The marathon that is the Jerry Springer Show is likely to be coming to an end after 27 years. A controversial show of exploitation and moral panic, ‘a relentless orgy of humanity’s worst impulses’, ‘bear-baiting’ and ‘mob rule’ it lowered the tone of television and arguably set the stage for where we are now, politically and culturally.
Springer, an ex-politician, always had a hankering after a serious reputation but gave in to the forces of commerce and kept it rolling. Born 13 February 1944 11.45pm London, he has a powerful, influential and angry chart so it clearly fed some of his baser instincts. He has a 4th house Aquarius Sun in a confident opposition to a lucky 10th house Jupiter in flamboyant Leo.
More significantly he has Mercury in Aquarius in an Air Grand Trine to Neptune in Libra trine Uranus (Mars) in Gemini in the 8th, formed into a Kite by Mercury opposition a 10th house Pluto North Node in Leo – a communicator par excellence in so far as making his voice heard, giving expression to his volcanic, deep-rooted 8th house Mars Uranus, with his Pluto elevating him to ringmaster.
The show launched 30 September 1991 at 6pm New York (I think) which gives it again a hugely influential Pluto in Scorpio in the 8th though that can also be seen as dredging up the worst excesses of human behaviour. With Uranus Neptune in the 10th it was always going to arouse fanatical feelings and that squares onto Sun Mars in the 7th in Libra – with angry relationships spilling over into fist fights and worse on and after the show.
It may trail on with reruns and repeats for a couple of years but will come to a dead halt when the Solar Arc Mars conjuncts the Pluto in about three years time.
The successful rapper XXXTentacion has been shot dead aged 20 in Florida. Born 23 January 1998, as Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy, to Jamaican parents, he had a train-wreck of a life, stabbing a man when he was six to protect his mother, raised by a grandmother, was in constant fights with pupils at school, sent to juvenile detention for gun possession, swore off crime for music there, but was later arrested for robbery and assault with a deadly weapon.
He was a rebellious and stubborn Sun Aquarius conjunct Uranus on the focal point of a mini-Grand Trine to a bleak Saturn in forced-to-be-self-reliant Aries trine Pluto (Moon) in Sagittarius; with an exuberant and might-makes-right Mars Jupiter in Aquarius. His musical Neptune was conjunct his Sun on one side and Venus in ambitious Capricorn on the other.
His Solar Arc mini-Grand Trine of Pluto, Sun, Uranus (and Saturn), had moved by Solar Arc to collide with his Mars Jupiter recently and at the moment so ramping up that over-the-top energy. Often there is a crisis point when configurations progress to merge with other strong aspects in a chart.
His musical 7th Harmonic was strong; even more so his ‘victim’ 12th which was neurotic and overly intense. He certainly didn’t help himself but he didn’t have it easy early on.
Actress Heather Locklear, best known for Dynasty, Melrose Place and Spin City, seems to be in trouble after a spate of drink, drug and domestic violence incidents and suicide threats. She’s now undergoing hospital care.
Born 25 September 1961 5.40 pm Los Angeles, with an ex-army father, she has an unaspected 7th house Libra Sun which is a curious contradiction making her relationship-dependent, yet she acts like an island-under-herself and will be fairly self-centered. But what’s most notable is her Aries Moon opposition Mars in Libra square Saturn Jupiter in Capricorn – emotionally volatile with a short-fuse, constantly frustrated and feeling held back, tending to swing from optimism to pessimism. She does have Neptune in the 8th, common among well-known film stars, giving an ability to project an aura.
She’s got a tough road ahead with tr Pluto starting to wend round her Saturn, Moon, Mars in coming years.
Her 10th Harmonic is challenging and marked – it shows the rise and fall, great highs and often self-defeating actions leading to lows.
The Spanish king’s brother-in-law, Iñaki Urdangarin, today starts a six-year sentence for fraud, tax evasion and embezzlement and siphoning off 6 million euros in public money. His wife Princess Cristina was cleared of helping her husband to evade taxes but will be fined €136,950 for civil liability damages. The royal scandal played an important role in prompting the shock abdication of the former king, Juan Carlos, in 2014 and rocked the popularity of the monarchy. Cristina now lives in Switzerland with their children and was refused permission by her brother to move to Portugal to be near her husband in a jail near Madrid.
