Month: January 2017

   

 

The upcoming French elections (April 23/May 7^th) are more wide open than ever with Francois Fillon mired in a scandal about payments made to his wife. With tr Neptune moving to square his Mars and conjunct his Pisces Sun just before and through the election, he doesn’t look hopeful at all.

Neither does Emmanuel Macron, the independent: He’s certainly on an upsurge at the moment with his Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct his Mars, exact at the moment, though still in effect over the two-stage election on April 23/May 7. He’s also got tr Jupiter conjunct his Pluto over the first round which should give his confidence a boost. But what is probably a sinker is tr Neptune opposition his Mars/Pluto midpoint over both rounds – which is usually bad news for election wins = being damaged by smears, suffering under attacks, lacking energy for resistance. [Post Jan 17 2017].

Benoit Hamon, socialist, pro-Eu and far-left, is an outsider who doesn’t look too upbeat in May.

The can’t-possibly-win-can-she candidate Marine Le Pen may well be helped by fate if Fillon is irrevocably damaged.

Born 5 Aug 1968 12.20 am Neuilly sur Seine, France she is a Sun Mercury in Leo with an ambitious 10^th house Mars so certainly ambitious. But what marks her chart out as singular is a very tough, strained Yod, the toughest, of Uranus Pluto sextile Neptune inconjunct Saturn in Aries. Saturn also sits as a singleton, the only planet in her relationship hemisphere, which channels the energy of the rest of her chart. Saturn in Aries is self-reliant, tends to be unsympathetic, dismissive of the needs of other, hard. It will have given her a sense that she has a special mission in life which sets her apart from the common crowd. She’s certainly not a fitter-in. But this Yod demands real maturity to make it work. A fated change can bring a turning point which will test the individual to the limit and can set them on a path of social responsibility; or it can bring self-defeating actions which end in failure.

She’s looking upbeat and confident in the early stages of 2017 with tr Pluto trine her Jupiter/Pluto and then her Jupiter/Uranus. And she has a bouncy tr Jupiter through her 1^st house over the next year. Tr Uranus will conjunct her Yod focal point Saturn exactly at the time of the second round. That will really test her mettle to see if she can rise to the challenge of the Yod or end up in failure. Tr Pluto will be opposition her MC then which will certainly shake the ground under her feet. Plus a couple of mild but useful Uranus transits to Jupiter midpoints.

Le Pen as President of France would give Angela Merkel nightmares. Le Pen’s afflicted Saturn is opposition AM’s 10^th house Neptune and square her Sun Uranus; and Le Pen’s Mars in Cancer is conjunct AM’s Sun Uranus and square AM’s Neptune; and Le Pen’s Uranus Pluto squares AM’s Mars. It would be a brutal fight for the soul of Europe. [Dec post].

Her closest adviser is Florian Philippot, 24 October 1981 11.20am Croix, France. He has tr Jupiter moving cross his 10^th till the autumn which is usually successful; plus tr Uranus opposing his 10^th house Jupiter Pluto which can also be lucky breaks and a complete turnaround in his life. Plus an even larger lucky break from Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct his Uranus which will be exact exact to within minutes over the election. He’s also got three less helpful influences but he’ll be buoyed up all the same.

Le Pen’s Yod does need a strange turn of fate to get into gear. Given her main opponent is tipping over and the world has gone berserk with Trump and Brexit, she might just make it.  It’s almost certainly the time she’ll be as near as she’ll ever get to the Elysee Palace.

Looking at the remaining Middle Eastern countries – Iran, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt – all have varying internal problems, some with elderly rulers in failing health, so some upheaval ahead may be put down to change of rulership.

The Iran 1906 and 1979 charts both look uncertain in 2017 into 2018; with major disruptions through 2018 to 2021. The Ayatollah Khamenei has prostate cancer and isn’t expected to survive much longer. His chart looks shaken every which way in 2018 with tr Uranus hitting his formidable T Square of Mars opposition Saturn square Pluto. His leadership chart is edgy and insecure this year presumably with Trump in situ and very undermined from 2018 onwards.

