“What you see is what you get” applies to some, but Shakespeare wasn’t wrong in his estimation that “ all that glisters is not gold — gilded tombs do worms enfold.”   The gulf between the public image and the private reality is always most marked with political or celebrity figures, who sell a seductive slice of their personality for mass consumption and bury the rest and in a few cases create an entirely false persona.

  Before elections when feelings are running high it is all too easy to become misled and ignore part of the birth chart that does not fit the brand that is being marketed.

  I was always concerned about Barack Obama’s Neptune – in Scorpio square Mercury and Sun and Jupiter.  Compassionate, idealistic, a dream-maker certainly – but practical?  decisive? having the necessary ruthlessness to push through essential but painful policies – hmm.

David Cameron – all smarm and bonhomie with a charming Libra Sun Venus and Moon Jupiter in Leo. But what did he do with that wayward 12^th house Uranus Pluto? It was always going to emerge to catch him out.

Tony Blair dazzled the UK with his boyish enthusiasm in 1997 – Mars Jupiter on a Gemini Ascendant – and for a few months the country was energized.  Then the unbudgeable, control freak started to emerge – Taurus Sun square Pluto opposition Moon.

  Joe Biden won the election on promises of compassion and empathy – and he does have a generous-spirited Jupiter in Cancer trine a Sun Venus conjunction.  But he’s also got Mars in Scorpio square Pluto which is anything but touchy feely – can be ruthless, brutal, hard-hearted and loathes taking advice which will  feel like being manipulated to him.  He has an extraordinarily Fixed, obstinate to the nth degree temperament.

The Telegraph in talking to people close to the administration points to a picture of a stubborn-headed and defensive president and a staff too afraid to question him. One said, “the downside of discipline is if you’re running things like an autocracy, and you broker no dissent internally.” 

   His Inauguration chart does have dictatorial Pluto on the midheaven – which again was mystifying and did not sound like a Democratic president. But the astrology will out one way or the other. This administration chart also has Uranus square Saturn, which he has conjunct in his natal chart – and that combination can be autocratic, not practising what it preaches.

According to reports Biden is good at shutting out ‘media noise’ which can be useful since news outlets can get worked up to hysterical levels and then it all blows over. But it can also mean his antennae are blunted for issues which will damage his reputation.

  It’s worth keeping a lookout over the next month since the Progressed Moon on the Term chart with conjunct the 12^th house Mars Uranus which does look exceptionally rattled. And Biden’s Pluto square Mars is catching the tr Saturn hard aspects over the next few months and tr Uranus will oppose the Mars for the final time in this November and again in early 2022.

PS. This post is about the astrology not the politics so I’d be grateful if you would leave out  party political comments.   

Add On:   Boris Johnson has an appealing Libra Ascendant for his birth chart set to New York (where he was born) and a rousing Sagittarius Ascendant set for London. He’s also got a charm-offensive Sun Venus in Gemini and spell/fantasy weaving Jupiter Neptune – all of which obscures the streak of nastiness, hostility and power-driven which dominates his chart – from Mars in Gemini square Pluto Uranus and Saturn.

His relationship with Biden is inherently hostile and tense as well as suspicious with a composite Mars Pluto trine Saturn and Saturn opposition Neptune. And that can’t be fixed.

Biden and the USA:

Joe Biden has his Jupiter conjunct the USA Mercury opposition Pluto so he will present as an encourager and motivator for the country. His Midheaven is conjunct the USA Neptune which will foster a more compassionate tone though it also squares the USA Mars so will provoke arguments as well. Though he isn’t as heat-provoking as Trump whose Sun was conjunct the USA Mars with his Moon in opposition and his Saturn was conjunct the USA Mercury for a downbeat connection.

What may be most important is Biden’s Pluto conjunct the USA ‘leadership’ Leo North Node which should help to shape the USA’s path ahead and bring about a transformation.  Trump’s Pluto is also conjunct the US Node though not as closely and he clearly had a Plutonic effect on the USA – Pluto being destructive and power hungry as well as an influencer.

