Jean Marsh, Upstairs Downstairs co-creator and actress, has died aged 90. The hugely successful 1970s TV drama series she dreamt up with co-thespian Eileen Atkins, became a cultural landmark and inspired later period dramas like Downtown Abbey.

  She was born 1 July 1934 12.15 pm Stoke Newington with a 10th house Cancer Sun and Mars in Gemini conjunct her Midheaven from her 9^th – and an influential Pluto in her 10^th as well. Her Pisces Moon opposed Neptune in Virgo and squared Venus in Gemini. Ambitious and kind natured.

  It’s a Water Air chart, not aways easy to handle with a sometimes precarious balance between head and heart, detachment and emotional overload.

  When Upstairs Downstairs launched on 10 October 1971 tr Uranus was exactly conjunct her 1^st house Jupiter with tr Pluto just across her Ascendant.

  Eileen Atkins, 15 June 1934 11.55pm London, born within two weeks of Jean Marsh, has a Gemini Sun and Mars trine an 8^th house Jupiter. Her chart with three Earth, 4 Air, 2 Water and a Fire Leo Moon has a better balance across the elements.  Tr Jupiter was heading for her Midheaven over the launch of Upstairs Downstairs, with tr Uranus conjunct her Jupiter and tr Saturn moving her career up a notch as it headed across her IC.

Upstairs Downstairs launched 10 October 1971 with a Sun Uranus Mercury in Libra trine Mars North Node in Aquarius – so had the potential to be ground breaking. With Saturn opposition Neptune Jupiter – which can indicate an interest in the under-privileged.

 Downton Abbey, 26 September 2010, also had a Libra Sun opposition Uranus Jupiter in Pisces and conjunct Saturn and the Sun Saturn square Pluto – similar but with a tilt towards Saturnine themes (and war).  

Mario Vargas Llosa, Nobel laureate and leading figure in  Latin American literature, has died aged 89. Over a 50 year career he charted power and corruption in a series of novels including The Time of the Hero, Conversation in the Cathedral and The Feast of the Goat. In a colourful life he also launched a failed bid for the Peruvian presidency and nursed a long-running feud with Gabriel García Márquez.

 He was born 28 March 1936 12.45 am Arequipa, Peru, with his parents splitting before his birth and he was told his father had died. After an unsettled childhood he started working as a crime reporter when he was just 15. Aged 19 he eloped with his 32-year-old aunt by marriage and was subsequently married twice.

 His Aries Sun was in his communication 3^rd house and he had the creative Saturn (Venus) in Pisces opposition Neptune of the mid 1930s which is his case squared onto a restless and thoughtful Gemini Moon opposition Jupiter.

   An intense Pluto in his 7^th house of close relationship square Mars in Aries in his 4th conjunct Uranus which would make for a heated domestic atmosphere and challenging relationships. Not an easy temperament to live with.

His creative harmonics were strong.

Actor Mickey Rourke’s troubled career with major highs and worse lows has added another paragraph of woe as he was kicked out of the Celebrity Big Brother show for inappropriate and aggressive behaviour. He won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA in his heyday, made a sideways move into boxing, returned to movies and caused mayhem on sets, was charged with spousal abuse etc etc

“I’ve made mistakes, many. I have nobody to blame for my ship sinking except myself.” He credited his comeback in the Noughties to years of intensive therapy. “I had to lose my house, my wife, my money, my career, everything, for me to fall all the way down to the bottom.”

  Redemption was clearly not meant to be.

 He was born 16 September 1952 New York, with a physically abusive stepfather from the age of six.

  He has a Virgo Sun with Mercury in Virgo in an irritable, argumentative square to Mars in Sagittarius. What drives his outrageous behaviour is almost certainly a pushily-confident Pluto (Moon) in Leo opposition North Node square Jupiter in Taurus. Rules don’t apply to him will be his essential approach.  He also has an autocratic Uranus square Saturn Venus Neptune in Libra – highly strung, does not practice what he preaches.

  Oddly enough tr Uranus was square the Solar Arc Mars when he went into the BB house for an edgy, insecure, short-fused mood.

 His wheel of fortune 10^th harmonic which hints at highs and lows has a yod of Uranus sextile Sun inconjunct Jupiter Saturn. No matter how hard he tries he always goes off track.