Urdangarin born 15 January 1968, two weeks before King Felipe, is a Sun Capricorn opposition a Cancer Moon, sextile Neptune. With his Neptune sextile Pluto Uranus in Virgo inconjunct an Aries North Node – ambitious, money-minded, slippery and at odds with the public mood. Even more pointedly he has another Yod of Saturn in Aries sextile Mercury in Aquarius inconjunct Jupiter with Jupiter opposition Mars in Pisces – a Yod apex Jupiter can be undone by over confidence and self-aggrandisement. Mars Jupiter is also opportunistic, having a tendency sometimes to play fast and loose with others’ money.
King Felipe, 30 January 1968 12.45pm Madrid, is a New Moon in Aquarius with the same Neptune sextile Uranus Pluto inconjunct an Aries Node pulling him in to the public eye; and a tough and frustrating Mars in Pisces opposition Pluto (Uranus).
The Infanta Cristina, 13 June 1965 12.30pm Madrid, has a 10th house Sun, Mercury in Gemini with North Node and Jupiter also in Gemini in the 10th and Venus in Cancer. Her Gemini planets square onto a tricky Saturn in Pisces in the 7th opposition Uranus Pluto Mars in Virgo and oppose a Sagittarius Moon. So an incredibly pumped-up, high-wire, explosively scattered Mutable Grand Cross. Saturn in the 7th hints at a more than usually difficult marriage especially with Saturn also opposing her Sun/Moon midpoint.
Her relationship chart with her husband has a self-protective, high-finance Water Grand Trine of Jupiter trine Neptune trine Saturn with Saturn opposition Venus Uranus and Pluto square Mars, so it was never going to be stable or sensible.
She has a long trail ahead for many years of Neptune hard aspects undermining her as they work round her Mutable planets. He won’t enjoy his prison time despite being in a low-security, high-comfort set up with tr Pluto conjunct his Sun in 2020/21.
Author and journalist Lionel Shriver – We Need to Talk about Kevin – has stirred up a storm by criticising Penguin Random House’s intention to diversify the authors that it published. She argued it would prioritise diversity over quality and mean that a manuscript “written by a gay transgender Caribbean who dropped out of school at seven” would be published “whether or not said manuscript is an incoherent, tedious, meandering and insensible pile of mixed-paper recycling”.
She has form for stepping into controversies arguing recently that cultural appropriation was a passing fad, losing a Swedish publisher because of what they saw as a negative view of immigration, and saying the #metoo campaign would constrain fiction writers from portraying sexually predatory characters. She says she doesn’t like bandwagons but seems adept at starting them rolling.
Born 18 May 1957 in North Carolina, she has a stubborn and enduring Taurus Sun probably in an Earth Grand Trine to Jupiter in Virgo trine a Capricorn Moon, formed into a Kite by Sun opposition a Scorpio North Node which squares onto Pluto in Leo. A focal point Fixed Pluto will make her determined to the nth degree, controlling, disliking interference, with formidable stamina; and as with any heavily aspected Pluto will tend to arouse resistance and bitterness.
Her Mercury in Taurus is opposition Neptune and square Uranus so she has all of Mercury Uranus’s outspoken tendencies plus a marginally fanatical Uranus Neptune; and a focal point Uranus tends to be self-willed, a law unto herself.
She has Germaine Greer’s leaden-footedness when it comes to getting opinions across, which contain a nugget of truth but are put in a way designed to ruffle feathers. Greer also has a Fixed Sun (Aquarius) in hard aspect to Pluto and in hard aspect to a Fixed focal point Uranus as well; and both have North Node in Scorpio, which yearns for respect but finds old behaviour patterns and attitudes difficult to let go. They’re not a million miles apart in temperament.
Lionel Shriver will be battling on through some losses and disappointments at the moment into next year, some exuberantly confident phases and more upsets in 2019. She’s unlikely to be staying quiet.
An utterly tragic second fire has almost completely destroyed the rebuilding work on the Glasgow School of Art which was gutted four years ago. Sitting in the heart of the city it’s a celebration of Charles Rennie Macintosh, who designed the building with its iconic ornamental ironwork, soaring windows and distinctive wood-panelled interior.
The foundation stone was laid on 25 May 1898, with the Sun in Gemini as it was for McIntosh’s birth and oddly enough the 2014 fire as well. On the foundation chart tr Pluto is square the Mars in Aries exactly now for a brutal destruction. When the previous fire occurred, tr Neptune was square the Sun/Pluto midpoint and tr Pluto square the Solar Arc Neptune. Tr Neptune has now moved in to a similarly undermining square to Pluto this year. There is a ‘lucky break’ Solar Arc Sun conjunct the Jupiter over the coming year so perhaps it will start another rebuild.
