Toni Morrison, the first African American to win the Nobel Prize for literature has died aged 88. President Obama described her as “a national treasure” who was “as good a storyteller, as captivating, in person as she was on the page”. The BBC obituary says: “Known for her searing and lyrical works about slavery and the history of African Americans, novelist Toni Morrison was widely regarded as one of the leading lights of US literature and a champion for repressed minorities.”

She was born 18 February 1931 11am Lorain, Ohio into a poor working-class family and went on to take two degrees at college, taught in a university and moved into the publishing business as a fiction editor. She went on to write 11 novels which have become classics; and one – Beloved-  was made into a film with Oprah Winfrey.

She had a 10^th house final-degree Aquarius Sun and Mercury in Aquarius also in the 10^th – so communication was always going to be her metier. Her Sun was inconjunct a last degree Mars in Cancer, so she’d be motivated by a fair amount of anger. She also had a restless, brimming-with-initiative Cardinal Grand Cross of innovative, torchbearer Uranus opposition North Node square Jupiter Pluto in Cancer opposition Saturn Venus in Capricorn. She had a tough life with emotional challenges but a great deal of confidence as well. Her Sun was also opposition a creative Neptune which in turn opposed a Pisces Moon. That 1931 generation produced a fair few notable successes in different arenas.

Her writers’ 21^st Harmonic was enormously strong; as was her creative 7H. Her breakthrough/genius 13H was marked, as was her leaving-a-legacy 17^th and her get-it-together and creative 5H.

Kashmir has been a highly sensitive and toxic hotspot between India and Pakistan since partition in 1947, brewing up two further wars through the decades, as both claim it as theirs and both control parts of it, along with China which has a chunk. Kashmir is 60% Muslim and locals would prefer to be independent or allied to Pakistan. Indian PM Narendra Modi’s Hindu Nationalist party have argued for year that India should take it over completely and his recent sweeping electoral victory has encouraged him to announce direct rule, scrapping a law that had given it partial autonomy since the 1950s.

35,000 extra Indian troops were deployed to Kashmir last week, regional politicians were placed under house arrest, phone and internet services cut, schools closed and a curfew imposed.

The risk is a headlong escalation of two nuclear powers towards all-out war. Protests broke out across Pakistan yesterday after the Delhi announcement.

Previous conflicts took place under Saturn Pluto aspects (see post February 27 2019) but several Saturn Plutos have passed by without any clashes so it doesn’t necessarily mean war. But both the India and Pakistan charts are severely stressed through the remainder of this year especially mid November to mid December.

The January 2020 Lunar Eclipse at 19 degrees Cancer closely tied into the Saturn Pluto conjunction is highly significant for Kashmir, having the Moon/Sun on the MC/IC axis – so that might flag up continuing trouble and crises in the months following.

Both charts for India and Pakistan on 15/15 August 1947 have a volatile, explosive Mars Uranus conjunction natally and that has moved by Solar Arc to catch the transiting Uranus trine, this year and through 2020 into 2021, so there will be ripples of aggravation from that.

India PM Narendra Modi’s Term chart 30 May 2019 7.04pm Delhi, has an 8^th house Mars which was conjunct the early July Cancer Solar Eclipse putting his administration onto a more aggressive and combative footing. There’s also a stressed 2^nd house Saturn Pluto which suggests financial deprivation and problems; with a highly emotional and grandstanding Moon; as well as deep-rooted anger issues from the Mars. And a very over hopeful streak from Jupiter square Neptune.

The Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s Term chart, 18 August 2018 10.15 am Islamabad, has a high-risk, frustratingly stuck and angry wide Pluto and Mars in Capricorn conjunction straddling the IC, so is sitting on a volcano which may or may not blow. There’s also a divisive, uncooperative Uranus in the 7^th suggesting rifts with neighbours – and that last is being elbowed late this December into February 2020.

