Marjorie

With a mystifying voter support from the religiously-minded and launching a war with high flown claims about morality and invocations about the historic ‘Crusades’ (mainly failures) it seems counter-productive for Trump to fall out with the Pope and the Catholic Church.

  As with so much else it makes no sense. But the Vatican are not taking it lying down. Pope Leo’s Easter message issued a sharp rebuke of war. And Archbishop Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services questioned the legitimacy of America’s war in Iran, arguing that it was likely not justified under Catholic teaching on legitimate defense by military means, sometimes called just war theory.

 Pope Leo, 14 September 1955, Chicago, Illinois, no birth time, is just the man to stand up to Trump since his Pluto is conjunct Trump’s Mars and Ascendant; his Mars in Virgo is square DT’s Uranus; his Virgo Sun Venus are square DT’s Gemini Sun opposition Sagittarius Moon. His determined Saturn in Scorpio is square DT’s Mars/Pluto midpoint. And the Pope’s North Node opposes DT’s North Node = trains heading in opposite directions.

 Their relationship chart has been under considerable strain since last month with tr Uranus square the composite Mercury  and moving (across the midpoints) to square the composite Mars in July and again at the end of the year and into 2027. It will be a longish phase of high tension, ratty arguments with  eruptions of bad temper.

 The Vatican, 7 June 1929, has its Neptune in late Leo also conjunct DT’s Mars so it will be an evasive combatant for him – and a good deal more intelligent. Their Uranus squares his Mercury so will pierce holes in his claims; and their Mars is conjunct his Pluto for implacable opposition. His relationship with the Vatican has been on a slide since the final weeks of Neptune and Saturn in Pisces in January/February of this year – and the second half of this year will see quite a tussle for the upper hand.

 I am not normally a great fan of the Vatican but all power to them on this one.  

 The First Crusade was announced in 1095 with Pluto in early Aries. The last one in 1291 with Pluto in early Aquarius.

Wiki: The siege of Acre (also called the fall of Acre) took place in 1291 and resulted in the Crusaders’ losing control of Acre to the Mamluks. It is considered one of the most important battles of the period. Although the crusading movement continued for several more centuries, the capture of the city marked the end of further crusades to the Levant. When Acre fell, the Crusaders lost their last major stronghold of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem.

ADD ON: J.D.Vance, 2 August 1984 8.11 am Middletown, Ohio, has announced a new memoir centred on his conversion to Catholicism, adding to mounting speculation about a potential 2028 presidential run. Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019 when he was 35, after being raised in a loosely evangelical family. His Catholic conversion has informed his positions on issues such as abortion and family policy, and he has in the past justified the White House’s deportation policies with his interpretation of Catholicism, using ordo amoris – “order of love” – to defend prioritising obligations to fellow citizens over outsiders.

 And how is that for timing!

   Pope Leo’s Pluto falls on his Ascendant as well Trump’s, so giving the Holy Father the ability to transform Vance’s image – in this instance not for the better, especially since it also squares V’s Mars in Scorpio making for a bitter standoff. The Pope’s Mars in Virgo is conjunct V’s Mercury for arguments; and the Pope’s Neptune is conjunct V’s Pluto as the pontiff’s spiritual status diminishes and confuses V’s power and influence.  

  Vance’s Neptune in final degree Sagittarius is square Scheat and has been buffeted about by tr Saturn Neptune in square recently. He also has Sedna, the dwarf planet, associated with betrayal and abandonment in his spiritual/religious 9^th house.

 Vance’s relationship chart with the Pope looks set to rock n’ roll even more as tr Uranus moves into Gemini late this month till mid May and squares the composite Sun – with further nervy interactions across the year end and more chaotic interactions in 2027.

  As old alliances are shattered, new ones are being cobbled together and not only in the Middle East. UK PM Keir Starmer is pursuing a “closer partnership” with the European Union, because of global volatility and economic pressures. He aims  to strengthen ties on trade, security, and energy

  The prospect will give Daily Telegraph readers a fit of the vapours and threaten to reopen the rancorous Brexit debate. While a full re-entry would almost certainly not be possible or even wanted (except by Sadiq Khan), it does come at a time when there is a significant shift on the UK/EU 1957 relationship chart. Tr Uranus will conjunct the composite Pluto in June and again late year into January 2027. Which suggests an upheaval and a turnaround. 

