Gary Kurtz, producer and creative partner of George Lucas for the first two Stars Wars movies, has died. They didn’t always see eye to eye but Kurtz contributed significantly to the visuals, story and dialogue especially the concept of ‘the force’ stemming from Kurtz’s religious background. They were expecting only a modest success when Stars Wars launched and were astonished when it turned in three quarters of a billion dollars at the box office and spawned a franchise. Kurtz and Lucas were introduced out of film school by Francis Ford Coppola, and their first joint venture American Graffiti was a success.

Born 27 July 1940 8.47 am Los Angeles, Kurtz had an extraordinarily Fixed chart with a Sun Pluto in Leo square a Taurus Moon and Mars in Leo square an exact Saturn Jupiter conjunction in Taurus and Uranus in Taurus in the 8th – pretty unbudgeable when he made up his mind. After the first two Stars Wars he thought Lucas was more concerned with money and the toy business and less about making quality films.

Kurtz, seemingly known as a gentle soul, had a charming Venus in Gemini in his 10^th square Neptune on his Virgo Ascendant. His filmic Neptune was in a creative trine to Uranus, sextile Mercury in Cancer.

Lucas, 14 May 1944 5.40am Modesto, California, has an equally Fixed chart with his Taurus Sun on the Ascendant square Jupiter in Leo; and a 10^th house Aquarius Moon opposition Jupiter Pluto in Leo square Venus Mercury in Taurus. So just as stubborn when he’d decided on a course of action. He benefited also from a talented Grand Trine of Neptune trine midheaven trine Uranus, formed into a Kite by MC opposition the North Node. That tied him firmly into the mood of the moment.

Kurtz despite the millions he made from Stars Wars 1 & 11, went bankrupt thereafter and never regained the heights. His Jupiter Saturn perhaps the cause, which can for some, can fly them too high and then do the reverse.

Their relationship chart had a lucky, mutually supportive composite Sun Venus on the point of a T Square to filmic Neptune opposition the composite Moon. So it was a positive partnership for a while. But there was also a power-struggling composite Pluto Mars sextile a tension-erupting Uranus Saturn Venus. When they split in 1983 tr Neptune was undermining their lucky T square; and tr Saturn just into Scorpio was in hard aspect to their Fixed planets, followed shortly after by tr Pluto in Scorpio – so a tough separation.

The Democrats who were way ahead in the polls have been sliding backwards. It’s what’s known in polite circles as counter-intuitive since the unseemly fracas around Kavanaugh with crass dismissals of allegations by Trump et al would in normal times have swung the dial the other way; never mind the bombshell expose of the NY Times on Trump’s early financial tap dancing with his father’s money which seems to have sunk without leaving a dent.

There’s too many charts to wade through them all, so I’ll stick to Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, Democrat Minority leaders in Senate and Congress. Nancy Pelosi, 26 March 1940, looks depressed until November 1 with tr Pluto square her Sun/Saturn midpoint; and insecure and over-stretched and irritable with tr Uranus conjunct her Saturn and her Sun/Mars from mid October to November 6^th – very over wrought. She does have tr Jupiter trine her Pluto over the result which looks like minor cheer but also a couple of Saturn transits to her Aries Sun and her Jupiter/Neptune midpoint which won’t help lift her spirits.

Chuck Schumer, 23 November 1950, looks equally stressed and disheartened in the run up but again will get a minor boost from tr Jupiter conjunct his Sagittarius Sun from November 8^th and tr Jupiter square his Jupiter over the election on the 6^th. But these are mild influences, which wouldn’t indicate (without birth times) a resounding landslide.

Barack Obama has tr Jupiter sextile his Jupiter in early November but not much else of note. Hillary Clinton has an undermining tr Neptune opposition her Jupiter/Uranus in November; with a small uptick from tr Jupiter trine her Sun/Uranus over the election though an aggravated tr Pluto opposition her Mars/Uranus as well.

Joe Manchin, the only Democrat to vote for Kavanaugh has a sinking tr Neptune opposition his Mars/Jupiter midpoint so he doesn’t look happy.

Susan Collins equally looks unpopular over the election and under pressure with tr Saturn conjunct her Sun/Venus; and tr Pluto square her Sun/Pluto – and it all looks downhill for her from early 2019 right through till 2022.

Trump has tr Saturn square his Neptune and tr Neptune opposition his Jupiter/Pluto midpoint which look worrisome, uncertain and disappointing as well as deceptive.

Coming from behind is never a bad thing in elections since it pulls some voters out who wouldn’t have bothered if their party looked like a slam dunk; and polls can be miles apart from the result anyway. But it looks like a fair amount of discontentment all round.

Princess Eugenie might be forgiven for wishing she’d eloped except it hardly suits the York family style. On top of aggravation about taxpayer-funded security for a blatantly ostentatious wedding this Friday, there’s now – as to be expected – family tensions erupting with Camilla ducking out (prior engagement) and Prince Philip being undecided whether to share space with the bride’s mother for the first time in decades.

