Fame is a fickle creature even when rooted in talent as actor Noel Clarke has discovered for the second time. In 2021 he won the outstanding BAFTA as actor, writer, producer, director for his contribution to British cinema. The Guardian then ran several articles and a podcast featuring more than 20 women accused him of sexual misconduct. BAFTA suspended him and his career ground to a halt.

  His choice at that point with no criminal charges involved would have been to keep his head down and hope over time the heat might die down enough to allow him to seek penance through good works and indications of contrition. Instead of which he has doubled down and then some, issuing a libel writ against the Guardian alleging there had been a conspiracy amongst the 26 women who gave evidence.   The judge has finally ruled the newspaper had succeeded in both its defences – of truth and public interest.  

 What intrigues me is why in these circumstance he was unable to ‘read the room’ and continued to bulldoze ahead, no doubt at considerable cost financially into a no-win court case with multiple witnesses lined up against him. What in Greek plays used to be known as ‘hamartia’ otherwise known as the hero’s tragic flaw – a personality trait or mistaken judgment that leads to downfall, causing their destruction or profound suffering. This weakness can be an excessive virtue taken too far, such as pride (hubris), or a negative trait like uncontrolled rage or jealousy, ultimately leading to the character’s ruin.

  He was born 6 December 1975 4.40pm (from memory) London, and has a creative though unrealistic Sun Neptune, Mercury conjunction in Sagittarius. With a rules-don’t-apply-to-me Jupiter in pro-active Aries opposition Pluto. A hard-working Capricorn Moon opposition Saturn in wannabe-important Leo square Venus and Uranus will make him charming, creative, emotionally unpredictable, at times cool and defensive. His assertive Mars in Gemini on his Ascendant is trine Venus giving him an added spark of passionate enthusiasm, romantic and otherwise.

  It is not a hard chart but the confidence and drive which made it possible for him to succeed may also have gone along with a streak of hubris and lack of self-awareness  – an over-developed sense of self-importance which became his Achilles Heel.

 He also has a Scorpio North Node which can carry a message that the road to transformation is only obtained by losing everything – overcoming the acquisitiveness and power-hungriness of the Taurus South Node. Hamartia also hints that redemption comes through facing one’s flaws and learning lessons from the downfall.

  The 10^th harmonic, exceptionally strong in his case, carries much the same message. In his 10H there is a Mars Saturn Jupiter conjunction on the apex of a yod inconjunct Venus sextile an intransigent Uranus Neptune – over-forceful and over-confident, tied into romantic impulses, with Uranus Neptune unable to face up the evidence of being in the wrong. And a Pluto Venus Sun T square doubling up on the pushiness. Mars Saturn carries a double message of can-be-unkind and resentful about being treated unfairly.

 The 10th harmonic is the harmonic of the wheel of fortune, which can run over us as well as turn in our favour, contains the seed of both the rise and fall, good and bad.

  Additional thoughts on it – TEN lacks in its character the idea of service to others. The emphasis is on self-interest, achievement, business.

Skipping around a few other notables who feel from high position, not all in the frame of sexual misbehaviour, but several keen to sue to ‘clear’ their names which backfired.

Rolf Harris 10H – Jupiter Pluto, MC, Sun T square, with Jupiter Pluto sextile Mercury inconjunct Venus. Saturn opposition Uranus square Venus. Proud, autocratic, pushy.

Kevin Spacey 10H Pluto opposition Moon square MC, Jupiter opposition Neptune.

Harvey Weinstein 10H Mars Saturn opposition Moon; Sun inconjunct Jupiter Neptune.

Jeffrey Archer 10H – Mars Saturn conjunct. Venus sextile Neptune inconjunct Uranus.

Mel Gibson 10H Sun Midheaven opposition Uranus square Pluto.

Lance Armstrong 10H Uranus opposition Sun Saturn square Moon; Venus trine Uranus sextile Mars Neptune. Uranus opposition Sun Saturn.

Jonathan Aitken 10H Sun trine Mars trine Saturn.

