The financial crash started with the sub-prime mortgage crisis building through 2007, exacerbated by major banks risky lending practices over-leveraging bad debt, which resulted in the Lehman Brothers collapse on 15 September 2008.

Pluto moved into Capricorn for the first time in January 2008 setting the scene for what followed, zig zagging back into Sagittarius through mid year and settling in Capricorn by December 2008 for its sixteen year stay.

2007 had the uncertain, neurotic Neptune opposition Saturn in wannabe-important Leo. By fall 2008 tr Saturn was in Virgo heading for the economically unstable opposition to Uranus which ran on till late 2009; with the disruptive tr Uranus in later Pisces in orb to a square to Pluto in early Capricorn; and tr Saturn moving into Libra in a hardship-bringing opposition to Pluto in 2010.

Pluto in Capricorn was the major trigger but Saturn Uranus and Saturn Pluto coming hard on its heels made the financial situation worse. Pluto, the planet of transformation, exerting its considerable pressure on Capricorn, which favours the status quo, is traditionally thought of as collapsing government and financial systems with an eye to rebuilding better on the far side.

The revolutionary tr Uranus square tr Pluto running right through till 2016, which triggered the Arab Spring, was in place for all of David Cameron’s premiership in the UK – with little evidence of major change in the country, so there would be an undertow of rebellious feeling seeking radical change, that had not found an outlet. 2013/2014 saw the tr Uranus square tr Pluto hitting on the UK Sun; before moving onto the UK North Node and then Moon. The Brexit referendum came at the end of that five year upswell of wanting change, any kind of change, even if it meant stepping out into the unknown.

When the vote was taken in June 2016 on the UK chart tr Pluto was by then moving through the UK 4^th house bringing a mutinous mood amongst the populace; with the Solar Arc Sun in a jolting square to the deeply-rooted 8^th house Mars in Taurus; with the Solar Arc MC in an even more volcanic square to the UK Mars by 2017.

In a way with hindsight it seems almost inevitable – a giant wake up call to a country that had got too stuck in its ways with politicians and financiers seemingly incapable and certainly unwilling to make the sweeping and profound changes that Pluto always demands and the voters clearly wanted.

The EU became the scapegoat for all the subterranean anger that was bubbling. Although immigration may have been a key issue, the unpalatable truth was that the Blair Government’s open-door policy for non-EU migrants was really more of an issue. The EU workers just landed on top of a country already swamped.

The media weren’t remotely helpful – Murdoch et al. There’s no lack of flaws in the EU to criticise – overweighty, grossly expensive bureaucracy with bloated, unelected technocrats throwing their weight around. But the advantages weren’t sufficiently highlighted. There was a surprising statistic the other day that UK famers get more out of the Common Agricultural Policy funds than do French farmers. And you wouldn’t know that from the Sun or the Express.

Add on: The Arab astrologers of olden times believed the essential function of astrology was to understand the past. Hindsight is much denigrated but it’s often only with distance that the patterns become clear.

Was Brexit inevitable? Yes and no. Uranus Pluto upheavals can go one of three ways – into anarchy and chaos as the old structures are violently torn down and nothing takes their place (Libya); repressive, control-freak Pluto desperate to uphold the status quo wins the war and dictatorial powers are imposed (Egypt, and eventually Syria); or the collapse of the old way leads to a rebirth with hopes of a better future (Tunisia, cross fingers). In more stable western democracies the same forces are at work though in a less obvious way.

It’s the great universal battle between stability and creativity. Uranian creativity needs a degree of chaos to flourish, but too much anarchy leads to demolition, not to lasting achievement; Pluto often causes its own downfall because of its inability to adapt. The transitions of change are impossible to negotiate if total control is demanded at every stage.

The UK has an extraordinarily Fixed chart – as indeed does the EU – which gives endurance and staying power but is ill-designed for change and flexibility. It takes a cataclysmic convulsion to force through necessary adjustments. Ironically, or maybe not, the UK sector at most risk with Brexit is the financial one. If they had been cut down to size after 2008 and forced to own and pay for their mistakes, the UK might have been in a different mood when it came to the referendum.

