Month: October 2022

Elon Musk has climbed down on his attempt to back out of his offer to buy Twitter in the face of legal rulings against his excuses for pulling out.  According to headlines it is a big pill to swallow, an embarrassing surrender and his least bad option.  Though it is still not a done deal and if it goes ahead he faces a difficult task in repairing the damage he’s done and rebuilding employee trust. Recent ill-judged (to put it mildly) comments about Ukraine won’t have endeared the user base either.

  Initially he appeared to have done minimal due diligence before leaping in with an impulsive $44bn bid and since then his lawyer made it clear that Twitter was a chaotically managed business. Although Musk is a self-confessed free speech “absolutist” and was expected to water down moderation guidelines if he took over, he has rowed back on his original statements of intent.

 Born 28 June 1971, a few days before Julian Assange, he’s a Sun Mercury in Cancer square Uranus – impulsive, inventive, defiant, rebellious. He’s also got the can-be-inspired, though also unstable-judgement and scandal-prone Saturn opposition Jupiter Neptune plus a contrary and wilful Mars in Aquarius.

Back in July 20 2022 I wrote:

He’s in a mixed phase with bullishly-confident tr Pluto square his Jupiter/Pluto midpoint and sextile his Jupiter through 2022/23. Though at the moment his Solar Arc Mars opposition his Uranus will brew up a few ‘collisions’ to knock his self-esteem, derail his plans and may lead to wild reactions.

 What is also noteworthy is his Mars in Aquarius at 20 degrees (conjunct his NN).  My experience of this placing of Mars is it can be bloody minded in pursuit of its own freedom, contrary, and delights in being obstructive or causing trouble. It is being blocked this year by tr Saturn conjunct late August to mid September and in early December.

   Across the trial throughout October to mid November tr Saturn will oppose his Mars/NN midpoint for disadvantages and setbacks. Though admittedly Twitter won’t be too overjoyed either with tr Saturn conjunct their Neptune and square Jupiter.

 It wouldn’t remotely surprise me if Twitter imploded in 2025 when the transiting Neptune and Saturn will conjunct its Sun and the Solar Arc Uranus will also conjunct the Sun.

 Musk won’t enjoy the same success from 2024 onwards through the second half of the decade with tr Pluto trine his Saturn and then tr Neptune chipping away at his Sun and Uranus.  

Only two points of interest emerge from the latest of a very long line of  Trump books – his anxiety about Ghislaine Maxwell talking and his urge at one point to fire Ivanka and Jared.  Maggie Haberman’s Confidence Man is touted as “the book Trump fears most”. A reviewer says it “gives Trump and those close to him plenty of voice – and rope. The result is a cacophonous symphony. Confidence Man informs and entertains but is simultaneously absolutely not funny. Trumpworld presents a reptilian tableau – reality TV does Lord of the Flies.” Though it is questionable whether it will have much impact given that public interest is way beyond saturation point.

  Trump has not been mentioned much in connection to Jeffrey Epstein whom he fell out with years back but is clearly anxious about old tales surfacing.  His relationship with Maxwell has been under high stress over the past eighteen moths throughout her trial and continues to be so until late 2023. The story doing the rounds was that she had a little black book filled with influential names who would step in to protect her.

  Their relationship chart has a composite Saturn opposition Mars Neptune square Uranus and Saturn trine Pluto – so simultaneously chained together and explosive. Very high stress. And it could well erupt at some point over the next two/three years.

  Ivanka’s relationship with him has always been a source of astrological wonder since to outward appearances they seemed a devoted, admiring father-daughter duo, if with a few sleazy overtones. But their relationship chart has a composite Mercury, Sun, Mars, Saturn, Uranus conjunction with Uranus conjunct Pluto possibly square the Moon – a pressure cooker of resentment.

  Mars Saturn suggests a one-sided relationship where one partner has to suppress their needs and identity for togetherness to continue. Grit your teeth and say nothing. Around the time he thought about tossing them out but was talked down by chief of staff John Kelly, tr Uranus just into Taurus and tr Saturn just into Capricorn and both were in aspect to the Ivanka/Donald composite Sun, Mars, Saturn, Uranus setting up considerable strain.

  His relationship chart with Jared has that fated Yod of Mercury inconjunct Pluto sextile Neptune Mars – and tr Pluto in Capricorn was at that point square the Mercury which would set up tensions.

  Jared has Mars in Aquarius and Ivanka a Scorpio Moon, both of which hard aspect Trump’s 12^th house Pluto, so senior would be a constant irritant, pulling strings and heaping contempt on them. But both the young couple also have a sweet-smiles, spaced-out Venus Neptune conjunction in Sagittarius close to his Moon so would be good at covering over the cracks and making nice, while seething behind the scenes. And naturally enough money would always be a factor since all three have Jupiter in Libra which fall in Trump’s 2nd house. His moneytree was there for the plucking.

