Oliver Sacks, the neurologist, naturalist, historian of science, and author was once described as the “poet laureate of contemporary medicine”, and “one of the great clinical writers of the 20th century”. He became widely known for writing best-selling case histories about both his patients’ and his own disorders with some of his books adapted for plays and films. He was fascinated by how the brain deals with perception, memory, and individuality and once said the brain is the “most incredible thing in the universe”.
He was born on 9 July 1933 in London (no birth time sadly), the son of a Lithuanian Jewish doctor father with his mother being one of the first female surgeons in England. She was one of 18 siblings and he had an extremely large extended family of eminent scientists, physicians and other notable individuals.
He was evacuated with his brother when he was six to a boarding school out of London where he remained until 1943, being half-starved and badly treated by a sadistic headmaster.
He’s another with an extra difficult chart. He had a controlled Sun Pluto in Cancer with his Pluto in a disruptive square to Uranus – not the recipe for a settled life but he had the makings of a breakthrough-researcher. He also had a Yod of his Cancer Sun sextile a confident Jupiter in Virgo inconjunct Saturn (and Moon?) in Aquarius, which last points to a scientific bent. His Saturn opposed Mercury and Venus in Leo making him fear he was less intelligent/articulate than he’d like and less lovable. A Saturnine Yod often brings major difficulties initially with low self-esteem and feelings of despair.
His medical career had a rocky start as he went through periods of self-doubt and he dabbled extensively in recreational drugs. He was described by a colleague as “deeply eccentric” and he admitted to suffering ‘severe shyness’. He never married, remained celibate for most of his life though ultimately he settled into a committed partnership with NY Times writer Bill Hayes.
Like many genius level thinkers his Neptune is strongly marked – not obvious on his chart without a birth time. But it stands out amongst his midpoints.
An outstanding mind and talent went hand in hand with a fairly tortured life.
Patrick Stewart, a respected classical thespian and an intergalactic hero has had an extraordinary six decade career on stage and screen from unlikely beginnings. He honed his talents in the Royal Shakespeare Company only coming to an unexpected and reluctant superstar role in his late forties as Captain Luc Picard in Star Trek which has been reprised this year with another scheduled for shooting once the pandemic lifts.
He’s been filling in his spare time recently recording one of Shakespeare’s 154 sonnets every day and posting them on Twitter and Instagram.
He was born 13 July 1940 in Mirfield, England, no birth time sadly, in a home with no indoor bathroom. He was happily spoiled by his mother for five years until his father, a Regimental Sergeant Major with a sterling record, returned from the war, suffering from combat fatigue — post-traumatic stress disorder. He was violent towards Patrick’s mother and she refused to leave. In recent years Patrick has supported campaigns against domestic abuse and violence against women.
At school, he joined the drama club which he said was a revelation. “The first moment that I walked onto the school stage I felt safe — it was the safest place I’d ever been. For one thing I wasn’t Patrick Stewart, because I didn’t like Patrick Stewart very much.” He left school at 15 to become a trainee journalist, but an English teacher encouraged him to apply to the Bristol Old Vic theatre school and he was given a full local authority grant to fund him through it.
He was born at a challenging and dangerous time during World War Two when there was a Jupiter Saturn conjunction in Taurus square Mars, Mercury, Pluto in Leo – all of which may well tie into his Scorpio Moon, well some of it will undoubtedly tie in. Incredibly fixed and enduring, determined, adventurous and brave. He’s also got the inspired, creative Uranus in Taurus trine Neptune in Virgo of the time, which in his case, sextiles onto his Cancer Sun, so is an integral part of his personality.
With Saturn leading his Jupiter conjunction he’ll always experience the setbacks and difficulties first, then the rewards and luck second. He’s got a high coming in three years time when his Solar Arc Jupiter is conjunct his Pluto, but will still have to face the Solar Arc Saturn conjunct his Pluto which is stuck in about eighteen months time.
A lovely man and super-talented, though with a distressingly difficult chart.
The UK once nominated as Treasure Island by an over excited pro-Brexiteer has now turned into a Leper Colony, shunned by Europe and elsewhere as a plague carrier. Deemed a global Typhoid Mary as Covid-19 appears (according to a panicky media) to have gone rogue, the UK is now the sick man of Europe and beyond.