Rory McIlroy, the Northern Ireland golfer, whose win at Atlanta yesterday put him up with the greats like Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tiger Woods as the only men to have won all four majors, has sent golf commentators into ecstasies.  “He conjured golf from the gods.”  What made it all the more emotional was his ‘drought’ of the last decade when he did not win any majors.

  Born 4 May 1989 Holywood, Northern Ireland, he is part of the triple conjunction in Capricorn generation with his Uranus, Neptune, Saturn conjunct opposition Mars in Cancer. He has his Sun in earthy determined Taurus opposition Pluto with Venus also in Taurus. At the moment he is just through his Jupiter Return in Gemini; with tr Jupiter exactly conjunct his Solar Arc Sun.  

  Often on top level sports’ charts the actual victory does not show up clearly since what is more evident is the strain of the event. But in his case there are hints of confidence and luck.  The aftermath will be even more upbeat from mid May onwards with tr Uranus in aspect to two of his Jupiter midpoints; and they return on and off till early 2026.

  He will revel in the aftermath.

 The incredibly successful and prolific writer Michael Crichton is back in the news seventeen years after his death as his estate sues over the idea-copyright of new medical drama series The Pitt. His books sold over 200 million with over a dozen adapted into films. His genre was within the science fiction, techno-thriller, and medical fiction. Best known are The Great Train Robbery, Jurassic Park, Rising Sun,  The Andromeda Strain; and he was the creator of the television series ER (1994–2009).

 He was born October 23, 1942 11.55pm Chicago, Illinois, and grew to six feet 9 inches tall which made him self-conscious so he turned to psychics and then meditation to give him confidence.  He was a workaholic and married five times, all of them brief.  

  He had a 4^th house Scorpio Sun opposition a 10^th house Taurus Moon square Pluto on his Ascendant. The Full Moon would make him constantly unsure what he wanted, pulled between his head and his heart – and he’s also be intense and controlling as well as overly controlled. He also had Mars Venus in Libra also in his 4^th close to his Sun opposition his Moon, making for an excitable and argumentative mood in his domestic life. Jupiter in his 12^th would make him content with his own company. Saturn in his 11^th would limit his friendship circle to a few trusted companions.

 2^nd house North Node – secretive and constantly feeling like an outsider. In Virgo – needing to build his confidence.

   An interesting man, driven to an extent as all writers are by his inner demons. He died of cancer in 2008.

 Steven Spielberg on Michael Crichton’s death: “Michael’s talent outscaled even his own dinosaurs of Jurassic Park. He was the greatest at blending science with big theatrical concepts, which is what gave credibility to dinosaurs walking the earth again. In the early days, Michael had just sold The Andromeda Strain to Robert Wise at Universal and I had recently signed on as a contract TV director there. My first assignment was to show Michael Crichton around the Universal lot. We became friends and professionally Jurassic Park, ER, and Twister followed. Michael was a gentle soul who reserved his flamboyant side for his novels. There is no one in the wings that will ever take his place.”

 Stephen King: “As a pop novelist, he was divine. A Crichton book was a headlong experience driven by a man who was both a natural storyteller and fiendishly clever when it came to verisimilitude; he made you believe that cloning dinosaurs wasn’t just over the horizon but possible tomorrow. Maybe today.”

Add On:  ER launched on September 19, 1994 with a total of 331 episodes spanning 15 seasons. It won 128 industry awards from 442 nominations and had grossed over $3 billion in television revenue by 2014. It is considered one of the best medical dramas of all time, pioneering the field of medical fiction and setting a model for other contemporary medical dramas to follow.

  It launched fittingly enough with a Virgo Sun sitting as part of a Half Grand Sextile from Uranus Neptune in Capricorn opposition Mars in Cancer and Pluto in Scorpio A powerful chart with Jupiter and North Node also in Scorpio.

At the launch the tr Mars was conjunct Michael Crichton’s 12^th house Jupiter; with tr Jupiter just over the conjunction to his Sun.

Actor Noah Wyle, June 4, 1971 8.13 am Los Angeles, started his career as John Carter in ER, earning nominations for three Golden Globe Awards and five Primetime Emmy Awards. He is currently in the Max medical drama The Pitt.