  Noel Clarke has tr Pluto opposition his Saturn till the end of this year which is discouraging plus a devastating Solar Arc Neptune opposition his Saturn this year as well. Tr Saturn will square his Mars bringing setbacks through this coming winter, followed by an insecure Solar Arc Uranus opposition his Mars in 2026. His birth time is ‘memory’ so could be questionable.

 Not of monumental importance but interesting.

“The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox” is a new documentary about the legal fiasco which saw her imprisoned for a murder she did not commit in Italy. It was followed by an acquittal, subsequently overturned, before being dismissed categorically and compensation paid after an EHCR ruling that her rights had been violated in the initial interrogation without a lawyer or interpreter present. In all she went through a gruelling marathon from the murder of her flatmate Meredith Kercher in 2007 until 2019.

 There were odd resonances throughout in particular her bizarre behaviour after finding Meredith’s body and a media frenzy which labelled her as Foxy Knoxy, putting her on the wrong side of public opinion. After she returned to the US after her prison sentence, she finished a degree, and wrote a book about her case and became an activist for the wrongfully accused.

    She married and has recently produced two babies and had an active social media presence with copious photos of her in her underwear which hardly helps to boost her gravitas.

  Born 9 July 1987 2.47 am Seattle, Washington, she has a 2^nd house Sun, Mercury and Venus in Cancer in opposition to Neptune in Capricorn in her 8^th and square an Aries North Node  in her 11^th.  Neptune in the 8^th occurs in film stars’ charts, giving them an unconscious ability to project an aura. In her case it clearly propelled her onto the public stage in a different way; and may also account for her ‘dissociated’ or spaced-out behaviour after the murder.

  Her Sagittarius Moon in the needs-a-partner 7^th is conjunct a self-willed, irritable, high-tension Saturn Uranus conjunction so she won’t find relationships easy. She also has a Mars in flamboyant Leo square Pluto in Scorpio which carries overtones (or undertones) of acute frustration, anger and fear. It will tend to attract her consciously or unconsciously to dramatic and risky situations.

 Plus she has a yod onto Pluto inconjunct her North Node sextile Ascendant.

  Meredith Kercher, 28 December 1985, also had a hard Mars Pluto in a conjunction with her South Node and conjunct Knox’s Pluto – so quite a tangle. And Meredith’s Capricorn Sun was exactly conjunct Amanda’s 8^th house Neptune. There was some weird karma going on in there even if the murder was all drifter Rudy Guede’s doing.

  In the aftermath of the murder, Knox had tr Pluto moving through her trapped 8^th until 2019 when she was finally offered compensation for her botched interrogation, prosecution and conviction. She also had her Solar Arc Saturn conjunct her 8^th house Neptune in the immediate aftermath, with her Solar Arc Uranus, Moon and latterly Saturn all opposing her Cancer Sun through the years-long ordeal which followed.

  When it finally came to an end in 2019 with the EHCR compensation ruling tr Uranus was conjunct her Jupiter for a sigh of relief.

  Her scapegoat 12^th harmonic is powerfully aspected with a 12H Grand Cross of Sun opposition Mars square Uranus opposition Mercury; and a Grand Trine of Sun Jupiter Pluto.  The meaning of this number is sacrifice  – being sacrificed or becoming a victim to other persons’ intrigues. 12 warns against being a victim of circumstances or dragged into other people’s affairs to suffer the consequences. It can be the harmonic as well of the victim/healer.

Mars Pluto can also carry the meaning of having the misfortune to suffer brutal assaults.

  I am still puzzling about what drew her into the centre of a media storm and made it all too easy for the public to project onto her their prejudices – apart from her 12^th harmonic I mean. Her 8^th house Neptune North Node would be part of it plus Mars square a yod apex Pluto. The way the story was spun plus her own odd behaviour made her difficult to warm to.

The US stock market has lost $1 trillion in just four days as a sell-off of tech companies deepened amid fears that an AI-powered stock market rally could be about to collapse. The drop-off has been fuelled by concerns that AI companies are overvalued, with some claiming they have little to show for the billions of pounds of investment that have been ploughed into companies such as OpenAI.

