Northern Ireland with relatively few Covid-19 related deaths, half of them in care homes, is edging towards a cautious lift of the lockdown. The differences in health policy between the three regions of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have heightened tensions with Westminster with the approaching Brexit guddle no clearer. It has a key significance for Northern Ireland since bumbling Boris has thrown a smokescreen over precisely what it means in practical terms for an EU customs border between north and south.

The regional government was restored earlier this year after a three-year period of political paralysis and dysfunction.

The NI 7 December 1922 3.28pm chart is stressed with tr Pluto opposition the Cancer Moon running till late this year indicating an emotionally conflicted populace and there’s also a panicky Solar Arc Neptune square Mars exact in four months’ time. There might (?) be a confidence and enthusiasm-lift come late May into early June with tr Uranus opposition the Jupiter, repeating late October/November this year and early 2021. With the tr Saturn Jupiter conjunction this December moving to conjunct the Midheaven which will set the region on a new path. It won’t be easy since tr Pluto is following behind to move into the 10^th from 2023 onwards (start time being accurate) which suggests a radical rethink of direction and purpose.

The relationship with the UK chart is under disappointing and worrisome influences this year with tr Neptune opposition the composite Jupiter Saturn and square Uranus; and tr Neptune moves on to form an undermining square to the composite Sun by 2023. So the relationship won’t improve in the short term.

Although some have claimed that a unified Ireland is more likely because of Brexit the relationship chart between north and south (1949), at best highly aggravated, looks less than harmonious ahead for several years with tr Neptune opposing the composite Saturn and conjunct Mars; with emotional upsets in 2021 and great challenges till 2024.

Harry S Truman took over as US president when Franklin D Roosevelt died in office in 1945. He authorized the first and only use of nuclear weapons in war, implemented the Marshall Plan to rebuild the economy of Western Europe, established the Truman Doctrine and NATO, engaged in an internationalist foreign policy and renounced isolationism, successfully guided the U.S. economy through the post-war economic challenges, pushed forward with civil rights legislation, starting racial integration in the military and federal agencies and oversaw the start of the Korean War. He was re-elected in 1948 but corruption in his administration became a campaign issue in the 1952 election. He entered a financially difficult retirement since in those days former presidents did not receive any payment. Despite criticism when he left office, later reassessment has been favourable.

He was born 8 May 1884 4pm Lamar, Missouri and had an intense, stalwart and deeply buried 8^th house Sun Neptune conjunction in Taurus with a persuasive Mercury Pluto in Gemini also in the 8^th. His Saturn in Gemini was in his philosophical 9^th along with a friendly-to-foreigners Venus. But what is most notable about his chart is a 10^th house Jupiter in Cancer which brings luck, success and increasing respect in older life. His Jupiter was sextile a 12^th house Uranus which in turn was trine his Sun Neptune making him innovative, a modest risk-taker. His Sun Neptune were also square Mars in Leo, suiting him for a publicity-attracting career. His Moon in intense Scorpio was trine Venus and his midheaven but was otherwise unaspected.

His Cancer Midheaven was conjunct the USA Cancer Sun and his Venus in Cancer sat comfortably with the USA Venus Jupiter.

An interesting, heavyweight and surprising chart with so much in the 8^th house and Uranus in the 12^th, which would not make for a standard, routine life but clearly suited him for high office.

His leaving-a-legacy-for-history 17^th Harmonic was heavily aspected; as was his global-personality 22H; and his workmanlike, creative-builder 5^th harmonic.

Concern about Trump interfering with November election results are mounting after he went on a twitter rampage against Californian Democrats push for mail-in ballots. “They are trying to steal another election. It’s all rigged out there. These votes must not count. SCAM!”

A former White House ethics director Walter Shaub responded “… and right on cue, here he is laying the groundwork for a refusal to leave office.” Previous tweets from Shaub showed other examples that he believed proved Trump was working to discredit the upcoming election in case he lost, including consistently tweeting about the “rigged” system.

