Month: March 2017

 

Scottish singer Sheena Easton, a huge recording star in the 1980s, is to make her UK West End debut, age 57, in the musical 42nd Street. For the past 20 years she put her career second to her two adopted children, moving to Las Vegas, where she could sing without touring. She’s been married four times, the longest lasting 18 months and she says never again.

Born 27 April 1959 3.40pm Bellshill, Scotland, she was brought up by her mother, who worked on a factory assembly line after her father’s early death. “I think she gave me her work ethic. She would never pray to find a bag of money, she would pray for overtime. That stuck with me.”

She has an intense, quite bleak and very ambitious chart with an 8^th house Taurus Sun trine a 12^th house Pluto trine a 4^th house Moon Saturn in Capricorn – a practical, business-minded Earth Grand Trine where the planets say a great deal about the Scottish work ethic. That is formed into two Kites by Moon Saturn opposition Mars in Cancer in her 10^th and Sun opposition Neptune. So Mars and Neptune are the two driving planets – undoubtedly talented, assertive, disciplined, not easy within herself or to live with, but a go-getter. Taurus is often found in singers’ charts, as is an emphasised Neptune.

Her Mercury in Aries is trine Uranus in Leo, sextiling onto a charming Venus in Gemini on her MC. Her Jupiter in money-attracting Scorpio is in a pushily confident square to Pluto. Her Mercury is opposition a North Node in Libra (= relationships are the unknown and therefore challenging) square Mars opposition Saturn Moon – so a Cardinal Grand Cross, a whirling cauldron of initiative though also prone to a life of revolving crises. Her Sun opposition Neptune squares onto her Uranus – making her quite fanatical at times and very independent-minded. She’s got quite some chart.

At the moment tr Pluto is poised to move into her performing 5^th so she’ll become more visible in future years. Tr Neptune square her MC won’t make this year a huge success; but with tr Saturn now into her 2^nd quadrant, she’s got a great deal ahead of her.

   

 

Ready, steady – and the mis-steps and dirty tricks begin. First off, Theresa May’s letter, on any sensible reading, suggested the UK’s co-operation on security was dependent on getting a good Brexit deal. Outrage across the EU and she’s had to backtrack. Now the EU have dropped a bombshell in the small print of their response, using the future of Gibraltar as a bargaining chip. Spain now has a veto on any deal – and definitely wants Gibraltar back 300 years after signing it over in the Treaty of Utrecht. The 30,000 residents (all true-blue bulldog Brits) voted overwhelmingly in favour of remaining in the EU by 96 per cent. The clause has taken British officials by surprise and is a major diplomatic defeat. Recent “unlawful incursions” of Spanish state vessels into British Gibraltarian waters have led to MPs saying that Spain’s behaviour as a Nato ally is becoming “increasingly unreliable”.

The ‘friendship treaty’ at Utrecht which set up British rule over Gibraltar was signed on July 13 1713 (Gregorian calendar if going by Utrecht time). That chart has certainly suffered a major shock as of now with Solar Arc Uranus square the Mars exactly at the moment; and not improving over coming years with the Solar Arc Uranus/Pluto midpoint square Mars by 2020 and by Solar Arc Pluto by 2023. All of which looks trapped and enfuriated. Tr Pluto will oppose the patriotic Cancer Sun in 2018/2019 for a hugely pressured time, moving on to bitter arguments with tr Pluto opposition Mercury in 2019/2020. Tr Neptune is conjunct the Jupiter in Pisces, exact now, and repeating till late 2017 which will undermine confidence; with an exceptionally highly strung Solar Arc Neptune opposition Uranus late 2018/2019.

The relationship chart with the UK looks aggravated and insecure from late this April, on and off till early 2018 with tr Uranus square the composite Mars; in a state of upheaval in 2018/19 with tr Pluto trine the composite Uranus; and frosty to the point of separation in 2018/19 with tr Saturn square the composite Mercury, then Sun and Venus.

Relations between Gibraltar and Spain 1975 chart, always hostile at best with an aggravated composite Mars Saturn in a suspicious, non-supportive opposition Neptune square Moon, and a fight-for-control composite Sun Pluto – is under very discouraging Saturn transits this year into 2018; and thoroughly jangled in 2018/19. And it won’t get easier as tr Uranus moves in the early 2020s to hard aspects the composite Venus, Saturn, Mars, Moon and Neptune.

   

 

Jared Kushner’s star is definitely rising with a five-impossible-things-before-breakfast kind of portfolio – reinvent government administration, fix the Israel-Palestine problem, sorting out Mexico etc etc. One wonders quite how this is going down with Stephen Bannon since the Kushner/Bannon relationship chart, not great at the best of times, was always going to be at a low ebb with tr Saturn conjunct the composite Sun exactly now; and then square the composite Uranus Pluto over the next two months.

