Tulsi Gabbard & Julian Castro – into the fray

      

 

Two more democratic names into the 2020 ring. Of which Tulsi Gabbard, Congresswoman for Hawaii, has the most interesting astrology. She was pro-Bernie Sanders but has had a quixotic approach to foreign policy especially in the Middle East, and some pro-Israeli connections that may appeal to the far-right despite her leftish politics.

Born 12 April 1981 in American Samoa, she’s a fiendishly ambitious Sun Mars in Aries opposition Pluto. It’ll be a punishing battle from now onwards with tr Pluto square her Mars and then her Sun/Mars midpoint bringing acute frustrations until just before the election. But at the election tr Jupiter Pluto are exactly square her Sun and Pluto which could bring a major boost. Plus she has in her birth chart a Jupiter Saturn conjunction in Libra which is catching the tr Jupiter Saturn in Aquarius trine over the Inauguration.

The other is Julian Castro, 16 September 1974 San Antonio, Texas, who served in Obama’s Cabinet, having been Mayor of San Antonio. He’s a Sun in Virgo; with a charming Venus in Virgo opposition Jupiter square Neptune North Node – good at PR, scattered, vague, not always decisive. Plus a formidable Mars Pluto in Libra. At the election he will get some luck from Solar Arc Uranus square his Jupiter; but he also has tr Jupiter Pluto conjunct his Solar Arc Neptune and tr Saturn square his Uranus, neither of which sound positive.  And over the Inauguration he has a dashed-hopes tr Pluto conjunct his Jupiter/Neptune midpoint.

Stan & Ollie – two halves to make success

    

 

Laurel & Hardy were a twosome so iconic the name of their act entered the lexicon as meaning an inseparable duo. A new biopic movie ‘Stan & Ollie’ picks up the pair towards the end of their career, having been two of the biggest stars in Hollywood, known for their over-the-top slapstick comedy, with 100 films to their credit since the late 1920s. By the early 1950s they were down on their luck running into health and money problems.

Oliver Hardy was born 18 January 1892 9.02 am Harlem. Georgia and Stan Laurel 16 June 1890 in the north of England.

I’d have expected to see more obvious crossovers in their charts which apart from mild Venus connections isn’t there. Hardy was a Sun Capricorn trine Saturn sextile Mars in Scorpio with a Virgo Moon – earthy, practical, ultra-determined.  With a confident Jupiter square Pluto.

Laurel was a Sun and Moon in Gemini with his Sun trine Uranus sextile Saturn and his Saturn square Mars; and Jupiter in Aquarius trine Neptune Pluto in Gemini – communicative, chatty, confident and used to difficulties.

In an odd way despite the Earth Air difference they were relatively similar – both with Sun Saturn aspects, both with edgy and determined Mars aspects; both with Jupiter Pluto. Which would help them play a double act which requires the sensitivity to react to a partner, almost like a dance, to submerge the ego to play second fiddle then move forward again to be centre stage. And there was a Venusian resonance with Laurel’s Venus in Cancer opposed Hardy’s Sun; and Hardy’s Venus in Aquarius trine Laurel’s Sun and Uranus.

Their relationship chart has a composite Sun perhaps (which seems likely) trine Moon and sextile Neptune Pluto North Node. Neptune Pluto has an association with larger-than-life ambitions and success. Neptune Pluto is also in a do-or-die opposition to the composite Mars. Jupiter is in a lucky trine to Uranus and a confident square to Pluto Neptune. And there’s a workmanlike and sensible Saturn trine Venus and opposition Mercury.

There’s not a huge amount of warm-hearted friendliness and affection in the relationship chart. Which was pointed up in the scene in the film when there’s a telling moment as Stan scowls that “I loved us’, Ollie stingingly retorts: “But you never loved me.”

James Middleton – coming clean about his problems

  

 

James Middleton, brother of Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and Pippa, has opened up about suffering from depression which effectively brought his life to a halt in late 2016. Born 15 April 1987, he has always been severely dyslexic and was recently diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder.

