Maria Callas, the tragic but talented Greek opera singer, is shown in her final days up to her early death at 53 from a heart attack, with flashback memories, in a new biopic starring Angelina Jolie. The film has received mixed reviews, although critics have generally praised its central performance. “Jolie is absolutely spellbinding as Maria Callas, imbuing her with grace and resolve.” “Angelina Jolie dazzles as the opera diva in her finest performance in a decade.”

Steven Knight’s screenplay (of Peaky Blinders renown) ‘hinges on an unusual tragic dynamic: Maria living in seclusion in Paris has outlived her operatic career while her legend has gone ahead into history without her, leaving her alone to weigh the cost of both.’

 Callas’s masochistic romance with shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis is covered (before he abandoned her to marry Jackie Kennedy though he later resumed a clandestine affair.)

  Callas’s date of birth is questionable though 2 December 1923 6am New York looks feasible with a 10^th house Virgo Moon and an 8^th house Pluto. A Sun Jupiter conjunction in Sagittarius would give her a sliver of optimism, enough to balance the destructive effects of a Mars Saturn conjunction in Libra. She was attuned to cruel treatment and would attract herself to less than desirable partners.

  Ari Onassis, 20 January 1906 10am Smyrma, Turkey, a final degree Capricorn Sun trine Jupiter in Taurus – ambitious, lucky, acquisitive; also had a bullying Pluto in Gemini square Mars in Pisces which was in hard aspect to Callas’s Moon. Their relationship chart had a composite Saturn, Mercury, Sun, Mars Venus opposition Pluto – dominating, cruel, passionate.

  Callas’s mother according to reports was ‘pathologically ambitious’ who pushed her into singing very young and worse pressed her to “go out with various men”, mainly Italian and German soldiers, to bring home money and food during the occupation of Greece during World War II. She never forgave her mother for what she perceived as a kind of prostitution forced on her; and eventually cut ties altogether.

 This may have rung a bell with Angelina Jolie, whose upbringing with parents involved in an aggravated split, a pushy stage mother, and highly stressed, druggy and suicidal teenage years also had echoes of deep unhappiness.

 Angelina Jolie, 4 June 1976 9.09 am Los Angeles, is a Sun Gemini opposition Neptune with an intense and afflicted Aries Moon, Mars, Jupiter opposition Pluto.

 Callas’ Chiron is conjunct Angelina’s Jupiter and Moon (Mars Pluto); and Jolie’s Chiron is opposition Callas’s Mars Saturn – so they both hook into the other’s woundedness and ill-treatment.  Jolie’s Neptune is also conjunct Callas’s Sun for a filmic connection.

 With tr Jupiter in Gemini crossing Angelina Jolie’s Sun for several months into early 2025 she will be on a roll of rising confidence; with her career in general heading in a good direction for years to come. Though fraught close relationships will also be the order of the day ahead with tr Pluto moving into her 7^th house.

Movie buffs are puzzled about why the billion-grossing movie Joker in 2019 has turned into a 2024 damp squib sequel for Joker: Folie a Deux. Not that the critics loved the earlier version about the murderous clown afflicted with mental illness with its potential to inspire acts of real-life violence and criticism of its brutal nihilism. This one appears to have cut across ‘the tastes of the core audience of Joker fanboys, including the embittered incel quotient whose preoccupations it channelled’ and ended up pleasing no one.

 This one may lose $200 million though star Joaquin Phoenix and the director/producer Todd Philip both on $20 million and Lady Gaga on $12 million won’t go without.

 Principal photography started on  10 December 2022 with a tricky Sagittarius Sun opposition Mars square Neptune which tr Saturn has been impacting negatively this year. Tr Neptune is also now conjunct the Jupiter, bringing disappointment to high hopes.

Todd Philip, the director, co-writer and producer, of both Jokers is also a Sun Sagittarius in his case square Pluto in final degree Virgo, both of which are catching the undermining tr Neptune hard aspects at the moment.  He will get a lift over the coming year with his Solar Arc Pluto conjunct his Jupiter so it may not condemn his career for ever.

Joaquin Phoenix, 28 October 1974 Rio Colorado, Argentina, has a frustrating, infuriated, trapped tr Pluto square his Mars in Scorpio now and moving on to square his Venus and Sun in Scorpio over the next three years, so he will be under great pressure.

Lady Gaga, 28 March 1986 9.53am New York, has her Aries Sun and possibly Solar Arc Midheaven both in Aries catching the recent Solar Eclipse and the one next spring for a crisis of direction.  And won’t appreciate tr Saturn Neptune square her Mars by mid 2025 but overall won’t be dismayed for too long.

  None of which matters a jot except I wonder if it signals a shift in the culture where a mentally ill, murderous anti-hero no longer fits the mood of the moment.   

Mitzi Gaynor, actress, singer and dancer, was best known for South Pacific, the 1958 Rodgers & Hammerstein musical extravaganza which won her a Golden Globe nomination; and There’s No Business Like Showbusiness. She has died aged 93, after a long career performing latterly in nightclubs and on TV specials.

