Thomas Harris, the novelist best known for Hannibal Lecter is publishing a new book next year to much excitement, his first for over a decade.

A notoriously private man, not much is known about his life. He was born 22 September 1940, became a journalist covering the police beat and produced his first novel Black Sunday in his mid 30s which was only a moderate success. He wrote Red Dragon six years later which introduced Hannibal Lecter but it was the sequel, Silence of the Lambs, in 1988 which shot him to prominence. According to wiki he talked to his mother every day and discussed his books with her. He’s been married twice; and is a Cordon Bleu cook.

He’s probably a last degree Virgo Sun (unless born at ten to midnight) with his Sun conjunct Neptune and Mars in Virgo and all trine Uranus in Taurus. Neptune Mars attracts him to publicity and films; Uranus Neptune is inspired; Virgo is a writer’s sign; and can be reclusive. It’s a very earthy chart with a Jupiter Saturn conjunction also in Taurus which trines his Mars.  And he has a Gemini Moon.

There’s nothing especially brutal about his chart, though his creative 5^th and 7^th Harmonics join Saturn into a harder aspect to Mars, which has overtones of cruelty. That plus an overdose of Earth in his natal chart will incline him towards the flesh and baser reality. His writer’s 21^st Harmonic links the Sun to a Neptune Pluto conjunction which points to great success.

Next year sees his Solar Arc Jupiter move to conjunct his Pluto which should bring a boost to his finances and status; though it’s quickly followed by Solar Arc Saturn conjunct Pluto – so an exuberant high and then a more sombre mood.

Please add below. Older posts under News on top bar.

    

 

Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in to the Supreme Court around 7pm last night 6 October. This puts a controlling/dominating Pluto in the 10^th square the Libra Sun and trine a Virgo Moon – all of which makes sense of a confirmation rammed through with maximum force. There’s also an exact disappointed-woman Neptune opposition the Moon. Both the Moon and Neptune are in aspect to the Mars/Pluto midpoint – which Ebertin describes as ‘injury caused to a woman’ as well as ‘cunning and deceitful.’

For a man who’s got what he wanted he doesn’t look too exuberant from transits to his midpoints with a couple of tr Saturn downers in November; a disputatious and loss-making December/January 2019; and a continuing run of Neptune transits to midpoints, some of them damaging, right through from now till early 2020. Plus tr Pluto is aiming to undercut his best laid plans from April 2019, on and off till late 2020, to which he’ll respond with displays of confidence, but he won’t be happy. It’s unlikely he’ll be impeached though there are moves afoot to query certain of his confirmation hearing claims.

His relationship with SCOTUS itself looks uncertain, clouded in suspicion from late this month till late December.

And his relationship chart with the USA is ploughing through murky waters from early 2019 through till late 2020 with tr Pluto square the composite Venus and Neptune as well, which also tugs on the disruptive composite Uranus right through into the early 2020s. Plus a destabilising tr Uranus conjunct the composite Sun Mercury in 2019 and square Mars in 2020.

Not a popular appointment and the story may have a ways to run yet.

    

 

Lurid tales of torture, murder and dismemberment are emerging from Turkish officials about the fate of missing Washington Post writer Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS). He disappeared, last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday. Analysts say it is inconceivable that such a claim would have been made without firm grounds.

Born 13 October 1958 in Medina, Khashoggi has a Libra Sun under pressure from the tr Pluto square this year. More pointedly he has a Mars in Gemini square Pluto which has moved by Solar Arc to collide with his Neptune which is a nasty mix and would be expected to accompany very unpleasant experiences.

His relationship chart with MBS has a power-struggling composite Sun Pluto with tr Saturn exactly square the Pluto at the moment. And that Pluto is opposition Mars, so it is a bitterly hostile relationship.

MBS who was initially seen as a hope for constructive reform in Saudi Arabia has damaged that reputation with the humanitarian crisis in Yemen caused by his reckless military action; and his suppression of dissidents and activists.

MBS’s bro-romance with Trump and more so Jared Kushner look to be hitting a wobbly patch. With Trump from as early as mid this month with tr Uranus square the composite Sun and then Venus, with a Neptunian disappointment towards the New Year and running into early 2019. With Kushner, the bumps are occurring at the moment and more so in December/January 2019 and beyond with tr Uranus opposition the composite Saturn and square the composite Pluto.

