A right Royal scandal is blowing up over the £2 million security costs for Princess Eugenie’s overly ostentatious wedding on October 12^th, at Harry and Meghan’s venue, in Windsor chapel. There will be Royals galore attending plus handfuls of A-list celebs. According to the Daily Mail (where else) it was Prince Andrew’s insistence that she had as big a splash. Though since she’s 9^th in line to the throne and not involved in public duties, it’s hardly comparable.   She’s marrying Jack Brooksbank, a tequila brand ambassador for George Clooney’s favourite tipple.

The wedding day chart looks tense with a Sun square Pluto; and fairly explosive with Uranus opposition Mercury Venus square North Node opposition Mars in place.

Born 23 March 1990 6.58 pm London, she has a T square of Uranus opposition Jupiter square Sun Mercury in Aries – adventurous, lucky, fairly ego-centric. She has a party-loving and showy 5^th house Venus Moon in Aquarius square a compulsive-spender Pluto in the 2^nd connected to her possessive mother; with a troubled home-life and experience of her father with Neptune Saturn in Capricorn as well as Mars in her 4^th.

She looks fraught at the moment with tr Pluto conjunct her Sun/Neptune midpoint, which tends to bring depression, returning in November. Running into the wedding, as to be expected, and on the day itself she has tr Uranus square her Mars/Saturn midpoint which is extreme nervous tension with hints of physical stress or accidents. And a lucky, relieved tr Uranus sextile her Jupiter. Her Solar Arc Saturn is conjunct her Moon in 7 months’ time and tr Pluto will be in a tough-slog conjunction to her Saturn in 2019/2020 which may be family/mother worries – so not much of a honeymoon period.

Her relationship chart with Jack, 3 May 1986, does have an overly expansive Jupiter opposition Pluto, which does suggest a touch too much push for attention and not enough humility. It’s fairly argumentative and will be pressured for the next few years or so with tr Pluto square the composite Sun and then conjunct Mars in the early 2020s.

When Zara Tindall, Princess Anne’s daughter was married, she had a quiet do in Scotland. Prince Andrew has filled his daughters’ heads with his self-importance.  Eugenie and Beatrice recently did a Vogue interview about how difficult it was to be a princess and lead a normal working life, which was not well received in the comment-sphere.  Their constant holidaying, paparazzi-drenched social life and frequent absences from their supposed day jobs doesn’t suggest they understand what working discipline means.

Mark Chapman, John Lennon’s killer, is up again for parole next week, as he has been every two years for the past decade after he had served 20 years of his sentence. He’s been turned down every time.

Born 15 May 1955 7.30pm Fort Worth, Texas to a military and, he claims, abusive father, he had imaginary friends in childhood, took drugs, became a born-again Presbyterian, was treated for clinical depression and was reading Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, a novel about teenage angst and alienation, as he sat on a step after he shot Lennon waiting to be arrested. He was deemed psychotic but refused an insanity defence and plead guilty.

He has a startling chart. With a heavily aspected Pluto in Leo in the opinionated 9^th – on the focal point of a bleak T square to Saturn in Scorpio opposition a Taurus Sun; and also on the focal point a mini-Grand Trine of Neptune trine Mars in the 8^th sextile Pluto. Very controlling and obsessive. Plus Mars in the 8^th has a volcano of buried anger. He also has Venus in Aries in his performing 5^th opposition Neptune square Jupiter Uranus in Cancer – adventurous, fanatical, head-in-the-clouds, emotionally erratic.

His Capricorn Moon is unaspected which Bil Tierney describes as: ‘the most personally traumatic’ of any unaspected planet, ‘markedly unstabilizing or uncommonly vulnerable.‘

Plus a Yod of Venus sextile Mars inconjunct Saturn in Scorpio which has heavy karmic overtones and is tricky to handle well.

