The Cuba freeze is back on in earnest, upending Obama’s normalizing of relations in 2014 after 54 years of hostility. Trump’s slash-and-burn approach to anything his predecessor achieved has now resulted in further travel and other restrictions being slapped on. Not only is it contemptibly petty-minded, self-defeating and stupid as a policy driver, it’s downright pathological.

Cuba was given nominal independence on 20 May 1902 which gives a revolutionary Uranus opposition Pluto Mercury which sits very uncomfortably with the USA Mars in Gemini and indeed Trump’s Gemini Sun opposition Sagittarius Moon. The Cuba Mars in Taurus squares Trump’s Pluto and the Cuba late degree Taurus Sun squares Trump’s Mars – so all in all it was never going to be his favourite holiday destination.

The remainder of Trump’s term (first) look undermining for relations with tr Neptune square the Cuba Uranus and Mercury; and there are tough economic times ahead in 2022/23 with tr Pluto conjunct the Cuba Saturn.

Miguel Diaz-Carnel who took over as the first non-Castro President in decades on 19 April 2018 is seen as a continuity candidate having been deputy for some years under Raoul Castro. His term chart looks crises-strewn with an unstable, constantly-changing Sun Uranus in late Aries square Pluto with Pluto conjunct Mars and Mars conjunct Saturn – very unsettled    and high-risk with the potential for violence and sharp setbacks.

Diaz-Canel was born 20 April 1960, a few months before Obama so with certain similarities, but he isn’t a good match for Trump with their relationship chart having a power-struggling, one-upmanship T Square of Sun, Jupiter, Pluto; and a suspicious, highly strung Saturn Neptune square Uranus which is being challenged strongly till the end of this year.

English singer-songwriter Oritse Williams has been having a very up and down week, having been cleared of a rape charge in two hours by a jury that had been hanging over him for three years. And then seeing a house he owned go up in flames from arson. It had previously been owned by Ronnie Corbett and Williams didn’t live there. It was on the market for sale and vandals broke in shortly after his not guilty plea was handed down.

Born 27 November 1986, he has a complicated chart with a serious Sun Saturn in Sagittarius; his Saturn in a wobbly square to Jupiter in Pisces and his Sun square Mars in Pisces.  With a charming and passionate Venus Pluto in Scorpio. His Pluto has moved by Solar Arc at the moment to conjunct his Saturn now which is depressing and restrictive; with tr Uranus opposing his Venus exactly now as well for an emotional release and upset. His life will continue to rock n roll through this year with more mishaps to come but he’ll get his confidence back for a run of successes in 2020/21; though with some dips as well. Not a chart that’s designed for life on an even keel.

The ceremonial remembering of the 75th anniversary of the D Day Invasion of France on 6^th June 1944 by Allied Forces started today in Portsmouth with the Queen surrounded by 16 world leaders paying tribute to those who died.  It was the largest seaborne invasion in history, beginning the liberation of German-occupied France (and later western Europe) from Nazi control, and laid the foundations of the Allied victory on the Western Front.   It had been in planning for over a year with a decoy plan being leaked to the Germans to confuse them about the date and place of the landings.

The 6^th June 1944 had a brutal Mars Pluto conjunction in Leo sextile Uranus Venus so it well described a dangerous military exercise that could easily have gone the wrong way.  Tr Jupiter in Leo was exactly conjunct Uranus and opposition Pluto on the France chart giving it a better chance of success; and the Solar Arc Uranus was about to cross the France Ascendant exact within months for total freedom.

On the USA chart Uranus was on a full return with the Mars Pluto conjunct the US leadership Leo North Node as it took the lead. On the UK chart tr Neptune was in a highly-strung conjunction to the UK Uranus; with tr Jupiter moving through the hopeful 11^th to conjunct the UK Saturn within weeks as the invasion slowly made headway.