There are various start charts for Glasgow though the 20 April 1450 JC probably works best. It has a Taurus Sun square Pluto and trine Saturn in Virgo, which fits a tough, industrial, heavy engineering and shipbuilding city. It also has an explosive, violent Mars in Capricorn opposition Uranus in Cancer, which also makes sense of No Mean City, at one point overrun by gangs. When the first fire occurred in 2014 the tr Pluto square tr Uranus was hitting on the Glasgow Uranus; and exactly now tr Pluto is conjunct the Glasgow Mars, so virtually the same as the Foundation Stone chart. There have been two other major fires in the city already this year. That Pluto transit to the Glasgow Mars runs on till late 2019; with a disruptive tr Uranus square Pluto from this July onwards for a year. 2019 also sees an uncertain, panicky tr Neptune opposition Saturn followed by a disruptive tr Uranus conjunct the Sun in 2020. Sometimes when there are major disasters in a city/country it is a harbinger of extensive changes to come.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh, 7 June 1868 11.15am Glasgow, was an architect and water colourist, whose work was influential, along with his wife fellow artist Margaret MacDonald, in the European Art Nouveau movement. He left behind several buildings of singular design and many plans, but he abandoned architecture for painting, lived for some years in Port Vendres in France and died aged 60 of cancer. He was largely ignored except by Glaswegians until 30 years ago when his work was rediscovered.
He had an ambitious 10th house Gemini Sun, but his chart is marked largely by a frustrated Mars Pluto in Taurus, and a visionary T square of Uranus opposition a Capricorn Moon square Neptune Jupiter in Aries. His leadership North Node in Leo is hidden in his creative 12th house.
At the moment his (posthumous) chart has tr Neptune square Sun, as the monument to his talent is undermined yet again; with Solar Arc Sun in a ‘shocking collision’ opposition his Mars. His Solar Arc Pluto is also exactly square his Uranus opposition Moon for a major emotional upset. His chart is less optimistic about a speedy conclusion to this series of disasters, with a blocked road ahead for the next four years.
Trump’s approval rating among Republicans is at 87 per cent, beating most former presidents (with their own party) bar GWB after 9/11, who notched 96 per cent. Though most Americans disapprove of Trump, by 53 per cent to 42 per cent. So the polarisation is extreme.
Where the US really starts to get bitterly hostile to the President is from early 2019 till late 2020 with tr Pluto opposition the composite Mars (maybe conjunct the composite Moon); with tr Saturn adding its own chill. And a major turnaround and disruption from Uranus in 2019 as well.
The two Republican charts, 22 Feb 1856 and 28 Feb 1854, are both in thrall to Trump though for different reasons. The 1856 relationship chart has a heavily aspected head-in-the-clouds Jupiter Neptune; and the 1854 has a chained-together Saturn Pluto making them feel their fortunes are inextricably mixed. On both there are undercurrents of real anger and bitterness but whether that surfaces or not is a moot point. There are upsets showing on both relationship charts through this year into 2019, especially the 1856 one. (I’ve never found Party charts too useful but the USA relationship one will make sense.)
With yet another financial scandal surfacing as the New York AG sues the Trump Foundation and family for misuse of tax-exempt charity funds for personal and political purposes, and a couple of dodgy associates also up on charges, the question is at what point will the right and religious lobby be forced to remove their rose-colored glasses and face the truth about their sinner hero.
VP Mike Pence and wife Karen are becoming increasingly devastated and confused by the whole charade with tr Pluto square the composite Neptune on both their relationship charts in 2018/2019. KarenP, who wears the trousers in that marriage, a quadruple Scorpio, seriously dislikes Trump and is getting more aggravated through this year and next. She looks teeth-gritted and on edge in 2019.
Mike Pence has the debilitating tr Neptune square his Gemini Sun in 2018/2019 with jolts, jangles and disastrous patches in mid-July/August and November. Sept/Oct and January also look littered with losses. 2019 is insecure, frenzied and anxious. He’ll recover by 2020.
The Trump tribe appear to all be entangled in the Trust lawsuit.
Ivanka’s relationship chart with her father was always odd with a composite Sun, Mars, Saturn, Uranus – and that’s a deal of anger about unfairness and unkindness, no matter what a sweet smile she puts on. It was always going to get kicked onto a different track with tr Uranus trine the composite Sun from last month, now trine the composite Mars and those run on into 2019 when tr Uranus trines the Saturn.