  At that point tr Uranus will also square the UK Pluto at 2 degrees Pisces so there will be a collapse of the older order and start of building anew. Interestingly the UK/USA chart relationship chart has tr Pluto opposition the composite Uranus exactly now till late this June and again on and off till late 2027 – which hints at the same kind of upheaval but in reverse. As one goes down (no doubt temporarily until post-Trump) another comes together.

 When Brexit happened tr Pluto was square the UK’s 8^th house Aries North Node – and by next year the Solar Arc Pluto will oppose the UK North Node. A 7^th house Aries North Node is tricky since the need for relationships pulls against an equally strong need for independence.

 With the EU there will be constant revisions and adjustments through 2027 with tr Uranus square the composite UK/EU Uranus – so it won’t be seamless or smooth, but there will be a change in the present status quo.

 Relations with the USA will get fractious and explosively argumentative in the second half of May in particular with tr Uranus conjunct the composite Mars, and again in the first three months of 2027.

The world holds its breath after Pakistan brokered an unlikely pause in the Middle East conflict with the Trump bunker proclaiming mission accomplished. GW Bush declared the same years ago and the Iraq War dragged on for another 8 years.

  April was always going to be a fractious month with Mars moving into fiery Aries on the 9th, ratcheting up the aggro – though it comes round every two years so is not always a calamity. But this year there is a collection of planets already in Aries. First it crosses Neptune on the 12^th for a gulp of panic with plans not working out; then Mercury moves into Aries; a New Moon in Aries on the 17th is followed by an accident-prone and can-be-aggressive Mars conjunct Saturn on the 19^th which is associated with military action.

 Mars in Aries is a reckless act-first think-second energy, with a tendency to stir up arguments. It lacks tact and sensitivity for others’ feelings as it crashes ahead. More heat, less light. More haste, less speed. Though in mythology Mars, the god of war, was deemed a peacemaker.

  In addition, the New Moon on the 17th is conjunct Eris and Chiron in the day/two days before. Quite a congregation of planetary/Fixed stars and asteroids all linked.

 From previous Post: April – messages from the universe

1st April 2026

 Mercury in Pisces will conjunct Nessus on April 9th. Usually associated with deceit Nessus has a positive role, making us better equipped to deal with risks and cons. It might suggest the ‘negotiations’ in the Middle East and elsewhere are hindered by treachery and insincerity. Nessus is also linked with ancestral and collective trauma – unresolved issues passed down through family lines or cultural groups which like the Shirt of Nessus slowly poisons or wounds. On the upside it encourages individuals to stand up against injustice and toxic patterns to ensure the past does not repeat itself, demanding that these hidden wounds be given voice and visibility. Which certainly sounds accurate for the ancient blood feuds of the Middle East.

On the 9th Mars in Pisces is conjunct the Fixed Star Scheat, which generally is regarded as unfortunate, likely to occur with accidents, natural disasters and in this case because of combative actions.

On the 15th the Aries Sun is conjunct Eris, the dwarf planet, recognized for its similarities to Pluto. Although thought to be a force that disrupts, provokes and shatters illusions, it can also be a potent force for personal evolution.  Both conflict and catalyst, it highlights fractures that already exist. It calls for a stand against falsehoods and prompts a confrontation with uncomfortable truths. With awareness it brings a moment where it is crucial to challenge distortions and say ‘No More’.

 On the 16th the Aries Sun is conjunct the centaur asteroid Chiron which suggests that progress will not be made on the basis of pride, ego or ‘winning’. Healing can only come from a place of selflessness – which in a fight between alpha males, fuelled by ancient blood feuds and egged on by a rampant narcissist, may give the fates pause for thought.

 The Aries New Moon on the 17th pulls together with the Eris Chiron conjunction – with all four tied in a bow. At best it could point to new beginnings where there are enough voices saying ‘no more’ and healing of collective and generational trauma can begin. But that does seem to be a gigantic ask.