Michelle and Barack Obama have hit the Pearl 30 year anniversary in their marriage with him saying he couldn’t have found a better life partner and she describing it as an adventure she wanted to continue for a lifetime.

   She has in the past been candid about stresses in their togetherness in an effort to let others know that a successful marriage takes hard work and will hit rough patches. In a 2020 podcast she said ‘There were times that I wanted to push Barack out of the window. But that doesn’t mean you quit. And these periods can last a long time. They can last years.’

   Barack was born 4 August 1961 7.24pm Honolulu, and has a contradictory and complicated 7^th house suggesting close relationships would be less than smooth running. A Uranus there makes him independent; North Node will also slide him back to doing his own thing rather than considering a partner’s needs so cooperation does not come naturally to him. Yet his Pluto in the 7^th is intense and possessive especially since it squares his 4^th house Moon. A Gemini Moon is restless but he always wanted a settled home and family life.

He’s all over the place emotionally, wanting one thing and the opposite.

  Michelle, 17 January 1964, Chicago, no birth time, is an ambitious, go ahead Sun Capricorn conjunct Mars in independent-minded and stubborn Aquarius.

  Her soft-hearted Venus in Pisces conjunct Moon sits in his 1^st house and opposes his Pluto so she stirs up an intense attraction in him and her Venus also trines his Venus in Cancer – a good romantic mix.

  But she shares his contrary and ambivalent approach with her Uranus Pluto falling in his 7^th – the urge for freedom fights a battle with a need for closeness.

  Her Sun Mars is conjunct his 12th house Saturn Jupiter and trine his 8^th house Mars; and her Saturn is conjunct his Ascendant which won’t add to warmth but will bring common sense to bear as she adds gravitas to his image and her Mars conjunct his Jupiter will boost his morale. Her Jupiter is trine his Sun for mutual support and enthusiasm. She’s also tapped into what runs below the surface in him with his 12th/8^th emphasis, and maybe understands him better than he understands himself.

  Their relationship chart is every bit as complex with an affectionate composite Sun opposition Venus in an enduring, business-like square to Saturn. The Saturn is square Neptune which will give rise to anxieties in the relationship. There’s an adventurous, power-couple, super-successful composite Jupiter opposition Uranus Pluto. As long as they pull together and don’t get into oneupmanship struggles between themselves they make a strong and fortunate couple.

  The composite Mars sits exactly on Barack’s Midheaven so the vitality in their marriage would aid his career ambitions.

  They were married in Chicago on 3 October 1992, when there was a sensible Libra Sun trine Saturn but the Sun was also in an argumentative square to Mars opposition a highly strung Uranus Neptune so the potential for explosions was built in from the start. Venus was also square Saturn and trine Mars for a mix of fire and ice.

  They’ve done remarkably well to hold it together and make a good partnership out of it with enough pluses in their relationship to balance the gritty edges.

Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechnyan President and close ally of Putin, infamous for egregious human rights abuses amounting to crimes against humanity in his own country, has called for a nuclear strike on Ukraine and has announced he is sending his young sons aged 13 to 15 to fight in the war.

  He was formerly in the Russian military and took over in 2007 three years after his father, then president, was assassinated by Islamists. He has been accused of kidnapping, assassination, and torture of human rights activists, critics, and their relatives, within both Chechnya and other regions of the Russian Federation, as well as and abroad, through the political use of police and military forces. He has advocated restricting the public lives of women and led anti-gay purges. The Kadyrov family has enriched itself considerably during its rule of the Chechen Republic with extensive funding from the Russian Federation.

Born 5 October 1976 he is a controlling Sun Pluto in Libra on the focal point of a mini-Grand Trine sextile a wannabe-important Saturn in Leo and sextile Neptune – accentuated control-freakery.

He has Uranus North Node in Scorpio which will catch this month’s Solar Eclipse for a dramatic wake up call. That is followed by tr Pluto returning to the frustrating, trapped square to his Mars in Libra from earlier this year through this December to mid January and returning October 2023 which usually accompanies a total road block. His Mars is conjunct Uranus natally which gives him his volatile and disruptive streak which will resent more than most at being hemmed in – he will bubble with suppressed rage and may over react. He has another similar influence of tr Pluto square his Mars/Node midpoint from late March 2023, on and off to the end of 2024. So not a progressive period.

  But in amongst the downers he does have some lucky breaks so it doesn’t look like total annihilation.

