Craig Murray – speaking truth to power

    

 

Craig Murray was former Brit ambassador to Uzbekistan and since he was ousted from the Foreign service has been active as a human rights campaigner, political activist, blogger and author. While still a diplomat he spoke out about the undemocratic regime In Uzbekistan which imprisoned and tortured political opponents; and the UK and USA’s use of confessions extracted there by torture. Later it was revealed Uzbekistan was used as a base for the US Extraordinary rendition programme during the Afghanistan campaign. He always insisted it was US pressure which led to his being ultimately sacked. Since then he has been praised and awarded for his campaigning work.

Born 17 October 1958, Norfolk, England, he’s a Sun and North Node in Libra on the focal point of a mini-Grand Trine sextile Saturn (Moon) in Sagittarius sextile Uranus – a reformer by instinct, reasonably ego-centric. That he is angry is not in doubt with a Mars in Gemini square Pluto, giving him the drive to tilt at very large windmills and take on dangerous opponents. His Mercury in Scorpio is conjunct Neptune Jupiter, which may point to an interest in money (Jup Nep) with gold mining and energy interests in Ghana.

Most whistle-blowers are oddballs and outsiders, often driven by rage against authority figures –  which is often justified, though it can push them to overstate their case at times. He is a bit of a loose cannon, publishing confidential memos on his website from his time in the FO; and being rejected by the SNP as a candidate for ‘lack of discipline to group commitment’. He supported Assange but was criticised for naming one of his alleged victims on television.

It’s understandable that he is allergic to the intelligence services and distrusting of anything they say, and he does perform a useful function, balancing out certain stories. But I’d worry marginally about his Mercury Neptune fuelled by Mars Pluto.

He’s in a very up and down year with high-tension this month; success in May; insecurity in July – and it runs on like that into 2019 which looks fairly devastating with Solar Arc Pluto conjunct Neptune, followed in 2020 by Solar Arc Mars square his Neptune. With tr Pluto square his Sun in 2019/2020 as well. He’ll be under huge pressure and did get suicidally depressed in his latter days at the Foreign office when under multiple investigations. He will be thrown off balance.

Trump, Pence – the maelstrom gathers strength

    

 

Trump is living out his Solar Arc Uranus conjunct his Mars now – wilful, headstrong, argumentative, self-willed – though it’ll also probably coincide with events around the exact aspect in 10 weeks’ time and beyond for a few months. It’s generally uncompromising, leads to macho gestures to prop up dented self-esteem and over hasty decisions that can backfire.

The July 13th Cancer Solar Eclipse will also rattle his chart affecting both his Saturn and Venus in Cancer. An Eclipse conjunct Saturn is a time of facing up, shouldering responsibilities (unlikely) and learning some harsh lessons. It can feel like hitting a wall, perhaps leaving him discouraged and worn out unless he is willing to change (doubly unlikely).

An Eclipse conjunct Venus usually brings a painful emotional crisis with a sense of being isolated, lacking support or popularity and thus denting his self-esteem.

Mike Pence looks lacklustre, lacking in courage and will power from early May till late July as tr Neptune starts an 18 month undermining square to his Gemini Sun. He’s also got  a major-upset Solar Arc Sun conjunct his Uranus approaching (anywhere from 6 months ahead to 18 mths, since we don’t know his birth time). June looks unsettled with tr Uranus trine his Pluto, returning into 2019. He looks poleaxed by events from mid July to late August and again November to mid December with tr Pluto square his Mars/Saturn midpoint. He’ll have one blip of luck in July but otherwise it’s a downhill year.

His relationship chart with Trump, which is pretty hostile underneath a submissive exterior, is at odds this month, severely shaken in May and devastated through June to mid July.

His wife’s chart isn’t too informative, though his relationship chart with her gives indication of high stress levels leading to changes late this month and even more major challenges in May; with another shift in July as tr Uranus is trine the composite Pluto.

I’m not sure of the procedures with Mueller but some of it hinges on Rod Rosenstein, the Deputy Attorney General – with the possibility that both could get fired along the way. RR certainly looks to be facing losses this month, though his confidence seems to be staying high. The July Eclipse will oppose his Capricorn Sun which tends to be a major challenge to ego and image.  His relationship chart with Trump is generally chilly this year though with a sense of relief from tension come June – maybe one or other departs the scene?