He’s a Sun Aries trine Saturn Uranus in Sagittarius, so fiery, got innovative ideas, good starter, not necessarily such a good finisher. More significantly he’s got two Yods – Pluto sextile Neptune inconjunct Mars in Gemini and Mars sextile Jupiter inconjunct Pluto.  Yods tend to accompany a sense of not fitting in, always being out of step, until a purposeful direction is chosen.

A Yod onto Mars gives a tendency to plunge ahead into action without preparation,  or often with any goal in mind, so can be rash. If handled well, after a time of self-confrontation, it can be a productive force for high energy activity.

A Yod onto Pluto produces an intense individual, but one fairly disconnected from those around, who can be manipulative. If the Yod energy is channelled onto the right track it does give organizational talent or the ability to explore life in depth.

In late 2016 he was just on his First Saturn Return which can be a sobering time of pressures and challenges, and is the first real maturing transit of life. Both Yods have moved by Solar Arc to aspect the natal positions so it is a critical transition phase in his life.

I‘m not sure that going public so early on is such a great idea even with the best of intentions. It makes it sound as if the depression arrived out of the blue and a year later has been fixed, which regrettably isn’t how it works. He’ll have more hitches and glitches to sort out as he goes along.

Andy Murray – wear and tear catches up

  

 

An emotional Andy Murray said he was retiring soon from international tennis because of pain from hip arthritis. He expects to play next week in Brisbane and hopes to make it to Wimbledon this summer but that seems unlikely. A three-time Grand Slam tournament winner, two-time Olympic champion and highly popular as an all-round nice guy, he’ll be missed. And is clearly taking his forced exit at 32 hard.

Born 15 May 1987 2.10pm Dunblane, Scotland, he has an ambitious 10th house Mars in Gemini opposition a 4th house Uranus, Moon, Saturn in Sagittarius suggesting a fairly assertive mother who furthered his career and an unsettled childhood and relationship with his father. His parents split when he was 10 and he lived with his father, being mentored tennis-wise by his mother. Around that time he was at Dunblane School with his brother when Thomas Hamilton ran amok with a gun killing 16 children and a teacher.

He’s also got a far-travelled 9th house Taurus Sun and a lucky, intense Jupiter and Venus in Aries in his 8th.

His Solar Arc Midheaven is within less than a degree in opposition to his Neptune as he is forced to make this tough decision; with his Progressed Moon moving through his 6th house, for the past few months and on till 2020, which is often a time when health issues loom large.  He may have another operation soon, not to be able to play again but to ease the pain and discomfort.

It’ll be a bumpy transition into what comes next though he won’t be short of offers in the sponsorship or charitable spheres, but it’ll be a shock to his system winding down from a training schedule that has been part of his life for more than two decades. Tr Neptune will be square his 4th house Saturn in 2020/21 which will be uncertain and confused; though tr Pluto trine his Sun in 2020/21 will stabilise him to some extent. In 2021 his Solar Arc Sun will conjunct his Mars and oppose his Uranus which will produce an uncomfortable jolt. But he’ll bounce up with vigour and kick start new projects in 2021/22 and onwards.

Jeff Bezos – great while it lasted

    

 

Jeff Bezos, richest man in history, founder and chairman of Amazon and owner of the Washington Post is to divorce his wife of 25 years, novelist MacKenzie. The announcement was made to pre-empt a National Enquirer expose of his present relationship.

She met Bezos when he was still working in finance in New York, married him six months later and they went west to Seattle shortly after to set up an online bookstore.

He was born 12 January 1964 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is an ambitious Sun Mars in Capricorn; with Jupiter in pro-active Aries; a serious Venus Saturn in Aquarius square Neptune; and probably a Capricorn Moon.  It’s a chart that really needs a birth time to make sense.

He does have notable 11 and 22 Harmonic charts which are the master numbers, marking him out as different; and his get-it-together businessman’s 5H has a stupendous Jupiter Mars Neptune conjunction – high-risk and huge vision.

