Queen Elizabeth and her PM of the day – the odd couple * +

Queen Elizabeth 11 has seen prime ministers come and go in her 67 year reign – 14 in all including the present one. She sees them weekly for an entirely private meeting and little emerges of her personal likes and dislikes, apart from this time round Boris blowing off his mouth after their first meeting which would not go down well.

Maggie Thatcher she got on with better than credited though it wasn’t a BFF match. There was a composite Sun opposition Venus and a chained-together by circumstances Saturn Pluto. Harold Wilson surprisingly was a favourite as was John Major, both with Sun Venus conjunction in their relationship charts with her.

Winston Churchill her first PM was a tight relationship since she was just learning the ropes – they had a composite enthusiastic Mars Jupiter opposition an idealistic Neptune and controlling Pluto. Tony Blair she didn’t take to with a really stuck, chilly composite Sun opposition Saturn square Pluto.

Nicola Sturgeon’s relationship with her is eexy-peexy with a friendly Sun Venus though trine an illusory Neptune; an aggravated Moon opposition Mars and a chained-together Saturn opposition Pluto – it will be seriously ruffled from June 2020 onwards with tr Uranus opposition the composite Sun and then conjunct the Mars. Alex Salmond she’d find tricky and evasive, keen on gaining the upper hand and erratic.

Her astro with Boris is fairly gruesome with a hostile composite Mars trine Pluto, in a constantly-changing sextile to Uranus; with a delusional Jupiter opposition Neptune. She almost certainly has to pull rank to keep him in place. Plus a ratchety, bad-tempered composite Mars square Saturn. It looks very nerve-stretched and confused between them from late this October effectively through till late January 2020 as tr Neptune squares the composite Uranus.

But whatever her reservations about Boris, her interface with Republican Corbyn not suprisingly is worse with a differing-agenda composite Sun, Uranus, Mercury in a slippery trine to Neptune; and an aggravated Mars opposition Saturn.

Corbyn’s immoveable Mars in Taurus sits on her IC opposition her Saturn in Scorpio and Midheaven and square her Aquarius and Leo planets so not a happy combination.

Boris’s chaotic Uranus Pluto falls in her 8th opposition her Venus which is conjunct his Saturn – so he’s emotionally an unsettling influence for her. And his Cancer Midheaven is exactly conjunct her 6th house Pluto – which can do one of two things. If he listens she could help him improve his methods and approach; otherwise it’ll be a power struggle.

Her Coronation chart, 2 June 1953 11am, did look unnerved over the Brexit vote and result with tr Saturn exactly opposition the Sun and tr Neptune square; and tr Pluto exactly opposition the Coronation Uranus. Last year and this year it’s been moving through tough times with discouragement and confusion as tr Pluto squared Saturn Neptune. It’s in a further slump late October through till late January 2020 with tr Neptune square the Sun/Mars midpoint and sliding further morale-wise in 2021 with tr Neptune square the Mars and Mercury; with an emotional upset from tr Uranus square the Moon. But that may not all be Brexit, given her age.

Boris & Dom Brexit – pots and kettles

 

This is a stumble in the dark since I have zero idea of what’s happening in the near future. Britain is being hurtled along by a manic fantasist and a Machiavellian aide – neither of whom was actually elected by the people – in their helter skelter, do-or-die dash to be rid of the unelected Brussels technocrats. There’s a hint of Trumpian logic in that.

The 31st October has an aggravated, bad-tempered and frustrated Mars in Libra square Saturn and Pluto and a freedom-seeking Sun opposition Uranus; plus a head-in-the-clouds, over-hopeful Jupiter square Neptune. Whether it actually is a split isn’t clear.

Most of the panicky failure influences affecting the Boris crew come mid November onwards. So perhaps Brussels blinks and puts off the evil hour for another few months, at which point the PM and cronies realise what a hole they’ve dug for themselves. Or maybe we crash out and the lorries start backing up from Dover to London as Brussels and France set out on a payback mission. Or maybe there’s a snap election and BJ loses; or he loses a vote of confidence and retreats into a bunker refusing to budge. The possibilities are legion.

Boris’s PMship chart has catastrophe and disappointment write large for a few weeks from mid November and is considerably discouraged from January 2020 onwards.