  Biden’s relationship chart with the USA has a friendly composite Sun Venus Mercury sextile Jupiter; but also an explosive composite Mars square Uranus and sextile Pluto – part of this latter will help in pushing through significant policies of change but will also lead to disruptive discussions and differences.

Add On: Kamala Harris is not a great fit with the USA. Her Libra Sun opposition Aries Moon sit in square to the US Pluto opposition Mercury. And the relationship chart has a disruptive, explosive Mars Uranus square Neptune and trine Pluto which is being seriously rattled over this year and next by tr Pluto in opposition to the Mars and Uranus and tr Neptune square the Saturn this year. She won’t inspire confidence.

Her astrocartography shows her Sun shines brightest in Bejing being on the Midheaven there. Afghanistan is a no no with Saturn on her IC. Iran/Iraq are combat zones with her Mars on the Midheaven. Pakistan and India are troubled areas for her.

For previous post with more detail on Harris see July 3 2021

Haiti has been hit by a 7.2 magnitude quake which has killed at least 304 people [now reckoned nearer 1300 dead, with 30,000 homeless), injuring more than 1,800 and toppled buildings including churches and hotels. The country is still recovering from the devastating 2010 earthquake and the assassination of the president a few weeks back.

  Haiti has a complicated and stressed chart with an ‘unlucky’ Sun Mars in Capricorn square Saturn; and a confident Pluto trine Jupiter sextile Sun Mars – so equal parts crises-attracting and good fortune.

  When the 2010 quake occurred killing somewhere around 150,000 people or more, tr Pluto in Capricorn was exactly conjunct the Haiti Mars and exactly square the Saturn – so pulling out all the accident-prone, destructive side of the chart. The Solar Arc South Node was also conjunct the Haiti Pluto, hinting at the collapsing power of Pluto perhaps?

  At the moment the Solar Arc Pluto has moved to square the Sun this year for a considerable road-block on progress. But the Eclipses this year are not as negative as they were in 20210 – with Mars in the IC for the Lunar and Neptune on the IC for the Solar.   This year admittedly both recent Eclipses had the brutal, damaging Mars opposition Pluto (across the 8th/2nd Koch houses) and Neptune in the 10th – but not quite as upsetting as 2010.

See previous post July 7 2021.

The worst mass shooting in the UK for a decade which left five dead including a young child and the killer’s mother, was fuelled by the misogynist Incel philosophy. Involuntary celibate men are members of hostile online groups who blame women for their sexual failings, hold nihilistic views of life (black pill) – and most hate their mothers. Just before he self-destructed, Jake Davison said on line that he was “bitter and jealous” and that women “treat men with zero respect or even view them as human beings”.

 There’s no birth date for Davison but skipping back through the recent high profile Incel mass shooters several Astro-aspects stand out.

   Of the seven I looked at 4 are Libra, two Leo and one Scorpio. The majority of them have hard Saturn aspects to their Sun, which suggests damaged self-esteem, a sense they are not good enough. Three out of the seven have Mars in Leo which may be less Incel and more they want to make a splash that attracts attention – and all of them have a sprinkling of other planets in Leo.

  There are no birth times unfortunately so Moon aspects are not obvious but don’t seem to be that relevant. Though there are three with possible Moon Pluto hard aspects, a sign of the smothering, over controlling mother.

  Libra and Saturn appear to be the standout features.

Wild and wayout are never descriptions applied to Tom Hanks, known as the nicest and sanest man in Hollywood. But his second youngest child, Chet, a wayward provocateur, rapper and anti-vaxx conspiracy theorist, with a cocaine problem and no brakes on his mouth, could not be more different.

 Chet was born 4 August 1990 in the middle of the chaotic, wilful, can-be-inspired or the opposite, triple conjunction of Uranus, Neptune, Saturn in Capricorn with a Capricorn Moon. He also has an enraged Mars in Taurus opposition Pluto square his Leo Sun so he will harbour a good deal of anger and frustration.