It doesn’t look that certain that the two countries will be plunged into war though tensions will remain dangerously high. Another screw-up colonial legacy.

Add On: There are two Kashmir charts – one historical from 16 March 1846 and the other the Accession chart when it was signed over to India of 26 October 1947. Both are showing signs of extreme stress over the next several years.

The 1846 one has the dangerous, trapped tr Pluto trine Mars and square Pluto this year and next with the Solar Arc Venus moving to heighten emotional tensions and anger as it squares the Mars and opposes Saturn Neptune till 2023; picking up the undermining tr Neptune conjunct Sun in 2022/23 as well. The 1947 chart is no better with its stressed Mars Pluto Saturn in Leo moving to conjunct the Scorpio Sun from 2018 right through till 2024 which looks suppressive and destructive.

Narendra Modi, the driving force behind this escalation, will be running into financial problems by 2021 and a dead-halt blockage in 2022 as his Term chart faces a Solar Arc Jupiter square Neptune followed by Solar Arc Saturn conjunct Pluto and square the Term Moon.

The Reserve Bank of India, 1 April 1935, certainly echoes fears of financial problems and is looking jittered and shocked in 2020 with Solar Arc Mars square the Sun and in turmoil, scarily trapped and devastated in 2021 and 2022 with Solar Arc Uranus conjunct Pluto and then Solar Arc Pluto conjunct Mars.

The India chart itself is facing considerable challenges and pressures for change in 2020/21 with tr Pluto square the Solar Arc Midheaven; with a radical change of direction coming in 2021/22 as tr Uranus squares the natal midheaven; followed by considerable turmoil in 2022/23 with Solar Arc MC square Moon and Solar Arc Saturn Pluto square the India Moon and tr Pluto opposition the Moon in 2022/23 as well – so a great deal of unrest amongst the Indian population.

All of which would fit with Modi running into severe problems in two/three/four years.

Pakistan is less affected since they declared independence a day earlier and their Moon is at an earlier degree so won’t get those tricky influences inflaming domestic tensions.

 

The toxic marriage and thrilling creative partnership of superstar choreographer Bob Fosse who won an Oscar for Cabaret in 1972 and Broadway star and fellow choreographer Gwen Verdon is the subject of a lush eight part BBC/FX drama. It’s co-produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who created Hamilton. Her contribution to their ground breaking work was not fully recognised in her lifetime and she stuck by him despite his being a serial adulterer with an increasingly unstable temperament who was an alcoholic and addicted to pills.

Despite having rickets and leg braces as a toddler, she became an extraordinary dancer, acquired four Tony awards and taught Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe to dance. Her star was in the ascendant when she met and married him and she became his muse and co-choreographer as well as his wife for some years.

Born 13 January 1925 9.57 am Los Angeles, she was an ambitious Sun Capricorn square Mars in Aries; with a fragile Neptune and Moon in Virgo in her 6^th house of health; and a charming, creative and successful 10^th house Venus, Mercury and Jupiter. She had a healing and introverted Water Grand Trine of an 8^th house Saturn in Scorpio trine a 4^th house Pluto in Cancer trine a maverick Uranus on her Ascendant, so she’d be used to a difficult emotional life from childhood. But she had the drive to propel herself to great heights with her Pluto opposition her fortunate Jupiter.

He was born 23 June 1927 10.29 pm Chicago; and had a performing and entertaining 5^th house Cancer Sun square a lucky and adventurous Jupiter Uranus in his financial 2^nd. His ultra-charming and sociable 7^th house contained a passionate Venus, Mars and Neptune in Leo, perhaps one reason why he found commitment in relationships and monogamy difficult. His rigid, self-righteous Saturn in Sagittarius in his 10^th and Pluto in his 6^th would make him tricky to work with and not co-operative.

Her Moon fell in his 7^th house of relationships and his Sun in her domestic 4^th house – and her Venus was trine his Aries Moon – so there were some good placings. But her Saturn squared his Mars Venus so she would put a damper on some of his high jinks and exuberance.