But it’s also true that in any relationship when individual partners are moving through their own transition periods it becomes obvious their trajectories are taking them down a different route. When the 2016 Brexit vote occurred the UK’s Solar Arc/Progressed Midheaven, which indicates the immediate priorities for the country’s direction and ambition, was exactly opposite the EU’s 11^th house Uranus – indicating a divergence from the EU’s future networking plans for members. The EU’s Solar Arc/Progressed midheaven is now within 18 months of being opposition the UK’s Pluto, suggesting an impasse as the UK feels trapped by the EU’s stance and aims.

Standing back far enough to see that the chaos which is undoubtedly coming post-Brexit is part and parcel of an overdue correction that would have come one way or another might make it easier to digest. Brexit is merely one vehicle for driving change into action. There could, and perhaps should, have been other ways. Twas ever thus.

At the same time the obdurate EU have been turning their faces to the wall and resisting the call to renewal. Their Solar Arc midheaven will conjunct their hidden, dirty-dealings-behind-the-scenes, control-freaky 12th house Pluto within a year; at the same time as their Solar Arc Pluto pounds confusion and devastation on the head of their 2^nd house financial Neptune. And they, like the UK, will be buffeted and battered by tr Uranus hitting on their Fixed planets for several years thereafter.

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” JFK.

 

  

 

If the 2016 Brexit vote had swung to Remain, the same influences ahead would still be affecting the UK chart? It’s one of the brain-teasers of astrology. Either you say the Brexit vote was predestined, set in concrete by the stars, or the outcome was one of several possibilities within a range circumscribed by the influences (mood of the country) at the time. Which latter leaves some room for freewill including making the wrong choices.

What struck me at the time was tr Pluto square the UK North Node in Aries in the 7^th through 2015/16. The Node in the 7^th is not naturally good at co-operation though in order to develop should strive towards a more sharing attitude. An Aries Node has the opposite inbuilt developmental drive – for independence. So there is an ambivalence in the UK about being interdependent in close relationships.

What makes the UK North Node so integral to the nature of the country is that it sits square the UK Capricorn Sun opposition the Cancer Moon and indeed exactly opposes the UK’s Sun/Moon midpoint, which is another relationship significator.

In an individual’s chart tr Pluto opposing the Sun/Moon midpoint would accompany considerable strain in a marriage causing most, though not all, to break down.  Some marriages hack on through the bad patches and stick together. The flaky, shaky ones go to the wall.

When the UK joined the EEC in 1973 Pluto was in early Libra and Uranus in late Libra, with their midpoint exactly opposition the UK North Node at the point of joining, which was an ominously conflicted kick off – Uranus aiming for freedom, Pluto for possessiveness and control. And tr Pluto was conjunct the UK Sun/Moon midpoint and opposition the UK Node in 1977/78, causing considerable strain in the difficult early years after joining.

The UK’s North Node, Sun and Moon have had a fair pummelling over the past three decades just because of the specific planetary cycles. The triple conjunction of Saturn, Uranus, Neptune in Capricorn were all hammering away at all three right through John Major’s premiership in the 1990s, after Maggie departed. And Europe was what broke him. Then the tumultuous and rebellious tr Uranus square Pluto hit the UK Sun, Moon, North Node from 2014 till 2016.

In some ways it’s a miracle the UK/EU bond has stayed together as long as it has. Which is still no excuse for not having worked out a sensible divorce plan in advance.

Please add below.

      

I feel remiss in not digging out more pearls of astro-wisdom about the unsolvable Brexit conundrum. Only a couple of thoughts to add from last month’s post (below).