MBS’s own chart is moving through a bumpy phase with a nervy, highly-strung tr Neptune square his Uranus until late this December; and into early 2019 he’s picking up the tr Uranus opposition his Pluto and squaring his Venus – which looks like upheavals, disruptions and emotional shocks. But his Pluto does square Jupiter natally so he’s lucky and not short of bullish self-confidence.

    

 

The irrepressible Tina Turner has written her autobiography called My Love Story from her earliest cotton-picking days in Nutbush, Tennessee through her rise to fame alongside Ike Turner, who beat her up for 20 years. It finishes with her finding her soulmate, getting cancer and nearly dying from kidney failure until her husband gave her one of his in 2017.

She has sold more than 200 million records and more concert tickets than any other solo performer.

She was born 26 November 1939 10.10 pm Nutbush, TN and had a fractured childhood, being separated from her sibling and farmed out to grandparents and then her mother left suddenly because of her husband’s abuse of her.

Tina has a 4^th house Sun Mercury in Sagittarius opposition a 10^th house Gemini Moon square a 7^th house Mars in Pisces – a focal point Mutable Mars is a hint of why she has such an energetic, high-wire stage presence and act.  Her lucky 8^th house Jupiter opposes Neptune squaring onto Venus in Sagittarius in her performing 5^th house giving her a vibrant charm and a head-in-the-clouds streak that would see her through the bad days. Her Sun trines a 12^th house Pluto and her Jupiter making for a confident, talented, though hidden Fire/Water Grand Trine, focussed onto musical Neptune. She also has the generational creative Neptune trine a 10^th house maverick Uranus; with her Uranus also sextile Jupiter.

Her forced-to-be-self-reliant Saturn in Aries is in the 9^th, a pointer to her religious grandparents and her later Buddhist beliefs.

Tina is inner wheel; Erwin outer.

Erwin Bach, her present German husband, an EMI executive, who has been by her side for over 30 years was born 24 January 1956, and is a Sun Aquarius opposition Uranus square Neptune in Scorpio so more fixed and steadier than she is. He shares a Gemini Moon with Tina and his Venus is conjunct her 7^th house Mars softening her previous tendencies to aim for overly-assertive/angry partners. It won’t be the easiest of relationships since his Mars Saturn is conjunct her Sun Mercury and opposition her Moon.

But their relationship chart is extraordinarily strong with a composite Air Grand Trine of Jupiter (Moon) trine Saturn trine Neptune, formed into a Kite by a tied-together Saturn opposition Pluto.

Whereas her relationship chart with Ike Turner had a brutal, dominating composite Mars opposition Pluto (Moon).

Her recent run of serious illness was when her Progressed Mars was conjunct her Saturn.

She’ll be an unbelievable 80 next year and here’s hoping that she keeps on flowing.

    

 

Heidi Heitkamp, a Junior Senator from the pro-Trump state of North Dakota is described as a centrist Democrat, though she’s voted often for Trump policies, is pro-NRA and pro-bank deregulation. She was formerly an Attorney General and Tax Commissioner.

She’ll have a problem whichever she votes on the Kavanaugh confirmation. She’s one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the midterms and risks alienating conservative voters if she goes against Kavanaugh’s confirmation; and voting for him would bring a backlash among her core supporters.

Born 30 October 1955 in Breckenridge, Minnesota, she arrived two days after Bill Gates, so has that formidably strong and confident Jupiter Pluto in Leo square Venus Saturn in Scorpio. Her Scorpio Sun is square Uranus so she’s a maverick and will go her own way.

Kavanaugh’s Neptune square Aquarius Sun is at odds with her Saturn Venus and Jupiter Pluto – so she’ll find him slippery, less than rigorous in his approach. His head-in-the-clouds, overly-confident and indulgent Jupiter in Taurus opposition Neptune will also jar with her more conscientious Saturn in Scorpio.

[Her chart on inner wheel; Kavanaugh’s on outer. I’m still struggling with Janus 5 update and haven’t had time to sort out the settings.]

 

Their relationship chart is good and bad – with a friendly composite Sun Venus in a needs-space trine to Uranus; and a very wobbly, blow-hot blow-cold Saturn opposition Jupiter in a wide square to Mars. That focal point composite Mars is getting the tr Saturn square exactly now till mid month which does look aggravated, irritable and blocked.

