The day that we thought would never come – Theresa May’s departure is finally settled, amidst tears, a few compliments and more brickbats for a failed term as prime minister. The timeline for the leadership contest appears to be: kick off June 10 with handfuls of candidates who are whittled down by Tory parliamentary MP votes to two or four, who are then put forward to the membership, who should produce a winner before the summer recess so circa mid-July.

The only thing that is clear is that the initial in-house phase will be brutal with Mars in Cancer opposition Saturn on June 14^th and then Mars opposition Pluto a few days later – high tension, aggravated tempers, ruthless ambition on display.  Then early in July the Cancer Solar Eclipse is conjunct the UK Sun for a mood of heightened tension and a sense of impending crisis.

A quick scan down the top hopefuls – with the usual caveats of nearly all having no birth time so missing information; and also to be remembered, some who appear cheerful/successful may be seeing their best buddy into No 10 and are therefore in line for a good job, rather than winning the poisoned chalice themselves.

Boris tops the public polls, though not amongst his Westminster colleagues who appear to seriously dislike him. Being a front runner isn’t always a good thing or a sign of first past the post. From July 10^th onwards he has an exceptionally trapped and frustrated tr Pluto opposition his Mars/Pluto midpoint which doesn’t sound uplifting; with some jitter and jangle before that but nothing too noteworthy, except for tr Uranus trine his Solar Arc midheaven (birth time being accurate) which suggests a change of career direction.

The ones who have a sprinkling of Jupiter are:

Matt Hancock, Health Secretary, surprisingly, looks in bouncing form at the moment into early June, and again in July with transits to two Jupiter midpoints through till September. Seems unlikely but he’s feeling good whatever the result.

Jeremy Hunt has a fair amount of tension and panic but also one mild Pluto transit to a Jupiter midpoint from July 10^th onwards plus emotional excitement and change – later in the year from mid August is less confidence-boosting.

Liz Truss has one boost in June.

Penny Mordaunt – had it come a month earlier she’d have been in with a real chance with strong Pluto transits to two Jupiter midpoints and although their shadow will be around, the exact aspect is gone until early next year.

Michael Gove has some lucky break Uranus aspects to two Jupiter midpoints though they are mild and may not balance out other aggravated and trapped influence running at the same time.

Others:

Sajid Javid: Not standing on solid ground, hopes dashed, a Neptunian dip.

Amber Rudd: undermined, confused, stuck.

Andrea Leadsom: overly intense, upset, blocked.

Dominic Raab: Nothing illuminating showing.

Rory Stewart: In general a swampy year and no hints of elevation.

Elton John’s rise from small-town boy to one of the most iconic figures in pop culture is the subject of the musical fantasy movie about his breakthrough years. Jamie Bell who shot to fame in Billy Elliot plays Elton’s longtime lyricist and writing partner Bernie Taupin. And Bodyguard’s Richard Madden plays Elton’s first manager, John Reid, with whom he had a spectacular falling out years back.

Reid managed Elton for almost 30 years since 1970 and was his lover for five years in the 1970s. Described by Rolling Stone as “small and short fused”, he worked initially for EMI on Tamla Mowtown and managed Queen for three years. He was a veritable dynamo and a tough negotiator as well as a lover of the high life and bad tempered when things didn’t go his way. But he remained loyal even after they split romantically and only parted company in an argument over commission and touring expenses which ended in an unseemly court battle that Elton eventually lost.

Reid, born 9 September 1949 8.35 am Paisley, Scotland, has a 12^th house Sun Saturn in Virgo as befits a behind-the-scenes organiser; though with am ambitious and flamboyant 10^th house Mars in Leo and an innovative Uranus on his midheaven.

He was a good fit with Elton having his 7^th house Aries Moon conjunct Elton’s Sun; and both have their respective Moon’s in the other’s 8^th house for a deep (and financial) connection. In both case their Moons were trine the other’s Saturn, – good for business. Elton’s Venus in Aquarius chimes with Reid’s Venus in Libra. So a good many pluses. But there were also difficulties with Elton’s Saturn conjunct Reid’s Mars and Elton’s Mars opposition Reid’s Saturn Sun – so major aggravations and unkindesses.

Their relationship chart has a needs-space though inventive composite Sun Uranus in an adventurous, risk-taking opposition to a frivolously indulgent Venus Jupiter conjunction. That opposition was sextile/trine a stabilising Saturn; though Saturn was also in a destructive square to Mars, so there would always been an underlying current of irritation and anger.

Reid has largely disappeared out of sight in recent years while Elton is playing the longest goodbye tour ever for three years.

Rocketman has had semi-OK reviews as it launches. Pop veteran Mike Batt has hit out with criticism that the film was vengeful and dishonest, a settling of old scores by Elton and his husband David Furnish, especially against John Reid and Elton’s late mother who took Reid’s side in the dispute.