His relationship with aide Dominic Cummings is sagging badly from mid November and is, in any event, hardly a soulmate connection at the best of times with a chaotic Sun Pluto Uranus and a one-sided, irritable Mars Saturn in the relationship chart. They look hemmed in every which way from late August to early November with tr Pluto square the composite Mars/Saturn and Mars/Node midpoints.

Cummings and Gove are at explosion point in late October and very deflated in November/December. Cummings and Carrie Symonds are at cross purposes mid August to mid September; and Cummings’ relationship chart with the UK also flags up this as a panic point.

Boris himself goes into a spasm and a lurch from 22 September to mid October with tr Uranus square his Sun/Pluto midpoint; and he also has tr Neptune square his Mars/Node which Ebertin describes as ‘disappointment, falsehoods, undermining of relationships’. And worse from mid November for four weeks with his career being damaged, losses, disappointment, lack of energy and motivation – a sag and several banana skins. Plus from mid November all the trapped, cornered, stuck influences on various charts return till mid December.

Who knows? We dragged ourselves out of Theresa May’s Neptunian swamp straight into street racing scenario – who crashes first?

See previous post on Dominic Cummings July 24 2019

Any thoughts welcome.

Joan Hickson – a Leo for Agatha Christie’s Virgo

Joan Hickson, the English actress, who brought Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple to life in a long run of celebrated television episodes was born on August 5 1906. She first appeared on stage in an Agatha Christie play in the 1940s and the author wrote to say she hoped one day she would play Miss Marple.

Joan Hickson was an entertaining Sun, North Node, Mars and Mercury in performing Leo with an Aquarius Moon. What would link her into the role was her Venus in Virgo being in an affectionate conjunction to Agathe Christie’s communicative Virgo Sun; and her Mars being in an enthusiastic opposition to Christie’s Jupiter.

Their relationship chart had a passionately exuberant Mars Venus opposition Jupiter and trine a joint-enterprise Pluto Saturn, square the composite North Node – linking their connection to the zeitgeist.

They might not have got on as 24/7 companions since there was a composite Sun square Uranus and it was a business-like rather than a warm connection but good news all the same.

Hiroshima – closure or vengeance

 

The anniversary of Hiroshima comes and goes without mention unless it’s a round figure memorial – this year being the 74th. Nuclear bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the Americans with the agreement of the British on August 6 and 9th 1945 which brought an end to war with Japan and to World War 11. Over 200,000 died instantly and many more in the months following. An ethical debate has raged ever since with some arguing that the forced surrender saved many lives and others that a punitive civilian strike was indefensible.

There are similar arguments about the bombing of Dresden in early 1945 which killed 25,000 civilians and destroyed the city centre. It was carried out by Allied Forces though it is mainly thought of as a British decision.

The Hiroshima bomb was dropped when Uranus was exactly on the midheaven to the minute of a degree with Uranus conjunct Mars in Gemini. That echoes the Mars Uranus in Gemini in the USA 1776 chart which I’ve always thought was the root of a good many problems of violence; and the ludicrous extremes of free speech allowing racist sentiments to be expressed without restraint. And it does link into Trump’s Gemini Sun which sits exactly on the USA Mars with his Uranus close by.

The USA chart in August 1945 was looking jubilant with tr Jupiter conjunct the Ascendant and moving towards squaring the Solar Arc Sun; with a super-confident Solar Arc Jupiter square Neptune also tugging on the USA Mars.

The preceding Cancer Solar Eclipse which was conjunct the USA Sun and Saturn, set for Washington where the decision was no doubt made, had Mars in heavyweight (and vengeful) Taurus conjunct the Midheaven which in turn was conjunct the destructive Fixed Star Algol. Set for Hiroshima it had expansive Jupiter conjunct the Descendant.

The preceding Lunar Eclipse of 26 June 1945 set for Hiroshima had the Capricorn Full Moon exactly conjunct the Midheaven squaring onto Neptune on the Descendant; with a brutal Mars square a grandstanding Pluto in the 5th. The Capricorn Full Moon was oddly conjunct Japan’s Jupiter – continuing the theme of Jupiter’s presence at disasters. Not always the lucky planet.

It’s tempting to blame America’s dark side for Hiroshima but the truth is that superpowers have always acted badly through the centuries and caused massive damage without much thought. Power corrupts.

