Afghanistan, the “graveyard of empires” is taking another lurch with the US withdrawal. The Taliban, removed from power in 2001, now controls half the country causing alarm in China and Russia. Motives are mixed since neither of the eastern superpowers want an upsurge in Islamic terrorism, or an outflow of narcotics or a surge of refugees across their borders and have an eye to future trade possibilities. China wants access to Afghanistan’s reserves of rare earths and precious metals, and Pakistan backed by China seeks to block Indian influence. Russia fears a power vacuum on its southern doorstep as well as all the above

  All are agreed including the west that internal stability is a priority but it will be difficult for any of the main Asian players to avoid getting dragged into domestic Afghan conflicts in the face of a civil war that could threaten the region.

   Modern Afghanistan, 19 August 1919 12 am Kabul, has a long and turbulent history stretching back 50,000 years with constant invasions since recorded history took note – the ancient Greeks, Alexander the Great, the Mongols, the Mughals, the British, the Soviet Union and after 9/11 the USA.  Nowadays the country is deemed to have high levels of terrorism, poverty, child malnutrition, and corruption.

  The 1919 chart has a Fixed Grand Square giving it extraordinary endurance and resistance to change. But since it involves a prominent Uranus on the Midheaven opposition the Leo Sun and Saturn in Virgo square a Taurus Moon opposition a Scorpio North Node the main constant is rolling upheavals.  The Afghan Uranus is further highlighted being on the focal point of a Yod giving a wilful, rebellious, contrary national temperament, which can breed lawlessness and intolerance.

  There’s nothing to suggest the relentless turmoil of Afghanistan’s history will calm down anytime soon. Tr Pluto will be in a high-risk, brutal, frustrating opposition to the Afghanistan Mars from early 2022 to late 2023; and then tr Uranus will rattle its way round the Fixed Grand Cross from 2023 first in square to Mercury, then the Sun, conjunct the Moon in 2024 and square Uranus in 2025 – all of which will be jolting, jangling and upsetting.

  This November’s Lunar Eclipse in Taurus will be exactly conjunct the Afghan Moon which will test the country’s foundations and bring back the past, as well as unsettling the population and triggering the Afghan North Node in Scorpio – none of which looks helpful.

  Relations between Russia and Afghanistan will be strained if the relationship chart is anything to go by until 2024 though there may be a re-set in 2023 which could go either way. Relations with China are likely to move into a radically new phase from now onwards with tr Uranus squaring the composite Pluto, but it will be stop start into 2022; with nothing much thereafter until after mid decade when it deteriorates.

See previous posts: April 14 2021

On the 2001 War – post March 1 2020.

Chile is now officially embarking on writing a new constitution to replace the 1980 Pinochet one which is blamed for the deep social inequalities that gave rise to deadly protests in 2019. Following the upsurge of public anger, a referendum voted in a 155-member body, to craft a new Magna Carta for the country. Independent and centre-left parties gained, traditional parties lost and the right with just 20 percent, will have no veto.

 The previous constitution promoted private enterprise in all sectors of the economy in a country ranked as one of the most unequal among advanced economies. It has the highest per capita income and the third-most multimillionaires in Latin America. The leader of the new drafting committee is a female university professor from the majority indigenous Mapuche people who had been unacknowledged in the past. There were violent protests during her election as marchers outside met heavily armed police.

   There’s a long way between a committee being formed and the enactment but this start chart does have a focal point Uranus in fixed Taurus so will determinedly aim for reforms. The Saturn Mars opposition hints at setbacks, aggravations, a disruptive, explosive quality to proceedings.  The previous 11 September 1980 constitution had a Sun, Jupiter Saturn in Virgo so was oriented towards materialistic ends with a slippery Neptune square.

 Sebastian Pinera, the billionaire president, 1 December 1949 5.30 am Santiago, Chile, is a Sun Sagittarius with an entrepreneurial Fire Grand Trine of Moon trine Pluto trine Mercury in Sagittarius with his Moon opposition Neptune, making Neptune his driving planet. He’s in for a major shock come 2022 when this term finishes as his Solar Arc Uranus will conjunct his 10^th house Mars Saturn in Virgo. And his Term chart, 11 March 2018, is sagging badly this year with tr Neptune conjunct the Pisces Sun and a disruptive tr Pluto square the Uranus in 2021/2022, exacerbated in 2022/23 as the Solar Arc Pluto square the Uranus – revolts, rebellions and fall-off-perch-moments.

