Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” – a sweeping multi-trillion dollar tax breaks package – shortened to Triple B by his advisers, has evoked wry smiles from economists. They point out that “Triple B” is the tag that credit ratings groups use to designate the lower threshold of investment grade assets, before they become “junk”, with rising default risk. 

The FT commented that the “BBB” tag could soon look decidedly unfunny. “The only silver lining in this sordid saga is that if anything can curb Trump’s wilder instincts, it is probably those rising bond yields.”

The bill as it stands still has to get through the Senate with a few Republicans becoming increasingly uneasy about rising debt levels especially as Moody’s has just stripped away America’s AAA rating.

 Democrats fiercely opposed the bill and warned that the cuts could have dire consequences for millions of lower-income Americans.

 The Congress vote at 6.30am 22 May is not too revealing – though it does connect by aspect the celestial shifts with a trapped 9^th house Pluto trine a hidden 12^th house Gemini Sun conjunct Uranus sextile Neptune in Aries and Saturn in final degree Pisces.

  I am beyond sick and tired of Trump’s pinball politics (sorry Americans) but what intrigues me at this moment is the Inauguration chart. Most obviously it has a control-freak, bullying Sun Pluto conjunction opposition Mars. But it is another aspect which I cannot quite quantify. The Mars opposition Mercury (= running arguments) squares onto a 6^th house Libra Moon conjunct the Black Moon opposition Chiron. The Progressed Moon will conjunct the BML and square Mars exactly late this July so whatever that 6^th house Moon represents will come sharply into focus.

  In mundane astrology, the 6th house rules public administration, the health service, the armed forces, civil service workers, the workers, the management of food.  

  The Moon refers to the masses – i.e. the electorate rather than the ruling classes; with some reference to women’s issues as well.

 The only two past presidents, whose Inauguration times I could tie down with a 6^th house Moon were Abraham Lincoln in 1861 and Franklin Roosevelt in 1941. The second during World War 11 had a Scorpio Moon on the focal point of a Fixed T square as war time loomed. Not exactly the same but similar. The first for Abe Lincoln had a 6th house Sagittarius Moon.

 In general terms a focal point Cardinal Moon, as this year has, suggests a hair-trigger emotionality and a tendency to take offence. Which makes sense of the present climate in the White House. The Moon opposition Chiron hints at emotional wounding which could/should evoke sympathy for the have-nots but does not seem to remotely. Maybe the Black Moon casts a malevolent shadow.

  Anyway I am puzzled by that Moon so any Mundane experts do pitch in.

BUT do NOT pitch in with stray partisan thoughts, likes and dislikes. CONSIDER whether your contribution can add insight to the debate before posting.

  The phenomenon that is Tom Cruise has launched “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning”, the 8^th in the successful series that has run since 1996.

  As Ethan Hunt he races to save the world from an evil AI Entity, an evil AI that has taken control of every nuclear missile on the planet. So much, so familiar with standard blockbuster content. What is different is that Cruise, a good actor despite his odd beliefs and fractured family life, even at 63 still does all his own stunts.

 His stunt coordinator says: ‘He has no fear’ as he jumps out of planes, motorbikes off the edge of cliffs and hangs onto helicopter struts. The training for this movie involved a year’s motocross and skydiving, with more than 500 skydives and 13,000 motocross jumps.

Born 3 July 1962 at 3.06pm (unverified) Syracuse, New York, he has a Cancer Sun and Leo Moon. But what stands out from his chart is his super-confident Jupiter Chiron opposition Pluto which is the driving rod of his chart channeling the creative energy of his Water Grand Trine of Sun, Jupiter, Neptune. Plus a risk-taking Mars in Taurus square Uranus which will draw him towards reckless and dangerous pursuits. He thrives on excitement, thrills and danger and will be drawn towards extreme sports.

 Jupiter Chiron also has induces super-optimism and has a protective capacity as well as a tendency towards messianic beliefs.

