New Moons roll round every four weeks so aren’t too interesting. But the Scorpio New Moon on October 28^th could be more noteworthy than most. At 4 degrees Scorpio it’s in an exact opposition to Uranus in Taurus bringing a few jolting surprises. And more ominously still there’s an exact accident-prone/violent Mars square Saturn with the shadow of the approaching brutal and ruthless Mars square Pluto also in effect through till early November.

High Noon stakes all round with Turkey’s five degree Scorpio Sun triggered by the New Moon and Uranus. The USA Sun square Saturn in Libra will be reacting to the Mars square Saturn as Trump’s impeachment and sinking popularity gathers a head of steam. Brexit is aiming for yet another do-or-die moment with the New Moon conjunct the EU’s financial 2^nd house Neptune with tr Uranus in a high-strung opposition to their Neptune as economic concerns over a global recession and Germany’s sagging industrial complex grow.

The New Moon at Aleppo, Syria, at present under Turkish bombardment, has the New Moon opposition Uranus exactly across the Ascendant/Descendant axis. Set for Washington it puts Mars exactly on the IC and for the UK Saturn Pluto in the 4^th, neither of which are progressive.

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The shifting sands of the Middle East just blew up another storm with Trump’s off-the-cuff agreement, against his own advisers and party leaders, allowing Erdogan of Turkey free rein to invade Kurdish-held Northern Syria. Turkey dislikes the Kurds whom they see as terrorists with ambitions to set up their own state which would encroach on Turkish territory. The Kurds backed by the west did the bulk of the work fighting to defeat Isis in Syria, losing 11,000 troops in the grinding battle and is now controlling the camps where ISIS prisoners are held – who might be set free if Turkey invades.

Even Lindsay Graham, normally an avid Trump supporter tweeted in consternation: “This decision to abandon our Kurdish allies and turn Syria over to Russia, Iran, & Turkey will put every radical Islamist on steroids. Shot in the arm to the bad guys. Devastating for the good guys.”

The relationship between Trump and Erdogan is slipping and slithering from late October through November and into early 2020, so the decision may well be reversed. Though unsolvable problems remain – with Turkey understandably keen to shift the 3.5 million Syrian refugees they house back across the border and European countries refusing to take back the 20,000 ISIS foreign nationals held in prison camps; as well as Trump’s campaign promise to bring troops home from endless, unwinnable wars.

Relations between Turkey and Syria are moving into a highly unstable and insecure phase from early 2020 with tr Pluto square the composite Uranus for two years.

Erdogan’s 4^th term chart 9 July 2018 4.30pm Ankara, is moving through stuck times this year with tr Saturn opposition the Sun and conjunct Pluto before this New Year; with an explosively insecure and over-reactive tr Uranus square Mars from mid 2020 which may precipitate unwise decisions, running into a deadlock and dead-halt in 2021 with Solar Arc Sun opposition the Pluto exactly.

Syria, 1 January 1944, which has been wrecked by the eight years of civil war with millions displaced and upwards of half a million dead has another trough to negotiate with the highly uncertain Solar Arc Neptune opposition Saturn in late 2020; a destabilising tr Uranus square Pluto mid 2020 to early 2021; and the worrisome tr Neptune square Saturn in 2020/21.

Bashar Assad’s presidency, 17 July 2000, always did look in for its most punishing phase from 2018 as tr Pluto started to oppose the Mars, moving through the opposition to Sun/Mars and finally the Sun in 2021/22 – an extended phase of high-risk and extreme frustration at being trapped. He could topple off his perch altogether in 2021 with Solar Arc Uranus square the Pluto – not set in stone but definitely a very wobbly phase.

The consequences of the Brit-Franco botched carve-up of the Middle East after World War One are still causing maximum aggravation.

Vladimir Putin celebrated his 67 birthday with a macho photoshoot of him hiking in the Siberian mountains. His Solar Return for the year ahead (without a verified birth time) isn’t too remarkable – with a tough Sun trine Saturn Pluto and an over-hopeful Jupiter square Neptune. On his personal chart, he’s still wading through the tail end of the confusing and tough-going tr Pluto square his Neptune and Mercury this year and next, with the added discouragement of tr Saturn adding its tuppence worth of pressure across this New Year.

He does have one explosive and disruptive Solar Arc in 2020 of Solar Arc Uranus square his Mars which suggests significant trouble of a violent nature. But it’s the following year when he’ll face his greatest ands riskiest challenges. His Solar Return for October 2020 and the year thereafter has a completely blocked, enraged, cornered and ruthless with Saturn Pluto square Mars. And his personal chart has an accident/assassination prone Solar Arc Saturn conjunct his Mars.