And this is over the period where Donald Trump’s relationship with Bannon is sagging badly with tr Neptune opposition the composite Mercury at the moment and moving on to oppose the composite Sun Saturn from mid May to mid July – and repeating later in the year and through 2018.

And now that Ivanka Trump is being pulled firmly into the inner circle, there’ll be more anti-Bannon aggro, since she definitely dislikes him (and probably vice versa) with a composite Mars Pluto Uranus in their relationship chart. That is catching the tr Saturn squares from late May; and even before then there’s tr Uranus opposition the composite Saturn from late April which will erupt tensions into the open.

Someone is going to have to take the blame for the cataclysmic start to the Trump reign with his approval ratings in freefall – and it could well be Bannon.

Regulus, the regal Fixed Star, is strong in Donald Trump’s chart with his Ascendant (and widely his Mars) conjunct, as well as his Solar Arcs of North Node, Uranus and Sun all congregating around that end of Leo into Virgo position over this period up to 2020 and beyond.

I don’t work much with Fixed stars, so thanks to astrologyking.com for selected thoughts below. Regulus gives violence, destructiveness, military honor of short duration, with ultimate failure, imprisonment, violent death, success, high and lofty ideals and strength of spirit, and makes its natives magnanimous, grandly liberal, generous, ambitious, fond of power, desirous of command, high-spirited and independent. This is one who takes command and gives orders. These persons work well in the military and can achieve high goals and honors here. The commanding personality extends even to their love life, since everyone is merely a stepping stone for their pleasures and ego.

Ascendant conjunct Regulus: Great honor and wealth, but violence and trouble, sickness, fevers, acute disease, benefits seldom last, favor of the great, victory over enemies and scandal. “The Native shall be a person of great note and power, too much exalted, and attain to high preferment and honors, although descended from the meanest parents – the Native shall die an unhappy death; or at least that all his honors, greatness and power shall at last suffer an eclipse and be set under a cloud.” (Guido Bonnets)

Elsbeth Ebertin studied historical events with the accompanying planetary configurations; ‘when Mars or Saturn are in conjunction with Regulus, especially exciting events are always recorded e.g. assassinations, coup d’états, revolutions, revolts, demonstrations, overthrow of heads of state and similar events’. Though in this case she was looking at historical events not an individual chart, but presumably has much the same meaning.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens when his Solar Arc Uranus is conjunct his Mars, exact in 15 months’ time, though probably triggering before then in a highly disruptive, explosive way that will test his self-esteem and likely lead to wildly macho responses. And the coming late August Leo Eclipse this year will rattle up his Mars, Ascendant, Solar Arcs Uranus, North Node and Sun as well. So quite a challenging, crisis-ridden time.

In Roman times a slave used to ride beside the commander in chief whispering continually in his ear ‘memento homo’ – remember you are only a man – intended to keep their feet on the ground when glory went to their heads.

   

 

Turkey is increasingly a cause for concern with the authoritarian President Recep Erdogan seeking even more draconian powers in an April 16^th vote on constitutional reform, batting off insults at EU countries, cosying up to Saudi Arabia and Russia and now in a war of words with Greece.

Greece refused to extradite Turkish military officers involved in a recent coup against Erdogan; and now Turkey is brewing up a historic argument about where the border between the two countries lies. The fear is of an accidental flare-up that blows out of control with almost daily dogfights between armed jets and naval incursions of Greek waters by Turkish research vessels. If Turkish nationalism, being fanned at the moment, spilled over into an attempted invasion on Greek soil, it’s difficult to know with the mayhem in Washington and NATO being constrained quite what the global response would be.

The Turkey chart is certainly moving into a highly-strung, fanatical eighteen months with tr Neptune conjunct its prominent Uranus in Pisces, which is tied into a Water Grand Trine. Interfacing with reality may not be that easy; plus the February eclipse was conjunct Uranus which will produce a lightning bolt effect. Tr Uranus opposes the 4^th house Mercury Saturn in Libra through April, across the vote, so it’ll be a time of high tension and excitability. What’s ominous is a Solar Arc Mars opposition the Turkey Pluto (again on one leg of the Grand Trine), exact with a couple of months – that could be completely blocked but can also point to ruthlessness and rage as a response. Into 2018 tr Neptune squares the MC (start time being accurate) which is lack-lustre and not pro-active.