The referendum chart 24 June 2016 had an over-hopeful, delusional Jupiter opposition Neptune in a suspicious, doubting, paranoid square to Saturn in self-righteous Sagittarius. Tr Saturn is exactly opposition the Sun exactly now as talks run into an impasse; with a mournful tr Saturn opposition the Venus in late November. Plus an undermining, fantasy-bubble-bursting tr Neptune opposition the Jupiter, around this year and returning in March 2019, and twice more up to January 2020. There’s an aggravated tr Pluto sextile Mars from April 2019 to late 2020; and a complete upheaval tr Pluto square Uranus from late February 2020 till late 2021. Nothing easy.

The Article 50 letter signing, 28 March 2017, delivered 29^th, has an Aries Sun exactly opposition Theresa May’s Libra Sun – and both are catching the tr Saturn hard aspect early this December, which looks discouraging. It has a reformist Uranus trine Saturn; but also an over-confident Jupiter opposition Uranus Moon square Pluto, which was always going to lead to power struggles and a fight for the upper hand.

On 31 March 2019 when the two years is up, tr Pluto is exactly square the Article 50 Uranus for a major jolt accompanying radical change; plus tr Saturn is exactly conjunct the Article 50 Pluto and square the Article 50 Jupiter, which suggests the presumption of success is getting a sharp reality check.

The 31 March 2019 Leave chart has a hostile, bitter and intransigent Mars in Taurus in the 7^th trine Pluto (Saturn) trine Midheaven, which doesn’t sound like a happy outcome; with the unbudgeable Saturn Pluto conjunction drawing close.

On 31 March 2019 the UK 1801 chart looks confused and panicky especially where 3^rd house matters (transport, communications etc) are concerned as tr Neptune squares the UK 3^rd house Mercury; with tr Saturn opposition the 10^th house Moon exactly which looks like loss or mourning or a split. With Solar Arc Pluto within less than a degree conjunct the Ascendant, which could suggest taking back control, or damage to reputation and image, requiring a rebuild ahead. Solar Arc Uranus is just into the 8^th house of business and international finances (depending on house system) which would indicate a roller coaster ride ahead economically – some good, some not so great outcomes.  Though the major buffeting around doesn’t come until 2021 and lasts until 2025 with tr Uranus in hard aspect to the UK’s Fixed planets, mainly in financial houses.

September 18 2018 post:

Theresa May looks poleaxed and devastated despite her customary stalwart utterances. She has tr Pluto square her Sun/Neptune midpoint all this September and October over the Party Conference – Ebertin describes that as ‘a tragic deception or illusion.’ With perhaps a jolting shock from Solar Arc Uranus conjunct her Sun.

Her Government chart is also in spasm from a nervous crise with tr Uranus conjunct the Sun/Neptune now till mid October; with a bad-tempered setback in the first half of October over the conference with tr Saturn square the Mars.

Theresa May is pretty much all downhill over coming months till late 2019 – hopes dashed, undermined, frustrated, powerless. If she goes, I’d hazard a guess at April 2019 onwards, just after either a hard Brexit or a mushy fudge to extend the agony for another two years. Dominic Raab, her negotiator, looks even more squelched than she does until late 2019.

Olly Robbins, the senior civil servant, who seems to be the senior hand on the wheel, is being battered every which way through October, November and early 2019 with tr Uranus conjunct his Sun and opposition his Pluto. But seems in better shape than the two above – golden pension pot to fall back on and a glittering City job, no doubt.

Philip May, who as chief PM support might give a clue, is looking totally crushed this November and December as is his lady wife and Raab. So either the whole thing is shot or they trail miserably on, praying for a miracle.

Her relationship with Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, who’s been fairly contemptuous, is mutually upsupportive at best and being kicked around like a football through this autumn and on till mid 2019.

Yanis Varoufakis was right in his advice not to negotiate at all with the EU – waste of time. Though it would undoubtedly have helped if the Brexiteers had understood let alone explained the complexities and costs of backing out of 40 years of agreements.

As to the nation chart, I’m none to wiser than I was the last time.

Tr Saturn is conjunct the UK and EU Sun 21^st to 28 December this year (and the Germany Sun just before), which certainly looks downbeat and could indicate a breakdown of talks.