  Both the Chile 18 September 1810 and 5 April 1818 charts have undermining Neptunian influences over the next three years – so there will be confusion, indecision and drift over many issues not just this one. The 1810 chart indicates 2023 will be a time of upsets and uprisings.  

  The impact of the pandemic has been considerable with one of the worst outbreaks in the world and the economy experiencing the largest recession in 40 years so the aftermath of that will involve a lengthy recovery.

Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn celebrate an extraordinary 75 years of marriage this week. They knew each other almost from birth, married after the war and survived the rigours of political life, evolving into an equal partnership in his time in the White House, when she expanded the role of the first lady, attending Cabinet meetings, working on mental health and created the Office of the First Lady.

  He only served one term and was reckoned a below average president but his human rights and peace initiatives since have earned him considerable respect.

  He was born 1 October 1924 7 am Plains, Georgia and has a 12^th house Libra Sun with an idealistic Neptune Venus in his career 10^th; and a defensive Saturn in Scorpio in his 1^st. He also has a private, self-protective though healing Water Grand Trine of Pluto trine Uranus trine a Scorpio Moon, formed into a Kite by Uranus in a lively and scattered opposition to Mercury square Jupiter. He clearly has talents but perhaps not the political ‘killer instinct’ needed for top office.

And he was unlucky in the timing of his presidency, with the Inauguration chart being riddled with quincunxes – Mars sextile Venus inconjunct Saturn and Pluto sextile Neptune inconjunct Ascendant. A time of strain and hard lessons, more so than most. When his one term finished tr Pluto was just moving out of a trapped few years in his 12^th in his personal chart so underneath the sense of failure would be great relief.

  Rosalynn, 18 August 1927 6am Plains, Georgia, has a hidden Sun Neptune in Leo; with an adventurous, inspirational though also hidden Fire Grand Trine of Mercury in Leo trine a sensible Saturn in Sagittarius trine an adventurous Uranus Jupiter. Plus an enthusiastic and hard-working Mars Venus in Virgo in her 1^st.

  Her Sun Neptune would chime with his Venus Neptune in the 10^th so she’d be a behind-the-scenes support in his career.  Her Taurus Moon falls in his 7^th which is ideal for partnership support; and his Uranus falls in her 7^th so he’d bring an unconventional relationship into her experience. His Jupiter in her 4^th would be supportive of her domestic life.

  The relationship chart is unsurprisingly well-tied together with a composite Saturn trine Pluto sextiling onto Sun Venus making it an affectionate bond with enough glue to stick through the tough times; with a smoothing-rough-edges, mutually supportive composite Moon Jupiter conjunction. The Mars square Mercury would give rise to arguments. Pluto in the 10^th would make them influential when pulling together as a couple as long as they kept ego-clashes out of the way.

  A reassuring celebration for difficult times.

The unveiling of the (aesthetically unexciting) Diana statue went off without a duel on the lawn between the Royal brothers to sighs of relief all round. Only for a documentary to pop up ‘Harry & William: What Went Wrong?’ on ITV tonight with the omnipresent Omid Scobie, the Harry & Meghan “Finding Freedom” biographer, stirring up more ripples by suggesting William’s aides had briefed against Harry, highlighting worries about his mental health.

   There are two astro-influences of interest in the dynamic between the brothers.  One:- On the relationship chart alongside friendly affection, fun-loving and chained-together by circumstances influences, is a composite Sun square Mars which is competitive and argumentative.  I used to look at it in years gone by when they were seemingly getting along wondering quite how it played out. Robert Hand calls it “a difficult aspect for almost any relationship. Usually these energies surface as intense ego competition, disputes, disagreements and other forms of hostility.” For it to work he suggests the pair need a common goal.

  The other is Harry’s Pluto sitting on William’s Midheaven and Jupiter which suggests that Harry wants control over William’s career and again it can easily turn into a struggle for supremacy. There could be a better outcome if both worked again towards a joint professional goal but the Pluto individual does have the inclination/ability to transform the Midheaven one’s reputation for good or ill.

  There’s nothing to suggest a rapprochement anytime soon. Indeed their rift is almost at peak aggravation right now with tr Uranus opposition the composite Mars in their relationship chart and both tr Saturn and tr Uranus zig zagging backwards and forwards across the composite Sun and Mars until April 2022. And tr Pluto will exert significant pressure in a square to the composite Pluto and Saturn between 2022 and 2024.