Saudi Arabia, 15 Jan 1902 3.45am is heading into a challenging financial downturn in 2017/18 with tr Pluto conjunct Saturn. There may be some upswing from tr Uranus square Jupiter this year but it also squares the Capricorn Sun, so will be a time of escalating change. The years 2019/2022 look exceedingly confused, uncertain, fairly devastating; with high insecurity. Their Jupiter may come to their rescue on the back of it but it’ll be a time of forced change.

King Salman of Saudi Arabia’s Reign chart, 23 Jan 2015 1am, will be shaken into crisis by this February’s Pisces Eclipse conjunct the 4^th house Moon Neptune Mars which looks like family and internal problems. With a sense of closure and certainly a major jolt in 2018.

Oman, 23 July 1970, another absolute autocracy, is picking up problems late 2017 and through 2018/19 with Solar Arc Uranus conjunct the Saturn and tr Pluto trine Saturn, so economically not great and highly unsettled; with a risky tr Uranus square the Sun and Mars in 2018/19. Qaboos bin Said Al Said, Sultan of Oman, born 18 Nov 1940, on the throne 23 July 1970, will face major shocks in 2018/19, which show up on both these charts, with his personal chart extending difficulties into 2022.

Egypt, is already in trouble with the 1922 country chart in confusion through this February with the Pisces Eclipse and tr Neptune both conjunct Uranus and square Mars; and looking very blocked late 2017/2018. Abdul al Sisi, the President’s term chart, 8 June 2014 11.18am is very unstable at the moment with Solar Arc Pluto square Uranus exactly; and sagging badly, as well as at high risk in 2019 with tr Neptune square the Sun and Solar Arc Mars opposition Uranus. However that chart has lucky wild card Jupiter tied into it so may ride out the storm. Al Sisi has as tough a chart as Ayatollah Khamenei so is unlikely to keel over easily.

  

 

Trump has been in trouble with Pope Francis since he started his wall-building plan to shut out Mexico. The Pope questioned his Christian credentials which got the expected heated kickback.

The Pope,17 Dec 1936 9.01 pm Buenos Aires, is a Sun Sagittarius which is conjunct DT’s Moon, which should be OK. Except that the Pope’s determined Pluto square Mars is in hard aspect to DT’s Saturn Venus; and the Pope’s Saturn squares DT’s Uranus – so different agendas leading to continual aggravations.

Their relationship chart has a composite Sun opposition Mars Neptune, so irritable, mutually unsupportive – and that is getting the tr Saturn squares to all three composite planets at the moment and through this year, so the freeze is deepening. There’s also a Saturn Uranus opposition Jupiter, with Saturn Uranus trine the composite Mars Neptune – so nothing that suggests a rapprochement will be likely.

 

Trump’s executive order to ban entry to travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries – Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen – which has been causing global criticism and chaos at airports with conflicting instructions from department heads  – was signed at 4.27pm January 2017. Countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, who produced the majority of the 9/11 terrorists; and Algeria and Tunisia, responsible in part for the recent European ISIS atrocities are not included.

There’s a New Moon in Aquarius in the 7^th, which is unaspected apart from a semi-sextile to a muddled Neptune in the 8^th. There’s a hard-edged Saturn square a 9^th house Mars Venus. The 9^th refers to foreign countries and travel and Saturn puts blocks and delays in the way of movement. The divisive and disruptive Uranus MC opposes Jupiter in the 4^th squaring onto Pluto Mercury in the 6^th. Arguably Jupiter in the 4^th points to safe domestic space; though with employment consequences onto the 6^th; and fierce arguments from Mercury Pluto.

The 7^th house New Moon is odd – it suggests vulnerability and need of relationship support, which given that it’s likely to result in less support is counter-productive. With the Node in the 2^nd opposition the 8^th house Neptune there may be financial consequences.

