Targeting Germany has become a Trump delight as he complains about too many German cars on US streets; the cost of US troops based there; making false claims that crime is spiking in Germany because of immigration and relishes seeing “the people of Germany … turning against their leadership.” Now he’s turned his divide-and-rule tactics onto the German-Russian gas pipeline, as well as NATO spending.

Germany derives under 20% of its energy from gas of which 60-70% comes from Russia, the rest from Norway; their use of gas will go up in future as they reduce dependence on coal and cut out nuclear altogether. Poland and other eastern European countries strongly object to the Russia pipeline since they see it as running the risk of destabilising their region and giving Russia too much influence. Stage two of the pipeline project would allow Russia to cut off gas supplies to Ukraine and disrupt many east European countries, while preserving Germany’s energy supply.

Part of Trump’s German bugbear may be Merkel’s obvious distaste for his policies plus his mother issues being triggered by a stalwart Mutti. Though, heaven knows, he should be grateful to Deutsche Bank who hauled him out of financial trouble when he was blacklisted on Wall Street in the 1990s. Which may or may not become part of the Mueller investigation since Russian money laundering landed the bank in the soup with the US Justice Department.

What will make a significant difference is Trump’s Pluto Midheaven running directly through Germany, which will bring out his desire to dominate, sneer, put down and equally will run him into resistance and resentment. That’s true for most of Europe and the UK but Germany is on the bullseye, especially Frankfurt where Deutsche Bank is situated. The Pluto MC line is usually regarded as risky either physically or in terms of undermining reputation – interesting to see if the money angle (more below) is his downfall (should it occur).

There’s also hugely difficult chemistry between himself and Merkel personally with her 8^th house Sun Uranus in Cancer conjunct his Saturn Venus; and her determined Pluto conjunct his Mars.

His relationship chart with her is no better than his with Germany (1871) with strongly aspected Uranus (= no compromise) in both. November/December this year look like lowering the temperature still further.

Trump’s Pluto Descendant runs through China making for a hostile relationship and struggle for the upper hand; and his successful Jupiter midheaven line runs through – no surprise – Russia, to the east of Moscow. Below isn’t astrological but gives context.

There have been a couple of media pieces this week (URLs below) on his past business links with Russians over several decades. From Politico: “The litany of direct and indirect contacts with the Kremlin exceeds all possible exculpatory explanations. It is impossible to see the total picture and reach the conclusion that there is an innocent explanation behind it all. There’s simply too much to explain away.”

A Financial Times investigation into the Trump Toronto quotes a former Trump Organisation executive as saying “Donald doesn’t do due diligence.” So no checks would have been done in the post-Soviet rush to stash money abroad. Where Russia is concerned oligarchs, mobsters and the Kremlin are all intertwined and the likelihood of Putin having compromising information means he won’t even have to issue orders. Trump will proactively be doing whatever he believes will keep him in Putin’s good graces.

The general view is that Putin didn’t directly plan to put Trump in the White House, nor did Trump expect to win which is why there’s been such a panic to cover tracks. And one day his DC vacation will end and he’ll want to keep his family’s business model intact for the what-comes-after. Follow the money.

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/07/10/trump-russia-jonathan-chait-218966

https://www.ft.com/trumptoronto

Charles Sobhraj, known as the Bikini Killer, the Splitting Killer and the Serpent, is a French serial killer of Vietnamese and Indian origin who preyed on Western tourists throughout Southeast Asia during the 1970s as well as having an extensive career as a thief. Reckoned to be a psychopath he’s now finally in a Nepalese prison doing life.

Born 4 April 1944 10pm? Saigon, Vietnam, from a broken home, he started down a criminal path early, was skilled at deception, evasion – ‘a cunning and cultured personality’ – and bribing prison guards to give him a luxurious life during one term inside and allegedly committed at least a dozen murders to sustain his adventurous lifestyle. At one point he was a celebrity in Paris, charging large amounts of money for interviews and film rights; and has been the subject of four books and three documentaries. Overconfidence led to his final downfall in returning to Nepal and getting nabbed.

At first glance his chart doesn’t look overly brutal. He has an attention-seeking 5^th house Aries Sun trine Pluto, North Node and Jupiter in Leo – so has self-confidence aplenty and determination. His Neptune in the 10th fitted him for a slippery career as a scam merchant and squaring Mars would give him a taste of publicity and pzazz.