There’ll be a fresh outbreak of hostilities between Trump and Jeff Sessions, the Attorney General from mid May through June with tr Uranus square the composite Saturn and then opposition Mars.

Mueller has a sinker of tr Neptune squaring his Mars, bringing a panicky sense of failure from May to late July; and his Pluto, Sun, Venus in Leo will all be shaken  by the Solar and Lunar Eclipses across June/July.

Make of that what you will. The roller coaster ride continues.

See also previous post: March 17 2018

Salman Khan – a nervy year ahead

  

 

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has been sentenced to five years in jail for poaching rare and worshipped antelope back in 1998. One of India’s biggest stars, he has appeared in more than 100 films and has a huge fan following. He’s no stranger to criminal lawsuits but has managed to avoid guilty verdicts or convictions up till now. He can appeal but if he doesn’t get bail then several hefty film investments are at risk.

He was born 27 December 1965 in Indore, with various birth times given. He’s a Sun Capricorn; with Saturn in Pisces opposition Uranus Pluto square Mercury in Sagittarius, so he’ll live at a frenetic pace, be highly-strung and not always well-organised.  He has Mars Venus and Moon in Aquarius; with Moon perhaps square Neptune and trine Jupiter.  His Mars in uncompromising Aquarius is sesquiquadrate (135 degrees) to his Uranus and Pluto, which acts like a mild square,  making him headstrong. Uranus Pluto is also square his Jupiter prompting him to be overly confident at times and take risks.

Tr Saturn is conjunct his Sun in late June/early July and again in November, which will be discouraging, though it’ll pass quickly. Tr Pluto is also trine his Uranus Pluto this year, suggesting change with difficulty and is also in a confused sextile to Neptune.

On his midpoints he looks frustrated and trapped come mid July to late August, and again November through to mid-December, with tr Pluto conjunct his Sun/Mars. On the whole it’ll be a nervy year for him. He’ll bounce more enthusiastically in 2019/2020 though facing losses as well.

Boris Johnson – another motormouth Mars

  

 

Since heavy Mars is the topic of the week and following on from Michael Savage’s motormouth Mars in Gemini (see below), Boris Johnson has an equally afflicted Mars in Gemini on the focal point of a T square to Saturn opposition Uranus Pluto. He’s got a short attention span, a reputation for not reading his briefs in detail and shoots off with careless opinions at the drop of a hat. Viz Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the Iranian-British woman languishing in a Teheran jail – not only did he not get her out, he made her situation dramatically worse by suggesting she was training journalists, when she wasn’t.

Over the Skripal affair, he was so delighted to get a platform on his foreign affairs ticket that he managed to shoot the government’s case firmly in the foot, when Theresa May had been very careful in her comments.

His Mars squares the UK’s Pluto with his Saturn conjunct and Uranus Pluto in opposition, so he’s generally bad news for the country’s welfare and any earlier residue of good feeling for jovial Bojo has now disappeared down the drain.

On his relationship chart with the UK, there’s an enraged, frustrated tr Pluto trine the composite Mars at the moment extending till late 2019; with a separating tr Saturn square the composite Sun this year; and tr Neptune moving in 2019/2020 to undermine his rapport with the voters.

On his chart, 2pm birth time being sound, he has tr Uranus opposing his Scorpio Moon from mid May which will see an emotional upset, running into 2019. His Martian T square has also moved by Solar Arc to catch tr Uranus hard aspects at the moment; and a blocked/trapped tr Pluto opposition Mars in 2019/2020.

Whether the hapless PM will dump him is questionable. With such a Neptunian Term chart, she seems incapable of taking decisive steps.

Elizabeth Holmes – from billions to minus in a decade

  

 

Two weeks ago Elizabeth Holmes settled a fraud lawsuit involving her company Theranos, which had claimed to have devised revolutionary blood tests. Starting from scratch as a 19 year old she became the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world due to a $9 billion valuation of the company and won multiple awards. She’s now worth zero, possibly minus since she is facing swingeing debt claims and fines.

