The fire which ravaged the historic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris yesterday has stunned the French for whom it is a national symbol. It was under renovation and at risk with an ancient wooden frame which serves as foundation for the roof, making it ‘incredibly flammable.’  It has survived remarkably over 850 years, through World Wars and religious attacks.

The foundation stone was laid on 24/25 March 1163 JC which gives an expansive Aries Sun opposition Jupiter with an enduring Pluto opposition Saturn.  Tr Neptune is squaring the Saturn within a degree which is a neurotic, panicky, dissolving influence; and the Solar Arc Neptune is moving to conjunct the Mars soon which is equally undermining.

The Consecration chart of 19 May 1182 JC has Neptune transits to the Sun/Mars midpoint and the Solar Arc Sun. It is moving to a Uranus Return within weeks which does suggest a back-to-the-drawing-board moment and is also a pointer to a rebuild since its Uranus is on the focal point of a T Square with a Saturn opposition Neptune.

Both these charts have Cancer North Nodes so they are undergoing a Nodal Return and hitting the Eclipses this year.

What is probably even more significant is the France country chart.  Often when a disaster of considerable proportions happens in a country, it is a forerunner to great change to come – collapse and rebuild.

The France 21 September 1792 3.30 pm chart has a good deal of activity affecting its Saturn in Taurus opposition Jupiter Neptune with tr Uranus hard aspects shaking it up last year and this. At the moment tr Uranus is square the Saturn/Jupiter midpoint which Ebertin describes, amongst other things, as ‘damage to a building.’ Tr Neptune is also chipping away at the Solar Arc positions of these three planets this year and next. The Solar Arc Midheaven and Mars are also colliding with the Eclipses this year which usually suggests a crisis.

The January Solar Eclipse located to Paris puts Uranus on the Descendant; and the July Eclipse has Uranus exactly on the IC – so it is highlighted as a region for sudden disruptive events.

By 2021 tr Pluto will be sextile the 1792 France Mars and then sextile the Midheaven. Given that on country charts soft transiting aspects act like hard, this suggests a three years phase of extreme pressure for change against heavy resistance with a good deal of frustration.

The older chart for France, 10 August 843 JC, is showing even clearer signs of a destiny-changing phase – with tr Pluto Saturn square the Uranus and conjunct the Saturn this year and next; a devastating Solar Arc Neptune conjunct Pluto now, often seen around natural or man-made disasters; and a swampy, scary tr Neptune square the Solar Arc Pluto and opposition Solar Arc Mars this year and next.

Just a quickie on Pete Buttigieg, who has become an unexpected rising star since launching an exploratory low-key start to a Presidential bid in January and yesterday made it official.  He declared himself in at around 2pm in South Bend, Indiana, yesterday. This puts the Aries Sun exactly trine Jupiter in a nearly exact trine to a Leo Moon  – so an inspirational, confident, attention-seeking Fire Grand Trine. The Sun is also in a heavy-duty square to Saturn Pluto – but he has that anyway in his chart, so it won’t bother him as much.  If the time is about right Uranus is hovering around the midheaven or in the 10^th for a reformist, mould-breaking run.

He does have tr Uranus square his Jupiter in Scorpio over the election which will be good news, though he has other less helpful influences also running. See earlier post March 19 2019.

A gruelling campaign will take the edge off his enthusiasm but he’s one to watch now and for the future.

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From a near-crippled has-been and the butt of late night TV jokes after his sex scandal, Tiger Woods has fought his way through four back operations to win his first Golf Masters and first major win in more than a decade.  He said afterwards it was wonderful for his kids to see him win after so many years watching him in pain.

Born 30 December 1975 10.50 pm Long Beach, California, he has a seriously determined Capricorn Sun square Pluto opposition Jupiter in upfront Aries, so he’s not short of confidence or driving determination.

There’s surprisingly little indication of a surge of triumph on his chart apart from tr Jupiter conjunct his IC, opposition MC and square his Ascendant and Moon/MC. Though his Solar Return for this year does have Jupiter in the 10^th.

