Shades of the 15th Century War of the Roses and the Tudors, or more recently North Korea. The recklessly impetuous, power-hungry and autocratic Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), has arrested his uncle, the King’s brother, and two cousins accusing them of treason, for which they could face execution.

Prince Ahmed, 5 September 1942, now 78, had criticized MBS’s running of the destructive war in Yemen but had thought it was safe to return home. Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, 30 August 1959, one of the USA’s close allies, was Crown Prince before being removed and placed under virtual house arrest. Both had been critical of MBS’s rise to power and the radical changes he made to governing the country, concentrating power in his own hands rather than including the wider family.

MBS consolidated his power early on by arresting 200 Royal relations and wealthy businessmen and imprisoning them in the Riyadh Ritz on corruption charges, with allegations of torture.

Born 31 August 1985 he does have a control-freak Pluto in Scorpio on the point of a T Square to Jupiter opposition Venus, which gives him tremendous staying power and a disinclination to shift from any course of action he starts; or share the driving seat with anyone. Plus Jupiter Pluto which will tempt him to think rules don’t apply to him. On top of all that he has a cruel and short-tempered Mars in flamboyant Leo square Saturn in obsessive Scorpio. Since coming to power, he has hashed and crashed through various flare-ups, not the least of which was Jamal Khashoggi’s grisly murder.

His elevation to the Crown Prince role on 21 June 2017 reflects his temperament with a ruthless Mars opposition Pluto square Jupiter.

Oddly enough MBS and his uncle and older cousin are all Virgos – with Mohammed bin Nayef’s Sun Pluto conjunct MBS’s Sun and Prince Ahmed’s Uranus Saturn in Gemini square MBS’s Sun – not good chemistry for an individual who clearly dislikes being criticized.

The relationship charts between MBS and Nayef – a composite Sun Mars square Neptune Saturn; and MBS/Ahmed – a composite Saturn, Mars, Sun opposition Uranus – both look exceptionally competitive and argumentative.

MBS will run into blocks and obstacles in 2021 when his Solar Arc Pluto squares his Sun. His relationship with his bro-romance Jared Kushner is under a cloud exactly now with tr Saturn square the composite Pluto; with jolts and jangles come late May into June, and on – which is when MBS’s chart is revving up for another forceful gesture.

The two Saudi charts, 1902 and 1932 indicate heavy pressure through to mid decade; with panics and insecurity as well as financial over-confidence on the other.

East meets West in a culture clash as Sheikh Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, and friend of the Royals and successive Brit governments, is exposed in a family court ruling in London. The judge found he orchestrated the abductions of two of his children and subjected his youngest wife to a campaign of “intimidation” – behaviour which, on the balance of probabilities, amounted to potentially breaking English and international law.

In 2000 one of the daughters who tried to escape the gilded cage, Shamsa, was kidnapped from the streets of Cambridge and hasn’t been seen since. According to reports, the UK Foreign Office stopped the police investigation. Another daughter, Latifa, fled in 2018 only to be picked up by Indian coastguards and forcibly returned home where she alleges she was beaten and tortured. All of which has come back into the spotlight with the sheikh’s sixth and youngest wife, Princess Haya, daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan and half-sister of King Abdullah, fleeing to London last April with their two young children, one of whom she alleged her husband was trying to marry off to Mohammed Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia.

Sheikh Maktoum, 15 July 1949, is known for developing Dubai into a global city and for his racing interests in the UK though his horses have been dogged by doping concerns. He was also criticised heavily over the enslavement of young boys acting as camel jockeys; and also for the conditions of immigrant workers in construction in Dubai.

He is a Sun Cancer in an expansive opposition to Jupiter; with a possessive Venus Pluto in Leo. It’s not a particularly hard chart but the lifestyle there despite pretensions to being a Western tourist hotspot is about two hundred years behind the times. He’s in for a shock in 2021 with Solar Arc Mars conjunct his Saturn which could be financial or health issues. With serious setbacks in 2023/24. That latter is a time when the Dubai chart is under major strain as well.