On 29 March 2019 tr Saturn will oppose the UK 10^th house Moon exactly and conjunct the EU Sec Progressed Mars also exactly. So it could come to a hard split with the UK feeling isolated; and the EU irritable since they won’t get their money and various continental business including German will be tearing their hair at the disruption.

The EU certainly looks in financial meltdown with Solar Arc Pluto conjunct their 2^nd house Neptune, exact in 8 months’ time, though in effect beforehand.

On the UK chart as well on 29 March 2019 tr Uranus is square the Jupiter for a moment of relief – though whether that means freedom or a deal isn’t obvious. Solar Arc Pluto is within less than a degree of being conjunct the UK Ascendant (taking back control). Politicians are certainly massively unpopular with Solar Arc Moon exactly opposition the 11^th house Saturn (legislature and future plans). But there aren’t the catastrophic economic upheavals you might expect to see with the chaos of a hard Brexit until 2021. Though the Bank of England will be on disaster-watch.

It was always going to go down to the wire and over. But with Theresa May being intransigent and anyway stuck with an unsolvable Northern Ireland problem, it’s difficult to see where an agreement could come from.

 

    

 

Mike Pompeo was rocketed off to Saudi Arabia, no doubt in hopes of calming the firestorm over Khashoggi’s disappearance/murder. Although the Turkish authorities are fanning the flames with tales of recently repainted rooms in the Istanbul Saudi Embassy. Murmurs are that it will be blamed on hapless Saudi operatives overstepping the mark despite it being obvious they were sent across under orders.

Trump clearly has personal reasons for sweeping it under the carpet since he and Jared were so enamoured of the young Crown Prince; and will have an eye on the financial and economic costs of a major fall out.

But Pompeo’s relationship chart with both King Salman and Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), despite today’s smiles,  look to be hitting a sticky wicket in early this December. That’s a time he’s looking peculiarly frustrated on his own chart, with tr Pluto conjunct his Mars and tr Saturn conjunct his Sun; and having his enthusiasm dented in the final days before New Year.

If anything 2019 looks worse on Pompeo’s connections with the two Saudi leaders with major eruptions, at a time when his relationship chart with Trump is also ratcheting up problems. Though that has started already out of sight, and will escalate this December and January 2019, worsening as the year proceeds. It’s not as great a relationship as it appeared with a composite Venus Saturn opposition Mars which will be anger-provoking. Trump drops people into jobs and then expects them to toe his line and surprise, surprise, it doesn’t always turn out the way he wants.

    

 

Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft has died. His partner from school days and over the early breakthrough Bill Gates said: “I am heartbroken by the passing of one of my oldest and dearest friends… Personal computing would not have existed without him.” They didn’t always see eye to eye and Allen left over a share disagreement, but without the two of them you possibly wouldn’t be reading this now.

Allen, 21 January 1953, became a multi-billionaire from his Microsoft shares and pledged to give away half to philanthropic initiatives. But his fortune kept on growing and despite giving away hundreds of millions he was worth 20 billion USD when he died.

His Aquarius Sun fell in Gates’ 7^th house and sextile Gates’ Midheaven so good business partnership material, though his Sun was also opposition Gates’ Uranus and square Gates’ Scorpio Sun which would cause personality clashes.

Allen had Mercury in Capricorn opposition Uranus square Neptune (Saturn) in Libra so he would be inventive, visionary and keen on building a better society as well as musically inclined.  For all his multiple interests in charity, culture and commerce and active social life, he always sounded a lonely man.

His relationship chart with Gates had a determined and controlling composite Sun and Mars trine Pluto, so together they could move mountains but as ever with Plutonic ties, it fell to bits in some acrimony. There was also a composite Uranus opposition Venus square Neptune perhaps opposition Moon, which brings together the inspirational, ‘eureka-moment’ Uranus Neptune.

