Month: May 2024

Shirley Conran, a dynamo and trailblazer –  designer, journalist, novelist and campaigner to liberate women in the kitchen, bedroom and at school –  has died.

  Born 21 September 1932 3am Hendon, England with a wealthy, small businessman father who was also a violent alcoholic,  she studied painting at Cheslea, married designer Terence Conran in her twenties and had two children. After her divorce, she switched to journalism, becoming women’s editor at the Observer magazine, and then  “Femail” at the Daily Mail.

   Struck down a year later by the debilitating myalgic encephalopathy (ME) virus, she fell into debt but retrieved her situation by writing the bestseller Superwoman – “life is too short to stuff a mushroom” – which sought to liberate women from the tyranny of housework.

  Next on her schedule was a raunchy novel, Lace, which urged women to take control in the bedroom and everywhere else in their lives. Other bestsellers followed. Still not finished, in recent years she embarked on Maths Action, to promote maths as a suitable subject for the female sex. She had three husbands in all and three divorces but remained close to Terence throughout her life.

  She was born at that tough but inventive and inspired time when there was an enduring, gritty Saturn in Capricorn opposition Pluto (conjunct Mars in Leo) square Uranus in Aries. It would give her a temperament ideally suited to disrupting norms, pushing through social reforms and trailblazing new paths. Though her dislike of compromise and overly individualistic approach would not make for easy one-to-one partnerships and cooperation. She had a 2^nd house Sun Mercury in Virgo, perfect for a money-earning career from communication; with a Gemini Moon in her 10^th house of career, giving her a ‘nose’ for what would suit prevailing trends of public taste – and squaring Jupiter Neptune in Virgo would give her a dose of optimism and strong self-belief. Her scary, unstable father is well described in Saturn opposition Mars Pluto

 A Cardinal T square onto Uranus would give her a revved-up, hyper-restless temperament. An 8^th house North Node would also early on give her an exceptionally needy streak, with financial tugs of war likely but as she got it on track, her business acumen brought her stability and security. Her emphasised Saturn in the 6^th would give her a workaholic streak though also hinted at health issues and after her ME struck it forced her for the rest of her life to spend three months of each year in bed in a darkened room.  And still she accomplished more than most would in ten lifetimes.   

Her breakthrough 13H was strong as was her leaving-a-legacy-for-the-future 17H.

 The sorry saga of Prince Harry’s family troubles continues to hog the headlines as his whistlestop London visit did not coincide with a meeting with his father but did manage to push the King’s return to duties off top spot.

  Despite my reluctance to dip a toe in the star-crossed seas of the Royals’ fortunes at present, there are signs of ructions between Harry and Camilla in particular but also his father this month and on.

  Harry’s relationship chart with Camilla has a hostile composite Mars opposition Uranus Pluto square Jupiter, so tussles for the upper hand will be in evidence – it is catching tr Saturn hard aspects this year, from March, worsening in April and high tension at the moment, repeating through till spring 2025. There is a jolting/separating tr Uranus square the composite Sun from 12^th of this month for two weeks and again late December to mid March 2025 – which could lead to more eruptions.

 His relationship chart with his father which in essence is not much better than with Camilla with a no-compromise, resentful composite Mars square Uranus Pluto may erupt into ill-thought out comments from the 19^th of this month right through till mid August and repeating in early 2025. That is when tr Saturn squares the composite Mars and opposes the composite Uranus. The composite Sun, Venus and Saturn, Mercury are all catching this year’s eclipses.

 Harry’s own chart has a litany of tricky influences which could jolt him into awareness – or not. Tr Saturn is square his Mars in Sagittarius and opposition the Virgo Sun this year and next for a hopefully come-down-to-reality crunch. With a complete-change-of outlook/future plans from his Solar Arc Pluto conjunct his Uranus, exact in three months. Solar Arc Saturn square his Sun for another sobering drench of reality mid 2024 and a directionless SA Midheaven conjunct his Neptune in 2026/27.

 Tr Saturn will continue to drag its way through the nadir of his low profile first quadrant until late 2025 – which is a time unresolved psychological issues surface to be sorted and financial woes may become evident.

  On midpoint transits he looks thoroughly rattled by a disaster/calamity 12^th of this month for two weeks and again late December to mid March 2025 as tr Uranus opposes his Mars/Pluto midpoint; with tensions in July and on into 2025; plus plus and more catastrophes in 2025 with tr Uranus opposition his Mars/Saturn midpoint. This decade draws to a close with a dead halt SA Mars square his Pluto – he’ll be remarkably pleased to see the back of it. And may emerge hopefully wiser.