Their relationship chart was very complicated with a tight, controlling and transformative composite Sun square Pluto; an innovative Saturn trine Uranus; a frivolous Venus trine Jupiter and an over-hopeful Jupiter opposition Neptune; and a needs-space Moon square Uranus.

They separated in 1971 when tr Uranus in Libra opposed their composite Sun and squared the composite Pluto. But they never divorced and she was with him when he died of a heart attack in 1987. She died in 2000.

The latest Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham Fast and Furious blockbuster is about to hit screens and is expected to rake in record box office for its opening. Initially reviewed as “complete nonsense but disarmingly pleasurable,” when it started 18 years ago, the franchise has gone from strength to strength commercially over nine movies which are an “ongoing petrolhead epic brimming with thrills, spills and smoke-belching set-pieces.” This one pits lawman Dwayne Johnson and renegade secret service man Jason Statham against Idris Elba’s super-villain.

Dwayne Johnson, 2 May 1972 6.02 pm San Leandro, California, started life as a professional wrestler and shifted over to become one of the highest grossing actors of all time. He’s a heavyweight Sun Taurus trine a lucky and ambitious Jupiter Moon in Capricorn; with a ferociously determined and charming Mars Venus in Gemini square Pluto.

Jason Statham, 26 July 1967 no time sadly, was heavily into sports at school, martial arts, football and diving, and moved via modelling into action movies. He’s an enthusiastic and entertaining Sun Jupiter in Leo with an ultra-determined square to Mars in Scorpio.

He’s a good pairing career-wise with Johnson since his Sun Jupiter falls in Johnson’s 10th house – and that translates in their relationship chart to an exuberant, high energy and fortunate composite Sun trine Jupiter, sextile Mars. There will be some alpha-male jousting since Johnson’s never-say-die Mars square Pluto collides with Statham’s Uranus Pluto in Virgo. And there’s a power struggling Sun square Pluto in the relationship chart but the creative tension probably helps to put an edge on their performances.

 

The NRA, despite facing an internal power struggle amnongst senior management and inquiries over financial improprieties, appears to be sailing ahead regardless doing what it does best – fending off any tightening of gun laws. The Texas Branch of the NRA crowed six weeks ago that it had a “highly successful” year as every one of the bills they backed to loosen existing laws was signed in by the Texas Governor and legislators.

The NRA chart, 17 November 1871 has an immoveable, dogmatic and obstinate Scorpio Sun opposition Pluto; and the assassin’s signature Mars Saturn exactly conjunct in traditional Capricorn. There’s a degree of confusion and uncertainty on this chart just till the end of this year with tr Pluto square the Neptune. But it’s real test will come between 2022 and 2025 when tr Uranus is conjunct the Pluto and then opposition the Sun which will threaten to turn it upside down. But it is a very stubborn chart and won’t be easy to shift.

Looking to see what hooks the NRA into the USA – the NRA Pluto falls (on my time) in the USA 8^th which is possessive and controlling. The NRA Gemini North Node is conjunct the USA Mars. A Gemini Node is a free spirit, dislikes restrictions, shirks responsibility, doesn’t understand the rights of others, ultimately for development must move away from sport towards higher knowledge (seems unlikely). Most pointedly the NRA Jupiter is conjunct the USA Mercury and opposition its Pluto with the NRA Neptune square – so its over-confident and head-in-the-clouds approach taps into that fanatical streak in the American temperament.

The relationship chart is even more stark and brutal with a ruthless composite Mars Pluto opposition Sun Mercury and trine Saturn – lashed together, highly controlling, enraged. But the bond is slowly being eroded by tr Neptune opposition the composite Sun in 2020/21 and then moving to hard aspect Pluto, Mars and Mercury from 2021 to 2024. Neptune is a great dissolver of foundations so maybe, just maybe, it’ll rust through the chains that bind the USA to its addiction to guns. Though it’s difficult to see how they’re going to get this genie back in the lamp even with a determined legislative push.

