Angela Merkel has survived to fight on, reaching an agreement on an immigration deal that almost blew her fragile new coalition government apart. Her 4^th term chart, 14 March 2018 12.02pm, is buoyed up by Jupiter so likely to slide through most hiccups and it didn’t show any indications of a cataclysmic meltdown now. But she’s got more problems on her plate than migrants with the German economy giving signs of heading for a recession. Retail sales and industrial production are down, the auto businesses will be hard hit by Trump tariffs, the banks are not looking robust and the huge German trade surplus won’t protect the country if debtors fail or there is a global crash. (NB Trump may be unwise to launch a full-scale trade war but he’s not wrong about EU protectionism which lands a 10% tariff on US cars imported, while US has only a 2.5% tariff on EU cars.)   For all its image as the Rolls-Royce of Europe, German is ill-prepared for the 21^st Century, lagging badly on technology and infrastructure.

Merkel’s own chart has a ‘shocking collision’ Solar Arc Sun square her Mars, exactly in four months; and before then the July Cancer Solar Eclipse will conjunct her 8^th house Sun Uranus which will bring more crises than usual in the months thereafter. 2019 does look like meltdown time despite Jupiter moving through her 1^st. It’ll only give her a temporary lift as tr Pluto makes a disastrous and confusing square to her 10^th house Neptune plus a tumultuous opposition to her Uranus from April onwards for two years. Followed in late 2019 by a total-failure Solar Arc Neptune conjunct her Mars. Plus she has tr Saturn wading through the nadir of her 1^st quadrant in her 2^nd house for some years, – banana skins, misjudgements, lower energy, less success, lost her mojo.

The Bundesbank (central bank) chart, 26 July 1957, also indicates 2019/2020 as hugely disruptive with tr Uranus square Sun and Uranus, leading to devastation in late 2020/early 2021 with Solar Arc Pluto conjunct Neptune. Even before then. this year into mid 2019, it’s on a knife edge with tr Uranus opposition Neptune, trine Pluto and Venus.

The Germany chart, 1 January 1871 12 am, has this July’s Solar Eclipse conjunct the 10^th house Uranus for a forced rethink about direction. With the next two year’s Eclipses colliding with the 4^th house Germany Venus, the Sun, and then Saturn – so a rolling phase of challenges, crises and hard choices. Plus tr Neptune starts to square the Germany Jupiter from May 2019 onwards into 2020 which is financial bubble-bursting time and will lower confidence sharply. And tr Uranus is conjunct the Germany Taurus Moon on the cusp of the 8^th from June 2019 onwards into 2020, which will bring economic shocks. Tr Uranus then rolls through the Germany 8^th house of business finances for seven years – as it does in the EU and UK charts.

All of the above coinciding with an explosive three years in the relationship between the EU and Germany up to early 2021, starting this year as tr Uranus shakes up the composite Grand Cross of Venus, Uranus Mars and Moon; plus a separating tr Saturn square Pluto this year and then Sun Mercury across the New Year. Germany is very tied into the EU with a 10^th house Pluto opposition Sun but that will be tested to the limits, especially with tr Pluto and then tr Saturn squaring the Germany 7^th house Neptune causing it to question its commitment to close relationships.

Another power couple bites the dust. Singer, songwriter Cheryl Tweedy has split from her ten year younger husband Liam Payne, of boyband One Direction.

Born 30 June 1983 8.28pm Newcastle on Tyne, England, she’s had a successful singing career, is known as a fashion icon and as a judge on X Factor; but seems less talented at picking husbands with this being her third failed marriage. The Daily Mail is trailing the notion that her mother was a problem driving a wedge between the happy couple. And with Saturn Pluto conjunct her midheaven, she would seem to have had a fairly controlling, stubbornly determined mother. Cheryl’s Pisces Moon is also square Uranus Jupiter; and she has her Cancer Sun, Mars and North Node all in her 7^th house of close relationships. Her emotional responses will be changeable and volatile; with co-operation not being her strong point. She’ll insist on being in charge.