His 4^th Term chart, 7 May 2018 11.05 am also indicates – after a disappointment or two with falling popularity mid this November to mid December; and some setbacks through 2020 with tr Saturn conjunct Pluto and Mars and square Uranus – that 2021 is the major horror year for him with tr Pluto conjunct the Term Mars for two years of dangerous and teeth-gritting blockages, followed by tr Pluto in a destabilising square to Uranus in 2022/23 – so his glorious reign is not likely to end well or peacefully.

“A wild force of nature” is the politest description made of rock hell-raiser Ginger Baker now sadly gone, though miraculously he survived to be 80. He was the most gifted, innovative and influential drummer of his generation but also scary, threatening, difficult – “a monster-raging-crazy-loony” in John Lydon’s words. Neil McCormick in the Telegraph obituary writes: “A reputation for personal unpleasantness dogged him. A savagely entertaining 2012 documentary, Beware of Mr Baker, portrayed him as unrepentantly rude, obnoxious, angry, arrogant and prone to explosive violence. His first wife (and the mother of his three children) Elizabeth Finch, once said, “If a plane went down and there was one survivor, it would be Ginger. The devil takes care of his own.”

He struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, quitting heroin 29 times before managing to stay clean. In later years he had a degenerative spine condition and emphysema as well as a heart condition.

He was born 19 August 1939 in London with his RAF father dying in the war when he was four, began playing drums at 15, founded Cream with Eric Clapton and was the first to play explosive drum solos. His hugely talented and self-destructive career is littered with split relationships – professional as well as personal – four marriages – and failed business ventures.

His chart was extraordinarily volatile and complicated. An entertaining Sun Venus in Leo was in a rebellious square to Uranus. Uranus was in an Earth Grand Trine to Mars in Capricorn trine Neptune – attracting him to showbusiness and business though clearly with variable results since he lost millions through fraud, miscalculation or plain waste. His Pluto was in a do-or-die-determined opposition to Mars in a very hard square to Saturn – hence the cruel streak – and perhaps Saturn was opposition a Libra Moon. A Cardinal Grand Cross would give him a life of revolving dramas and crises. And last not but least his Pluto was trine Jupiter in pro-active Aries.

You have to admire the sheer brazen, defiant exuberance of him plus all that talent which rippled down to those who followed after him – even if he was a nightmare to be near.

Prince Harry (and maybe Meghan) are finding out the hard way that provoking a full-on punch-up with the media is NOT a good idea. Retaliation has started with an interview with estranged father Thomas Markle, who has been remarkably quiet recently, in which he says he only published part of the offending letter to correct the wrong impression given by a ‘Meghan friend’ in the People magazine.

It’s not a great relationship between himself and Meghan with his Sun square her Pluto, his Pluto conjunct her Sun; his Uranus square her Venus and his Saturn conjunct her Mars and square her Moon. He wants to control her though he would have been unpredictable and erratic; and irritated her with his overly-rigid and needy behaviour.

Their relationship chart has an argumentative composite Sun, Mars, Mercury conjunction which will be rattled over the next eighteen months with tr Uranus in square with a disappointing tr Neptune opposition Jupiter in early 2020. There’s also a chilly composite Venus Saturn (Moon) conjunction; and a competitive streak running through their chemistry. He wouldn’t appreciate being sidelined.

Prince Harry, I think, has never met him which would suggest resistance from his bride, though he might have been better advised to early on to try to keep control of a clearly tricky situation.

Thomas Markle’s Saturn is opposition Harry’s Jupiter Neptune so he’ll have a dampening effect; with his Mars square Harry’s Uranus which is inflammatory. Their relationship chart has a contradictory and high-tension composite Venus, Uranus, Saturn; an evasive composite Sun square Neptune and fiery sextile to Mars. That relationship will wobble through 2020 and become more aggravating in 2021/22 with tr Pluto square the composite Mars.

Never complain, never explain. Head down, mouth zipped, bland smile and let it all wash over you – and hire decent public relations advisers. Going on the offensive will only get them covered in a ton of manure. Not what the Queen needs what with Brexit and Prince Andrew – just a drama queen fit about not very much from the Sussexes, who use the media, especially Meghan, when it suits them.

At least 99 people have died and nearly 4,000 wounded in protests in Iraq over unemployment, poor public services and corruption in the country. There appears to be no leaders of the uprising but living conditions in many areas are dire as the country struggles to recover after a brutal war against IS, despite having the world’s fourth-largest reserves of oil.