  Harry’s personal chart is not remotely happy over the next several years with a lacklustre, indecisive tr Neptune opposition his Virgo Sun and square his Solar Arc Midheaven in 2021/22. With more family upsets from June 2022 as tr Uranus moves across his IC into his 4^th house beginning several years of domestic changes, emotional jolts and insights.

   Family pressures and strains will continue to be at the forefront of his relationship with Meghan in 2022/2023 as tr Pluto opposes their composite Moon which is in a square to composite Saturn Pluto. If – heaven forfend – their entire families were wiped out they would have to grapple with what that dynamic is really all about at a personal level between them. The families act as a convenient dartboard to express their frustration. But take that away and they would be left – with themselves.

  William is not at his peak effectiveness with tr Saturn moving through his First Quadrant for several years which can either be less ambitious/lower profile or a time of misjudgements and having to face up to unresolved psychological issues. But on the whole he’s in a better place than Harry.

In the background there may be that irksome argument which was always proffered by the supporters of Princess Margaret – that it was difficult for her always to walk behind her older sister – which excused everything. The reality is that 99.99% of the population are down some pecking order or other and live with it. Margaret had wealth, status, houses, entrée to any society she wanted and she could have pursued any number of activities had she chosen. Some restrictions obviously but compared to most people the opportunities open to her were unimaginable.

Add ON: More astro-nuggets from the Meghan Will synastry. Meg’s Mars in Cancer falls in Will’s 7^th which suggests open enmity and a competitive chemistry (and that’s also the case with Harry so when their relationship flips it’ll get nasty.).  Will’s ratchety, short-fused Saturn Mars falls on Meg’s IC and is conjunct her Moon so his abrasive approach would upset her plans for her family life and she would see him as a threat. Will’s Saturn in Meg’s 4^th indicate that his professional interests clash with her domestic concerns and she’d find him unfeeling and unsympathetic.

  The relationship chart has two key drawbacks for a harmonious combo. One is a marked composite Pluto Jupiter conjunction squaring the Sun Venus, so a double whammy of a struggle-for-the-upper-hand, oneupmanship energy – they’d be constantly trying to outdo each other. And there is also an explosive and impatient Moon Mars square Uranus, suggesting radically divergent agendas with no possibility of compromise on either side.

  Meg’s rebellious 5^th house Uranus also opposes Will’s Venus in Taurus which is on the focal point of a Yod so will be an especially sensitive point for him as she threatens to upset his emotional applecart. Indeed her Uranus falls in Harry’s 10^th opposition his Taurus Moon, pulling him away from his family and changing the trajectory of his life/career. And now that I look, Meg’s maverick Uranus is also conjunct the Queen’s obsessively conscientious and dedicated Saturn Midheaven in Scorpio – so the Royals embody everything that cramps Meghan’s demands for an unrestrained lifestyle where she can go her own independent way.

   Quite what Harry represents for her I can’t work out – but it’s not money and power so much as family life and children. His Venus, Pluto and Saturn fall in her 4^th and his wayward, overly excitable Uranus and Mars in her 5^th house of children and social fun. These are not ideal placings for a contented emotional life but in her muddled way it was what she was aiming at, trying to fill the gaps left by a dysfunctional childhood.

  There’s no real sign of Meghan wanting to elbow in on William’s role as Harry does. She just dislikes her plans being interfered with by William and the Queen’s duty-first approach.

Michael Gove, a close Cabinet colleague of Boris Johnson through Brexit and the pandemic though a questionable friend, has announced a surprise split from his wife of 20 years Daily Mail columnist Sarah Vine. He has been talked of as a possible future Tory leader though he has lost in his last two attempts and there’s not much in his astrology to indicate success ahead.

  Born on 26 August 1967 in Aberdeen, he was in care until four months old after which he was adopted by a Labour-supporting family and only switched to Tory when at Oxford University. He is an understated Sun, Mercury, Venus in Virgo with a forced-to-be-self-reliant Saturn in Aries; a publicity-seeking and tricky Mars Neptune in Scorpio in an opportunistic square to Jupiter in flashy Leo, perhaps formed into a T Square by a Taurus Moon. His North Node in Aries points to a need to stand on his own two feet and not be dependent on a partner to do the heavy lifting.