His midpoints are fairly bleak and unfeeling with a hint of violence from Uranus = Mars/Pluto and Pluto = Mars/Uranus. And his Sun and Moon both aspect Saturn and Pluto, so he probably lacked empathy from a tough early start in life. Though psychopaths aren’t just about nurture deficiencies. There has to be a genetic or wiring malfunction which blots out the ability to relate.

His 18^th Harmonic, usually aspected with serial killers has Saturn Pluto amplified. His self-destructive 16H and appearing -in-the-history-books 17H are strong. His none-too-well-balanced 7H and obsessive 11H both have afflicted Mars.

He was as much a conman and fraudster as he was a murderer, and the killings seemed to be more a means to an end than for sadistic pleasure.  In one case he poisoned his victims – a Neptunian tactic.

The harmonics usually show up a potential for going bad when it isn’t obvious from the natal chart; those plus midpoints.

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Tab Hunter, a Hollywood superstar of the 1950s, has died. He was a bronzed, blond pin-up, an all-American, clean-cut youth whom teenage girls swooned over and wanted to take home to mom. At the time, Hunter was having a clandestine relationship with Anthony Perkins (Psycho) and later ballet dancer Rudolph Nureyev. But such was the film business’s homophobia and obsession with carefully polished images, any scandal stories were swept firmly out of sight and he paraded red carpets with Nathalie Wood.

Born 11 July 1931 3am New York, he had an abusive father whom his mother divorced and moved the family to California. He lied about his age and joined the coastguards at 15 but was soon picked up by a talent-spotting agent who had rebranded Rock Hudson, Troy Donahue and Rory Calhoun.  He only came out officially in 2005 with an award-winning memoir, despite having lived with his film-producer partner for two decades, who remained at his side for 35 years in all.

Hunter certainly carried the signature of the Depression generation with an almost exact Sun Pluto in Cancer (and Jupiter) opposition Saturn square Uranus in Aries; and had an Earth Grand Trine of Saturn trine a hidden Taurus Moon trine Mars in Virgo, formed into a Kite by the opposition to his Sun Pluto – so destined to be influential, lucky, talented in his way.  His father comes across as domineering with a Sun Pluto in bleak aspect to Saturn and erratic Uranus, as well as an angry Mars in the 4^th.

Anthony Perkins, 4 April 1932, was the same generation and his Venus in Taurus fell in Hunter’s 12^th conjunct his Moon, which fits with a secret relationship. Nureyev, 17 March 1838 was a late Sun Pisces which trined Hunter’s Sun Pluto and they had an affectionate composite Sun Venus in their relationship chart.

Another example of one of the beautiful people who have amazingly strong and stark charts. His birth time is unverified, but if accurate, then his light-hearted Gemini Ascendant was what the public saw. Behind that was a tougher human being with a steely backbone.

Eclipses normally come in twos, a Solar and two weeks before or after a Lunar. This time we’re blessed or cursed with having two Solar Eclipses (New Moons) – July 13 at 21 degrees Cancer and August 11 at 19 degrees Leo; and a Lunar Eclipse (Full Moon) on July 27^th at 5 degrees Aquarius.

Both the Solar Eclipses fall in Saros series which according to Bernadette Brady (The Eagle and the Lark) focus on friendships and relationships. The first in July bringing a glum mood about separations or endings but fast action will produce results; and the second in August bringing a potential collapse of plans or lifestyles with a long-term result of transformation and rebuilding. The Eclipse effect often strikes up in advance and lingers for a few months thereafter.

The July Solar eclipse is challenging and blocked as the New Moon opposes Pluto; with a disruptive Mars opposition Node square Uranus. But there’s also a workmanlike Earth Grand Trine of Uranus to Saturn and Venus which may bring some stability and common sense.

The 27 July Lunar eclipse has the Moon conjunct Mars opposition Sun, North Node square Uranus, so is likely to be explosive with sudden shocks and surprises.

The August 11^th Solar eclipse has the Leo New Moon square Jupiter and inconjunct Pluto with the overly-excitable and uncompromising Uranus Mars Node T square still in place.

None of which looks peaceful.

The UK’s Moon and the USA Mercury opposition Pluto will catch the July Cancer Eclipse. For the UK since the Moon rules the people and – in the 10^th – the country’s rulers (Royal and other), there’s likely to be insecurity, a sense of standing on shifting sand; matters of the past will come back to be dealt with, and the country’s image will be under scrutiny.

For the USA it’ll be an intellectual challenge to review and rethink vehemently held opinions and also to clear out a murky past (Pluto). If that doesn’t occur then stagnation and decay are likely ahead.

