Baby Sussex arrived at 5.26am this morning in Windsor, a bouncing 7lbs 3oz boy. This puts a Taurus Sun on his Ascendant so he’ll be a full-on personality, exuberant, outgoing and strong-minded. When he bounces into rooms he’ll create waves. Though he’ll be no playboy with a dutiful and ultra-determined Saturn Pluto in his 10^th house. His mother will instill discipline in him and probably be fairly controlling.

His Gemini Moon is only in an out-of-element aspect to Pluto, suggesting he may have difficulties connecting his feelings to what’s going on around him and will tend to withdraw into himself at an emotional level. This is possibly amplified by having a 12^th house Venus in Aries square Saturn and Pluto so he will be fairly battened down at one level.

His Mars in argumentative Gemini in his 2^nd will make him ambitious about acquiring money and opposition an 8^th house Jupiter will bring him luck from grandparents (and a fair amount of spoiling). That adventurous and opportunistic Mars Jupiter squares onto Neptune in Pisces which, despite the earthier influences elsewhere in his chart, will make him at times absent-minded and disorganised, prone to naively trusting arty friends.

With three planets in the 12^th he obviously experienced his gestation as impactful and at times stressful. With Mercury there he’ll hesitate at times to voice his opinions; and with Uranus he’ll keep his rebellious streak under wraps (most of the time).

Taurus is a fairly Royal Family sign with the Queen, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis all Taurus and Prince Charles having a Taurus Moon as does Prince Harry.

The baby does fit well with Harry who has a Virgo Sun as well as his Taurus Moon; while Meghan will relate more to his Gemini Moon given her Libra Moon and Jupiter. Grandma Doria has her Jupiter in Virgo which is also a good fit.

The relationships charts for the baby with both Harry and Meghan show a good deal of affection. Harry and he will play and have a good deal of fun together although the burden of Royal restrictions will weigh heavily at times with a tough Mars square Saturn Pluto. While with Meghan the relationship looks lively but also fairly duty and/or health oriented with Saturn Pluto in the 6th.

What a relief to have news other than dreary politics.

The coronation ceremony of King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand began, at a time set by astrologers evidently as propitious, at 10.09 am this morning. Monarchs in Thailand, although constitutional, are God-Kings with semi-divine status and there are severe penalties for derogatory comments domestically which is tricky given the wild and way out past of the present incumbent. He’s been married four times with acrimonious divorces following each, has at least seven children and recently married his former bodyguard. He’s been described as ‘unpredictable to the point of eccentricity.’ The death of his pet poodle some years ago was followed by four days of Buddhist funeral rites. His father, the longest serving monarch of over sixty years, was much respected and revered.

The new king, 28 July 1952 5.45 pm Bangkok, has a charming, playboy’s Sun Venus in Leo in his 7^th with a fearsomely determined, controlling and indulgent Mars in Scorpio opposition Jupiter in Taurus square a manipulative Pluto in his 8^th and Venus.  His Libra Moon is conjunct both Saturn and Neptune and square Uranus contributing to a chaotic emotional and family life.

He’s had nearly three years since the death of his father to acclimatise to his new role and looks suitably serious with his Solar Arc Sun conjunct his Saturn now though he’s also got a confused Solar Arc Venus conjunct Neptune. Tr Saturn is on his Ascendant moving downwards through a lower profile, less ambitious few years ahead so he may start with an understated, more reclusive phase.

His father King Bhumibol, 5 December 1977, was a better fit for Thailand with his Jupiter Uranus falling in Thailand’s 10^th and he was anyway a more serious-minded Sun Saturn in Sagittarius.

His latest wife, now Queen Suthida, 3 June 1978, is a Sun Gemini opposition Neptune and trine Pluto, so not short of ambition; with a hard-edged military-style Mars Saturn in Leo but it’s an odd mix with her Venus conjunct his Uranus and square his Saturn Neptune; and her Uranus conjunct his Mars, which all look fairly explosive. Though worst of all her Mars Saturn is conjunct his Pluto which is unpleasant and cruel. No doubt she’ll go the way of his previous spouses at some point.

I’m never sure which system the Buddhist astrologers use to set auspicious times – start of Burma etc – but they certainly don’t coincide with western interpretations. This Coronation chart has a Mars inconjunct the Saturn Pluto conjunction which looks disaster-prone; with an exact unpredictable and disruptive Moon Uranus conjunction, widely conjunct the Sun. Plus an afflicted Neptune. Weird.