For those who like minutiae, below is a Hiroshima post from 6 August 2010.

The Japanese are today marking the anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bomb which was dropped on 6 August 1945 at 8.15 am. About 140,000 died then or in the months following and Japan surrendered, bringing an end to World War 11.

The chart for the bombing has sudden-disruption Uranus exactly conjunct the Midheaven set for Hiroshima – to the exact minute of the exact degree. Uranus was also in an explosive conjunction to Mars and both were in a heavy sextile to Sun Pluto in Leo. Mars was exactly sextile Pluto and trine Neptune. Plus there was an emotionally downbeat Moon Saturn in Cancer in the 10th. The exactness of some aspects is interesting and it is a difficult chart. But for all that it doesn’t have that stagger-back quality you’d expect from such a universe-changing event as the Hiroshima bomb. Mind you neither did the 9/11 chart.

Where the 9/11 chart started to make more sense was in the 16th Harmonic which is multiples of the difficult 4 with a Mars square Saturn Uranus and sextile Pluto with Pluto opposition the 16H Midheaven. And that is pretty brutal.

Where the Hiroshima chart looks more menacing is in the 9th Harmonic curiously which is supposedly about happiness but clearly there’s another dimension. The Hiroshima 9H has a Mystic Rectangle of Uranus Midheaven opp Jupiter; and Mars opposition Pluto; with Pluto trine Uranus MC and Jupiter trine Mars. That looks more along the right lines – especially with Saturn widely conjunct Mars. So a mix of explosive Mars Uranus pumped up by Jupiter Pluto’s hyper-mega tendencies. The difficult side of the 9th Harmonic is evidently egotism, easily hurt, quick tempered. Perhaps seeing Hiroshima as payback for Pearl Harbour makes most sense of this Harmonic.

The Hiroshima 11th Harmonic is also strong. The 11H is about a burning, obsessive dream but gone sour it can have very negative consequences as dreams don’t always act out well in reality. This has a Water Grand Trine of Pluto trine Neptune trine Moon Saturn – Sat Pl is bleak; Pl Nep is nuclear and major confusion; Moon Saturn disregards feelings. And an attention-demanding, inventive Fire Grand Trine of Sun trine Mercury trine Jupiter. With another feeling-dampening T square of Moon Saturn opposition Venus square Sun. And a panicky, overly aggressive, self-justifying Mars opposition Neptune square Jupiter.

On the Japan chart in 1945 there was a Solar Arc Mars square Sun which does usually coincide with a major collision of sorts; plus an undermining, panicky Solar Arc Neptune trine their Mars. There was also a Solar Arc Pluto inconjunct their Jupiter which would fit with overpowering confidence backfiring.

Tracking back on the preceding Eclipses:-

The 9 July 1945 Total Solar eclipse in Cancer had Saturn conjunct and it had Jupiter on the Descendant and Uranus on the nadir/IC located to Hiroshima. It also had an expansive Jupiter trine Mars in Taurus sextile New Moon Saturn – so arguably pushing all that inflated Mars Jupiter into an event of great sadness with Saturn in Cancer on the Eclipse. When the bomb was dropped a month later the transiting Moon was just one degree passed the conjunction to the Eclipse – which is relatively often the case as the following Moon appears to trigger the Eclipse chart.

The partial Lunar Eclipse of 25 June 1945 was even more pointed set for Hiroshima with Moon conjunction Midheaven opposition Sun Nadir/IC square Neptune conjunct Descendant. There was nothing visible triggering that though the chart itself is indicative of a time of great panic and confusion – with Eclipse charts having an effect for some months after the event.

The Solar Eclipse of 14 January 1945 is in many ways just as pointed with Uranus on the Ascendant set for Hiroshima with Venus conjunct Midheaven. That Eclipse Uranus also falls exactly on the Japan country chart assuming a mid day start, suggesting a major turning point in Japan’s destiny. When the bombing happened tr Mars was exactly conjunct the Jan 45 Eclipse Uranus and square the Eclipse MC and conjunct the Japan Ascendant.