Princess Haya, 3 May 1974, is a stalwart Sun Taurus with a hard-edged Mars Saturn in Cancer square Pluto, so despite her opulent lifestyle she’s known some hard times. Her Uranus squares the Sheikh’s Sun so it was always going to be an arms’ length affair with her freedom-loving instincts finally breaking through.

Shamsa, 15 August 1981, is a Sun Mercury in Leo trine Neptune; with her Sun in a needs-independence square to Uranus; and her Mars in Cancer in a trapped and scared square to Pluto.

Latifa, 5 December 1985, is a rebellious Sun Uranus in Sagittarius sextile an enthusiastic Jupiter. Although Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, recently sat beside her for a staged photo op saying all was well, Latifa looked drugged. Latifa’s chart looks beyond horrific for the next several years with a chained-down tr Pluto square her Mars for two years; then several blocked, angry, explosive Solar Arcs running to mid-decade.

There’ll come a day of reckoning (maybe) for the Royals who home in on the obscenely wealthy like wasps to a jam jar, and the real-politickers in successive UK governments who have cosied up to these Gulf allies, with their Sandhurst-trained rulers and turned a blind eye to anything that didn’t and still doesn’t sit comfortably with Western sensibilities – while selling them weapons by the yard.

And why anyone chooses to holiday there, let alone buy a second home, given their archaic laws and dodgy legal system is beyond me.

See Previous post August 18 2018.

An unfortunate title and a delayed release due to the virus are only the latest in a line of mishaps to blight the 25^th James Bond movie. Production was put back when director Danny Boyle baled early on over script differences and was replaced by director Cary Joji Fukanaga and new writers. Daniel Craig, back reluctantly for his final Bond outing, injured an ankle during shooting and a controlled explosion damaged the stage at Pinewood and left a crew member with minor injuries.

Principal Photography finally got under way on 28 April 2019 in Jamaica on an incident-prone Sun Uranus conjunction; and a sticky Mercury square Saturn Pluto; plus an over-hopeful and confused Mars opposition Jupiter square Neptune.

When it launches in the UK on November 12th (if it does) then tr Neptune will be square the Mars till late month which although it could boost filmic matters given that Neptune rules the movie business, could also suggest failure. And that is around in 2021 as well. Plus tr Uranus will be exactly conjunct the Sun for a jangle and more surprises.

Daniel Craig, 2 March 1968, a Pisces Sun with a hard-edged Mars Saturn in Aries is equally into a Neptunian slump over the next two years, so not too vibrant.

Producer Barbara Broccoli, 18 June 1960 9.55am Santa Monica, CA, is understandably nerve-stretched, gloomy and off-balance through most of this year though from late November, coinciding with the USA release, she picks up a lucky tr Pluto square her Jupiter/Uranus midpoint for a few weeks which might point to a reasonable box office.

As the world grinds to a slowdown, airlines are feeling the pinch more than most businesses with the already ailing FlyBe, Europe’s largest airline, now into administration. Other carriers globally are cutting routes, freezing pay and using smaller aircraft to cope with a further slump in bookings. British Airways and Ryanair, Europe’s biggest short haul carrier, announced flight cuts on Monday. Globally, airlines took five years to return to profit after the 2001 terror attacks and plunged back into negative territory in 2008.

Looking across a range of airline charts what’s clear is that this is not a short-term crisis. Almost all of them point to this year as a severe struggle but also to 2022/23 as crunch points, which may not all be down to epidemic panic.  The Greta effect, carbon-footprint concern may also be adding pressure.

Ryanair, 5 July 1985, has a high-insecurity Solar Arc Uranus opposition its Mars this year; with a disappointing tr Neptune conjunct the Solar Arc Jupiter in 2020/21. But worse than that, they face a car-crash scenario from Solar Arc Mars square Saturn in 2021/22.

Both of the British Airways charts – 31 March 1924 and 1 April 1974 – are exhibiting high stress and anxiety this year and next; with worsening fortunes in 2022/23.

United Airlines, 28 March 1931, is into turbulent waters with discouraging challenges now into next year; again with completely blocked and catastrophic influences in 2023/24.