He’s had a stressed tr Uranus square his Solar Arc Mars and natal Saturn running up till last Saturday as he pulled out all the stops under huge pressure. And he has tr Neptune square his Mars all this month which isn’t usually a sign of great success though it can attract publicity.

He did start his comeback last year as tr Saturn started to move away from his low profile First Quadrant where it had been for seven years – and this is a time when individuals move out into the world more visibly and can become more successful than in the previous ‘dip’ phase.

But for all that top level sports stars are tricky to predict since often what shows up is serious stress and some panic which isn’t easy to interpret as success.

The phenomenon that is Game of Thrones returns to TV screens for its final season today and is expecting an audience of 1 billion across 170 countries. Based on George R R Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels, it launched on 17 April 2011. This coincided with a tough, military Mars Mercury opposition Saturn in a ruthless and unyielding square to Pluto – influential, control-freaky, enduring, with a high mortality rate. There was also a lucky, adventurous Sun Jupiter in Aries trine a Sagittarius North Node, tuning it into the zeitgeist.  Venus in creative Pisces was also emphasised being on the focal point of a T Square onto the Node axis.

There’s been a two year hiatus since the last season so this one lands almost exactly on the Solar Arc Jupiter closing the conjunction to the Sun to exact, for a triumphant last curtain – barring all the prequels, spin offs to come.

George RR Martin, 20 September 1948 9.25 pm Bayonne, New Jersey, is evidently now involved in writing some scripts for prequel spinoffs, though he’s always been keen to spread his writing across a wider field than just sci-fi and GoT.

He has an entertaining and communicative 5^th house Virgo Sun in a confident square to Jupiter in Sagittarius on one side and square an inventive, rebellious Uranus on the other; with his Sun inconjunct a 12^th house Aries Moon; and an emotionally intense Venus Pluto in Leo sextile Mars in Scorpio in the hard-working 6^th house.

Tr Uranus will square his Midheaven as the final season closes in late May for a change of direction. With the tr Jupiter Saturn conjunction due to cross his midheaven in 2021 he’ll be back on a high with tr Pluto following only a few years later. Though he’ll be facing a setback, either health or work related in late 2020 from Solar Arc Saturn conjunct his Mars.

Poking over the entrails yet again in the faint hope that distance and another look might bring new inspiration (unlikely) does produce one thought. Which is that the EU will run into crisis, financial or otherwise, before the UK.

Tr Uranus is moving to oppose the EU’s 2^nd house financial Neptune from just after mid this May onwards to coincide with the key elections which could shift the balance of power in the EU Parliament at a time when there are ominous signs of a slowdown economically. This will apart from anything else be nerve stretched and probably leading to misjudgments. Plus the Solar Arc Pluto is conjunct the EU Neptune exact in two months’ time which can accompany devastation and confusion, again focussed on finances. What will make the impact of the Uranus transit greater is that the EU Neptune opposes an 8^th house Taurus Moon and squares an 11^th house Uranus – so there will be a high-voltage shock coming for the EU, involving internal and external finances as well as future plans and friends.

This phase will continue on for several years, amplifying from mid 2020 onwards as tr Uranus is then starting to conjunct the EU Moon for a major emotional and financial upset and is also in a crossroads-moment as it squares the EU Uranus. There will be (excitable and bruising) discussions about ambitions for the future. Even before then there’s a seriously stuck, road-blocked Solar Arc Midheaven conjunct Pluto exact in six months’ time; and a swampy, panicky and dissolving tr Neptune square the EU Saturn picking up from late March 2020 running into 2021. And in 2021 there’s a mighty collision from the Solar Arc Mars square the Moon and opposition the EU Uranus – which will shake the institution to its foundations.