  His emphasized Neptune will also probably help – trine Sun, sextile Pluto, square Saturn and trine Jupiter Chiron – since it will give him self-belief, however self-deluded, though it has clearly worked so far, barring a few minor accidents.

  He also has a yod onto a 4^th house Saturn inconjunct Pluto sextile Sun which does require maturity and self-control to work well – which could, birth time being accurate, be connected to him not having seen his daughter Suri Cruise reputedly for many years.

 This year he does look rattled with tr Uranus square his Uranus and conjunct his Mars and that runs on and off into early 2026. And maybe tr Pluto opposing his Moon this year.  2026 could be accident prone or stressful with his Mars/Saturn midpoint catching the tr Neptune Saturn square.

Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård is in Cannes to promote Pillion adapted from Adam Mars-Jones’ novel Box Hill in which he plays an unlikely lover with Harry Melling. The story revolves round a shy traffic enforcement officer falling for the ultimate dominant alpha male – ‘an impossibly handsome, strong, emotionally impassive biker who demands complete domestic obedience.’

   Alexander Skarsgård born 25 August 1976 4.47am Stockholm, is the son of an actor, started young in film and after a diversion into the navy had his first major role in the US comedy film Zoolander, with notable performances later in True Blood, Big Little Lies and Succession.

  He has a Virgo Sun on his Ascendant square Jupiter in Gemini in his career 10^th with his Sun also sextile Uranus in his communicative 3^rd house. His lucky, successful Jupiter is in a high vitality trine to Mars (Pluto) in Libra in his 2^nd house. As an Ambassador for the US team for a Walking With The Wounded fundraising event, he trekked to the South Pole with Prince Harry and Dominic West in 2013.

Virgo males can give off a potent sexuality more so than the female of the species.

  He has a 12th house Leo Moon conjunct his Sun; and a 12^th house Saturn in Leo trine Neptune and in a can-be-autocratic square to Uranus.

 His actor’s 15^th harmonic chart is well aspected so he is custom built for a thespian career.

  With transiting Saturn rising above his Descendant he should have many years of success ahead.

Scott Adams, the cartoonist, creator of the highly popular Dilbert, which satirized office culture,  has announced he has a similar prostate cancer to Joe Biden that has spread to his bones.

His thesis was that “leadership is nature’s way of removing morons from the productive flow”. ‘By the Dilbert principle, employees who were never competent are promoted to management to limit the damage they can do.’

  In recent years, Adams has come under fire for espousing far-right views and conspiracy theories on social media and was dropped by newspapers who carried his work.

 Born 8 June 1957 2.30am New York, he has a Gemini Sun in his communicative 3^rd house opposition an 8^th house Saturn. His creative, attention-seeking and influential 5^th house Pluto is in a dogmatic square to Mercury in Taurus. His Mercury is also trine Jupiter in Virgo in his hard-working 6^th house, sextile heated Mars in Cancer in his emotional 4^th house.

  A charming 3^rd house Venus in Cancer is trine Neptune and a Libra Moon in his 7^th, sextile Pluto. A 5^th house Uranus is also square his Moon Neptune. Certainly talented, with a drive to communicate his often intransigent opinions and emotionally complicated – lacking commitment, demanding and argumentative at home.

 His creative 5^th Harmonic is well aspected and noteworthy; as is his leaving-a-legacy 17H and his global influencer 22H.

  He’s had a series of health problems over recent years with his eyesight and vocal chords.

Tr Pluto started to square his Moon in 2021, moving on to square his Neptune in 2024/25. He said he was diagnosed with cancer some time ago which might fit with those influences.  And his Progressed Moon has been moving through his 12^th house since 2022 which can be an inward looking time of endings (though not necessarily as dramatic or difficult as this).

  An interesting man.