The foreign media are having a field day:
“Once more shown the yawning gulf between the prime minister’s airy promises and the real world.”
“A man who thinks optimism is a substitute for hard truths and proper management.”
“The continental blockade is “even more effective than that decreed by Napoleon in 1806, cutting Britain off from the rest of Europe and from parts of the rest of the world.”
“Already girding for the country to finalise its messy divorce from the EU, the sudden sense of being cut adrift from the bloc – and from the world at large – feels like a bitter taste of what might be to come.”
Not all of the bad publicity is fair since the incidence of infection is higher in some other countries; the ‘mutant’ virus may well be spread across the EU but is more obvious in the UK since it has better genome testing to pinpoint it; and the science behind the evolving virus may well have been misrepresented by a clearly agitated PM. Mutations seem to be normal and often occur in a less virulent form.
The UK chart has remarkably little to show for all the meltdown-anxiety apart from Solar Arc Mars conjunct the 3rd house Mercury. The third house is the chart area to do with transport and everyday movements, so anger or shock at yet another set of lockdown restrictions does fit. But other than that not much on planetary aspects though there are a sprinkling of less than ecstatic transits to midpoint:
Tr Pluto opposition Mars/Ascendant exactly now till late January 2021 – forcible adjustment to new circumstances, quarrelsome, subjugation.
Tr Neptune square Saturn/Node – feeling neglected, misunderstood, lonely, uncertain – October 2020 to late January 2021.
Tr Uranus square Sun/Pluto – December 21st to early February 2021 – sudden adjustment to new circumstances (arrest), carrying out fanatic reforms.
On midpoints in early 2021 – late January through February looks no better with tr Pluto square the Uranus/Neptune midpoint – losses, catastrophes, blown around by events and unable to resist. Plus tr Pluto conjunct the Mercury/Pluto midpoint at the same time which tends to bring bitter attacks, nervous strain, deceit.
And Boris’s Term chart certainly has a calamitous-fiasco tr Neptune square the Mars/Pluto midpoint, from October 2020 to late January 2021. See previous posts.
One thought did strike me looking at the ‘Great Conjunction’ of Saturn Jupiter in the Capricorn Ingress chart. It falls on the Ascendant located to London so would appear to be more significant for the UK than elsewhere. And thinking about the Jupiter Saturn conjunctions in the last century, they did coincide with momentous events for the UK which drew a global spotlight onto Great Britain, and not all negative.
The Prince Charles and Diana fairytale wedding of 1981 on Jupiter Saturn in Libra was watched by megabillions round the globe. It didn’t end well but for the moment it was a British triumph and a delight.
In 1960 on the Jupiter Saturn in Capricorn, the Beatles burst onto the music scene and became the most influential band of all time, known round the globe.
In 1940 on the Jupiter Saturn conjunction in Taurus the Battle of Britain was fought, with the German air force bombardment of the UK, intended to soften the country up to sue for peace. Against the odds it failed, the UK stood firm and it was the first German defeat and a crucial turning point in the war. This conjunction also saw the evacuation of Dunkirk, another against-the-odds UK triumph, which rescued one third of a million Allied troops from occupied France, although there were also heavy losses.
In 1901 with the Jupiter Saturn in Capricorn in place Queen Victoria died, who had been on the throne for nearly 64 years.
So history-changing moments which brought the UK into the spotlight, not all enjoyable, but not all disastrous either.
2000 and 1921 had such conjunctions but I can’t think what was too earth-shattering in those years. If anyone likes to pitch in, you’re welcome. And for historians if you’ve an idle moment over the festivities to check events against Jupiter Saturn conjunctions the previous occurrences are listed on: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_conjunction#List_of_great_conjunctions_(1200_to_2400_AD)
The England 1066 chart does have Jupiter Saturn in Virgo. The 1801 chart has Jupiter and Saturn both in Leo, though not conjunct, and they only came together late in 1801 as both moved into Virgo. So there will be a resonance.
George Clooney has been joking about coping with three year old twins during lockdown as he does publicity rounds for his latest movie The Midnight Sky which streams on Netflix from tomorrow.