Liam Payne, 29 August 1993 1 pm (?) Wolverhamption, England, is a Sun Virgo with an Aquarius Moon; and a super-charged, high-wire Uranus Neptune in Capricorn square Mars Jupiter in Libra. He’s Earth, Air while Cheryl is Water Fire – so polar opposites in temperament.

Their relationship chart does have an affectionate composite Sun Venus conjunction; but that squares a struggle-for-the-upper-hand Jupiter Pluto; and there’s also an explosive composite Mars trine Saturn Uranus. With the composite Moon opposition Mars – so a fair few more minuses than pluses.

Neither of them are in a successful patch career-wise with tr Saturn moving through their respective first quadrants for several years ahead. She looks especially damped down with her Solar Arc Saturn Pluto conjunct her Jupiter in 2019.

Pic: Georges Biard

A landslide election victory in Mexico for the left-wing, anti-establishment Andrés Manuel López Obrador (Amlo) crushed the two main parties whom he had described as the “mafia of power”.

He faces a mountain of problems with widespread corruption, drug and cartel violence, poverty and inequality – at least 48 candidates were murdered during the campaign. He has been highly critical of Trump though he toned down his rhetoric in his victory speech.

Born 13 November 1953 in Tabasco, Mexico, he has an unbudgeable Sun Mercury in Scorpio square Pluto; with an Aquarius Moon and Venus Saturn also in Scorpio. His Neptune square Uranus and trines Jupiter, so he’ll be idealistic though whether he’ll be practical time will tell.

It’ll be a rocky ride ahead with tr Uranus opposition his Venus Saturn on and off from now till early 2019; with a high-risk tr Pluto square his Mars/Saturn in 2018/2019; and an explosive tr Uranus opposition his Sun/Mars midpoint this November and February 2019.  And it gets no easier ahead. Although he’ll have one lucky influence in 2020 it’ll probably be obliterated by a tr Pluto in a devastating square to his Neptune and a disruptive opposition to his Uranus (into 2021) and tough-times Solar Arc Pluto conjunct his Saturn.

The Mexico country chart, 15 September 1810 11pm Dolores Hidalgo, has an undermining tr Neptune conjunct the 10^th house Pluto till late 2019; with perhaps some progress from tr Pluto trine the Virgo Sun in 2019/2020 but it’ll be an uphill struggle of mountainous proportions. There did look to be a shock this year with Solar Arc Mars opposition the Sun and hopefully this election turnaround is it; though there may be a collision of sorts to come. Start time being accurate, there’s also tr Uranus conjunct the Taurus Moon, now and into early 2019 which fits with a population in rebellious mood, fed up with the traditional parties.

Amlo is likely to raise a good deal of anger since his Pluto is conjunct the Mexico Mars – and that could be dangerous for him since he’ll be up against a tranche of vested interests.

His relationship chart with Trump will be a continual jockeying for the upper hand with a composite Jupiter Pluto; with not much love lost on either side. It’ll slide badly from late this October right through 2019 as tr Neptune opposes the composite Saturn, Venus, Mercury and Mars – so no détente there.

Pic: Agencia de Noticias ANDES

Novelist Gillian Flynn of Gone Girl fame is about to see her first novel Dark Objects about a serial killer, airing as an eight-part mini-series. All her books focus on female perpetrated violence  and this one highlights dysfunctional families, self-harm and rage. She says: “I have always been fascinated with violence and with why things go wrong, particularly for people they shouldn’t necessarily go wrong for.”  She admits Sharp Objects is semi-autobiographical, with an alcoholic, self-harming journalist as the lead character. She says: ‘I’ve always had a finely-honed sense of self-destruction.’ And is fascinated by how women process rage.

She was born 24 February 1971 in Kansas City, with two professors as parents; her father taught film and took her to horror movies as a child. After a journalism career she started writing novels and has now extended into screenplays.

