All but three of Jamie Oliver’s restaurants have closed after administrators were called in with massive debts owed to banks and food suppliers, amounting to many millions, some of it personally guaranteed by Oliver. He has blamed rising rents and wage bills, expensive imports and tough times in the trade with other similar chains suffering.

Oliver born 27 May 1975 4.35 pm Essex with pub/restaurant owning parents, is dyslexic, left school at 16 and went on to sell 40 million books, was constantly on TV screens and became the most famous chef in the UK, promoting healthier eating for children in schools. But he was never a businessman and scattered his attention in too many directions as well as leaving the commercial nuts and bolts to others.

He has an ultra-determined 8^th house Gemini Sun opposition Neptune, trine Pluto and sextile Mars, so he motors along on high-octane fuel. He’s also got a ferocious Pluto opposition Mars square a Capricorn Moon, doubling up on the emotional intensity and anger that drives his public persona and career.

At the moment his Solar Arc Midheaven is around the square to his vague, 2^nd house financial Neptune which makes sense of this collapse. This year’s Eclipses have been bouncing off his Moon as well as his Saturn and will continue to do so until the end of the year and beyond  – time for a sharp reality check and chickens coming home to roost.

After a few years ahead of challenges and tensions in his everyday routines with tr Saturn and tr Pluto wading through his 3^rd, he looks like moving through an emotional and domestic revamp as both planets move through his 4^th house into the 2020s.

He’ll no doubt be back in one form or another since Geminis are good at reinventing themselves and he has seven Cardinal planets so is hugely restless and spilling over with initiative.

Pic: Karl Gabor.

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The battle between Congress demanding oversight of the president’s actions and a stonewalling Trump has moved up a notch. The non-appearance of Don McGahn, former White House counsel, called to testify under subpoena about the Mueller investigation, had been directed by Trump.  House Judiciary Chair Jerrold Nadler has promised to take legal action. McGahn had told Mueller investigators in the inquiry into Russian election meddling that he had felt pressured by the president to fire Mr Mueller. “Our subpoenas are not optional,” Mr Nadler said during his opening remarks on Tuesday. “This committee will hear Mr McGahn’s testimony even if we have to go to court.” He could be held in contempt for defying the subpoena from Congress. “We will not allow the president to block congressional subpoenas, putting himself and his allies above the law,” Mr Nadler added.

McGahn, 16 June 1968, is a tempestuous Sun, Venus, Mars in Gemini square Uranus Pluto in Virgo; with a heavily ‘fated’ Saturn in Aries on the apex of a Yod to Pluto Uranus sextile Neptune. That Saturn is under assault from tr Pluto in square right through till late 2020 so he’s under immense pressure. And he’ll start to sag more than somewhat from spring 2020 onwards as tr Neptune starts a long trawl of several years round his Virgo and Gemini planets. He looks panicked from later this month and very over wrought in 2020/2021.

He’s an odd match with Trump given that his Mars square Uranus Pluto tangles with Trump’s Sun and Moon, so definitely potential for disruption. Their relationship chart will be rattled by this July’s Solar Eclipse.

Jerry Nadler, 13 June 1947, also looks hyped-up around the July Eclipse since it will conjunct his Mercury and tr Uranus swill be squaring his Saturn for a jolting three months July to September so it may well heat up then.

Austrian F1 racing driver Lauda, who won the championship in 1975, 1977 and 1984, has died aged 70. A horrific crash in the German Grand Prix in 1976 almost killed him not just from skin burns but from inhalation of toxic fumes from the burning fibreglass, but he returned to racing a few weeks later to much astonishment and praise for his courage.

He was born 22 February 1949 may 11.02 am (unverified) in Vienna, Austria into a wealthy family who disapproved of his ambition to race. He lacked the charisma of other top class drivers and said he was more of a technical guy, keen on precision, rather than a showman.

He had a Sun Mars in Pisces opposition Saturn in Virgo, a testament to his bleak, cold childhood but also to the self-discipline and grit he brought to his driving. His Sun was also in a maverick square to Uranus.

When he had his accident there’s not a huge amount showing on his chart, which suggests the birth time is out. Tr Saturn was on the opposition to his Mercury which is mild enough; and the only two other transits are to Jupiter midpoints, perhaps suggesting over confidence might have been a contributing factor.

As is sometimes the case the Progressions show more than the Solar Arcs – with the Solar Arc Mars forming an exact Grand Trine with his natal Saturn and Capricorn Moon – with tr Uranus opposing the Progressed Mars.

After he retired he went into the aviation business, reprised briefly back into racing; had two children, got divorced and had another two children. He had a replacement kidney and a lung transplant in the recent past.

His get-it-together 5^th harmonic was exceptionally strong and unyielding; as was his good-in-extreme-circumstances 16H.