Bill Belichick, regarded as one of the greatest American football head coaches has the gossip columns entranced with his May-December romance with Jordon Hudson, a former cheerleader and beauty queen. He is 73 and she is 24 and they have been dating for almost two years. What intrigues onlookers is that she seems to be the one with her hands on the reins of control.

 He was born 16 April 1952 3pm Nashville, Tennessee, and has an intense and lucky 8^th house Sun Jupiter in Aries opposition Neptune square a Capricorn Moon in his 5^th house of sporting affairs (and romance). His determined and outspoken Mars in Scorpio in his communicative 3^rd squares a 12^th house Pluto so he won’t be a walkover.

  His 10^th house Uranus is on the focal point of a Cardinal T square to a Saturn opposition Venus Mercury in Aries; and trines Mars. He’ll be independent-minded where career matters are concerned, at times autocratic and will speak his mind.

 Jordan Hudson’s birth date is not absolutely verified but seems to be 5^th March 2001 in Maine. That would make sense since her Pisces Sun falls on his Descendant which is ideal for a partnership. Though her Mars Pluto in Sagittarius which is in square falls on his IC – which would explain her reputation for being controlling. Her Venus in Aries falls in his 8^th for a deep, passionate connection.

 The relationship chart has a steady composite Sun trine Venus; a passionate and romantic Venus opposition trine Neptune; a teeth-gritting Mars trine Saturn; a high-tension composite Uranus square Saturn; and a power-couple/power struggling Pluto inconjunct Jupiter. It will be fairly tossed around through till late this year and sagging somewhat by 2027. But who knows?  Neither of them will let go easily.

Actor and director Denzel Washington in Cannes to collect a Palme D’Or  reacted angrily to an over-eager paparazzi on the red carpet, catching unwanted headlines. Normally regarded as steady and self-controlled, he’s had an award-strewn career and a long marriage. Recently he’s been best known for The Equalizer trilogy (2014–2023) and Gladiator II (2024) but what brought him to prominence .were his evocative roles in Cry Freedom (1987) and Malcolm X (1992). The New York Times named him the greatest actor of the 21st century in 2020.

 He was born 28 December 1954 12.09 am Mount Vernon, New York, and was sent to military school after his parents divorced which he says saved him from a criminal life on the streets.

  He has a quick-witted and articulate 3^rd house Capricorn Sun and Mercury; with an Aquarius Moon in his performing 5^th house. His 10^th house of career has a lucky, confident risk-taking Jupiter Uranus conjunction in Cancer in a creative though can-be-stubborn square Neptune in Libra in his 1st. He has a wide-ish creative Water Grand Trine of Mars in Pisces in his hard working 6^th house trine Uranus Jupiter trine Venus Saturn in Scorpio in his financial 2^nd house. His Venus Saturn in Scorpio square Pluto.

   He has endurance as well as initiative though Mars in Pisces is his only Mutable sign. Which may be relevant to his uncharacteristic outburst since his Solar Arc Sun is exactly conjunct his Mars at the moment putting it under pressure. His Progressed Mars has also just moved into his intense 8^th house.

  He is a different personality to Malcom X but their charts do mesh. Denzel’s Sun and North Node sit on Malcolm X’s Ascendant and Denzel’s Neptune on Malcolm X’s Midheaven  – so he captured the image, appearance and ambitions of Malcolm X.

  Malcolm X’s frustrated and angry Mars Pluto sat on Denzel’s Midheaven so he would tune into the underlying rage which drove the activist.

Malcolm X, a celebrated though controversial figure within African-American and Muslim American communities for his pursuit of racial justice was born 100 years ago. He was a divisive force in the civil right movement, preaching racism and violence and was assassinated when he was only 40 in the midst of the febrile 1960s which also saw the killings of JFK, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King.