  Why couldn’t he come across without a fanfare of publicity to see his father at a convenient time out of sight of the cameras?  He’s not exactly tied by an arduous work schedule.

  I can’t work out what it is about his chart/psychology that gives him the propensity/knack of dominating the headlines in a way that throws shade on other family members.  It isn’t quite ego/narcissism but something else at work. Spooky – so much anger plus 8th house.

 “There is a tide in the affairs of men

Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;

Omitted, all the voyage of their life

Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

On such a full sea are we now afloat;

And we must take the current when it serves,

Or lose our ventures.” Shakespeare, Julius Caesar.

  Out of the shallows and shadows for a brief spotlight of attention have popped a handful of 1970 minnows hoping for the big time. Which after consideration of the astro-coincidence could well be the effect of the Aries/Libra eclipses hitting their Pluto and Uranus respectively.

 Kristi Noem, 30 November 1971, right-wing governor of Dakota, a Trump VP hopeful, is an imaginative though not realistic Sun Neptune opposition Saturn with Jupiter and Mercury also in outspoken (=no filter) Sagittarius. She dashed her chances with ill-advised bragging about putting down an ill-mannered dog. Even in gun-loving US this seems to have been a misstep as she discovered when tr Saturn squared her Jupiter, dampening her enthusiasm. She was born only five days after Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson’s weird, wild and wayout aide, who is never short of an acerbic barb of criticism.

Natalie Elphicke, 5 November 1970, a Tory MP who has defected to Labour despite being noticeably right-wing, causing consternation to a deserted Sunak as well as Starmer heavily-criticised by his own followers. She is a Sun Jupiter Mercury Venus in Scorpio  with Neptune also in Scorpio – and more significantly her volatile, overly excitably Mars Uranus conjunction in Libra is in line for the upcoming October Eclipse with her Pluto in late Virgo catching the late September Lunar Eclipse in opposition.  

 Marjorie Taylor Greene, 27 May 1974, a Gemini who is another loose cannon with her Uranus in Libra square Mars in Cancer and her Pluto in Libra square Saturn. The two Solar Eclipses and March Lunar Eclipse are all rattling up her Uranus and Pluto.

Russell Brand, 4 June 1975, fending off allegations of sexual assault has taken the unusual step of embracing religion in a much publicised immersive baptism. A Sun Gemini opposition Neptune, he has his Mars Jupiter in Aries as well as his Pluto and Uranus in Libra – all catching the eclipse fever this year.

 As indeed does his buddy Bear Grylls, 7 June 1974, tv presenter, survival expert and adventurer, with whom he dunked together. Grylls is another Sun Gemini opposition Neptune with Pluto and Uranus in Libra.

 And last but not least Jay Blades, 21 February 1970, tv presenter of The Repair Shop, now on sabbatical after the breakdown of his 18 month marriage and murder of his uncle. He is a Sun Venus in Pisces with Uranus in Libra and Mars in Aries and Pluto in late Virgo. All of this year’s eclipses are rattling up his Uranus, Mars and Pluto.

  The Saros cycle of the April Solar Eclipse hinted at relationship strains and a need for freedom – presumably whether wished for or not. That would be magnified as the eclipse collided with their respective Uranus above. Eclipses connecting with Pluto hunt at the need for a radical change or stagnation will set in.  The October Solar Eclipse is in a Saros series of separation or at least closure, finishing up what belongs to the past.

  All eclipses have a potential for making positive changes if handled in the right way.

Vladimir Putin was sworn in on May 7 around 12 noon for his fifth term, looking unassailable having overcome his dip of last year. He is now set to hold power in Russia until at least 2030, which would make him the longest-serving Russian leader since Catherine the Great in the 18th century. The US, UK and most EU states, except France, refused to send ambassadors because of the invasion of Ukraine and the rigged election in March in which he won with 87 per cent of the vote.

 His swearing in chart is not as brutal as the 4^th term chart which had a Mars Pluto conjunction square Uranus though there are diluted hints from an 8^th house subversive Mars sextile Pluto. As last term and the term before, Lady Luck is on his side with Jupiter in the 10th conjunct Uranus and Sun. If the timing is around 12 noon or just after there are hints of financial disappointments and problems with Neptune and Mars in the 8^th house of international and business finances.