 She was born 4 September 1931 10.35am (unverified) CST, Chicago, Illinois and had a stellium in Virgo with her Sun conjunct Mercury, Venus and Neptune – hard-working, earthy, creative. Her Virgo planets squared a restless Gemini Moon.  The rest of her chart was tied into a high-powered, pro-active Cardinal Grand Cross giving her a surplus of initiative. She would not be short of courage, determination and grit but would have a tendency to attract crises and disruptions in her life.

Thomas Tuchel considered one of the best football managers has been named as the England team coach from 1 January 1925. He is described by one commentator as ‘an impressive, if abrasive, personality with a reputation as an outstanding tactician.’

Born 29 August 1973 Krumbach, Germany, no birth time, he has a singular, complex and determined chart. His Virgo Sun and Mercury are sextile Saturn and trine Mars in earthy Taurus; as well as being square a visionary Neptune. His Pluto is in an unrelenting square to Saturn and a confident trine to Jupiter.

 What marks his chart out in addition are three yods. Neptune sextile Jupiter inconjunct Saturn; Saturn sextile Sun Mercury inconjunct Jupiter; and Pluto sextile Neptune inconjunct Mars.

 What a complicated mix of opposites.

  His start chart of 1 January 2025 is not too encouraging with a frustrated/trapped Mars opposition Pluto – and an up-and-down Mercury opposition Jupiter square Saturn.

 Tr Neptune Saturn into Aries will give him problems into 2026 as it undermines his Pluto and Saturn but he’ll respond with bullish confidence as tr Pluto is conjunct his Jupiter.  

Plagiariasm is defined as passing someone else’s words or ideas off as one’s own. Effectively stealing. It has long been known in academia and in journalism though there are grey areas in music and the creative arts with arguments over whether ideas or tunes can be copyrightable.  

 On a quick skip through some high profile examples, what is at first sight counter-intuitive are frequent aspects between Mercury and Saturn in the individual charts. Saturn has a reputation for rigour and sticking to the straight and narrow. But here it might have more to do with a lack of confidence or low self esteem in words/ideas/writing so other authors’ work seem a tempting way of appearing brighter and better.

 Journalist Johann Hari, 21 January 1979 was one and he has a Sun Mars in Aquarius opposition Jupiter in Leo so will be temperamentally keen to make a splash – Mars Jupiter can also be opportunistic. His Mercury in Capricorn is trine Saturn North Node in Virgo.

Jayson Blair, 23 March 1976, a NY Times journalist, a desperately ambitious Aries Sun opposition Pluto square Mars; also has Mercury (in Pisces) trine Saturn in Cancer.

Jonah Lehner, 25 June 1981, author/blogger, has his  Cancer Sun conjunct Mercury in late Gemini with both square Jupiter Saturn in Libra.

Stephen Glass, 15 September 1972, a former journalist, has a Virgo Sun, Mars, Mercury square Jupiter on one side and Saturn in Gemini on the other.

Doris Kearns Goodwin, 4 January 1943, author, is a Sun Capricorn with her Mercury in Aquarius opposition Pluto and trine Saturn and Uranus as well as Neptune.

Claudine Gay, 4 August 1970, academic, has a Sun Mars in Leo  with her Mercury in a squine (105 degree) aspect to Saturn – not really instructive.

 My slight impression – in addition to a fair amount of Fire in several charts – is a mix of super-charged ambition combined with worry about weak communication skills is what does the damage. And Saturn as ever always claims its pound of flesh in exposing transgressions.

Liam Payne, once a member of One Direction, the most popular boyband of its era, a creation of Simon Cowell’s talent show X Factor, has died at 31. He fell off a sixth floor hotel balcony in Argentina after a police intervention for acting aggressively, apparently on alcohol and drugs. Fame at a young age hit him hard and more so his lack of direction once the band split. He talked in interviews about being troubled, having addiction problems and being suicidal, with his ex-fiancee having a restraining order against him for his obsessive behaviour after their split.

 He was born 29 August 1993 1pm Wolverhampton, England, and had a Virgo Sun Mercury conjunct his midheaven inconjunct an Aquarius Moon which would make him ambitious but give him problems finding a balance between his head and his heart. He had Pluto in his 1^st below his Scorpio Ascendant in a tough, unrelenting square to Saturn in Aquarius, hinting at a depressive streak. His Sun/Moon midpoint, his marriage/close relationship significator, was conjunct his Pluto hinting at his intense approach to partners, often older than himself – and is described by Ebertin as ‘a soul torn by inner conflict.’

   He also had the highly-strung Uranus Neptune in Capricorn of his generation square an exuberant Mars Jupiter in Libra. When the band split in 2016 tr Pluto was crossing his Uranus Neptune conjunction which would cause maximum confusion – made worse by tr Saturn moving through the nadir of his first Quadrant.

 Recently he had the Libra Solar Eclipse conjunct his Mars which can result in anger spilling out destructively into the open if not channelled sensibly.