  His Capricorn planets oppose Tom Hanks’ Cancer Sun so it isn’t an easy interface for father though Chet’s Venus in Cancer is conjunct. Chet’s Sun is conjunct Tom’s Leo Moon which is a great connection but not with a Mars opposition Pluto getting in the way. Chet’s seeking-a-cause Aquarius North Node is opposition his father’s Moon and his own Sun, which may point to him trying to mark out his own territory, albeit in a shambolic way.

  Tom Hanks said it was trickier for the younger children since they arrived after he had become a star so they had to cope with all the trappings.  There’s clearly a good deal of affection between them – with Moon Sun and Sun Venus crossovers. Though there’s also an overdose of defiant, outrageous and rebellious energy determined to rock the boat.  In the relationship chart this emerges as an explosive composite Mars opposition Uranus which goes along with starkly different agendas and an unwillingness to compromise.

Pity Chet does not have a birth time since it would help.

The Taliban have over run city after city in Afghanistan with a wholesale collapse of the national security forces and are now within 30 miles of Kabul. The entire country is expected to be under their brutal control within months, if not sooner, which regrettably is reflected in the astrology – see previous post July 6 2021.

   The scramble to airlift out embassy staff and vulnerable Afghans who helped the allies has drawn comparisons with the Fall of Saigon in late April 1975 which brought a humiliating end to the failed war in Vietnam.

  Both wars were launched on overly impetuous Jupiter aspects – high in confidence, low on realism, slapdash. 

  The Vietnam War in 1955 launched with Jupiter Pluto conjunct in Leo squaring onto Saturn Venus in Scorpio. Jupiter Pluto can be fanatical and self-assured, as well as arrogant, but is blocked here by reality-check Saturn.

  The Afghan War in 2001 was kicked off as a response to 9/11 with a crusading, overly zealous and self-justifying Jupiter opposition Mars, with Jupiter inconjunct Pluto. Saturn was then in a tough tough opposition to Pluto and semi-sextile Jupiter. So again a similar feel of too much Jupiter in conflict with Saturn.

  When the Vietnam War ended in a shambles tr Saturn was conjunct the USA 1776 Cancer Sun exactly and square the US Saturn.

  This year as the Afghanistan withdrawal leaves chaos in its wake tr Neptune is opposing the USA Neptune and tugging on the failure-ridden square to the US Mars; with tr Saturn conjunct the US South Node, exact this October when the extent of the collapse will be even more starkly obvious.  9/11 occurred with tr Neptune was conjunct the USA South Node which always seemed to me the most significant aspect – a devastating blow to America’s ‘leadership’ Leo North Node.

  There was never going to be an easy answer to Afghanistan and much of the blame attaches to the early decisions of GWB and cronies, but it could turn out to be a blot on Joe Biden’s copy book. Relocating his chart to Kabul puts Saturn on his Ascendant as well as Uranus.

Add On: The Taliban was spawned out of the chaos of the Soviet-Afghan War, proclaiming a Caliphate on April 3^rd or 4^th 1996 and in power between 1996 and 2001. The proclamation date gives a confident Sun square Jupiter with an emotionally intense Venus opposition Pluto and a cruel/military Mars in Aries conjunct Saturn, in a ruthless trine to Pluto and in an opportunistic, crusading square to Jupiter. Mars Jupiter often uses religious justifications for aggressive actions. The brutal Mars trine Pluto is further emphasised being in a mini-Grand Trine, sextile Uranus.

  It’s not that dissimilar to the Al Quaeda chart of 11 August 1988 with a Leo Sun trine Mars in Aries and square Pluto. With Pluto trine Venus, inconjunct Mars and sextile Neptune. Both have Mars at almost the same degree in Aries.