KLM, Lufthansa and Air France all show much the same timelines.

Joe Biden is back. A remarkable turnaround to a sagging campaign has struck it rich on Super Tuesday, narrowing the democratic field down to two – himself and Sanders.

Tr Jupiter is trine his Midheaven exactly now, birth time being accurate, for an uplift; and is also sextile his Sun/Mars midpoint and about to sextile his Mercury. Those are mildish influences and it says a good deal for his stamina that he has managed to overcome the tr Neptune opposition his Mars/Jupiter midpoint which picked up late February; and returns on and off into 2021 which tends not to bring success.

His fortunes are mixed in the near future – or at least his state of mind is – with tr Saturn conjunct his Solar Arc Mars and both square his Moon from early April to mid June, which might coincide with a stamina or health slump as well as an irritable mood. He is 77 and the pace on any campaign is punishing, this one especially. Tr Saturn squares his Jupiter/Pluto midpoint at the same time which tends to dent enthusiasm, bringing difficulties and separations.

Late March through April he’ll be gloomy with tr Neptune square his Moon/Pluto; with upsets and irritability also in April.

Tr Uranus picks up the square to his Pluto in May, repeating on and off into 2021. This can go either way, bringing huge upheavals for good or for ill. It may not immediately be obvious since his Pluto is anchored into his intense, super-determined Mars in Scorpio.

September to late October tr Saturn opposes his Jupiter which may bring financial shortages or a confidence dip. From late August to late December tr Pluto squares his Mars/Neptune midpoint which is generally not an indication of plans working out. Though, just to be tricky, tr Jupiter joins in over the election which will help lift the luck a touch. October to late January he’s also got a re-run of tr Neptune opposition his Mars/Jupiter midpoint which Ebertin describes as feelings of inferiority, plans without hope, delayed or difficult birth.

His Solar Return for November 2020 puts an upfront Sun in the 1^st; with an exceptionally busy Pluto, Jupiter, Noon, Saturn in the 3^rd – it doesn’t look super-successful but won’t be a quiet retirement.

The above influences are all about his personal reaction to the swings and roundabouts of the next few months and may not always mirror the results.

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Jill Biden, his wife, born 3 June 1951 in New Jersey, is a teacher – a second marriage for both since his first wife and infant daughter died in a car crash and she was divorced. He had two other boys from his first marriage and he and Jill have a daughter.

Jill is an upfront and assertive Sun Mars in Gemini sitting on one leg of a talented Half Grand Sextile from a Jupiter in pro-active Aries opposition Neptune, sextile Pluto and Sun Mars – a go-getter and lucky as well as ambitious.

It’s an odd relationship with her strong Fire/Air temperament and his intensely emotional Sun, Venus, Mercury, Mars in Scorpio. She does have Venus in Cancer conjunct his Jupiter which will help but they are chalk and cheese. And her Sun Mars, maybe Gemini Moon, sits in his 7^th conjunct his Saturn Uranus so it won’t all be sweetness and light.

Their relationship chart has a marked Jupiter which will help to smooth rough edges and bring enthusiasm – it squares the composite Sun and trines Neptune, sextile Saturn, which will bring some balance. The needs-space composite Venus square Uranus has probably been surmountable because of their respectively active careers.

She’s looking especially cheered up come late May into June and even more so in July to late September with tr Uranus conjunct her Mars/Jupiter and then Sun/Jupiter midpoints, repeating over the election. But whether that’s because he’s winning or she’s released from the rigours of campaigning as he retires isn’t clear.

Georgina Chapman, Harvey Weinstein’s ex who sued for divorce the instant the sexual harassment charges were made public, is making headway keeping her fashion business, Marchesa, afloat. She has support from high profile celebrities including Scarlet Johansson, Priyanka Chopra and Anna Wintour who say she shouldn’t be blamed for her spouse’s sins, of which she said she was entirely unaware. She got a multi-million dollar payout from the divorce and full custody of their two young children; and is now seen out and about with actor Adrien Brody of The Pianist and Peaky Blinders fame.