The twins were born 6 June 2017, no time sadly, which makes them restless, chatty Geminis with an intense Scorpio Moon, Venus in Taurus and Jupiter in Libra – which fits them in neatly with their very different parents.
George, 6 May 1961 2.58 Lexington Manor, KY, is a Sun Mercury in Taurus with Moon Saturn in Capricorn and Pluto in Virgo – very earthy – though he does also have Jupiter in Aquarius and Venus in Aries. He’ll connect with their Scorpio Moon and Venus in Taurus.
Amal, 3 February 1978, Beirut, no birth time, has a predominantly Air chart, as befits a high IQ human rights lawyer, with a Sun Venus in Aquarius trine Pluto and widely trine Jupiter in Gemini with a Sagittarius Moon. She’ll resonate with their Gemini Sun.
George and Amal’s synastry isn’t that remarkable (two charts compared to one another) but their relationship chart is super-strong, very private, and power-couple-influential. There’s a composite Grand Trine of Sun to Mars to Neptune, formed into a Kite by Sun opposition Pluto.
There will be a few hitches, glitches and bumps along paradise road through 2021/22 with the tr Uranus square tr Saturn catching George’s Taurus Sun (in 2022) opposition Neptune (in 2021); and Amal’s Sun Venus square Uranus; as well as their composite Saturn. Amal looks frustrated and trapped through 2021/22 with tr Pluto opposition her Mars as well which may well be a legal case causing angst and some risk.
Billy Connolly fans are in for a treat with an ITV special to mark his 60-year career on stage in stand-up comedy. One critic remarked that “hot angry hurt was the jet fuel of his comedy – roaring at 400 words a minute – shouting, swearing, singing, turning audiences to liquid — the stories bursting from him like blood from a severed artery.” He also appeared in 40 films most notably Mrs Brown opposite Judi Dench.
Born 24 November 1942 4.30am Glasgow, Scotland, he had an appalling childhood with his mother abandoning the family when he was four, unkind aunts (one psychotic) who were forced to act as caretaker parents; and an abusive father after he returned from the war.
He has now stopped touring after contracting Parkinson’s, says art is his life or he is taking it easy in his Key West home with his second wife therapist Pamela Stephenson with assorted grandchildren coming to visit.
He has a charmingly outspoken Sun Venus in Sagittarius in an erratic opposition to Uranus Saturn in Gemini in a talented Half Grand Sextile to Neptune and Pluto in his 10th – so he would become, as often happens with Pluto in the 10th, something of a legend. He’s also got the blessing of Jupiter in his 10th which would help his progress towards success. Neptune in the 12th is a pointer to his struggles with alcoholism.
He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2013 along with prostate cancer though the latter has now cleared. That was when his Solar Arc Midheaven was conjunct his Neptune, making his direction uncertain. Tr Saturn was then moving downwards through his First Quadrant which would pull him back from an overly busy, high profile lifestyle.
He does have tr Pluto coming up to oppose his Jupiter through 2021/22 which should lift his confidence though he seems sanguine about not having long to go.
His creative, ‘seeking soul’ 7th harmonic is strong. Even more so is his genius/breakthrough 13H which as I recollect Peter Sellers also had. And his super-star 22H is challenging, angry and highly communicative. Not an easy start but he made the most of his abilities.
Pamela Stephenson, 4 December 1949, is another Sagittarius with a Taurus Moon in an intense square to Pluto and a hard-edged Mars Saturn in Virgo which squares his Moon. It’s not intuitively an easy match but it has lasted for forty years and he credits her for saving him when he was on a downward alcohol spiral.
Eccentric, idiosyncratic, an unrepeatable talent – very much a one off.
China is becoming a focus of concern and dislike for a litany of sins. Having stitched up Hong Kong, dishonouring the 1997 deal, Beijing has then turned its increasingly hostile gaze across the Pacific region, notably targeting Taiwan. This pits China against the USA and its allies amongst them Australia, New Zealand and the UK. There is also a dangerous standoff with India over one of their border regions (see post June 17 2020). And the EU is digging in its heels, refusing to sign a China trade deal because of the plight of the Muslim Uygurs and other minorities in detention camps and the extensive use of forced labour.