  He was born on 19 May 1925 at 10.25pm Omaha, Nebraska, (birth certificate) with a Baptist minister father who belonged to the United Negro Improvement Association which  advocated that blacks return to Africa because they could find no peace in America. The Klu Klux Klan harassed his father and their Omaha home was burned down. He recalled that his father gave rousing sermons – but beat his wife and children. He attributed this to his father’s self-hatred, a result of brainwashing by whites. His father died a violent death when young Malcolm was six as the result of an accident though Malcolm blamed his death on the Klan. His mother then had a breakdown and was institutionalised which meant Malcolm was separated from his siblings and fostered out.

  As a youth, he became a gambler and thief, dealing in bootleg liquor and illegal drugs and eventually landed in jail. While in prison, he joined the Nation of Islam, which believed in the racial superiority of blacks and emphasized scrupulous personal habits. He left the group ultimately and formed his own religious sect. He was publicly assassinated while giving a speech in New York City allegedly by three members of the Nation of Islam, on 21 February 1965, though there is doubt that the correct perpetrators were caught.

 What is of astro-interest is how similar in many ways his chart is to that of Yuri Grigorovitch, the tyrannical Bolshoi ballet choreographer (see post below) – both had dominating temperaments and were also dreamers. Malcolm X had an ultra-determined, angry and can-be-ruthless Mars Pluto conjunction in his 7^th trine Saturn in Scorpio in his 10^th. With an emphasized Neptune on the focal point of a yod inconjunct Jupiter sextile Uranus. Where Grigorovitch was driven towards a creative ideal, Malcolm X was focused on a social ideal.

 Malcom X also had a Taurus Sun in his performing 5^th house sextile Uranus inconjunct his Midheaven – with Midheaven opposition a ‘reaction point’ Aries Moon on on his IC. And his Sun square Neptune. His roots were what drove him.

 Yods would give him a singular purpose and probably a sense that he was a man of destiny, driven towards a dream by any means necessary.  

  He did have a leadership Leo North Node which sat close to the USA Leo North Node but with his Mars Pluto in Cancer sitting on top of the USA Sun Jupiter Venus, what he strove to achieve ran counter to the USA’s sentimental view of itself. His rebellious/reforming Uranus was also opposition the USA Neptune and square the USA Mars for an explosive and edgy interface.

 When he died his Solar Arc Sun was conjunct his Mars exactly for a sudden collision;  his Solar Arc Pluto was conjunct his Neptune for confusion; and his tr Pluto was conjunct his Solar Arc North Node for a fated moment.  The brutality and violent Mars Pluto gave him drive and motivation but ultimately was his undoing.

  What a messy, anguished life.  

Yuri Grigorovich, known as the greatest living choreographer in the world of ballet, for his leadership of the Bolshoi from 1964 for thirty years, has died. He was a tough operator who was accused of being a tyrant but was clearly talented and able to put his stamp on Soviet ballet as it came to prominence as the showpiece of the classical dance world.

 Born 2 January 1927, he started dancing young but was too short in stature to become a leading man.

 What is wonderful about his chart is how it expresses both strands of his personality and life. He had an ambitious Capricorn Sun in a controlling opposition to Pluto (North Node), trine and sextile Mars in Taurus, which is where his autocratic streak came from. He also had a yod of Venus in Capricorn sextile Uranus inconjunct ethereal Neptune with Neptune exactly opposition Jupiter in Aquarius. That creative Neptunian yod gave him a purposeful direction in life – with his Jupiter on the ‘reaction point’ of the yod being especially sensitive.

 A hard-driving personality focused on beauty, helped along by Jupiterian luck. Marvellous.

Gary Lineker, the former footballer and  highest-paid on-air BBC star, presenter of Match of the Day for 26 years, will leave this weekend without a payoff. He apologised after it emerged he had reposted a pro-Palestine video on Instagram that criticised Zionism and included an illustration of a rat,  which was a Nazi anti-semitic trope.

 Two years ago he was temporarily suspended over comments he made criticising the Conservative government’s asylum policy. And earlier this year he called on the BBC to rebroadcast a documentary on Gaza, narrated by the son of a Hamas politician.