MacKenzie Bezos, 7 April 1970 San Francisco, is a good match with her Aries Sun conjunct his Jupiter for mutual support; and she also has a serious Venus Saturn in Taurus. Her Jupiter in Scorpio is  square his Mars, for a shared adventurous spirit; and her Mars in determined Taurus is trine his Sun Mars so she’d be a good motivator. Her Moon is in Taurus which would suit his Capricorn Moon.

Their relationship chart has a passionately enthusiastic and hard-working composite Mars, Venus, Saturn conjunction which wouldn’t all be easy with one of them having to suppress their needs to make it work. And a volatile and intense composite Mars opposition Uranus Pluto, which would come in handy when building the biggest company in the universe, but wouldn’t be that sensitive for romantic togetherness. There is possibly a composite Moon Sun conjunction which is a good complementary pairing.

The announcement hinted that the split has been coming for a while, though both their Sun/Moon midpoints are being triggered round about now so it may have been speeded along by the Enquirer piece. Trump has a dislike of Bezos because of the Washington Post and the Enquirer was always a close Trump buddy.

John Bercow – gremlin in the chamber

    

 

John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, already under a cloud from allegations of bullying, caused a major upset yesterday in the chamber. He went against precedent to allow a vote which effectively skewered Theresa May, forcing her to produce a Plan B within three days if her Brexit deal is voted down.  The intent of it was to remove the possibility of a No-Deal turning up by mistake. Frankly I’m so bamboozled by (and irresponsibly bored with) the whole fandango I’m unclear whether it was a good or bad thing. Nailing T May’s feet to the floor wouldn’t seem that outrageous though the Brexiteers are up in arms and spitting tacks.

Bercow, born 19 January 1963, has a late Sun Capricorn catching the tr Uranus square now until mid February, so on high alert. He’s also got a pushily confident and risk-taking Jupiter opposition Uranus Pluto squaring onto a sociable Venus in Sagittarius; plus a hard-edged and short-tempered Saturn opposition Mars square Neptune (Moon) in Scorpio – aggravated and aggravating, slippery.

He looks fairly upbeat mid January to mid February though on a roller coaster through February; and very much on the edge of his seat over the late March exit date.

He’s never been a favourite with TMay with a composite Sun opposition Mars square Pluto in their relationship chart – and there are further slumps between them to come to in February. It’s going to be a long, hard haul to late March at Westminster. A sair fecht.

Rihanna – a powerhouse Pisces

      

 

Rihanna, the pop icon and all-round mega-successful phenomenon in music, fashion, beauty and charity worlds has been on the go singing since she was fifteen and appears to have an impossibly busy life. Into which she has packed an on-off relationship with Chris Brown (of the infamous punch up way back when) and now the Saudi Toyota heir Hassan Jameel, who is even wealthier than she is.

Born 20 February 1988 in Barbados, maybe 8.50am (astrotheme) she’s fittingly a Sun Pisces which is sextile Uranus Saturn in Capricorn and Mars in late Sagittarius so go-ahead, excitable, serious, hard-working, innovative, at times autocratic. Her Neptune in Capricorn is square her Venus (Moon) in Aries. Her creative 5th and 7th Harmonics are notable.

Hassan Jameel, 22 October 1988 (net sources) if accurate is a last degree Libra Sun with a Pisces Moon. His Jupiter squares her Sun for a relaxed interface; but his Saturn Uranus in late Sagittarius are conjunct her Mars which would be scratchy if they were together 24/7. But given their separate busy lifestyles, it may not, in the short-term, cause too much trouble. Their relationship chart has an ethereal, romantic, but unrealistic Sun Neptune opposition Venus maybe square Moon; with a power-couple Pluto opposition Jupiter square Mars, which is one of those aspects that may start well and end up in a push n’ pull for the upper hand.

It’s a softer relationship than she has with Chris Brown which is quite aggravated and likely to flare up with a composite Sun Mars square Uranus Saturn Neptune.

