Alexandra Seddon - 'Being change'

By Glorija Lawrence

Alexandra Seddon
Source: provided by FAA Journal, with kind permission from Alexandra Seddon

Natal chart, 11 May 1944, birth time unknown, using 6.00 am, London, England.
Source: provided by FAA Journal, with kind permission from Alexandra Seddon

90 degree dial
Source: provided by FAA Journal, with kind permission from Alexandra Seddon

In Australia as in many countries around the world, our native wildlife is being threatened. This is due to the natural habitat slowly being eradicated due to new housing developments, roads, pipelines, mining and other hallmarks of industrial developments. The majority of Australian’s couldn’t care less as to what is happening to the wild life as long as it does not impinge on their life style and happiness. But here is the story of one person who does.

Environmental warrior and animal activist Alexandra Seddon was born on 11th May 1944 in London, England just weeks before the famous D-Day landings on the 6th June that same year. The landings happened across the channel in Normandy France where some 156,000 American, British and Canadian troops landed on the beaches initiating the Western Allied effort to liberate mainland Europe from Nazi Germany during World War II.

On the day Alexandra was born the Sun was in the practical, stable, down-to-earth sign of Taurus and the Moon in Sagittarius, the sign of the wanderer, nature and the great outdoors. There are a lot of challenges with this combination as one side wants to settle down to a steady life and the other side wants to be free to roam far and wide. (We also note that the Moon is close to Saturn which brings many heartbreaks in relationships for this lovely lady.) With the right environmental conditions however, this can be an excellent combination of common sense and worldly vision. For Alexandra her highly developed social sense was to come later and once she found her passion for animals there was no end to the Taurus determination.

Alexandra’s parents came from an Imperial Russian background and this is reflected in the chart by the Moon’s Node and Jupiter in Leo representing the higher echelons of society.

London suffered severe bombing during the 1940’s. It was heartbreaking for those who returned from war and for those who were displaced and homeless so Alexandra’s parents decided to embark on a better way of life and emigrated to Australia, settling in Sydney in 1947. A year or so later the family moved to Melbourne. For Alexandra this was only the beginning, as true to her horoscope there were many more moves to come. During the 1950’s she was sent from Melbourne to boarding school in Switzerland where her grandmother lived. She completed her matriculation, left school and returned to Melbourne.

Then came a dark period where an older man demanded marriage and stalked her every move. Mother and daughter took off and travelled around Europe, visiting family for six months hoping to shake him off. Eventually upon their return the romance cooled and Alexandra was free to do her own thing.

In 1967 Alexandra married Nicolas Seddon whom she had met whist studying Arts at Melbourne University. Once again her Sagittarian Moon was on the move. They packed up and left for Oxford in the UK where they both secured employment. In 1968 whilst visiting Nicholas’s uncle in Paris, civil unrest broke out and they became trapped in France for a period of weeks. It was a turbulent time. There were massive general strikes as well as the occupation of the universities and factories across France. Political leaders of the time feared a civil war or a revolution. Finally after seven weeks it all came to an end with a snap general election. Even today it is still considered as a cultural, social and moral turning point in the history of France. So let us take a look at the chart and see what was happening at the time.

Paris, 1968
Inside: Alexandra's natal, 2nd circle: Solar Arc, 3rd circle: progressions, outside: transits
 Source: provided by the author and FAA Journal

I have chosen to look at the quad chart for that period in history. Here we see two patterns of interest. First the transiting Saturn and the Moon’s Node were conjunct in Aries indicating difficulties and disadvantages. This conjunction connects to the Solar Arc Saturn/Moon of Alexandra’s natal chart.

This would have been a terrifying time for a young girl about to celebrate her 24th birthday. The couple were trapped for a period of time unable to move on until the volatile period settled down.

I am not sure how long they were trapped but the drama lasted from May 2nd until President De Gaulle called a snap election on 23rd June 1968. The second pattern was transiting Mars on 25 degrees Taurus (fixed star Algol) at the midpoint of Neptune/Jupiter. Algol is considered one of the most violent stars in the heavens and so no surprise that combined with Jupiter/Neptune, political conflict erupted. I have put the pointer on transiting Uranus as this planet of disruption, sudden and unexpected events, is to Alexandra’s natal Moon/Saturn indicating a period of nervous tension.

Eventually Australia beckoned and the couple returned at the end of 1970, after a trip to Switzerland, looking for work at the United Nations. Alexandra went back to university and completed a Diploma of Education and in 1973 both secured teaching roles in Papua New Guinea and so once again they were on the move.

Meanwhile, back in Australia it seemed a new destiny was forming as this was the beginning of what was called, The Age of Aquarius. People were gravitating to alternative lifestyles and communes were being established all over the country.

Whilst still living in Papua New Guinea, Alexandra, along with her husband and brother bought a farm at Candelo which was called Ericgrove. This was later renamed Cowsnest Community Farm which her brother ran until their return. The farm was described by Alexandra as ‘a sort of Kibbutz’. It was an organic farm providing meals and accommodation in return for volunteer work on the farm. Cowsnest became a company in 1985.

Return to Australia, 1975
Inside: Alexandra's natal, 2nd circle: Solar Arc, 3rd circle: progressions, outside: transits
 Source:provided by the author and FAA Journal

We now take a look at the chart for the approximate time when Alexandra and her husband moved back to Australia at the end of 1975 and by this time transiting Saturn was in aspect to her Solar Arc Jupiter. In his book Combination of Stellar Influences, Ebertin describes this as ‘a change of residence or status’.

