Geoffrey’s funeral recording, order of service and eulogy

For those of you unable to attend Geoffrey Cornelius’ funeral, you can watch the recording of the service here:

Geoffrey’s funeral service from St Alphege church

Also, please find below the order of service and eulogy.


Geoffrey Eulogy from family & friends

(Read by William Rowlandson)

Geoffrey’s wife, Maggie, wants to thank you all for coming. Geoffrey was an only child and has no close family, only one distant second cousin, so it’s remarkable to see so many friends. Maggie was with him for over 40 years and is very grateful for the many tributes to him, often using  the same words over and over again to describe him – kind, wise, inspiring, generous, good-humoured. Yet so many people also say that he profoundly changed their lives with his wisdom, knowledge and teaching. At times of indecision, sometimes through astrology or the I Ching, sometimes just by talking, he helped them to find what he called the ‘line of good fortune’. Not through his reading of the symbols, but enabling them to find the best way forward for themselves. 

For Pat Blackett, Geoffrey was the absolute best of Capricorn – considered, ethical, practical, an old soul. He was her astrological moral compass and she loved him for his tolerance of her Aries’ idiocy and naivety. She says, “If I had a profound question concerning life’s crossroads then he would be my go-to person. I will miss that profoundly.” Another friend wrote, “His comments when we talked set in motion one of the most important journeys of my life. Everything flowed from that moment.” With his “sharp and deep intellect”, as a friend said, “he would put a bomb under me and shake my very foundations. “

So although Geoffrey with his book The Moment of Astrology is like Capricorn and its planet Saturn, symbol of time and tradition, he was actually very innovative and revolutionary and his thinking over-turned basic assumptions about time and tradition. All his life as an educator, he developed vehicles for a radical type of philosophical and symbolic thinking. In the 70’s in adult education evening classes he pioneered New Philosophy courses in astrology, the I Ching and dreams. Later, he freed the Astrological Lodge from the Theosophical Society, creating the Astrological Lodge of London with a clever Capricorn so-called ‘bi-furcated constitution’. Out of this came the Company of Astrologers, through which he finally had a means to explore and teach the philosophy and practice of divination. For 12 years, the Company had premises at the Art Workers Guild in Queen Square, London, and these were very creative and fruitful years for Geoffrey. In the last decade, he developed academic courses on these themes at the University of Kent and Christ Church University. A colleague comments, “His link to spirit, to the mystical, to the magical, to the unknowable was ever present – he was always in respectful awe of it, and that’s what he communicated to his students.”

Finally, Geoffrey was often able to express complex ideas with a catchy turn of phrase. For example, he was influenced by the 17th century astrologer William Lilly who showed in his work Christian Astrology that astrology was ‘non cogunt’, that is, not fated. Geoffrey taught this, but as he put it, ‘Destiny is negotiable’. A lot of us are still trying to work that one out.

Flowers / Charity Donation for Geoffrey’s Funeral

Flowers are welcome and should be sent to the funeral directors to arrive at the latest by 11am on 19 September.

A Welch & Sons
94 Station Road
Herne Bay
CT6 5QB

Alternatively, if you ‘d like to make a donation in memory of Geoffrey you can donate to Medecins Sans Frontieres. Cheques preferred, made out to Medecins Sans Frontieres and sent to the funeral directors. Cash donations also accepted by them which will be forwarded to MSF.

Funeral for Geoffrey Cornelius

A funeral service for Geoffrey Cornelius will take place on Thursday 19 September at 

2 pm at St Alphege Church, High Street, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 1AY.

There will be after service refreshments at Yamba, Spa Esplanade, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 8EP from 3.30 pm.

Please RSVP so we have an idea of numbers on the day: pat@cfar.uk

Travel arrangements

The church is 10-15 minutes walking distance from Whitstable train station. It is in the High Street, opposite the Playhouse Theatre.

For those coming by car, there are five nearby town centre car parks, the nearest being Middle Wall and Shaftesbury Road. Also, Gorrell Tank, Westgate Terrace, is larger and a 15 minute walk to the church.

For those coming by train from London, there are regular services from London St Pancras and Victoria to Whitstable and Herne Bay. 

After the service in Whitstable, it is a 15 minute drive to Herne Bay and refreshments at Yamba. There is no parking on Spa Esplanade (residents only). There is a car park (charges until 4pm) at the entrance to Spa Esplanade, plus street parking (free) on roads above, especially Western Esplanade.

Alternatively, there are several trains an hour from Whitstable to Herne Bay, usually heading to Ramsgate. It is one stop and takes approx 5 minutes. The walk from Herne Bay station to Yamba is 15-20 minutes so you may wish to group together to get a taxi.

StreamingThe service will be streamed for those who cannot physically attend. Further details, contact:  pat@cfar.uk

Geoffrey Cornelius

It is with great sadness that the Company has to announce the passing of Geoffrey Cornelius on Tuesday 27 August.

All of you will know Geoffrey through the Company of Astrologers and through his books, articles and lectures.

He was a one off.  Inspiring, wise and innovative. He will be sorely missed by everyone who knew and loved him.