Trump naturally has a cosy relationship with the NRA with a mutually supportive composite Sun, Jupiter, Venus – though there’ll be a sharp, short shock late this December to early February 2020 with tr Uranus opposition the composite Mars, which will send a few ripples through their communal pond.

Two massacres in the USA within 24 hours, at least one with white supremacist, anti-Hispanic leanings, making three mass killings this week, have left a mounting death toll, well into double figures. The US had more mass shootings than any other country and has the highest per-capita gun ownership in the world with 120.5 firearms per 100 people. Well over half mass shootings are carried out with semi-automatic handguns or rifles.

One wonders where the tipping point comes when effective action is taken – indeed any steps at all – to combat the problem.

A couple of things strike me – this latest batch of killings occurred with Uranus opposition the Mars/Pluto midpoint which is very violent. And tr Mercury was exactly conjunct the USA Mercury in Cancer, perhaps an eerie omen of what is to come with the USA Mercury opposition Pluto getting stoked up from 2020 for three years.

The recent early July Cancer Solar Eclipse was conjunct the USA Sun which usually precedes a crisis that hits a bull’s eye; facts have to be faced, decisions taken leading to a new direction – or not as the case may be since although the pressure is there, often there’s a refusal to face reality and life blunders on, though with more angst to come. And significantly tr Uranus is square the US ‘leadership’ North Node in Leo which is a sensitive spot. Tr Neptune was in opposition to the USA North Node for 9/11 which hit the USA’s pride and self-esteem considerably. Tr Uranus shaking up a Node can, if changes are made, lead to more freedom; and, if not, it leads to more restrictions and restraints. The transiting Mars/Pluto midpoint was also square the USA North Node.

And so it goes on, round and round the same doom-and-disaster hamster wheel, with lives needlessly lost.  Mind you Hollywood and television drama have a good deal to answer for.

As Richard Pryor once remarked “You can’t talk about fucking in America, people say you’re dirty. But if you talk about killing somebody, that’s cool.”

 

More than 600 have been arrested in Moscow in the biggest political protests in Russia for years after authorities disqualified a number of opposition candidates from standing in local elections. Russian opposition campaigner Lyubov Sobol, a lawyer and video blogger, is among those detained. She has been on hunger strike for 21 days. Alexei Navalny, Opposition leader, was also arrested recently in connection with the rallies and fell ill in prison which he said was due to poison. Putin’s popularity has been sliding in the polls due to the suggested rise in the pension age, economic inequalities, corruption and poverty.

His Six Year Term chart 7 May 2018 11.05am Moscow indicated an unstable and often violent administration with a divisive Uranus on the Midheaven in a disruptive and ruthless square to Mars Pluto in Capricorn. There will be more than a few moments of slumping confidence over the next two years as well as aggravation from tr Pluto square the Mars/Pluto midpoint. But it’ll be 2021 onwards when the challenges really mount with a trapped, high-risk tr Pluto conjunct the Mars into 2022. There are violent Solar Arcs of Mars to Uranus and Pluto to Mars in 2022/23; and a turn-upside down tr Uranus conjunct the Sun in 2022/23 as well as the destabilising tr Pluto square Uranus in 2023/4. So his long reign won’t end well.

The Russia 8 December 1991 7.45 pm Moscow chart is being battered by the Eclipses hitting on the Uranus, Moon, Neptune in Capricorn this year especially the July one so a restless, nerve-stretched and rebellious population could have been expected. Plus an undermining tr Neptune square the Sagittarius Sun twice more before it exits late January 2020; and (time being accurate) considerable pressure to change direction from tr Pluto square the Midheaven in 2019/2020 and damage to reputation. With more muddle, confusion and worry late 2020 from Solar Arc Sun Mercury conjunct the Neptune.