   Looking for (faint) hopes of him exiting stage left, his initial Presidency chart, 31 December 1999 which sagged badly last year with heavy Neptunian influences, looks jarred and jangled this August, perhaps because of global unrest. That is when tr Uranus squares the Mars – and that continues into 2025. But it is 2026 which looks de-stabilising with SA Uranus square the Pluto and blocked in 2027 with SA Pluto conjunct the Sun.   This coincides, if his 7 October 1952 birth date is accurate, with signs of disruption  between himself and both the Russia 1991 and 1917 charts with 2026/27 looking particularly high stress.

Although at first sight not similar, there are astro-connections between Catherine the Great and Putin with both having a North Node in Aquarius (= wedded to a cause) and a ruthless Mars, Pluto, Saturn tie. Catherine reigned as empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796, having come to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter III.

  Catherine, 2 May 1729 2.30am Stettin, Germany was a Sun Mars in Taurus sextile Saturn inconjunct Pluto so despite her reputation as an enlightened promoter of culture and the arts she had a power-hungry streak. Under her long reign, Russia experienced a renaissance of culture and sciences and the recognition of Russia as one of the great powers of Europe. It makes sense why Putin might wish to emulate her though he is falling short on culture and international respect.

English actor Bernard Hill, best known for movies like the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Titanic, Clint Eastwood’s True Crime and tv dramas like Boys from the Blackstuff and Wolf Hall, has died.

 He was born December 17 1944 in Manchester, a few weeks after Michael Douglas, Anne Robinson and Angela Rippon. His father, a miner who was in the Royal Navy during WW11, had a diseased lung removed. During his convalescence the family lived with his grandmother in her two-bedroomed flat and he shared a bed with his parents. He trained as a quantity surveyor and then a teacher but met director Mike Leigh who persuaded him to persevere with his acting ambitions.

 He had an enthusiastic Sun Sagittarius in an expansive, easy-going square to Jupiter in Virgo; with a hard-working Capricorn Moon. But what gave his chart weight and influence was an Air Grand Trine (= knowledgeable, thoughtful, quick-witted, communicative) of Uranus in Gemini trine Neptune trine Venus in Aquarius, formed into two talented Kites by a seductively persuasive Venus opposition Pluto and a risk-taking Uranus opposition Mars. He also had the creative Saturn Neptune square of the time tied into his Mercury in Capricorn with Neptune as the focal point planet heading him into movies. 

  With Pluto and Mars as leading planets plus an emphasized Neptune  he was all set to go.

 His actors’ 15^th Harmonic was his strongest with creativity, an ability to communicate, charm and enormous determination all marked.

Kendrick Lamar and Drake, two of the most acclaimed rappers of their generation, have been offloading a string of long-held  resentments, insinuations and innuendo, in the way they know best by releasing a series of diss tracks. Drake denies allegations by Kendrick Lamar of underage sex and harbouring a secret child.

 Since Friday, both have released songs “aimed at each other at a rapid clip, igniting pro-sports levels of spectating and driving hip-hop media personalities into overtime,” according to the Washington Post.

 The feud dates back to the March release of a Lamar track boasting of his superiority to Drake which reached No 1 in the US. Whatever the ins and outs there is no doubt the spat is good for business as a pair of alpha rappers fight it out for dominance.

  Drake, 24 October 1986 2.31 am Toronto, Canda, is a Sun Pluto in Scorpio square Mars in Aquarius – super-determined, not about to let slights go unchecked and a bit of a bulldozer. He also has Venus Mercury in Scorpio and a 5^th house Neptune. A creative though not always realistic Water Grand Trine of Jupiter in Pisces trine a Cancer Moon trine Pluto and Venus will make him self-protective.

 Kendrick Lamar, 17 June 1987 3.04 pm Compton, California, is a completely different temperament with a Gemini Sun opposition Uranus and Saturn in Sagittarius square a Pisces Moon. With Jupiter in Aries square Mars in Cancer.  

 Lamar’s Mars clashes with Drake’s Cancer Moon; and Drake’s Sun Pluto square Mars will make cooperation tricky no matter what the circumstances. Their relationship chart is volatile and competitive with a composite Sun Venus trine Mars trine Uranus, opposition Midheaven – but there is a sense of the aggravation being played up for reasons of ambition rather than genuine dislike.   A cynic might say it is “a tale  told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,  signifying nothing.” (Macbeth) But maybe I am just too old to tune into the deeper ramifications

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Mama Cass Elliot who died fifty years ago had a clear, earthy voice that turned her into one of the central figures of the 1960s music scene with hits that still resonate – Dream a Little Dream of Me, Make Your Own Kind of Music, Lovin’ Spoonful, Do You Believe in Magic, Summer in the City, California Dreaming. As an overweight Jewish girl she didn’t fit the usual mould but she was talented and determined.