  It was always an odd match with his wife, 16 April 1967, since she is a go-ahead, super-assertive Sun Aries opposition Mars in Libra square Jupiter in Cancer. Though admittedly  they both have focal point Jupiters which can point to high ideals and skills as social administrators, or grandiosity and over-confidence.

  Their relationship chart is mixter maxter with a needs-space composite Sun square Uranus; a steady Jupiter trine Saturn and an impulsive Mars square Jupiter; with a high-hopes though unrealistic Neptune trine Venus.  She has certainly been under pressure in the past eighteen months with tr Pluto square her Mars and her Sun and opposition her Jupiter but looks in better shape than he does in the next several years.

  He’s got a run of confidence-undermining Neptune transits to emotional and professional midpoints through the next three years and a catastrophic 2024/25 with tr Pluto conjunct his Mars/Saturn and Saturn/Neptune midpoints.

  His relationship with Boris has never been brilliant since he withdrew his support for Johnson in 2016, hours before the deadline of the Tory leadership election, after which Boris declined to run. The Daily Telegraph said it constituted “the most spectacular political assassination in a generation” while The Guardian labelled it as a “Machiavellian move”. Mars Neptune in Scorpio? Plus his Virgo Sun, Mercury and Venus in Virgo colliding with Boris’s aggressively competitive Mars in Gemini and the rest of his chaotic T square of Saturn, Uranus and Pluto. It’s a miracle they were ever in partnership in the first place let alone coming back together after the betrayal.

  His relationship with Boris is on the slide this year with tr Neptune conjunct the composite Saturn and worsening dramatically in 2023/2024.

Bill Cosby, convicted in 2018 of drugging and assaulting a woman, has been released from prison on a legal technicality. A screw-up by a former prosecutor gave the defence a lever which the judge acknowledged was a rare occurrence.  More than 50 women came forward with similar stories and his trial was the first significant celebrity conviction of the #MeToo era, widely seen as symbolic of how powerful men could finally be held to account. He had served more than two years of his sentence and vowed to serve all 10 years rather than acknowledge any remorse for his actions.

 He was born 12 July 1937 12.30 am Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and had a six decade showbusiness career as a stand-up comedian and TV actor with his own The Cosby Show.  Like Rumsfeld (oddly enough or maybe not) he also has a Cancer Sun conjunct Pluto though in his case it is 4^th rather than 8^th house. His Sun, Mercury, Pluto are in a pushily confident opposition to Jupiter in his 10^th which latter brought him success and a shining reputation, but the opposition also engendered a sense that rules weren’t meant for him. He would push social niceties to one side to get what he wanted. His Sun, Mercury, Pluto were also in a harsh trine to Mars in vengeful Scorpio; with his Mars in turn in a no-compromise opposition to Uranus. He was not a man who brooked interference with his wishes.

   He’s got a successful tr Pluto square his Jupiter/Pluto midpoint exactly now and repeating in December but that apart he’s not facing an inspiring three years ahead with disappointments this September – and catastrophes littering 2022/23 which may be health related since he looks frail.

Donald Rumsfeld, Defence Secretary under GW Bush and principal architect of the calamitous Iraq invasion post 9/11, has died.  Kissinger called him the most ruthless man he ever met. John McCain called Rumsfeld “one of the worst secretaries of defence in history”. He had the unique distinction of being both the youngest (under Gerald Ford) and oldest man to be US secretary of defence and served four presidents in different roles.

  His arrogant refusal to acknowledge intelligence or listen to military advice plunged Iraq into civil war, that cost trillions of dollars and caused the deaths of 4,500 US soldiers and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. The US occupation fomented international terrorism, making America more of a target while undermining its global stature. Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay were also blots on his record. GWB finally fired him. Rumsfeld He never expressed remorse or regret for his actions, lies or mistakes subsequently.

 He was born 9 July 1932 5.40pm Chicago, Illinois and had an intense, deeply buried and controlling 8^th house Sun Pluto in Cancer in a disruptive square to Uranus – he relished wielding power behind the scenes and upsetting the status quo. He also had an assertive/argumentative Mars in Gemini on his Descendant which was widely trine Saturn in cool Aquarius trine a Libra Moon conjunct his Midheaven.