 Stock Market prediction is an even less exact ‘science’ than electoral forecasting though some rules do hold good. One is that Jupiter Neptune is a harbinger of bubble-bursting as was the case for the 2000 DotCom bust when there was an exact square. One occurred earlier this year and the next hard aspect is due mid 2028. But on its own it happens relatively frequently so more must be involved.

 Looking across various stock indexes and AI/tech companies involved, 2028 does flag up as a period of major disruption with a fair  amount of upheaval between now and then. By 2028 there is not only Jupiter opposition Neptune but also Saturn in Taurus square Pluto which might hint at a major war somewhere on the globe which could affect trade and economics.  In 2028 tr Pluto will also oppose the US ‘leadership’ Leo North Node which is a sensitive point. Tr Neptune opposed it at 9/11 – I am not suggesting anything similar merely that it will affect the USA’s status through 2027/28.

  The Nasdaq 8 February 1971 9am New York, has tr Uranus opposition its Neptune Jupiter in 2026/27 along with tr Saturn Neptune square the financial Venus in 2026 into 2027; with a major jolt of insecurity in 2028 as the Solar Arc Uranus is conjunct the Mars.

S&P 500 4 March 1957 will be up and down through the coming winter, edgy, confused and unsettled in 2026/27 and most at risk of panic/failure in 2028.

The FTSE (UK) 3 January 1984 again looks unsettled in 2026/27 with tr Uranus opposition the Venus; and most agitated in 2028 with SA Neptune square Saturn and SA Mars conjunct Uranus.

  Notable companies involved in this sector of the market – Nvidia, Intel, Palantir, Meta, Amazon – all look to be following the same pattern with a bumpy road for two/three years peaking in significant challenges by 2027/28.

ADD ON: A doom warning about a fool’s paradise is also being issued about crypto currency, described by an FT journalist as ‘either genius financial engineering — or a Ponzi scheme upon a Ponzi scheme or a CDO-squared’.

  Charles Ponzi had raised as much as $20mn in seven months a century ago in a  scam investment scheme that promised to double investors’ money in 90 days.

 CDOs are collateralised debt obligations — the mortgage derivatives that boomed in the years up to 2008. Like crypto, they were a hyped asset class with little fundamental value. ‘As the fever peaked, CDOs were so hot that financial engineers dreamt up the CDO-squared — made from an amalgam of other sliced-and-diced CDOs, which in turn had sliced and diced the original ropey mortgages. Disaster, predictably, ensued.’

 A skip through a few crypto charts also highlights 2028 as a year of upset and alarm with a fair few upheavals and setbacks before then.

Immigration is inflaming tensions in the UK, Europe and the USA, headlined as an unsolvable problem and scaremongered as a threat to national identity. Looking back in history it is clear that ‘invasions’ by foreigners – in the case of Britain – Roman, Anglo-Saxon (Germanic), Viking (Scandanavian) and in the case of Spain the Moorish take-over from the 8^th to 15th Century all left their mark on language, cultural and social practices, were absorbed and in some cases later expelled though leaving behind traces of their presence.  The Christian Crusaders who settled in the Middle East brought back with them knowledge of architecture, astronomy, alchemy and much else when they were finally repelled in the early 14^th Century. So cultural appropriation has always been a valuable part of human history.  

  In the 20^th Century displacement of people after World War 11, the fall of the old USSR in 1990 and the Middle East collapse into chaos in the early part of this century, plus drought and unrest in Africa have hastened the influx – with risk and poverty in South America sending many fleeing north to the USA.

  There are no specific markers astrologically for immigration bar a thought about 9^th house (long distance travel) – and some have suggested Jupiter Neptune. It appears strongly in the UN Refugee Convention of 28 July 1951 set up after World War 11 to protect displaced people. Though it was also around for Brexit in 2015 which was partly motivated by a wish to curb immigration. 2015/2016 was also when Denmark dramatically tightened its rules on immigration.