It’s initially only a 120 day ban; but, if extended, it’ll run into real problems late this year as tr Saturn squares Mars exactly, and be facing a complete turnaround come 2018 with tr Pluto square Uranus.

 

 

Stephen Bannon, ex-Goldman Sachs, owner of the alt-right Breitbart which has hosted anti-semitic, white nationalist and anti-abortion pieces over a decade, has shoehorned himself in to an increasingly powerful position in Trump’s inner sanctum. First campaign manager, now top political adviser, sitting in on conversations with Putin and to be a regular on the National Security Council. In a break with tradition, the Chief of Joint Staffs and Director National Intelligence will only be invited on occasion, which Susan Rice, Obama’s National Security adviser, described as ‘stone cold crazy.’

Bannon was born 27 Nov 1953 Norfolk, Virginia and is a Sun Sagittarius; with a fanatical, angry and slippery T square of Uranus in Cancer opposition North Node square Neptune Mars in Libra. He’s also got Pluto, maybe Moon, in Leo square Venus Mercury in Scorpio so a heavyweight charm, definitely vengeful; with Jupiter in Gemini trine Neptune Mars, sextile Pluto (Moon) – controlling, lucky, determined, loves publicity (if not the media).

Bannon’s Jupiter falls in Trump’s 10^th conjunct his Sun, so will be seen as a luck bringer; but Bannon’s Uranus is conjunct Trump’s Saturn, which is differing agendas; and worse, Bannon’s focal point Pluto is conjunct Trump’s flamboyant Mars, so he’ll attempt to bully him, which may work while Trump is floundering around but it’ll come a cropper at some point. Tr Neptune starts to oppose the composite Mercury Sun Saturn conjunction in their relationship chart from early March, starting to chip away at the foundations of their co-operation, worsening from mid May onwards as tr Neptune opposes the Sun Saturn through till late 2018.

Bannon’s chart hasn’t much of cheer with three tr Neptune hard aspects to midpoints from April onwards pointing to losses; plus several disruptive tr Uranus aspects to his Uranus, Pluto, Neptune. The worst patch for that will be in late April/early Mars with tr Uranus opposition his Mars/Saturn, repeating late in the year which is usually a disastrous setback. He’ll be fuming fit to explode in Sept/Oct 2017 with tr Pluto square his focal point Mars – completely trapped and blocked in. That’s just after the August Leo Eclipse which will conjunct his Pluto and probably his Moon.

What is clear is that no one in Trump’s close circle likes him. Some like Ivanka and Kellyanne especially. Of the relationship charts with Bannon:

Mike Pence: Composite Sun Mars Jupiter square Saturn – sagging badly at the moment. Chilly patches through the year.

Jared Kushner: Composite Sun square Uranus Pluto, a real push and pull relationship; extremely edgy, ratchety and explosive in February with tr Uranus opposition Saturn; with a definite dip in March and through the autumn till year end as tr Neptune squares Mars; and blocked frequently with tr Saturn hitting the Sun square Uranus Pluto.

Ivanka: A fearsome amount of dislike from Uranus Mars Pluto which is getting the separating and impatient tr Saturn square through this year; plus tr Uranus opposition Saturn from late April which will erupt tensions into the open. Plus a composite Sun Neptune square Jupiter – she possibly thought him OK initially but now distrusts him.

Kellyanne: A bad-tempered composite Mars square Saturn which is breaking out into open warfare from early March onwards till late 2018 with tr Pluto square Mars.

James Mattis, Secretary of Defense: Suspicious crossover with a composite Sun Neptune Mercury which is being hammered by separative and tension-erupting tr Uranus opposition Mercury Sun from mid March.

Reince Priebus: Composite Sun opposition Mars and cold/doubting Venus Saturn Neptune.

Rex Tillerson, State: Composite Saturn Neptune square Uranus – suspicious and at cross purposes; with a power-play-for-the-upper hand Jupiter square Pluto. High tension and foot stamping through from mid March onwards; and worse in 2018 if Bannon survives that long.