Oprah Winfrey has been praising Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, for deciding to keep her baby’s birth a private affair, saying how proud she is of her for standing up and breaking with tradition. And Oprah has also been discussing doing a children’s mental health TV programme with Prince Harry.

Oprah’s Sun Venus in Aquarius fall in Meghan’s 7^th which is an affectionate placing; and Meghan’s Sun is in Oprah’s 8^th for a deep connection. But there could be fireworks from Meghan’s independent-minded and rebellious Uranus conjunct Oprah’s determined Mars; and Meghan’s controlling Pluto in Oprah’s 10^th which won’t go down well. Plus both their Uranus and Pluto cross over in hard aspect to the other, so there will be sharply divergent agendas.

The relationship chart does have a helpful composite New Moon making them a good complementary pair; but there’s also an over-idealised Venus Neptune; and a megaton composite Mars Pluto Uranus which could move mountains if they co-operate but is likely to disintegrate at some point into a personal power play.  So it won’t stay all coochy coo for ever.

Oprah’s relationship with Prince Harry is less close but with the same dynamics of high-hopes that are likely to get disappointed from an evasive Neptune; and a power-playing Jupiter Pluto. Oprah’s Mars opposes Harry’s Taurus Sun with her Pluto in his 8^th and her Uranus in his 7^th, so he’ll experience her as pushy, controlling and divisive.

Showbiz and the Royals haven’t always been a happy connection and this relationship will almost certainly move out of the euphoric stage at some stage.  Entertainers for all their adulation from the American public don’t quite get the Royals and their relationship with the British public. Royals have enormous wealth and privilege and that comes at a cost of some loss of privacy and a life of fairly unrelenting duty. One doesn’t come without the other. While breaking with tradition is great since life needs to evolve, there will come a time when people ask what’s the point of them if they’re not willing to play ball.

Jude Law, the talented English actor with numerous nominations to his credit and a headline-grabbing past love life, has married again to his psychologist girlfriend of four years. He was most recently seen in the high grossing Captain Marvel and was a triumph in Paolo Sorrentino’s The Young Pope on tv which is being sequel-ed this year. He’s been married once and has five children by three different women.

Born 29 December 1972 6am London, he has an ambitious and financially lucky 2^nd house Sun Jupiter in Capricorn; with his Sun in a controlling square to Pluto, made doubly so with Pluto on his Midheaven, which latter will make him influential if a touch control-freaky. His charming and adventurous Venus in Sagittarius on his Ascendant is in an ethereal, evasive conjunction to Neptune and is opposition Saturn in Gemini in his 7^th. Venus Saturn can have a leaning towards sexual promiscuity, if that’s the right term nowadays; Gemini on the cusp of his 7th would bring wayward tendencies; and Saturn would make close relationships seem burdensome to him. His Moon is also in an unpredictable, constantly changing conjunction to Uranus.

Maybe his maturing middle years will have persuaded him to settle down. Saturn moving through the lowest ebb of his low-profile first quadrant for a couple of years will certainly focus his mind more on his personal life than career ambitions. Though there’s nothing overtly romantic showing up at the moment. He has the intensely private and rather conflicted Progressed Moon through his 8^th for the next two years and tr Neptune square his 7^th house Saturn late this year which won’t help with honeymoon bliss. Tr Pluto is square his Uranus which will bring considerable changes to his life and direction. And 2020 will bring a financial boost with his Solar Arc Mars conjunct his Jupiter.

The omnishambles of Theresa May’s government slid further into black farce with her protégé and over-promoted Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson getting the push for allegedly leaking the Government’s decision to let the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei have a role in the UK’s 5G network. Leaks are ten a penny but this was from a highly classified Cabinet and security meeting covered by the Official Secrets Act and leaks therefrom are usually subject  to criminal proceedings. Williamson in typically flamboyant fashion is denying everything and saying he was set up by the Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill. Media reports say he did speak to the Telegraph journalist who wrote up the story that day.

Born 25 June 1976 in Scarborough, England, Williamson is a Sun Venus in Cancer in a controlling square to Pluto and an inventive trine to Uranus; with his Uranus in an autocratic square to Saturn in wannabe-grand Leo. With an indulgent Jupiter in Taurus in an opportunistic square to Mars in bombastic Leo. He may not go quietly into the night having been quoted as saying about his meeting with Theresa May: ‘I pointed out that I had saved her a couple of times, kept her as PM,’ adding that it was ‘a shame she didn’t recognise the fact’.