The EU will be most affected by the 27^th July Lunar Eclipse as it will shake their Fixed Grand Cross of Neptune, Moon, Uranus (and Venus) – mainly situated in financial and future-planning houses.

To watch: Saudi Arabia with its Sun, Jupiter, Saturn in Capricorn will catch the first Solar Eclipse; as will Angela Merkel with her Sun Uranus in Cancer; and Donald Trump with his Venus Saturn in Cancer. Michel Barnier will also be adversely affected as the July Eclipse opposes his Capricorn Sun, ditto Jared Kushner, and for them the challenge is to face up to an ego-blow and let the past go.

Baby-faced singer Justin Bieber has moved on from an on-off relationship with Selena Gomez to become engaged to model Hailey Baldwin. Whether this one will last is questionable.

He has Sun, Saturn and Venus in Pisces; with a Libra Moon square a highly-strung and changeable Uranus Neptune in Capricorn and a ferociously determined Mars in contrary Aquarius square Pluto.

Hailey, 22 November 1996, is a controlled Sun Pluto in Sagittarius in a bleak trine to Saturn in self-reliant Aries; with a late Aries or early Taurus Moon. Her Venus in Libra certainly chimes with his Moon; but her Mars in Virgo opposes his Saturn, Sun and Venus which is gritty; and her Sun Pluto also square his Saturn Sun which is blocking.

Their relationship chart has a truly difficult composite Mars Pluto conjunction which will lead to ferocious power struggles; with an unstable composite Sun, Uranus, Neptune conjunction which is under strain now and for another few years ahead.

He clearly likes strong women since Selena Gomez is a Sun Cancer triune Pluto with her Pluto square Saturn. Their relationship was also Plutonic – can’t live with them, can’t live without them.

Note:His birth time is unverified.

After a Reality Show roll of drums, pause with bated breath, Brett Kavanaugh, was announced as the pick for the Supreme Court. Born 12 February 1965 in DC, he has impeccable legal credentials but is a staunch conservative and Roman Catholic, so will swing SCOTUS firmly to the right and raise fears about Roe v Wade as well as Affordable Care. He’ll face a gruelling grilling, likely to be after the recess because of the amount of documentation to be sifted through in the discovery process. And he will face tough questions over his part in Kenneth Starr’s attempt to prosecute Bill Clinton and his later comment that presidents should be exempt from such, amongst other things.

He’s not looking remotely upbeat this month with tr Neptune square his Mars/Saturn midpoint, perhaps because of the level of hostility he’s facing from Democrats. Tr Neptune then opposes his Pluto in August/early September, then opposes his Uranus/Pluto in September/October and opposes his Uranus thereafter. Plus he has his Solar Arc Mars conjunct his Neptune this year which is generally not favourable for ambitions.

His relationship with Trump is an odd mix of enthusiastic and evasive, or based on an illusion leading to disappointment; and will be under strain in 2019/2020.

He’s a Sun Aquarius on the point of a T Square to Jupiter opposition Neptune – high-flying ambitions, not always realistic. Though his Jupiter trine Pluto Uranus will give him luck.

The new Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, shares with Theresa May a non-stickability talent allowing him to skate through disasters, failures and misjudgements and survive. Jupiter rides to his undeserving rescue as it squares his Scorpio Sun Venus from Leo natally. He’s also got Saturn opposition Uranus Pluto in Virgo, with Mars also in Virgo with a Gemini Moon so fairly scattered. 1 November 1966.

He’ll be in off the deep end through August with a major panic to oversee, which may be domestic politics or overseas as tr Neptune opposes his Mars/Pluto midpoint; and that influence repeats from February 2019 to be rapidly followed in April by two other catastrophic transits – tr Neptune square his Mars/Saturn and Mars/Uranus – both running into 2020. He will have some bounce from a couple of Jupiters but will be hard put to keep his happy-face tacked on.

Matt Hancock, 2 October 1978, gets the poisoned chalice of the NHS as Health Secretary. He’s a Sun Libra like Theresa May with Mercury, Moon, Pluto also in Libra; like Hunt he has Jupiter in flash Leo; and a determined (and vengeful) Mars, Uranus, Venus in Scorpio. His relationship with the PM looks chilly this year and pressured. He’s got some ups but will face a gruelling obstacle course in 2019/2020.