Born 3 February 1984 in Washington, DC, she’s a Sun Aquarius square a formidably determined and ruthless Mars Saturn in Scorpio; with Pluto in Scorpio sextile a high-finance (and can be delusional or head-in-the-clouds) Neptune Jupiter in Capricorn, perhaps tied into a Pisces Moon.

Her Sun is square her Mars/Saturn midpoint which in turn is semi-square Neptune. So she had a combination of Mars Saturn’s ruthless determination in Scorpio to overcome all obstacles by any means plus slippery Neptune which in one of its expressions tends to have dreams of avarice especially tied into Jupiter in money-minded Capricorn.

Her rise and fall, self-defeating 10th Harmonic is strongly aspected.

A Spanish Royal dust up

    

 

The Royal gossip circuit is abuzz after an uncomfortable set-to between Queen Letizia of Spain and her mother-in-law Queen Sofia after Easter Mass. Grandma wanted to pose for photographers with her two grandchildren but was blocked by Letizia. One of the children then refused to hold hands with either.

Poor Queen Sofia, after a sticky marriage with the philandering Juan Carlos and then being ousted from the spotlight when he abdicated after a series of scandals. She has a Scorpio Sun conjunct her midheaven opposition Uranus, so isn’t a pushover; with a sharp-edged Saturn in Aries opposition Mars.

Letizia has an assertive, short-fused 7th house Sun Mars Mercury in Virgo on the focal point of a T Square to Saturn opposition a Sagittarius Moon, so is no slouch herself when it comes to making her presence felt.

Letizia’s Sun, Mars, Mercury are conjunct Sofia’s Neptune with Letizia’s Saturn in square – so it will always have been an uneasy chemistry; with Letizia’s Uranus opposition Sofia’s Saturn – cross agendas and approaches at every step of the way.

Their relationship chart has, most notably, a composite Yod of Mercury Sun sextile North Node inconjunct Saturn – that is cold, tough, constantly under strain with duty the over-riding pressure and the need for maturity to make co-operation possible. Plus an irritable Mars trine Moon. With the composite Moon Jupiter opposition Uranus square Neptune which needs space with misunderstandings and miscommunications all too likely.

Queen Sofia is likely to become less visible after 2019 as tr Saturn moves below her horizon.

Trump v Bezos – a low blow against press freedom

    

 

Trump venting his spleen against Amazon, partly as a way of attacking The Washington Post, which has been highly critical of him, since Jeff Bezos owns both, has sent Amazon shares tumbling – 5.5% for the week so far, around $52.8 billion in value. Typically his gripes make little sense in terms of postal charges since if Amazon split from USPS (US Postal Services) onto other carriers then that would make a real dent in USPS’s only profitable line which is parcel delivery.

Bezos, 12 January 1964, does look more than somewhat agitated with tr Pluto conjunct his Capricorn Sun now (and on till late 2019) with an explosive tr Uranus square his Mars in Capricorn in the final days of this month into early May, repeating into 2019. He’ll be enraged, frustrated and facing losses in May/June/July and those influences repeat also on and off till late 2019.

His Sun Mars opposes Trump’s Saturn Venus in Cancer (= sensitive about being unloved) and Bezos’s Saturn Venus in Aquarius opposes Trump’s Mars and squares Trump’s midheaven. A cheese grater of an interface with irritations in both directions.

Their relationship chart has a composite Sun opposition Mercury square Jupiter which is catching tr Saturn hard aspects now and again later this year, into 2019. With serious jolts at the moment. There’s an active-dislike composite Mars opposition Saturn so never destined to be buddies.

The Amazon First Sale chart,16 July 1995, is formidably strong with a Grand Trine of a Cancer Sun trine Saturn (Moon) in Pisces trine Pluto in Scorpio, formed into a Kite by Saturn opposition Mars, making assertive/aggressive Mars the driving planet. It looks unsettled at the moment; though the real pressures and challenges start in 2019 with tr Pluto opposition the Sun and extending on into the early 2020s.

The Amazon First Public offering, 15 May 1997, does look on edge with tr Uranus moving to square the Neptune by later this month; though with more problems come 2019, with a degree of uncertainty if not panic, about over confidence.

Pic: Adrian Cadiz.

