios with no dress sense . . ."

Now the influence of the gods and their eponymous planets is everywhere. Next time you miss the bus, your girlfriend dumps you and the wrong pizza delivery arrives during an untimely confluence of Mercury, Venus and Jupiter in Virgo, just remember: whom the gods would destroy they first deprive of their potato wedges.

David Silverman

The best of both worlds or what? It's the fusion of proactive existential decision-making and oriental fatalism that makes today's horoscopes such an exciting part of our symbolic environment. Mars may give you a capricious nudge with his spear or Cancer invite you with velvet claws, but you're the numero uno player and the choice is yours. You can play it as it lies or entertain the imp of the perverse. So you've got a favourable planetary conjunction for a hedonistic weekend in Prague or a risky shot at the boss's job? Go with it or against it, it's up to you, but either way if it's a bummer don't get bitter with your astrologer. Think of it as a learning, growing experience. Only always remember that the stars care about you. They want you to be the person you want to be - a fabulous star like them.

Basil Ransome-Davies

No 3898 Set by Valerie Yule

The New Statesman decides to take up one thing a year to "make the world a better place". What cause do you urge the magazine to be in favour of for 2006 . . . and why?

Max 200 words by 15 September. E-mail: comp@newstatesman.co.uk

Post this article to