She does look alarmed and under pressure at the moment with her Mars/Saturn midpoint getting the tr Uranus opposition so she’ll know she’s stuck between a rock and a hard place.  And she certainly doesn’t look on a winning streak over the midterms with tr Pluto square her Mars/Neptune which is generally a no-no for elections.  December/January 2019 look edgy and discouraged with frustrations through 2019/2020; but also a resurgence of her confidence at the same time.

She might just vote against him and take the consequences.

    

 

Warnings of a possible financial meltdown in the world economy are mounting with the IMF being the latest to raise alerts that all the reforms needed to protect the system have not been put in place. Global debt levels are well above those pre-the 2008 crash. They pointed to the growth of global banks such as JP Morgan and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China which are now of a size that is too-big-to-fail and beyond anything around in 2008.

See previous post: Pluto in Capricorn – lessons not learnt. September 22 2018.

Last night’s BBC documentary on RBS: ‘The Bank That Nearly Broke Britain’ was timely. When the RBS management’s overwheening arrogance and cavalier disregard of caution sent the bank (the largest in the world at that point) into near bankruptcy in 2008, the Treasury had to step in with taxpayers’ money to save the country.

RBS, 31 May 1727 JC, at that point, had their autocratic Saturn square Uranus moved by Solar Arc to collide with their natal Mars in stubborn, acquisitive Taurus; with tr Neptune in a panicky-failure square to Mars as well. The economically-unstable tr Saturn opposition tr Uranus was also square the RBS Gemini Sun. So even their formidably resistant Mars in Taurus buckled.

The Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, 1 January 1984, has its Mars at 24 degrees Libra under exceptionally heavy pressure from the Saturn Pluto conjunction in square in 2020/2021. With bumps, glitches and disasters this December/January 2019 from tr Uranus opposition Mars/Pluto midpoint and the catastrophic tr Uranus opposition the Mars/Saturn midpoint from late May 2019 onwards for a year.

There are two charts for JP Morgan – 17 April 1837 and 31 December 2000.  The earlier chart has a panicky-failure Solar Arc Mars conjunct Neptune in 2019 and major-setback Solar Arc Saturn square Mars in 2020. The later chart has tr Uranus opposition its Mars from late May 2019 on and off till 2020; plus a grind-to-a-halt with ferociously-difficult-conditions Solar Arc Saturn opposition Pluto late 2019; and a major-setback Solar Arc Mars opposition Saturn in 2020, along with a tough-slog tr Pluto trine Saturn in 2020/2021.

2021/2022 has the economically unstable tr Saturn square tr Uranus in place. So the economic scrunch is likely to be a long drawn out affair after the Saturn Pluto conjunction has moved on in 2020 – right up to the final days of Pluto in Capricorn in 2023/24.

  

 

Lindsay Lohan appears to be in trouble again after posting a video of herself trying to remove children from homeless people whom she said were ‘traffickers’ which ended up in a punch up. Her life has been a catalogue of successes and mishaps since she moved from child star to teen idol to an adult multi-tasker in singing, acting, fashion designing and business ventures plus visits to rehab and brushes with the law.

Born 2 July 1986 New York with an unverified time of 4am, she’s a Sun Cancer opposition Neptune and trine Pluto – such Sun Neptune Pluto aspects are often seen amongst those who reach starry heights and/or notoriety. She has lucky Jupiter in Pisces in her 10^th (on this birth time) on the focal point of a Taurus Moon trine Mars in Capricorn on the cusp of the 8^th, which might make sense of her erratic moods and inability to handle drink. Alcohol doesn’t mix with Moon Mars.

And a Yod of Jupiter sextile Mars inconjunct Venus in flamboyant Leo, which will make her feel awkward and out of place on social occasions.  Her Mercury in Leo is square Pluto, trine Saturn and inconjunct Neptune, all of which will add to mental stress.

She has a strong actress’s 15^th Harmonic; and very marked though stressed creative 5^th and 7^th harmonics.

This year she’s had tr Pluto conjunct her Mars which is heavy-duty, depressing and enraging, with another exact hit this November to mid December. Plus a Solar Arc Saturn conjunct Neptune which will have increased her neurosis; alongside a discouraging Solar Arc Pluto conjunct her Saturn. With tr Saturn making another hard aspect to her Sun opposition Neptune before the New Year – so not her easiest time.