Mike Pompeo, CIA: V chilly through this year.

Paul Ryan, Speaker: A nasty composite Sun Mars trine Uranus Pluto – serious dislike.

Mitch McConnell: Distrusting with composite Sun square Neptune, under considerable pressure from tr Pluto conjunct the composite Sun from this February to end of 2018.

There are always tensions and professional rivalries bubbling in the hot house atmosphere of a presidency, especially this one. The only comforting thought is that Trump is losing faith in him fairly soon, or Trump goes down and takes Bannon with him.

One additional thought is that Bannon is not a stupid man so the seeming incompetence of the spew of executive orders may well be a smokescreen for deliberate strategy, that of ‘disorienting the ‘enemy.’ Former colleagues from his Hollywood days said: “He always spoke in terms of aggression. It was always on-the-attack, double down… macho stuff. Steve has an obsession with testosterone.” Another: “Never back down, never apologize, never show weakness… He lives in a world where it’s always high noon at the O.K. Corral.”

In 2013 he described himself as a Leninist. “Lenin wanted to destroy the state, and that’s my goal, too. I want to bring everything crashing down, and destroy all of today’s establishment.” [Lenin was a revolutionary communist, who headed Russia’s Government after the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 and then the Soviet Union, overseeing the formation of a one party socialist state. Opponents were suppressed in the Red Terror, a violent campaign orchestrated by the state security services; tens of thousands were killed and others interned in concentration camps. Critics on both the left and right see him as the founder of a totalitarian dictatorship responsible for mass human rights abuses.]

His chart isn’t like Lenin’s or indeed the Vietnamese General whom he evidently also idolises. So Bannon is more of a teenage wannabe, but still capable of creating havoc. What may spike his plans along the way is that while he may relish being loathed by the enemy, his boss doesn’t.  Trump is pathologically dependent on being loved, adored and admired, so he may start pushing back and indeed blaming Bannon at some point for his plummeting poll figures.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/01/31/steve-bannon-s-long-love-affair-with-war.html

   

 

The anti-abortion march in Washington on Friday attracted tens of thousands of demonstrators heartened by Donald Trump’s stance and were addressed by VP Mike Pence and his wife Karen, both evangelical Christians.

The USA 1776 chart (various start times) does have an Aquarius Moon probably trine Mars in Gemini and Saturn in Libra, so has hard Moon aspects which will be unfriendly to feminine issues. Plus the Sun and three other planets are in Cancer, which tends to idealise motherhood.

It’s tricky to draw firm conclusions from the charts of several high profile anti-abortion campaigners (without birth times). But for what it’s worth – the Vatican has a New Moon in Gemini sextile Mars on one side and sextile Uranus on the other. Mike Pence is probably also a Gemini Sun Moon as well. Skipping through about 12 anti-abortionists there does seem to be a fair sprinkling of Air Moons and/or Aquarius planets. Air tends to attach themselves to an idea and disconnect from feelings. Sarah Palin notably has an Aquarius Moon and Saturn Mars Sun in Aquarius.

Karen Pence is a New Moon in Capricorn square Mars – and that’s the other theme through several of the charts – hard Moon Mars aspects, (conjunction, square or opposition) which is, simplistically, anger at mother/women. That’s a puzzle since Moon Mars is not sentimental or usually too empathetic. It’s excitable, passionate and can overly blunt. I suppose the Mars operates as the defender of the weak and is directed at women who choose not to be mothers. So the energy goes towards idealisation of the nascent foetus. But mothering is certainly a hot spot in their lives.

A recent poll showed 64% of Americans believed abortion should be legal, 31% against.

Please add below.  Older posts under News on the top bar.

 

Actor John Hurt has died aged 77, after an illustrious six decade career, spanning films such as A Man for All Seasons, The Elephant Man, Midnight Express, 1984, and latterly the Harry Potters; and television hits like The Naked Civil Servant and I Claudius. He specialised in roles about misfits, victims of fate and eccentrics.