Most Americans, including a majority of Republicans, are in favour of a mail-in voting system for the general election to avoid gathering in public places, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll published in April. About 72 per cent of Americans wanted mail-in ballots. Researchers have not found proof election security would be impacted.

Shaub, born 20 February 1971, trained as a lawyer, worked as an attorney for various federal agencies and was appointed by Obama to head Government Ethics in 2013. He resigned in 2017, having complained about Trump not divesting his assets and saying later that under Trump the government had become a kleptocracy.

He’s a Sun Pisces square an idealistic Neptune Jupiter in Sagittarius with Mars (maybe Moon) also in the legalistic sign of Sagittarius. An Aquarius Node will suit him to pursue a humanitarian cause.

He is deeply frustrated through this year and next with tr Pluto conjunct his Sun/Mars midpoint, which is angry and blocked. And he looks particularly setback on his heels over the November election with a catastrophic tr Uranus opposition his Mars/Pluto midpoint. He does have a couple of rays of sunshine but there are more minuees than pluses ahead in his immediate future.

His relationship with Trump will be at its most vehement over the election with tr Pluto Jupiter square the composite Mars and tr Saturn square the composite Sun – and that rolls through into 2021.

Given the fraught nature of the Inauguration chart it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that there’s an unholy punch up and Shaub’s worst fears are realised. The state of his chart could be due to other factors in his life but they may also be a pointer.

Another recent Shaub tweet: “After Barr issued a deceitful summary of Mueller’s report, dropped Flynn’s charges despite a guilty plea & reduced the sentencing for Stone, I’m concerned he could try to influence the election with similarly bogus arrests, accusations or the announcement of new investigations.”

Little Richard ‘the Master Blaster, the Innovator, the Black Angel of Soul’ burst onto the music scene and revolutionised the sound in the transition phase in the mid 1950s as Pluto was leaving Leo to move into Virgo. In three short years between 1955 and 1958 his world changing hits – Tutti Frutti, Long Tall Sally, Lucille and Good Golly, Miss Molly – made him the influencer par excellence for Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Bill Haley, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Everly Brothers, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, Elton John etc.

He has just died aged 87 of bone cancer five Pluto cycles after his only top ten hits. Born 5 December 1932 2.50pm (unverified) in Macon, Georgia, the son of a bootlegger, he was trained as a boy to sell snake oil in a Travelling Medicine Show. Neil McCormick writes: “He was raised singing gospel and incorporated the shrieks and ululations of religious ecstasy to a souped-up Rhythm & Blues style, adapting the New Orleans Boogie Woogie piano stride of Fats Domino. The songs he wrote and recorded in that first burst of fame were raunchy and rude, drawing on his own sexual voraciousness and confusion. He was black, he was camp, and he was in many ways a tortured soul.”

His anguish about the conflict between his religious beliefs and his bisexuality and homosexuality drove him to drink and drugs and effectively sabotaged his best-selling career after his early starburst. Though he continued working throughout his life.

His egocentric Sagittarius Sun and Mercury were on the point of a T Square to a showbizzy, publicity-attracting Mars Neptune in Virgo opposition North Node in musical Pisces. His Sun was also in an expansive square to Jupiter; with his Moon in Pisces. Colourful, scattered, exuberant, not short of self-confidence despite his inner turmoil. He had a Fire Earth chart so was blessed with a tankful of energy and high spirits.

His leaving-a-legacy 17^th Harmonic was marked; as was his superstar 22H.

Victory in Europe Day yesterday brought back a flood of wartime memories from the older generation with stalwart words of hope from the Queen.

Unconditional surrender in Europe was signed on 8 May 1945 at 9.20pm in Berlin when Jupiter in Virgo was conjunct the Midheaven and trine a Taurus Sun; and there was a tricky Neptune opposition Moon Mars in Aries square Saturn in Cancer – so elation mixed with anger and sadness. Saturn had moved through two signs during the course of the six year way starting at zero degrees Taurus in a tough, warlike square to Pluto in early Leo. A Jupiter Saturn in Taurus conjunction with Uranus in later Taurus came together in 1940 for the Battle of Britain and the London blitz when Britain was under punishing attack from the Luftwaffe and the refusal to give way ultimately became Germany’s first major defeat.

