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.

Lady Gabriella Windsor, the 38 year old daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, is marrying her long time beau financier Tom Kingston today at Windsor with the Queen in attendance. Way down the succession at 53, she’s still in favour, despite her wild child youth. Brainier than most Royals, she has several degrees from prestigious universities; has written for magazines and kept her face out of the tabloids. The exception being a Vanity Fair piece last year by a former boyfriend (now married to a man) who spilled the alleged beans about the Kents’ lifestyle and opinions.

Gabriella was born 23 April 1981 3pm London (newspaper report so presumably circa). She has a charming and indulgent Sun Venus in Taurus with her Sun conjunct Mars Mercury in late Aries. Her Mars Mercury are in a formidable do-or-die determined opposition to Pluto as well as being on the apex of a Yod, along with the Sun to Jupiter Saturn in Libra sextile Uranus. Her Sagittarius Moon Neptune is trine her Mars Mercury. A complicated lady who doesn’t fit easily into a defined box and can be impulsive and a touch outspoken like her mother.

Her new husband, Tom Kingston, 22 June 1978, is a Sun Jupiter in Cancer like her father Prince Michael, with his Venus in flamboyant Leo conjunct her North Node and square her Sun Venus for a karmic and affectionate connection. Though his Saturn in Leo and Mars in Virgo both square her Uranus which will cause a few heated moments. His Capricorn Moon may square her Mars opposition Pluto and if it does rather echoes her tricky relationship with her mother whose Capricorn Sun also clashes with Gabriella’s grimly determined streak.

Gabriella’s relationship chart with Tom does have a sociable, indulgent, passionate, power-couple composite Venus trine Pluto, sextile Jupiter. But there’s also an uncertain composite Venus opposition Neptune square Saturn so it won’t always feel on solid ground.

The wedding chart has a stubborn Scorpio Full Moon which is sextile/trine the Saturn Pluto conjunction; and an excitable, needs-space Venus Uranus – it’ll need to be unconventional to work well.

She didn’t have the easiest of mothers with her relationship chart with Princess Michael having a disruptive composite Mars opposition Uranus and a controlling composite Sun opposition Pluto – a good deal of pushing and pulling.

Please add below.  Older posts under News on top bar.

The never-ending mystery of Theresa May’s leaving date just keeps on trucking. There’s still no definite date but maybe a ‘timetable’ of departure if and when something happens down the road. Not that any of the alternatives are exactly enticing – Boris, Corbyn, Farage – all too depressing to contemplate.

The cross-party talks with Corbyn have fallen to bits in failure and rancour which is no surprise since their relationship chart has a volatile, evasive, distrustful composite T Square of Neptune Saturn opposition Mars square Uranus Venus – which is being pounded this year by tr Pluto and tr Saturn.

One argument for her dither and delay is she can’t stand the prospect of Boris  replacing her and in her magical mystical imagination getting Brexit put to bed before she goes will undermine his platform.  That relationship chart isn’t much better with an aggravated Saturn opposition Jupiter Venus square Mars – with a heavily frustrated and enraged Mars being battered by tr Pluto from later this month through June – and on and off till late 2020.

Her own chart has a disempowering tr Neptune opposition the Sun/Pluto midpoint till mid August; a road-blocked tr Pluto conjunct Mars/Node from late this month till early July; then a catastrophic tr Pluto conjunct Mars/Saturn till late August – after which everything just listed above goes in reverse order through into 2020. It could happen anytime – or never.

Sooo important and soooooo boring.

Boris’s stars ahead: Upheaval in June which can be sudden adjustment to new circumstances, not always positive, though could also be an advancement. Seriously stuck and enraged in November/December. Marginally more bounce from late January 2020 for a few weeks.  Though not looking as chipper as Penny Mordaunt, the new Defence Secretary, is at that late Jan 2020 phase, on and off till late 2020.

Bob Hawke, the former Australian prime minister, a charismatic character, described as a ‘rambunctious rogue’ and a consensus builder has died. He didn’t care about convention, had a reputation as a heavy drinker and womaniser and was voted in three times over eight years  in the 1980s and early 1990s – still a record for a Labor leader.

Born 9 December 1929 5.30 am Bordertown, Australia, he was a fiery Sun, Mercury, Mars conjunct in Sagittarius with Venus also in Sagittarius; and his Sun Mars in an enthusiastic and risk-taking opposition to Jupiter. His Pisces Moon opposed Neptune and squared Venus so he was designed for a public career but very scattered, quite highly strung with a predominantly Mutable chart. His Uranus was trine both his Venus and Mars – so he’d be fickle emotionally and a live wire. ius Pisces Moon opposed Neptune and squared Venus

He suited Australia with its Venus, Uranus, Mercury, Jupiter all in Sagittarius.

Bill de Blasio, the twice elected though not hugely popular Mayor of New York, has become the umpteenth Democrat to put his name forward for the presidential nomination.