  He has quite a challenging and volatile chart with an Air Grand Trine from a Gemini Sun trine an 8^th house Mars and North Node in Aquarius trine Uranus in Libra in his 4^th. His Libra Moon is also in his 4^th with Jupiter Neptune in Sagittarius in his performing 5^th house opposition Saturn Mercury (Venus) In Taurus in his 11^th. And an intense Pluto is in his communication 3^rd house trine Saturn.  

  He certainly has pent up energy to spare which – emphasized Aquarius North Node – he devotes to various good causes – the international non-profit organization Doctors of the World, the Human Rights Watch Council, the Cover the Uninsured campaign in 2004, the disability rights group ADAPT and was arrested in 2012 during a protest on Capitol Hill to fight against Medicaid cuts for the elderly and people with disabilities. He is also a  supporter of animal rights and a spokesman for the World Wildlife Fund. On top of all that he serves as the voluntary artistic producer of the Blank Theatre Company in Hollywood, which stages an annual young playwrights festival and has recently acquired Second Stage Theater (Los Angeles) in Hollywood.

  He looks a touch perplexed at the moment with tr Neptune Saturn heading for his midheaven this year and next; and tr Uranus conjunct his Solar Arc Midheaven for jolting changes. Plus a half lucky, half nerve-stretched Solar Arc Uranus conjunct his Jupiter now and then his Neptune within months. That could go either way since Jup Nep can be over hopeful. Plus tr Uranus conjunct his Mercury and Saturn into early 2026.  Not a straightforward year.

Actor Jeff Bridges after a run of disasters is in contemplative mood, releasing an album recorded years ago with Malibu friends. The songs are described as “loose, playful and lightly surreal. They sound like Creedence Clearwater Revival jamming with Frank Zappa, or some particularly stoned outtakes from Bob Dylan.”

 Best known for movies like The Big Lebowksi and The Fabulous Baker Boys, he has had an award-strewn career, but was diagnosed with cancer in 2020, now in remission, followed by a devastating attack of covid which almost killed him and then this January he lost his house in the Los Angeles fire. Despite which he isn’t feeling sorry for himself. “Only when you get to rub up against that shit,” he says, “do you see the magic of life.”

  He was born 4 December 1949 11.58pm Los Angeles, the son of actor Lloyd Bridges and an actress/writer mother, brother of actor Beau Bridges. He has been married to his wife, Sue, since 1977 and they have three daughters.

 He has a communicative 3^rd house Sagittarius Sun conjunct Chiron and Mercury square a tricky Mars Saturn in Virgo in his 1^st house. I wonder whether that Mars Saturn is connected to a brother who died of Sudden Infant Death syndrome the year before his birth having only lived for a few weeks. Jeff arrived as the family would still be grieving.

He has an entertaining and charming Venus in Capricorn conjunct Jupiter in Aquarius in his performing 5^th house and his creative Neptune is conjunct his Midheaven, A 9^th house Moon will make him knowledgeable and widely read. A 10th house Uranus would have prompted him towards an unconventional career offering freedom.

  His Mars Saturn in Virgo has been troubled in recent years by Solar Arc Uranus moving across the conjunction and square his Mercury in recent years; with his Progressed Moon moving through his 6^th house of health.  He may have a few challenges to face still with several midpoints being jangled for two/three years ahead as well as a highly-strung SA Neptune opposition his Uranus this year. Picking up the pieces from a destroyed house will take time.

Trump’s tariffs might spell the end of China versus Why China is not afraid of a trade war with Trump. Economic commentators are grasping at complete opposites as the unknown unknowns mount.

 One scenario says if the US leverages the rest of the world to close off their markets to China it could spell trouble for China’s economy, which is already battling extraordinary debt, slow growth, deflationary pressures and a failing real estate market and could be the downfall of Xi Jinping.

  Another scenario where China invades Taiwan and threatens to cut off Western access to its rare earth minerals is not a far-fetched one and demonstrates the unhealthy reliance we have created on critical Chinese supply chains.

China has already raised its own tariffs against the US, restricting Hollywood movies, probably banning the import of American poultry and other agricultural products, hitting back against American services companies like law and consultancy firms, and suspending co-operation in the fight against fentanyl smuggling.