Xi Jinping’s Term chart, 24 October 2017 12.30 pm Beijing, has a confident and successful Sun Jupiter in a risk-taking opposition to Uranus, so he’s not afraid to go for expansionist gambles. Jupiter in a term chart usually bestows luck, whether deserved or not, so it’s tricky to know quite how 2021 will shake down with tr Pluto square the Term Uranus from late February for two years which can on its own be destabilising. What is certain is that tr Neptune square the Term Saturn from late May 2021, on and off till late 2022 will cause considerable uncertainty and some panic.
This coincides with tr Neptune square his Gemini Sun (yet another one!), which or may not give rise to yet more questions about his health. His Term chart given that he’s now into an infinity presidency will run into a dead halt come 2024.
The two China charts do indicate an exceptionally rocky road ahead. The 1 January 1912 chart (which showed up the Covid-19 crisis most clearly) has tr Pluto continuing to assault the natural-disaster-prone and highly-strung, can-be-fanatical Neptune opposition Uranus for another three years. There will be frustrations and anger from tr Pluto trine the Mars till late 2021; and economic hiccups from the middle of this year as tr Uranus is conjunct the Saturn in Taurus into 2022. 2022/23 will be years of major disruption, perhaps rebellions, certainly a degree of mayhem not seen for decades.
The China 1 October 1949 chart has a worrisome, explosive tr Uranus square the aggressive 7th house Mars Pluto from the middle of 2021, exacerbating in 2022 as both tr Uranus square tr Saturn hit on the Mars Pluto. There will be setbacks, high insecurity which could lead to rash actions.
Joe Biden’s chart relocated to Beijing isn’t as aggravated as his astrocartography to Iran, Russia and the Middle East. Though his relationship charts with both China charts, will be up and down with a discouraging sense of slog from late January 2021 and some reversals mid year onwards.
Add On: From Mark Annand. “To add further credence to your outlook for crises ahead, we need look no further than the chart for the CCP which controls practically everything that moves in China. It’s start date is 23 July 1921 Shanghai putting the Sun at 29Cancer15 nicely lined up for the first demolition hammer blows of a Pluto opposition, in orb by 20 March 2022 and exact for Pluto’s first pass 11 months later on 20 February 2023. All of which seems to correspond closely with the timings given in your report.
Russia is being fingered for the widespread cyberattack on agencies across the U.S. government, the most significant hack in years. Mike Pompeo is openly saying it was Russians while Trump, sticking to his playbook, flatly denies it and insists the culprit is China.
Joe Biden will be faced with the problem from day one, along with a million others dilemmas. Looking at his astrocartography he does have his combative Mars in Scorpio on the Descendant relocated to Moscow so it’s a country that will raise his ire. Mars lines are where previous presidents went to war. It’s unlikely he’ll send in the gunboats, but that Mars Descendant line may be a hint of where his foreign policy hotspots will be. This line runs up through the Arab Gulf States, Saudi Arabia and Iran as well as Russia. Indeed his relocated chart to Teheran puts Mars exactly on the Descendant so an even tighter stress-point than Moscow.
Biden’s other Mars lines don’t look too likely to cause trouble. His Mars Midheaven runs up through the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and up through Greenland. His Mars IC through eastern Australia and his Mars Ascendant through the USA.
The relationship chart between the USA and the Russia 1917 chart is under disappointing, undermining influences in 2021; with the major aggravation through 2022/23 when tr Pluto opposes the composite Mars. The USA/Russia 1991 relationship chart is rocking and rolling uneasily from early 2021 for two years; and more notably slipping and sliding in a sea of high anxiety and suspicion through 2022/23.
For the UK: Unsettled and high-tension with his Saturn Uranus on the IC through London. Not a priority for co-operation with North Node in the 7th; plus intense, at times, bitter and stubborn discussions with Pluto on the Descendant square Mars in the 9th – ideological differences. An elusive, evasive Neptune in the 8th house of trade and commercial agreements.
Relocated to Dublin is marginally easier with Jupiter on the Descendant.
Details are just emerging about a shell company set up by Jared Kushner in 2018 to allow Trump and family to bypass federally required financial disclosures on how campaign funds were spent. Over $600 million from the $1.26bn coffers were funnelled through an opaque company with Lara Trump (Eric’s wife) named president, and Mike Pence’s nephew John Pence as vice president. The allegation is that this allowed the Trump inner circle and friends to be paid vast sums without it being under scrutiny.