Iraq does appear to be peculiarly sensitive to Saturn Pluto influences – the coup which established the Republic in 1958 happened on the back of a Saturn Pluto square in the run up; and the Iraq attack launched by George Bush and Tony Blair in 2003 happened on the final exact aspect of Saturn opposition Pluto, which also oversaw the Afghanistan War and 9/11.

This time round the tr Saturn Pluto  conjunction is trine the Iraq 1921 Jupiter Saturn in Virgo through 2019 to 2021 which suggests there will be little let up from pressure. With challenging Solar Arc Pluto opposition the Iraq Moon and square Venus for intense emotional reactions in 2020/21 along with a jolting Solar Arc Sun square Uranus; and a debilitating tr Neptune opposition Jupiter Saturn 2021 to 2023. With an explosive and can-be-fanatical tr Uranus square the Iraq Mars, Neptune at the same time.

The Iraq Sovereignty 28 June 2004 10.28 am Baghdad looks no more upbeat with an angry, argumentative Solar Arc Mercury conjunct Mars now; a blocked Solar Arc Pluto opposition the Sun in late 2020/21; and major setbacks and accidents in 2022 from Solar Arc Saturn conjunct the Mars.

Baghdad was once the centre of civilization, though with a roller coaster history, rising and falling often during Pluto in Capricorn phases. Such a tragic waste of a special place and a disaster for its poor people. And part of the recent catastrophe a result of the Bush/Blair/Cheney/Rumsfeld misplaced retaliation for 9/11 which had zero to do with Saddam Hussein.

The Trump impeachment is winding up an ominous head of steam and Brexit is hurtling towards 3 seconds to midnight witching hour – or maybe not. Hong Kong and Iraq are in revolt, the EU is hovering on the brink of a recession and the Middle East is bubbling more obviously even than usual. When everything feels like too much of too much it’s always a minor relief to point to the astrology for an explanation. Especially since the USA and the UK appear to be moving in lockstep on major events. It doesn’t change anything but for some odd reason it does reduce the anxiety levels.

So just a reminder that the recent July Cancer Solar Eclipse was in a Saros series which causes worry often at an obsessive level. And interestingly (and don’t ask me how it works because I’ve no idea) it is connected to Mercury Pluto which does create excessive mental pressure – as well as lies, manipulation and verbal bullying. And will be a pervading feature for the USA from 2020 to 2023 with tr Pluto opposition the USA Mercury and then conjunct the USA Pluto for its first ever Pluto Return since it was founded in 1776, which will be a definite staging post in USA history.

It was around in 2001 (9/11 and the Afghanistan War), 1983 (AIDS spreading, IRA, plane bombs), 1965 (revolutions, riots and demos), 1947 (post-WW11, India-Pakistan bloody independence, Marshall Plan), and 1929 (Great Depression)– all of which were significant.

The next four Eclipses all six months apart look fairly fraught and the first one to look cheerful will come in late 2021. So a ray of sunshine at the end of the tunnel, just not quite yet.

Cult television classic Monty Python’s Flying Circus is 50 tomorrow. It launched against internal resistance within the BBC from senior management who found it unfunny, “disgusting”, “nihilistic and cruel” and thought it pushed across what was acceptable. The first episode of the late-night nutty comedy which promised crazy antics only attracted 1.5 million viewers and a less than rapturous appreciation response. The second series was commissioned but all the regions opted out – Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. And now it’s regarded as the height of comic genius.

It launched at 10.50pm on 5 October 1969 which gives a risk-taking and confident Libra Sun, Jupiter, Uranus in an explosive and outrageous square to Mars. There’s also an Earth Grand Trine of sorts of Saturn in Taurus trine Mars trine IC and Venus in Virgo which would ground it though on the edge of cruelty from Mars Saturn. Mars is also inconjunct an entertaining Leo Moon fuelling a few angry responses.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson took her first global outdoor title by winning the heptathlon gold at the World Championships in Doha, setting a British record. It’s the UK’s third medal in Doha, after Dina Asher-Smith’s 200m gold and 100m silver. The heptathlon is seven events – 100 metres hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 metres, long jump, javelin throw, 800 metres – competed for over two days.

She was born 9 January 1993 in Liverpool with a Bahamian father and a dancer mother and has an amazing chart. Her Capricorn Sun is closely conjunct Uranus Neptune opposition Mars and square Jupiter – so quite a power-house of pent-up energy. Her ultra-determined Pluto is sextile/trine her Sun Uranus Neptune opposition Mars and square Saturn – so even more drive from that.

The only aspect showing in her chart (without a birth time) over her momentous achievement is tr Saturn square her focal point Jupiter – which doesn’t sound like a whoopee-of-triumph moment, but may indicate the effort and discipline involved in powering through such an endurance test.

Pic: filip bossuyt