By 2019 tr Pluto will have moved a quarter cycle since he shot Lennon on 8 December 1980. Then it was approaching the square to his Uranus Jupiter. At the moment he has his Solar Arc Pluto square his Uranus Jupiter and tr Pluto will be in opposition by 2020/21.  He does have tr Pluto trine his Sun now which is generally positive; with tr Uranus heading to trine his midheaven and oppose his Solar Arc midheaven from mid September this year.

That all looks like a fair amount of change though his life outside if he ever gets there will be a considerable challenge because of irate fans and intrusive media, never mind having become institutionalized after 4 decades inside. Tr Saturn will return to conjunct his Moon in the autumn; and by 2020 he has his Solar Arc Pluto conjunct his Neptune which will bring considerable confusion.

The Paul Manafort trial on charges of filing false tax returns, four counts of failing to disclose his offshore bank accounts, and nine counts of bank fraud is now into its second day of jury deliberations. The jury has requested more advice on what amounts to reasonable doubt suggesting they are divided about whether the prosecution has met the burden of proof.

The U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III has come under criticism for ‘unusual’ behaviour, intervening regularly, and mainly against the prosecution in the presence of the jury and on matters of substance, not courtroom conduct. The WPost says: ‘He disparaged the prosecution’s evidence, misstated its legal theories, even implied that prosecutors had disobeyed his orders when they had not.’

If Manafort is found not guilty there is no recourse to appeal, even if the judge is held to have violated impartiality and fairness since double jeopardy applies.

There’s nothing overly informative on Manafort’s chart 1 April 1949 (without a birthtime) apart from a discouraging tr Saturn square his Venus, Mars, Sun in Aries through late autumn when he faces a second trial. Though on second thoughts his Solar Arc Mars is catching the tr Neptune square now which is usually downbeat. Plus tr Pluto is opposition his Neptune/Node which can be devastation and confusion, plus tr Neptune is square his Mercury/Saturn also now which is depressed.  So not exactly delirious with relief. If found guilty he faces a long prison sentence (if not pardoned).

The judge TS Ellis 111 15 May 1940 is a stalwart and stubborn Sun Uranus in Taurus trine Neptune; with his Sun exactly conjunct Trump’s midheaven. He certainly dislikes Mueller with their relationship chart having a hostile Mars Pluto Venus sextile Saturn Uranus; and it looks at a low ebb over the result. Though these charges are not specifically related to the Russia collusion investigation.

Ellis’s relationship chart with Trump isn’t exactly warm with a composite Sun Saturn and is under pressure at the moment. But it isn’t anyways near as bad as with Mueller.

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Predictions of a financial crash in China are, according to Forbes, a fantasy, at least for the time being. Economic commentators do appear to be worse gloom-merchants than astrologers. Catastrophe lurks round every corner.

On the China chart there will be wobbles of financial uncertainty until tr Neptune clears the opposition to the 8^th house Saturn this New Year; with more blips from tr Saturn square the 8^th house Neptune through 2019 as well. But neither of those is earth-shattering. The imponderable is tr Pluto Saturn conjunct the 12^th house Jupiter in 2019/2020. Tr Pluto should provide a boost, while Saturn does the opposite. So it may be stop-start or more likely a global Saturn Pluto recession will bite to some degree but it will be short lived. Especially with a Jupiter Return in 2020 and then tr Jupiter moving across the Ascendant a year later, along with Saturn.

The Bank of China chart, 1 December 1948 is showing a few belt-tightening moments this autumn and a few hiccups in 2019 but again nothing off the Richter-scale.

Xi Jinping’s Term chart 24 October 2017 12.30pm is having a bumpy ride ahead but is generally a lucky chart with an inspirational Fire Grand Trine of North Node trine Saturn Moon trine Uranus, formed into a Kite by Uranus opposition Sun and Jupiter, the latter two planets conjunct the midheaven from the 9^th. 2020 does look troubled with tr Neptune square the Moon for an unhappy populace; and 2021/22 has an unstable tr Pluto square the Term Uranus.