Gentleman Jack is a new BBC drama series about the extraordinary life of Anne Lister, a businesswoman, who entered politics, climbed mountains, dressed as a man and adored women, falling passionately in love time and again. She wrote a detailed diary in code of her promiscuous and predatory lesbian exploits from childhood onwards.

Born 3 April 1791 in Halifax, England, she was an “unmanageable tomboy” and sent to boarding school aged seven, where teachers feared she would influence the other girls with her rebellious behaviour so from her teens, she was confined to an attic bedroom, where she lived in virtual seclusion. There was a calculating and ruthless side top her since she dreamed of being rich but despite some long running affairs with wealthy women never found happiness. A relative did leave her money and an estate allowing her to travel and live as she pleased.

She had a stark chart with an Aries Sun conjunct Moon as well as Saturn Mars Mercury in Aries – so the cruelty that was done to her in childhood, echoed by her later behaviour towards lovers, is well described with such a central Mars Saturn which was also in a risk-taking, excitement-loving trine to Uranus. Her Uranus was also conjunct an indulgent, sensual Venus in Taurus so she’d be changeable in her affections.

She died aged 49 of a fever while travelling in the Caucasus with a wealthy friend, Ann Walker, with whom she undertook a form of marriage.

Ann Walker was born 28 May 1803 (FindMyGrave net) and was a Sun Gemini on the point of a T Square to Saturn Moon in Virgo opposition Pluto – and she was subject to depressions through her life which caused problems in the relationship. Lister’s diaries, describe a turbulent relationship rife with financial and emotional stresses with Lister intolerant of Walker’s health and depression and Walker upset by Lister’s bossy personality and control of her fortune.

Walker’s Mars in Leo was conjunct Lister’s Uranus which would be fairly explosive. Their relationship chart had an affectionate composite Sun Venus conjunction opposition Neptune and trine Uranus – so idealistic but not realistic, subject to disappointment and needing space. A Uranus square Mars would prove inflammatory and argumentative since neither would wish to back down. And there was an up and down Saturn square Jupiter.

The likelihood if Lister had lived would have been a split. Ann Walker had a breakdown latterly after Lister’s death and spent some years in an asylum.

Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky who won 70% of the vote in the recent Ukraine presidential election, despite having no previous experience, has been sworn in. He campaigned strongly against official corruption and said ending the conflict with Russian-backed rebels in the east since Moscow annexed Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula in 2014 would be his top priority. Russian state TV said no Russian official had been invited to the inauguration. Zelensky said Ukrainians must “become Swiss in our ability to live happily with each other, despite any differences” and for dialogue with Russia to start there must be a return of all Ukrainian prisoners.”

He was born 25 January 1978 at 2pm Krivoj Rog, Ukraine and is a charming, maverick Sun Venus in Aquarius in a fiery opposition to Mars in Leo. His intense Mercury in Capricorn in the 8^th squares Pluto and sextiles Uranus so he’ll be forceful in getting his points across. He has confident Jupiter in communicative Gemini in his 1^st house sextile Saturn in Leo.

His life is certainly changing dramatically this year with tr Uranus square his Sun Venus from June onwards, having been square his Mars earlier this year. But it’ll be head down and fairly discouraging at points as well.

His relationship with Putin will be an uphill struggle with tr Pluto trine the composite Saturn till late 2020.  And that’s mirrored in the Ukraine/Russia 1991 relationship chart with tr Pluto square the composite Sun also through till late 2020 bringing challenges and pressures; with heightened tensions and eruptions mid this December to mid February 2020.

It’s a bold experiment with the Swearing In chart having a ‘new direction’ 10^th house Uranus conjunct Venus; plus a tough-minded Sun Mercury trine Saturn Pluto. It’ll take considerable stamina to make progress.

The Ukraine chart isn’t as jittered as it was over the Russian annexation of the Crimea when tr Pluto was conjunct the Uranus Neptune in Capricorn on the Ukraine Ascendant with tr Uranus in square.  But tr Saturn is wading its way down these planets this year which will make it a sobering phase. 2021/2022 will see a sharp change of direction as tr Uranus starts to oppose the Ukraine midheaven and then Pluto; with a panicky tr Neptune opposing the Ukraine Mars – so it’ll be a winding road ahead.

A corruption scandal involving Heinz-Christian Strache, Vice Chancellor of Austria, has led to a snap election being called for September. He was videoed along with a colleague from his far-right Freedom Party talking to a woman who claimed to be a wealthy Russian national looking to invest in Austria. She offered to buy a 50% stake in an Austrian newspaper and switch its editorial position to support their party. Strache said he wanted to “build a media landscape like [Victor] Orban”, a reference to Hungary’s authoritarian prime minister. In exchange he could award her public construction contracts.