Starlore of the Constellations – new book by Geoffrey Cornelius

From teaching you how to spot the major and minor constellations, to revealing the fascinating starlore from around the world, this stunningly illustrated reissued hardback will bring star-gazing vividly to life. 

Originally published as The Starlore Handbook but recently lovingly repackaged by the late Geoffrey Cornelius for a new generation of budding and experienced stargazers, discover the mysteries of celestial mythology with this comprehensive introduction to the constellations and the stars that comprise them. This fascinating practical guide unveils the myths, legends and symbolic significance that the stars have assumed in many cultures and ancient civilizations across the world. No craft horoscopy, readable by non-astrologers.

Find out more: www.amazon.co.uk/Ultimate-Guide-Constellations-Planets-Astronomy/dp/1786789248

Israel’s War

COA Zoom Seminar on the Israel-Hamas war:
Monday 20th November 7:00-8:15pm GMT. Now fully booked
Link for pdf used in Seminar (v1) >>>



Following the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1918, the League of Nations defined the boundaries of Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan (chart for this decision below). Provision was made for a Jewish homeland in Palestine (Research by Michael Baigent cited by Nick Campion in appx. 6 of his ‘Book of World Horoscopes’ 1996.)

Women’s World Cup 2023

Sarina Wiegman is favoured by the exact conjunction of the Moon of the match with her dignified Venus. Her own Moon should benefit from the Jupiter-Uranus-Fortuna combination in Venus-ruled Taurus, and her earthy and ambitious Mars-Pluto trine is reflected in transit Mars and Pluto. The day looks difficult for Wiegman’s counterpart, the Spanish head coach, Jorge Vilda. Awkwardly squaring the Mars-Neptune of the match, he has a close opposition of Mars and Neptune (23 Gem-Sag) with Mercury at 27 Gemini (July 7th 1981 Madrid, time not known).

Coronation

This coronation anointing chart is rich in its symbolism. Mercury retrograde screens us, we are not allowed to view the key ritual moment. The screen was put in place at 11.45 am with the MC at 27 Aries 04 and it was removed at 11:48 am with the MC at 27 Aries 54. During these three minutes, Jupiter at 27 Aries 37 crossed over the Westminster meridian. With spiritual Jupiter also lord of the 9th of deity, this passage marks the moment of Divine Right, the King as mediator between God and human, sacred and secular. The true moment of the coronation can be taken as Jupiter partile the MC.

At this moment the King is anointed with Chrism oil from the Mount of Olives (Jupiter), consecrated by the Patriarch at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. In the chart, the anointing oil is revealed in the grand trine in water, especially Neptune, dignified in Pisces on the 9th cusp. The Moon in fall separates trine Mars in fall and applies trine Neptune. In the Christian Mysteries, fallen humanity seeks redemption. Through the anointing, Holy Spirit descends from the Father (Jupiter) and enters the temporal realm in the body and being of the King. Dedicated to God, the King serves the divine.

Leo rises and the King, Sun in the 10th, applies to Uranus, planet of modernity and the secular. His reign walks a fine line between monarchy and republic.

The hereditary nature of this succession is shown by Moon-Mars trine. The Moon at 24 Scorpio 41 is conjunct Queen Elizabeth’s Saturn at 24 Scorpio 26 and her MC at 25 Scorpio 32; in the sacred moment of the anointing, Charles takes on the mantle of his deceased mother. This fallen Scorpio Moon is in mutual reception with a fallen Mars at 22 Cancer 00 but when received by degree, Mars moves to 22 Scorpio 00, conjunct Charles’ natal Sun at 22 Scorpio 25. The contact mirrors the close natal synastry between the two monarchs (Elizabeth’s Sun 0 Taurus 12 and Charles’ Moon at 0 Taurus 25). With the received Mars on his Sun, he can now act as monarch.

***

The coronation of Queen Elizabeth took place on 2 June 1953, starting at 11:15 am. In Astrology Quarterly, Vol 27:4 p.122 Charles Carter records a time of 12:32 pm for the coronation moment with an MC of 5 Gemini 25 and Jupiter at 5 Gemini 35. Again, Jupiter on the MC! (Note also that Venus was at 27 Aries 42, ruling the 9th). – Maggie Hyde

Nicola Sturgeon falls


Nicola Sturgeon unexpectedly resigned as Leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party and First Minister of Scotland on 15th February 2023. The emerging back-story threatens to make this a tragic fall from good repute as well as a fall from power, now that her husband Peter Murrell, former Chief Executive of the SNP, is under police investigation concerning irregularities in the finances of the Party.

Murrell (born 8th December 1964) has Venus conj. Neptune in Scorpio closely opposing Jupiter at 18 Taurus. In the light of current circumstances it is tempting to read this configuration as the rumour of financial scandal, whether or not this reputation is deserved. By synastry Murrell’s abundant Jupiter falls to the degree on Sturgeon’s Taurus Part of Fortune, indicating Saturn (conj. Fortune) as a part significator for her husband by its placement in the 7th. The principal significator for her husband is Venus in fall in Virgo, further weakened by the south Node. Venus is the ruler of Sturgeon’s 7th in her career-10th. The implications of the current scandal spoil her own reputation. What did Nicola know, and if she did not know, what ought she to have known?