Month: September 2018

    

 

Martin Selmayr’s fast-track appointment as EU Secretary-General, a post for which he was not qualified and will hold for many years to come, has been harshly criticised by the EU ombudsman who said it “stretched and possibly even overstretched the limits of the law”. The report listed four acts of “maladministration” which shoe-horned Selmayr, Jean-Claude Juncker’s chief of staff, into the EU’s most senior civil service post. Thereby giving the lie to the EU’s lofty ideals of democracy and transparency.

Selmayr, a devout federalist, masterminded Juncker’s campaign for the presidency, has since been described as the most powerful man in Brussels, known variously as The Monster or Frank Underwood (dodgy House of Cards politician). He will suffer no consequences from this condemnation of his smash-and-grab promotion but lessons will be learnt for next time. Isn’t that reassuring?

The EU chart does have a dirty-dealings-and power-play-in-secret with a 12^th house Pluto in a ruthless square to Mars, some of which will be exposed, with luck, in 2020 when the Solar Arc MC is conjunct the Pluto.

Selmayr, 5 December 1970 (no birth time), has his Pluto exactly conjunct the EU Ascendant and exactly square the EU Midheaven so a very powerful not to say coercive figure in the organisation, who will arouse resentment over his tendency to meddle. His Mars is conjunct the EU’s Jupiter which on the one hand could mean he energises the EU’s ideals. But there’s always a risk with Mars Jupiter of egging each other into overly confident schemes, in this case financial since it is the EU’s 2^nd house.

His Term chart, 1 March 2018 12 am, is nothing if not entrepreneurial, breathing fire and inspiration with  a Fire Grand Trine of Mars trine Uranus trine Moon Midheaven; with an ultra-confident Jupiter trine Venus Mercury, sextile Pluto. Though it’ll sag badly with tr Neptune square the composite Mars in 2020/21; be rocking on its axis with the highly unstable tr Pluto square Uranus in 2021/22; and facing worse upheavals in 2023.

For all that, his personal chart along with some ructions  has a raft of Jupiters keeping him buoyant right through till 2022/23.   He will be seriously set-back on his heels from early this November to early December and again in February 2019 with tr Uranus opposition his Mars and his Saturn/Uranus midpoints which may well see him over-reacting in a reckless and irritated way.  But there’s enough luck to keep him sailing through, piling up his golden pension pot for a fair while.

Juncker’s way of keeping his stamp firmly on the EU – the king is dead, long live the king – Juncker retires to his wine cellar and his apparatchik holds the reins.

    

 

General James Mattis is now the last man standing amongst the initial three forces top brass who felt it their patriotic duty to protect the nation from the president. McMaster is gone, Kelly is nearly gone; and Tillerson’s ‘moron’ moment saw him out the door.

However much Trump loves pomp, ceremony and military might, he constantly rejects advice from those who served. He’s ignored Mattis’s views against tearing up the Iran nuclear deal; pulling out of the Paris climate change accord; moving the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem; dealing with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un; banning transgender service personnel and sending the National Guard to the Mexican border.

Now Bob Woodward’s book quotes sources saying that Mattis regards Trump as having the knowledge of a “fifth or sixth grader” on matters of foreign affairs.

Mattis’s chart, 8 September 1950, is in terminal gloom ahead which may be because he’s staying or because he’s unlashing himself from the mast and watching aghast from afar. He looks undermined, aggravated, frustrated, really till late 2020. Though with one high spot from May 2019 onwards with tr Uranus conjunct his Jupiter/Uranus which will bring a huge sigh of relief. That runs into 2020 as well.

It also shows up in his relationship chart with Trump with tr Uranus square their composite Sun from May 2019, on and off till early 2020 – which could be a parting of the ways – from one side or the other.  Even before then late November/early December this year looks irritated and chilly.

And his Swearing In chart, 20 January 2017 4.25pm is in a state of upheaval from mid September to mid October (and again early 2019) with tr Uranus square the Sun; and blocked this October with tr Saturn square the midheaven.

He’ll be on much better form in 2020/2021 with a successful tr Pluto trine his Jupiter/Pluto midpoint.

    

 

A disruptive start yesterday for Brett Kavanaugh’s Senate confirmation hearing for the Supreme Court with the Democrats enraged by the blocking of hundreds of thousands of pages of relevant documents and the late delivery of 40,000 more the night before.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said “Any claim that this has been a thorough, transparent process is downright Orwellian. This is the most incomplete, most partisan, least transparent vetting for any Supreme Court nominee I have ever seen, and I have seen more of those than any person serving in the Senate today.”

