Affordable health under threat – as Trumps gears up

  

 

The Trump administration now believes that the entire Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) should be struck down as “unconstitutional.”. This policy shift is described as a “total bombshell, which could have dire consequences for millions of people.” It’s risky for Trump and the Republicans since in 2018, the Democrats campaigned — and won — on their health care pledges, which matter a good deal more to voters than the Mueller report.

Obamacare was signed into law on 23 March 2010 at 11.56 am in Washington, DC. Tr Uranus is this week moving to form an explosive and insecure square to the Mars; and tr Neptune has one more undermining square to the Jupiter before this year end. So it’ll be an edgy year; with a few additional hiccups along the way as tr Uranus trines the Pluto and sextiles the Moon from June onwards.

But it’s a pretty unbudgeable chart with a Saturn Pluto square tied into the Sun and Moon.  By late 2021 Solar Arc Jupiter is conjunct the 10th house Uranus which will bring a sigh of relief and a lucky turn of events.

A bumpy ride for a while, sure; and the December Capricorn Eclipse will have a considerable impact and feel like a crisis. But the astrology aside, it’d be a real vote loser and for that reason may be quietly sidelined or heavily diluted at some point.

Scott Walker – walked his own road

  

 

The sun ain’t gonna shine anymore. Scott Walker, in the 1960s more popular than the Beatles when part of the (non-related) Walker Brothers, who later branched out into the wilder edges of the avant grade, has died. Shy and solitary in temperament, he was not well designed for life in the spotlight. He suffered horrendous stage fright and took to heavy drinking to cope. His later career after the group split was marked by long periods of inaction and occasional reappearances as one obituary said ‘to follow his muse down a weird, winding path into the unknown. There has been no stranger or bolder artistic journey. He was pop’s ultimate maverick, an easy-listening romantic balladeer who revealed himself to be a deep-thinking imaginative genius.’ His most recent work involved composing strange orchestral and electronic soundtracks for the films The Childhood of a Leader (2016) and Natalie Portman’s Vox Lust.

Born 9 January 1943 5.25pm Hamilton, Ohio, he had a 7th house Capricorn Sun in an easy-going opposition to Jupiter. What marks his chart out is a cerebral Air Grand Trine in the hidden Water houses of Neptune in the 4th trine Venus Mercury in Aquarius in the 8th trine a 12th house Saturn (Uranus) in Gemini, formed into a Kite by Venus Mercury opposition Pluto – making Pluto the driving planet. Certainly influential, controlled and controlling. His sensitive Pisces Moon was square his Saturn Uranus giving him an additional leaning towards depression. A mix of Air and Water is always produces a fragile mental balance.

His Mars in Sagittarius in the 6th is unaspected and worth relating what Bil Tierney says about an unaspected Mars: ‘Psychologically Mars is driven to separate itself and act apart from outside influences in favour of independent self-expression. – can be uncompromising.’ It may also have a bearing on his stop-go life, sometimes highly creative and active, at other times stuck.

He had a leadership North Node in Leo, an indication of the breadth of his influence on other artistes including David Bowie and Marc Almond amongst others.

Mueller & Barr – the fall out will run on

      

 

Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible Trump collusion with Russia ended on a whimper not a bang, which was not that surprising given tr Neptune opposition his Mars this month; and square the Investigation Mars in April – both influences repeating later in the year. So confusion, maybe smokescreens or just a typical Neptunian dissipation into a fog, with questions that can’t or won’t be pinned down.

What is clear is that his relationship with the Attorney General William Barr is under heavy pressure from the last day of this month onwards; starting with a fairly explosive jolt.

Barr himself is in a nervy paralysis from the end of this week through April; and heading into catastrophe and losses which he won’t summon up the courage/energy to combat successfully from May 1st till mid August – repeating into 2020.  That may not be all fall out from Mueller and his possibly partisan summary but he isn’t looking remotely chipper.

Trump’s timeline:

13 February to 30 March he picks up tr Pluto opposition his Mars/Uranus midpoint, which is a test of nerves, overly excitable, violent emotions, high insecurity, can be accident or operation. And following directly after that are three seriously challenging, bad tempered, trapped and discouraging Pluto transits in hard aspect to Mars/Node, Moon/Mars and his natal Saturn March 31st to May 20. These will repeat on and off till late 2020.

His Progressed Moon moving through his 12th will conjunct his Mars at the start of April as well which is likely to provoke an explosion of rage.