Relations between Turkey and both the Greece 25 March 1821 and Greece 24 July 1974 charts look dire over the next two to three years. Tr Pluto is conjunct the composite Sun, Saturn Venus on one at 18/19 Capricorn; with a peak of tensions  from this May onwards. On the other relationship chart there’s aggravation this year and next with tr Pluto trine the Sun and Mars; and possibly worse in 2018/19 with tr Pluto conjunct the composite Jupiter which usually ends up in a macho stand-off.

Erdogan’s 2014 Presidency chart was always odd with a Virgo Sun opposition Neptune and trine Pluto – on one reading, it looks weak, but on another it’s megalomaniac. And there’s certainly a brutal Mars Saturn conjunction in Scorpio which is getting the tr Pluto sextile in 2017/18, so military involvements were always going to loom large. The February Pisces Eclipse impacted on the Sun and Neptune, so it’ll be interesting to see which way the April 16^th vote goes. His personal chart also caught the Eclipse with his Pisces Sun within a degree – and that is usually a good going crisis. He looks on edge at the moment, less than confident and thoroughly boxed in by Sept/Oct; with an over-pushy 2018/19 landing him up with dented enthusiasm and possibly financial problems; at the least the balloon of his idealistic flights of fancy bursting.

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The letter formally informing the EU of the UK’s intention to leave was delivered in Brussels today at 1.25pm. It puts charmingly upfront Venus in Aries exactly on the MC conjunct a 10^th house Aries Sun, so definitely pro-active. There’s also a divisive/rebellious Uranus Moon Mercury in the 10^th trine Saturn – which could be positive since it points to organizational creativity and the ability to manage resources, as well as  to promote new systems which are not unduly disruptive.

On the downside there’s a gridlocked and bitter Mars in Taurus trine Pluto suggesting it will be an uphill struggle with hostility spilling out at times. And the Uranus Moon Mercury opposing Jupiter square Pluto hinting at a conflict between differing philosophical viewpoints, and a fight for control and the last word. With Saturn square the Sun which moves to exact by transit from March 2018, which is somewhat early for the separation – unless it’s a withdrawal into no deal.  Indeed tr Saturn will square Venus MC earlier than that in January 2018 – setbacks and chilly relations.

The Sun itself is anyway square an unyielding Saturn/Pluto midpoint and opposition an argumentative Mars/Node. And Pluto is square the Sun/Moon midpoint which is a fair description of a difficult, long-drawn out and aggravated divorce. And the MC (time being spot on) is square the head-in-the-clouds Jupiter/Neptune, which suggests harm through impracticality or thoughtlessness.

[See posts: March 20 and 24^th.]

   

 

How to keep a sense of perspective with rising fears of global and domestic turmoil everywhere, power-hungry demagogue leaders, rampant corruption and nepotism? Go read Sarah Dunant’s excellent (as ever) novel In the Name of the Family about the Borgias and Machiavelli.

Set in the febrile and brutal times of Renaissance Italy of the 15^th century, it focuses on the family of Pope Alexander, a byword for corruption in the Vatican, whose illegitimate son by his mistress, Cesare Borgia, a Cardinal turned soldier rampaged across the country, attacking and seizing independent City States. Alexander’s illegitimate daughter Lucrezia Borgia stamped her own infamous mark on history though there’s some doubt about how much of the wild tales of incest and murder swirling around her was urban legend and how much fact. She made several dynastic marriages which favoured her family’s status

Niccolo Machiavelli also appears, a Florentine diplomat and historian, who despite his reputation for political deviousness became renowned as an astute philosopher who inspired Enlightenment democratic thinking. He served as an envoy at one point in Cesare Borgia’s circle.

[NB. Some dates which follow are questionable. See astro.com.]

 

Machiavelli, 2 May 1469 JC 11.07 pm Florence, Italy, has a chart that makes sense, with a slippery Neptune on his Scorpio MC in a paranoid opposition to Saturn (trust no one!); and an intellectual Air Grand Trine of an Aquarius Moon North Node trine Mercury in Gemini trine Uranus in Libra. His 8^th house influential-behind-the-scenes Pluto was in a tough-minded, resourceful-in-crisis opposition to his Mars squaring on to his Mercury. So his words carried weight. And no doubt an amiable Jupiter in the 7^th in a sugar-coated square to Venus would help in his diplomatic role.

Pope Alexander, 31 Dec 1430 JC 7.24am Jativa, Spain (might have been Jan 1 1431) had an ambitious and cold Sun Saturn in Capricorn on the point of a T square to Mars in Libra opposition Uranus – so cut out for executive power, not good at sharing the driving seat, explosive and a risk-taker. He also had an entrepreneurial Fire Grand Trine of Uranus trine Neptune in Leo trine Venus in Sagittarius, so overflowing with confidence and keen on expansion.