Emmanuel Macron – Jupiter collides with the unions

    

 

This is when Emmanuel Macron was always going to face his stiffest test with tr Neptune squaring the Mars on his presidency chart. It runs on and off till late 2019 and usually brings a sense of panicky failure. Rail staff have called for intermittent strikes, affecting two days out of every five, over the next three months. Energy and waste collection sectors are also affected. He was voted in on a labour reform ticket but facing up to the unions has defeated all his predecessors. It may be marginally easier this time round since the country knows that overly generous employment conditions need to be reined back. But it won’t be an easy fight.

Tr Saturn is square the Venus on the Pres chart this month, returning late year; and then square the Jupiter – so it will wipe some of the gloss off his image.

His own personal chart has lost the high enthusiasm of last year when the Solar Arc Jupiter was conjunct Mars. He looks jangled in late April/early May; though still pushing confidently ahead. May will see him face losses and disappointment with mounting frustrations as he has to change tack. And those push n’ pull, win some/lose some influences continue on. Though tr Jupiter moving across his MC into his 10th from early November should ensure some popularity and success through 2019.

Stephen Miller – a corrosively contemptuous Pluto in Scorpio

     

 

Stephen Miller, one of Trump’s closest advisers, a vociferous opponent of immigration, with a passion for American exceptionalism and racial superiority as well as a penchant for outrageous provocation was born 23 August 1985 4.53pm Santa Monica, California. He was a trenchant conservative even in college, railing against multi-culturalism and Spanish-language announcements and was friendly with white supremacist Richard Spencer; later worked for Tea Party founder Michele Bachmann and then Jeff Sessions, when between them they managed to kill a bi-partisan bill allowing for immigrant registration in 2013. His mother’s family came from Belarus in the 1990s. In the past he has urged violent responses to Islamic terrorism and has spoken out against equal pay for women.

What is most notable now that an accurate birth time is to hand, is his Pluto in Scorpio conjunct his midheaven. A control-freak and then some. Pluto, especially in Scorpio, oozes contempt as a way of putting ‘the other’ down. His Pluto is further emphasised being on the focal point of a mini Grand Trine of his 8th house Sun trine a 12th house Neptune. And his Pluto is also in a pushily confident square to Jupiter in Aquarius, giving him a sense that rules don’t apply to him; and that’s tied in also to the midheaven, Mercury and a Taurus North Node – he may not be likeable but he’s got brass neck and staying power.

His Virgo Sun and Mars Mercury in Leo being in the 8th, make him intense, secretive and obstinate. With an outspoken Sagittarius Moon conjunct Uranus in an explosive trine to Mercury Mars.  His Mars is in a hard-edged square to Saturn in obsessive Scorpio in the 10th.

He’s clearly got talent and has a strong get-it-together 5th Harmonic as well as leaving-a-legacy 17H. But he’s also got two heavily aspected self-defeating Harmonics – the 10H and 16H.

Tr Uranus is moving to trine his 8th house Sun from mid May which may cause a tremor since he doesn’t appreciate change; and even more so when it opposes his Pluto in July. 2019 looks even more rock n’ roll with tr Uranus continuing to oppose his Pluto and then MC. Tr Saturn is also heading to dip below his Ascendant from early 2019 onwards, pushing him gradually into a lower profile, less successful few years.

His Sun is conjunct Trump’s Ascendant so he’ll warm to the President’s bombast and flamboyance; and his Mercury is conjunct Trump’s 12th house Pluto, so he’ll pander to Trump’s less savoury political inclinations.  Like Trump he has Venus in Cancer and a Sagittarius Moon, so they will resonate together.

Though his relationship chart with Trump is complicated – friendly at one level with a composite Sun Venus Mercury; but also destined to live through times of great upheaval and change with a composite Uranus Pluto Saturn; and with a potential for disappointment with Sun Venus trine Neptune and Mars square Neptune. There has been a volatile mood between them recently with tr Uranus square the composite Venus, Mercury and Sun. With an abundance of undermining (and delusional) Neptune around recently and moving ahead. Tr Neptune now moves to oppose the composite Uranus this month and then square the composite Moon in May, both influences running on through 2019, which will slowly erode foundations of trust between them. With much confusion and a discouraging slog through 2019/2020.

Pic: Gage Sizemore.