 Her daughter has written a memoir about her life, dispelling the myth that her mother died from choking on a ham sandwich when in reality she died of a heart attack at 32.

  Born 19 September 1941 9pm Baltimore, MD, Cass battled obesity from a young age and as a teenager she was prescribed amphetamines to speed up her metabolism. Crash dieting and drug taking would feature over the course of the rest of Cass’s life though she had no drugs in her system when she died – spookily in the same London hotel bedroom Keith Moon died in four years later.

  Cass Elliott had two brief marriages and produced one child, who did not learn of her paternity until she was 19 and has gone on to become a singer.  “When she was in town, she was very involved,” is how she diplomatically sums up Cass’s mothering style.

  Which fits with Cass Elliott’s 5^th house Sun, Neptune in Virgo – musically talented, a performer, produced a creative child, but less than hands-on because of her touring and performing career.  She also had Venus in Scorpio in her 6^th which would be prone to over-weight, especially since it squared Pluto. Her Moon in Virgo was in her 4^th, unaspected apart from a mild sextile to Venus – she would be hyper-anxious with a Moon Sun in Virgo and would have difficulty integrating a home and family existence into her lifestyle.

  Her Sun Neptune were trine Saturn in Taurus conjunct Uranus close to her Ascendant from the 12^th – inventive, inspired, earthy, stubborn. With an upfront, outspoken Mercury opposition Mars in Aries.

 When she died on 29 July 1974, tr Uranus was opposition her Mars (which can be a heart attack signature for some) with tr Mars also exactly square her Uranus. Her Solar Arc Sun Neptune conjunction were also just moving into her 6^th house of health.

 Her daughter, Owen Vanessa Elliot, 26 April 1967, who was brought up by Cass’s sister from aged 7, is a Sun North Node in Taurus (a favoured singer’s sign since it rules the throat). She also has a yod of Mercury in Aries inconjunct Pluto Uranus sextile Neptune;  with Mercury opposing Mars (like her mother but in reverse signs). A yod apex planet Mercury starts life scattered but can become a good communicator and teacher.   Owen’s Taurus Sun homes in on her mother’s 6^th house Venus, which may be why the rumours of the ham-sandwich death have bothered her so much. Happily her Mercury opposition Mars squares onto Jupiter in Cancer giving her luck, optimism and enthusiasm.

ADD ON: I forgot to mention at the time her Chiron sitting on her IC in Leo seems significant. It would attract her to unattainable men – and she never seemed able to forge a meaningful commitment to a partner.  Plus it may point to the wound her weight struggle played, damaging her Leonine wish to be the fairest of them all and spontaneous in her self-expression.

Big Tory losses in the local elections in England but no Labour landslide seems to be the consensus about what is undoubtedly a resounding defeat for the Tories, the worst since 1998. The political statisticians have been number crunching pointing to a near ten percentage-point swing from the Tories to Labour since December 2019 which repeated at a general election on a uniform swing would lead to a hung parliament with Labour as comfortably the largest party but still short of a majority.

  Keir Starmer’s Leadership chart, 4 April 2020 10.45am does have tr Uranus square the Moon now for an emotional result but there is not exactly a celebratory feel about this chart this year with the slog-on Pluto conjunct the Saturn, worse through 2025 when tr Pluto is in a frustrating conjunction to the Mars and then tr Pluto makes a topple-off-perch square to the Uranus in 2026. This reflects his own personal chart, 2 September 1962, which looks unsettled in 2025 and grid-locked by 2026. Though this could be personal circumstances not necessarily reflecting the destiny of the Labour Party.

 The Labour Party, 12 February 1906, has a liberating tr Uranus square the Sun Venus exactly now. With a lucky, upbeat, confident and successful tr Uranus conjunct the Jupiter from this August/September, repeating May 2025 and January to March 2026. But 2026 is when its problems really kick in with a blocked Solar Arc Sun Venus conjunct Pluto; and major-setbacks tr Saturn in hard aspect to its Cardinal Mars square Uranus opposition Neptune T square. That runs through 2027/28 as tr Neptune follows to undermine the T square.