On Trump’s natal chart his Mercury in Cancer will catch the tr Mars and tr Saturn from April 22^nd square which is likely to provoke an angry outburst, followed by discouragement on his part as tr Saturn continues to square his Mercury. Tr Mars won’t get to square his Saturn Venus until just before mid May for another assault on his pride, denting his popularity. Later in May a Mars in Taurus square Pluto will bring more tensions and perhaps destructive events.

 On his midpoints he has tr Jupiter conjunct his Sun/Pluto midpoint exactly today as he exults in his ‘triumph’. Though also from today till near the month’s end he has a tricky tr Uranus opposition his Saturn/Neptune midpoint bringing painful circumstances, weakness appearing suddenly, perhaps illness, a strong streak of dissatisfaction and neurosis.

 Pete Hegseth has the same mix of euphoria with underlying panic and mental strain. His relationship with Trump may blow up in July and on with tr Uranus square their composite Mars Uranus conjunction.  

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest serving prime minister, took up the reins of his most recent and turbulent term in late 2022 as Israel faced a historic moment with a Nodal Return and Uranus in Taurus conjunct its Taurus Sun. I wrote at the time that Israel had  “turned its face against progress and doubled down on the worst of the past.”

 He was facing charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust as he headed the most rightwing administration in the country’s history, made up of Jewish ultranationalist and religious parties. He promised to overhaul the judicial system, accelerate settlement construction in the occupied West Bank and highlight Jewish identity in public life. These and other plans have drawn unprecedented criticism from the defence establishment, business community, education system, LGBT+ rights groups, legal officials.

  Religious Zionism leader Bezalel Smotrich, an ardent supporter of Jewish settlements, was made finance minister, with a second post in the defence ministry with sweeping administrative controls over the occupied West Bank.

     Itamar Ben-Gvir, convicted of incitement to racism in 2007 and a former disciple of the anti-Arab ideologue rabbi Meir Kahane, went in as national security minister with expanded powers over the Israeli police and responsibility for border police who operate in the West Bank. He advocated that that soldiers receive blanket legal immunity from prosecution. Both Ben-Gvir and Smotrich are sanctioned by the UK and other states for inciting settler violence.

 2022 had already seen Israeli forces kill more Palestinians in the West Bank than in any year since the United Nations began systematically recording fatalities in 2005, after the last major Palestinian uprising. The bloodshed has been blamed by Palestinian and Israeli rights groups and U.N. experts on Israel’s excessive use of force and open-fire rules as well as rising assaults by settlers in the West Bank.

 Since the Hamas 2023 attack, settler violence and expansion have reached record levels, often occurring with what observers describe as “near-total impunity” or with the support of Israeli state policies. Reports from 2025-2026 indicate that more than 93% of police investigations into settler violence in the West Bank were closed without indictment, and only 3% resulted in convictions. Palestinians in the West Bank are subject to military courts with a reported 99.74% conviction rate, whereas Israeli settlers in the same territory are subject to civilian courts.

  Benjamin Netanyahu, 21 October 1949 10.15 am Tel Aviv, Israel, has a Libra New Moon in his 11^th house square an acquisitive Jupiter in Capricorn in his financial 2^nd house; and sextile a bombastic Mars in Leo in his opinionated 9^th (conjunct Pluto). He has an idealistic and slippery Neptune conjunct Mercury in 10^th house; with his Mercury in an impulsive square to Uranus.

 He has the headstrong Antares on his Sagittarius Ascendant which can lead to destruction through obstinacy. His Chiron is in his 12^th suggesting he is trapped in an identification with the scapegoat and victim; with Chariklo nearby he will also be rooted in a sense of eternal suffering.

 The recent February Aquarius Solar Eclipse fired up his combative Mars; and the upcoming August Solar Eclipse conjunct his Pluto hints at a need to transform his outlook totally (though he could ignore the celestial tug and continue as before.)  His Solar Arc Uranus is conjunct his Midheaven exactly now (birth time being accurate and not rounded up) which could suggest a change of direction. Tr Neptune square his Uranus late May to mid August and again off and on into early 2028, will be nerve-stretched, perhaps even more fanatical. That tr Neptune at 4 degrees Aries does hit a variety of charts including the Israel country one and may be significant.