  His presidency chart, 15 February 2007, is being tossed around with tr Saturn conjunct the Neptune from mid this November bringing uncertainty and confusion, and conjunct the Sun in early 2023. Then tr Uranus picks up the square to the Sun Neptune opposition Saturn to bring forced changes and high tension through into 2023/24. With late 2023 looking especially agitated with a Solar Arc Sun conjunct the Uranus.

  Chechnya, 27 October 1991, with its Scorpio Sun catching the this month’s Solar Eclipse and the Mercury Pluto in Scorpio catching the Lunar eclipse as well as tr Saturn square and tr Uranus in opposition in 2023 is in for a rocky and game-changing ride. With the deprived, tough-slog tr Pluto conjunct Saturn in 2023/24 followed by tr Pluto square the Sun and Mars making the years up to 2028 exceedingly stressed and high-risk.

  Once Putin goes, depending on who replaces him, Kadyrov could be left exposed.

Queen Margrethe of Denmark is slimming down the Royal family by removing the royal titles from her second son’s children, though they will be deemed count and countess. Prince Joachim is up in arms and publicly criticising his mother, though her actions follow a similar pattern to Sweden which in 2019 dropped titles for the children of the heir’s two siblings.  In 2016 Queen Margrethe decided the heir to the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Frederik’s eldest and second in line to the throne, would be the only one of her adult grandchildren to receive an annual stipend from the taxpayer.

   When she was crowned in 1972 only 45 per cent of Danes supported the monarchy which has now risen to 77 per cent with only 15 per cent favouring a republic.

  Queen Margrethe was born 16 April 1940 10.10 am Copenhagen, and is an enthusiastic, career-oriented Sun Jupiter in Aries in the 10^th. She also has communicative Mercury in Pisces close to her Midheaven and both Saturn and Uranus in Taurus also in her 10^th – so a public life was inevitable. Her North Node falls in her 4^th, suggesting that establishing a fulfilling home and family life would be an area she had to work at.  She also has Pluto Moon in Leo below her late Cancer Ascendant in an unyielding square to Saturn which will anchor her impulsive Aries tendencies and her excitable Venus Mars in Gemini.

  At the moment her Solar Arc Pluto is exactly conjunct her 4^th house North Node, as a family realignment and squabble occurs. Tr Pluto is also crossing her Descendant into her 7^th so her relationships will become more intense in the time ahead, at times bitter. She looks directionless this year into 2023 with tr Neptune conjunct her Midheaven; with heavy pressures from tr Pluto opposition her Pluto, square her Saturn and opposition her Moon over coming years.

  She is now the longest European serving head of state and the world’s only queen in her own right. Her accession happened with her father’s death on 14 January 1972 7.50pm Copenhagen. That puts a rock-solid, dutiful and hard-working Saturn in Taurus in the 10^th trine a sociable 5^th house Capricorn Sun widely trine Pluto. There’s a more complicated hidden-anger Mars in the 8^th in a volatile opposition to Uranus and widely opposition Pluto, both in the 2^nd.   I’m not familiar enough with the Denmark royal family to know how this worked out in practice but it is a bubbling cauldron.

Tr Uranus is conjunct the Midheaven in 2023 so a change of direction was inevitable.

 Prince Joachim, the second son, 7 June 1969 4.30 am Copenhagen, is a Sun Gemini, like his elder brother and his father, with his 12^th house Sun square a public-career 10^th house Pisces Moon opposition Pluto. Not hugely dissimilar to the UK’s Prince Andrew with his Pisces Sun opposition Pluto. Joachim was overly controlled as a child and has become just as controlling in adult life. Joachim also has his 4^th house Pluto conjunct Jupiter, giving him a pushy confidence about his roots which won’t take kindly to a demotion. He also has an under-loved Saturn Venus in Taurus; and an argumentative Mercury opposition Mars.

  His relationship with his mother has a possessive, power-struggling Sun Venus square Pluto and a resentful, gritty Mars trine Saturn. It will rock n’ roll through 2023 with tr Uranus conjunct the composite Sun Venus and tensions will remain high.

Crown Prince Frederik, 26 May 1968 11.50pm Copenhagen, has carved his own path in the past, running marathons, working among the homeless in Boston and becoming a member of the Danish Navy’s elite Frogmen Corps (like the US Navy Seals.)

  He has a 4^th house New Moon in Gemini with an unsettled and rebellious Uranus Pluto in the 8^th which focuses via a sextile to Neptune onto a Yod focal point Saturn in Aries. He won’t have an easy furrow to plough in life and his Saturn conjunct his mother’s Sun Jupiter hints at a tricky relationship.

  His relationship chart with his brother like Charles and Andrew is competitive and argumentative with a composite Sun square Mars and Mercury square Pluto.

  Who’d be a Royal? Family dynamics are always more pressured than for most with sibling rivalries blown up to epic proportions. And the lifestyle for all its perks is punishingly restrictive.