His leaving-a-legacy-for-history 17^th harmonic was strong, linking the revolutionary Uranus Pluto to the Sun and perhaps Moon.

    

 

Pippa and James Matthews’ baby arrived yesterday in London at 1.58pm, a very large boy at 8 pounds 9 oz, only two days after she attended the Royal wedding.

He has a thoughtful, well-read and much travelled 9^th house Libra Sun – might even turn out to be a lawyer; with an ultra-charming and intense Mercury Venus in Scorpio on his midheaven, which might send him off into the PR business. His Sun is in a controlled/controlling square to Pluto in his 1^st with Moon Saturn in Capricorn on his Ascendant – so he will come across as serious on first meeting, rather defensive. Making money will be important with Mars in Aquarius in his 2^nd house, for which he’ll have a talent with Jupiter in Scorpio.

His father’s Leo Sun and Pippa’s Venus Mars in Leo square his Jupiter and sextile his Sun which all looks indulgent and easy-going. Though there’ll be an intense bond with both parents since several of each’s planets fall in the baby’s 8^th.

The relationship chart with Pippa shows an affectionate composite Sun Venus though it is sextile a chained-together Saturn Pluto, so she may find a baby restricts her lifestyle more than she expected.

  

 

Canadian singer Michael Buble has announced he’s retiring from the music scene with one last album, having undergone a gruelling two years since his eldest son, now 5, was diagnosed with liver cancer. He said the experience has changed him and he wants out of celebrity narcissism.

Born 9 September 1975 8.30 pm (astrotheme) Burnaby, Canada, into a Canadian-Italian-Croatian family, with a fisherman father, he has a hard-working 6^th house Virgo Sun squaring onto a showbizzy Mars in Gemini opposition Neptune in the 8^th. His upbeat Aries Ascendant has doubly enthusiastic Jupiter close by square Saturn in Cancer on the cusp of his 5^th house of children (and performing) and trine Venus in Leo also in the 5th. He may at some point go into the organisational side of the entertainment business with Saturn there. Though he could also change his mind about not singing again.

He’s been in a very confusing phase since 2016 with tr Neptune moving in hard aspect to his natal Neptune, Mars, Sun through till late 2019. Though tr Pluto will start to square his Jupiter from spring 2019 for two years which will start to rebuild his confidence and joie de vivre. And with tr Saturn crossing his midheaven and moving through his upper quadrant for the next seven years he’s likely to be working hard at something.

 

    

 

Saudi Arabia is facing a full-scale crisis after the disappearance of exiled journalist Jamal Khashoggi, reportedly murdered in the Saudi Embassy in Istanbul with the Turks saying they have recordings of his death. There is mounting pressure on western governments to impose financial sanctions; and they as well as business leaders are pulling out of an investment conference in Riyadh later this month.

Like most autocratic countries Saudi has a history of ‘disappearing’ dissidents though it appears to have worsened in recent times; with the reckless young Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), in charge of everything, wreaking havoc in the Yemen and stamping on critics, even within the Royal Family. Khashoggi didn’t seem to be an outright revolutionary calling for the overthrow of the regime; he was pro-MbS’s reforms but questioned other policies.

MbS recently commented favourably on Putin and his methods. Both have accentuated Jupiter square Pluto in their charts – law-unto-themselves, dogmatic, wilful. If anything MbS is even more controlling than Putin. There is a tendency with Jupiter Pluto to push too far out of over-confidence and trip up.

The Saudi Arabia 15 January 1902 3.45 am Riyadh chart started a five year radical transformation in 2017, coinciding with MbS’s Vision 2030 initiative to modernise the country. In 2017/2018 there is a heavy-slog, discouraging tr Pluto conjunct the Saturn; moving across the Sun/Saturn and Jupiter/Saturn midpoints in 2019/2020 which suggest hitches, glitches and losses; with tr Saturn adding another layer of problems as well; before tr Pluto conjuncts the Sun Jupiter in 2020/2021 which should restore confidence. But it will be an uphill battle with many reverses before then and tr Pluto conjunct the Sun is never easy. In addition tr Neptune is starting to square the Saudi Pluto opposition Uranus in 2019/2020 to early 2021, which will be disempowering, confusing and very nervy.