General Sir Mike Jackson, formerly called ‘The Prince of Darkness’ and UK Chief of the General Staff from 2003 and 2006, has died.  Well liked amongst military personnel for his no-nonsense style of leadership, he proved his mettle in the Kosovo crisis when he refused to obey his American counterpart in blocking Russian troops landing at Pristina airport to support the Serbs, saying “I’m not going to start World War Three for you.” He defused the situation, which could have ended in a nuclear conflagration by drinking whisky and then vodka with his Russian counterpart.

  He was born 21 March 1944 in Sheffield, into a military family, studied Russian at university and moved into Intelligence before transferring into the Parachute Regiment.  He was a junior adjutant in Northern Ireland during Bloody Sunday, when British troops killed 13 Catholic men during a civil rights march in Londonderry in January 1972 and served three tours there.

 He had a pro-active Aries Sun and Mercury opposition Neptune and trine Pluto North Node in Leo – Neptune Pluto gave him overwhelming ambition and Pluto North Node in Leo, influence and leadership ability. He had a talented Half Grand Sextile from the Sun Neptune opposition sextile Uranus and Pluto North Node. Plus a military Mars Saturn conjunction in Gemini sextile Jupiter in Leo.

When the standoff in Kosovo happened in June 1999 his Solar Arc Pluto was opposition his Sun putting him under considerable strain. With a lucky tr Uranus opposition his Jupiter and a nerve-wracking tr Neptune opposition his Pluto North Node.

Generally considered one of the last of the old school military leaders.

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Ratan Tata, a much revered and respected Indian businessman and philanthropist, who turned his family’s Tata Group into a global player, and invested heavily in British industry – Land Rover and British Steel – has died. He was a major figure in the international business community, close to US politicians as well as the Indian government, advising the former prime ministers Gordon Brown and David Cameron.

 ‘A softly spoken man, renowned for his courtesy, he never married, although he described himself as having come close four times. He was known for living modestly —- and noted for his love of dogs.’ Under Ratan Tata’s leadership, 65% of Tata Group’s profits were directed to charitable causes, supporting education, healthcare, scientific research. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tata Steel announced that the families of employees who died from the virus would continue to receive their salaries and benefits until the worker would have turned 60.

  Born 28 December 1937 6.30am Mumbai, India, he had an ambitious and practical 1^st house Capricorn Sun and Mercury sextile Mars in Pisces and trine an innovative Uranus in Taurus in his 5^th house. His also had a super-confident Jupiter in his 2^nd house of finances opposition an 8^th house Pluto tying him irrevocably into business/financial environment.

  What marked his chart out as different from your run-of-the-mill capitalist financier was Neptune in Virgo in his 9^th in a hope-for-a-better-society opposition to Saturn square a softly charming Venus on his Ascendant opposition Chiron on his Descendant.

  Chiron on his Descendant points to a woundedness in close relationships which added to a freedom-loving Uranus in his 5^th opposition an 11^th house Scorpio Moon; and Saturn close to his IC all probably contributed to his unmarried state. His Sun/Moon midpoint was conjunct his Black Moon which might also be a pointer.

Angela Rippon, one of UK TV’s best known faces who broke through several glass ceilings early in a long and illustrious career by becoming a BBC female news reader and presenting Top Gear for petrolheads has been celebrating her 80^th birthday in style.  A BBC4 programme at the weekend marked her extraordinary career over the past 58 years. At the moment she co-hosts the weekly Rip Off Britain show and was an unforgettable, oldest-competitor-ever on Strictly Come Dancing with Kai Waddrington last season. Over the years she has also presented many Royal events for UK, USA and Australian networks.

  Born 12 October 1944 5.50pm (from memory) Plymouth, England, she has a social and diplomatic 7^th house Libra Sun and Mars squaring onto the North/South Node axis so has an attention-attracting personality which draws her into the national culture. Her 8^th house Venus in Scorpio trines Saturn and sextiles a 6^th house Jupiter in Virgo giving her a sophisticated charm as well as an enthusiasm for work and staying healthy.

  Added to that is an emphasised Pluto in her performing 5^th house which is on the focal point of a mini Grand Trine to Uranus trine Neptune, giving her creative and social influence.

  Her 3^rd house Uranus is also in a lucky square to Jupiter and trine her Mercury and Sun, suiting her for television which is ruled by Uranus.

  Relating the mainly ups and a few downs in her career, she alluded to her firing in 1982 from TV AM, the much heralded-in-advance commercial TV breakfast show which launched with the Famous Five presenters – Angela, Anna Ford, David Frost, Michael Parkinson, Robert Kee. After a disastrous start, mainly due to confusion off screen and management chaos, she and Anna Ford (another Libra) were let go. At that point the tr Saturn Pluto conjunction in Libra was crossing Angela’s Sun and Mars which would have been devastatingly stuck and she also had an undermining tr Neptune was sitting on her Midheaven.

   She did not work for a year thereafter she said and then accepted a job in Boston, USA for a year where she won an Emmy. Her astrocartography points to the USA as being a successful zone for her with her Sun, Mars Midheaven lines being down the east coast and her Sun Midheaven down the west coast.

 Her harmonics include a strong get-it-together 5^th, designed for a glamorous business with super-confidence, giving her the drive to keep going. Her leaving-a-legacy 17H is also marked; as is her global renown 22H.