Strache, born 12 June 1969, maybe 5.45am Wien, Austria, has an ego-centric Gemini Sun on the point of a scattered Mutable T Square to a super-confident Pluto Jupiter (Uranus) in Virgo opposition North Node in Pisces. It’s a fairly tumultuous chart; with an argumentative Mercury in Gemini opposition Mars; and a, indulgent and stubborn Moon plus Venus Saturn in Taurus.

If the time is roughly right then tr Neptune is conjunct his midheaven and tr Uranus conjunct his Solar Arc Midheaven around now which makes sense of his exit from power. Plus tr Uranus is moving to conjunct his Saturn Venus next month for a jolt and an emotional shock.

Strache started life as a dental technician, was a disciple of the neo-Nazi Jorg Haider before splitting and taking over the anti-immigrant party, pushing it further right.

Pic: By SPÖ Presse und Kommunikation (Foto: SPÖ/Zach-Kiesling) – ORF-Elefantenrunde am 12.10.17, CC BY-SA 2.0,

Disgraced media mogul Conrad Black who was convicted of fraud and obstructing justice in 2007 and jailed for more than three years in the US has been granted a full pardon by Trump, about whom Black wrote a glowing biography last year. Trump describes him as a “friend” and mentions others who had vouched for Black’s character – including Elton John, Rush Limbaugh, and Henry Kissinger. Black’s co-defendants, who were convicted by the same jury, at the same trial, of the same fraud crimes did not receive any pardon consideration from President Trump.

Black born 25 August 1944 6.15 am Montreal has his Sun conjunct a lucky Jupiter in communicative Virgo which falls conjunct Trump’s Ascendant so he will boost Trump’s morale. Black also has his midheaven less than two degrees away from Trump’s, both conjunct the destructive Fixed star Algol. Like Trump he has Uranus in Gemini and Saturn in Cancer – so to some degree, two of a kind. It wouldn’t work if they operated in the same arena business-wise since Black’s Mars squares Trump’s Sun and Moon which would make them competitive – but at arm’s length and given how much of a sucker Trump is for flattery it works well.

Their relationship chart has a supportive composite Sun sextile Jupiter; though the composite Saturn in sextile to a fairly aggravated Mars is getting a sharp elbow from the July Solar Eclipse, so be interesting to see if anything falls out.

The Duke of Cambridge has said he felt “pain like no other pain” after the death of his mother, Princess Diana, during a BBC TV documentary about mental health. He said the “British stiff upper lip thing” had its place when times were hard, but people also needed “to be able to talk about our emotions because we’re not robots”.

He was 15 when his mother was killed and having his Sun and Moon both in Cancer he would have been especially badly hit by her sudden death. He did have a catastrophic set of progressions at the time. His Secondary Progressed Mars was conjunct his Saturn exactly. And his Mars had moved by Solar Arc to conjunct his Pluto and his Solar Arc Saturn to conjunct his Jupiter. All of that adds up to a devastating blow which must have been exceptionally frightening. Not improved by the gawping public’s demand for the young Prince’s public presence before and at the funeral, when they’d have been better left at Balmoral in peace. In the aftermath his Secondary Progressed Moon moved through his 8^th house for two years plus which is always an angst-ridden time of deep ambivalence and inner conflict.

Prince Harry was almost 13 when it happened. He had his Solar Arc Venus conjunct his Pluto for an intense emotional reaction; and a confused Solar Arc Neptune conjunct his Ascendant which would make him question his identity; with his Solar Arc Midheaven opposition his Taurus North Node. So less stark than Prince William but still a considerable blow that threw him off course.

IM Pei, one of the 20th Century’s most prolific architects, has died. His iconic buildings are all around the world with Qatar’s Islamic Museum of Art one of his most famous designs; as is Paris’s glass pyramid Louvre Museum, now one of the city’s most famous landmarks. He also designed the John F Kennedy Library and Museum in Boston and Dallas City Hall. His style was described as modernist with cubist themes, and was influenced by his love of Islamic architecture.

He was born 26 April 1917 in China into a well-to-do family who moved to Hong Kong when he was a year old. His mother, to whom he was close, died when he was in his early teens and he emigrated to the USA in 1935. He was an indulgent and charming Sun Venus in earthy Taurus which was sextile Pluto and square a creative Neptune in flamboyant Leo. He also had Jupiter and Mercury in Taurus which fits with a career which was both creative and practical.

His Mars in pro-active Aries was in a disciplined square to Mars and in a risk-taking sextile to Uranus; with Uranus in an innovative square to Mercury.

His get-it-together craftsman’s 5^th Harmonic is exceptionally strong bringing together the Sun Venus and inventive Uranus.  As is his confidently successful leaving-a-legacy-for-history 17H. His super-star 22^nd harmonic brings together creativity with great influence and staying power; as well as an adventurous spirit.

As to why he lived to such a ripe old age? There’s no one signature but planets in Taurus probably help if the Queen and David Attenborough are anything to go by.