The media appear undecided whether Camilla dislikes Sarah more than Prince Andrew or vice versa. On balance it’s probably Sarah since their relationship chart has a hostile composite Mars Pluto conjunction; and Camilla’s Cancer Sun squares Sarah’s blundering Sun Mars in Libra and Camilla’s Mars in Gemini squares Sarah’s Pluto Venus MC. So an angry tangle. Resentments go back to Andrew and the York’s lack of support when Charles married Camilla.

Camilla’s relationship chart with Andrew has a suspicious, cold and high-tension composite Venus opposition Saturn Neptune square Uranus which is under considerable pressure from 2018 through till the early 2020s. No doubt because as the Wales rise with the Queen retreating in miniscule steps, Andrew’s family will be pushed more into the background. That is also clear from Andrew and Charles’ relationship chart which is exasperated and angry this December and worsening dramatically in 2020/2021/22.

Charles is no fan of Sarah’s with his critical Saturn sitting firmly on her Pluto Venus MC; and their relationship chart has another hostile Mars Pluto plus a cold Sun Saturn Mercury.

All smile for the camera.

See previous posts: September 26 and August 17 2018

A degree of black comedy (very black) is emerging from the Sergei Skripal bungled novichok poisoning in Salisbury in March. The two GRU operatives (Russian foreign intelligence, the equivalent of CIA, MI6) have been identified by Bellingcat, a citizen journalist website, and appear to have been equally inefficient about hiding their identities. An irate Putin, according to reports, ticked off the GRU head personally.

One of the Salisbury poisoners, Alexander Mishkin, 13 July 1979, is a military doctor, who was given a Hero of Russia Award for his work in Crimea/Ukraine. He’s a Sun Cancer square Pluto trine Uranus, inconjunct Neptune; with an afflicted Mars in Gemini opposition Neptune, square Saturn North Node, trine Pluto and probably square a Pisces Moon – well-suited to tough conditions, cruelty and acting under orders.   Tr Pluto was exactly opposition his Sun in March when he came across to the UK and will be so again this December.

Anatoliy Chepiga, 5 April 1979, reportedly his partner in crime, is a colonel in the GRU, also highly awarded for his service in the Chechen War (which was very brutal) and in Crimea. He is a pro-active, controlling and ambitious Sun Aries opposition Pluto trine Neptune. His Mars in Pisces is trine Jupiter in Cancer trine Uranus and his Mars is opposition his Saturn/Pluto midpoint described by Ebertin as violence, ruthlessness.

Assuming it’s all true, it’s a humiliation for Putin, whose 4^th Term chart, 7 May 2018 11.05 am Moscow, always did look crisis-ridden with Uranus Mercury on the midheaven square Mars Pluto – and that is being rattled this November and February 2019 as tr Uranus returns to its natal position; with considerable pressures, which mounted through this year, continuing and escalating in 2019/2020 as tr Pluto starts to square the Mars/Pluto midpoint for high frustration and rage; much worse in 2021/22 when tr Pluto is conjunct the Mars.

His own personal chart is being shaken at the moment with tr Pluto opposition his Uranus for the final time and in November to mid December squaring his Saturn/Neptune midpoint which is seriously depressive or ill. He also has another year of the confusing/devastating tr Pluto square his Neptune and ditto for the undermining tr Neptune square his Sun/Node midpoint; plus in 2019/2020 tr Pluto road-blocking a couple of his Mars midpoints; and worse in 2020/21 when tr Pluto squares his Mars/Pluto midpoint.  He looks hemmed in every which way. Though it won’t stop him meddling in Eastern Europe.

Peter Dinklage, who plays Tyrion Lannister in the fabulously successful Game of Thrones now heading for its final season, has had a sterling career with 58 nominations and 12 awards, including three PrimeTime Emmys and a Golden Globe for GOT.

Born 11 June 1969 1.37 am Point Pleasant, New Jersey, he has a powerfully confident and successful chart with a quick-witted 3^rd house Gemini Sun in a Mutable Grand Cross opposition MC square a super-charged Pluto, Jupiter, Uranus in Virgo opposition a Pisces North Node on his Ascendant. Jupiter Pluto gives him luck, drive and determination; Jupiter Uranus a willingness to take risks and adventurous; aspecting the Node and his midheaven ties his career into the zeitgeist.

He’s got an outspoken Mercury opposition Mars in lively Sagittarius. And a Venus, Saturn, Moon conjunction in Taurus giving him staying power and stubbornness at holding out for what he wants. He was born with dwarfism and refused in his career, even at the start, to play stereotypical roles.

His latest venture My Dinner with Herve, which he spent several years co-producing and writing as well as starring in, will air on HBO on October 20^{th .}

He’s got a good deal of mileage ahead career-wise with tr Saturn in his upper quadrant for the next seven years keeping the work rolling in; with another major success in the early 2020s when tr Pluto trines his Jupiter.

His actor’s 15^th Harmonic is, not surprisingly, well aspected.

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.

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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.