‘A brilliant, bawdy triumph.’

‘Scheming for power in a kinky palace triangle.’

‘Bracingly cynical Royal comedy of manners.’

‘A punk Restoration romp.’

‘A farce with teeth, a costume drama with sharp political instincts and an aggressive sense of the absurd.’

There are rave reviews for The Favourite, an unlikely drama about Queen Anne, who reigned for 12 years at the start of the 18^th century, between William of Orange and the first of the Hanoverian Georges. She had 17 pregnancies and no live children, was plagued with gout, myriad other ailments and depression. The film is focussed on her relationship with the powerful and manipulative Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, who ran her business affairs and a young female relative, who both sought the Queen’s pleasure in and out of bed.

Anne, born 6 February 1665 JC 11.39 pm London, had a 4^th house Aquarius Sun trine an 8^th house Pluto – home-oriented, adept at wielding behind-the-scenes power, though also trapped by circumstances. She had Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter in the 3^rd house pointing to her complicated relationship with her sister Mary, her only other surviving sibling. Her Pisces Moon in the 5^th hints at fertility but square the 8^th house Pluto she would constantly feel out of control of her emotional situation.

Her marriage to Prince George of Denmark was by all accounts happy and loyal. He was a Sun Aries with a Libra Moon, and like her, had Jupiter in Aquarius and Venus in Aries, so as Royal matches go very compatible.

Sarah Churchill, 5 June 1660 JC, had a strong-minded, controlling Sun Pluto in Gemini which fell in Anne’s 8^th and trined Anne’s Sun, so a close, possessive and transformational connection. Sarah’s Jupiter was in Anne’s 10^th so she’d benefit socially and career-wise from the connection. Sarah’s Saturn in Scorpio was conjunct Anne’s Ascendant which would allow her to manage Anne’s affairs up to a point but would prove less useful when the split came. And in the way of Plutonic relationships it was bitter and vengeful when it did part.

Their relationship chart had a fated composite Yod onto an focal point Jupiter inconjunct Pluto sextile Mercury – a definite struggle for the upper hand in a relationship that was destined to change both irrevocably. Plus a composite Mars opposition Jupiter, tending to push them into unwise or over confident decisions.

Who’d have thought such an unlikely and downbeat heroine would have produced such a sparkling tragicomedy.

The Ireland north-south border enshrined as a frictionless zone in the Good Friday peace agreement to end three decades of violent troubles is the unsolvable conundrum of Brexit. Weaponised gleefully by the EU and carelessly ignored by the Brexiteers it has assumed mountainous proportions, though as a customs border problem it could easily be resolved by technological means, obviating the need for a concrete barrier.  Northern Ireland voted 56% to stay in the EU.

Northern Ireland, 7 December 1922 3.28pm Belfast, is already logjammed having been without an executive government since January 2017 with civil servants taking the key decisions in the absence of an agreement between the leading parties. It’s looking completely blocked at the moment with the Solar Arc Pluto conjunct Saturn; and the ongoing undermining tr Neptune is square the Sagittarius Sun Mercury till late 2019. Tr Uranus will square the midheaven for a jolting change of direction from mid February onwards for as few weeks; with the tr Saturn Pluto in Capricorn opposing the Moon at 23 degrees Cancer through 2019 and exactly in early 2020 – which looks bleak and very discouraging. They won’t be remotely pleased with whatever decision is made.

Relations between Northern Ireland and the UK will be tense and conflicted mid January to mid February 2019 with tr Pluto opposition the composite Moon (repeating later in the year) as well as  confused and  jolted –  and at their lowest ebb in 2020/2021 with tr Neptune opposition the composite Jupiter Saturn and square Uranus.  Relations between North and South are stressed through 2019/2020 and disillusioned in 2020 and worse for several years thereafter.

The Ireland 18 April 1949 12 am Dublin chart hints at setbacks and frustrations through 2019 with tr Saturn square the 10^th house Neptune in January and then square Mars later in the year; with tr Pluto continuing another year of frustrations as it squares Mars. The volatile, overly impulsive Solar Arc Mars conjunct the Ireland Uranus will gradually fade into 2019.

Relations with the UK will be fraught over the March 29 2019 theoretical exit date.