The UK is in a dithering muddle now and into 2020 with tr Neptune square the UK Mercury and the Saturn/Node midpoint as well as square the Solar Arc Mars. There is some sense of separation from tr Saturn square the Sun/Moon midpoint in August and October though that is mild enough. With a shift of sorts as tr Uranus is sextile the UK Pluto this month and over the New Year. The EU also gets this aspect from Uranus; and both the UK and EU have their Sun in the line of fire of this July’s Solar Eclipse, which usually produces a crisis/and a direction-changing event.

But the UK doesn’t really shudder under the weight of major influences until mid 2021 when tr Uranus starts to conjunct the UK 8^th house Mars which is an especially sensitive point in the chart, often coinciding with accidents and disasters, as well as financial ups and downs. In 2021 as well there is an aggravated Solar Arc Mars conjunct the UK Mercury for running arguments and perhaps transport difficulties. By late 2022 a pressured and blocked Solar Arc Pluto square the UK Sun.

Finances are likely to be a fraught area for the UK and on a roller coaster ride from 2021 for several years thereafter as tr Uranus moves through the UK 8^th house till 2026.  And since tr Uranus is in hard aspect to the four Fixed planets in the UK chart which form a wide Grand Cross, there will be an impetus for change blowing through the country – in terms of the legislature in parliament, hopes and plans for the future as well as finances.

The European Central Bank (ECB) 1 January 1999 will be floundering around indecisively with the Solar Arc Sun conjunct Neptune, exact in four months; and facing a series of disasters with tr Pluto square the Mars/Saturn midpoint in 2019/2020. More bubbles of false hope will burst in 2021 with tr Neptune conjunct the ECB Jupiter and the discouraging challenges will continue on with tr Pluto conjunct Venus and square the ECB Saturn until late 2022.

The UK/EU relationship chart has a teeth-gritted tr Pluto square the composite Saturn this year, continuing on from last year; and a confused and disappointing tr Neptune opposition the Jupiter till late this year. Plus the July Solar Eclipse hitting the composite Capricorn Sun. But nothing that looks too definitive and nothing much beyond that.

Not much the wiser and nothing new but it’s useful to highlight the main points again.

At the heart of the Brexit carnival stands Nigel Farage, a trenchant Leaver since Maastricht in 1992, founder of UKIP, and on off player ever since. He’s now formed a Brexit Party on 11 January 2019 and is likely to contest the EU elections late this May.

Born 3 April 1964 4,30 pm Farnborough, England, he’s looking shattered this month (and again mid August to mid September and February 2020) with tr Neptune conjunct his Mars/Saturn midpoint. Tr Uranus will conjunct his Mercury from the 14^th of this month for two weeks, and again over the New Year, which is likely to see him spouting rhetoric excitably in all direction. Tr Uranus will also trine his Uranus come July for a change of direction, though it may not be marked. There’s nothing that looks like great elation. The Brexit Party charts, registered 11 January and launched 12 April both have the over-hopeful Jupiter square Neptune and the January one, which is probably the more sound, a mishap-strewn Saturn square Mars and a crisis-ridden tumultuous Sun Pluto square Uranus. But the party charts are fairly irrelevant since it all hinges on Farage,

Of the Cabinet/Tories – and most of these are without birth times so missing information -:

Jeremy Hunt has tr Uranus square his Jupiter for a lucky break and high enthusiasm in the first half of May; with more positive changes in July and August with tr Pluto trine his Sun/Jupiter. But he’s horror-struck by events this month, again mid August to mid September, and next February; and cornered and stuck mid November to mid December.

Michael Gove has tr Uranus trine his Virgo Sun from mid this month and then trine his Mercury in late May early June which could suggests a definite shift. But he’s also got very trapped Pluto transits to Mars midpoints all year and into 2020; plus a loss-making Neptune mid November to mid December.

Boris while partially back on form till mid May also has a run of jittered, jangled, stuck, enraging and undermining influences till late year.

Arlene Foster has one high spot in the first two weeks of May and it’s downhill all the way thereafter with a crisis around the July Solar Eclipse and a dead halt through the autumn.