China could out-tough Trump given that it is a totalitarian state and thus less concerned about their people suffering. And it has recently made a drive to diversify its markets, bringing growing markets in south and southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America into its economic orbit.

  Xi Jinping, 15 June 1953, has a similar Gemini Sun to Trump, 14 June 1946 10.54 am New York, and their relationship chart has an emphasized power-struggling-for-the-upper-hand composite Jupiter Pluto conjunction which sits midway between Venus trine Neptune. The highly-strung mood of the moment will continue into 2026 with tr Neptune and then tr Saturn square the composite Uranus giving rise to tensions and eruptions with more stand-offs in 2028.

 Trump’s chart relocated to Beijing puts his Mars in Leo in the 7^th house of allies and enemies with his Pluto also conjunct the Descendant from the 6^th for a combative mood. The China 1912 chart also has its bulldozer Mars in Taurus sitting exactly on Trump’s Midheaven for a competitive clash; with its Neptune conjunct his Saturn for deep suspicion.

 Xi Jinping’s Saturn Neptune is conjunct Trump’s 2^nd house Jupiter raising red flags about Xi’s motives when it comes to undermining Trump’s finances.

 Trump’s relationship chart with China 1 January 1912, looks exceedingly stressed, undermined and at odds right through his coming term till late decade with tr Neptune Saturn conjunct the composite Sun from this May onwards, worsening in 2026 and on as both planets make hard aspects to the composite Sun Uranus opposition Mercury square Mars.

  The Bank of China chart 1 December 1948, is showing signs of loss and disappointment as an undermining Solar Arc Neptune will conjunct their Mars Jupiter in 2026; with tr Neptune Saturn adding to the downward slide in square to Mars Jupiter in 2026/27. With further financial pressures in 2027. But they are hardly alone in facing difficult headwinds where their economy is concerned.

  The China 1912 chart is in trouble in 26/27 from Solar Arc Pluto square their Neptune (which could be a natural disaster)  and will be facing an explosive and insecure 2028 with SA Uranus conjunct their Mars in Taurus.

  Clearly Trump reacts to China like a bull to a red flag.

Add ON: Useful facts courtesy of the FT. More than half the smartphones sold in America are iPhones and 80 per cent of those are made in China. “Liberation day” was not supposed to mean liberation from their smartphones.”

80 per cent of the world’s air conditioners are made in China; along with three quarters of the electric fans America imports. 75 per cent of the dolls and bicycles that the US imports are also made in China. China makes almost 50 per cent of the ingredients that go into the antibiotics that Americans depend on. The F35, the backbone of the US Air Force, requires rare-earth components sourced from China. The Chinese are also the second-largest foreign owners of US Treasury bonds — which could matter at a time when the market is under strain.

Barack and Michelle Obama’s marriage is under scrutiny in the popular media because of her non-appearance at a couple of events with him. Although she has come out recently to defend her right to choose what she does for herself. Standing behind her husband’s political ambitions was a sacrifice for her, requiring she cut back and then give up on her previous legal profession.

  Theirs is a Saturnine relationship giving longevity and endurance though cutting back on warmth as duty gets in the way of indulgence; with strong indications that both are independent-minded individuals  Her Capricorn Sun falls on his Saturn and her Saturn is conjunct his Ascendant opposition his Uranus, which latter will throw up some tensions. He has Uranus, North Node and Pluto in his 7^th house of close relationships which will make togetherness tricky since he’ll find it easier to slide back into doing his own thing.  Her Uranus Pluto conjunction fall in his 7^th – which may work in giving each other space most of the time.

 Barack, 4 August 1961 7.24pm Honolulu, Hawaii, is in a low profile, less successful time in his life since early 2022 as tr Saturn moved below his Ascendant which is often when unresolved or unattended to emotional matters surface. Tr Uranus will move across his IC through this year which does suggest domestic upheavals or house moves; and then from 2026 tr Uranus is conjunct his 4^th house Moon which again suggests domestic changes. His Sun/Moon midpoint will catch the tr Saturn square in 2026 and the tr Neptune square by 2028 – both of which will be questioning phases where their marriage is concerned.