It’s heresy to say it but Northern Ireland not having the ‘luxury’ of stomping off into independence like Scotland or even Wales, would be better to unify with the south and be done with it. But alas and alack too many decades of blood feuds make that unlikely.

Explorer and endurance athlete 33 year old Colin O’Brady has become the first man to cross Antarctica on foot unaided, which was deemed impossible. It took 54 days to walk 1500 kilometres dragging a 170-kg (375 lb) sled for 12-13 hours per day mainly uphill over ridged ice. He covered the final 80 miles (129 kms) in a 32 hour haul without sleep. He finished ahead of British Army Captain Louis Rudd, aged 49, who competed to honour his friend Henry Worsley who lost his life in a similar attempt two years ago, dying from exhaustion.

O’Brady born 16 March 1985 in Olympia, Washington, was severely burned in his early twenties and was told he might never walk normally again. He focused on physical rehabilitation by training for the triathlon and then moved onto the Explorers Grand Slam, climbing the seven highest summits in a record time.

He’s a late Sun Pisces (like Ranulph Fiennes, the Transglobe explorer) with his Sun square Neptune in Capricorn and trine an obsessively conscientious Saturn in Scorpio. Pisces is, oddly enough, often an explorers’ sign, which rather disproves the wimpy Pisces reputation.

What marks O’Brady’s chart out as ultra-determined is Mars in bullish Taurus in a do-or-die opposition to Pluto square a super-confident Jupiter (Moon) in Aquarius.

His 9th Harmonic = what gives him pleasure – has a brutal Yod of Mars Saturn onto Pluto Mercury – so stretching himself beyond the end of his limits obviously appeals. His extreme 16H is also marked.

The physical and mental recovery from this kind of experience will be a longish process and what’s ahead through this spring looks fairly bumpy with tr Uranus hitting on his Mars and Pluto.

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The EU faces similar crises to the UK in 2019 with its 4^th house Capricorn Sun catching both the tr Saturn and Eclipse conjunction in January. Major decisions about their path ahead will come force majeure; and mistakes will need to be faced and rectified with the Cancer July Eclipse in opposition to the EU Sun.

Where the astro-destinies differ is that tr Uranus will be elbowing the central configuration of the EU chart from this April onwards for several years ahead. That’s much earlier than the UK economic shake-up which doesn’t really kick in until early 2021. The EU has a financially-minded Earth Grand Trine of a Taurus Moon trine Pluto trine Sun, formed into a Kite by Moon opposition Neptune. Tr Uranus will be opposing the EU Neptune from mid this May onwards, bringing a highly agitated mood, confusion, losses, a paralysis of will. And that is a forerunner to the even stronger indicators of economic/financial  turbulence in 2020 with tr Uranus conjunct the 8^th house EU Moon and square the EU Uranus.

The Solar Arc Pluto also joins in to add to the financial turmoil and torment as it conjuncts the EU Neptune, exact in June 2019 but probably in effect before then.

Additional pressures will come from late March through April with tr Uranus  trine the Solar Arc Midheaven and the EU Pluto, which will magnify the sense of crisis and the need to take a new direction.

Uranus demands the capacity to adapt quickly to rapidly changing circumstances and the ability to consider new approaches – neither of which the EU is well-designed for. The basic chart is incredibly Fixed, stubborn, unyielding; is also over-hopeful financially with a head-in-the-clouds Jupiter Neptune conjunction; and is ruthlessly controlling with a dirty tricks mentality when all else fails. None of which will appreciate Uranus, the torch bearer arriving to shine light on hidden places or acquiesce easily to its demands for change.

2020 will be panicky with old certainties undermined as tr Neptune squares the 3^rd house Saturn; as well as Solar Arc Midheaven conjunct Pluto which threatens to destroy reputations if far-reaching adjustments are not put in place. Plus  the destabilising tr Uranus in hard aspect to the EU Moon and Uranus running on into 2021.  So a critical phase.

What is intriguing is that of the leading European countries, the one seemingly most at odds with the EU is Germany. Unsettling influences started affecting the EU/Germany composite chart this year as Merkel’s star faded, and relations will become bumpier and more aggravated through 2019 till 2021. If a recession does hit, which looks inevitable, the EU have few remedies left and Germany will almost certainly refuse to foot the bill for the poorer nations.

