Trump’s quixotic tweet informing the globe of his mercurial decision to pull US troops out of Syria, despite recent assurances of his own advisers to the contrary, has added another layer of complexity to the Syria mess.  From Trump’s standpoint it was undoubtedly self-serving, another bravura distraction away from the myriad swirling scandals in DC and NY. And it was posed in bizarrely personalised language, insisting that ISIS had been defeated, (a view no one else shares) – “My only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency.”

For Syria, it leaves Bashar Al Assad in charge of roughly two thirds of the country effectively under Russian management, with Israel and the US in agreement; the rest of Syria is held by Kurds, Syrian rebels, Turkish-backed forces, Jihadists and a small proportion of ISIS. Netanyahu gets a deal on keeping trouble away from Israel’s borders; Iran was bought off with Russia investment in oil and gas. And Trump can wash his hands of the Middle East, proclaiming it is someone else’s problem and expense.

What is odd is that Bashar Assad, despite the heavyweight protection propping him up at the moment, looks almost less secure ahead than before. His Presidency chart, 17 July 2000, has a frustrating, trapped tr Pluto opposition Mars through 2018/2019 and then much the same from tr Pluto opposition Sun/Mars in 2019/2020 and then Sun – right through till late 2021 – which is a poleaxing set of pressures. With what could be a total collapse in 2021/22 with Solar Arc Uranus square Pluto.

His own personal chart, 11 September 1965, is drifting steadily downhill with tr Neptune conjunct Saturn now, opposition Uranus Pluto and Sun till late 2020; with a shocking collision Solar Arc Sun conjunct Mars around 2021.

Penny Marshall, a TV star of the 1970s who graduated into an A-list movie director working with many big name stars in a series of stand-out movies, has died.  Half of TV sitcom duo Laverne & Shirley, which was one of the most-watched shows in the US from 1976 to 1983, she was deemed a comedy genius. As a director, she gave Tom Hanks his breakout lead, worked with Robin Williams and Robert De Niro, Whoopi Goldberg, Madonna, Denzel Washington. Rosie O’Donnell, Whitney Houston.

Born 15 October 1943 9.32 am New York, she had a Libra Sun on the cusp of the 12^th trine a difficult Mars Saturn in Gemini in her 8^th, sextile Jupiter in Leo. Comedians always have a dark twist in their charts and she certainly had hers – though all channelled through a flamboyant Jupiter. Her Taurus Moon was in an intense square to Pluto and an easy trine to a charming 10^th house Venus.

Her Pluto in the communicative 9^th was further emphasised being on the focal point of a mini-Grand Trine to Uranus trine Neptune Mercury.

Her relationship life was chequered with two relatively brief marriages. A freedom-loving Uranus in her 7^th house of relationships square her Venus would make compromise tricky for her.

Her creative 5^th Harmonic was strong; as was her actor’s 15H. Even more notable were her breakthrough-genius 13H and he ‘obsessive dream’ 11H.

Dick Cheney, Vice President under George W Bush, seems an odd choice for a black comedy satire and the movie Vice has been getting mixed reviews apart from Christian Bale’s stand out performance in the lead role. But digging deeper it’s obvious why he attracted filmmaker Adam MacKay, previously director of The Big Short. Cheney was the most influential Vice President ever for the eight years from 2001 to 2008. He wasn’t just the power behind the throne, he was the effective president. When he left office after Iraq, waterboarding, Halliburton et al he had an approval rating as low as 13 percent, lower than Richard Nixon when he resigned. Stephen Bannon famously put Dick Cheney in his own hall of heroes, behind only Darth Vader and Satan as a great disruptor.

The NY Times calls it a ‘real live monster-movie’ and says it is ‘the story of an individual who was able, through a unique combination of discipline, guile and luck, to bend reality to his will. The man’s feats are both impressive and appalling.’ And behind him stood his steel-backbone wife Lynne. ‘McKay’s portrait of their marriage subscribes to a Macbeth-like conception of political morality. Behind every bad man, there is a woman who is even worse.’

Christian Bale, 30 January 1974, Wales, oddly has his Sun at exactly the same degree of Aquarius as Cheney, so he’ll understand some of his approach. Bale also has an expansive Jupiter Mercury in Aquarius and all three planets are square a heavyweight Mars in Taurus which gives him heft and endurance.  He’s also got an Air Grand Trine of Jupiter Mercury trine Saturn trine Uranus, maybe formed into a Kite by Uranus opposition Moon, which would make sense for an actor who tunes into public taste. That airy, communicative quality marks him out from Cheney who has a much earthier chart.

Cheney, born 30 January 1941 7.30 pm Lincoln, Nebraska, learnt his political ropes with Nixon, Ford, George HW Bush and finally Bush junior. He has an Earth Grand Trine of Uranus trine Neptune trine Venus in Capricorn, suiting him for a commercially-oriented career where money and possessions are paramount. He also has a ferociously fixed and power-hungry T square of Sun opposition Pluto square Jupiter Saturn in Taurus – iron-willed, over-confident, unyielding, not worried about social niceties when it came to getting what he wanted.