Sturgeon & Salmond – SNP split over inquiry debacle

    

 

A mishandled inquiry into sexual harassment allegations against Alex Salmond has led to an extraordinary falling out north of the border within the SNP. One side claim that Nicola Sturgeon mounted a “civil war”, using taxpayers money and the full force of the Scottish Government, to denigrate Alex Salmond, her predecessor, mentor and long-time friend. The other side are appalled that two women who found the courage to speak up have been so badly let down by a procedural failure. Although the political inquiry has been deemed at fault, the case is still under investigation by the police.

It was never as easy a relationship as it appeared between Sturgeon and Salmond. He has a 10th house Moon Mars in Pisces while she’s a Cancer Sun conjunct Mars in Leo, so both are spirited, argumentative and emotional. His Pluto is conjunct her midheaven so she would feel controlled by him; and his Jupiter Uranus is conjunct her Sun Mars which is a sparky and combative cross over.

Their relationship chart has a friendly composite Sun Venus; but there is also a one-sided and irritable Mars square Saturn suggesting a relationship in which one partner is careless of the other’s needs; and a power-struggling Jupiter Pluto, which usually starts as a dynamic duo but after a time usually ends up in a fight for the upper hand. And a needs-space Moon opposition Uranus.

Tr Saturn will put a pall on good feelings between them through this coming year as it makes a separating square to the composite Sun Venus.

Sturgeon is finding 2019 discouraging and a dreary slog with tr Pluto trine her Saturn in Taurus and insecure with tr Uranus square her Mars over the late March exit date; plus a dashed-hopes tr Pluto conjunct her Mars/Neptune. She’ll be more confident in 2020/2021 but that influence will run alongside waning powers.

For Salmond see previous post August 24 2018

Trump 2020 – the shine coming off his mojo

    

 

Could Trump win again in 2020? Two things are certain. Firstly, Trump has lost the cornucopia of Jupiters which swept him into the White House in 2016. Secondly it isn’t going to be a joyous Obama-type win which puts the USA on a high for a few months. So neither a jubilant Donald, nor a euphoric Democratic win.

What is for sure is that it will be one of the most fraught, bitterly hostile and high-risk elections for a long time given the state of the USA 1776 chart with tr Pluto opposing the Mercury and tugging on the USA Pluto, giving rise to a mood of fanaticism and no compromise. And the Inauguration 2021 chart which looks explosive and control-freaky, with an upsurge of revolt rocking the boat.

Trump will have been shuddering under the weight of tr Pluto opposition his Saturn and Mars/Node in 2019, labouring on through 2020 as well, so he won’t be as buoyant as usual. In addition in 2020 tr Pluto moves on to oppose his unpopular Venus/Saturn and hugely frustrated Sun/Mars midpoints, repeating till late 2021.  Tr Neptune will also be chiselling away at his foundations squaring his Uranus this year and Uranus/Node through early 2020 campaigning; and tr Neptune will square his Sun/Uranus across the 2020 summer and presumably the GOP Convention, which will bring setbacks, emotional crisis, physical weakness. It’s not beyond the bounds of possibility that another Republican candidate is chosen.

Over the election itself he has tr Pluto opposition his Mars/Uranus midpoint which is associated with force, violent interventions, and is generally accident or disaster prone and bad tempered. And nothing very positive from other influences.

On a 10.54 am birth time for him, tr Pluto is aiming to trine his MC over the inauguration which could sound successful and influential and he certainly looks as if he is firing on all cylinders from his Solar and Lunar Returns covering the election and just after. Though they could also point to a change in career direction. So it’s the usual mish mash of contradictory influences and nothing too obvious pointing to success.

The USA doesn’t look remotely happy in the aftermath with tr Neptune square the USA Mars picking up from late March 2021, bringing a panicky sense of failure; plus tr Pluto opposition the USA Mercury through till late 2021, which will continue the intense arguments.