Of the others Spain appears to be next most at odds with disappointment and dissatisfaction running rampant in 2019 through till 2022.

Kevin Spacey put out a bizarre video riff on his House of Cards’ character Frank Underwood to coincide with the announcement that he will be charged in January with the indecent assault and battery of an 18 year old boy at a bar. The alleged victim is the son of former television news presenter Heather Unruh, who spoke publicly about the incident last year and accused Spacey of buying her then 18-year-old son alcohol – the drinking age in Massachusetts is 21 – and then groping him.

His clip which is worth watching has him saying in character: ‘I told you my deepest, darkest secrets. I showed you exactly what people are capable of. I shocked you with my honesty, but mostly I challenged you and made you think. And you trusted me, even though you knew you shouldn’t. So we’re not done, no matter what anyone says. And besides, I know what you want. You want me back.”  “I can promise you this. If I didn’t pay the price for the things we both know I did do, I’m certainly not going to pay the price for the things I didn’t do.”

He’s making an ironic comment about the public’s liking for anti-heroes as well as implying he didn’t do it.

He’s been virtually out of sight since other similar and worse allegations surfaced in late 2017, written out of House of Cards and now unemployable.

There’s doubt about his birth date – either late 26 July 1959 or 5.51am 27 July, South Orange, New Jersey. What doesn’t seem to be in doubt is that he had an abusive, alcoholic, Neo-Nazi father, who sexually assaulted his brother, so a very rough upbringing.

That’s well described by a brutal, ruthless and for him hugely trapped Mars Pluto in Virgo in a bleak, cruel trine to Saturn – and on the 27^th birth date also – trine a 10^th house Taurus Moon, suiting him for a public career. And allowing him to channel that ferociously destructive and unhappy energy into a highly successful career. The Taurus Moon opposes Neptune, making filmic Neptune the driving planet.

His Leo Sun on the Ascendant squares onto Moon opposition Neptune – ego-centric, entertaining, a larger-than-life personality.

2019 will see tr Uranus bouncing its way possibly conjunct his Moon, in square to his Sun and Neptune, as well as trine Pluto, Mars and Saturn – so he’ll be jolted and jangled every which way. He’s got an uncertain worrisome Solar Arc Neptune conjunct his Saturn now though tr Pluto sextile his Jupiter from February 2019 till late 2020 will give him some uplift. But it won’t make up for a run of punishing Solar Arc Mars and then Solar Arc Pluto square his Sun around 2020/21. He won’t escape unscathed though may semi-resurface come 2022 onwards.

The USA heads for 2019 in as much chaos as the UK though of a different variety – with a government shutdown, a White House administration in turmoil with an acting chief of staff, an acting secretary of defense, an acting attorney general, an acting EPA administrator, no interior secretary, and no ambassador to the United Nations. Plus former US allies outraged and bemused by Trump’s quixotic foreign policies.

Legal jeopardy against Trump is mounting with four former colleagues pleading guilty to crimes; his campaign, his transition, his ‘charitable’ foundation and his business are all under investigation, never mind the NY Times expose of Trump, father and siblings engaging in a years-long scheme to commit tax fraud on a massive scale; and his elusive tax returns still have a tale to tell.

The stock markets are tanking and the global economy is running into trouble. Trump inherited ‘the best performing economy on the planet’ and gave it another stimulus with borrowed money.  But export markets are in trouble; Europe and China’s economies are slowing, with Trump’s trade worries adding to the strain. American consumers don’t have the spending power to come to the rescue having been hit with additional healthcare, housing and education costs, as well as increased tariffs on goods. While the wealthy get wealthier and the US debt grows.

The USA 1776 chart shows up a sharp reality-check from as early as mid January as tr Saturn opposes the Cancer Sun (repeating in September).  What will make that experience starker will be the 6^th January Capricorn Solar Eclipse in opposition to the USA Sun ramming home the message that mistakes have been made and, if crises are to be averted in the months ahead, a new approach will be needed. It will be an ego-deflating time as the national psyche ponders on the consequences of having got it wrong. Not that the challenge of eclipses are always risen to. Many times they are ducked and crises follow to force a rethink that would have been better done earlier.