 The UN Refugee Convention chart is under severe pressure at the moment with the Solar Arc Mars conjunct the Saturn and SA Sun conjunct Neptune – undermining its ethos.

 George H Bush’s US Immigration Act of 29 November 1990 which helped permit the entry of 20 million people over the next two decades, the largest number recorded in any 20 year period since the nation’s founding, came about during Saturn Neptune in Capricorn; and is mired in confusion around now with SA Neptune square the Pluto.  But the present Saturn Neptune has seen Trump repelling immigrants with chilling fervour – and in the UK, outrage about illegal immigrants being housed in hotels in residential areas has led to public demonstrations.

  One key difference in modern times in contrast to the past is the welfare system and social housing. In the UK especially with the health service, housing provision and national finances all creaking badly, there is understandable anger about immigrants soaking up limited resources. And bringing in immigrants from backward regions with differing cultural practices especially with regard to women is guaranteed to cause trouble; as is making little effort to integrate newcomers into the broader community, allowing ghettos to be set up.

   Yvette Cooper, the UK Home Secretary, has been landed with the unenviable task of sorting out the immigration problem (and Palestine Action). Born 20 March 1969 in Inverness, Scotland. She has a last degree Pisces Sun conjunct Scheat and North Node in Aries opposition Jupiter Uranus in Libra which feels erratic; with a tough yod of Neptune sextile Pluto inconjunct Saturn Venus in Aries. Her chart has only one Earth sign so lacking in practicality?

  Tr Saturn Neptune are opposition her Jupiter at the moment denting her confidence and moving to a high-tension opposition to her Uranus in 2026. Over the winter tr Saturn Neptune will conjunct and undermine her Sun. With a nerve-stretched tr Uranus opposition her Neptune also over the winter and an even more worrisome her Solar Arc Uranus conjunct her Neptune in 2026.

For extra thoughts and some stats see previous post:

Immigration – social cohesion not differences ++ the case against multiculturalism 3rd March 2024

ADD ON: Sweden’s migration system pre 2015 was open and unrestricted. Schools and social services struggled to keep up. The failure to integrate immigrants led to the “ghettoisation” of some groups — and a precipitous rise in gang crime. Sweden went from having one of the lowest levels of fatal shootings in Europe to one of the highest in a decade. In 2016 the centre-left prime minister put in tougher border controls, offered temporary (rather than permanent) residence permits, and tighter rules on family reunification. In 2022 a new government reduced asylum rights to the minimum allowed under EU law. Swedish citizenship is harder to get with with new language and cultural values tests (like commitment to free speech and democracy). Rejected asylum seekers are being housed in return centres, while deportations of illegal migrants have been ramped up. And there is an emigration strategy — offering cash grants of £26,000 to migrants who choose to depart voluntarily.   

The goal is to ensure a cohesive society that can successfully absorb newcomers, because it’s not fair to anyone, including immigrants, if public services and communities are coming apart at the seams.

Denmark now has the toughest rules on immigration which have been pursued by a centre left government.

Participation in the labor market is seen as the primary means of integrating immigrants into society.

In 2016, Denmark introduced a controversial law allowing authorities to seize asylum seekers’ assets to help cover the costs of their stay.

The ability for refugees to bring family members to Denmark has been significantly limited.

The Danish government has focused on addressing what they term “ghettos” or “parallel societies,” often involving the displacement and relocation of residents from these areas.

Some policies are driven by a desire to preserve Danish culture and national identity.

Despite efforts to promote integration through work, challenges remain in integrating immigrants, particularly those from non-Western countries.

The eldest son of Norway’s crown princess has been charged with 32 offences, including four counts of rape with one of them allegedly taking place after his arrest, and could face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of the most serious charges. He does not have a royal title or official duties and is stepson of Crown Prince Haakon.

 I do not normally write in advance of legal proceedings but his background and that of his mother never mind their astrology is fascinating.

  His mother Mette-Marit was born 19 August 1973, with a journalist father who was a convicted for violent assaults. Her parents divorced, and her father later married a professional stripper. One step-brother, Trond Berntsen died in the 2011 Norway attacks. She had a rebellious youth at one point in a relationship with a man convicted of drug-related offenses; and had a son, Marius, with another convicted felon.