  The Taliban chart clashes badly with the Afghan country chart with the Taliban Neptune opposition the Afghan Mars, undermining the country’s assertive drive, causing panic; and the Taliban’s ferocious Mars is square the Afghan Pluto for a destructive, enraging connection.

  The relationship chart is bleak with a chained-together and resenting it composite Sun Saturn square Pluto. It is under disillusioning and disappointing Neptune influences this year into early 2022; with feelings running high in 2022/23 with tr Pluto opposition the composite Venus.

  Where the Taliban chart runs into trouble, if the start date holds good, will be 2023 when there is a Solar Arc Pluto square the Saturn for deprivation, hardship, financial setbacks. Though even before then with tr Pluto conjunct the Taliban Neptune from early 2022 to late 2023, there will be widespread confusion.

  The Afghanistan chart looks road-blocked and threatened in 2022/23 with tr Pluto opposition the Mars but there could be changes come 2024 as tr Uranus square the Sun and tr Pluto approaches a confident-push square to the Jupiter in 2025, though before then picking up the uplifting Jupiter midpoints from 2023 onwards. So paralysis for a couple of years and then maybe more hopeful.

Ben Roberts-Smith, Australia’s most highly decorated former soldier is the subject of a war crimes investigation by the Australian Federal Police over “questions of unlawful conduct concerning (Australia’s) Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan”. He denies the allegations and is suing various media outlets for defamation in their subsequent reporting. His estranged ex-wife has now emerged to suggest he buried classified material on flash drives in their back drive.

  Born 1 November 1978 in Perth, he has a New Moon in Scorpio in a confident square to Jupiter; as well as Uranus, Venus, Mercury, Mars in Scorpio so an emotionally intense stellium of dogged determination. Not a man to take slights and accusations lying down.  He has Jupiter in flamboyant Leo trine Neptune, sextile Pluto so super-ambitious, not always realistic. His Neptune is also in a can-be-uncertain square to Saturn in hard-working Virgo.

  He isn’t looking too upbeat ahead with a hopes-dashed tr Neptune opposition his Sun/Jupiter midpoint till early 2023 plus a couple of ratchety Sun midpoints catching the tr Uranus square tr Saturn this year; and a trapped, frustrating tr Pluto square his Mars/Node in 2022/23 with more panics in 2023/2024.

I think it was the Egyptians who reckoned the two best signs for military leaders were Scorpio and Leo.

Ron De Santis, Governor of Florida, is on a mask-defying rampage as his state becomes the epicenter of a more transmissible surge of COVID-19 with hospitalizations climbing. Local school boards are refusing to follow his executive order banning mask mandates, despite threats to withhold funding. He was elected governor in 2018 with a 0.4 percent margin of victory. His stance has played well so far to his base but the virus may well be the deciding factor in his 2022 re-election and his hopes of GOP nominee in 2024.

  He’s in an oddly mixed year with an undermining tr Neptune opposing his Virgo Sun till early 2022 and tr Neptune also taking the shine off his lucky Jupiter/Uranus midpoint as well in 2021/2022. He looks panicked and confused this December and trapped in an enraging situation from early 2022 on and off till late year with tr Pluto square his Mars – and that is exact across the November elections. But he’ll be in ranting and raving form all the same and by 2024 he picks up a confident tr Pluto square his Jupiter, so whatever happens he won’t be down and out.

  Democrat Charlie Cridst may be the best hope against him but his Astro isn’t looking too cheerful ahead.

 Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, is facing the same problem with hospitalizations soaring on the back of his stalwartly anti-mask stance. He’s in a guddle and a muddle this year with an undermining tr Neptune opposing his Mars/Uranus midpoint (2022 as well) and the tr Saturn square tr Uranus colliding with his Uranus, and Sun/Mars and Sun/Neptune midpoints until early 2022. But thereafter he looks more upbeat and confident in January and again August to early December 2022 with tr Pluto energising two of his Jupiter midpoints. Not all of his plans will work out but he looks fairly buoyant. Where he hits the skids is in 2025/2026 with tr Pluto square his Mars and Neptune in Scorpio.