From mid February for a month, and repeating on and off till late 2020, tr Pluto will trine the USA Neptune which will bring confusion even devastation and off-the-wall ideas.

The July Eclipses will have the strongest effect as the Solar Eclipse in Cancer is conjunct the USA Sun is likely to accompany crises which will prompt radical decisions about the path ahead; and the Lunar Eclipse sits on top of the USA fanatical Mercury opposition Pluto which will foster hostility and heated debates.

In many ways 2019 is only the gathering storm with 2020 being a more critical year with the panicky-failure tr Neptune square the USA Mars; and tr Pluto moving to oppose the USA Mercury for even more inflamed debates in 2020/21 – and the era-ending Pluto Return following from 2023 onwards for two years.

The USA First President chart, 30 April 1789 12.45pm New York, reflects similar energies with tr Saturn square the Mars for financial setbacks; tr Pluto square Neptune bringing more chaos; and the Eclipses in January and July stirring up the electorate as they hard aspect the Cancer Moon.

Trump is unlikely to change his ways, but is under increasing pressure from mid February onwards, escalating from late March as tr Pluto makes a discouraging square to his Saturn (on and off till late 2020) – during this phase as well his relationship chart with the USA is showing up more obvious dislike and aggravation about his governance and that also runs till late 2020. His Progressed Moon trudging unhappily through his 12^th house, never an encouraging experience, will conjunct his Mars in April for what might be an even more dramatic tantrum than usual. Tr Neptune squares his Uranus from late March through April, which could send his already mental balance/grasp on reality even further off kilter. That repeats into early 2020.

His Term chart will be rattled in March with tr Uranus square the Sun, sagging with disappointment and unpopularity in April, but generally will be in a bullish, what-the-hell mood throughout into 2020. Early 2020 will be the most unstable phase.

2019 will be a year of traumatic transformation for the UK with the Capricorn Solar Eclipses early and late and the Cancer Eclipse mid-year in aspect to the UK Capricorn Sun and IC as well as the 10^th house Cancer Moon and Midheaven. There’ll be zero possibility of continuing as before. The fork in the road is here, decisions need to be taken and stuck to. It will have the strongest impact on 4^th house matters – domestic security, emotional stability, farming; and 10^th house Moon matters – rulers, including the monarchy, public image, leaving the past behind, future direction and ambitions.

Eclipses at these degrees do come round every few years:– 2011 when there were London riots over a police shooting and anti-capitalist Occupy London demos. 1992 – Black Wednesday and the UK crashing out of the ERM. 1973 – recession, UK joined the EEC. What will exacerbate the sense of standing on shifting foundations this time round will be tr Pluto and tr Saturn both moving through the UK 4^th house.

The late December 2019 Capricorn Eclipse is in a Saros Series associated with sudden endings. Though it is also conjunct Jupiter which from the New Year and throughout 2020 will move through the UK 4^th which should bring more internal contentment.

Relationship splits and separations will be the hallmark throughout 2019 with tr Saturn square the UK’s Sun/Moon midpoint, the close relationship signifier, in January 2019 and returning  twice again up to October 2019.

Tr Saturn will also oppose the 10^th house Moon in late March, and on and off till December 2019, which suggests a mourning or loss, either of a ruler or of old certainties.

The Queen is still resolutely active though cutting back as she moves towards her 93^rd birthday. Her Coronation chart does suggests a major directional shift, coming suddenly, probably late in 2019 as the Solar Arc Midheaven is conjunct Uranus.

Her own chart has tr Uranus conjunct her Taurus Sun for a final time late March/early April, which may see surprise events hastening decisions. Otherwise it’ll be 2020/2021 as her gradual stepping-back picks up pace. The Capricorn/Cancer Eclipse do bounce off her 6^th house Pluto through 2019 which will put additional strain on her health-wise as well as perhaps land her with additional work as politicians continue to muddle and guddle along.

Theresa May’s Government chart is befuddled (!?) from May 2019 onwards into 2020 with Neptune square the Sun and Moon. But her own personal chart is facing failure before then, in disaster territory from mid January 2019, trapped and cornered in February and facing career failure and loss from late March onwards.