Sedwill, who is Cabinet Secretary, Head of the Civil Service and National Security Adviser, a portfolio some say gives him too much power, was born 24 October 1964. He’s not that dissimilar to Williamson though more discreet with a Sun Mercury in Scorpio and Jupiter in Taurus square Mars in Leo – in his case that latter is anchored down by a serious-minded Saturn in Aquarius.

One Cabinet member who won’t be unhappy Williamson is gone is Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, since he had his China trade talks abruptly cancelled when Williamson threatened to send an aircraft carrier to the Pacific, amongst other kerfuffles. Hammond’s Pluto in Leo square Saturn in Scorpio clashes with Williamson’s Mars in Leo and Hammond’s Mars in Scorpio is conjunct Williamson’s Uranus and square his Saturn – so acute dislike from various angles. Their relationship chart has an aggravated Mars Saturn conjunction and a disruptive Sun Uranus Pluto.

Theresa May’s chart never sat that easily with Williamson which does make one wonder about her judgement. Her relationship chart with him has a disappointed, delusional composite Sun square Neptune and an over hopeful Neptune trine Jupiter.

Her government chart now has the tr Neptune square Sun and Moon running through till mid August – further into the swamp.

Williamson did extract more money for defence out of the treasury though he’ll be for ever known as Private Pike, the hapless underling in the sit com Dad’s Army, whose favourite ditty was ‘whistle while you work’.

William Barr on the Senate investigative stand is getting testy but it won’t do him any good with his astrology going pear shaped. He’s now got tr Neptune opposition his Mars/Saturn midpoint picking up today and running constantly till mid August, returning March 2020 and October 2020 till end of January 2021. Ebertin describes this as ‘waning powers and weakening vitality, insufficient power to tackle obstacles in his way, a grievous loss etc.’

He’s also got the restrictive and highly discouraging tr Pluto opposition his Sun/Saturn midpoint picking up later this month till early July, and on and off till late 2020.  With some uncomfortable jolts come this July to September – which shows up in a minor way on the Mueller/Barr relationship chart as well, so maybe more movement then.

Trump and Barr as a twosome, look swamped below the waterline for the next few months with losses mounting.

Barr and Mueller were theoretically good friends but it may have been an arms’ length professional connection more than a bro-romance. Mueller is a Sun Pluto in Leo while Barr is a Moon Pluto in Leo; in each case their Saturn collides with the other’s Uranus and vice versa, so they were frequently not on the same page in terms of outlook and opinion. And Mueller has Mars Mercury in Virgo which sits uncomfortably with Barr’s Saturn and Mars in Virgo so there would be arguments.

Their relationship chart has a composite Sun Mercury in an evasive and disappointing square to Neptune, which will be in the line of fire of the July Cancer Solar Eclipse. They also have a chained-together by circumstance Saturn Pluto conjunction which will be majorly disrupted from mid 2020 onwards as tr Uranus squares the Saturn. And an explosive, highly volatile composite Mars square Uranus which will hit a significant dip from late April 2020 onwards as tr Neptune opposes their composite Mars – removing the last vestiges of good feeling between them.

Mueller’s relationship chart with Trump is under separating influences this year; with a sharp elbow around July from the Eclipse conjunct the composite Saturn; and tr Uranus trine the composite Mars. With even more significant upheavals from mid 2020 onwards for a year or so.

This tale has a ways to run before it finds closure.

Alex Hepburn, an Australian born cricketer for an English club has been given a five year jail sentence for raping a sleeping woman. He had set up a What’s App ‘conquest’ game with Joe Clarke, another cricketer, to see how many women he could have sex with a week before the rape. The judge told him that he “demeaned women”. “You thought you were God’s gift to women,” he said. “You did see her at that moment as a piece of meat, not a woman entitled to respect.” The game the judge said was “foul sexism.” “It demeaned women and trivialised rape – a word you personally threw around lightly.”