 His Progressed Mars will square his Uranus later this year into 2027 which will be a tremendous jolt and could be risky. But on the whole he looks in better shape than one might expect ahead – with a sprinkling of unfavourable midpoints this year, and more positive, successful ones in 2027. Where he will run into the buffers, if he is still around, will be by 2030 with his SA Mars square his Pluto.

  Tr Uranus will rattle up his relationship with Israel this month with a calamitous tr Uranus opposition the Mars/Saturn midpoint as the Iran offensive heats up; and gets another jolt as tr Uranus moves into Gemini in the second half of this May and repeating later. But for all that, it is a tight bond with no immediate signs of a separation.

 His relationship with the USA is a good deal more troubled right through this year into 2027; as indeed is Israel’s with the USA for several years ahead. 

 His bond with Trump with a composite Pluto, Saturn, Mercury, Sun, Mars is toxic, only capable of surviving if the white-hot/black anger is directed outwards. If their involvement in a war against others was knocked out of the equation and they turned on each other ???!!!  Wipe out. Again late May to end of August this year will prove a disappointment to them. Though it won’t end the friendship.

 Netanyahu’s 2022 Term chart has a yod of South Node sextile Sun inconjunct Mars – which fits with a regressive and aggressive/martial administration.

 Both Smotrich and Ben Gvir (without birth times) look relatively upbeat over the next two or three years. Though there may be cracks appearing with Netanyahu. No doubt they hope to supersede him at some point. Smotrich is an opportunistic Sun Pisces opposition Jupiter Mars conjunction which is being activated this year and in 2027.

  Ben-Gvir has a determined and adventurous Jupiter Venus in Taurus opposition Uranus which is being challenged and possibly boosted over the coming two or three years; with a super-confident, self-aggrandising Jupiterian yod inconjunct an ambitious Neptune sextile Pluto. He could be prominent towards late decade.

 An intriguing argument has been put forward about Israel’s long term future – that it is likely to turn into a ‘third-world economy’ because the fast-growing ultra‑orthodox Haredi community is under-educated, under-employed and refuses national service. The view is thought to be overblown but it is still true that the more educated, productive, entrepreneurial and tax-paying part of the population, which stocks the military, is growing far more slowly than the Haredi who at present number about 1.5 million people, or 14pc of Israel’s population. They typically marry young, have large families and their segregated schools focus on religious scripture, often at the expense of subjects such as maths and science. Few will go to university, and up to half of Israel’s Haredi men do not join the mainstream workforce.

Add On:  The head of the leftwing Democrats party, Yair Golan, said; “Netanyahu promised a historic victory and security for generations, and in practice, we got one of the most severe strategic failures Israel has ever known.” “It’s a total failure that endangers Israel’s security for years to come.”

The reality is that Netanyahu gambled everything on his war and in his failure to secure the fall of the theocratic regime, the seizure of Tehran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, or meaningful state degradation, Israel’s global standing – already massively tarnished by its actions in Gaza, where it has been accused of committing a genocide – has been damaged.

 The fallout in terms of public opinion and diplomacy is likely to be even more serious for Netanyahu and Israel. In America, in particular, a political consensus dating back to the 1960s is visibly crumbling. Israel’s role in pushing Trump to war in Iran has been assailed by both progressives and Maga’s far right, while support for Israel more broadly is at historic lows even among Jewish voters.

“In a war with no winners, Netanyahu looks like the biggest loser
As Iran and US agree fragile ceasefire, Israel’s conflict has turned out to be a bust and, say opponents, ‘a political disaster’”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/08/war-with-no-winners-netanyahu-israel-iran-us-ceasefire

Audrey Hepburn, one of the Hollywood greats, Oscar-winner renowned for Roman Holiday, Funny Face and My Fair Lady, a film and fashion icon, is the subject of her son’s full biography of her, three decades after her death.

 Elegant, beautiful, delicate, she radiated charm and vulnerability, though her life story was anything but cossetted. Intimate Audrey was co-written with former war correspondent Wendy Holden, since as her son said “My mother’s life begins with war and ends with war.”