His Solar Return from birthday June 2019 to June 2020 is formidably difficult with Saturn Pluto in the 10th opposition a 4th house Mars Mercury, which looks like a career dead-halt.

 

See Mueller post February 22 2019.

Lachlan Murdoch – Fox News on edge with new CEO

        

 

 

Lachlan Murdoch, eldest son of Rupert, is now Chairman and CEO of the Fox Corporation, a slimmed down entity after the sale this month of 21st Century Fox to Disney. It raises the question of how he’ll manage the pro-Trump, right-wing Fox news end of the business. Rupert was regularly in contact with Trump, Lachlan evidently never.

Born 8 September 1971 he’s a hard-working, understated Sun Venus in Virgo with a tough-minded and sharp-witted Air Grand Trine of Saturn in Gemini trine Uranus trine Mars in uncompromising Aquarius. His Saturn opposes a high-finance, creative, though also neurotic opposition to Neptune Jupiter.

His Uranus is conjunct the Fox Libra Sun, 7 October 1996, so he’ll be a disruptive/reforming force; with his Pluto conjunct the Fox Mercury leading to intense discussions about direction.

His relationship chart with Fox has a confused, disappointing Sun square Neptune; and a chained-together-and-resenting-it Saturn opposition Pluto, which latter is being tossed every which way through this year as tr Uranus opposes the Pluto and is conjunct the Saturn. It’ll be a bumpy ride with a financially undermining tr Neptune square the composite Jupiter in 2020.

He’s nothing like as cosy a fit with Trump as his father. Rupert’s Mars is conjunct Trump’s Venus and his Jupiter is conjunct Trump’s Mercury. Their relationship chart has a friendly composite Sun Venus and probably Moon trine Jupiter. They wouldn’t want to live in each other’s pockets but it’s a reasonable match.

Lachlan on the other hand has his ultra-determined Mars in Aquarius opposition Trump’s Pluto and his Mercury conjunct Trump’s Mars – so power-struggling and argumentative. Their relationship chart which has a slippery Sun Mercury square Neptune is being pummelled this way and that through this year from May onwards.

The Fox News chart looks muted this year with tr Saturn square the Sun off and on till the fall; and in a state of upheaval with tr Uranus square Uranus; heading into confusion and devastation in 2020 with tr Pluto conjunct the Neptune.

Duchess of Cambridge marking her territory

    

 

As light relief from political bickering, there appears to be a struggle for social supremacy amongst the ‘turnip toffs’ in Norfolk which has resulted in the Duchess of Cambridge falling out with former model Rose Hanbury, Marchioness of Cholmondeley. A one per cent of a one per cent problem.

Rose Hanbury was born 15 March 1984 and is a Sun Pisces in an ultra-determined trine to Mars in Scorpio, with Pluto and Saturn also in Scorpio. She has an intensely charming, can-be-manipulative Venus in Pisces trine Pluto, sextile Neptune (Jupiter) in Capricorn.

The synastry (without birth times) isn’t too fraught although Kate’s Uranus squares Rose’s Venus,  Kate’s Neptune squares Rose’s Sun; and Rose’s Saturn squares Kate’s Venus, so there would always have been a few teeth-gritted moments behind the smiles and a disinclination especially on Kate’s part to be too closely tied together.

Their relationship chart does have a friendly composite Sun Venus and an adventurous Jupiter Uranus; but that is over shadowed by a poisonous and hostile composite Pluto, Mars, Saturn which would always have been lurking in the undergrowth. And was detonated out into the open from last year as tr Uranus upended their relationship in opposition to the composite Pluto, moving on through this May to oppose the composite Mars Saturn. So it won’t be settling anytime soon.

Her husband David Cholmondeley, 27 June 1960,  doesn’t look easy with either Kate or Prince William for the next couple of years with an aggravating, frustrating tr Pluto opposition their composite Mars.

Uri Geller – hoping to bend Theresa May

  

 

A blast from the past has reappeared to add a much-needed dash of comedy to the Brexit fiasco.  Uri Geller, psychic and spoon bender, has promised to stop the process telepathically since he intuited that most Brits were against it.

His track record is a touch spotty when it comes to claims of magic powers – viz the time he tried to help Second Division football club Exeter City win a game by placing “energy-infused” crystals behind the goals at Exeter’s ground. It lost 5–1 and in later years was relegated.

My own impression is that he does have extra-sensory powers but also has an ego problem and a need to show off, which is risky given the fragile nature of such abilities. They don’t switch on and off to order especially in highly public situations.