Cesare Borgia, 13 Sept 1475 5am Rome (??) looks about right with a bullish Sun Pluto in Virgo trine Jupiter in Aquarius; Jupiter in turn opposed a military/cruel Mars Saturn in Leo; with Saturn in an autocratic square to Uranus. He was killed aged 33, after his father’s death when he was no longer as protected; and probably had syphilis.

Lucrezia Borgia, 19 April 1479 JC 12.30pm Subiaco, Italy, has been cast as a femme fatale and certainly knew how to throw a party, or endless streams of them. Whether the stories of incest with her brother and her propensity to poison enemies is true is debatable. She had a charming and indulgent Taurus Sun Venus; but with a determined Mars in Taurus as well in a ruthless/gutsy trine to Pluto. Plus an inspired though highly strung Uranus Neptune in Sagittarius in an expansive opposition to Jupiter. She contracted three marriages, had affairs, and possibly eight children, before dying aged 39.

 

There’s mayhem in Washington, yet another sinkhole opening up, over the Trump-Russia probe with the Democrat leadership demanding that Republican chairman Devin Nunes recuse himself from the Congress Intelligence Committee who are investigating. First of all he disappears at midnight for a secret briefing at the White House, then gives a press conference next day without contacting his staff or other members, and makes a statement which Trump takes to be an exoneration. Now it has emerged that former acting Attorney General Sally Yates has been blocked from giving evidence by the Trump admin. She was fired in January after ordering Justice Department lawyers not to defend the initial travel ban.

Nunes, 1 October 1973 Tulare, CA, has a hard chart, which a bleak Sun Pluto in Libra square Saturn in Cancer; but his Jupiter in Aquarius is also trine his Sun Pluto and square his Mars in Taurus. So he’s a complicated mix of very battened-down and a considerable risk-taker. And his Saturn is on the focal point of a Yod to Neptune sextile Jupiter, which is a configuration that demands maturity and self-discipline if it is not to self-destruct.

He’s only a bit-player in an increasingly confused and mishandled scenario that is threatening to blow up into a good going scandal. The Washington Post and other serious media are doing a good job of getting the facts out there.

 

 

Donald Trump will hold a two day summit with Chinese premier Xi Jinping on April 6/7 at Mar-a-Lago his summer palace, just as Mars in Taurus is exactly in a challenging, disagreeable trine to Pluto and tr Uranus makes a bad-tempered, uncompromising and unpredictable square to the composite Mars on their relationship chart.

Trump has already upset the Chinese with his overtures to Taiwan, where it was reported in November he had hoped to build hotels, and for his criticism of their currency manipulation and his protectionist trade policies which would dent Chinese exports.

Their relationship chart has a composite power-playing Jupiter Pluto conjunction; as well as a frosty Sun Venus square Saturn, and a suspicious, evasive trine to Neptune. So it doesn’t start from a great place. Tr Uranus will repeat the explosive square to Mars in Dec/Jan 2018 so there will be arguments. Tr Saturn is also in Dec/Jan opposition the composite Mercury and then Uranus. And throughout 2017/18 tr Neptune is square first Venus and then the composite Sun, which will undermine trust further.

Relocating Trump’s chart to Beijing puts his fiery, grandstanding Mars in Leo in his 7^th so he’s likely to be even more pumped up and reckless in what he says (and does).[See Post Dec 3 2016]

Xi Jinping has been steadily consolidating a formidable degree of central control domestically – what onlookers describe as a kind of Leninist capitalism. He’s been cutting out corruption but also targeting liberals and political opponents, and building up military power. The three major military bases in the South China Sea will allow Chinese military aircraft to operate over nearly the entire South China Sea.

There are concerns about the state of the Chinese economy with soaring corporate and household debts (270% of GDP). Goldman Sachs estimates the chance of a financial crisis in China this year at 25%, and in 2018 at 50%. That needn’t mean a more inward looking country, perhaps the opposite with some analysts fearing a Chinese version of Putinism, with repression at home and aggression abroad. There’s a whole array of possible flashpoints with the West – North Korea, Taiwan and the South China Seas – so concern is rising.

The China chart does show continuing financial worries till late 2018 and beyond with tr Neptune opposition the 8^th house Saturn; and thereafter tr Saturn square the 8^th house Sun, Neptune into 2019. There’s also tr Pluto conjunct the Jupiter in Capricorn in 2019/2020 which could see an upsurge of over-confidence which may lead to unwise actions just to prove a point.

Relations between China and the USA are certainly at their lowest ebb for some time with tr Pluto opposition the composite Mats in 2017/18, so high aggravation factor; with tr Neptune opposition the composite Venus undermining friendship.