Born 8 May 1961 7.03 pm New York, he is a Sun Mercury in Taurus; with his Sun in a maverick square to Uranus and widely trine a practical Saturn in Capricorn; with a Fixed T Square of Mars in flamboyant Leo opposition Jupiter in Aquarius square Neptune in Scorpio. He has stamina and endurance, is stubborn, can be evasive with such a strong Neptune.

He looks totally jammed up and frustrated over coming months with his Solar Arc Pluto square his Mars, exact in six months, and taking time to wind down on the far side of that.

But for all that he’s looking quite chipper at points with tr Uranus conjunct his Mars/Jupiter midpoint this month, and square his Jupiter July to September which brings lucky breaks; and that latter influence repeats through 2020 and is exact for a final time over the 2021 Inauguration. I’d reckon the Mars Pluto would knock him out and he was always a long shot anyway. But he’s definitely pleased about something and there are some fair winds blowing behind him at points.

Pic: Kevin Case.

Another country sinking into a political morass is Australia up for electoral grabs this weekend. The incumbent PM Scott Morrison leads a coalition split by infighting and the opposition, who used to be ahead in the polls, now sliding back to be neck and neck, with the Murdoch press making an ill judged and tasteless attack on Bill Shorten, the not-very-popular opposition leader’s deceased mother.

Both are Sun Taurus with the tr Saturn Pluto trine give or take a degree or two. Scott Morrison, 13 May 1968 has a weighed-down tr Saturn trine Pluto; a couple of minor transiting Jupiter uplifts and a devastating tr Pluto square his Neptune/Pluto picking up in the final ten days of this month.

Bill Shorten, 12 May 1967, has tr Saturn trine his Sun and Uranus which could be stabilising and progressive; and does have his Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct his Pluto which is definitely good news and it moves on to conjunct his Jupiter/Pluto midpoint and then Pluto over the next couple of years which all looks successful. But he’s also got tr Saturn opposing his Sun/Uranus and then Sun/Pluto through this month which looks stuck now and in the aftermath with a nerve wracked tr Uranus opposition his Mars/Neptune picking up later this month.

So the usual hotch potch. If anything Shorten has more pluses.

Alabama, has approved the most far-reaching effort in the USA this year to curb abortion rights in all cases including rape and incest, except where the mother’s life is at serious risk. It criminalizes the procedure for doctors, who could be charged with felonies and face up to 99 years in prison. It now moves to the desk of the female Republican Governor who is expected to support it. Opponents have vowed to challenge the measure in federal court if it becomes law. But it’s being seen as the first shot across the bows of Roe v Wade with Brett Kavanaugh now on the Supreme Court.

Alabama, 14 December 1819, was a former slave state, known as the “cotton state” and until relatively recently still had Jim Crow legislation to disenfranchise African-American residents, so it’s pretty died-in-the-wool dinosaur territory.

No surprises it became a state when a repressive Saturn Pluto was in place in Pisces square the Sagittarius Sun Uranus Neptune and trine the Scorpio Moon – bleak, unyielding, cold-hearted, fanatical, violent, power hungry.

It looks on edge (which could be for any number of reasons) come June this year with tr Uranus square its Mars, repeating into 2020; and is on a swampy Neptunian slide downhill from 2021 onwards for several years as tr Neptune squares the Sun and is then square Uranus and conjunct Saturn and Pluto till the mid 2020s.  Neptunian can be healing, will certainly soften or at least undermine the state’s rigid defences.

One of the orchestrators of this move is Eric Johnston of the Alabama Pro-Life Coalition, 22 January 1948 St Louis, Missouri.  Unsurprisingly he’s also got a Saturn Pluto conjunction in his case the leading planets of an ideologically driven Air Grand Trine of Mercury in Aquarius trine Neptune trine a Gemini Moon, formed into a Kite.

His high hopes look dashed in 2020/2021 (again could be for any number of reasons) as tr Neptune squares his Jupiter; and that is followed by a series of major setback Solar Arcs through till 2022/23.

NB: To be noted. Appalling though the Alabama vote has been, even if enacted, it isn’t as draconian as the Northern Ireland abortion laws which are a total obscenity.

ROE V WADE Post: NOVEMBER 14 2016 Roe versus Wade which was the landmark US ruling asserting a woman’s right to have an abortion up to the time of foetal viability was agreed on 22 January 1973. It now looks to be at risk of being overturned with a new pro-life (and pro-gun!) right-wing administration.

There is concern writ large on this chart at the moment from tr Saturn conjunct the Mars exactly now and tr Neptune square the Saturn and Mars through 2017/2019. 2018/19 look to be the danger points with ferocious argument from tr Uranus square Uranus in 2018 as well as a disappointing Solar Arc Neptune conjunct Jupiter; and then in 2019 a ‘shocking’ Solar Arc Mars conjunct the Sun as well as a disruptive upheaval from tr Pluto square the Uranus. If it is was ever going to be overturned this looks like the time  – though it did survive through the early 1990s triple conjunction in Capricorn. But this looks if anything more serious.  Saturn Pluto in Capricorn’s repressive and heavily masculine energies may just do it.