In many ways China looks in better shape ahead than the USA or the EU.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/yuwahedrickwong/2018/08/15/the-myths-about-chinas-economic-slowdown/#4da301d55d55

The economic panic button has moved off Turkey onto Italy with Claudio Borghi, the chairman of Italy’s budget committee, sounding doom over the European Central Bank’s intention to cease to be the lender-of-last resort by the end of this year.  He said, “The whole situation is unsustainable without an ECB guarantee, and the eurozone will collapse.”

Any rescue thereafter would require the backing of the EU bail-out fund (ESM), under draconian terms, subject to a vote in the Bundestag, which would not be acceptable to the new coalition in Rome. At which point they could activate their idea of a parallel currency to subvert monetary union from within. Any move by the ECB to extend bond purchases into next year would cause a political ruckus in Germany. Rock and a hard place which will push Brexit down the worry-list this autumn.

Italy isn’t like Greece or Portugal. It still has the EU’s second biggest manufacturing industry and a current account surplus and is a net contributor to Brussels. But it has had two lost decades since EU currencies were fixed. Prior to that it had a trade surplus with Germany. Ejecting Italy from the monetary union would be a disaster so won’t happen, with a chain-reaction of defaults, bringing down the European banking system with Germany losing around €2 trillion.

Matteo Salvini, strongman and Deputy PM of the government, is vehemently against what he describes as the ECB cage within which he says self-government is impossible – “the euro is a crime against humanity”.

It (or similar) certainly fits an astro-scenario on the EU chart with the Solar Arc Pluto conjunct the 2^nd house Neptune, exact in around 9 months’ time. This could accompany widespread devastation. Followed in 14 months’ time, late in 2019, with the Solar Arc MC conjunct the 12^th house EU Pluto which could suggest a variety of outcomes – from dirty tricks behind the scenes, to a dead-halt, to a bitter power struggle over future direction. By 2020 tr Neptune will square the EU Saturn for two years of panicky confusion and uncertainty.

The ECB 1 January 1999 12am chart is deeply aggravated this September and October; and looking flummoxed, directionless and sinking in a mire of confusion and disappointment with the Solar Arc Sun conjunct its Neptune in a year’s time.

The EU, ECB, Germany and UK have the tr Saturn opposition their respective Capricorn Suns this December for a sobering reality-check.

Both the Italy 17 March 1861 and the Republic 10 June 1946 in relationship to both the EU and Germany appear poles apart, tense, irritated through 2018/19. And the Italy 1861/Germany chart is especially at loggerheads in 2020/21 with tr Pluto opposition the composite Mars. No quick ‘n easy answers.

The child abuse horrors just keep rolling in for Pope Francis and the Vatican, despite his resolute words at the start of his papacy. There’s a damning report from Pennsylvania about sexual abuse by priests, collusion, cover up and intimidation to silence victims; a police raid on episcopal offices in Chile; a conviction in Australia and a major court case against a Cardinal archbishop due in France next year again on cover-up charges.

The post below was December 19 2017 and pretty much covers it. The Solar Arc Pluto square his Papacy Moon is almost exactly now.

December 19 2017 post:

Pope Francis, now 81, is approaching a fraught time in his papacy. On his election chart, 13 March 2013 7.05pm Rome, tr Saturn is about to square the Mars in early January for one setback and then square the 7^th house divisive Uranus on and off throughout 2018. With the Solar Arc Pluto squaring the 7^th house Moon, exact in 8 months’ time, which might suggest high emotional tensions.

Many of his much-vaunted reforms within the Vatican – financial, bureaucratic and the child abuse inquiry – have stalled, because of the resistance of conservatives who appear to be waging a bitter war against him. He is much loved outside amongst his 1 billion followers for his humility and vilified within, some believing he is veering towards heresy with his views on marriage for the divorced etc.