Qatar heading for the controversial World Cup in November has been lambasted by the family of a UK businessman who allegedly committed suicide after being tortured in a secret detention centre. They released a statement saying: “Qatar is throwing millions at creating a veneer of respectability, which in reality hides a wholly unchanged, barbaric regime. The footballing world should take a long, hard look at where it places its trust”. Ironically Marc Bennett, the dead man, had been proud of his work in preparing for the World Cup through his Qatar Airways job.

  There have already been major concerns about the country’s human rights record especially in regard to migrant workers, living in poor conditions and working in stifling heat, building stadiums and hotels for the event. The Qataris have also been dogged by allegations of bribery and corruption in their bid to host the World Cup.

  More than 1.2 million international visitors are expected in the wealthy resource-rich Gulf State in November for the event.

 David Beckham has come under fire from former team mates for agreeing to a  £10million deal to become an ambassador for the country over the decade, which has resulted in him being the face of the 2022 World Cup. Eric Cantona suggested he isn’t  aware of ‘what has happened there’.

 Beckham, 2 May 1975 6.17 am London (biography) is an acquisitive Taurus with a publicity-attracting Mars square Neptune; and an unyielding and super-confident Jupiter opposition Pluto square Saturn. If his birth time is accurate tr Pluto is conjunct his Midheaven this year and moving into his 10th which can begin with a change, often damaging, to reputation, followed by several years wandering trying to find a direction.  He has a raft of unhelpful transits to midpoint in 2023/24 with plans dissolving under his feet.

 Relocating his chart to Qatar puts Jupiter in his 10^th and Mars conjunct his Midheaven so he no doubt though it would bring him glory but it also puts Pluto in his 4^th and Saturn in his 1^st which will damp down the flame of his enthusiasm, pour cold water on his image and make him feel trapped.

 The World Cup kicks off at 7pm on 20 November 22 with a showy, high-flying, super-optimistic Jupiter Neptune in the 10^th which can promise more than it delivers and is associated with scandals and gossip. It is trine the Sun and sextile an 8^th house Pluto as well as square a 12^th house Mars. With Mars trine an 8^th house Saturn trine Moon. The heavy hand of the state security apparatus will be kept firmly hidden with an 8^th and 12^th emphasis but will be there as an underpinning. The Saturn square Uranus will make for high-tension and sudden jolts.

  Qatar became independent on 1 September 1971 at 12am and has a 4^th house Sun Venus in Virgo as well as a domestically-controlling Pluto in the 4^th sextile Jupiter Neptune – echoing the World Cup chart. What makes for a harsher, ideological bent is an chilly Air Grand Trine of Mars in Aquarius trine Saturn trine Uranus.

 No doubt the World Cup will do what it was intended to do and leave the country richer or at least with a morale boost since tr Pluto is sextile the Jupiter in 2023.

  The Qataris own goodly chunks of London and are regrettably well in with King Charles who accepted bags of cash from the former PM for one of his charities.

  I never understand why people flock to Dubai and the like on holiday or for second homes; or take jobs there, no doubt hoping to earn a chunk. When it goes awry it can have exceptionally damaging consequences.

Anne Sacoolas appeared in a UK court by videolink from the US to face a charge of causing the death of 19 year old motorcyclist Harry Dunn by dangerous driving in a road crash outside the US military base in Northamptonshire in December 2019. She originally had diplomatic immunity asserted on her behalf by the US administration and left the UK 19 days later. At this hearing she was granted unconditional bail and the case will next be heard at the Old Bailey on 27 October when she would be required to appear in person though that might change.

  She was born 28 August 1977 in South Carolina and is a Virgo Sun likely opposition a Pisces Moon and square Neptune in Sagittarius; her Mercury in Virgo is also square Neptune and she has an enthusiastic, go-getting Mars in late Gemini conjunct Jupiter in Cancer.

  When the accident occurred tr Neptune was opposition her Mercury so she would be distracted. What lies ahead does not look too cheerful for her with losses through till early this December; forced changes from March 2023 for two years from Pluto on her Saturn/Uranus midpoint; followed by a panicky tr Neptune square her Mars in 2023/24; as well as some catastrophic midpoints. And tr Saturn opposition her Sun as well as an emotionally pressured tr Pluto opposition her Venus; and then tr Neptune and Saturn square her Jupiter in 2025/26 to further dampen her confidence.

  She does have some good luck in 2023 and no doubt it will roll on through endless appeals if there is a conviction.

  Harry Dunn, 22 March 2000, was a Sun Aries trine Pluto, sextile Neptune; with a charming Venus square Pluto; and oddly enough like her an out-of-sign Mars Jupiter conjunction. And a leadership Leo North Node – he would have made something of his life.