One of the many stories told of the day is of Bill Millin, Lord Lovat’s personal piper, who stepped off the landing craft into the water and marched up and down the beach playing his bagpipes to rouse morale, with soldiers dying all round him. The Germans later said they hadn’t shot him because they thought he was mad. A sculpture of him now stands in Normandy. He was the only piper there since they had been banned in England after too many pipers died in WW1.

He was born 14 July 1922 in Glasgow and was a Sun in Cancer with his Pluto and Mercury also in Cancer square Saturn Jupiter in Libra and trine Uranus – patriotic, creative, tough-minded, confident. On D Day, his Solar Arc Mars was exactly square his Saturn and North Node for high risk; and in the weeks following when he returned home unscathed tr Jupiter was trine his Uranus bringing elation and relief.

Ivanka Trump is the US President’s favourite daughter, invited to high level diplomatic and economic meetings, said by him to be the most likely to follow in his political footsteps and would according to him have made a great head of the World Bank.  Beyond satire.

Born 30 October 1981 to Ivana Trump, wife number one, she attended Pennsylvania University, from which she graduated cum laude with a degree in economics. She worked for the Trump Organization and had her own jewellery and fashion line, which latter now appears defunct, though several Chinese trademarks have been associated with that business.

She is a Sun Scorpio sextile Mars in Virgo, so undoubtedly determined and hard-working. She has a super-confident Jupiter Pluto conjunction in Libra, conjunct Mercury and widely Saturn, so she’s quite a force to be reckoned with. She also has rather ethereal Venus Neptune in Sagittarius which gives a misleading impression of softness – she’s titanium-hard.

She’s certainly giving it all she’s got in 2020/2021 with tr Pluto square her Jupiter Pluto, which is similar to the influences that brought her father to prominence. Tr Uranus opposes her Sun from May 2020 onwards, off and on into 2021 which will bring considerable changes into her life. And tr Uranus is trine her Jupiter/Node from early July to late September 2020 over the nomination, repeating in April 2021.

She’s looking cheerful over the Inauguration with tr Pluto square her Jupiter Pluto and tr Jupiter in Aquarius square her Sun – though there are much less auspicious influences following – the Uranus Mars in Taurus square Saturn bouncing off her Sun for several. But she is definitely on a roll and in a lucky phase.

One of the astro-mysteries, well psychological mysteries to be truthful, is her relationship with her father – the composite chart has a truly horrible, aggravated Mercury, Sun, Mars, Saturn Uranus conjunction – and that is nasty, suggesting at one level emotional cruelty, with a Krakatoa’s worth of underground anger. She’ll need all her Scorpio secrecy and self-control to keep a lid on her real feelings.

Husband Jared, 10 January 1981, isn’t looking quite so geared up and confident as she is ahead. He has tr Pluto conjunct his Capricorn Sun till late this year and then square his Pluto in 2020/21 – so will be under fairly hefty pressures and challenges. He does have an insecure, jolting tr Uranus square his Mars in Aquarius in May/June 2020 and again across the election, which may spark off misjudgments and over-hasty reactions which backfire. He does have some lucky breaks in 2020 but he lacks her tr Pluto square Jupiter.

Their relationship chart which has a power-couple composite Jupiter Pluto, though that can turn into an internal power struggles as well, is under a damp cloud from tr Saturn square till early 2020; looks very much on edge with catastrophic crises mounting mid December through till February 2020. And very edgy during his tricky patches in May/June and November 2020.

Jared’s relationship with his father-in-law is very fated to start with, their composite chart containing an exact Yod of Mars sextile Pluto inconjunct Mercury, suggesting a connection that will change both lives irrevocably for good or ill. It’s under sombre influences with tr Saturn square the Mercury and Jupiter till late this year; and has ongoing dissolving Neptune transits late this year, especially in December across the New Year and right through off and on till after the 2021 Inauguration.

Just a mini note: Jared does not see eye top eye with Melania  – evasiveness and real dislike with humps and bumps later this year.