The Saudi Arabia 23 September 1932 chart is in high-insecurity mode right now with tr Uranus square the Mars; and moving through a punishing set of changes from 2019 till late 2023 with tr Pluto moving in hard aspect to the Pluto opposition Saturn square Uranus – 2019/2020 look most obviously revolutionary-prone with tr Pluto square the Uranus.  And a considerable setback maybe now and into early 2019 with Solar Arc Mars square the Saturn. Again there will be some lift in 2020/21 from tr Uranus trine the Jupiter.

Trump has been slow to issue a condemnation but many western countries are in the same boat, having multi-billion dollar arms deals with Saudi which they’re reluctant to put at risk. Turkey has never been a friend and that relationship is sagging badly this year and dissolving into more confusion over 2020. The EU are issuing stern words of warning next month and increasing the distance between them in 2019.  The UK is likewise pulling back later this year, more so next; with major tensions erupting after mid 2019.

Even the USA, more locked into Saudi – astrologically and for commercial and political reasons – is starting to lose the love. There’ll be a similar chill through 2019, preceded by some sharp words this December/January 2019.

King Salman’s reign, 23 January 2015 1am, is uncertain and panicky this year, jolted early in 2019 and running into a major setback late next year. He’s not in the best of health and is nearly 83.

MbS was elevated to Crown Prince over his more moderate, experienced relative, on 21 June 2017 announced 6.19am or thereabouts in Riyadh. This gives a ruthless Mars in Cancer opposition Pluto square an over-the-top Jupiter. Plus an inspirational, entrepreneurial Fire Grand Trine of Saturn trine Uranus trine Node, formed into a Kite by Saturn opposition Sun Mercury – so a powerful chart for reform with a brutal streak and in-built risks of self-defeat from grandiosity and lack of caution.

There’s an oddly karmic (fated) feel about this situation – and indeed the Skripal poisoning. There have been political assassinations in the recent past but none of them have rung such a bell as these two. And both collide with Trump’s glorification of strong-men leaders and indeed his demonization of the media. There’s a kickback from the universe in here somewhere.

    

 

Kanye West managed to upstage Trump in an extraordinary Oval Office meeting where he let fly with wild statements in all directions and was roundly criticised for his over-the-top adulation of the president.

West is in an overly excitable phase at the moment with tr Uranus conjunct his Mars Venus in Taurus, until early 2019, which will send him up like a rocket, bubbling over with enthusiasm. Though that’s running alongside an extended run of undermining Neptune hard aspects to his Mutable T Square of Sun Jupiter in Gemini opposition Neptune in Sagittarius square a Pisces Moon. Too much Mutable can be destabilising and tends to go off like a windmill in a storm.

His Fixed T Square will continue to be jolted and jangled into the early 2020s as tr Uranus opposes his Uranus and then squares his wannabe-important Saturn in Leo.

West’s Mercury in Taurus is conjunct Trump’s midheaven and West’s Sun Jupiter falls in Trump’s 10^th so it’s a mutual admiration society. Though it’s not a bro-romance that would survive close contact for too long. Their relationship chart does have a friendly Sun Venus conjunction; an intense Venus square Pluto; and an upbeat Sun sextile Jupiter. But there’s also a volatile Mars sextile Uranus; and a suspicious/doubting Saturn square Neptune perhaps tied into the Moon.

West’s birth time is unverified, but if 8 June 1977 8.45 am Atlanta, Georgia is sound then he has Pluto in the 4^th. That might attract him to powerful men; and his Saturn in Leo is desperate to be connected to the greatest etc etc. He’s clearly not stable.  I always thought it was significant that Tony Blair who also has Pluto in the 4^th wrecked his career because of his Iraq alliance with GW Bush – he had to be seen playing with the big boys.