David Furnish, 25 October 1962, is quite an odd match for Elton having a Sun and two other planets in Scorpio. Like Reid he has Mars in Leo in his case opposition Saturn which clashes with Elton’s Saturn Pluto and squares Elton’s Moon – so not the easiest of connections. And Furnish’s Pluto opposes Elton’s Mars. Lot of anger wrapped up in there.

The relationship chart is also not dissimilar to the Reid/Elton one with a needs-space composite Sun opposition Uranus (maybe Moon) and an aggravated, power-struggling Mars square Pluto.

Word on the street is that everything in their garden isn’t too rosy but it’s more difficult to split with children now in the mix.

Narendra Modi, India’s populist and nationalist PM has won what appears to be a landslide in the mammoth 900 million-voter elections. He took charge in 2014 with a reputation as a decisive, business-friendly leader and disciplined administrator, with promises to help reboot the economy with his vision of an urbanised, industrialised and modernised India and stamp out corruption. Results have been mixed with joblessness at a record high, farm incomes and industrial production down and many were hit hard by his misjudged currency ban.

  This election was fought with nationalist rhetoric, subtle religious polarisation and a slew of welfare programmes with national security highlighted as a vote-getter, promising to keep the Hindu-majority society safe from external and internal threats.

  He is a polarising figure, adored by many and thought of as divisive by others. There are doubts about his birth date and many Indian politicians evidently lie about their details to prevent astro-analyses of their progress. What doesn’t help is that both the maybe dates – 29 August 1949 and 17 September 1950 have Sun Saturn in Virgo conjunctions which fits his rather ascetic temperament and micro-managing approach.

His Prime Ministerial term chart is definite, 26 May 2014 6.13 pm Delhi, which has Regulus, the regal star, conjunct the midheaven and a lucky Jupiter prominent; though also has the destructive star Algol conjunct the Descendant and a rolling-crises Mars Uranus Pluto T square. But it would certainly have suggested a good run.

Rahul Gandhi, a key election rival, 19 June 1970 2.28 pm Delhi looks on better form come 2022/23 when tr Pluto will square his Jupiter though tr Pluto conjunct his midheaven at the same time can be career-damaging.

The India chart isn’t showing much this year though with underlying frustrations surfacing intermittently, which will become more obvious in 2020/21 with a discontented populace and perhaps anxiety about speculation and the markets from Solar Arc Moon conjunct the 5^th house Neptune; and considerable pressures about a forced change of direction from tr Pluto square the Solar Arc midheaven in 2020/21.

The Reserve Bank of India chart, 1 April 1935 9am Delhi, looks heavily troubled between 2020 to 2022 with a cataclysmic series of Solar Arcs – Mars square Sun, then Uranus conjunct Pluto, then Pluto conjunct Mars. If the economy does continue spluttering downhill then Modi’s 2^nd Term will see his popularity holed below the water line.

Career criminal Kenneth Noyes is to be released from prison soon after serving a twenty year sentence for a road rage killing. His CV is startling, with petty theft as a child, moving onto running a protection racket at school which ended him up in Borstal (juvvie). Thence onto becoming a police informer for corrupt cops and handling stolen goods, including gold bullion from the Brinks-Mat robbery. He ducked a murder charge having stabbed a policeman on grounds of self-defence, though was done on fraud charges. While out of the subsequent jail term on licence he stabbed another man after an altercation and fled abroad. He was eventually extradited bringing down more corrupt cops in his wake and even officials in the Lord Chancellor’s office who had passed his legal aid request despite his obvious wealth.

Quite a life.

Born 24 May 1947, he’s a Sun Mercury in Gemini trine a slippery Neptune and sextile a tough-minded Saturn Pluto in Leo. But what gives his chart the potential for brutality is Mars and Venus in Taurus square Saturn and Pluto. Mars in Taurus can have a ruthless streak and tied into Saturn Pluto there’s cruelty as well.

Looking at other major criminals: Lucky Luciano who also ran a protection racket as a child and became a crime boss, 24 November 1897 12 pm Lercara Friddi, Italy, had a startling Sun, Mars, Saturn, Moon conjunction in Sagittarius with Uranus also conjunct from late Scorpio – and that is an explosive and aggravated mix.

Al Capone, 17 January 1899 9.30 am New York, had an aggressive and ambitious Capricorn Sun opposition Mars; with Uranus, Venus and Saturn in Sagittarius in an unyielding opposition to Pluto.

The Kray twins, Reggie and Ronnie, 24 October 1933 8pm and 8,10pm respectively in London, who ran organised crime in the east end for some years, were Sun Scorpios; with Mars Venus in Sagittarius on the focal point of a mini Grand Trine from Saturn in chilly Aquarius trine Jupiter.

Overall Sagittarius doesn’t come out of it well except in Noyes case but it is striking in the other three. Really it’s Mars more than Pluto that stands out – the planet of aggression that likes winning and doesn’t care who gets trampled in the rush to grab the prize.

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.