Born 21 December 1995 in Subiaco, Australia, he’s a confident sporty Sun Jupiter in Sagittarius with a Sagittarius Moon perhaps in an emotionally blocked square to Saturn in Pisces. His Venus is conjunct Uranus Neptune in Capricorn making him highly strung and unpredictable when it came to romantic liaisons. It’s not a particularly nasty chart, though – generalising wildly – Fire sign men tend to be immature longer than most. Down in his midpoints there’s a great deal of Pluto activity with his Sun, Venus, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune all in aspect to Pluto midpoints so control will be a major factor for him. And his Mars in Capricorn is semi-square his Pluto as well. With his Sun conjunct his Neptune/Pluto midpoint he may not be the most stable psychologically since it tends to be off-the-wall.

His mate for the night Joe Clarke, who had consensual sex with the woman in question beforehand, wasn’t charged since he had committed no offence. He was born 26 May 1996 and is a Sun Gemini opposition Pluto, with his Pluto sextile Uranus and trine Saturn – so he’s also heavily into power and control.

Years ago I met a women who had been given horse dope and gang raped which freaked me out since I’d never come across the phenomenon before. I scoured the literature to find out what psychological mechanisms lay behind the behaviour. There wasn’t much around written down in those days but what I found put it down as a homoerotic activity – boys showing off sexually to other boys/men. The woman was incidental or at least secondary. A kind of macabre game of pass-the-parcel. Though it also indicates a hatred of women in the desire to so totally delete  their agency and their identity.

John Singleton, the movie director, has died at the tragically young age of 51 from a stroke. His debut film Boyz n the Hood (1991) brought him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Director (and screenplay writer), which made him at 24, the first African American and youngest person to have ever been nominated for that award.  The film is now regarded as a landmark in contemporary US cinema for bringing black experience to the screen, as well as introducing Cuba Gooding Jnr and Regina King, and having a chart topping sound track. Most recently Singleton co-created the tv crime drama Snowfall.

Born 6 January 1968 in Los Angeles, he was a Sun Mercury in Capricorn with his Sun widely trine Jupiter in Virgo and widely square Saturn in forced-to-be-self-reliant Aries. He had a stubbornly determined Mars in Aquarius in a showbiz square to Neptune and inconjunct Uranus (conjunct Pluto) in Virgo. He ran on high octane fuel and would find relaxation tricky.  In 1991 when he hit the heights with his first effort his Solar Arc Jupiter was conjunct his Uranus for a surge of confidence.

There’s a fair amount of Mars activity in his chart from Solar Arcs and Progressions which would mount up the pressure.

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Emperor Akihito of Japan has abdicated for age and health reasons, handing over to his son Prince Naruhito.  Akihito took over in 1989 and did much to humanise the Royal Family, which he once described as ‘robots’; and to heal the wounds of  World War 11 damage.

Born 23 December 1933 6.39am Tokyo, he was well-suited to a life of pomp and show with an emphasised 10^th house Jupiter bringing him increasing respect the older he became, in square to an ultra-determined, courageous Mars opposition Pluto – and all tied into a Cardinal Grand Cross with Uranus. He wasn’t short of initiative and was good at handling crises.

His son Prince Naruhito, 23 February 1960 4.15 am (four days after Prince Andrew) is cut from a different cloth to his father, with a dependent 7^th house Pisces Sun opposition Pluto; though he does have an emphasised sociable Jupiter in the 5^th which along with his 7^th house Sun will give him a way with people.  He has a rebellious Uranus on his Ascendant so he will want to carve out his own path, not easy in the Chrysanthemum Court where old-style courtiers hold a good deal of power.

If the start time for Japan is right at 10.44 am his enthusiastic Venus Mars in Aquarius is conjunct the country’s midheaven which augurs well. Though his Uranus is conjunct the Japan 4^th house Saturn will run some of his reforms up against a rigid status quo.

His wife Princess Masako, 9 December 1963, before her marriage an independent career woman, has already suffered a good deal in the highly restrictive royal cage with additional pressures from not having produced a male heir, leading to depressive problems which pulled her into seclusion for some years.

She’s a Sun Sagittarius square Uranus Pluto in Virgo so will be prone to feeling trapped and reacting unpredictably. She’ll be in better spirits once tr Neptune moves off the square to her Sun by late year and has already said she feels insecure about her future role. Her relationship chart with her husband has an affectionate composite Sun Venus conjunction but is under considerable pressure for the next four years.

Prince Naruhito who will be enthroned in October looks emotionally intense and slightly conflicted with his Progressed Moon moving through his 8^th for another two years so he will feel the weight of the responsibility while not always being sure it’s what he wants. Tr Uranus cross his Midheaven in 2021/22 for a sharp change of direction in his life.