She has a Pisces Sun square a dreamy Jupiter Neptune in Sagittarius; with planets in all three Earth signs forming a wide Grand Trine of Pluto trine Saturn trine Venus in Capricorn. Part bleak part head-in-the-clouds. What drives her inclination to walk on the dark side subject-wise, especially delving into deep-seated rage and hatred will be her Mars in Sagittarius square Pluto; along with Mercury (Moon) in likes-to-shock Aquarius.

Plus she has exceptionally heavy midpoint aspects. Her Sun, Neptune and Jupiter are all in hard aspect to her Mars/Saturn; her Venus opposes her Saturn/Pluto; her Mars is square her Venus/Saturn; and her Saturn opposes her Mars/Uranus. Deep down she’ll resonate to some very black and corrosive emotions.

There’s concern about which nominee Trump will choose for the Supreme Court to replace Anthony Kennedy, retiring at 81, with anxiety over women’s rights being restricted over abortion and other matters.

Below are two old posts to fill in until we know what the line up is likely to be.

ROE V WADE NOVEMBER 14 2016 Roe versus Wade which was the landmark US ruling asserting a woman’s right to have an abortion up to the time of foetal viability was agreed on 22 January 1973. It now looks to be at risk of being overturned with a new pro-life (and pro-gun!) right-wing administration.

There is concern writ large on this chart at the moment from tr Saturn conjunct the Mars exactly now and tr Neptune square the Saturn and Mars through 2017/2019. 2018/19 look to be the danger points with ferocious argument from tr Uranus square Uranus in 2018 as well as a disappointing Solar Arc Neptune conjunct Jupiter; and then in 2019 a ‘shocking’ Solar Arc Mars conjunct the Sun as well as a disruptive upheaval from tr Pluto square the Uranus. If it is was ever going to be overturned this looks like the time  – though it did survive through the early 1990s triple conjunction in Capricorn. But this looks if anything more serious.  Saturn Pluto in Capricorn’s repressive and heavily masculine energies may just do it.

SUPREME COURT OCTOBER 6 2017

A banner year is what the US conservatives are hoping for from the Supreme Court as it reviews a batch of ideological cases on migrant rights in the legal system, partisan gerrymandering of election districts, voter purges, public-sector union financing, a cake maker’s objection to gay marriage, cell-phone records privacy and whistle-blower protection.

The Supreme Court first met on 2 February 1790 when there was a controlling Sun Pluto in Aquarius; with Sun opposition Uranus in Leo and Pluto trine Neptune and opposition Mars Jupiter in Leo; and a Virgo Moon opposition Saturn Venus in Pisces. Quite a mix of super-confident, influential, power-hungry, yet also prone to surprising decisions at times. 2018/19 look challenging and tough with tr Pluto sextile Saturn, with the workload piling up.

Tr Uranus will trine the Mars Jupiter in Feb to April 2018 which should be a successful resolution though that’s from the Supreme Court’s point of view, so could mean anything. Where it looks unsettled is by 2019 when tr Uranus squares the Uranus.

What’s interesting is Trump’s relationship with SCOTUS. It’s not remotely harmonious with a composite Mars square Saturn Venus. It’s on a downer at the moment with tr Saturn square the composite Jupiter for a few days; is generally in a tense tug of war through 2017/18 with tr Pluto square the composite Sun and trine the composite Saturn/Pluto; agitated in March 2018; and facing more obstacles in 2019. So he won’t get all the decisions he fancies despite his appointment of Gorsuch.

Indeed he looks seriously out of sorts with Gorsuch from April 2018 until late 2018 with tr Uranus opposition their composite Neptune and square Sun. Gorsuch, 29 August 1967, has his Uranus Pluto in Virgo square Trump’s Uranus Sun and Moon – so he has the capacity to upset trump’s applecart in ways he didn’t expect. Dry lawyers have a way of sticking to the letter of the law which will no doubt prove irksome to the great huckster.

Please add below. Older posts under news on top bar if you want  to check back.

Poor Meghan. Having made an elegant entry into the Royal Family, she’s now beset with more embarrassments from her own family with her father seemingly unable to stop talking to the media and her mouthy half-sister perhaps being lined up for a Celebrity Big Brother.