The 25 Jan 1944 Total Solar Eclipse was exceptionally difficult with Pluto opposing the Eclipsed New Moon in Aquarius. With an Air Grand Trine of the New Moon trine Neptune and trine explosive Uranus Mars. Set for Hiroshima it had Pluto conjunct Midheaven opposition New Moon conjunct nadir/IC – very suggestive of a total blockage, damage to reputation and status. There was no visible trigger on this chart eighteen months later in Aug 1945 except that Neptune had returned to its’ Eclipse position and was back in trine exactly to the Eclipsed New Moon.

Much the same conclusions as before – Eclipses show tantalising glimpses of events to come but we/I still haven’t quite grasped the cipher.

Toni Morrison – a powerful creative force for good

 

Toni Morrison, the first African American to win the Nobel Prize for literature has died aged 88. President Obama described her as “a national treasure” who was “as good a storyteller, as captivating, in person as she was on the page”. The BBC obituary says: “Known for her searing and lyrical works about slavery and the history of African Americans, novelist Toni Morrison was widely regarded as one of the leading lights of US literature and a champion for repressed minorities.”

She was born 18 February 1931 11am Lorain, Ohio into a poor working-class family and went on to take two degrees at college, taught in a university and moved into the publishing business as a fiction editor. She went on to write 11 novels which have become classics; and one – Beloved-  was made into a film with Oprah Winfrey.

She had a 10th house final-degree Aquarius Sun and Mercury in Aquarius also in the 10th – so communication was always going to be her metier. Her Sun was inconjunct a last degree Mars in Cancer, so she’d be motivated by a fair amount of anger. She also had a restless, brimming-with-initiative Cardinal Grand Cross of innovative, torchbearer Uranus opposition North Node square Jupiter Pluto in Cancer opposition Saturn Venus in Capricorn. She had a tough life with emotional challenges but a great deal of confidence as well. Her Sun was also opposition a creative Neptune which in turn opposed a Pisces Moon. That 1931 generation produced a fair few notable successes in different arenas.

Her writers’ 21st Harmonic was enormously strong; as was her creative 7H. Her breakthrough/genius 13H was marked, as was her leaving-a-legacy 17th and her get-it-together and creative 5H.

Kashmir – beautiful and dangerous ** Updated

Kashmir has been a highly sensitive and toxic hotspot between India and Pakistan since partition in 1947, brewing up two further wars through the decades, as both claim it as theirs and both control parts of it, along with China which has a chunk. Kashmir is 60% Muslim and locals would prefer to be independent or allied to Pakistan. Indian PM Narendra Modi’s Hindu Nationalist party have argued for year that India should take it over completely and his recent sweeping electoral victory has encouraged him to announce direct rule, scrapping a law that had given it partial autonomy since the 1950s.

35,000 extra Indian troops were deployed to Kashmir last week, regional politicians were placed under house arrest, phone and internet services cut, schools closed and a curfew imposed.

The risk is a headlong escalation of two nuclear powers towards all-out war. Protests broke out across Pakistan yesterday after the Delhi announcement.

Previous conflicts took place under Saturn Pluto aspects (see post February 27 2019) but several Saturn Plutos have passed by without any clashes so it doesn’t necessarily mean war. But both the India and Pakistan charts are severely stressed through the remainder of this year especially mid November to mid December.

The January 2020 Lunar Eclipse at 19 degrees Cancer closely tied into the Saturn Pluto conjunction is highly significant for Kashmir, having the Moon/Sun on the MC/IC axis – so that might flag up continuing trouble and crises in the months following.

Both charts for India and Pakistan on 15/15 August 1947 have a volatile, explosive Mars Uranus conjunction natally and that has moved by Solar Arc to catch the transiting Uranus trine, this year and through 2020 into 2021, so there will be ripples of aggravation from that.

India PM Narendra Modi’s Term chart 30 May 2019 7.04pm Delhi, has an 8th house Mars which was conjunct the early July Cancer Solar Eclipse putting his administration onto a more aggressive and combative footing. There’s also a stressed 2nd house Saturn Pluto which suggests financial deprivation and problems; with a highly emotional and grandstanding Moon; as well as deep-rooted anger issues from the Mars. And a very over hopeful streak from Jupiter square Neptune.

The Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s Term chart, 18 August 2018 10.15 am Islamabad, has a high-risk, frustratingly stuck and angry wide Pluto and Mars in Capricorn conjunction straddling the IC, so is sitting on a volcano which may or may not blow. There’s also a divisive, uncooperative Uranus in the 7th suggesting rifts with neighbours – and that last is being elbowed late this December into February 2020.