    

 

Chuck Grassley and Lindsey Graham are leading Republicans pushing hard for Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court.

Grassley, 17 September 1933, Iowa is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee with a reputation as curmudgeonly. Graham, 9 July 1955 SC, put himself forward as a presidential candidate in 2015, dropped out, supported Jeb Bush, then Ted Cruz and has finally flipped to be a strong Trump supporter; he found Christine Ford’s testimony ‘unconvincing.’

Graham has a Cancer Sun trine Saturn in Scorpio; with a volatile Uranus Mars also in Cancer in a can-be-fanatical and publicity-seeking square to Neptune. His Neptune is in a Half Grand Sextile trine Mercury in Gemini, sextiling onto Pluto –  and North Node trine Pluto, sextile Neptune – ambitious, persuasive, also elusive/evasive.

Grassley is a Sun Virgo sextile Pluto and inconjunct Uranus; with his irascible streak coming from a vengeful Mars in Scorpio square Saturn in Aquarius. Mis Mercury in Virgo is on the focal point of a Yod to Uranus sextile an Aquarius North Node – which will make him intelligent, a communicator but also scattered.

Both of them have shocking or stuck Solar Arcs in 2019 though Grassley is knocking on age-wise so it may not all be political setbacks. Both look to be facing a reality check around mid this November.

There are no birth times so timing could be marginally out.

As far as Kavanaugh is concerned there’s a stuck patch showing up in early November – in both the above charts and in their relationship charts with Kavanaugh himself. Neither look personally attacked to Kavanaugh, more tied in by circumstances to ram through the confirmation before the mid terms.

Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader since 2015 and ‘obstructionist’ over Obama’s pick for the Supreme Court, was born 20 February 1942. He is a Sun Pisces with a heavyweight, hard-edged, enduring and staggeringly stubborn collection of Uranus, Saturn, Mars in Taurus. His Sun is in an unco-operative square to Uranus; and his triple conjunction is trine Neptune; with a Venus in Aquarius opposition Pluto perhaps square a Taurus Moon. Not a man for budging in the face of Armageddon.

He’s had an uphill and frustrating struggle this year with tr Pluto trine his Mars, worsening in 2019/2020 with tr Pluto trine his Saturn and over 2020/21 his Saturn/Uranus midpoint plus a dashed-hopes tr Pluto square his Mars/Neptune also in 2020/21, which will test him even to his limits. But again he’s no spring chicken so that may not all be politics.

He looks considerably unhappy in the final days of this November. And aggravated with Trump in mid December. As does Grassley with Trump at the same period. Grassley looks especially piqued at Trump over the midterms as well and their relationship will be jolted, jangled and confused in 2019 and even more so in 2020.

Graham looks choked at Trump just before or on the mid terms, more so late in this November; and thoroughly unnerved by him in 2020.

Not a happy bunch of campers, that’s for sure.

    

 

Charles Aznavour, one of France’s best known chanteurs has died aged 94.  He composed more than 1000 songs, sold 100 millions records and acted in 80 films. Although regarded as light entertainment his songs dwelt on despair, domestic strife, rape, homosexuality and were on occasion so risqué they were banned from radio play. He always regarded himself as a taboo-breaker.

Born 22 May 1924 12.15 am Paris into a theatrical family of Armenian immigrants, he left school at 9 and started performing. He was helped by Edith Piaf in his twenties, who took him on tour with her in France and to the USA. Despite his diminutive size of just over five foot and his throaty voice, which weren’t deemed promising, he eventually became a global success.

He had an unaspected 4^th house Gemini Sun (often a popular singer’s sign) with an emotionally intense Venus Pluto in Cancer opposition a Capricorn Moon. His musical Neptune unlike his Sun was well integrated in his chart being in a dreamy trine to Jupiter in adventurous Sagittarius, as well as in a showbiz opposition to Mars square Mercury in Taurus and opposition his midheaven.  An unaspectd Sun would make him independent, an island-unto-himself, fairly aloof. His unaspected Saturn would give him a tendency to float through life.

He was giving concerts well into his nineties and intended to go on to 100.

It’s not a notably ambitious chart but his creative 7^th Harmonic (septiles) was strongly aspected; and his ‘super star’ 22^nd also.