According to the Mail, Meghan did offer to bring her father over before the wedding which would have made sense and he refused.  Meghan does have tr Saturn square her Libra Moon, Saturn Jupiter in Libra backwards and forwards this year till November which would suggests family separations – and since her Moon, Jupiter Saturn are all in her 3^rd house of siblings that could point to unwelcome intrusions from Samantha Markle. Plus she has tr Pluto square her 4^th house Pluto (= controlling father) in 2018/2019 as she pulls away from her past.

Her father, Thomas Markle, 18 July 1944, Los Angeles, has a Cancer Sun which sits conjunct Meghan’s Ascendant – both will be conjunct the mid July Solar Eclipse, so there may be crises brewing in his life and for her image. The late July Lunar Eclipse will also catch Meghan’s Mercury in Leo and Thomas Markle’s (Venus) Pluto so she’ll be running around mopping up problems and getting flustered, while he may be facing an emotional upset.

Their relationship chart has a highly-energised composite Sun Mars square Neptune which is also catching the July Lunar Eclipse; and an ambitious Jupiter Pluto which is being undermined by Neptune oppositions in 2018/2019; with further jolts and upheavals in 2019/2020 with tr Uranus square the composite Sun and Mars.

Meghan and Harry do have that uncomfortable composite Moon square Saturn Pluto in their relationship chart, which does suggest heavy family duty getting in the way of feelings which makes sense of the Royal straitjacket. But obviously extends as well to entangled family dilemmas causing resentment. There’ll be a few bumps along the road with tr Uranus square the composite Moon this December and January 2019.

Harry’s relationship with his father-in-law looks in general both irritable and trapped with Thomas Markle’s Pluto falling in Harry’s 8^th along with his Mars conjunct H’s 8^th house Mercury. Their relationship chart has an edgy, high-tension composite Uranus Saturn Venus conjunction which will be jangled around 2020; with a few ripples this year.

The rest of the Royals are used enough to tricky relatives since their own extended family has more than a few wayward souls.

Whistleblower Edward Snowden has said unequivocally that the Russian government is “corrupt” in an interview with the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung. Russia gave him sanctuary in 2013 after he released classified NSA documents, which were he extradited to the USA would see him facing three charges under the Espionage Act, carrying a minimum of 30 years in jail. Despite the upcoming summit between Trump and Putin he stuck his neck out to say: “The Russian government is corrupt in many ways, that’s something the Russian people realise. Russian people are warm. They are clever. It’s a beautiful country. Their government is the problem not the people.” Asked about WikiLeaks Julian Assange, Snowden said: “I’m a reformist, he’s a revolutionary. I don’t want to burn the system down, if I believe it can still be saved.”

Born 21 June 1983 4.42 am Elizabeth City, North Carolina, he has an assertive and communicative Sun Mars North Node in Gemini in his 1^st house opposition Neptune and trine an unyielding, tough-minded and angry Saturn Pluto in Libra in his attention-seeking 5^th house. The Neptune Pluto and North Node tied together would make him destined to be in the centre of the zeitgeist with heady ambitions. He’s also got Mercury in Gemini opposition an adventurous Jupiter Uranus in crusading Sagittarius.

His leaving-a-legacy 17H is strong with a Grand Trine of Mercury trine Neptune trine Mars, formed into a Kite by Neptune opposition MC; and a T square of Jupiter opposition Mars square Sun.

But he’ll pay the price for his actions with no easy way out ahead.  Tr Pluto stays trapped in his 8^th until the mid 2020s; with tr Saturn joining it from later this year for two years which will be especially discouraging. By 2020 his Solar Arc Saturn Pluto starts a four-year collision with his Jupiter Uranus which will damp his spirits further. His Solar Arc MC squares his Mars within a few weeks which could generate a shock; with several undermining, uncertain Neptune transits to midpoints this year and through till 2020.