On the UK chart the Solar Arc Moon will oppose the 11^th house legislature Saturn, exactly in three month’s time but in effect before then, pointing to voter antipathy towards the governing classes. Tr Neptune square the 3^rd house Mercury from late March through April and returning on and off till February 2020 will bring evasiveness in discussions, miscommunications and travel confusion; and late in 2019 there will be aggravated debates as well as blockages  when Solar Arc Mars is conjunct the UK Mercury with tr Neptune  sowing the seeds of a few more muddles as it is conjunct both.

From midpoints there’ll be panics and uncertainty from a few transits bringing feelings of loneliness, being neglected or misunderstood; but there’s also surprisingly a reasonable amount of Jupiterian uplift mid January to mid February and again mid July till late December.  And a definite sense of relief late March to mid April.

There’s a Progressed Moon Return within three months from now which suggests a reassessment and new beginning.

Depending on house system, tr Uranus is aiming to move into the UK 8^th (on Koch) at the same time as the Solar Arc Uranus moves in, towards mid 2019 which kicks off a roller coaster few years as far as international and business finances are concerned, not all bad, just erratic and unpredictable.

One thing is for sure. The national morale is in a better state than the PM’s.

Another teddy-out-of-the-pram tantrum followed James Mattis’ stinging rebuke of Trump’s policies in his resignation letter. He’s now been ousted two months early in a petty-minded piece of spite by the supreme leader.

In as Acting Defense Chief at the Pentagon is Patrick Shanahan, a former Boeing executive and Deputy to Mattis since 2017 with no military experience, no previous government experience and little experience with foreign policy.

Third time lucky on birth data. If accurate, he was born 27 June 1962, Aberdeen, Washington, so he’s a Sun Cancer in a protective Water Grand Trine to Jupiter trine Neptune, formed into a talented and driven Kite by Jupiter opposition Pluto, which will make him push social niceties to one side to get what he wants. This makes power-hungry Pluto the driving planet. His Pluto Jupiter opposition squares onto Mercury in Gemini making him quick-witted but also scattered and at times disorganized. His Saturn in scientific Aquarius opposes Venus and squares Neptune in Scorpio – fixed, stubborn but not always decisive. His Mars in steamroller Taurus is in a volatile, short-tempered square to Uranus.

It’s an odd mix with Trump since Shanahan’s Uranus is conjunct Trump’s Mars and Ascendant which is an explosive and edgy interface; with Shanahan’s Mars conjunct Trump’s midheaven which can turn competitive.   Although at this stage it isn’t clear if he will be confirmed or is merely a pro-tem filler to allow Trump to vent his spleen and kick Mattis out of the door faster.

Paddy Ashdown, who in his political incarnation took the Lib Dems from obscurity to become the strongest third party in parliament since the 1920s, has died. His event-packed life before Westminster included a stint in the Royal Marines, the Special Boat Section (later Service) and then MI6 as a spy.

He was born 27 February 1941 4.30 pm New Delhi, India, into a family of soldiers and colonial administrators, grew up mainly in Northern Ireland and spoke several languages including Mandarin. During his time in MI6 he lived in Switzerland under diplomatic cover as a UK representative to the UN. After he left parliament, he became UN high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina in May 2002, calming tensions after a brutal civil war. He was later proposed as Nato’s envoy to Afghanistan, but his appointment was vetoed by President Karzai and influential warlords.

He did have a powerful and talented chart with his Pisces Sun Mercury on the focal point of a mini-Grand Trine to Mars in Capricorn in his pro-active 5^th trine Jupiter Saturn in Taurus on his midheaven.  Jupiter on the MC brings increasing respect with age; Saturn on the MC would give him executive and organisational ability. Jupiter Saturn mixes ideals with practicality. Mars Jupiter gave him boundless enthusiasm; Saturn Mars good for a military career.

His Saturn Jupiter squared onto a 12^th house Pluto giving him grit and behind-the-scenes influence and power. His Uranus in the 10^th suited him for an unusual career without too much direct supervision. Uranus square a charming 7^th house Venus would make him a flirt, though with a hidden sensitive 8^th house Pisces he would protect his vulnerabilities.

His astrocartography intriguingly put his Sun on the midheaven when relocated to Bosnia, suggesting that was where he’d find his truest direction in life.