He was born 22 Jan 1940 5.30pm Shirebrook, England to an amateur actress mother and clergyman/teacher father, had a strict upbringing, was married four times with several other long relationships and for many years had a serious drink problem. A full but not easy life.

He had a 6^th house, hard-working Sun Aquarius conjunct Mercury in late Capricorn, both in a bleak opposition to Pluto square a forced-to-be-self-reliant Saturn in Aries and Aries MC opposition North Node in Libra in the 4th. A settled home life and emotional commitment would not have been easy for him.

He also had an Earth Grand Trine of Uranus in the 10^th in a creative trine to Neptune trine Mercury in Capricorn – perhaps one pointer to his resonantly gravelly voice. Luckily as a balance to what could have been a heavily depressive chart, he had Jupiter in Aries trine Pluto and conjunct Mars also in Aries, which would bounce him up and give him confidence. His Cancer Moon was square Jupiter and trine his 8^th house Venus in Pisces, so he would enjoy women’s company.

His role as Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant first brought him to prominence. Crisp, born 25 Dec 1908, was a Capricorn Sun with his Moon conjunct Hurt’s Sun; an emphasised Saturn in Aries like Hurt; and Crisp’s Jupiter in Virgo trined Hurt’s 10^th house Uranus, so a real connection. The Elephant Man, Joseph Merrick, born 1862, with a facial deformity which saw him kidnapped onto the freak show circuit, had a Leo Sun exactly on Hurt’s Ascendant; with his Neptune conjunct Hurt’s Jupiter and his Mars also in Aries – so another uncanny resonance.

John Hurt’s ‘actors’ 15^th Harmonic is exceptionally marked with two Cardinal Grand Crosses of Sun, Pluto, Moon Mercury Neptune, and Mars, Saturn, Moon, Neptune.  With his talent he could draw on his own unhappiness to channel his characters.

 

 

The chaos around Trump’s his first days in office isn’t quite addictive but it’s so unnerving it leaches interest out of almost everything else. The desperate inanities of his need to have had the biggest Inaugural crowd and to have actually won the popular vote are either signs of a pathological narcissism that’s off the Richter scale; or a cunning manoeuvre to distract attention from the myriad executive orders he is spewing out at speed. [Don’t get distracted by the dead cat on the table. Url: goo.gl/neQHlO] And indeed how his obsession with voter fraud could well lead to restrictions on who votes in future and possible/probable claims of rigged elections if the Republicans lose the midterms in 2018, never mind the 2020 re-run of this farrago. There may be more method in his madness than appears.

But for all that he isn’t Emperor Nero and even his nominees are refusing to buckle under his over-heated wish-list. Mattis on taking over the Pentagon made his first call to the head of NATO; and he, Pompeo (CIA) and McCain have spoken out firmly against torture. Rex Tillerson in State appears to have lost (or fired) all the top staff which given his lack of political experience is a distinct handicap. The Mexico wall will run into a thousand road blocks, as probably will the pipeline. Federal workers are likely to increase subversive action; swingeing tax cuts and stratospheric infrastructure spending is likely to run into Congress budgetary resistance. His protectionist trade policies run the risk of costing consumers (in the rust belt) more and de-stabilising the global economy. The only world leaders he appears to be on talking terms to are Putin, Netanyahu and (lord help us) Theresa May.

His Gemini Sun Uranus opposition Sagittarius Moon sitting on top of the USA 1776 Mars square Neptune makes more and more sense, given the anger, divisiveness and panic he is creating. His Saturn in Cancer conjunct the USA Mercury opposition Pluto will be interesting to watch when the tr Uranus squares come along from just after mid March onwards, given the history of that aspect on the USA chart in fuelling McCarthyite fascist responses and scandals, financial and Watergate-wise. [See post USA 2017 Dec 26^th.] Trump’s relationship chart with the USA does indicate anger/insecurity breaking out into the open from mid March on at the same time, if not before, since the composite Moon may be at 22 Capricorn and, if so, will trigger late February.