She was known in her own right as a successful fashion designer before she hitched with Weinstein in 2007 on a day with a super-confident, power-couple Sun, Jupiter Pluto conjunction. She was born 14 April 1976 in London which gives a go-ahead Aries Sun perhaps opposition a Libra Moon and certainly square Saturn in Cancer. The emphasised Saturn could explain the older husband leaning; and it also gives executive ability and a capacity for hard-work. She has an emotional high-drama Venus in Aries opposition Pluto square Mars in Cancer, so she must have had some inkling of what she was getting into with Weinstein with his forcefully pushy Mars in Scorpio square Pluto.

It was an odd match for all that. On the upside her Sun is conjunct his Jupiter so she’d be attracted to his confidence and luck; but her afflicted Mars is conjunct his Uranus for sparks flying; and her Pluto is conjunct his Saturn with her Mars in square – so blocked and aggravating.

Their relationship chart has a composite Mars Pluto opposition Venus suggesting some odd emotional dynamics – with ruthlessness, dominance as well as an initial attraction writ large. It was always going to end badly one way or another.

Brody, 14 April 1973 3.30pm New York, is a better fit in one way sharing her Sun and Venus in Aries. Her Venus falls in his 7^th and her Sun in his 8^th conjunct his Sun Venus which is all good. Though his Sun and Venus do oppose his Uranus so he’s not one for standing still. And her Moon may conjunct his Uranus.

Their relationship chart has a passionate and affectionate composite Venus, Sun, Mars but the Sun Mars opposes Uranus, so it’ll be difficult to keep it on an even keel over the long haul.

She’s got a challenging three years three years ahead with tr Pluto square her Sun over 202/21 and opposition her Saturn in 2021/22.

A flood of refugees is likely to overwhelm Greece (and the EU) as Recep Erdogan, the Turkish president, warned his country could not cope with the new wave of refugees after an escalation of the Syrian conflict. Turkey is already hosting 3.7 million Syrian refugees, as well as migrants from other countries such as Afghanistan – but previously stopped them from leaving for Europe under a 2016 deal which saw Turkey handed €6bn (£5.2bn; $6.7bn) in EU aid for migrants and refugees. Nearly a million Syrians have fled to the Syrian-Turkish border since December and Erdogan warned that “millions” will soon head towards Europe.

The Turkey/EU relationship chart indicates severe problems from mid April and through May as tr Uranus opposes the composite Mars and squares the composite Pluto; and those repeat mid November to early March 2021 – an extended period of aggravation and high-tension.

The Turkey national chart, 29 October 1923 8.30pm Ankara, is ploughing through discouraging times from exactly now, on and off till late 2021 with tr Pluto square the Turkey Saturn; with some lift from tr Pluto sextile the Jupiter. Tr Uranus will also oppose the Turkey Scorpio Sun for the final time late March/Early May for a significant upset. Neighbourly relations will continue to be fraught for a considerable period ahead with the tr Saturn Pluto moving through their 7^th house (start time being accurate).

Erdogan’s Fourth Term, 9 July 2018 4.30pm was also going to be challenging with a stuck and intense 8^th house Sun opposition a 2^nd house Pluto, with Saturn also in the 2^nd. That chart will get a fair jolting come late May into June, with tr Uranus square the Uranus which could be violent and at the very least bringing high-insecurity leading to rash decisions and over-reactions, repeating onto early 2021.

It’s difficult to see where a solution will come from since Turkey can’t host endless millions and Greece is in no position economically to be landed with more than its fair share – and other EU countries have turned their back.

Assad’s Presidency is moving into its most challenging and unstable phase over 2021/22/23 with tr Pluto opposition the Cancer Sun and the Solar Arc Uranus squaring the Pres Pluto. If or when he goes he’ll leave a wrecked country behind.

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Boris Johnson’s chequered love life continues to run along the same roller coaster track. He divorced his previous (second) wife a few days back and now intends to marry Carrie and have a baby in early summer. Which is almost a carbon copy of the end of his first marriage – annulled, 12 days later remarries, five weeks later has baby. His second marriage, lasting 25 years, produced four children; during which he also had one affair which resulted in two terminated pregnancies; and either one or two children from another.