  Needless to say the Norwegian public were less than enchanted when Crown Prince Haakon decided to marry her. Since then she has taken several university-level courses and obtained a master’s degree in executive management.

 She has a late Leo Sun conjunct Alphard (Hydra, the Water snake) which gives artistic appreciation, strong passions, lack of self-control. ‘The native seeks the limelight, power, authority, and gain fame for themselves, good or bad. Negatively, the star imparts to its natives suffering from their acts, possible loss of both  position and power and authority. Subject to legal entanglement and a possible judicial sentence. The native is jealous but makes an effort to conceal it.’ Bill Clinton has his Sun conjunct Alphard.

  The rest of her chart is notable with six planets in early degrees – Jupiter in Aquarius is in a confident and charming trine to Pluto Venus and a risk-taking, opportunistic square to Mars in Taurus (maybe conjunct a Taurus Moon). Her Saturn is in a tough-minded square to Venus Pluto. She also has three yods of Neptune sextile Jupiter inconjunct Saturn; and Venus Pluto sextile Neptune inconjunct Mars; and Mars sextile Saturn inconjunct Neptune  – making Saturn, Mars and Neptune her apex planets, giving her a heavy karma, a tendency to be overly-impulsive/attract her to aggressive men; and to be elusive or uncommitted.

Oddly in some ways she is not dissimilar to her husband Haakon, the Crown Prince, 20 July 1973 2.12pm Oslo, Norway. His Venus in Leo is conjunct her Sun for attraction and an affectionate bond; both have Jupiter in Aquarius and her charmingly, seductive Venus Pluto conjunction connects with his Pluto and opposes his Pisces Moon. What may also be relevant is his Sun/Moon midpoint, the marriage significator, is conjunct Algol, arguably making him attracted to drama and a walk on the dark side. He is also rebellious with Uranus square his Cancer Sun so he’d be keen to suit himself and rock the boat when the mood took him.

Marius Hoiby, 13 January 1997, who appears to have been the result not even of an affair but of a passing moment (wiki), has an overly confident Capricorn Sun, Neptune, Jupiter conjunction with a Pisces Moon. But like his mother his chart is otherwise early degrees.

  He has Mars North Node in Libra opposition Saturn square Venus Mercury in Capricorn  – emotionally insensitive from Venus Mars and Venus Saturn as well as South Node in Aries, possibly sexually compulsive also from Venus Saturn with hints of unfair treatment in childhood which he has turned round in his adult life to act out on others.

  His can-be-unkind Mars opposition Saturn forms a Half Grand Sextile with Pluto and Uranus which is volatile and would need a constructive outlet otherwise it could turn bad.

 His mother’s synastry with him is hardly sympatico with her Venus Pluto conjunct his Mars and opposition his Saturn and square his Venus Mercury; and her Saturn blocking him every other which way.

  His early degree planets – Saturn, Mars, Venus, Mercury, Pluto, Uranus will all be seriously rattled through the next two years. As will his mother’s.

N.B. Crown Prince Haakon’s sister Prince Martha Louise, recently embarked after a divorce on a controversial marriage to a shaman.  See previous posts:

Princess Martha weds her shaman  1st September 2024

Princess Martha Louise – a truly 8th house entanglement 4th October 2023

“We ignore the gods and fill our minds with trash.”  Rainer Maria Rilke.

  Starting with a mea culpa for a plunge into the rancid world of reality shows and tabloid hysteria. The Kardashians are practically in the rear view mirror, with the Beckham/Peltz family feud stepping in as the daily-rag top delight. Followed closely on this side of the Atlantic by the Katie Price circus.

 For those mercifully ignorant, she is a former topless model, surgically impaired after endless cosmetic procedures, twice bankrupt, with a grubby, pig’s breakfast lifestyle and an addiction to publicity. The rest of the cast for this tawdry drama are her daughter, a sweet, sad 18 year old Princess Tiaamii (Andre), her father Peter, divorced husband of Katie, and two other divorced husbands, Alex Reid and Kieran Hayler.