Final Trump thought for the week (I hope): Piers Morgan is a tabloid UK journalist, who used to be on USA TV, knew Trump of old and generally stands up for him at every opportunity. Born 30 March 1965 he’s a noisy though charming Sun Venus in Aries; with a volcanic Mars Uranus Pluto in Virgo opposition Saturn. It’s not the easiest of interfaces with Trump, though Morgan’s Sun Venus falling in Trump’s 8^th does suggest a deep connection. What will make the difference is Morgan’s Jupiter in Taurus conjunct Trump’s Midheaven (and Algol) so it’ll suit both of them career-wise – Trump because he likes being liked and Morgan because he’s a screamer and a contrarian and it allows him to stand out from the crowd.

The Chinese Communist Party’s Maoist tendencies are out in force over the 30^th anniversary of the suppression of the Tiananmen Square demonstrators; and elsewhere as they seem  intent on not only quelling internal dissent but also playing hardball globally.

The CPP, the founding and ruling party of China, was established at a congress starting 23 July 1921 in Shanghai. This gives Sun Mars in Cancer and Mercury Pluto in Cancer; as well as Jupiter Saturn in Virgo.  When the democracy activists were gunned down in their hundreds, maybe thousands, and martial law was declared in 1989 the triple conjunction in Capricorn, which oversaw the fall of the Berlin Wall, was opposing the Chinese Communist Party’s Pluto Mercury with Mars in Cancer hitting on the CPP’s Mars Sun. A high pressure moment but one which they resisted with all their considerable might.

At the moment tr Pluto is opposing the CPP’s Mars exactly and on and off till late 2020; with this year’s Eclipses tugging at the Pluto Mercury  – so there will be considerable pressure on the CPP; with an undermining tr Neptune opposing the Jupiter this year and then the Saturn in two years’ time which is a three or four year loss-making slide. The pressures won’t ease since tr Pluto moves to opposes the Sun/Mars and then Sun by 2023/24. So there will be a volcanic mood within the ruling body.

The China chart itself of 1949 looks bullishly confident this year and next with tr Pluto conjunct the Jupiter; though with a few downers from tr Saturn square the 8^th house financial Mercury Neptune.  But it does look trapped with tr Pluto moving through the 12^th till the mid 2020s.   Mid 2021 through till 2023 look violently unsettled with tr Uranus square the 7^th house Mars Pluto which may mean a neighbourly squall. This is when Xi Jinping’s latest term chart looks at its least stable with tr Pluto square the Uranus.

Liverpool has been going crazy over its football club’s European Cup win in Madrid and has elevated manager Jurgen Klopps to idol status after a run of near misses.

Born 16 June 1967 7.28am Stuttgart, Germany, he has an 11^th house Sun Gemini square a 3^rd house Uranus Pluto in Virgo so a good team person, but also a rebel, with a quirky way of communicating. He has a charmingly frivolous Jupiter Venus in Leo on his Ascendant. But more pointedly a rigorously disciplined, self-reliant Saturn in Aries on his MC opposition Mars square Mercury in Cancer –he won’t be backwards about expressing his irritation when things go wrong.

At the moment he has his Solar Arc Jupiter square his Sun for a surge of confidence leading to success; and a lucky tr Uranus square his Jupiter for a fortunate break. That latter repeats on and off into 2020 so there should be more celebrations to come.

Dewayne Craddock, the Virginia Beach shooter, a city engineer, appeared to have no motive for his killing spree which left 12 dead. He handed his resignation in hours before for personal reasons he said and had not been forced to resign and was “in good standing in his department.” Though some colleagues said he had been acting oddly in the weeks before.

Born 15 October 1978, he was a controlling Sun Pluto in Libra possibly opposition an Aries Moon; with a vengeful Mars in Scorpio in a volatile conjunction with Uranus and an amped-up Venus. He also had Mercury in Scorpio – so he would keep many of his thoughts and feelings under wraps with a strong Pluto and four Scorpio planets. Plus he had a can-be neurotic Saturn square Neptune.