It doesn’t look that certain that the two countries will be plunged into war though tensions will remain dangerously high. Another screw-up colonial legacy.

Add On: There are two Kashmir charts – one historical from 16 March 1846 and the other the Accession chart when it was signed over to India of 26 October 1947. Both are showing signs of extreme stress over the next several years.

The 1846 one has the dangerous, trapped tr Pluto trine Mars and square Pluto this year and next with the Solar Arc Venus moving to heighten emotional tensions and anger as it squares the Mars and opposes Saturn Neptune till 2023; picking up the undermining tr Neptune conjunct Sun in 2022/23 as well. The 1947 chart is no better with its stressed Mars Pluto Saturn in Leo moving to conjunct the Scorpio Sun from 2018 right through till 2024 which looks suppressive and destructive.

Narendra Modi, the driving force behind this escalation, will be running into financial problems by 2021 and a dead-halt blockage in 2022 as his Term chart faces a Solar Arc Jupiter square Neptune followed by Solar Arc Saturn conjunct Pluto and square the Term Moon.

The Reserve Bank of India, 1 April 1935, certainly echoes fears of financial problems and is looking jittered and shocked in 2020 with Solar Arc Mars square the Sun and in turmoil, scarily trapped and devastated in 2021 and 2022 with Solar Arc Uranus conjunct Pluto and then Solar Arc Pluto conjunct Mars.

The India chart itself is facing considerable challenges and pressures for change in 2020/21 with tr Pluto square the Solar Arc Midheaven; with a radical change of direction coming in 2021/22 as tr Uranus squares the natal midheaven; followed by considerable turmoil in 2022/23 with Solar Arc MC square Moon and Solar Arc Saturn Pluto square the India Moon and tr Pluto opposition the Moon in 2022/23 as well – so a great deal of unrest amongst the Indian population.

All of which would fit with Modi running into severe problems in two/three/four years.

Pakistan is less affected since they declared independence a day earlier and their Moon is at an earlier degree so won’t get those tricky influences inflaming domestic tensions.

Fosse & Verdon – sweet and sour partnership

 

The toxic marriage and thrilling creative partnership of superstar choreographer Bob Fosse who won an Oscar for Cabaret in 1972 and Broadway star and fellow choreographer Gwen Verdon is the subject of a lush eight part BBC/FX drama. It’s co-produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who created Hamilton. Her contribution to their ground breaking work was not fully recognised in her lifetime and she stuck by him despite his being a serial adulterer with an increasingly unstable temperament who was an alcoholic and addicted to pills.

Despite having rickets and leg braces as a toddler, she became an extraordinary dancer, acquired four Tony awards and taught Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe to dance. Her star was in the ascendant when she met and married him and she became his muse and co-choreographer as well as his wife for some years.

Born 13 January 1925 9.57 am Los Angeles, she was an ambitious Sun Capricorn square Mars in Aries; with a fragile Neptune and Moon in Virgo in her 6th house of health; and a charming, creative and successful 10th house Venus, Mercury and Jupiter. She had a healing and introverted Water Grand Trine of an 8th house Saturn in Scorpio trine a 4th house Pluto in Cancer trine a maverick Uranus on her Ascendant, so she’d be used to a difficult emotional life from childhood. But she had the drive to propel herself to great heights with her Pluto opposition her fortunate Jupiter.

He was born 23 June 1927 10.29 pm Chicago; and had a performing and entertaining 5th house Cancer Sun square a lucky and adventurous Jupiter Uranus in his financial 2nd. His ultra-charming and sociable 7th house contained a passionate Venus, Mars and Neptune in Leo, perhaps one reason why he found commitment in relationships and monogamy difficult. His rigid, self-righteous Saturn in Sagittarius in his 10th and Pluto in his 6th would make him tricky to work with and not co-operative.

Her Moon fell in his 7th house of relationships and his Sun in her domestic 4th house – and her Venus was trine his Aries Moon – so there were some good placings. But her Saturn squared his Mars Venus so she would put a damper on some of his high jinks and exuberance.