  The Princess Diaries have just launched on TV – the 18 year old’s attempt to make sense of her over-exposed life and boost her influencer profile, which by all accounts is dull and melancholy. Mama has taken a hissy fit and spouted off about being banned from sharing the spotlight, with all three ex-husbands now vowing to spill the beans singly and cooperatively on her past misbehaviour and untruths.

  The poor teenager stuck in the middle, under the custody of father but fond of her mother despite the running embarrassment, was born 29 June 2007 at 8.49am London and has a cool, sophisticated Venus Saturn in Leo conjunction on her Ascendant opposition Neptune  on her Descendant. Her ever-optimistic Sagittarius Moon is conjunct Pluto in her attention-seeking 5^th trine Saturn Venus and square an 8^th house Uranus = an all-over-the-place, unpredictable mother both possessive and defensive/not there. Princess also sadly has a mother-oriented Cancer Sun with Mars in Taurus conjunct her midheaven as she follows mama’s ambitions career-wise though in a less gawdy, exhibitionist way. She also has Jupiter in her 4^th a hint of the support she got from her steadier, calmer father.

 Katie Price, 22 May 1978, no birth time but maybe 7.30am with Jupiter Venus in Cancer on her Ascendant. She has a Gemini Sun with a Scorpio Moon and Uranus square an angry, hard-edged Mars Saturn conjunct in Leo. She has spoken of being abused sexually as a 7 year old and car jacked and raped while filming in Africa in 2018. On both those occasions her Mars Saturn conjunction was being triggered. She has had innumerable relationships and (I think) seven children, including one severely disabled.

 Her Mars Saturn in Leo conjunction falls on her daughter’s Venus Saturn Ascendant and opposition Neptune – so she will crash into Princess T’s life when the youngster is trying to attract attention for herself. There will be affection with Katie’s Jupiter Venus conjunct Princess’s Sun Mercury but definitely more minuses than pluses.

 Her father on the other hand, Peter Andre, has a Pisces Sun which falls in the Princess’s 7^th house of partnership along with Venus for an easy supportive bond.

 Princess’s relationship chart with her mother has a competitive Sun Mars conjunction; with a chained-together and resenting it Saturn square Pluto; an emotionally troubled composite Venus opposition Uranus Neptune; and a stressed composite yod onto the Sun.

 Just another messy, tragic family as fodder for the public need for sensationalism.

  Juvenal’s edict to quell the masses by giving them ‘bread and circuses’ still holds good.

*******

“People may trash me, but at least they’re talking about me.” Laura Loomer.

“Trash has given us an appetite for art.” Pauline Kael

ADD ON: The older brother of the sad Princess Tia, is rapper Junior Andre, born 13 June 2005 10.05 am London, who has, according to reports, distanced himself from his mother and the running dramas around her life and relationships. Like her, he is a Sun Gemini but her Mars Saturn in Leo falls on his Ascendant – as it does with his sister – so mama threatens to overshadow everything. Also like his sister Katie’s unsettled Uranus falls in his domestic/family 4^th. And her South Node is conjunct his 8^th house Mars – so her impulsive, self-centered and less evolved actions trigger his buried anger.

Winston Churchill or Charles de Gaulle – who was the greater leader? A niche question about bygone times but relevant given their ability to lead their country through perilous times. A new dual biography of them shows how different they were: one patrician and curiously childish, the other a bourgeois brigadier.

 Winston Churchill, 30 November 1874 1.30am Woodstock, England; Charles de Gaulle, 22 November 1890 4am Lille, France.

  They did have some similarities and in different ways rallied morale. Both had an adventurous, upbeat Mars Jupiter conjunction in an Air sign – de Gaulle in Aquarius and Churchill in Libra.  Both had a determined Pluto in the 8^th giving them unseen power and influence and a streak of stubbornness.

 Indeed both had Pluto and Neptune in the 8^th giving them the ability to project a powerful and mesmerising aura – as indeed did Hitler.