 She was born 4 May 1929 3am Ixelles, Belgium, with an aristocratic Dutch mother and a British father, both Hitler supporters, and was pulled out of a UK school when war broke out to live in the Netherlands.  She and her family endured bombing raids and malnutrition. They subsisted on stale turnips and bread baked from tulip-bulb flour for long periods during the Nazi blockade; she witnessed endless acts of violence and saw Jews rounded up and taken away to the camps. While only a teenager, she performed dance recitals to raise funds for those in hiding and carried messages for the resistance. Her upright posture was a result of ballet lessons but also of a piece of shrapnel that landed in her neck during an air raid and permanently restricted her movement.

 In later life she became a Unicef goodwill ambassador in the 1980s and 90s: missions to Ethiopia, Venezuela and Vietnam and was in Somalia surrounded by starving children four months before her death from cancer in 1993.

 Fame came early in her twenties when she was discovered by the author Collette and appeared in her Broadway production of Gigi. Thence on to Roman Holiday for which she won an Oscar and the best leading actress Tony for Ondine, all at 24.

  Her marital life was complicated, first with writer-producer Mel Ferrer, who was known to be controlling and was married five times in all. Then with Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti who was “unreliable” (= unfaithful) and later the Dutch actor Robert Wolders, “adorable but a doormat”.

 For one so dainty, partly the result of her wartime starvation she was a Sun Jupiter North Node in Taurus; with a charismatic 5^th house Pluto conjunct Mars on the cusp of the hard-working 6^th. Her Pluto was square Uranus, indicative of a generation who lived through considerable turmoil. Her dutiful 10^th house Saturn in Capricorn was on the apex of a yod inconjunct Mars sextile Mercury hinting at a life requiring maturity and perseverance. Her Neptune on the Descendant would attract her to partners who were uncommitted or evasive in some way; and her Sun/Moon midpoint was conjunct her Uranus which equally would make for revolving doors on the partnership front.

 When the Second World War broke out tr Uranus was exactly conjunct her Taurus North Node and conjunct her Solar Arc Sun for probably the defining moment of her life; with tr Pluto moving into her 6^th house of health. As peace was declared in 1945 tr Uranus was crossing her IC as freedom dawned.

 She evidently gave up filming when the children were born to give them a family life – and Sean, Mel Ferrer’s son, 17 July 1960, has spent his life making a legacy of her career and achievements.

 Theirs was a tight but not altogether easy bond. He did have his Mars and Moon  in Taurus conjunct her Jupiter Sun; and his Cancer Moon conjunct her Mars. Both were Earth/Water which would bring an understanding. But his Uranus was square her Sun Jupiter and his intense Pluto sat in her 7^th – so it would be a complex, push and pull association. His Jupiter in her 10^th would give him the desire to make the most of her celebrity and success.

 Their relationship chart echoed the synastry with a composite Sun, Uranus, Venus and Mars conjunction – affectionate, high-vitality but also needing individual space. There was also a yod of Saturn sextile Jupiter inconjunct Pluto and another yod of Pluto sextile Neptune inconjunct Jupiter – tying their destinies together more tightly than most.

 Desperately seeking a chink of daylight if not peace and sanity in the Middle East fiasco, a few astro-thoughts.

 Relocating Trump’s chart to Teheran puts the Fixed star Antares on the Ascendant. Known as martial in its inclinations, it can cause destructiveness and makes the individual rash, headstrong and destructive to themselves by their own obstinacy. There is also his wayward and divisive Uranus in the 7^th house of friends and enemies.  The unfortunate, shipwrecking Fixed star Scheat is on his relocated IC, hinting at the sinkhole opening up below him. With his hopeful, unrealistic (delusional) Neptune in the 10^th house of direction and reputation.

 Cracks are appearing even with trenchant MAGA supporters of the past like Joe Rogan – whose relationship with DT is undergoing a total turnaround at the moment with tr Pluto opposition the composite Uranus; with disappointment mounting from late May to mid August with particular jolts mid June into July.

 Skipping down relationship charts with Trump’s main protagonists it is interesting (to an astrologer) to see the range of reasons for the opposition. Bruce Springsteen and Richard Gere loathe him with toxic bitterness with composite Sun, Mars, Pluto, Saturn conjunctions in their respective relationship charts which is a fight to the end. With Obama there is anger, distrust but more significantly Uranian differences of agenda – going in opposite directions. With Gavin Newsom a hint of an ego clash, one wins the other loses. Macron and Starmer find him irritating beyond belief with his insistence they bow the knee to his commands – with Mars Saturn prominent.