 The BBC has come under increasing criticism for its anti-Israel stance recently with internal Jewish staffers saying they feel betrayed.

  The BBC, 14 November 1922 6pm London has a stubbornly opinionated house Mars in Aquarius in the 9th house of international affairs; and when relocated to Israel that Mars moves into the even more intransigent 8^th with a formidably determined Pluto on the Ascendant.

  The BBC Scorpio Sun is opposition the Israel Taurus Sun with the BBC Neptune square and conjunct the Israel Saturn; with the BBC Saturn conjunct the Israel Neptune. An intransigent, suspicious and doubting interface.

The BBC/Israel relationship chart is angry/competitive, power-struggling and uncertain with Sun Mars, Jupiter Pluto and Saturn Neptune composite aspects.

 Gary Lineker, 30 November 1960, a sporty, clearly outspoken and determined Sun Sagittarius square Pluto North Node; with a Taurus Moon, maybe opposition Neptune and trine Pluto. Plus a short-tempered Mars in Cancer opposition Saturn Venus in Capricorn.  His relationship with Israel has a composite Mars square Saturn, so the issue clearly hits his toxic hotspot.

 What is intriguing is also his relationship chart with the BBC which has an admittedly successful Jupiter trine Pluto; but also a yod onto Mars inconjunct Sun sextile Neptune. Sport may have soaked up some of the fiery Mars energy but there was clearly enough to spill over into heated arguments.

 What is also worth noting is that the two recent high profile scandal exits – Huw Edwards, Philip Scofield, have their Uranus and Pluto in the BBC 4^th house causing internal ructions. Edwards especially since his Sun Uranus conjunction sat close to the BBC IC, with the potential to cause significant instability.

 Two earlier sex scandals with Jimmy Savile – Neptune in BBC 4^th; plus his Scorpio Sun square the BBC Mars and his Saturn conjunct the BBC Sun. Rolf Harris, his Neptune in the BBC 4^th.

  Not much insight to be gleaned from all of this apart from interesting astro-synastry. And a wonder that the BBC has held it together this long with such unsettling personalities in key positions.

Scottie Scheffler, winner of the USA PGA Championship and world number one, is another Mars in Gemini. Born 21 June 1996 in New Jersey, he started golfing at 3 and never looked back. His parents were not rich and had to borrow $50,000 to join him to the Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas when he was only 7 or 8 years old. (See average costs below).

He is a Sun Cancer square Saturn in self-reliant Aries; with his Sun on the focal point of a yod inconjunct Pluto sextile Neptune, making him seriously ambitious. His Mars is also opposition Pluto adding another layer of determination.

 Tiger Woods, 30 December 1975 10.50pm Long Beach, California,  is another Mars in Gemini in his case trine Pluto; with his Capricorn Sun square Pluto and Jupiter – strong willed and confident.

Rory McIlroy, 4 May 1989, has his Mars in Cancer opposition Uranus; with his Taurus Sun opposition Pluto.

 Older golfers like Jack Niklaus also had strongly marked Pluto, in his case opposition his Aquarius Sun with Mars in Aries. Arnold Palmer had his Mars in Libra square Pluto.

  I am not sure whether Mars in Gemini is more marked in younger golfers because the game has changed or whether it is coincidence. See also previous post on tennis player Jack Draper 12^th May – with Andy Murray and John McEnroe both with Mars in Gemini. Strong Plutos abound amongst top tennis players as well especially Mars Pluto aspects.

Golf Info: The average cost for a golf club membership in the USA is around $6,000 per year. However, this can vary significantly depending on the club’s exclusivity and amenities. Some clubs may have initiation fees ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, with monthly dues starting at $550 for a modest club. More exclusive clubs might have initiation fees of $10,000 and monthly dues of $2,000. Very exclusive, invitation-only clubs can have initiation fees of $1 million or more.