His personal chart, 17 December 1936 9pm Buenos Aires, shows him up against huge obstacles and hostility in 2017/18 with tr Pluto square his Mars; tr Uranus has also been rocking him on his axis in square to his Pluto in 2017 continuing through 2018. With an even sharper change of direction come mid May 2018 onwards into 2019 as tr Uranus is conjunct his midheaven, moving on to make a Uranus Return in 2019. I wouldn’t be remotely surprised if he followed Benedict’s path and resigned at some point.  He looks disheartened by all the arguments and lack of support.

He was always going to be a difficult fit with the Vatican, 7 June 1920 11am, since his hope-for-a-better-society Saturn opposition Neptune squares onto the Vatican New Moon in Gemini; and the Vatican’s rigid and self-righteous Saturn in Sagittarius is conjunct his Sun. The Vatican chart itself looks demoralised at the moment and more so in 2018/2019 as tr Neptune squares the Moon and then Sun.

Add on: The Vatican chart has Moon, Sun, Mercury in Gemini catching the tr Neptune squares right through till early 2021 which will be debilitating and lower morale as well as probably leading to weasel words of apology that don’t mean much. It’ll regain confidence in 2024/25 presumably under the next Pope.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/15/pennsylvania-sexual-abuse-report-another-setback-pope-francis

The slagging match between Trump and Omarosa Manigault has reached a new low with him referring to her as a ‘dog’ and a ‘crazed low life’ on a tweet. She claims there is a tape of him using the N-word; and her book Trump Unhinged has evoked a robust defence from the White House describing it as ‘riddled with lies.’

Born 5 February 1974 10.54pm Youngstown, Ohio, she’s had a gothic life with her father murdered when she was 7; her brother murdered seven years ago and her boyfriend dying of a heart attack when he was 55. She worked with the Clinton Administration and Al Gore and was described by staff as ‘disruptive’ and ‘the worst hire we ever made.’ She then became ‘the woman America loved to hate’ on The Apprentice for ‘her controversial, blindsiding, alienating, dog-eat-dog, in-your-face and acrimonious tactics’ (wiki). She continued on various reality shows and eventually threw her lot in with Trump’s campaign.

She has an attention-grabbing 5^th house Sun Jupiter in Aquarius in an Air Grand Trine to Uranus trine Saturn, so quick witted, emotionally detached. Where her awkward-squad attitude stems from is probably her 8^th house Mars in formidably determined Taurus square Jupiter and Sun. Not a lady who does things by halves and certainly a volcanic temper when it gets triggered. With slippery Neptune in her communication 3^rd.

Her Saturn is conjunct Trump’s Sun and opposition his Moon, so there would be barriers, with him feeling belittled. Her Sun opposes his Pluto and her Jupiter opposes his Mars, which is a mix of negative and positive as he controlled her and both would egg each other on into impetuous actions – OK for reality TV, less so for the White House.

Their relationship chart has a confident, adventurous composite Sun Venus trine Jupiter trine Uranus. Where it comes apart at the seams is a hard-edged, cruel Saturn Mars square Moon which is aggravated, angry, resentful – and all the rest followed. Plus an evasive, distrustful Mercury opposition Neptune which also picks up the unfair Mars Saturn.   Clearly under pressure this year with tr Saturn in hard aspect to the Moon and Mars Saturn into early 2019, their relationship won’t improve in 2019/2020 with tr Uranus conjunct the composite Mercury for more outbursts and opposition the Neptune.

She doesn’t look in good spirits ahead with setbacks and swamps till early 2019 and a really tough, discouraging slog thereafter for a couple of years.

Princess Anne, the hardest working of the Royals although only 13^th in the line of succession, is 68 today. She’s managed to keep her head down and keep herself and her children largely away from the spotlight. On her second marriage to Vice-Admiral Tim Laurence, she has four granddaughters.