 The one relationship chart which has always fascinated me – in a gruesome way – is Trump with Ivanka, his daughter. It has a composite Sun, Mars, Saturn, Uranus conjunction with Uranus conjunct Pluto may square Moon. If ever there was an abusive association, emotionally or otherwise, this is it with a vast reservoir of resentment bubbling below the surface.

 What is intriguing as Trump exhibits signs of a mental breakdown are his interactions with those close. His relationship chart with Melania has tr Uranus conjunct the composite Sun exactly now – 6^th till 25 April. With Ivanka tr Uranus will square their composite Sun from later this month into May and then square the Mars and Saturn  right through into 2027. That will be some rupture.

 With Donald Trump Jnr there has already been tremors of unease with is father and a sinking sense of failure through this month with tr Neptune square the composite Sun with a jolting tr Uranus square the Uranus in the second half of May – and both of these repeat into early 2027.

  Even the Trump tribe may have a sense that the writing is on the wall.

See previous post: Trump’s trusty wingmen – unravelling by 2028. 11th January 2026

Two Virgos, two lawsuits with hints of judicial scepticism arising out of both, which could prove ruinously expensive.

 The judge in actress Blake Lively’s claims of sexual harassment while on set with Justin Baldoni, has dismissed ten out of the thirteen claims she made, saying actors need to be able to experiment. The case with the remainder is expected to go to trial on May 18, including claims Baldoni’s company retaliated against her after she complained about misconduct which her lawyers claim materially altered her career prospects.

  Born 25 August 1987 5.07 am Tarzana, California, she has a stellium in Virgo which tr Uranus will start to rattle up when it squares her Sun and Mars in late May for jolting insecurity; then moves on to square her Venus for emotional upsets in June and continues off and on into 2027 when tr Uranus squares her Mercury for outbursts. Plus her midpoints hint at a run of setbacks this year and next.

  The lesson might be that the lawsuit has done more to damage her chances than anything else. 

 Not that Justin Baldoni, 24 January 1984 8.30pm Los Angeles, is looking overly cheerful with tr Pluto conjunct his Aquarius Sun and square his Pluto Moon this year and his Mars in 2027/2028. That looks completely trapped.

 They were a bad fit as a working unit with her Pluto conjunct his Mars and her can-be-autocratic Saturn Uranus falling in his 4^th with her Virgo planets in his 12^th – she would have an emotionally disconcerting effect on him. And with his Scorpio Moon conjunct Pluto and Mars he will have an edgy relationship with women best the best of times.

 The other Virgo is Prince Harry (along with others) wielding the sword of justice against the Daily Mail, claiming personal information had been obtained illegally. As the case closed the judge issued what appeared to be a warning about the lack of evidence from the claimants, whose barrister suggested that if private details were published, they must have been obtained unlawfully. Whereas some evidence was led that friends or others, even the claimants themselves, might have been the source in certain cases.  

 Judgement is not expected until the summer or even early autumn. Prince Harry has previously won small damages against the Mirror Group and an apology from The Sun. But in this case the stakes are high with an estimated £38 million in costs if the case is not proved.

  Prince Harry, 15 September 1984 4.20 pm London, has an intense 8^th house Virgo Sun in an impatient square to Mars and a packed 9^th (legal) house with Venus, Pluto and Saturn there. He is not having the greatest year with his Solar Arc Midheaven conjunct his 12^th house (overly hopeful) Neptune, exact in six months, which may dent a few of his delusions. He also has a disappointing tr Neptune square his Jupiter late April to late May, and again mid August to late September. His Progressed Moon also collides with his Mars in September which will not make for a peaceful few weeks.

QUOTES:

“Avoid lawsuits beyond all things…”  Jean de la Bruyere

“A lean compromise is better than a fat lawsuit.”  George Herbert”

“Lawyers spend a great deal of their time shoveling smoke.”  Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

“In law, nothing is certain but the expense.” Samuel Butler”

“Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can.”  Abraham Lincoln

“About half the practice of a decent lawyer consists in telling would-be clients that they are damned fools and should stop.” Elihu Root

How do you face extreme levels of danger and manage to handle relationships in a claustrophobic capsule. For 99.9% of the population the prospect would send them running for the hills. Astronauts are a rare breed.