Theresa May gave a robust speech today in Westminster as David Davis, her Brexit negotiator (in name anyway), and Boris Johnson, her hapless Foreign Secretary, (he might have been pushed) exit stage left. The media are shrieking headlines about shattering blows to a beleaguered PM and an imminent no-confidence vote. But there’s nothing much showing up on her Government chart, barring a setback in the final days of this month into early August and again in the first half of October as tr Saturn opposes the 10^th house Mars. That apart there are a couple of Jupiters running till September to provide buoyancy.

Her own chart looks mighty confused this Sept/Oct and panicky in November/December but most of the horror won’t occur till 2019 on either chart.

Boris Johnson, 19 June 1964 2pm New York, is wading through a minefield in thick fog this year, perhaps facing up to the consequences of his miscalculations. Much of that continues through 2019, though he’ll recover some of his mojo from April 2019 onwards with tr Pluto trine his Mars/Jupiter midpoint. His ambitions always were firmly focused on getting the keys to No 10, but his lamentable performance in the Foreign Office and Brexit gaffes have shot his popularity within the party way down the list. He’ll certainly be at daggers’ drawn with Theresa May from early 2019 onwards so he may be back into the fray then.

Dominic Raab,25 February 1974, has stepped in to take Davis’s place but since most of the negotiations are handled by the civil servant Olly Robbins, who works directly to No 10, it’s not clear how much input he’ll have. He’s a Brexiteer and generally well thought of, with a legal background, worked for one of the Palestinian negotiators of the Oslo peace accords, assessed World Bank projects on the West Bank, been involved for the Foreign Office at The Hague bringing war criminals to justice, advised on the Arab–Israeli conflict, the European Union, and Gibraltar. So his background is wide-ranging.

He’s a Sun Pisces square Neptune; with an intellectually talented Air Grand Trine of Saturn in Gemini trine Uranus trine Jupiter in Aquarius, with Saturn opposition North Node in Sagittarius; and a heavyweight Mars in Taurus square Jupiter trine Venus in Capricorn. He’ll be one to watch for the future. Though not for the next two years which look jolting, confused, panicky and not progressive. He’ll bounce up in 2021/22.

His relationship with Olly Robbins, looks business-like though slightly teeth-gritting; and is under a black cloud around the time that is also afflicted on the T May Government chart – late this month into early August, and again early October two weeks. Perhaps when Brussels says a resounding NON to everything.

So who knows? It could be brick wall time for her but she has some of Merkel’s Houdini qualities and has been written off umpteen times in the past year.

The Royal gilded cage has iron bars in highly conservative Japan where hefty restrictions on the freedom of the imperial ladies has caused serious depression for the Crown Princess, also castigated for not producing a male heir. Now Princess Mako, the daughter of Akishino, second-in-line to the throne, appears to have run foul of the mediaeval Chrysanethemum court. Her engagement to a commoner which would have given her a chance to shed her chains has been postponed till 2020, possibly indefinitely.

They make the Brit Royals look positive paragons of compassion and modernity, with lurid tales of the old Empress Kojun – a steely Pisces square Pluto; with a fearsomely chilly Air Grand Trine of Mars trine Pluto trine Mercury – ladelling into her son’s spouses about their failings, causing depression. Which baton was picked up by the present Empress Michiko – a Sun Libra trine Saturn square Pluto – mother of the Crown Prince and his brother.

Poor Princess Mako, 23 October 1991 11.41pm Tokyo, had a tough childhood with a 4^th house of Mars in Scorpio, conjunct Sun and opposition a Taurus Moon MC, with Mercury Pluto also in her 4^th. Her Sun Mars squares onto a 6^th house dutiful Saturn in Aquarius – with her Saturn opposition her Sun/Moon midpoint – all of which suggest family interference and control and a delayed marriage, with heavy costs attached.

Her father, Akishino, 30 November 1965 12.15 am Tokyo, is a highly-strung and dominating Sun Sagittarius; with Uranus Pluto on his Ascendant opposition Saturn square Mercury in Sagittarius; and Mars in Capricorn in the 4^th trine Pluto Uranus, sextile Saturn.

Mako looks anything but happy over the next two years with several debilitating and discouraging Neptune and Pluto transits to midpoints; and tr Uranus in a separating square to her Sun/Moon midpoint this year and conjunct her Moon as well, both running into 2019.  There does look to be a considerable upheaval for both at home and in terms of her direction in 2019 with tr Uranus opposition her 4^th house Mars and conjunct her midheaven. With luck she may well rebel and jump ship anyway.