Trump isn’t wrong about everything. His attack on allies for not pitching in with fair costs for NATO is sound. After the fractious G7 meeting he tweeted: “The US pays close to the entire cost of Nato — protecting many of these same countries that rip us off on trade.’ Starting a trade war is manifestly self-defeating, but he’s right to complain about western defence costs. Only Greece, UK and Estonia fork out the mandatory 2% of GDP. France is down at 1.79%, Canada 1.29% and Germany with Europe’s largest economy and a whopping trade surplus with the USA only contributes a miserable 1.24%.  The USA contributes nearly 4% of a much larger GDP. All of which is going to make the July 10 NATO summit in Brussels even more heated than the G7. Merkel has said she is more worried about Nato and the future of the western alliance than about the prospect of American tariffs though they will threaten the German automotive industry.

NATO, 24 August 1949 11.42am Washington, is being backed into a corner this year and next with tr Pluto opposition the Mars and feeling decidedly scared and frustrated. Exactly over the July summit, tr Saturn is opposition the Nato Uranus and square Venus, so it’ll be high-tension and discouraging. At that point Trump has tr Uranus square his Mercury/Mars midpoint which Ebertin describes as ‘loss of self-control (frenzy, delirium or insanity), emotional upset, making reckless decisions. Even allowing for Ebertin’s somewhat over-melodramatic interpretations he’ll certainly be in bad mood and in verbal combat-kit.

The Nato chart then continues to a blocked Solar Arc Saturn square Pluto, exact in six months, followed by Solar Arc Saturn square Moon by late 2019 – so not in forward gear.

Trump harbours a peculiar dislike of Nato with a composite Mars, Saturn, Pluto Mercury conjunction in the relationship chart. He’ll continue to exert maximum pressure, escalating in 2020 and if (heaven forfend) he makes a second term worse in 2021/22.

The EU/Nato chart which ironically enough has an emphasised North Node in Capricorn (= looking for a father figure) is in turmoil in 2019 with tr Pluto opposition Uranus and tr Uranus opposition the composite Sun; then tr Pluto wades on to a confusing and devastating square to Neptune and a depressing square to Saturn from 2019 to 2024. Another problem for them to worry about which might even make them more amiably inclined towards the UK, whose military expertise they are shunning at present.

The Germany/Nato relationship chart is on tenterhooks this year; and even more disrupted in 2019 to mid 2020 with tr Uranus opposition the composite Sun Saturn.

The times they are a-changin’.

Heavy denials about celebrity marriage problems accompanied by lovey-dovey red carpet cuddles are usually not a good sign. David and Victoria Beckham managed both which did nothing to quell the rumours.

The astrology always pointed to 2018/2019 as a danger point with tr Uranus conjunct first the composite Venus now, then Mercury in July and moving backwards and forwards over these into 2019 when tr Uranus will be conjunct the composite Sun and Mars. That looks exceptionally disruptive. Then tr Pluto will also square the composite Uranus in 2021 so it’ll be a rough ride ahead for several years. They are fairly lashed together because of the commercial brand mirrored in a composite Saturn square Pluto, which aspect is also being weighed down by tr Saturn this year, so a separation wouldn’t be simple.

Neither of them have their Sun/Moon midpoints affected which might suggest nothing too drastic will come. Though there’s likely to be separations during all those Uranian firecrackers.   His chart has tr Uranus square his 10^th house Moon through into early 2019 so he will be rethinking his domestic life as well as career direction. And he does look directionless and less than confident about future plans with tr Neptune conjunct his 11^th house Mars in 2018/2019.

Victoria looks under huge pressure around 2020 and just after as tr Pluto squares her Aries Sun opposition Uranus.

My impression is he’s supporting her fashion business which isn’t doing well financially and they have led fairly separate lives.

NB Her birth time is unverified. His is biography.is is biography.His

Trashing a western alliance that has won two world wars and the Cold War and cosying up to gangster despots, Trump is thundering ahead with a comprehensive revamp of America’s image. It’s partly to boost his contrarian narcissism – doing what has never been done before; and feeding his fanbase with a) lies about trade, and b) a facade of muscular leadership, neither of which are doing him harm in the popularity stakes, especially with the evangelicals and Mormons bizarrely enough.

The bling and blare of the North Korea summit is mainly for show since both sides need the appearance of a win. An actual deal would take months if not years of wrangling but Trump doesn’t do detail and Kim won’t denuclearize. The theory is that while the diplomacy is ongoing, neither side will lob bombs.