So as well as moving once again, this also spelled the end of her first marriage although they did remain friends. We also see the Solar Arc Venus and Mercury were to her natal Uranus which suggests she was ready for, and appreciative of, the necessity for reform.

Suddenly after many adventures, a series of departures and arrivals, her horoscope took on a life of its own. We can call it fate, or we can call it destiny. Sometimes we will never know. Gerhard Adler asks this same question in his paper, ‘Reflections on “Chance,” “Fate,” and Synchronicity.’

Is there some destiny within us that performs the patterns of our life, or is it the actual experiences which shape it? Are the experiences we encounter predestined, or do we feel them so intensely and remember them so well because of an inner need? Or is there coincidence of inner needs and outer events, an interconnectedness of within and without, which makes this division into two spheres irrelevant and even misleading.

There are two sides to the Sagittarian Moon and as well as the love of travel, there is also a love of nature, the great outdoors and animals.

It was here working on the farm that we see the beginning of the connection between inner fate and external events. As Dr Adler would say, the apparent emergence of a secret pattern into an ordinary life, where one is given the feeling that ‘something’ is at work shaping the direction in which the individual develops. It is only with hindsight, as we look back over our lives we can see our defining moments.

Still, before the activist, conservationist, and educator archetype was to emerge there was more trauma and sadness to come. Alexandra returned to Sydney for a short time to complete a writing project which was funded by the Government. When she returned to Cowsnest she entered into a new relationship with a man named Owen. They lived together from 1978 until 1982 when he was involved in a serious farming accident from which he never recovered. This had a devastating effect on Alexandra. But it was here during her time of grief that something about this peaceful rural environment resonated with this gentle, sensitive woman and a new direction had well and truly formed.

Turning point in 1992
Source: provided by the author and FAA Journal

Potoroo Palace
Source: provided by FAA Journal, with kind permission from Alexandra Seddon

Langwarrin
Whilst researching this story I found out that Alexandra grew up on a small cattle farm in Langwarrin, and later her father established the Langwarrin Flora and Fauna Park here in Victoria so the seeds of caring for the environment were established at an early age.
Source: provided by FAA Journal, with kind permission from Alexandra Seddon

In reflecting on Alexandra’s life script I feel the turning point came around 1992 when she started fostering injured and orphaned animals so I have cast a chart for her solar return that year. Prior to this in 1985 Alexandra had entered into a new relationship and once again when that relationship ended in 1995 she was devastated. The chart shows the two events. With Solar Arc Neptune coming to the Jupiter/Sun in the natal chart it aroused her intrinsic idealism in trying to make the world a better place. It also triggered her feelings of social justice as she cared for the injured animals. In the second pattern relating to the breakdown of yet another relationship we see that difficulties must have been occurring for quite some time as her natal stellium (Pluto/Mercury/Venus/Ascendant crosses over her natal Moon/Saturn).

In 1996 Alexandra received an inheritance from her father and was able to buy a 15 acre parcel of wetlands at Pambula which was the beginnings of Panboola (Pambula Wetland and Heritage Project) wildlife projects for people and animals to enjoy forever. Later when her mother died she was able to buy an additional adjourning 100 acres.

The Sun close to Jupiter in the natal chart can be very lucky. It can help one get over difficulties and indicates Cowsnest Community Farm advancement in life. It can also give one prominence, Page 39 Alexandra Seddon - Being Change creative power and the ability to perform record achievements.

With her love of the land, helping the environment and her care and concern for the animal kingdom it wasn’t long before Alexander had an impressive portfolio which included:

• Yellow Pinch Wildlife Park (Potoroo Palace)
• Pamboola Wetlands
• Cowsnest Community Farm
• Batty Towers Flying Fox Sanctuary
• An old racecourse
• An area with a shed donated by Denis Watson

In 2007 a company limited by guarantee was formed which means no shares. Property was donated to the company which was accepted by the environmental register and has been given Deductible Gift Recipient (charity) status. In order to give security to the residents of Cowsnest, in 2016 the shareholders donated their shares to the company, Native Animals Education Sanctuary Ltd trading as Potoroo Palace. It is now one and the same body and the land cannot be bought or sold as it is a charity.

Alexandra Seddon is truly an inspiring woman and even today is still an active warrior for environmental change. Born in London, from imperial Russian heritage to her palace at Potoroo in New South Wales, she continues on with her legacy to conservation, community and education.

On the 7th November, 2016 she was honoured in a documentary film which premiered in Merimbula called ‘Being Change’ which highlights the life and times of Alexandra Seddon and her fight to counter fear and political inaction with community and conservation.

After one more failed relationship, 2007 bought new found happiness when Alexandra married Peter. They don’t have a house and don’t live together but with mutual love and understanding they share each other’s rooms from time to time. The couple work every day for wildlife and environmental causes and in the words of Alexandra – we still live happily ever after!

References:
Wikipedia;
Cosmobiology into the 21st Century by Doris Greaves;
The Combination of Stellar Influences by Reinhold Ebertin;
The Astrology of Fate by Liz Greene;
Biography from Alexandra Seddon;
www.potoroopalace.com/alexandraseddon.

First published in: FAA Journal, December 2018.

Author:
Glorija Lawrence is a professional astrologer/cosmobiologist with over 30 years experience and runs a busy practise in Melbourne. Her expertise is in Cosmobiology, a German method of astrology called “The Ebertin System”. She studied under Doris Greaves and has a Diploma in Cosmobiology (Hons). She has travelled extensively lecturing and teaching in Australia and overseas. Connect with Glorija at: www.cosmoastrology.com; www.facebook.com/cosmoastrology; www.udemy.com/cosmobiology

All articles at a glance