  In this instance two astrological themes are marked in the Artemis 11 crew. The first is the proliferation of Fixed signs The commander Reid Weisman, 11 November 1975, is a Sun, Mercury Uranus in Scorpio with the latter two planets square Saturn in Leo.

 The pilot Victor Glover, has Sun, Jupiter, Moon in Taurus.

Christina Koch, 29 January 1979,  is a Sun, Mars, Mercury in Aquarius opposition Jupiter in Leo with Uranus in Scorpio.

Jeremy Hansen, 27 January 1976, is another Sun Aquarius square Uranus in Scorpio.

 Fixed energy is steady, has endurance, can be stubborn but tends not to flap.

 The other is the frequent occurrence of Mars Pluto and indeed Pluto Jupiter –

Weisman has his Pluto square Mars and opposition Jupiter.

Hansen has an incredibly strong and confident chart with his Pluto trine Mars trine Sun, with his Pluto opposition Jupiter and his Mars opposition Neptune and his Sun opposition Saturn in late Cancer.

Koch has a Sun Mars conjunct widely trine Pluto.

 It crops up in the relationship charts as well:

Weisman/Glover – Pluto square Mars Venus; and a yod of Neptune sextile Sun inconjunct Mars Venus.

Weisman/Koch – Sun trine Mars trine Saturn with Mars opposition Pluto; and Pluto trine Jupiter.

Hansen/Glover – Uranus trine Venus trine Mars with Mars square Pluto.

Hansen/Koch – Mars opposition Pluto; and Pluto trine Sun trine Jupiter.

  Mars Pluto in a personal relationship can be toxic since it produces power struggles, a need on one side or the other for total domination and can even turn violent. Here where the circumstances are dangerous Mars Pluto is essential for coping with the stress. Often Mars Pluto relationships thrive in crisis situations – working in refugee camps and conflict zones for instance. When returned to ordinary life they become destructive. The context soaks up the energy.

  There is also unsurprisingly a marked Uranus presence both natally and in the relationship charts. Again in mundane everyday life, Uranus can be tricky – uncooperative and rebellious, not suited to close team work. But here the Uranian nature of the environment and project should absorb the difficult side of the energy.

 When will the US stand up for the edicts of its founding fathers of whom it used to be so proud, who laid down the constitution defending democracy and created the institutions which have stood the test of 250 years?

  Trump’s relationship with the USA in essence is chained together with a composite Sun trine Pluto sextile Saturn – but even that is beginning to come unstuck this year with a disappointing, undermining tr Neptune square the composite Sun starting late this April to late May, dissolving the ties that bind; with serious tensions erupting from this July onwards as tr Uranus is square the composite Saturn, followed by a pressure-for-change tr Pluto square the Pluto to the year’s end. Tr Uranus will continue to ratchet up tensions till May 2027 and tr Neptune will continue to sink the ground under his feet till early 2028. He won’t let go easily but whether through unpopularity or ill-health or both, he will find his grip on the nation loosening fast. Tr Saturn squared the composite Sun recently in mid March two weeks after the Iran attack when it became clear this was no speedy in-and-out venture.  

  The Supreme Court is managing to find a backbone having  recently ruled his administration had no authority to use emergency powers to impose tariffs. The justices were not willing to give Trump a blank cheque to bypass Congress and the courts.  They now appear sceptical about his executive order limiting birthright citizenship, which is a key element of his immigration agenda. The decision is expected in June. A loss would be a setback to Trump’s immigration agenda and would also represent a larger blow to his efforts to aggressively expand executive power since returning to office.

  The Supreme Court, 2 February 1790 New York, has a Sun Pluto conjunct in Aquarius which seems fitting for the new era. But it will be facing a monumental battle ahead with the Progressed Mars square the Sun in 2027 as well as being conjunct the Scorpio North Node. So it may come to a considerable standoff and collision, almost existential, so it will test their resilience as tr Pluto opposes the Uranus in 2027/28 as well threatening to upset the applecart.