Presuming it started at 9.30 am, there was a Cancer Moon opposition Saturn, a muddled Sun opposition Neptune and a mutinous Pluto Mars in the 4^th; with an explosive Mars opposition North Node square Uranus.

It’s expected he’ll be confirmed later this month though he’s not looking altogether happy.

He’s got tr Neptune opposing his Uranus until next week which can be disempowering; then opposing his Uranus/Pluto in September/October which is insecure and uncertain and opposing his Uranus thereafter. Plus he has his Solar Arc Mars conjunct his Neptune this year which is generally not favourable for ambitions. But he may have transits to his chart’s axis which isn’t known without a birth time.

His relationship chart with the Supreme Court, 2 February 1790, is reasonably tight and knitted together with a secretive Water Grand Trine of Neptune trine Jupiter trine Venus Saturn, formed into a Kite by Venus Saturn opposition Mars square Pluto. Not easy but fairly together.

What’s more interesting is his relationship with Trump, who presumably selected him because of his previously stated views that presidents should not be indicted while in office. It’s not a natural fit with Kavanaugh’s Aquarius Sun opposition Trump’s Mars in Leo; K’s Uranus Pluto square Trump’s Uranus and K’s Mars square Trump’s Sun and Moon.

Their relationship chart is quite a mix –  controlling and evasive with a composite Sun trine Pluto and opposition Neptune; with a hard-edged, irritable Mars trine Saturn; and a lucky Jupiter Uranus square Venus. It’ll be up and down this autumn with tr Uranus square the Uranus; and under immense pressure from April 2019 for two years with tr Pluto square the composite Sun. Supreme Court picks, if he gets through, don’t always deliver the verdicts their patrons’ expect.

    

 

The unexplained deaths of two Brit holidaymakers in an Egyptian hotel, with further incidents of food poisoning badly affecting others, may or may not dent the tourist trade in Egypt which is seeing a resurgence this year. It had slumped after 2010 given the political upheavals, and a Russian airliner bombed by ISIS in 2015 as it left Sharm-el-Sheikh didn’t help. An improved security situation under Al Sisi’s repressive regime seems to have helped. And the economy is growing fast after severe austerity measures imposed as part of an IMF loan programme.

But the deteriorating human rights situation has been roundly condemned by international agencies and described as a ‘pressure cooker waiting to blow’ – with an effective ban on protests and freedom of expression, opponents imprisoned, usually after unfair trials, torture, forced disappearances, deaths in custody, persecution of NGOs and journalists; with women and members of religious minorities discriminated against.

Neither the Egypt 14 May 1922 10.43 pm GMT Cairo chart, or the 19 June 1953 1.30 am chart, give any indication of any kind of major disruption ahead.

Although Al Sisi’s Presidency chart, 8 June 2014 11.18 am does show up a period of violence in six months’ time as the Solar Arc Mars opposes the Uranus. There’ll be a slump in confidence with tr Neptune square the Pres Sun from April 2019 running till early 2020; with either growing unpopularity or a financial crisis in 2020 as the Solar Arc Venus opposes Saturn, or both. His presidency kicked off on a Cardinal Grand Square which includes Jupiter, so will be luckier than it deserves.

The Bank of Egypt chart, 1 January 1961 does show up eighteen months ahead for a year or so as majorly problematic on the economic front.

Al Sisi himself, 19 November 1954 has a formidably strong, controlling and ruthless chart with Mars in uncompromising Aquarius opposition Pluto square a Scorpio Sun Venus; with Saturn and mercury in Scorpio as well. Plus a lucky Uranus Jupiter in Cancer trine his Sun. He looks rattled in 2021 with Solar Arc Mars square his Uranus. But nothing short of an Act of God will shift him.

    

 

Two TV soap stars on Celebrity Big Brother have, for reasons beyond my ken, ended up as a headline story even in the sensible media. Roxanne Pallett, ex-Emmerdale, alleged Ryan Thomas of Coronation Street punched her deliberately. He ended up chastised by the powers that be and in tears while she left the house. When  video footage emerged showing he made no physical contact, she apologised on television and is sinking under a sea of hostile tweets from her ex-colleagues who clearly thought she had form on this kind of thing.

[Confession: I’d never heard of them and don’t watch soaps or reality shows.]

Roxanne who did Dancing on Ice and has acted on stage and in various horror films was born 26 December 1982 and is a tough-minded Sun Capricorn sextile Saturn in Scorpio conjunct Pluto in late Libra; with a stubborn Taurus Moon in a flammable square to Mars in Aquarius. Her Moon may be opposition Saturn square Mars. She never knew her Iranian father and was brought up by her mother and maternal grandmother. They lost their house in a fire when she was 16 and she had a serious car accident two years back – all of which would fit Mars Saturn.