Born 15 August 1950 at 11.50 am London, she has a determined and ambitious 10^th house Sun Pluto in Leo, so will be controlling, influential, designed for a life of public service being 10^th house. She also has a hard-working, overly-conscientious, rather gloomy Moon, Mercury, Saturn in Virgo. Happily she has Jupiter in her 5^th house which rules children and sport, both of which give her great pleasure, having moved from her earlier equestrian activities at Olympic level to sailing.

Her Jupiter is in an emotionally self-protective and healing-for-others Water Grand Trine to Uranus in the far-travelled 9^th trine Mars in doubly-determined Scorpio. She’s been President of Save the Children since 1970.

She’s looking a touch undermined and discouraged over the next three years with tr Neptune opposition her Moon, Mercury and Saturn – which may be connected to both her parents being in their 90s.

She is moving into a time of change with tr Uranus opposition her 1^st house Mars this year and next, then moving to square her midheaven in 2019. She has a cool, slightly fractious relationship with Prince Charles, which may make the final handover a considerable challenge for her. She’s always been close to her father and is her mother’s rock when needed, as at the time of the palace break in. Although her Solar Arc Pluto conjunct her Ascendant within eight months may see her digging in her heels for more say over her role.

Pic: Chatham House.

Jeremy Corbyn has been on the receiving end of a string of media attacks for anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, his support over the years for terrorist leaders, and outraged headlines over his supposed commemoration of a Palestinian Black September leader (hotly denied).

Whatever the absolute truth or otherwise of the accusations, he’s making a hotch of defending himself. He’s always been an odd figure as a contrarian MP since 1983, disregarding the party whip and going his own way for three decades plus before getting catapulted into the leadership almost by mistake.

Born 26 May 1949 in Chippenham to peace-campaigning parents, he didn’t flourish at school and worked in trade unions before getting elected to Westminster. He’s a Sun Gemini with Venus Mercury and Uranus also in Gemini and an Air Grand Trine to Neptune trine Jupiter in Aquarius. A predominantly Mutable chart will make him scattered; and an Air Grand Trine is emotionally detached, a thinker and talker rather than a do-er, and can often be found in the charts of ideologues.

What gives him grit, never-say-die determination and probably attracts him to violent personalities is his Mars (Moon) in Taurus square Pluto and widely square Saturn in wannabe-important Leo. That will also be why he refuses to back down when faced with criticism.

He’s also got a Yod of Saturn sextile Uranus (both last anaretic degree) inconjunct Jupiter. Individuals with anaretic degree planets (Theresa May is another) have issues with decision-making. They dither around endlessly and then jump blindly into action without thinking which tends to end up in poor choices or overcompensation. An apex Yod Jupiter can have an impact on society, but tends to be disorganized and can bring an over developed sense of self-importance which can be a real weakness. Yods also bring a fated change of direction which allows the energy to flourish.

At the moment he’s got his Solar Arc Uranus square his Sun for a mighty upset; plus tr Neptune square his Mercury and Venus leading to poor communications and unpopularity through 2018/19.  Exactly now and all this month tr Pluto is trine his Mars for frustrating confrontations that leave him aggravated and trapped. That influence repeats later in the year.

His leadership chart, 24 September 2016 12.51 pm London, passed its peak earlier this year with Solar Arc Sun conjunct Jupiter, which is now waning. Where it runs into real trouble is from the end of March 2019 when tr Pluto starts to square the Term Uranus, on and off till late 2020, which is often a topple-off-the-perch time. Before then tr Neptune opposes the Mercury, now and on and off into 2019 which is mis-communication and muddled messages. There’s also a collision-shock of Solar Arc Mars square Sun, exact in 2020. Plus tr Uranus opposition the Venus in September and again early 2019, which suggests a popularity upset.

The leadership chart does have an emphasised Saturn in Sagittarius square Neptune opposition a Virgo North Node which suggests a prickliness about criticism and a strongly self-righteous streak.