  In general he looks discouraged in 2025/26 and rattled in 2026/27; but in better spirits in 2027/28.  The 2032 election looks more upbeat for him than the 2028 election.

   Michelle Obama, 17 January 1964, no birth time, Chicago, is ploughing through deep frustrations and feeling blocked with tr Pluto conjunct her Mars in Aquarius through this year until late 2026, muddled in 2027 and blocked in 2028.

  Their relationship chart has an affectionate composite Venus opposition Saturn which squares onto a cool Saturn and an adventurous power couple Uranus Pluto opposition Jupiter. Tr Pluto wending its way round in hard aspect to Venus, the composite Sun and Saturn now and until almost the end of the decade will bring pressures to bear and be a challenging time emotionally. There will be high points as well as tr Uranus squares their composite Uranus Pluto and Jupiter in 2026/27.

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Britain’s age of excess started as stuffy Queen Victoria died in 1901 and her pleasure-loving son, ‘Dirty Bertie’, King Edward V11 took over as monarch for nine years along with his style-icon Queen Alexandra.

  An exhibition devoted to The Edwardians: Age of Elegance will be on display in Buckingham Palace, showing paintings, sculpture, jewellery, furniture, books, photographs and ceramics.

  Born 9 November 1841 10.48am London, playboy Edward was not known for his restraint, having Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance, Land of Hope and Glory played at his coronation, and pronouncing cigars were back in fashion after the tobacco intolerance of his mother’s reign. He had a Fabergé-designed cigarette case decorated with a diamond-encrusted snake given to him by a favourite mistress, one of the dozens of women he notoriously indulged himself with. He had glamorous royal mistresses such as Lily Langtry and Alice Keppel (the ancestor of Queen Camilla) though none as sophisticated as his spouse the Danish Alexandra who presented him with six children. She was hailed by Vogue as “the legitimate head of fashion throughout the British dominions with high collars and jewelled choker necklaces that she wore to disguise a scar on her neck.   

   He had a 10^th house Scorpio Sun trine an independent-minded Uranus in a volatile sextile to Mars in Capricorn. He also had an emphasised Jupiter in Sagittarius in his 12^th square a Virgo Moon opposition Uranus hinting at his love of indulgence with no limits, His Venus in Libra was in an intense and seductive opposition to Pluto square Mars –  nothing would hold him back from satiating himself in the delights of seduction, even when he grew obese in later years.

  Surprisingly he had a defensive Saturn on his Ascendant – though from all accounts he was hardly reticent when heading for enjoyment – perhaps Saturn in its goatish guise.  

 Alexandra, born 1 December 1844 6.30pm Copenhagen, Denmark, was a fun-loving Sun Sagittarius in her 5^th house (also house of children) with successful Jupiter conjunct her Midheaven on the focal point of a yod inconjunct a Leo Moon sextile Mars in Libra in the 4^th – the pomp and display of the Royal lifestyle would suit her despite its sacrifices. Saturn in her 7^th square Venus and Mars hints at a marriage that would require effort and self-control. Her Mars was also opposition a 10^th house Pluto so she’d be used to biting her tongue and putting up with having to be submissive. An 8^th house Neptune opposition her Moon would give her an aura which caught attention.

  Needless to say their relationship chart was focused on duty with a 10^th house Saturn square Venus opposition Pluto. The composite Moon was square Mars Mercury; and an 8^th house Sun was trine a 12^th house Uranus, plus an 11^th house Jupiter Neptune – all adding up to intense feelings both positive and negative, chained together, irritable with turbulent undercurrents.

  Different days for Royal marriages then.

  Edward was succeeded in 1910 by George V who faced World War One in 1914 bringing a sharp end to Edwardian excess.

Add On: His mother Queen Victoria had a tough personality with a cool, self-sufficient New Moon in Gemini and Saturn Pluto in late Pisces which would not suit Bertie with his Scorpio Sun.  Her Mars in Aries and North Node were conjunct his Pluto for a hostile relationship of dominate and submit.

  It was no better with his father Prince Albert, a Sun Virgo with a volatile, explosive Mutable Grand Cross onto Mars in Gemini opposition Uranus Neptune square Saturn Pluto opposition Mercury. His relationship chart with his son had a composite Mars Pluto conjunction opposition the Sun. Both parents were cruel to him.