 DT’s relationship with the Supreme Court chart hints at bitter arguments this year and next. With John Roberts there will be ongoing differences into 2027 though one argument may be ducked this year.

 His relationship with virtually all the justices will be stressed ahead apart from Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh. Even Amy Barrett is having a meltdown with him, as well as the other liberal or more moderate justices like Neil Gorsuch, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and especially Ketanji Brown Jackson. Ketanji has a bitter-dislike composite Mars conjunct Pluto in her relationship chart with DT which is being triggered by tr Uranus in June and across the New Year.

George Washington:

“The constitution vests the power of declaring war in Congress; therefore no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until after they shall have deliberated upon the subject and authorized such a measure.”

“Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains to bring it to light.”

“The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon.”

“If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.”

“Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.”

“Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all.”

“For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good…”

  Pet astrology is fun and works better than you might expect even if you can only find a rough approximation of their sun sign. Pedigree or breeder friends, even better, can proffer, the exact time.

Tashi, small fluffball Lahsa apso, 17 September 2025 8.15pm Aberdeen, has a busy, busy 6^th house Virgo Sun and vocal Mercury opposition a not-always practical 12^th house Saturn. A flashy and attention-demanding 5^th house Leo Moon and Leo Venus give her confidence; and a 4^th house Jupiter hints at happy-home-time. Plus a determined, get-my-own-way 10^th house Pluto trine a wayward 1^st house Uranus may make her tricky to train.

Prior to this 4 kilo squiggle, was a 40 kilo grey Weimaraner, named Turtur (colour like a dove), 5 May 2012 11.30pm Salernes, France. A boisterous Sun Jupiter in Taurus in the entertaining 5^th house she insisted on being centre of attention at all times – greeting everyone with rapturous glee and knocking them over, stealing canapes and anything else that was not stored in a locked cupboard. She had an Earth Grand Trine of Sun trine Mars trine Pluto and was all physical vitality demanding endless exercise of 10 kilometres a day at least. And for a breed known at best for what is politely called ‘dominance’, her Mars Pluto could be seriously defiant and strong-minded.

 When I moved from France back to England, tr Uranus was conjunct her Sun as she was wrenched away from her beloved vineyards where she could be let off the lead and went snake hunting, non-poisonous there mercifully. Weimaraners were bred to hunt wild boar but they only came out at night in that region and she only met one who got away. In rural England she had to make do with diving into hedges on the end of a lead and coming out with a poor assassinated pheasant.

Before her were two brother felines – Camembert and Roquefort, 14 April 2005 4am Port Vendres, France, whom the vet unkindly dubbed les chats du guttieres – alley cats. They had charming and high vitality 3^rd house Sun Venus in Aries though they were very different temperaments – one pushy and the other quieter. Sun Venus trine Pluto with Mars Neptune on the midpoint did give them chutzpah. Sadly when the transiting North Node was conjunct their Pluto and tr Saturn was conjunct their Jupiter, one ran away over a house move and the quieter, sweeter brother died suddenly a few weeks later of a heart attack.

Before that – Sophie, a Maine Coon, 5 July 1994 11.47pm London, was clingy affectionate and not even-tempered – a Cancerian with a Moon Mars in Gemini. She co-habited with a midget rescue tortoiseshell called Peppermint who had to have been Gemini since she never stopped vocalizing and disappeared every night out of the cat flap to go terrorizing the neighbourhood cats.

Back a step on the pet ladder there was an English pointer, exquisitely beautiful but oh so stupid and neurotic, named Dizzy, who was terrified of Slasher (renamed Tom Pom) a stray black cat, bruised and battered who moved in without an invitation and stayed.

 First pets were two Jack Russells – one called Demon (not by me) who was anything but demonic in nature, a sweetie, except if you were a rat or a rabbit.  Totty bought to keep him company turned out to be a fiend and had to be rehomed.   

Pets have a short lifespan compared to human and when they go it is painful. But the consolation is that they have had a good life and it is their time.

“There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.” Bernard Williams

“Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a function.” Garrison Keillor

“Dogs laugh, but they laugh with their tails.” Max Eastman

“The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs.” Charles de Gaulle

“Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.” Robert A. Heinlein

“Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.” Groucho Marx