He also has a heated Mars in his 4^th square a Pisces Moon which in turn opposed Neptune – there was a more sensitive side of him though it never got much of an airing except at home where it would be argumentative as well. Perhaps why he had continual run ins with a serious heart condition.

Cheney’s midheaven and his Uranus are conjunct the destructive Fixed star Algol (as indeed Trump’s midheaven is) and his wife’s spine-straightening Saturn in Taurus which is exactly conjunct his midheaven is as well.

She was born 14 August 1941, and is a fiery, confident Sun Leo trine Mars in Aries sextile Jupiter in Gemini; with her Sun square Saturn Moon in Taurus, so good at digging in her heels for the long haul. She’s also fairly earthy with those two Taurus planets and Venus Neptune in Virgo.

Her relationship chart with her husband is astonishingly fixed with an affectionate composite Sun Venus damped down in an opposition to a dutiful Saturn but kept afloat in opposition to Jupiter Uranus all square a determined Mars – not exactly sweetness and light but there for the long haul.

All goes to show there was horror in the White House before the present incarnation.

Pic: Greig Fraser / Annapurna Pictures.

Poor Meghan is now finding out the price of marrying a prince – running the gauntlet of the media. They are up to their usual game of puffing up and then looking for cracks to pull her down. She’s difficult, can’t keep staff, too uppity in her demands etc etc etc. My recollection is that Kate took a fair pounding in the early years and she didn’t have a mouthy family causing embarrassment to contend with.

Meghan does look a touch deflated at the moment with tr Saturn moving in hard aspect to her Jupiter Saturn opposition MC square Mars T Square, now till early January. The few days over New Year look fractious and aggravated. Tr Neptune is also opposing her Venus till late this month which can be disappointing emotionally and romantically, a dream dented.

Tr Pluto will square her 4^th house Pluto again from mid January, continuing pressures for change domestically and in terms of her family relationships, adult and childhood. Which can be fairly push n’ pull. Late March into April will be nerve-stretched and relieved at the same time.

Her relationship with her father Thomas Markle who appears incapable of keeping his mouth shut isn’t getting easier. From her chart with Pluto in the 4^th he would always be experienced by her as controlling and possessive. Plus his Pluto is conjunct her Sun which says much the same.   And his Sun sits exactly on her Ascendant so he will feel his identity is very tied up with her image.

Their relationship chart has an argumentative composite Sun, Mars, Mercury conjunction which is being rattled over this coming year and on. There’s a cool composite Venus Saturn and a one-upmanship Jupiter Pluto, which latter has tr Neptune in opposition pulling down its grip well into 2020.

Jupiter through her 5^th till almost the end of 2019 will keep her morale high though she may well over-stretch herself physically taking on too many commitments with tr Saturn moving into her 6^th.

John of God or Joao de Deus, a Brazilian medium and ‘psychic surgeon’ (ie. confidence trickster) is now the focus of the largest sexual abuse scandal in Brazil with several hundred women coming forward with complaints. His own daughter, Dalva Teixeira, 49, stands among the accusers and called him a “monster” and alleged she was beaten and raped by the medium until she ran away when she was 14 years old. (wiki)

Born 24 June 1942 in Brazil, he had little education and describes himself as a farmer. His centre has been visited by millions over the years seeking healing, giving him a sizeable fortune. Three years ago he had stomach cancer and a malignant tumour was removed by a conventional medical surgeon with chemotherapy to follow which he did not report to his followers.

He’s a Sun Jupiter in Cancer which sits midway between Uranus Saturn in Gemini sextile Mars Pluto in Leo – lucky, enthusiastic plus autocratic plus ruthlessly determined. His Sun Jupiter is also in a slippery and evasive square to Neptune and possibly trine a Scorpio Moon.

His 9^th Harmonic is heavily aspected which in theory should be humanitarian but often appears in the charts of financial fraudsters.

2019 will see tr Uranus square his Mars Pluto which should rattle his cage more than somewhat with a swamp of undermining Neptune to follow into the early 2020s.

Stress levels will be mounting in January with the Brexit vote now fixed (maybe) for the week starting January 14^th. The month starts with Mars moving into Aries on the 1^st and a dreary Sun Saturn in Capricorn conjunction on the 3^rd, followed smartly by the Capricorn Solar Eclipse on the 6^th.  Eclipses always bring a sense of heightened anticipation and this one especially so for the UK since it is conjunct the UK Sun and opposition the 10^th house Moon – so there will be a sense of crisis and radical change in the air. This Solar Eclipse located to London has Uranus exactly on the Descendant, suggesting a split in a close relationship.

The Sun then grinds towards a conjunction with Pluto on the 11^th, which will make the second week pressured and blocked. By the 19^th there’s a rebellious, freedom-loving Sun square Uranus; followed by the Leo Lunar Eclipse on the 21^st, the same day as a bad-tempered Mars square Saturn. The Lunar Eclipse will conjunct the UK Jupiter in Leo which can be expansive and also over-confident.

On Theresa May’s chart, January 14^th starts four weeks of tr Pluto conjunct her Mars/Saturn midpoint = running into deadlock, harmful or destructive energy, usually fairly catastrophic. Her Government chart is pretty deflated that week as well with tr Saturn square the Jupiter.