The Conservative Party, 9 May 1912, is jangled and prone to internal eruptions with tr Uranus conjunct the Saturn now and SA Uranus conjunct the Saturn by 2026. Tr Neptune through this year into 2025 is ebbing away its influence; with a significant upheaval coming through 2025/2026 with tr Pluto conjunct the Uranus, hinting at a total turnaround – of a back-to-the-drawing board variety perhaps.

 The LibDems, 3 March 1988, being of the early triple conjunction generation with Mars in the middle won’t enjoy success when tr Saturn Neptune move into and through Aries – with mid 2025/26 being panicky and there is not much cheer thereafter for several years as tr Neptune squares the Uranus, Saturn, Mars, Neptune.

  The Reform Party, which is talking up a good win, in reality did not collect too many votes. But their leader Richard Tice, 13 September 1964, does look to be on the receiving end of a fair amount of good fortune from this July onwards till May 2025 and will stay buoyant despite a few setbacks. The Reform Party may benefit from tr Uranus moving into Gemini through 2026/27 with tr Uranus opposition the Sun and Jupiter in Sagittarius but alongside that will also face losses.

  There is much water to flow under the bridge between now and the next election (before early 2025 at the latest) with tr Uranus square the UK Saturn in the 11^th house (ruling the legislature) from next week to late May and again late December to mid March 2025 – that will see high tensions and a push for change within Westminster. 2025 will also see the Solar Arc Uranus conjunct the UK 8^th Mars. While not a political pointer it may have financial or other ramifications since it will give the UK a tremendous jolt. And by 2026 tr Uranus in Gemini will be square the UK Pluto for more upheavals and change.

 Nothing too settled for a while.

ADD ON:

Rishi Sunak’s Term chart of 25 October 2022 11.15 am is certainly under pressure with tr Pluto square the Sun, Moon and Venus this year into 2025. It has lost the panicky-failure tr Neptune square the Mars and SA Mars which was around all last year until recently. And will be partially buoyed up by tr Pluto sextile the Jupiter mid July to early September and again late November through December – though alongside that is tr Pluto sextile the Saturn/North Node midpoint which is a discouraging slog.  And an outright-failure Solar Arc Neptune is moving to close the square to Mars to exact before the end of the year and into early 2025.

  His own chart, 12 May 1980, (maybe 2.40pm) Hampshire, England, had tr Uranus conjunct His Taurus Mercury and Sun recently for the final time but with the tr Uranus opposition his Uranus in place through the second half of this month and again late December to mid March 2025 – which suggests a major upheaval with old ambitions still to fulfil. Which may lie far sway from Westminster or maybe he just has a’ sod-it’ moment and decides life is too short for the hassle of the political whirlpool. From July 2025 he has tr Uranus square his Jupiter -maybe for a sign of relief as he bales and heads for California. 

 He will have a stroke of luck this August and September and again May 2025 with tr Uranus square his Jupiter/Node midpoint.  His Term chart won’t overcome the SA Neptune Mars but he will have a few upbeat moments.

Actor Tom Selleck, best known for Magnum PI and Blue Bloods and still going strong at 79 has written his memoir. He’s had a long and prolific career playing cowboys early on before his breakout role in the long running Hawaii Magnum series. His membership of the NRA and right wing politics have raised a few eyebrows.

  Born 29 January 1945 8.22am Detroit, Michigan, he does have a powerful and charismatic chart with an Air Grand Trine of an Aquarius Sun trine an 8^th house Neptune trine Uranus in Gemini in his 5^th house of entertainment; formed into a talented Kite by Sun opposition a 7^th house Pluto. He also has a wide yod of Mercury in Capricorn (Mars and South Node) sextile Venus in Pisces inconjunct a 7^th house Leo Moon.

  A yod focal point Moon tends to be private and emotionally vulnerable as well as disorganized initially though will present an ability to connect with the public. UK Actor John Nettles of TV Bergerac and Midsomer Murders renown also has a Yod focal point Moon.

  It may be significant that Selleck escapes the madness of Hollywood to plant trees on his ranch – hinting as gardeners did (see post Piet Oudolf) that finding harmony in nature helps overcome the troublesome nature of the yod in his emotional life.

  When he got his breakout role in 1980 tr Uranus was conjunct his Midheaven and more pertinently square his Moon nudging his yod onto a different track.

 His actor’s 15^th harmonic is successful.