Haaretz, always tuned into the Middle East, says ‘the Trump administration hopes to ‘clear the table’ of the North Korean distraction before dealing with what it sees as the real threat: Iran.’ With Iran there’s no question of diplomacy and he’s now broken with G6 who are keen to keep the Iran deal going. With Bolton and Pompeo cheering him on, all bets are off as to what comes next with MBS of Saudi ramping up the rhetoric in his ear (and Jared’s).

On the USA chart, the tr North Node in Leo is on a Return exactly now. It was around before in April 1981, just as Reagan was nearly assassinated (in March). There in October 1962 for the Bay of Pigs Cuban Missile Crisis. There in the first half of 1944 with World War 11 being bitterly fought to a conclusion the following year. It is a critical juncture.

The USA North Node in Leo is the leadership node. When 9/11 happened tr Neptune was opposition the Node for what was not only a shocking atrocity but also a considerable dent to the USA’s self-esteem. In 2019 tr Uranus will also square the US Node. The last time Uranus was in Taurus square the Node, FD Roosevelt was in the White House, coping with a recession. That year there was a major heatwave in which thousands died. Also following a federal union strike, a corporate plan for strikebreaking was issued, which involved discrediting union leaders, scaring the public and using police and vigilantes to intimidate strikers. History never repeats exactly so it’ll be interesting to see what turns up this time round.

Pluto is, of course, also heading for its first Pluto Return since the founding in 1776, in 2022. Sometimes, though not always, powers that rise on one, falls on the next. Not immediately since empires tend to crumble slowly into decline.

In 2019/202 tr Pluto will also trine the USA Neptune; which hasn’t been around since 1874, With Ulysses Grant in the WH, when the Indian (Native American) Wars were being fought. The recessionary/hardship/maybe warlike Saturn Pluto conjunction draws close in early 2020, and exact in 2021, crashing into the USA fanatical Mercury opposition Pluto, which has been causing problems over the past year plus with tr Uranus in square.

All in all, testing times for the world’s greatest superpower.

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

Ian Curtis, lead singer of the post-punk band Joy Division, who committed suicide in 1980, aged 23, was born three weeks after Anthony Bourdain. Despite suffering from severe epilepsy, he smoked and drank, and had attempted to kill himself once before.

Born 15 July 1956 at Stratford, England, he was intelligent and well-educated but graduated towards music early on. His Cancer Sun and Mercury were in a creative though escapist square to Neptune (maybe Moon in Libra/Scorpio) and in a heavy-duty trine to Mars in Pisces trine Saturn in Scorpio. His confident Pluto in late Leo conjunct Jupiter in Virgo was on the focal point of a mini-Grand Trine of musical Neptune trine Venus; and in a bleak, see-saw square to Saturn.

His Uranus was square Neptune and perhaps his Moon, so he would be excitable and changeable.  His Sun was conjunct the Fixed star Pollux,  which can sometimes indicates cruel twists of fate.

A complicated individual with a dark streak.

When he died he was on a Jupiter Return oddly enough; though with tr Saturn conjunct his Solar Arc Pluto and tr Uranus perhaps conjunct his Solar Arc Moon. Tr Pluto had been squaring his Mercury increasing his mental strain and was heading to square his Sun, so the pressure would be mounting. His epilepsy appeared to be getting worse with two seizures a week where he’d lose consciousness and have convulsions.

Gena Turgel, who survived the Kraków ghetto, a death march, Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen has died aged 95. She spent much of her life after the war teaching British schoolchildren about the horrors of the Holocaust.

Born 1 February 1923 in Krakow, Poland, she lived in the ghetto for two years with her mother and four siblings. One brother was shot by the SS; another fled and never seen again; a sister and her husband were also shot. Another sister was lost after she and her mother were transferred to the camps in late 1944. In Bergen-Belsen she helped care for Anne Frank, who was dying from typhus. At her liberation she met and shortly after married a British soldier who was there. Her memoir, I Light a Candle, was published in 1987.

She was a Sun Aquarius opposition Neptune and square Jupiter so would have had faith and optimism to pull her through. She also had a ‘healing’ Water Grand Trine of Jupiter trine Uranus trine Pluto. She was described by those who knew her as ‘a blessing and an inspiration.’ Her Mars in pro-active Aries was square Pluto, making her resourceful in crisis and utterly determined.

Her ‘seeking soul’ 7^th Harmonic was strongly aspected; as was her 16H which can indicate extreme stamina in difficult circumstances.

Blowing up the G7 meeting or more aptly G6 plus one can be seen as Trump marching to the drumbeat of his astrology, his strings celestially pulled. His Solar Arc Uranus is now only two minutes (one thirtieth of a degree) away from the conjunction to his overbearing Mars in Leo. Mars in Leo tends to be egotistical, dominating and fosters a belief in the individual’s infallibility. Uranus on top ramps up brutal frankness, self-willed obstinacy, an argumentative spirit.