Sajid Javid is making hiccupping progress through the year with Uranus hits on midpoints but with nothing indicating success. Ditto Andrea Leadsom.  And Bill Cash, a vociferous leaver, isn’t looking remotely chirpy either until mid 2020.

Jacob Rees Mogg is in for a run of disasters from the middle of this month till early May; and again mid December to early February 2020; with more insecurity-creating and aggravating jolts and jangles in June and onwards.  He’ll recover some of his enthusiasm from mid February 2020 onwards but only mildly so.

His sister Annunziata, an Aries with a risk-taking and confident Water Grand Trine of Mars trine Jupiter trine Uranus is looking mighty deflated from early May to mid August and again in 2020; with acute frustrations and aggravations from Pluto on Mars midpoints through the autumn.

Trump stirring it on the immigration front as a sop to his far-right fans is being fuelled by his unelected aide Stephen Miller. Though there seems to be a division of opinion with Jared Kushner who is also being tasked with finding a more bipartisan solution. Which is evidently classic Trump – create dysfunction and get employees fighting amongst themselves.

Below is an older post on Miller:

Stephen Miller, one of Trump’s closest advisers, a vociferous opponent of immigration, with a passion for American exceptionalism and racial superiority as well as a penchant for outrageous provocation was born 23 August 1985 4.53 pm Santa Monica, California. He was a trenchant conservative even in college, railing against multi-culturalism and Spanish-language announcements and was friendly with white supremacist Richard Spencer; later worked for Tea Party founder Michele Bachmann and then Jeff Sessions, when between them they managed to kill a bi-partisan bill allowing for immigrant registration in 2013. His mother’s family came from Belarus in the 1990s. In the past he has urged violent responses to Islamic terrorism and has spoken out against equal pay for women.

What is most notable now that an accurate birth time is to hand, is his Pluto in Scorpio conjunct his midheaven. A control-freak and then some. Pluto, especially in Scorpio, oozes contempt as a way of putting ‘the other’ down. His Pluto is further emphasised being on the focal point of a mini Grand Trine of his 8^th house Sun trine a 12^th house Neptune. His Pluto is also in a pushily confident square to Jupiter in Aquarius, giving him a sense that rules don’t apply to him; and that’s tied in also to the midheaven, Mercury and a Taurus North Node – he may not be likeable but he’s got staying power.

His Virgo Sun and Mars Mercury in Leo being in the 8^th, make him intense, secretive and obstinate. With an outspoken Sagittarius Moon conjunct Uranus in an explosive trine to Mercury Mars.  His Mars is in a hard-edged square to Saturn in obsessive Scorpio in the 10^th.

He’s clearly got talent and has a strong get-it-together 5^th Harmonic as well as leaving-a-legacy 17H. But he’s also got two heavily aspected self-defeating Harmonics – the 10H and 16H.

His Sun is conjunct Trump’s Ascendant so he’ll warm to the President’s bombast and flamboyance; and his Mercury is conjunct Trump’s 12^th house Pluto, so he’ll pander to Trump’s less savoury political inclinations.  Like Trump he has Venus in Cancer and a Sagittarius Moon, so they will resonate together.

His relationship chart with Trump is complicated – friendly at one level with a composite Sun Venus Mercury; though destined to live through times of great upheaval and change with a composite Uranus Pluto Saturn; with the potential for disappointment with Sun Venus trine Neptune and Mars square Neptune. There has been a volatile mood between them recently with tr Uranus square the composite Venus, Mercury and Sun. With an abundance of undermining (and delusional) Neptune around. Tr Neptune is opposing the composite Uranus and then square the composite Moon in May, both influences running on through 2019, which will slowly erode foundations of trust. With much confusion and a discouraging slog through 2019/2020 as tr Pluto is trine the composite Saturn.

Add on 2019: What’s interesting – and heartening – is that tr Saturn is now moving below his Ascendant and through his lower profile first quadrant for seven years ahead. It will take time to kick in but it usually leads to missteps, misjudgments and failures and an undermining of ambitions.