He doesn’t have any planets Earth signs so perhaps he didn’t think through the practical consequences of what would happen after his leak. Being landed in Russia is a grim irony for someone who believes in transparency and freedom of information. And starting off in China-ruled Hong Kong wasn’t too smart either.

His relationship chart with Vladimir Putin has a fateful Yod of composite Sun (Moon) sextile Saturn inconjunct Mars; with Mars oppositions Pluto Uranus Venus – so a volcanic interface. With another Yod of Neptune sextile Pluto inconjunct North Node. Hugely stressed, with power and control a central feature. 2019/2020 look to be raising the tension between them, though there’s nothing definitive showing up until 2022/23.

Putin’s Pluto is conjunct Snowden’s IC opposition his midheaven, so anchoring him to the spot; with Putin’s pumped-up Mars conjunct Snowden’s Neptune which despite the sanctuary offered, does not make it a mutually supportive relationship.

Pic: Laura Poitras

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive, civil-rights Democrat, created “one of the biggest upsets in recent American political history” when she defeated the Democratic incumbent, Joseph Crowley, an experienced senior in the party, in the primary for New York’s 14^th district. She spent under $200k on her campaign, almost all from small contributions, in comparison to Crowley’s $3.4 million and won 57% to 42%. It is a heavily Democratic district and if she defeats the Republican, an economics professor, in November she’ll become the youngest ever elected to the House of Representatives.

Born 13 October 1989 in the Bronx, NY, she’s an assertive Sun Mars in Libra and overflowing with initiative with Jupiter in Cancer opposition the triple conjunction in Capricorn of Uranus, Saturn, Neptune square Mercury in Libra probably opposition an Aries Moon. All these Cardinal planets will make her restless and resilient. Her Jupiter is also in a confident and lucky trine to Pluto in Scorpio; and she has a crusading-for-a-cause Aquarius North Node.

She’s on lucky form exactly on election day though hitting a catastrophe almost immediately, but will bounce back to form in December, January 2019.

Actress Kate Hudson, daughter of Goldie Hawn, is pregnant by her new boyfriend, which will give her three children by three different fathers. All her beaux are in the music business, with a five-year marriage to Chris Robinson, a three-year engagement to Matt Bellamy and now Danny Fujikawa.

She was born 19 April 1979 10.51 am Los Angeles and her parents separated when she was 18 months old. Her mother, Goldie Hawn, has followed a similar pattern with a four-year first marriage, then a four-year second marriage to a musician which produced Kate and her brother; then a long term relationship with Kurt Russell with a son from that; plus multiple liaisons along the way as well.

Kate has a public-career, pro-active 10^th house Aries Sun on the focal point of a T Square to Jupiter and her Cancer Ascendant opposition a 7^th house Capricorn Moon. She will be ambivalent about what she wants, always finding the grass greener somewhere else with a Sun square Moon; but needing the security of a relationship with a 7^th house Moon. She has Pluto in her 4^th opposition Mars, so she will have a determined streak and want to be in control at home. Her Neptune in the entertaining 5^th is good for the movie business but will give her romantic dreams which are not always realistic; and suggests there will be a Neptunian slant to her children – sensitive, creative, troubled or unusual in some way.

She has a very different chart from her mother apart from sharing a 7^th house Moon, but she’s clearly following in her footsteps. Goldie has a Scorpio Sun and Gemini Moon; with a power-house Mars Pluto in her 8^th square her Venus in Scorpio, and Saturn also on the cusp of her 8^th.  Always amazes me how these bubbly, ever-young women have the most staggeringly heavy charts.

I wish Kate Hudson well but her Solar Arc Neptune moving to conjunct her Moon within a year and then oppose her Jupiter and square her Sun looks a touch uncommitted. Plus she has tr Neptune opposition her Sun/Moon midpoint this year till late next which looks disappointing on the relationship front. Plus a discouraging Solar Arc Saturn conjunct her 4^th house Pluto by 2020, by which time tr Saturn has moved into her 7^th conjunct her Moon. Won’t be easy to stay the course.