 ‘Churchill, who believed that nothing was inevitable, was a more optimistic human being than de Gaulle whose thinking  “was permeated by … a melancholy, sometimes apocalyptic, belief that all human enterprises will fail sooner rather than later. In his darker moments, he was not sure that even France would endure.”

   Churchill had a fiery Sagittarius Sun in his communicative 3^rd house and a Leo Moon conjunct Regulus; where De Gaulle was a Sun Scorpio with a cautious Saturn in Virgo. De Gaulle did have his Venus and Mercury in Sagittarius and an Aries Moon.  But he lacked WC’s Fire Grand Trine of Moon trine Neptune North Node in Aries trine Venus in Sagittarius.

 A Fire Grand Trine is inspirational, has strong self-belief, is a risk-taker, can be arrogant and unrealistic. “For one extraordinary moment all his defects became qualities . . his defiance of the rules, even his “detachment from reality”, of which his colleagues had long despaired, became a “superb optimism of the will”. At that moment he became the personification of a colossal national effort.

  What is interesting is Churchill’s relationship chart with the UK which has a fated composite yod of Jupiter sextile Saturn inconjunct Pluto North Node – tr Jupiter was moving through Aries as war started in September 1939 with Churchill moving from Head of the Navy to PM in 1940.

  De Gaulle’s relationship chart with France was also inspirational in its own way with a composite Jupiter trine Pluto trine Neptune; though also tied together with a focal point controlling Pluto which possibly made De Gaulle a better peacetime leader than Churchill who was better suited to Boys Own Paper escapades.

  Churchill was rife with flaws – bad judgement of people. He liked Mussolini and Stalin, was racist and fought to keep Edward VIII on the throne. There is an unnerving thought that had Edward not abdicated it is unlikely when Chamberlain resigned, that as king he would have accepted the recommendation to send for Churchill, the “warmonger”, rather than an appeaser.

  But for all that his Fire Grand Trine was wildly unrealistic and over the top, it was that which made the difference as he ‘empowered Britain to stand among the Second World War’s victors as probably no other contemporary Englishman could have contrived.’

It’s extraordinary to think that Churchill was born a decade after the American Civil War, rode in a cavalry charge in 1898, lived through atomic bombs and died a decade before the foundation of Microsoft.  

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Zelensky backed by European leaders is due to meet Donald Trump at 1pm EST after his Alaskan two-step with Putin which was consummately finessed by the Russian leader.

 The Sun at 26 Leo exactly conjunct Trump’s blowhard Mars suggests he’ll be on his typical blustering and grandstanding form. The Sun is also in a wide-ish yod inconjunct Pluto sextile Saturn Neptune which suggests indecision and discouragement.

 Trump and Zelensky do not get on with Zelensky’s Saturn in Leo conjunct DT’s Mars and Ascendant; and Zel’s Sun Venus in Aquarius opposition DT’s 12^th house Pluto. Zel’s Uranus is also square DT’s Pluto and widely his Mars.  Not a recipe for cooperation. This translates on their relationship chart to a toxic-dislike composite Saturn Mars North Node square Neptune.

  There is nothing much in the astrology to suggest a sudden or happy end to the illegal Russian invasion –  see previous Ukraine posts. Starmer who is supposed to be a Trump-whisperer looks frustrated in the extreme with DT as he leaves the White House meet. And Zelensky’s Saturn at 28 degrees Leo will be sagging in the days to come and agitated over the winter.

 But pondering gloomily about the impasse and the bad guys winning, a thought crossed my mind which may be clutching at straws —– but there has been a curious tie-in between DT and Putin since 2016 and before. Sometimes with these political duos, even ones which are at odds, when one goes so does the other.

  Putin’s 5^th Term, 7 May 2024, is limping through 2026 and in a panic about failure by 2027. His original Presidency chart, 31 December 1999,  which did lurch badly two years back, has a potentially destabilising  Solar Arc Uranus square the Pluto from late this year through 2026; with massive confusion in 2026 and dead halt by 2027.