Carrie Symonds herself comes from a wayward family lineage which may track back to an illegitimate daughter of Herbert Asquith, prime minister in the early 20^th Century. And down the line there were other illegitimate offspring of journalists until Carrie herself was born out of wedlock on 17 March 1988.

They are both high-octane, very scattered personalities. He with his focal point Mars in Gemini on a Mutable T Square with Sun, Venus and Mercury in Gemini. She’s a Pisces Sun square a needs-to-be-free Uranus and Saturn; with a highly volatile, erratic and at times chaotic Saturn Uranus Neptune and Mars in Capricorn.

Her Jupiter falls in his 7^th which is supportive and her Venus in indulgent Taurus is conjunct his 8^th house Jupiter for a deep connection; though her Venus opposition Pluto sits on top of his Jupiter opposition Neptune which does suggest a fair amount of confusion around money apart from other considerations. Her Uranus Saturn is also opposition his Sun Venus so she won’t sit quietly if he goes jaunting and will be fairly autocratic in her demands.

Their relationship chart does have a tied-together Grand Trine of Venus in a passionate trine to Pluto and a workmanlike trine to Saturn; with a successful and confident-together Sun Jupiter conjunction; but also an illusory Venus opposition Neptune. There’s also a very up and down, impulsive Jupiter opposition Uranus square Saturn which is being rattled at the moment. Plus a Yod of Neptune sextile Pluto inconjunct Sun North Node – a fated connection that will irrevocably change both lives for good or ill.

It could work but given his track record with women, the question is for how long? 2021 looks a testing time with tr Uranus conjunct the composite Sun and a sagging tr Neptune conjunct the composite Mars.

See previous post June 19 2019.

A cautious beginning of the maybe end of the US’s longest running war in Afghanistan comes with a deal signed with the Taliban. The war cost $2 trillion, took the lives of 3,500 plus American and coalition troops and tens of thousands of Afghans. At the height of the war, more than 100,000 American troops occupied Afghanistan, as did tens of thousands from the NATO coalition. Resources were withdrawn too quickly early on as the focus switched capriciously to Iraq in 2003.

It started on 7 October 2001 4.25pm Kabul in retaliation for 9/11 in an effort to hunt down eradicate Al Quaeda. Since then it has perplexed three administrations and ends – if it does – with remarkably little to show as the superpower proved unable to combat Afghanistan’s punishing terrain. And found as the Russians did before them and the Brits in the 19^th Century that retreat was the only option – which is why it became known as the graveyard of empires.

Whether or not the Taliban will honour their promises or the Afghan government can work with them is questionable. But Trump is in election year and wants to show he can live up to his promise of pulling back.

The start chart had the war-like Saturn Pluto opposition sitting firmly across the Ascendant/Descendant axis tied into a bleak Moon and it was the driving rod of an Air Grand Trine of Uranus and Neptune to a grandstanding 5^th house Sun trine Moon Saturn in Gemini. The Sun was also on the focal point of a T square of an opportunistic, risk-taking Mars opposition Jupiter. Too much Air suggested not enough practical planning went into the venture; with the crusading Mars Jupiter gives a hint of recklessness; and the ego-centric Sun, particularly in the 5^th, points to a need to show superiority.

The North Node of the War chart at zero Cancer will be triggered by this June’s Solar Eclipse but whether that suggests a full cycle has truly come to pass or not is moot. Tr Neptune is conjunct the War Solar Arc Midheaven which could suggests a fizzle-out, low key finish.

The Afghanistan national chart does have a blip of cheer at the moment but in general it’s not in great shape with corruption rampant, the country’s institutions feeble and the economy dependent on American and other international aid. Financial problems loom large in 2022/23 with tr Pluto opposition Mars; and most of this decade is restrictive with tr Pluto moving through the 8^th.

The Afghanistan/USA relationship chart does have hints of an untying of the knot with tr Uranus square the composite Sun exactly now; but there’ll be an uphill struggle this year with discouragement from tr Pluto trine the composite Saturn so it won’t be an easy disengagement. And further disappointment in 2022/23.