It’s also associated with injuries, accidents and operations – which could be being lived out in part through Melania’s recent hospitalisation; and now the heart attack of close senior adviser, National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow. [I have seen charts where health and other issues get ‘projected out’; so what look like personal issues via transits or progressions are lived out by others in the close environment.} Kudlow has a Leo Sun exactly conjunct Trump’s Mars and Solar Arc Uranus. Mars Uranus typically in older people does point to the risk of heart attacks.

His relationship charts with Merkel, Macron, Trudeau and Shinzo Abe of Japan are all chilly and undermined throughout the rest of this year, especially Trudeau. May seems to be treating it with her usual sang froid and is less bothered. Abe looks even more alarmed in 2019; with jolts and shocks on the Trump/Xi Jinping relationship chart this year and next. China has a keen interest in the NK situation, unhappy if it moves to closer NK/USA ties or worse a unified Korea under America’s protective shield.

The Canada/USA relationship chart is in a jangled state of high tension exactly now; with mounting concerns and further rifts later this year and early in 2019. Similarly the EU doesn’t look remotely cheerful about US policy late this year and into 2019.

As to North Korea? Kim Jong Un’s leadership chart, the only one with a sensible date/time, looks muted at the moment with tr Saturn conjunct the Sun Pluto, but that could also harden attitudes. He’s wily and will have no intention of giving up his protection either instantly and most likely not even longer term. But he does want his economy rebooted.

Trump’s personal chart in addition to Mars Uranus also has tr Uranus square his Saturn/Pluto midpoint which can either produce sudden decisions in extreme situations or sudden acts of violence. It will bring out his cold-hearted and fanatical streak. Where he looks prone to blowing another fuse will be from early July to mid September but that may not be NK-related.

His Solar Return from birthday 13^th June this year for twelve months looks optimistic with Jupiter in the 11^th; though also dependent on support and prone to muddled thinking and speaking with Neptune in the 3^rd.  the most contentious and explosive issues appear to be around money and family with Mars in the 2^nd opposition an 8^th house Venus North Node square a 4^th house Uranus; with Pluto also in the 2^nd inconjunct the Sun. In normal circumstances I might have expected a house move, but it may well be domestic upheavals of another variety. His Solar Return from June 2019 to June 2020 is nightmarish with Saturn Pluto in the 10^th opposition Mars

With eerie timing the documentary on fashion icon Alexander McQueen who also committed suicide (in 2010) came out this week.

His reputation and collections which brought him fame and fortune were seen as irreverent, quirky, imaginative, packing an emotional punch and dark. An enfant terrible “funny and disrespectful”, McQueen loved to shock and was inspired by fetish culture, Francis Bacon and the grim history of London’s East End. His shows were the stuff of dreams and nightmares, produced on the standard fashion-business cocktail of cocaine, overwork and relentless efforts to create a perfect appearance. According to friends he was in mental decline becoming paranoid leading up to his death, which followed nine days after his mother dying; and he evidently was HIV positive.

Born 17 March 1969 late evening, London, he was a New Moon in Pisces in an intense opposition to Pluto; with a difficult, heavy-duty Yod of Neptune sextile Pluto inconjunct Venus Saturn in Aries. His Moon which tuned him into public taste  is prominent in his chart, as it was for Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade but in a different way. In his case there would be an undertow of tumultuous and dark feelings of possessiveness and fear. Tr Uranus in Pisces was opposing his Pluto and around the conjunction to his Moon when he hanged himself – separating from his mother would bring out painful and obviously unbearable feelings.

An emphasised Venus Saturn conjunction would give him problems with emotional self-worth; and a Saturnine Yod focal point requires real maturity to handle well. Yves St Laurent also had a Venus focal point Yod inconjunct Moon sextile Saturn; with his Capricorn Moon opposition Pluto Mars in Cancer.

McQueen was mentored early on by another fashionista enfant terrible, Isabella Blow, but abandoned her as he rose to prominence; and her suicide three years earlier undoubtedly affected him badly. Born 19 November 1958, she had an incredibly Fixed chart with a Scorpio Sun Venus opposition Mars in Taurus square Uranus in Leo; with a Pisces Moon perhaps opposition Pluto. Tr Saturn was in Leo when she died pulling on her Fixed planets with tr Pluto just over the conjunction to her Saturn, so a depressing time. She suffered from bi-polar disorder as well as ovarian cancer and had attempted suicide several times.