  Trump’s Inauguration chart hints at increased unpopularity as the Solar Arc Saturn is conjunct the Venus from mid this October into mid and later 2026. The Progressed Moon moves to square the Sun by February 2026 and square the Pluto a month later. With an uncertain tr Saturn conjunct the Neptune and North Node through this winter.

His own chart is swimming even deeper into Neptunian swamps with his SA Neptune conjunct his Moon now and opposition his Sun in 2026; with tr Pluto into his 6^th house of health; and his tr Neptune into his 8^th house of joint (business) finances and cooperation.

   Not to suggest that Trump will exit stage left anytime soon but his screw up of Ukraine, Gaza and the economy will be what pulls the rug out from under his feet. And if Putin by some miracle did depart Trump would be sitting in an exceedingly draughty spot all by himself contemplating his failings.

Actor Terence Stamp, the face of the Swinging Sixties, a star of Billy Budd, Far From the Madding Crowd, Poor Cow has died. Known as  “the most beautiful man in the world” he was beloved by the paparazzi as well as being a favourite of directors like Pasolini, Fellini, William Wyer, Soderbergh, Joseph Losey. He rose to international stardom with his first movie and then as his career faltered in the 1970s he disappeared off to an Indian ashram, returning in 1978 to play in Superman and latterly having a surprise success in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

 He was born 22 July 1938 11.58 am London, the son of a Thames tug-boat pilot, a heavy drinker who eventually died of cirrhosis. He was turned down for National Service because his feet were different sizes and auditioned for a place at a Dramatic Art school where he shared a flat with Michael Caine.

He romanced Julie Christie and became the face of young London chic with supermodel Jean Shrimpton before retreating to India. He remained unmarried until he was 64, when he took a wife 30 years his junior. It lasted six years and in later life he lived an almost ascetic existence in London.

  He had an extraordinarily intense, introverted and troubled chart with a 10^th house Sun, Pluto, Mars in Cancer conjunction. He once said ‘I have a lot of rage inside me. My acting is a kind of outlet for that. If I wasn’t an actor, I’d probably be a psychopath.’  Mars Pluto Sun can carry a deep reservoir of boiling frustration and fury.  He also had an 8^th house Taurus Moon conjunct Uranus on one side and conjunct South Node and Algol on the other, all in a creative trine to Neptune in his 12^th house. At one point he had a heavy drug problem which can go with Neptune in the 12^th plus 8th house plus his 10th house bubbling cauldron. His Neptune was also inconjunct a 7^th house Saturn in Aries, which may be one indicator of an unmarried/uncommitted to close-partner existence. Plus Moon Uranus.

  He did have Jupiter in Pisces in his 5^th giving him confidence as a performer with a leaning towards fun and parties.

 If his birth time (from memory) is accurate he has Vindemiatrix exactly conjunct his Ascendant and Sirius exactly conjunct his Midheaven. Sirius on the neck of the Greater Dog, Constellation Canis Major, is the brightest star in the sky. Sirius marks immense creative talents in any field at all with ‘only’ the warning that there may be more inner power than can be safely managed. It gives honor, renown, wealth, ardor, faithfulness, devotion, passion and resentment.

 Vindemiatrix, situated on the right wing of Virgo, on the Ascendant is said to help mental concentration.  Though it may also carry Virgo’s reputation for self-sufficiency.

  Stamp’s profile declined sharply at the end of the 1960s and work dried up. “It was a mystery to me. I was in my prime. When the 1960s ended, I just ended with it.” One obituary remarked despite his charm and looks, Stamp never fully achieved the success predicted for him as an actor. His self-destructive tendencies were summed up by one wit who called him, ‘The man who threw himself off the edge of a decade.’

  What is intriguing is that the tragic star Natalie Wood, born two days earlier on 20^th July 1938 at 11.16 am San Francisco, California, has almost the same chart.  She has Sun Mars, Pluto conjunct in Cancer in her 10^th with her Midheaven conjunct Sirius and her Ascendant conjunct Vindemiatrix, South Node conjunct Algol. Only her Moon at zero degrees Taurus was different.