In recent years the tr Pluto square tr Uranus had been colliding with his Pluto and Sun, with the challenges still in place this year. And his Solar Arc Saturn has been moving in a depressing conjunction to his Pluto, then Sun/Pluto and aiming for his Sun within months. Exactly now tr Pluto is in a tense and rage-filled square to his Mars/Node midpoint; with tr Uranus exactly opposing his Sun/Mars midpoint which is hot-blooded and reckless as well as potentially violent. And tr Uranus has just cleared the opposition to his Mars/Pluto in the run up which is equally catastrophic and potentially brutal.

Such a waste. If he wanted to commit suicide, even by cop, why take others with him?

Turning a full-scale state visit into a sitcom takes some doing but trust Trump. Against protocol he’s bringing all of his children (except young Barron) – Don Jnr, Eric, Ivanka, even Tiffany, and their spouses. Arriving on Monday the bells-and-whistles entertainment begins with a ceremonial welcome, private lunch at Buckingham Palace, afternoon tea with the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall and a state banquet in the palace’s ballroom. Though the gilt coach up Pall Mall has been ditched because of security worries; and there will be no Westminster address as Obama had. Trump will host a dinner at the US ambassador’s residence at London’s Regent’s Park on Tuesday and on Wednesday will attend a ceremony in Portsmouth to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day. No doubt mouthing off contsnalty about Brexit, in breach of all diplomatic good manners.

The Queen will no doubt handle it all with her usual icy aplomb, since she has decades of experience hosting a string of hair-raising dictators; though the courtiers will be close at hand on full alert to circumvent mishaps.

Since Trump’s narcissism brooks no equals, he finds it difficult to accord the respect the Royals, who can be every bit as uppity, expect. The Queen isn’t arrogant but she has strong views on the sanctity of the monarchy and won’t be pushed aside. She certainly dislikes Trump with a composite Sun Mercury opposition Mars, sextile/trine both Saturn and Pluto in their relationship chart.

Prince William oddly enough dislikes Trump senior even more vehemently with a composite Mars Pluto and a high-tension Saturn Uranus. He’ll turn on the surface charm but underneath will seethe. Ditto Kate.

Prince Charles will turn on the bumbling charm though wish he were elsewhere.  Prince Andrew will be ratchety and ensure POTUS knows he’s rubbing shoulders with his betters – though they probably know each other from the past at Jeffrey Epstein’s villa. Their relationship is very much on edge this year and next.

William will no doubt be thrown together with Ivanka and Jared, being of ages – but there’ll be a distinct one-upmanship tussle going on there.  He needs space from Ivanka and is chilly about Jared.

Kate isn’t going to be upstaged by Ivanka for sure, with a composite Mars square Neptune and a Jupiter Pluto Venus square Saturn; and she’s none too keen on Jared either.

What fun – dynastic families at war. Teeth-gritted, saccharine smiles.

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The Liberal Democrats came second in the UK EU elections, following gains in local council elections and this week the Remainer centrist party topped a YouGov poll of Westminster voting intentions for the first time since 2010 – at 24%. The question is whether they can hold their new found momentum since they have a history as comeback kids who fade fairly rapidly.

Political party charts aren’t always too illuminating and I’m having a hard job seeing anything too uplifting on any of the possible charts – Lib Dems, Pisces, 3 March 1988; the earlier Lib-SDP Alliance. Gemini 16 June 1981; or even the old Liberal Party. Gemini 6 June 1859. There are flickers of Jupiter but nothing much holding. EU elections can be a protest vote which disappears at a General Election and polls can be misleading.

The two potential leaders – Jo Swinson, 5 February 1980 and Ed Davey, 25 December 1965 – to replace Vince Cable are equally not much help.

Jo Swinson, an Aquarius with a hard working Saturn in Virgo opposition Venus in Pisces and an exuberant Jupiter Mars in Virgo looks deflated from now and through 2020; with one lucky break from spring 2020 but that’s it.

Ed Davey, a Capricorn with Venus, Mars, maybe Moon in Aquarius, will get a boost July to this September but otherwise looks fairly swampy this year and next.

So not much the wiser.