Please add below. Older posts under News on top bar.

Argentinian Lionel Messi, regarded as one of the best football players of all time, has left Barcelona FC where he has spent his entire super-successful career, amidst much regret and tears after contract negotiations failed. He has moved to Paris St Germain.  Last year he wanted to leave Barcelona and this year he had changed his mind but it didn’t work out.

  He was born 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Argentina and his birth time appears to have moved from 6am to 5.20pm (from memory), so should be regarded as iffy. He’s a Sun Cancer trine Pluto and opposition Neptune in Capricorn; with Jupiter in upfront Aries in an adventurous trine to Uranus Saturn, and in a risk-taking square to his Mars in Cancer.

  He’s looking buoyant this year with tr Pluto square his Jupiter this December but his chart is a touch swampy and uncertain from April 2022 onwards with tr Neptune square his Uranus and opposing his Sun/Saturn, on and off into 2023, which isn’t too exciting either.

  A Sun Cancerian won’t be too happy about leaving what has effectively been his home for two decades.

 See previous post below, written with the 6am birth time.

Post Aug 27 2020

Lionel Messi, reputed to be the best football player of all time, has shocked fans by announcing he wants to leave Barcelona after 20 seasons at Barcelona. At 32 he is nearing retiring age but everyone thought he would see his days out in the place he called home. The club’s performance has been deteriorating in the past five years so it’s assumed he wanted one last shot at greatness before hanging up his boots. There’ll be a vicious legal wrangle before he goes and it’s not clear he’ll be able to reverse out of his contract.

  Born 24 June 1987 6am Rosario, Argentina, he’s a Sun Cancer in the financial 2^nd house opposition a mesmerising 8^th house Neptune square North Node in Aries. His ambitious Mars Mercury in Cancer are also in his financial 2^nd house in a risk-taking square to Jupiter. He has a confidently enthusiastic Jupiter in Aries in an adventurous trine to Uranus and a well-balanced trine to Saturn.

 He has had tax authority problems with fraud charges being laid which he blamed on his father who handled his business affairs. That is interesting in terms of his 8^th house Neptune, which Sean Connery also has – and his wife Micheline was embroiled in a major Spanish tax tangle recently over the sale of a house. The 8^th house rules joint and business finances and Neptune there can indicate evasiveness where authority figures are concerned. Which being Neptune usually comes out into the open at some point.

   Messi does have tr Pluto opposition his Mars trailing on from last year until late this November which is acutely frustrating so he won’t have been contented. Especially with tr Pluto still moving through his trapped 8^th house where it has been for the past decade or so. And tr Saturn has also been moving through his 8^th since late 2017 which won’t have improved his spirits either.  I wouldn’t be surprised if there hadn’t been more financial headaches although the main tax charges were theoretically tied up in 2016.

  It’ll be easier on him from the New Year with tr Saturn moving out of his 8^th and the tr Pluto Mars aspect being finished. But he’s still got tr Neptune trailing along for a couple more years square his Saturn/Uranus midpoint and then his Uranus. But he’ll be energised with tr Pluto square his Jupiter over the New year and on and off through 2021.

  Barcelona FC was founded 29 November 1899 and has a lively Sun Uranus in sporting Sagittarius, with Mars Node, Mercury, Saturn, Venus also in Sagittarius and Neptune Pluto in Gemini. Messi’s Jupiter in Aries trines most of the Barcelona Sagittarius planets and the Barca Jupiter in money-magnet Scorpio is trine his Mars Mercury. But there would always have been rough edges with Messi’s Saturn Uranus conjunct the Barca Mars, Mercury, Saturn.

  The relationship chart has a friendly, business-like and innovative composite Sun opposition Venus square Uranus Saturn with a go-getting Jupiter trine Mars.

  The club is labouring under the same swampy Neptune transits over the next three years as Messi is, so it won’t be a progressive time for them.

Add on:

Thanks to Jamie.