In May 1945 the Germany chart had the transiting Taurus Sun exactly conjunct the 8^th house Pluto with tr Jupiter in trine, so the surrender was both restrictive and a relief. The Solar Arc Uranus was in a jolting square to the Germany Sun; with the hard-edged, aggravated Solar Arc Saturn square Mars moving to hard aspect the Germany Jupiter in the immediate aftermath denting confidence and enthusiasm.

The UK chart had tr Jupiter square the 3^rd house Mercury exactly at VE Day bringing a celebratory mood. But that apart the mood was sombre with hints of the austerity and difficulties to come with tr Saturn conjunct the Midheaven and Solar Arc Venus. The early war years had seen the tr Saturn square tr Pluto hammering on the UK 8^th house Mars which is always a sensitive and disaster-prone point in the UK chart.

France, 21 September 1792 3.30 pm Paris, delightfully had their Solar Arc Uranus exactly conjunct the Ascendant as the occupation was lifted with tr Pluto square the Solar Arc Moon – which rather verifies that start time. During the war years tr Neptune was moving through the France 8^th house conjunct the Virgo Sun.

What’s intriguing looking at the war leaders charts  is that Churchill, Hitler, Roosevelt and Truman all had marked 8^th houses. Normally the 8^th house is seen as tricky to handle for an ordinary individual life, but it appears frequently in public figures charts who have a (probably) unconscious ability to project an aura out to the public at large.

Hitler had the super-ambitious Neptune Pluto conjunct in his 8th and he, for all his less-than-appealing looks, had a mesmerising effect on large crowds.

Churchill also had Neptune and Pluto in the 8^th though not conjunct. Franklin D Roosevelt had Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter in Taurus in his 8^th. Harry S Truman who took over in the spring of 1945 had a Taurus Sun Neptune plus Pluto Mercury in Gemini in his 8^th.  JFK had Mars, Mercury, Jupiter in Taurus and Gemini Sun in his 8^th.

The 8^th house is traditionally associated with strong ancestral links, hooking the individual back into previous generations; and often allowing them to see below surface reality to what lies beyond rational awareness. Clearly it also gives them the strength to bear tremendous weight and the projections of millions.

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Pluto is the god of the underworld, wealth and criminality, a cleaner-outer of sewers and harbinger of slow, grinding transformation, symbolised by the phoenix who only arises after all is reduced to ashes. Slowly nearing the end of fifteen years in Capricorn, it will dip a toe into Aquarius in late March 2023 and hovers around the cusp through the year, retrograding back into Capricorn, before moving forward in January 2024 for a twenty-year stay.

Pluto’s modus operandi is to pull down old structures, not explosively like Uranus, but by exerting great pressure and stress-testing to show up flaws. What is no longer functional, is broken down and dilapidated needs to go. Pluto doesn’t do pitch and patch, baling twine fixes.  It insists on getting right down to the foundations to conduct a major overhaul, complete clear out and then a rebuild that can stand the test of time ahead.  Aquarius is a sign that fosters ideas and learning. It can be humanitarian but also can on occasion have an ideologue’s  failing of stubborn adherence to dogma and ‘ideals’ without considering feelings. The French Revolution was a Pluto in Aquarius movement, which swept away the old corrupt aristocracy and lauded liberty, equality and fraternity. But it was a bloody, vengeful affair which ended up, during the 25 years of Pluto in Aquarius, with the dictatorship of Napoleon Bonaparte.

What is curious, looking back at the sign changeover years back to the 1770s, is that Neptune has a much clearer pattern of significant events when it shifted sign. See previous post 29 April 2020 below. Which isn’t to say Pluto doesn’t have a massive impact but it doesn’t leap out in quite the same way, with the exception of 2008 when it moved into Capricorn and the financial world crashed and one or two others.