  When 9/11 happened tr Pluto in Sagittarius was exactly opposition his Mars and tr Saturn in Gemini was conjunct so the destructiveness of 9/11 aroused his anger and brought him to the fore. His Solar Arc Pluto was also conjunct his Midheaven then boosting his propensity for ruthlessness and control freakery.

  His relationship chart with the USA 1776 has a hard-edged, can-be-damaging composite Mars opposition Saturn Moon which was also in the line of fire of the war-mongering tr Saturn opposition tr Pluto.

  His relationship chart with the hapless GW Bush had a monstrously difficult, bullying and calamitous composite Pluto Venus Mars square Saturn.

  He and the other Iraq-attack promoter Dick Cheney made an unpleasant pair. Cheney, 30 January 1941 7.30pm Lincoln, NE, is a Sun Aquarius opposition Pluto square Jupiter Saturn in Taurus – driven by power and money.  His Neptune is conjunct Rumsfeld’s Midheaven for a slippery and ultimately harmful connection.

Dozens of people have died in Canada amid an unprecedented heatwave with temperatures up to 20 degrees above average. Lytton in British Columbia reached a record 49.6C on Tuesday, more than five degrees hotter than Canada’s former highest temperature, which, until this week, stood for 84 years.

 The Canada national chart isn’t too informative but the recent 10 June Solar Eclipse set for Vancouver certainly is. It puts a can-be-destructive Pluto conjunct the Midheaven in a brutal opposition to Mars in the domestic 4^th.

  The Lunar Eclipse of 24 May, still in effect, is much the same with Pluto in the 10^th opposition Mars in the 4^th on the IC; and disruptive and ‘unique’ Uranus on the Ascendant.

  Vancouver itself was incorporated on 6 April 1886 and it has a ‘collision’ Solar Arc Mars square the Sun exactly now. British Columbia, 20 July 1871,  is in a tumultuous time of change picking up last year with tr Pluto opposition the Uranus and in a confused square to Neptune, continuing through this year and then tr Pluto opposing the Sun in 2022/23 so there will be challenges ahead.  

  For events like this often Eclipse charts are the most useful.  

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Gwen Berry, the US hammer thrower has responded to criticism after she turned away from the American flag on the podium at the Olympic trials medal ceremony, saying she “never said that I hated the country. All I said was I respect my people enough to not stand or acknowledge something that disrespects them.” She draped a T-shirt carrying the words “activist athlete” over her head. Joe Biden issued a statement saying that “part of the pride in our country means recognizing there are moments where we haven’t lived up to our highest ideals. And it means respecting the rights of people granted to them in the Constitution to peacefully protest.” Other athletes have offered support to her.

   In 2019, Berry lost some of her sponsorships after raising her fist in protest on the podium at the Pan American Games in Peru and received a 12-month probation from the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee for the act. She has accused critics of her protest of favouring “patriotism over basic morality”.

  Born 29 June 1989 St Louis, Missouri, she has a Cancer Sun opposition the highly-strung, can-be-tinged-with-genius and also chaotic Saturn, Neptune, Uranus conjunction in Capricorn and trine Pluto. The Sun Neptune Pluto marks her out as more than usually ambitious. Her Pluto is also in an angry and aggravated square to Mars in flamboyant Leo with her Mars in an enthusiastic conjunction to Venus.  Plus she has her North Node in dedicated-to-a-cause Aquarius.

  She’s certainly determined, enraged, uncompromising and unpredictable. Her Moon is in stubborn and earthy Taurus. Tr Neptune square her Jupiter this year until early 2023 will dash a few of her hopes; the tr Saturn square tr Uranus will tug at her aggravated Mars square Pluto; and there are muddled, unhelpful Solar Arcs in 2022 so it won’t be easy in the immediate future.

  If I’m honest I’d have to admit to being conflicted. There are clearly huge and ongoing injustices that keep not being addressed which do damage to a goodly chunk of the population – and they need to be faced up to and brought under control.  I quite understand why those in a position to make a stand do so.

  And yet and yet – maybe its just compassion fatigue or oppression exhaustion – it does jar. As do the present run of USA TV police crime and medical series which have gone into propaganda mode. Which is perfectly understandable at one level given the inequities perpetrated against the black community.  And I am a huge believer in drama being a good vehicle for putting new ideas out into the culture. But but but – is it effective?  I’m not sure.

Pic: jenaragon94