The Russia 8 November 1917 chart is also on high alert and explosive at the moment with Solar Arc Uranus square Mars; as well as a  panicky tr Neptune square the Solar Arc Mars into early 2020. The 10^th house Pluto in Cancer in the line of fire of this December’s Capricorn Eclipse. Pluto in hard aspect to an eclipse indicates there are only two choices –  change or decay. There’ll be continuous stress and high anxiety in 2020 and beyond with tr Uranus square the Neptune and then Neptune/Saturn midpoint and then Saturn and opposition the Scorpio Sun in 2021/2022. A very unsettled few years ahead.

Any protests are likely to be brutally suppressed and neither Navalny nor Sobol look remotely cheerful in the next three or four years – quite the reverse.

Kelly McGillis, Tom Cruise’s love interest in the original 1986 Top Gun has been refreshingly blunt about why she wasn’t invited in for the sequel. “I’m old and I’d fat,’ she said and added that she preferred feeling age-appropriate and secure in who she was.

Born 9 July 1957 3.47pm Burbank, California, she studied at Julliard and had her breakthrough in Witness with Harrison Ford; and was also notable in The Accused with Jodie Foster, in which she drew on her own experience of being raped by two men when she was in her mid-twenties. Her career had highs but was also episodic much like her love life. She was married had two children and then came out as gay some years ago. Now she teaches acting and says she’s much more content being out of the Hollywood hothouse.

She is a Sun in Cancer; with a sparkling Mars, Venus, Uranus in Leo in the 9th house trine Saturn in Sagittarius. I’d think she was quite intellectual. She also has an influential and controlling Pluto on her Midheaven trine a Sagittarius Moon, sextile Neptune. Her weight has always fluctuated leading to unkind media comments – her Moon square Jupiter wouldn’t help to curb her appetite and Pluto on her midheaven would make her feel more protected with extra weight.

But it’s also throwing a harsh light on Hollywood’s use and manipulation of female actresses. Oscar winner Viola Davis said in an interview: “If you are anywhere above a size 2, you’re not having sex. You don’t have sexual thoughts. You may not even have a vagina. And if you’re of a certain age, you’re off the table.”

Ellen Pompeo of Grey’s Anatomy and one of the highest-paid women in television, said she preferred financial power: “I’m not necessarily perceived as successful as a 24-year-old actress with a few big movies is, even though she’s probably being paid shit — certainly less than her male co-star and probably with no backend,” Pompeo said. “And they’re going to pimp her out until she’s 33 or 34 and then she’s out like yesterday’s trash, and then what does she have to take care of herself? These poor girls have no real money, and the studio is making a fortune and parading them like ponies on a red carpet.”

Paul Hollywood, the celebrity baking supremo with the explosive love life has lurched into another fandango with reports that his most recent squeeze ex-barmaid Summer has dumped him. She evidently felt overly controlled when she was handed a gagging order banning her from ever talking about him publicly – and this only a few days after his bitter divorce from the wife before that.

Born 1 March 1966 he has his Sun and three other planets in Pisces but is far from a timid little minnow. He has an aggravated and control-freaky chart with a hard-edged and short-tempered Mars Saturn conjunction in an autocratic and dominating opposition to Uranus and Pluto all squaring onto an expansive and self-aggrandising Jupiter Moon in wayward Gemini. Not an easy temperament, to understate it by a mile.

He’s got tr Neptune now moving round his Pisces planets and that Mutable T Square – it was conjunct his Pisces Sun a couple of years back and has been chipping away at his Uranus Pluto since then and this year is sitting on his Saturn, inducing a mood of panicky uncertainty. That runs on through 2020, followed by tr Neptune in a failure-looms-large conjunction to his Mars in 2021/22 and a disappointing square to his Jupiter at the same time.

Perhaps an ounce of humility might creep in through the cracks.

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