The rise and fall of empires or power figures is one Plutonic theme with Catherine the Great taking over the reins of control as Pluto moved into Capricorn in 1762 and dying two cycles later as Pluto was about to exit Aquarius; and Napoleon Bonaparte fighting his way towards becoming Emperor as it moved into Pisces. The Manchu Qing Dynasty in China which started on a Pluto in Gemini finished 268 years later on the dying days of the next Pluto in Gemini as the Republic of China was established in 1912.

There were rebellions aplenty and revolutionary independence wars through two centuries on Pluto changeovers – in America, various South American countries, France China, Spain, Hungary. Irish history, not surprisingly, has shown periods of turbulence when Pluto shifts sign.

Computers also flag up as early Pluto events, from Charles Babbage’s early Difference Engine as Pluto moved into Aries in 1822; up to modern day first Mac computer in 1984 as Pluto moved into Scorpio, and TED was also founded then.

As with Neptune, many iconic books and films were launched as Pluto sashayed into a new milieu.

1851 into Taurus the New York Times and Reuters were founded. Moby Dick and Uncle Tom’s Cabin were published.

1892 into Gemini Sherlock Holmes collection was published.

1912 into Cancer Tarzan of the Apes hit the public via a pulp magazine

1937 into Leo Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. Hemingway’s To Have and Have Not. The Dandy comics and Detective comics launched. Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

1957 into Virgo had a bumper crop perhaps Neptune also shifted sign that year into Scorpio. Wizard of Oz. Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal. Dr Seuss The Cat in the Hat. Perry Mason. West Side Story.

1971 into Libra The Godfather and Alex Comfort’s The Joy of Sex. Walt Disney World opened in Orlando, Florida.

1983 into Scorpio A Christmas Story. Michael Jackson’s Thriller video.

See also post August 24 2019 for previous Pluto in Aquarius events.

The Justice Department has abandoned its prosecution of Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser, one of the most prominent cases brought by Robert Mueller. Flynn confessed and pleaded guilty until William Barr was appointed as Attorney General at which point he changed lawyers and plea.

The FT remarks “Dropping the Flynn case turns Bill Barr into Donald Trump’s political sword. Pardoning cronies is offensive but precedented. Using DoJ to go after enemies is Nixonian.” Edward Luce added that Barr’s role appears to be more akin to Thomas Hagen, the family lawyer to the Corleones in The Godfather movies.

A Protect democracy spokesman said: “It is a small step from using the law as a shield to protect the president to using it as a sword to go after his political opponents. Everyone at the DoJ should resist these efforts, blow the whistle where appropriate, and resign, if necessary, to uphold their oath to our constitution.” Trump has already referred to the FBI investigators as having committed “treason” and as “human scum”.

Barr’s relationship with Robert Mueller, supposedly close in bygone years but damaged by Barr’s deliberate misinterpretation of the Mueller Report when it was still under wraps, is now into freefall. Their relationship chart has a volatile Mars square Uranus Venus which tr Neptune is now pulling apart in opposition to Mars, starting exactly now, and that downhill slide will extend on through 2021. The Sagittarius Lunar Eclipse this June and in particular the December Sagittarius Solar Eclipse will threaten to blow up their connection altogether. There’s also a jolting tr Uranus square the composite Saturn through this June, and this October, which might give one hope that Mueller could find himself a backbone and speak out. Good men not speaking out are becoming a national shame in the USA.

Barr’s swearing in chart (no verified time) does have tr Neptune square the Jupiter exactly now which often indicates ‘false happiness’ or over confidence, which down the road turns into disappointment; with major glitches mid June to mid July and again in December.

His personal chart will be badly afflicted from late August to late November with tr Pluto opposition his Sun/Saturn and more so from early October to late January 2021 with the catastrophic tr Neptune opposition his Mars/Saturn midpoint.