One media outlet’s story was headlined: “Jared Kushner Might Have Helped The Trump Family Launder Campaign Money.” Vanity Fair said: “OOPS: Jared Kushner reportedly created a shell company to secretly pay Trump family members and spend half the campaign’s cash.”
Although Lara Trump resigned before most of the cash was paid out she may still end up under federal investigation as complaints are being laid. Born 12 October 1982, she’s a Sun Venus in Libra with Saturn Pluto also in Libra – a mix of cool charm and unyielding determination. Her Solar Arc Mars is squaring her Saturn around now which will accompany a considerable setback with tr Pluto conjunct her Solar Arc Mars and square her Saturn from exactly now as the story breaks and on and off through 2021; followed by worse as her Solar Arc Mars squares her Pluto in 2022/23. Her life will shudder to a halt.
The company set up on 18 April 2018 has the same timeline and though now not operational it will still be affected by the influences. It has a ruthlessly determined Mars Pluto in Capricorn, which comes exact by Solar Arc in late 2021/2022; and Pluto square Sun Uranus in Aries. Which latter will be turned upside down by tr Pluto square the Sun Uranus in 2022/23.
Jared’s relationship chart with Trump which has a fated Yod tying them together irrevocably for good or for ill, is in for a fair battering from this coming July onwards, with a few disappointments before then. But mid 2021 onwards for two years will be nerve-stretched and deeply insecure as tr Uranus opposes the composite Neptune through the second half of 2021, followed in 2022 with tr Uranus square tr Saturn hitting on the composite Neptune Mars on one foot of the Yod; and more serious setbacks and frustrations also in 2022/23.
Representatives of the Sackler family, who became multibillionaires by selling OxyContin widely held responsible for creating the US opioid epidemic which has claimed more than 500,000 lives, did nothing to damp down public hostility when two of the extended and extensive family turned up this week at a US congressional committee. Apologies and acknowledgements of wrongdoing were not forthcoming which prompted infuriated members of Congress to liken the Sacklers to the Mexican drug cartel leader, El Chapo, and the multi-billion dollar fraudster, Bernie Madoff. One congressman said he thought they were possibly the most evil family in America.
A previous post with detail on the founders is at September 16 2019.
In the late 1990s Dr. Richard Sackler, senior vice president and then president of Purdue Pharma, aggressively pushed back, when concerns started to become public, according to newly unsealed documents. He said a robust response was in order insisting that oxycontin was “less prone to addiction potential, abuse or diversion” than other opioid pain pills. https://www.statnews.com/2019/12/02/purdue-richard-sackler-proposed-plan-play-down-oxycontin-risks/
Purdue Pharma continued to market and sell opioids as late as 2019 and then faced with a mountain of lawsuits filed for bankruptcy in September 2019. In October 2019 the privately owned company reached a settlement of around $8.3bn, admitting that it “knowingly and intentionally conspired and agreed with others to aid and abet” doctors dispensing medication “without a legitimate medical purpose”.
What is intriguing from an astrological point of view is the proliferation of Uranus Neptune across most of the available charts. The founder Arthur and one of the early trio of brothers were born on the Uranus opposition Neptune. The company LLP of 14 June 1991 was on the Uranus Neptune conjunction in Capricorn.
Richard Sackler, 10 March 1945, the more recent face of the company over its horror period is a Sun Mercury in Pisces in an expansive opposition to Jupiter in Virgo. There is not much notable without a birth time except that his Pluto sits exactly on the midpoint of a Uranus trine Neptune, with his Jupiter semi-square his Uranus/Neptune midpoint as well. The third brother of the original founders also has his Pluto semi-square his Uranus/Neptune midpoint.
One of the meanings Ebertin ascribes to Uranus Neptune is ‘elimination of waking consciousness’ and ‘apoplexy of the brain’ as well as instability, confused psychic states, lack of emotional balance. And the Sacklers dreamed up the drug which did all that and made themselves obscenely rich messing with other people’s heads.
There are notably aggressive Mars across various of the charts as well.
