Clarkson’s Grand Tour – a fire balloon

The stupendously expensive Grand Tour, a hasty rehousing of Top Gear in Amazon after Jeremy Clarkson was ousted from the BBC for bad behaviour, is getting lacklustre reviews in its fourth season. Though more have been commissioned ahead.

The intrepid trio of Clarkson (11 April 1960), Richard Hammond (19 December 1969) and James May (16 January 1963) are a good mix for a speed-freak, macho, petrolhead show with Clarkson’s Aries Sun chiming with Hammond’s Sagittarius Sun and May’s Mars in fiery Leo.

Clarkson may drive the show but it’s the relationship between Hammond and May that really points to the extraordinary success of the long running venture. Their relationship chart has a lucky composite Sun Jupiter; with an Earth Grand Trine of Mercury trine Mars trine Uranus Pluto, formed into two or maybe three Kites with Uranus Pluto opposition Saturn, Mars in a showbizzy opposition to Neptune and perhaps Mercury opposition Moon.

All of them have prominent confident Jupiters – Clarkson with his in Capricorn trine Pluto; Hammond in Scorpio trine Mars; and May in Pisces opposition his Pluto Uranus and square Venus.

But the tensions run at a high octane level as well, not surprising given Clarkson’s Mars in Pisces opposition Pluto leading to his legendary temper. That clashes with Hammond’s Mars in Pisces; and Hammond’s Uranus Pluto in Virgo opposition Jupiter. So there will be sniping and snapping and flare-ups.

Clarkson has been labouring through two years of tr Pluto square his Sun and hitting on his Saturn before that – which all finishes this month – and that would bring about a radical change in his life and outlook.

James May has tr Pluto conjunct his Capricorn Sun to look forward to in 2021/22 which looks like an all-round bumpy phase for him with tr Uranus square his Saturn as well.

There’s a fair sprinkling of Neptune ahead for all three with the likelihood of the Grand Tour stuttering to a halt at some point. But none of them will be short of a bob or two, so the only concern will be how to fill the idle hours.