This year he also has a huge upheaval with tr Uranus opposition his Pluto from mid this month and then opposition his midheaven in late May, repeating into early 2020. This could go either up or down but it’ll certainly change his trajectory; and allied to Saturn through his 1^st house, his star will be fading ahead.

Miller’s relationship with Kushner is hostile and resentful at best with a composite Pluto Saturn Mercury and an argumentative, competitive composite Sun Mars – and is rocking n’ rolling at the moment with an eruption in June and more beyond.

More info and comment: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/04/12/latest-stephen-miller-revelations-require-tougher-democratic-response/?utm_term=.198e60ec3e83

The Brexit marathon has been stretched another six months to 31 October – and maybe longer as the finishing line recedes into the far distance. The Halloween date lands on Mercury’s station to retrograde which isn’t inspiring. There’s admittedly a direction-change, potential separation from Uranus in the 10^th opposition Sun; but there’s also a mega-aggravated, hugely frustrated, argumentative and stuck Mars square Saturn Pluto.

The clamour for Theresa May’s departure is growing ever louder to all except herself. In typically obdurate fashion she marches blithely on down a slope that offers no semblance of optimism that she’s going to win anything this year.  Tr Pluto squares her Jupiter/Saturn midpoint till the final week of May which is career loss-making; then she’s got the blocked, frustrating and irritating tr Pluto conjunct her Mars/Node till early July. After which she picks up the catastrophic-setback tr Pluto conjunct her Mars/Saturn till late August and again November/December this year.

Tr Neptune is also sapping her motivation and undermining her power base in May to mid August as it opposes her Sun/Pluto midpoint at the same time as it has a dissolving action on her Government chart. Mid August to late September tr Neptune is back opposing her Jupiter for dashed hopes; and into November, after the supposed deadline, she’s back in deep sh** with Pluto on her Mars/Saturn again.

Late May to early June are the only two ripples of a suggestion that she might alter her status with the Tory Party and UK. But nothing too definite.

Sudan is rapidly sliding into chaos with the police and some soldiers in Khartoum protecting demonstrators from Government  security agents. Protests against the Islamist President Oman al-Bashir, who has governed Sudan since 1989, have been under way for several months, initially over food prices but that has now turned into demands for a transitional government with new leadership. A young Sudanese woman in a white robe has become one of the iconic symbols of the uprising.

Bashir’s rule has been blighted by accusations of human rights abuses. He is subject to an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant over accusations of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. He promised to resign in 2015 and then reneged.

He became President on 30 June 1989 when the chaotic and disruptive triple conjunction of Uranus, Saturn, Neptune in Capricorn was in place opposition a Cancer Sun, which in turn was in a controlling trine to Pluto. With Pluto in a ruthless square to Mars. The Solar Arc Uranus, Saturn Neptune has been moving in opposition to Venus Mars recently which would certainly dent his regime’s enthusiasm and undercut its power.  Tr Uranus is now square the Presidency Venus and will move across the midpoints, then form the volatile, explosive square to the Mars in 2020. The July Cancer Eclipse this year will also have a marked impact on this chart.

Bashir’s birthdate is given as 1 January 1944, which may or may not be too sound – if accurate then his Capricorn Sun will also be impacted by the midyear Solar Eclipse.

Sudan was granted independence on 1 January 1956, which produces an exceptionally tough Mars Saturn in Scorpio square Pluto Jupiter; with a fanatical Uranus square Neptune; a Capricorn Sun and a Cancer midheaven.  This year was always going to bring crisis with the Eclipses moving between Capricorn and Cancer hinting that change was long overdue. Tr Uranus has also been opposing the Neptune and square Uranus, so causing high levels of anxiety and a rebellious upsurge. Feelings will continue to run high into 2020 with tr Uranus square the Venus; and there is an intense tr Pluto conjunct the Sudan Mercury running through 2020/2021.

The prevailing Saturn Pluto conjunction isn’t normally a promoter of grassroots revolutions and the Sudan chart is exceptionally fixed. Any changes will come, if at all, only very slowly under maximum pressure.