Ryan Thomas born 10 June 1984 is on the surface a light-hearted and charming Sun Venus in Gemini but he has a formidably difficult Mars Saturn Moon in Scorpio with perhaps Moon conjunct Pluto, so he won’t have an easy relationship with women. He filed for bankruptcy in 2013 and was once charged with being drunk and disorderly.

Neither of them are exactly happy individuals, so the vibes would be at cross purposes, though clearly she brewed a something out of nothing.

Their relationship chart has a composite Sun Mercury square Mars Neptune which would result in an ego-clash – one wins the other loses.

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The USA took a step back in time at John McCain’s funeral to reiterate the cherished American values of honour, courage and decency with barely disguised digs at lowered standards under Trump.

The USA First President chart, 30 April 1789 12.45pm New York, which mercifully has a start time, did look conflicted over Trump’s election and inauguration with tr Pluto opposition the Cancer Moon – which could simplistically be reduced to power versus patriotism. At that time also the Solar Arc Saturn was opposition Venus, so a morale sag.

2018/2019 has tr Pluto square the Presidency Neptune on the apex of a Yod – for confusion, delusion, torment and devastation, continuing on through 2020/21 with tr Neptune conjunct Saturn in Pisces on one leg of the Presidential Yod. So integrity doesn’t look like returning quickly to the White House.  The Presidency Sun Venus in Taurus square Uranus is also being disrupted in jolts from 2018 through to early 2022 – with the most major upheavals kicking in from April 2021 into 2022 as tr Uranus is conjunct the Pres Sun. And there’s another Uranian mini-thunderbolt coming in late 2019 with Solar Arc Uranus trine the Moon.

The focal point Neptune opposition Mercury is a key point in this chart. When Nixon resigned rather than being impeached tr Uranus was conjunct the Solar Arc Pres Mercury and natal Neptune and opposition the natal Mercury. When JFK was assassinated the Solar Arc Venus was conjunct the Pres Neptune pulling on the Mercury. 2001 saw tr Uranus trine the Pres Neptune.

That critically sensitive opposition is being challenged mightily from 2018 onwards as tr Pluto squares Neptune and more so in 2020/2021 as Pluto squares the Pres Mercury. So it will be a crucial turning point in presidential history, which won’t have cleared before the next Inauguration.

Of the recent notable presidents Barack Obama was far and away the best fit with the original presidential chart with a composite New Moon sextile Jupiter.

    

 

Ructions in the UK Labour Party are threatening to pull it apart with resignations from prominent members over Jeremy Corbyn’s shambolic defence against accusations of anti-Semitism. And considerable unease about the far left taking over constituency parties, threatening to de-select MPs who don’t toe their line. The grassroots largely support Corbyn while the Parliamentary Labour Party is less enamoured. Though there’s no real heart for forming a breakaway party.

The two Labour Party charts – 27 February 1900 and 12 February 1906 – are both considerably stressed over this year and next. The 1906 chart has tr Saturn in hard aspect to Uranus in Capricorn opposition Neptune in Cancer square Mars in Aries till late this year; as well as a couple of Neptune sinkers till after New Year; and more upsets in 2019 and disappointments. It won’t be back on a high till 2022/23 when tr Pluto trines the Jupiter.

The 1900 chart is being undermined by tr Neptune opposition Pluto till early 2019 and up against major frustrations and anger from 2018 till late 2020. Though it’ll start an upswing in 2020/21.

Assuming the earlier chart is the party itself and the 1906 is the Parliamentary Party, then the relationship between them will stay at boiling point till 2020 at least, so no sign of a détente.

Jeremy Corbyn’s relationship to both is highly controlling so will be difficult to split without a good deal of bitterness and rancor.  But tr Saturn is doing its best to widen the gulf in 2019, so he could leave.

His leadership chart is at aggravation-screeching point this December to mid February 2019; and then from late March looks perilously unstable as tr Pluto starts to square the Uranus, on and off till late 2020. So somewhere along the way he’ll almost certainly be walking the plank.

It’s crazy given the lamentable state of the government that the opposition is in an even worse mess.

    

 

A Lunar Eclipse wedding for singer/songwriter Neil Young and actress/activist Daryl Hannah is a courageous if not entirely auspicious start to a marriage. He left his wife of 36 years to be with Hannah four years ago and they married recently in two ceremonies, the first off San Juan Island, Washington State on July 27^th timed to hit the eclipse (according to the Daily Mail.)