Oddly enough the UK chart has tr Pluto square the Sun/Jupiter midpoint which is usually upbeat in mood and that runs January 14^th till mid-February. So as Theresa May sags battered and bruised the country in general is feeling perkier.

February in general looks every bit as bumpy as January, starting on an aggravated, enraged Mars Pluto square with a disruptive Mars square Uranus midway through.

Chris O’Dowd, the multi-talented Irish comedy actor, writer and producer, has been reaping rave reviews for his hit-man role in the television drama, black comedy series Get Shorty. Recently booked for a third season, it’s Breaking Bad meets Fargo, with anti-heroes catching the best parts and the sympathy.

Born 9 October 1979 in Boyle, Ireland, he’s been acting since his early 20s in television (Moone Boy which he created and starred in) and film (Bridesmaids etc); and received a Tony nomination for his Broadway performance Of Mice and Men.

He is a determined Sun Pluto in Libra with a creative Saturn in Virgo square Neptune, with Saturn also in an innovative sextile to Uranus. His Mercury in intense Scorpio squares Mars in Leo so he can pack a punch in his words.

His actors’ 15^th Harmonic is well aspected; even more so his 13H, often found amongst comedians, which has an additional meaning of breakthrough, unorthodox genius.

He’s powering through 2019 with tr Pluto trine his Sun/Jupiter midpoint; will hit a few bumps along the road in 2020/2021 and then hits the high points with a major success from 2022 to 2025 with his Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct his Sun and then Pluto.

A Tony Blair intervention usually evokes an exasperated sigh from the electorate who wish he’d bury himself somewhere far away. But for once his grandstanding on Brexit has been welcomed by everyone apart from Theresa May who accused him of “undermining” the Brexit talks by calling for another referendum and saying his comments were an “insult to the office he once held.” He spat back. “What is irresponsible is to try to steamroller MPs into accepting a deal they genuinely think is a bad one with the threat that if they do not fall into line, the government will have the country crash out without a deal.”

Given that many on her own side including John Major and other Cabinet members have been chipping in their tuppence worth over different scenarios it’s not clear why she erupted over Blair. Especially since Brussels made it perfectly clear there will be no further negotiations.

As an aside, mainstream commentators have been getting more and more blunt about her state of mind.

Matthew Parris, Times: “At what point does tenacity become rigidity become mulishness become a frozen panic? Does she hear? Does she see? Does she know? Is there anyone at home?” “Colleagues are getting the creeps. They fear she’s flying us on into the night as flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur flew on, essentially pilotless, the aircraft’s captain … elsewhere.”

John Crace, Guardian: “Even someone as semi-detached as the Maybot has a breaking point. She is well beyond the point where a simple reboot via the control-alt-delete keys can restore her to her factory settings. She is now experiencing such a total systems overload that she couldn’t begin to pass the Turing test.”

Back to the Blair-May combo. Both are excessively stubborn.  He with a Sun and Jupiter in Taurus plus an Aquarius Moon and Pluto in Leo; she with her Thatcherite Saturn in Scorpio square Pluto Venus in Leo.  Her downbeat Saturn opposes his exuberant Jupiter Mars, for a clash of personalities.

Their relationship chart is a sight to behold with a mutually unsupportive (ego-clash) composite Mars opposition Neptune in a disruptive, needs-space, on-differing-agendas square to Sun, Uranus Jupiter. With a hostile-dislike Mars trine Pluto.  It’ll erupt into real fury from the March 29 2019 exit date onwards. She won’t be around (cross fingers) in No 10 for too much longer, but wherever she is will be buried under a tsunami of blame for her mishandling of the entire farrago.

Not that I’m arguing for a second referendum – my heart sinks at yet more agony, and it might well turn out much the same result – but preparations should have been made for fall back alternatives.

Argentina is in the throes of a #metoo moment with a well-known actor Juan Darthes, being accused of the underage rape of a sixteen year old almost a decade ago – which he strenuously denies. There have been several previous allegations of sexual misconduct against him which were all seen off by lawyers.

He was born 28 October 1964 and is an intense, emotional Sun, Mercury in Scorpio; with a Fixed Grand Cross of Neptune in Scorpio opposition Jupiter in Taurus square Mars in Leo opposition Saturn in Aquarius – stubborn to the nth degree, enduring, hard-edged, indulgent, bullishly confident.

His accuser, Thelma Fardin, 24 October 1992, is also a Sun Scorpio with an excitable Mars in Cancer opposition Uranus Neptune in Capricorn. Her Mercury Pluto in Scorpio square his Mars and Saturn and oppose his Jupiter – not a good chemistry between them.

Their relationship chart has a friendly composite Sun Venus conjunction but that combo also squares an argumentative, insensitive Mars, which in turn is in an explosive square to Uranus.

He’ll respond with great vigour since tr Pluto is trine his Jupiter through 2019/2020; but he’ll be severely jolted on the way through as well.

She looks cornered and scared with tr Pluto opposition her Mars till late 2019 and fairly off track until 2021 when she begins to bounce more confidently again.

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