Their relationship chart was very complicated with a tight, controlling and transformative composite Sun square Pluto; an innovative Saturn trine Uranus; a frivolous Venus trine Jupiter and an over-hopeful Jupiter opposition Neptune; and a needs-space Moon square Uranus.

They separated in 1971 when tr Uranus in Libra opposed their composite Sun and squared the composite Pluto. But they never divorced and she was with him when he died of a heart attack in 1987. She died in 2000.

Fast & Furious – Dwayne & Jason – a dynamic duo

The latest Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham Fast and Furious blockbuster is about to hit screens and is expected to rake in record box office for its opening. Initially reviewed as “complete nonsense but disarmingly pleasurable,” when it started 18 years ago, the franchise has gone from strength to strength commercially over nine movies which are an “ongoing petrolhead epic brimming with thrills, spills and smoke-belching set-pieces.” This one pits lawman Dwayne Johnson and renegade secret service man Jason Statham against Idris Elba’s super-villain.

Dwayne Johnson, 2 May 1972 6.02 pm San Leandro, California, started life as a professional wrestler and shifted over to become one of the highest grossing actors of all time. He’s a heavyweight Sun Taurus trine a lucky and ambitious Jupiter Moon in Capricorn; with a ferociously determined and charming Mars Venus in Gemini square Pluto.

Jason Statham, 26 July 1967 no time sadly, was heavily into sports at school, martial arts, football and diving, and moved via modelling into action movies. He’s an enthusiastic and entertaining Sun Jupiter in Leo with an ultra-determined square to Mars in Scorpio.

He’s a good pairing career-wise with Johnson since his Sun Jupiter falls in Johnson’s 10th house – and that translates in their relationship chart to an exuberant, high energy and fortunate composite Sun trine Jupiter, sextile Mars. There will be some alpha-male jousting since Johnson’s never-say-die Mars square Pluto collides with Statham’s Uranus Pluto in Virgo. And there’s a power struggling Sun square Pluto in the relationship chart but the creative tension probably helps to put an edge on their performances.

NRA – trumpeting their success in loosening gun laws

 

The NRA, despite facing an internal power struggle amnongst senior management and inquiries over financial improprieties, appears to be sailing ahead regardless doing what it does best – fending off any tightening of gun laws. The Texas Branch of the NRA crowed six weeks ago that it had a “highly successful” year as every one of the bills they backed to loosen existing laws was signed in by the Texas Governor and legislators.

The NRA chart, 17 November 1871 has an immoveable, dogmatic and obstinate Scorpio Sun opposition Pluto; and the assassin’s signature Mars Saturn exactly conjunct in traditional Capricorn. There’s a degree of confusion and uncertainty on this chart just till the end of this year with tr Pluto square the Neptune. But it’s real test will come between 2022 and 2025 when tr Uranus is conjunct the Pluto and then opposition the Sun which will threaten to turn it upside down. But it is a very stubborn chart and won’t be easy to shift.

Looking to see what hooks the NRA into the USA – the NRA Pluto falls (on my time) in the USA 8th which is possessive and controlling. The NRA Gemini North Node is conjunct the USA Mars. A Gemini Node is a free spirit, dislikes restrictions, shirks responsibility, doesn’t understand the rights of others, ultimately for development must move away from sport towards higher knowledge (seems unlikely). Most pointedly the NRA Jupiter is conjunct the USA Mercury and opposition its Pluto with the NRA Neptune square – so its over-confident and head-in-the-clouds approach taps into that fanatical streak in the American temperament.

The relationship chart is even more stark and brutal with a ruthless composite Mars Pluto opposition Sun Mercury and trine Saturn – lashed together, highly controlling, enraged. But the bond is slowly being eroded by tr Neptune opposition the composite Sun in 2020/21 and then moving to hard aspect Pluto, Mars and Mercury from 2021 to 2024. Neptune is a great dissolver of foundations so maybe, just maybe, it’ll rust through the chains that bind the USA to its addiction to guns. Though it’s difficult to see how they’re going to get this genie back in the lamp even with a determined legislative push.

Trump naturally has a cosy relationship with the NRA with a mutually supportive composite Sun, Jupiter, Venus – though there’ll be a sharp, short shock late this December to early February 2020 with tr Uranus opposition the composite Mars, which will send a few ripples through their communal pond.