She’s made double figure millions since 2016 in her business enterprises which hardly fits the rules of ethics but is in a sticky phase of losses of one variety or another with tr Pluto square her Jupiter/Saturn midpoint exactly now on and off till late 2019. 2019 looks unsettled with tr Uranus opposition her Scorpio Sun; but she’ll be bulldozing confidently ahead by 2020 as tr Pluto squares her Jupiter Pluto conjunction – though that latter can bring conflict with authorities for rule transgressions.
Jared is under enormous pressure with tr Pluto conjunct his Capricorn Sun in 2018/19 and then square his Pluto in 2020/2021; is in a sinking panic at the moment and that runs on till late 2019 as well.
Donald Trump Jnr is in a discouraging year with tr Saturn conjunct his Capricorn Sun and Venus, with accidents and setbacks various, running into 2019 when he looks under a black cloud of anxiety; with 2020 worse.
Eric Trump, is also disheartened this year with tr Saturn hitting various midpoints and making a separating square to the composite Sun with his father; with catastrophes and disasters around at points into early 2019; and more throughout 2019.
Trump’s (I was only joking) comments on how much he admired Kim Jong Un’s ability to get his people to pay attention to him might give the family pause for thought. Kim’s uncle as I recollect was executed by a scud missile or some such; his half-brother despatched by nerve agent.
Leslie Grantham, best known as Dirty Den in EastEnders has died. Born 30 April 1947, 9 days after Iggy Pop, at 4am London, he had a controversial and scandal-strewn life. He joined the army at 18, and aged 19 tried to rob a taxi driver in West Germany, who ended up shot dead. He claimed it was accidental but served 10 years inside where he acquired an interest in acting. His character was killed off in EastEnders though later resurrected but an online sex scandal put paid to that gig for good and sent him suicidal. Latterly he appeared to have been living in Bulgaria.
His Taurus Sun was in the quick-witted 3rd in a heavy-duty square to Saturn, Pluto, Descendant in Leo and trine a Virgo Moon – he would be tough and fairly self-destructive. He also had an impulsive Mars in Aries conjunct Mercury which would put his temper on a chart fuse; with Mars in a showbizzy opposition to an 8th house Neptune.
His actor’s 15th Harmonic was heavily aspected – lucky, determined and aggressive. Even more so his rise-and-fall 10th Harmonic.
Actress Priyanka Chopra has been stepping out with singer, songwriter Nick Jonas and attending family weddings together which has been getting the celeb mags in a tizz.
She’s one of India’s highest-paid and most popular celebrities, is best known in the US for playing the lead in Quantico, also acts as a producer and is a UNICEF ambassadress for children’s rights.
Born 18 July 1982 at 1.05am Jamshedpur, India, (astrotheme) with two army physician parents, she has a quick-witted 3rd house Cancer Sun square a formidably determined Pluto Mars Saturn in Libra. Her Moon and Venus in Gemini give her a lighter-hearted side; and with a quirky Uranus in her 7th she’s her own person. A film-star Neptune in the 8th gives her quite an aura as it opposes her Venus and is inconjunct her Sun.
Nick Jonas, 16 September 1992 3.39am Dallas, Texas, formerly of the teen band the Jonas Brothers, is an enthusiastic and hard-working Sun, Mercury, Jupiter in Virgo in the financial 2nd; with a 10th house Taurus Moon widely opposition Pluto in the 4th square a 7th house Saturn in Aquarius. He has a 6th house Uranus Neptune in Capricorn and suffers from diabetes.
Both of their Moon aspects are tough – hers Moon are in an overly-disciplined and angry trine to Saturn Mars, and his tied into bleak Saturn Pluto. To some extent they’ll understand each other’s backgrounds and emotional glitches but it won’t be all sunshine and roses. She has a needs-independence Uranus in her 7th house of close relationships; while he has Saturn in his 7th, maybe why he’s opted for an older partner but partnerships will mean hard work for him. His Venus in Libra is conjunct her Saturn, Mars, Pluto which looks fairly downtrodden.
Their relationship chart, however has a wonderfully exuberant and affectionate composite Sun, Venus, Mercury, Mars conjunction trine Uranus; with a happy-home Jupiter in the 4th. Admittedly the composite Moon is hidden and squaring Mars which will make for some heated moments, but overall it could be fun.
