Vesta and the Olympic Flame

As you probably know, Oxford is a World Heritage Site. There's Radcliffe Camera, the Sheldonian Theatre, Broad Street, St Giles... all beautiful, historic, and full of life, much used, much loved.

Radcliffe Camera: probably one of
the world's most famous library
annexes.

The Olympic Torch Relay, which has been taking place across the UK since May 19, came to Oxford: of course, this is a famous town. But it didn't go to any of those places, in fact it did not really go through town at all; it went to the BMW factory and briefly to a roundabout near the centre of town. Why? BMW is an Olympic sponsor – and the rest of us have only contributed huge amounts of tax to have these games.

On the other hand, 83-year-old Roger Bannister, the first man to run a mile a four-minute mile back in the 1950s, was part of the relay here. That was good.



Then the flame was bundled into a car and sent on to the next town. But despite the petty rivalries of local politicians, the ridiculous attention-seeking of slebrities, the demands of the media-mongers, the machinations of sponsors, and the scandal of the tickets, the flame has done its job, reminding people of what the Games are really about – a moment when people come together in peace.

(You can already buy one of the 10,000 Olympic torches on eBay. It's rather a chic design actually; perhaps a nice wall-sconce on the patio.)

The flame started its 2012 journey at the Temple of Hera in Greece on May 10. It's due to light the 2012 Olympic cauldron on July 27th.

The chart for the lighting of the flame is, well, magnificent. Just look at where Vesta is! As you know Vesta is the goddess of the hearth, the keeper of the flame. And there she is right at the top of the chart, conjunct fleet-footed Mercury, who is poised to take her off on a tour of Greece and the British Isles. As you can see from the Grand Trine in Earth, it's all gone reasonably smoothly.

When Vesta finally lights the Olympic "cauldron", another domestic item, and the Games officially begin, she will be cosying up to Jupiter. This is also splendidly appropriate since the original Olympic flame is said to be the fire of Zeus (renamed by the Romans as Jupiter). It's in the second house of money (if the time stays correct), which seems appropriate for a Games already tainted by overly forceful corporate sponsorship.

The rest of the chart for the Olympics is a little worrying, dominated as it is by Pluto, with Uranus floating on the Ascendant. I have set the time here for the time the flame is scheduled to be lit, but before leaping to too many conclusions, I'd like to see what time it actually happens. However, I am expecting a bit of a shock. I hope it's just that Danny Boyle's opening ceremony turns out to be a "surprise".