There’s no one signature for suicide and astrology won’t tell you about death anyway. But heavy drug use either earlier or at the time certainly don’t help to stabilise intense personalities.

The Daily Mail, a potent right-wing political force in the UK, is to change editor after 26 years as Paul Dacre steps down. A fervent Brexiteer he’ll be replaced by the Mail on Sunday editor Geordie Grieg, who’s a staunch Remainer, answering directly to the owner Lord Rothermere, also pro-European.

Dacre was respected for his success as an editor if not much liked, since he traded on hate and scared prime ministers into toeing his line. Polly Toynbee said of him: ‘Like all bullies he targets underdogs, imposing on the country racism, homophobia and philistinism, and shunning complexity and evidence. His legacy is the great Brexit divide that has torn the country in two.’

The Daily Mail launched 4 May 1896 and has a stubbornly enduring Taurus Sun opposition an autocratic and innovative Saturn and Uranus in Scorpio. The Neptune Pluto in Gemini of the time is associated with scandal-mongering and it squares onto Mars in Pisces – good for bile, bitterness and showbiz, ruthless.

There’s a degree of relief on the DM chart as Dacre’s leave date is confirmed with tr Uranus square the Jupiter, repeating into 2019; but 2019 also sees tr Neptune conjunct Mars for a sense of panicky failure.

The UK has a love-hate relationship with the Mail with a power-struggling Mars Pluto and a changeable Pluto opposition Uranus in the relationship chart.

Dacre, 14 November 1948 was born the same day as Prince Charles so has the same Scorpio Sun and perhaps a late Aries Moon.

Geordie Grieg, 16 December 1960, (the day before Sky News Kay Burley), is a Sun Sagittarius with Jupiter Saturn in Capricorn opposition Mars, trine Pluto and sextile Neptune – so he’s got grit.

The UK’s 3^rd house, ruling communication and newspapers, has Sagittarius on the cusp so both Greig’s Sun and Dacre’s Mars Jupiter in Sagittarius are well placed there. Greig may well pitch harder on reform of the legislature since his Uranus is conjunct the UK’s 11^th house Saturn; and his Mars falls in the UK 10^th, so he’ll be keen to push UK ambitions and status up a notch or two. His Jupiter in Capricorn is also conjunct the UK Sun so he may well be a better fit to raise morale. He looks in good spirits ahead.

Anthony Bourdain, the celebrity chef and writer, has died, apparently from suicide by hanging in France while on a TV shoot. Born 25 June 1956 in New York, he described himself as a ‘feral child’, a torment to his parents. He developed a drug habit as a teenager which blossomed later into an addiction to heroin, coke and LSD.  His food shows were travelogues and he spoke and wrote with alarming and foul-mouthed frankness – what AA Gill called ‘Elizabeth David written by Quentin Tarantino’.

He turned stomachs with descriptions of what really happened in restaurant kitchen; staffed on the whole by “people for whom something in their lives has gone terribly wrong … wacked-out moral degenerates, dope fiends, refugees, a thuggish assortment of drunks, sneak thieves, sluts and psychopaths”.

The Telegraph obit said: ‘Bourdain was a superb writer combined an evocative and quotable prose style with an almost pathological honesty about both the restaurant business and his own life, especially his battles with addiction.’ He said: “I don’t eat mussels in restaurants, unless I know the chef personally”; brunch “old, nasty odds and ends”; hollandaise “a veritable petri-dish of biohazards”. He denounced vegetarians and “their Hezbollah-like splinter-faction, the vegans” as “the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit, an affront to all I stand for, the pure enjoyment of food.”

He was a Sun Cancer (good for all matters domestic) trine Mars in Pisces which in turn squared Mercury in Gemini, giving him a forthright way of expressing himself. His super-confident Jupiter Pluto in Leo was in a tough-minded square to an obsessive Saturn in Scorpio; and he probably had an Aquarius Moon opposition Uranus square Neptune which would make him highly-strung, quite fanatical at times – and a focal point Neptune is also escapist.

He’s been struggling this year with tr Pluto in a depressed conjunction to his Mars/Saturn midpoint, though not exact at the moment; also tr Neptune opposition his Sun/Saturn which would exacerbate uncertainty and a tendency to depression. What’s most obvious is his Moon, Uranus, Neptune T Square being triggered by tr Uranus in hard aspect and his Solar Arc Saturn square and Solar Arc Jupiter Pluto conjunct his Neptune. This would bring instability, lack of emotional balance, confusion.

His get-it-together 5^th Harmonic was strongly aspected; as was his ‘seeking soul’ 7H which can tend to addictions and escapism; as well as his self-defeating 10H and 16H.