See previous post January 17 2020 on Barr.

‘William Barr, Trump’s Attorney General, written off by Nancy Pelosi as “rogue”, a proven liar and obfuscator over the Mueller Report and the FBI and now implicated in the Ukraine dirty dealings leading to impeachment, appears to be a fundamentalist Christian as well.’

Vietnam with a population of 96 million has, so far, managed to crush the coronavirus with no deaths recorded, having taken early measures to stop flights, lockdown the population, set up military-style quarantine camps and it has the highest test-per-confirmed-case ratio of any country in the world.

There are concerns about a second virus wave but the greatest worry ahead is economic for a trade and tourism-reliant country.

Modern Vietnam came into being on 2 July 1976 8.30 am Ha-noi, when north and south were merged after the end of the war. This year there is, exactly now, a dead-halt Solar Arc Mars opposition Pluto, as many have been thrown out of work and poverty increased. There’s also a confused tr Pluto conjunct the Solar Arc Neptune and a few jolts from tr Uranus hitting on the Vietnam Saturn square Uranus during the lockdown. But on the upside there’s an upbeat tr Pluto trine the Jupiter in Taurus till late year so confidence will stay high. Ahead the Solar Arc Pluto will oppose the Jupiter along with a Solar Arc Mars square Sun in 18 months’ time so there’ll be a major push for success which could overshoot the mark and backfire. Perhaps overly aggressive state control.

The Bank of Vietnam chart, 6 May 1951, will feel the impact of the economically unstable tr Uranus in Taurus square tr Saturn in Aquarius in 2021 and on as tr Uranus is conjunct first the Bank’s Taurus Sun in 2021 and then moves on to conjunct the Mars and square Pluto up to 2023. That will be a very rocky ride. At the same time there is a disappointing Solar Arc Neptune square the financial Venus in 2021 and then square the Saturn in 2022; plus a highly uncertain and panicky tr Neptune opposition the Saturn in 2022/23.

So much like elsewhere the economic pain will start to bite from 2021 and on for several years. But having survived through the devastating war years the Vietnamese are tougher than most.

Australia is gradually lifting restrictions with virus cases dwindling and to date only 97 deaths recorded. Economic measures taken so far are, like everywhere else, historically large in scope to support the workforce; and there are worries ahead about the essential trading relationship with China as well as the negative impact for an export-heavy economy from a global recession.

The Australia 1 January 1901 1.35pm chart indicates a bumpy two years in 2020/21 with tr Uranus trine their Saturn, Sun and Mars, though the real headaches are likely to come from 2022 onwards as tr Neptune will move onto a financial bubble-bursting square to the AU Jupiter; and tr Uranus will form a voter-upsetting conjunction to the Taurus Moon in 2023. Tr Pluto will also move to cross the Midheaven in 2023 or 24 depending on the start time of the chart, which will involve either a loss of reputation or the start of a long search for a different strategy ahead.

The Bank of Australia chart, 14 January 1960, is stressed and nerve-jangled this year with tr Pluto conjunct the Capricorn Sun and tr Uranus opposition Neptune and trine Pluto and Saturn. The Bank’s enthusiasm and confidence will be dented in 2021 with tr Neptune square their Jupiter and a jolting Solar Arc Uranus square the Sun at the same time. 2022 to 2026 look extremely challenging, not to say devastating years with a run of difficult aspects – major confusion and meltdown from Solar Arc Pluto conjunct Neptune in 2022, panicky failure from tr Neptune square Mars in 2024/5; dead-halt with Solar Arc Mars opposition Pluto in 2025 and shocks from Solar Arc Sun square Mars in 2026.

The changeover of the signs through the middle years of this decade – Pluto into Aquarius, Neptune into Aries and Uranus into Gemini – will have a major impact and shift the country’s trajectory.

Australia survived the 2008 crash better than most though the global recession after did bite, but they are a resilient country with better reserves going into this crisis than most.