He was born 20 December 1946 at 2.30am in Tel Aviv which puts Saturn Pluto in Leo on his midheaven. Saturn Pluto is associated sometimes with the ‘magician’ who wields occult power. He’s also got Uranus in his 8th which would point to an ability to shine light on areas beneath surface reality. Plus an intensely charming, sugary-sweet Jupiter, Moon and Venus in Scorpio in his 1st.  His Sagittarius Sun is in his financial 2nd conjunct Mars in Capricorn.

He’s looking financially OK this year with Jupiter moving through his 2nd; but otherwise is frustrated, stuck and apart from one lucky break in May, not exactly radiating success and confidence.

He was close to Michael Jackson and may well be wincing on that score.

Algeria – the old guard versus the young

    

 

Algeria’s ailing 82 year old President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is insisting he stay in place during a transition to a new administration, having been forced into declining a fifth term. The theory being he is being propped up by vested interests amongst his entourage. It hasn’t calmed dissent on the streets with major demonstrations across the country, mainly from younger voters but also the professions and some military joining in.

His Deputy Defence Minister Abdel Gaid Salah, who has criticised the uprising and would presumably be out of a job if the old regime fell has put himself forward as arbiter of the changeover. Born 13 January 1940 he’s a stalwart and ambitious Sun Capricorn square a tough Saturn in Aries opposition a Libra North Node. Co-operation is not his strong point. He’s also got a practical, business-oriented Earth Grand Trine of Sun trine Neptune trine Uranus.

He’s under considerable stress and discouraged from this year till 2021 with tr Pluto conjunct his Sun and square his Saturn, which will take its toll and grind him down; with more stress and disappointments in 2020. His relationship chart with Algeria  hints at separation this year and disappointment with each other through the next four years.

Which doesn’t mean he won’t stick around but at the very least he’ll be exceptionally unpopular.

See post March 6 2019

Adnan Syed – ups and downs ahead

    

Adnan Syed  imprisoned in 1999 for the murder of his ex-girl-friend Hae Min Lee, from whom he had separated, has had his case aired by the podcast Serial and has been through a number of appeals. He was convicted on the basis of no physical evidence and the word of a man whom defence lawyers say was coached in his testimony. A possible alibi witness was never brought forward.

Syed, born 21 May 1981 into a conservative Muslim family, is a Sun Mercury in Gemini square an enthusiastic Mars Jupiter in Virgo; with a a neurotic Saturn square Neptune and sextile Uranus. It’s an impulsive though not an especially difficult chart except for his Pluto being square his Sun/Mars midpoint.

He could be in for some good news at points this year with tr Uranus trine his Jupiter late this month into mid April; and again through May with tr Uranus trine his Mars/Jupiter midpoint. But he’s still got a dreary-slog tr Pluto trine his Saturn all year and more discouragement come the early 2020s.

Hae Min Lee, 15 October 1980, was a Sun Pluto in Libra with Venus in Virgo. Her Mars in Sagittarius was opposition his Sun so it would be a sparky, argumentative interface. And their relationship chart despite having an affectionate composite Sun Venus conjunction also has an intensely possessive composite Mars Pluto which would make separation a fraught issue.

Whatever is true or not, the judicial process does seem to have been flawed.

Emilia Clarke – death defying in life as well as on screen

  

 

Emilia Clarke, the English actress who plays Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones has admitted she suffered two brain aneurysms early on in the eight-year run of the series. Either of them could have killed her and she underwent risky brain surgery and a difficult convalescence before stepping back into a pressured role.

Born 23 October 1986 in London (no time sadly) she’s a last degree Libra or zero Scorpio Sun conjunct Pluto square Mars in Aquarius, so carries a good deal of inner tension and frustration. Her Pluto is in a confident trine to Jupiter; and her Saturn in Sagittarius is in a disciplined sextile to her Mars and a hates-failure square to her Jupiter.  Her Moon is a singleton in Gemini/Cancer. Often singleton Moons go along with a public career.

When she had her first collapse from a brain bleed in 2011 tr Pluto was conjunct her Sun/Jupiter which should have given her a surge of confidence but was also conjunct her Mars/Saturn which can be accident-prone and fairly disastrous. Two years later when she had an even more serious operation her Solar Arc Neptune was in a debilitating square to her Sun; and she had an uncertain worrisome Solar Arc Saturn conjunct Neptune as well.

A birth time would definitely help. Extraordinary she was able to recover, keep it secret, and continue in such a challenging role and with a punishing work schedule.