Plus, of course, his bullying, bombastic Mars in Leo is opposite the USA Moon in Aquarius, trampling women’s rights into the ground – and not just in the US, overseas as well – resulting in a hot-tempered response.

His present hardline anti-abortion stance is a new acquisition since he was never that stuck on it as an issue until Mike Pence stepped in beside him. Be wary of praying for an impeached Trump. Pence would move up. In Congress he co-sponsored a bill that would allow hospitals to deny abortions to pregnant women who would die without the procedure. His war against Planned Parenthood when he was governor of Indiana led to the closing of five clinics. (None of them did abortions. They did, however, provide testing for sexually transmitted diseases, and one of the counties where a clinic was closed suffered a big H.I.V. outbreak.) He also voted against the Lilly Ledbetter act for equal pay for women. He once argued that having two working parents would lead to “stunted emotional growth” in children. In 2006, he said same-sex couples were a sign of “societal collapse.” And all this in the name of Christian piety. That Moon on the Inauguration chart squaring the Mars/Saturn midpoint certainly makes sense – cruel treatment of women.

Though if its any consolation  Pence is having a horrible time ahead with tr Pluto square his Mars/Saturn and trine his Mars/Neptune midpoints from early March onwards for two years – which indicates cataclysmic setbacks and plans not working out; tr Neptune square his Jupiter/Saturn midpoint from mid May to late 2018 which usually accompanies career losses; and tr Neptune squaring his Gemini Sun in 2018/19 which is lack-lustre and not ego-friendly.

What intrigues me (amongst a thousand other things) is Trump’s relationship with Stephen Bannon, his faithful buddy, which is hitting a sharp downhill slide from mid May onwards as tr Neptune opposes the composite Sun Saturn. Jared Kushner doesn’t get on with him and their dip comes earlier in mid March. Kellyanne Conway loathes him with a passion and that could lead to open warfare from early March onwards.

Keep an eye also on Trump and Paul Ryan from early April onwards as their uneasy co-operation stalls into suspicion, lack of confidence and uncertainty which will roll on till late 2019.

 

   

 

David and Victoria Beckham have built up a brand through his football and her fashion-related businesses, estimated worth half a billion pounds last year. Reports are that they are buying a Cotswold country home, an area popular with celebrities like Kate Moss, Hugh Grant, Kate Winslet, Lily Allen, Michael McIntyre, Jeremy Clarkson and David Cameron.

Although her fashion business with a good turnover still appeared to have made a loss and was kept afloat by a loan from himself. Their spokesman denied there was a problem and said it was in effect merely an accounting matter. Her company was recently given a formal notice of compulsory strike-off by Companies House, having failed to file its annual accounts on time for the third year running.

David, born 2 May 1976 6.17am London, does look unsettled with tr Uranus moving to square his MC from May this year and square his Capricorn Moon in 2018, so considering a change of direction. Tr Saturn exactly now is heading into his 8^th also suggests a two year phase ahead of financial reorganisation; and feeling less emotionally supported. 2018/19 do look difficult with the panicky-failure tr Neptune conjunct his Mars in Pisces and Solar Arc Moon square his 7^th house Neptune; plus Solar Arc Uranus conjunct his Neptune so a disappointing time emotionally as well as confusing about future plans.

Victoria, 17 April 1974 10.07am? Hereford, England, will be unsettled domestically and career-wise in 2017 into 2018 with tr Uranus opposition her 4^th house Uranus and conjunct her Aries Sun – so major changes; feeling less popular publicly and in her career with tr Neptune conjunct her 10^th house Venus; and then tr Saturn opposition her 12^th house Mars Saturn late in 2017; with a sagging, lack lustre Solar Arc Sun opposition her Neptune in 2018.

Their relationship always was going to hit its most turbulent patch when tr Uranus moved into Taurus in 2018 moving in conjunction across the composite Venus, Mercury, Sun, Mars until 2020.

They’ve survived through a good deal together but there do look to be relationship stresses and strains ahead.