The Eclipse wedding chart puts the Leo Sun North Node on the midheaven as befits a showbiz couple but that opposes an argumentative and competitive Moon Mars and squares onto a 7^th house Uranus – fireworks will fly and it won’t be exactly stable. There’s a romantic Neptune in the performing 5^th opposition Venus which is ethereal, though not realistic; with Venus in a passionate trine to Pluto. There’s also a heavy-duty and gloomy batch of Saturn Pluto and Mars in the 3^rd  for communication problems.

Neil Young, born 12 November 1945 6.45 am Toronto, Canada, has his Scorpio Sun on his Ascendant so intense and upfront; with his Sun in a sensible trine to Saturn and a controlling square to Pluto – making him quite bleak in many ways and unyielding. And he has completely opposite traits from a light and adventurous Air Grand Trine of Uranus trine Jupiter trine an Aquarius Moon  – he’ll veer between Air and Water, which isn’t always an easy balance. Fairly up and down, half the time detached and positive, then pulled into his feelings; and will have a tendency to be escapist.

Daryl Hannah, 3 December 1960 3.30 pm Chicago, suffered psychological problems as a child, perhaps autism; and had long relationships with John F Kennedy Jnr and musician Jackson Browne.

She has a 7^th house Sun Sagittarius in a battened down square to a 4^th house Pluto and opposition a Gemini Moon in her 1^st; plus a difficult Saturn Venus in Capricorn opposition Mars in Cancer. Not an easy childhood or an easy personality.

It’s a curious match with Young since his Saturn opposes her Venus repeating her old negative pattern; and his unpredictable Uranus is conjunct her Moon.  Their relationship chart has a very wide composite Sun Venus with an affectionate Venus trine Moon; a pushily-confident, power-couple composite Sun Jupiter square Pluto; and an awesomely difficult Moon opposition Saturn Neptune square Uranus Mars, with the potential for making their home life quite chaotic. That latter is under enormous pressure from Pluto hard aspects until 2021.

His former wife, Pegi, 1 December 1952, is recording a new album called Raw, which she depicts her seven stages of grief at the shock of her marriage split. It includes – Why’d you have to ruin my life?; Gave my best to you; and You won’t take my laugh away from me.

Like Daryl Hannah she’s a Sun Sagittarius with a Gemini Moon and Venus in Capricorn – so they’re not that different in some essentials. Though Pegi will turn out to have been a better fit since her Jupiter falls on Young’s Descendant, so she’d be a huge support and morale booster for him.

Showbiz marriages are most often an astonishment.

    

 

Richard Madden, the Scots actor who played Robb Stark in Game of Thrones and the prince in Cinderella, is causing a flutter as the male lead in Jed Mercurio’s BBC six-parter Bodyguard. His character is an ex-soldier, suffering the after effects of combat in Afghanistan, with a visceral dislike of the politicians who sent the army there and he ends up as close protection for a hawkish and attractive female Home Secretary. Not entirely plausible but good drama.

Born 18 June 1986 7.40 am Paisley, Scotland, with a fireman father he grew up shy and chubby, started acting aged 11 to help with his problems, won film and TV roles almost immediately and hasn’t looked back. He’s a Sun Gemini opposition Uranus in his performing 5^th square Jupiter in Pisces – chatty, restless, scattered, adventurous, needs constant change and excitement, lucky and confident. His Sun opposes his Mars/Saturn midpoint giving him discipline and a dangerous edge, which will help anchor his fly-away Mutable T square.

His Mars in ambitious Capricorn in the hard-working 6^th is in a straight-speaking opposition to Mercury. He has a attractive and intense Venus on his Leo Ascendant square Moon Pluto; and a tricky batch of Moon Pluto in Scorpio and Saturn in Sagittarius in his 4^th. His emotional life will probably never be too settled.

His actor’s 15^th Harmonic is notable, being charming, hard-edged and ambitious.

Keely Hawes, 10 February 1976 London, who plays the politician, has had a stellar career – Ashes to Ashes, Line of Duty, The Durrells. She’s a Sun Aquarius trine Mars Moon in Gemini, with her Venus in Capricorn in a seductive square to her Pluto. Her Jupiter in Aries falls in Madden’s 10^th so a good career match for him. Their relationship chart has a hot-attraction composite Sun Mercury opposition Venus Pluto driving a Fire Grand Trine so plenty of inspiration when they work together. Along with an edge of risk (and impatience) from a composite Jupiter Mars opposition Saturn.