“It’s in Spanish but an Argentine astrologer Juan Cruz Sirius has just uploaded to his blog what he claims is the real birth certificate of Messi. The birth time given is 8.30 pm.”
https://astrologiadeportivaa.blogspot.com/2021/08/la-verdadera-carta-natal-de-lionel.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR0_DktXA4xawZJNgTxGzFUmpll1D9yxyNsf3_WH1yFLPtJs_zYNB61KDYk

Virginia Giuffre has brought a civil suit in the USA against Prince Andrew, alleging she was sexually assaulted by him in London and New York when she was 17. He has consistently denied the claims. The suit claims the prince engaged in sexual acts without her consent, knowing how old she was and “that she was a sex-trafficking victim”.

   Whether it goes the distance remains to be seen and most such cases don’t end up going to trial. It could be settled beforehand or be struck out by a judge or the complainant could cease the action. He won’t face criminal exposure but could be on the hook for significant damages if it goes against him.

  Legal experts say it comes at an unfortunate time for Prince Andrew with the Ghislaine Maxwell trial due in November and the added pressure could persuade her to cooperate with federal prosecutors and provide more information about the individuals who were in the orbit of Jeffrey Epstein.

  What is clear is that both the Prince and Virginia look under considerable pressure and acutely frustrated presumably for different reasons from early 2022 to late 2023. Prince Andrew’s 6^th house Mars Venus in Capricorn is under assault from tr Pluto conjunction and her Mars in Cancer at the same degree has the tr Pluto opposition and square her Pluto Saturn. Their charts from the start were chained together in an extremely unhealthy, dangerous way with her Mars square Saturn Pluto keying into his IC and Mars Venus.

  Her Leo Sun is also in his 1^st just below his Ascendant so she is (and always will be) a significant marker on his image.

  Their relationship chart looks logjammed and trapped in 2022/23 so whatever happens with the law suit the aggro will run on.

Neither is looking remotely happy for three years ahead. Though with both having the same Leo Ascendant, they will have tr Jupiter through their 8^th in 2022, which could arguably see her on the receiving end of a payout and he maybe inheriting a chunk from Prince Philip.   

   Andrew’s chart in addition to the Pluto grind through his 6^th house of health and work has a ‘shocking’ and upsetting Solar Arc Moon conjunct his Mars mid 2022. He’s looking understandably upset exactly now with tr Uranus square his Sun/Venus midpoint and soon in an insecure square to his Sun/Mars; as well as the damaged-reputation tr Pluto square his Midheaven now till late November.

  He does have the odd Jupiter lift ahead from Solar Arcs, Midpoints and houses, so he will be handed an undeserved dollop of luck along the way. But those Pluto transits will be punishing.

See previous post June 8 2020.

As an addendum – his not quite ex-wife Sarah Ferguson is looking deeply unhappy and backed into a corner through this December with tr Pluto square her Mars.

Add On: The Royals will be on edge with yet another scud missile threatening to hole their reputation below the water line. Even the Queen looks less than enamoured of her supposedly favourite son with tr Saturn conjunct their composite Mars exactly now and moving to oppose the composite Pluto for the rest of the month; both of which repeat mid-November to early December, presumably aggravated by the Maxwell trial. A lot of anger and frustration tied up in there. Plus a fair amount of jousting for the upper hand.

  Andrew and Charles have famously never got on with a competitive sibling hostility rolling under the surface. At the moment everything is going up in the air between them with tr Pluto opposition the composite Uranus till late November and continuing in a devastating square to the composite Neptune throughout 2022 – and not improving thereafter.

  Prince William has never taken to his uncle with tensions and suspicions souring their relationship. There could be a significant rupture between them in 2023/24, worsening for the three years following.

 His sort-of-ex-wife Sarah is tied to Andrew’s fortunes, since he bales her out financially when she gets in trouble which is very frequently – and that bond will be undermined and jolted significantly in coming years – not parting company but they’ll have a rough ride together.